Life-saving tools

Abstract

A body protective clothing item 110 configured to cover at least a portion of a wearer's body in use, the protective clothing item including an inflatable chamber in region 119 configured to provide buoyancy when inflated to support the wearer's body above water to protect the wearer from drowning.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a personal protective garment and a method for protecting a person from drowning. [Background technology]

[0002] Aircraft crew, such as pilots, wear an ensemble of clothing that includes protective flight clothing (e.g., a flight suit or vest) when flying in an airplane. Traditionally, the suit is either a one-piece suit that combines both a jacket and trousers in a single garment, or a two-piece suit with separate jacket and trousers.

[0003] Protective clothing items may include special equipment (crew life support) that protects the wearer from the effects of high G-accelerations or altitudes and other potentially damaging factors.

[0004] When flying an aircraft over water, pilots and flight crew typically wear life preserver units (e.g., life jackets) that are attached to and worn over protective flight clothing. A complete clothing combination comprises the protective flight clothing and the life preserver units.

[0005] Conventional designs of life preservers worn around the wearer's neck are bulky and can cause restrictions on head movement, and in flight applications they can cause interactions with the flight crew helmet, further reducing head mobility and causing helmet displacement. In addition, significant bulk over the shoulders and front chest area can reduce downward visibility and create a snagging hazard when attempting to exit an aircraft.

[0006] Similar disadvantages arise in other situations where it is desirable to protect the wearer from drowning (e.g. personnel on a ship or oil rig who may fall into the sea or who must be evacuated to the sea) where separate protective clothing items and life jackets create undesirable bulk. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a personal protective clothing article configured in use to cover at least a part of a wearer's body, the protective clothing article including an inflatable chamber configured to, when inflated, provide buoyancy to support the wearer's body above water to prevent the wearer from drowning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The protective clothing article may be an article of clothing worn by flight crew and intended to protect the flight crew during normal flight. Traditionally, a life jacket is worn over the protective clothing article to provide buoyancy to support the flight crew's body on water. The protective clothing article may also be an article of clothing worn in other marine applications where protection from drowning is desirable, for example on a ship or on an oil rig.

[0009] The claimed protective clothing articles can eliminate the need for a traditional life jacket because the protective clothing article itself provides buoyancy. Providing buoyancy through an inflatable chamber in the protective clothing article, rather than through a life jacket, reduces the number of items that an aircraft crew (or other personnel) must wear, thereby reducing bulk, the risk of snagging, and the time it takes for an aircraft crew to prepare for a flight.

[0010] The article of clothing may have protective qualities for the wearer during normal use (i.e., when not in water), such as being flame retardant or water resistant. The article of clothing may be configured to protect aircraft crew from the effects of fire, high G-accelerations and / or altitude. The article of clothing may be a flight vest or flight suit, or may perform functions traditionally performed by a flight vest or flight suit.

[0011] The article of clothing may cover at least the chest and back of the wearer and extend behind the neck. The coverage of the wearer's body by the article of clothing may correspond to that of a conventional flight vest or suit.

[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the inflatable chamber functions as a life jacket or life preserver unit. The buoyancy required to protect the wearer from drowning can be provided by the protective clothing item itself (by its inflatable chamber). Thus, a traditional life jacket / life preserver that is not an item of clothing or part of the clothing item is not required.

[0013] The article of clothing may include an initiation means, such as a hydrostatic initiation mechanism, for automatically initiating inflation of the inflatable chamber upon contact with water. Additionally or alternatively, inflation of the inflatable chamber may be manually initiatable, for example by an aircraft crew member operating a lever.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the inflatable chamber extends over the chest and behind the neck of the wearer. Such a configuration provides buoyancy in a desired location to prevent the wearer from drowning. When the inflatable chamber is not inflated, it only covers a portion of the area of ​​the protective clothing article - for example, the inflatable chamber does not cover the wearer's back that is covered by the clothing article.

[0015] The expandable chamber may be disposed beneath an outer layer of the article of clothing when deflated, the outer layer including a line of weakness that opens under pressure exerted by partial inflation of the expandable chamber to allow full expansion of the expandable chamber outside the outer surface of the article of clothing. The line of weakness may be formed by a releasable bond, which may be a burst-open zipper.

[0016] The inflatable chamber may be disposed between an outer layer and an inner layer of the article of clothing when deflated, the inner layer preferably being adjacent to the wearer's torso.

[0017] The outer layer and the inner layer may be substantially inelastic, thereby forming a substantially inelastic pocket for the expandable chamber. The inelasticity of the pocket causes pressure from expansion of the expandable chamber to be applied to the releasable bond rather than expanding the pocket.

