INFLATABLE LIFE JACKET

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

In accordance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.76, a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present application claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 19/360,472 entitled “BOAT FENDER” filed Oct. 16, 2025 which is a continuation-in-part to U.S. Non-provisional Ser. No. 18/298,859 entitled “BOAT FENDER” filed Apr. 11, 2023, further claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/363,863 entitled “BOAT FENDER” filed Apr. 29, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to the field of boating and, in particular, to an inflatable life jacket that can be stored flat and inflated without compressed air.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recreational boating and water-based activities provide participants with opportunities for travel, leisure, fishing, swimming, diving, and social interaction on bodies of water. These activities often involve a diverse group of users with varying body sizes, ages, clothing requirements, and levels of physical ability. As a result, the availability of effective life jackets is essential to ensure safety during both planned and unanticipated water exposure. It is not unusual to see a small vessel having more passengers than the vessel is rated for, far exceeding the amount of life jackets legally required.

Conventional life jackets are typically manufactured in fixed sizes, such as small, medium, large, or extra-large, and are designed to fit within a narrow range of body dimensions. A problem arises when a life jacket does not fit the intended wearer, namely the floatation ability may be insufficient if a large adult is wearing a child's life jacket. The fixed-size nature of conventional life jackets presents particular challenges on recreational boats, where storage space is limited and a wide variety of passengers may be present. To adequately prepare for all potential users, boat operators may be required to store multiple life jackets in assorted sizes. This results in increased storage requirements and makes it difficult to ensure that an appropriately sized jacket is readily available for each individual onboard.

In practice, boat operators often compromise by carrying a limited selection of sizes or by storing oversized life jackets intended to accommodate a broader range of users. In emergency situations, the time required to locate a correctly sized life jacket may further delay deployment, increasing safety risks.

Additionally, fixed-size life jackets are typically bulky due to the permanent flotation material incorporated into their construction. Whether constructed from foam or permanently sealed inflatable chambers, these jackets occupy a substantial volume even when not in use. As a result, storage below deck, in lockers, or under seating areas can be inefficient and may displace other necessary equipment.

The bulk and rigidity of fixed-size life jackets also limits their adaptability to varying conditions. Storing above deck can result in exposure to sunlight, moisture, and environmental conditions which can degrade materials, reducing the usable lifespan of conventional life jackets.

Self-inflating life jackets are widely used but expensive and prone to failure due to a variety of mechanical, material, and user-related factors. For instance, CO₂ cartridges may leak, become depleted, corrode, or fail to puncture the bladder, preventing inflation. Inflation mechanisms, including pull-cords, triggers, and valves, can jam, break, or become misaligned, while bladders may develop punctures or seam failures due to wear, sharp objects, or UV exposure. Environmental conditions such as saltwater and prolonged sunlight can degrade materials and reduce reliability. Improper use, maintenance, or repacking can further compromise performance. These limitations highlight a need for a personal flotation device that is compact, storable, and reusable, yet reliably provides buoyancy when needed.

To address these challenges, there is a need for a life jacket that is compact and storable, yet rapidly deployable. Such a device should occupy minimal onboard space when not in use, maintain effective flotation during use for all sizes of users, and contain no mechanical items that can fail, such as cartridges.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention fulfills this need by providing a storable, reusable life jacket that can be folded or rolled into a compact configuration for storage and expanded to an inflated condition when needed, ensuring proper fit, buoyancy, and rapid deployment without consuming excessive space on board.

The life jacket commonly known as a personal flotation device, is formed from a flexible shell defining an interior air chamber constructed of an air-impervious material or an air-impervious coating. The shell includes a neck opening configured to position a lower section of the shell against the front torso of a user and an upper section of the shell placed behind the head of the user. A reusable seal is attached to the upper section of the shell and is configured to selectively open and close access to the interior air chamber to define an air-tight interior when closed. A fastening assembly is positioned adjacent to an open edge of the upper section and is configured to secure the seal in a closed configuration by preventing unrolling of the upper section. At least one attachment strap or securing feature is coupled to the lower section of the shell and is configured to secure the life jacket to the wearer.

When the floatation device is in a deflated condition, the shell may be stored flat or rolled into a compact configuration for convenient storage or transport. When the life jacket is in an inflated condition, the seal is closed to trap air within the interior of the bladder. The seal maintains the bladder in a sealed and inflated condition by rolling an upper edge of the shell and securing the fastening element to prevent unrolling of the shell. The rolling of the shell induces internal pressure within the shell and further reinforces the seal to prevent unintended air release. When inflated, the life jacket provides buoyancy to support a user in water, wherein the bladder distributes flotation forces to assist in maintaining the user at or above the water surface. At least one air valve allows the wearer to increase the volume of air within the shell cavity when the seal is closed.

An objective of the instant invention is to provide an inflatable life jacket that can be folded or rolled into a compact configuration to facilitate storage, and that can be rapidly deployed and maintained in an inflated condition for use as a life jacket.

