Vest personal flotation device saver

Abstract

A vest-type personal flotation device saver includes: (a) a main body comprising: (1) a saver pillow portion, (2) two substantially mirror image saver tail portions extending from the pillow portion, and (3) a central open neck, (4) a gap extending down from the open neck between two closed sides of the tail portions, (5) a closed tail end pocket at the end of each saver tail portion, and (6) three closable, adjacent sides of the main body; (b) a releasable closure mechanism on the main body; (c) a releasable saver waist strap device attached to the saver tail portion; and (d) a locking mechanism on the main body adjacent the closure mechanism; and preferably (e) a conversion grab strap, (f) a storage pocket, and (g) a conversion flotation liner; wherein the main body has open and closed positions. This simplified abstract is not intended to limit, and should not be interpreted as limiting, the scope of the claims.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]The present invention relates to a vest-type personal flotation device saver that can be used in combination with a serviceable or non-serviceable Type I or II personal flotation device by a swimmer in the water in a potential emergency situation for use as a personal flotation device.[0003]2. Background Information[0004]An estimated 17 million old personal flotation devices (called “PFDs” herein) are discarded every year in the United States. The US Coast Guard and most states require that old, non-serviceable PFDs be taken out of service. “Non-serviceable” means that the PFD must not be used for service as a life saving device, since it may fail. Often, the outer fabric of the PFD has deteriorated and therefore may fail to hold intact the life saving fill material inside it. PFDs are designed to keep a person afloat during an emergency. Torn, worn, rotten, and deteriorated PFD fabrics can put the user's life in peril in an e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]1) They protect new or used but serviceable PFDs from the effects of weather and the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and from wear and tear.

[0012]2) They allow old, weathered, or worn (non-serviceable) PFDs to be utilized in lieu of being burned in incinerators or discarded in landfills or inappropriate locations, where they can be a hazard to wildlife. This helps to protect the environment. As the PFD saver of the present invention fails over time, it can be replaced and the like-new PFD inside it gets a second life, then a third, and so forth.

[0014]4) The conversion flotation liner in the PFD saver, if any, can be fabricated from used foam fill material from old PFDs, so long as the recycled fill material is still sufficiently buoyant to meet requirements. This helps to conserve resources and protect the environment.

Problems solved by technology

“Non-serviceable” means that the PFD must not be used for service as a life saving device, since it may fail.

Often, the outer fabric of the PFD has deteriorated and therefore may fail to hold intact the life saving fill material inside it.

Torn, worn, rotten, and deteriorated PFD fabrics can put the user's life in peril in an emergency situation.

Secondly, old PFDs cause disposal problems.

In a landfill, they are generally not biodegradable and can last for hundreds of years.

Old PFDs that are channeled into garbage disposal systems are often burned along with other garbage, which can release hazardous fumes into the environment.

If they are not properly disposed of, old PFDs are a hazard to wildlife.

Normally, if a life preserver is placed within a hand-sewn cover, for example, it is considered non-accessible and therefore would not qualify for use as a life preserver.

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