[0018] The inflatable chamber may be an inner chamber layer and an outer chamber layer, the inner chamber layer being separate from the outer chamber layer. The claimed inflatable chamber configuration can provide a robust, low bulk inflatable chamber. This is highly advantageous since the article of clothing can have a low bulk despite including an inflatable chamber. This can increase comfort and safety for the wearer.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of protecting a person from drowning comprising providing a person with a protective clothing article configured to cover at least a part of the person's body and to protect the person during normal use, the protective clothing article including an inflatable chamber configured to provide buoyancy configured to support the person's body above water when inflated to prevent the person from drowning, the method comprising inflating the inflatable chamber on contact with water or when contact with water is anticipated, such that the buoyancy protects the person from drowning.

[0020] The protection offered by an article of clothing in normal use may be protection not relating to immersion in water, and may be protection from fire or cold.

[0021] In this method, the article of protective clothing may be as defined above.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed to place a life preserver bladder with an on / off zipper or the like inside a protective clothing item (e.g. flight jacket / vest) to allow inflation of the life preserver bladder attached directly to the front of the protective clothing item. The life preserver bladder breaks the zipper due to the pressure exerted by the inflation of the bladder. The bladder then passes through the hole formed by the zipper opening.

[0023] This embodiment has a significant advantage in the cosmetic appearance of the complete clothing combination. Instead of the life preserver being worn over the protective clothing item (as in known arrangements), the protective clothing item is worn with the life preserver invisible when not inflated. The embodiment also removes bulk from the tops of the wearer's shoulders, front chest and back of the neck, eliminating restrictions on head mobility and helmet interaction. When used in conjunction with new lightweight (micro) life preservers and remote inflation systems (e.g. as described in the applicant's GB Patent No. 2573474), the presence of the uninflated life preserver may be virtually unnoticeable to the wearer.

[0024] Because of the reduced packing size, items that would normally be attached to the rescue gear, such as remote antennas and lights, may need to be moved and alternative solutions implemented.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention address one of the biggest problems identified with current life preserver designs: bulk, restricted head mobility, and potential for snagging.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention can be used in marine and special forces applications.The protective clothing article may be a flight suit, but may also be any article of clothing that provides protection in another form.

[0027] Because the inflatable chamber is built into the article of clothing, the wearer is always protected from drowning when wearing the article of clothing In contrast, if another article of clothing and a life jacket are used, the life jacket may be forgotten or not intentionally worn.

[0028] All of the features described in this specification can be combined with any of the above aspects in any combination. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] For a better understanding of embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: In the drawings, like elements generally are designated with the same reference numerals. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a known set of flight clothing comprising protective flight clothing in which a life jacket is worn. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a left side view of the protective flight clothing item and life jacket of FIG. 1 (other sides correspond). [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the protective flight clothing and life jacket of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the protective flight clothing item and life jacket of FIG. 1 after the life jacket has been inflated. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a left side view of the protective flight clothing item and life jacket of FIG. 1 after the life jacket has been inflated (other sides are corresponding). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of protective flight clothing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a left side view of the protective flight clothing item of FIG. 8 (other sides are corresponding). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a rear view of the protective flight clothing item of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIGS. 8 and 9, including a partial enlarged view as indicated by arrow "A." [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows a front view of the protective flight clothing item of FIG. 8 after its inflatable chamber has been inflated. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows a left side view of the protective flight clothing item of FIG. 8 after its inflatable chamber has been inflated (other sides are corresponding). [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIGS. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A shows a cross-sectional view of an expandable chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B shows an enlarged detail view of the layers of the expandable chamber of FIG. 15A. [Figure 15C] FIG. 15C shows a close-up of the expandable chamber of FIG. 15A with the upper and lower layers connected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] 1, 2 or 3, a known flight crew clothing set 8 includes a protective flight clothing item 10, which in this example is a flight vest (which may alternatively be a jacket or a full body suit) worn by a flight crew member (which may be any person aboard an aircraft). The flight clothing item 10 may be made from an inherently fire-resistant fabric, such as NOMEX®. The flight clothing item 10 has a waist area 12, a neck opening 14, and left and right arm through-holes 16A, 16B, respectively. The flight clothing item 10 also has a front opening 18, which may be closed, for example, by a conventional zipper.

[0031] The flight apparel 10 includes an equipment pocket 20. The flight apparel 10 also includes a waist belt 22. The waist belt 22 may be fastened to the front of the torso by a buckle 23 or any other suitable fastener.

[0032] 1, 2 or 3, the flight crew clothing set 8 includes a life jacket 30 which may be worn over and attached to the flight clothing 10. The life jacket 30 is generally U-shaped in the illustrated example, having a central portion 32 which passes around the back of the wearer's neck and two arm portions 34A and 34B extending from either side of the central portion 32, left and right, which are configured to be positioned on either side of the front of the wearer's torso 31. Other shapes and configurations of the life jacket are possible.