Another objective of the invention is to allow a vessel owner to maintain a large inventory of life jackets without consuming valuable space on a boat.

Another objective of the instant invention is to provide a reusable life jacket that can be inflated and sealed without the need for an external air pump, compressed gas cartridge, or other mechanical inflation devices.

Still another objective of the instant invention is to provide a life jacket that can be conveniently stored when not in use, including below deck or in enclosed storage compartments, thereby reducing exposure to sunlight and environmental conditions that may degrade materials over time.

Yet still another objective of the instant invention is to provide a flexible shell that may be formed from, or coated with, an air-impervious material, including but not limited to rubber, PVC-vinyl, plastic, or similar flexible materials suitable for repeated inflation and deflation.

Another objective of the instant invention is to provide a life jacket that may be formed in a variety of shapes, including rectangular, contoured, circular, or oblong configurations, to accommodate different wearer sizes, buoyancy requirements, and intended uses.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide a life jacket that can thoroughly dried using a large chamber opening to avoid mildew and mold.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide a low cost inflatable life jacket that can be stored in such quantities that even a small boat can afford to be overstocked with life jackets assuring the safety of its passengers.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the inflatable life jacket;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective side view thereof with the opening closed, rolled, and clipped;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the deflated life jacket in a rolled storage configuration;

FIG. 5 is a bottom end view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

The present invention provides a storable, reusable life jacket 10 comprising a flexible shell 12 defining an interior air chamber 14. The shell 12 is constructed of an air-impervious material or a lightweight material having an air-impervious coating to prevent air leakage from the chamber 14. The shell 12 is substantially rectangular in shape an includes a neck opening 16 configured to position a lower section 18 of the shell against the front torso of a user and an upper section 22 of the shell behind the head of the use. The shape is similar to a conventional Type II life jacket, with the exception of the upper section 22 which is elongated when uninflated.

A reusable seal 24 is attached to the upper section 22 of the shell 12. The seal 24 is configured to selectively open and close access to the interior chamber 14. In the preferred embodiment, the seal 24 comprises a first flexible strip 26 having a first elastomeric sealing edge 28, a second flexible strip 30 having a second elastomeric sealing edge 32, and a slider 34 configured to engage the first and second sealing edges 28, 32 into interlocking engagement. When engaged, the sealing edges 28, 32 form a continuous air-impermeable seal, thereby preventing passage of air through the seal 24.

The life jacket 10 further includes a fastening assembly 36 coupled to the upper section 22 of the shell 12. The fastening assembly 36 comprises a first element 38 coupled to a first edge 40 of the upper section 22 and a reciprocal element 42 coupled to a second edge 44 of the upper section 22. The fastening assembly 36 is configured to engage when the upper section 22 is rolled at least two turns, thereby preventing unrolling and compressing the trapped air within the interior chamber 14 to provide a buoyant device.

An attachment strap 46 is coupled to the lower section 18 of the shell 12 and configured to wrap around the torso of the user to secure the shell 12 in position. The strap 46 having a slide 50 that is slidably adjustable along the shell 12 to accommodate different user sizes.

The life jacket 10 includes a manually operable air valve 48 which is in fluid communication with the interior air chamber 14. The air valve 48 is configured to permit a user to manually insert air into the chamber 14 by blowing through a straw 52 forcing air through a one way valve to increase the amount of air within the chamber, thereby increasing or maintaining buoyancy. The less buoyant the wearer, the more buoyant the life vest can be made.

The shell 12 may be formed from an air-impervious material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Hypalon®, or polyurethane. Alternatively, the shell 12 may be made of a porous material, such as nylon, and include a flexible air-impervious coating or bladder. The shell 12 defines a generally rectangular or contoured profile when inflated, configured to distribute buoyant forces evenly across the wearer's torso for stability and comfort.

The life jacket 10 has a deflated condition in which the reusable seal 24 is open, permitting the shell 12 to be laid flat, folded or rolled into a compact configuration for storage. When inflated, the seal 24 is closed and the upper section 22 is rolled and secured via the fastening assembly 36. In this inflated condition, the chamber 14 can hold approximately 2 psi (0.14 bar) of internal air pressure, which can be adjusted based on the weight of the wearer to maintain optimal buoyancy and support in water.

The compact and rollable configuration of the life jacket 10 allows it to be easily stored in limited spaces, such as boat lockers, under seats, or other confined storage areas, while providing rapid deployment and reliable flotation when needed. The adjustable strap 46, roll-seal 24, and optional manual air valve 48 enable the life jacket 10 to accommodate a wide range of users and provide controlled buoyancy without reliance on external inflation devices.

The term “coupled” is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more” or “at least one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternative are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.”

The terms “comprise” and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”, “have” and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”, “include” and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including” and “contain” and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing” are open-ended linking verbs.

All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures, and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.