[0033] The life jacket 30 is fitted with one or more inflation systems 33 , such as compressed gas cylinders, for inflating bladders (shown at 52 in FIG. 4) within the life jacket 30 .

[0034] The life jacket 30 is typically attached to the flight clothing item 10 in two or more locations.

[0035] The life jacket 30 is attached to the flight apparel 10 by a pair of zippers 38A and 38B, in the illustrated example at the forward torso. This attachment is important for use by flight crew as the life jacket 30 may be subject to "wind gusts" when ejecting from the aircraft at speeds that could cause it to become dislodged if not securely attached to the flight apparel 10.

[0036] The left zipper 38A has a first row of teeth extending longitudinally along the inside of the left arm 34A of the life jacket 30 and a corresponding second row of teeth extending longitudinally along the front of the flight clothing item 10 and generally parallel and spaced to the left of the opening 18 in the flight clothing item 10. The left arm 34A of the life jacket 30 is attached to the flight clothing item 10 by pulling upwardly on a slider (not shown) of the zipper 38A, drawing the first and second rows of teeth together in the conventional manner of operation of a zipper.

[0037] Similarly, the right zipper 38B has a third row of teeth extending longitudinally along the inside of the right arm 34B of the life jacket 30 and a corresponding fourth row of teeth extending longitudinally along the front of the flight clothing item 10 and spaced apart to the right of the opening 18 of the flight clothing item 10. The right arm 34B of the life jacket 30 is attached to the flight clothing item 10 by pulling upwardly on a slider (not shown) of the zipper 38B, drawing the third and fourth rows of teeth together in the conventional manner of operation of a zipper.

[0038] Alternative attachment configurations to the zipper may be used to attach the life jacket 30 to the flight apparel 10 at the front torso, such as by buckles.

[0039] In the illustrated example, arm sections 34A and 34B of the life jacket 30 are attached to the waist belt 22 at points 35A and 35B (see FIG. 4) on the left and right sides of the wearer's torso, respectively. This attachment may be by passing the waist belt 22 through respective loops (not shown) attached to the underside of the left arm section 34A and under the right arm section 34B of the life jacket 30. These form strong anchoring points when the life jacket 30 is inflated.

[0040] The back straps 26 are attached at their lower ends to the waist belt 22 (e.g., to life jacket loops 40 - see Figures 2 and 4) at the center of the back and at their upper ends to the life jacket 30 at a center portion 32 behind the neck, thereby preventing the life jacket 30 from riding up on the wearer's head upon inflation. The back straps 26 may be threaded through passages 24 of the flight clothing item 10 for further positioning of the back straps 26, as shown in Figure 3.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the life jacket 30 has a cover 50 that protects from damage an inflatable bladder 52 packed inside the cover 50. The inflation system 33 can be housed within the cover 50 (as shown in Figures 1 and 4) or can be separate from the cover 50 and connected by a tube to the bladder 52 (a remote inflation system).

[0042] When the life jacket inflation system 33 is activated, the cover 50 automatically opens by either an automatically releasable closure 54, such as a "tear-off" zipper, Velcro® or press studs, etc. When the life jacket inflation system 33 is activated (either manually or automatically), the inflating bladder 52 acts on the automatically releasable closure 54 to open it. Figures 5, 6, and 7 show the bladder 52 when fully inflated, after the automatically releasable closure 54 has opened.

[0043] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, rather than having an airline crew suit of clothing that includes a life jacket worn over the protective flight clothing, the protective flight clothing itself is buoyant and provides an inflatable bladder, and no separate life jacket is required, i.e., the inflatable bladder is incorporated into the protective flight clothing that is worn on the wearer's body.

[0044] 8, 9, and 10, a novel protective flight clothing item 110 is provided, in this example a flight vest (but may alternatively be a jacket or full body suit). The flight clothing item 110 may be made from an inherently fire resistant fabric, such as NOMEX®. The protective flight clothing item 110 may include special equipment (Aircrew Life Support System, ALSE) that protects the wearer from the effects of high G-accelerations or altitudes or other potentially harmful factors.

[0045] The flight clothing item 110 has a waist portion 112, a neck opening 114, and left and right arm through-holes 116A and 116B, respectively. The flight clothing item 110 also has a front opening 118 that is closed, for example, by a conventional zipper. When the front opening 118 is closed, the flight clothing item 110 is securely attached to the wearer's body.

[0046] The flight apparel 110 includes an equipment pocket 120. The flight apparel 110 includes a waist belt 122. The waist belt 122 may be fastened to the front of the torso by a buckle 123 or any other suitable fastener.

[0047] Flight apparel 110 in this embodiment covers at least the flight crew member's chest and back and extends behind the neck.

[0048] 8, 9 and 10, the flight clothing item 110 has an area 119 in which a deflated inflatable bladder or inflatable chamber 152 (see FIG. 11) is housed. In the illustrated example, the area 119 is generally U-shaped, with a central portion 132 that passes around the back of the wearer's neck and two arms 134A and 134B extending from either side of the central portion 132, left and right, that are configured to be positioned on either side of the front of the wearer's torso 31.

[0049] Deflated bladder 152 has a similar shape and size as region 119, such that deflated bladder 152 is also generally U-shaped, with a central portion that passes around the back of the wearer's neck and two arms extending from opposite left and right sides of the central portion that are configured to rest on opposite sides of the front of the wearer's torso 31. Deflated bladder 152 can be folded to fit into region 119.

[0050] Other shapes and configurations of region 119 and bladder 152 are possible.

[0051] Area 119 is fitted with one or more inflation systems 133, such as compressed gas cylinders, for inflating bladders 152 within area 119. Inflation systems 133 may be activated automatically upon contact with water and / or may be activated manually by the aircraft crew.

[0052] In the illustrated example, arms 134A and 134B of bladder 152 are attached to waist belt 122 at strong attachment points 135A and 135B (see FIG. 11) on the left and right sides of the wearer's torso, respectively. This attachment may be by passing waist belt 122 through respective loops (not shown) attached to the underside of the left arm of the bladder and the underside of the right arm of the bladder. Attachment points 135A and 135B provide strong anchoring points for bladder 152 when it is inflated. Waist belt 122 may be integrated into flight apparel 110.

[0053] The back straps 126 may be attached at their lower ends to the waist belt 122 (e.g., loops 140 - see Figs. 9 and 11) at the center of the back and attached at their upper ends to the bladder 152 at a central portion 132 behind the neck. This prevents the bladder 152 from riding up on the wearer's head upon inflation. The back straps 126 may be threaded through passages (not shown) in the flight clothing item 110 to further position the back straps 126. The back straps 126 may be integrated into the flight clothing item 110 or may be omitted (as shown in Fig. 10).

[0054] 11, the bladder 152 is deflated and housed inside an outer surface (outer or front layer) 150 of the flight apparel 110 to protect the bladder 152 from damage. The inflation system 133 may be housed beneath the outer surface 150 or may be separate from the outer surface 150 and connected to the bladder 152 by tubing (e.g. by a remote inflation system as described in the applicant's GB 2573474).

[0055] An inner cover (inner layer or back layer) 156 may be attached to protect the bladder 152 inside the article of clothing. The inner cover 156 is positioned between the bladder 152 and the wearer's torso 31. The inner cover 156 is preferably substantially inelastic. The inner cover 156 may be formed from a non-elastic woven material. The generally inelastic nature of the inner cover 156 means that it does not expand significantly when the bladder 152 is inflated. As a result, expansion of the bladder 152 applies pressure to the automatically releasable closure 154 rather than inflating the inner cover 156.

[0056] Similarly, exterior surface 150 of flight apparel 110 may be formed from a substantially inelastic material, such as a non-elastic woven material. The generally inelastic nature of exterior surface 150 means that it does not expand significantly when bladder 152 is inflated. As a result, expansion of bladder 152 applies pressure to automatically releasable closure 154 rather than inflating exterior surface 150.

[0057] The inner cover 156 and the outer surface 150 of the flight apparel 110 together form a pocket 159 in which the deflated bladder 152 is contained. The area in which both the inner cover 156 and the outer surface 150 are present corresponds to the area 119 in which the deflated inflatable bladder 152 is contained.

[0058] Inner cover 156 has a similar shape and size as region 119, such that inner cover 156 is also generally U-shaped, having a central portion that passes around the back of the wearer's neck and two arms extending from opposite left and right sides of the central portion that are configured to rest on opposite sides of the front of the wearer's torso 31.

[0059] An opening 160 may be provided in the inner cover 156 at a location on each of its arms corresponding to the location of the waist belt 122. The waist belt 122 may pass through the openings 160 such that the strong attachment points 135A and 135B where the arms and the bladder 152 are attached to the waist belt 122 are inside the pocket 159. A total of four openings 160 may be provided, two on each arm.

[0060] The outer surface 150 of the flight apparel item 110 is provided with an automatically releasable closure 154 in an area 119, for example in the center of the area 119. The automatically releasable closure 154 may be a "tear-off" zipper, Velcro®, or press studs or the like. The automatically releasable closure 154 may be a slide fastener as described in the applicant's GB 2588110. The automatically releasable closure 154 extends along the two arms 134A and 134B and the central portion 136, behind the wearer's neck.

[0061] When inflation system 133 is activated, exterior surface 150 automatically opens via automatically releasable closure 154. When inflation system 133 is activated (either manually or automatically), the inflating bladder 152 acts on automatically releasable closure 154 to open it. The pressure created by the inflation of bladder 152 causes automatically releasable closure 154 to open. When automatically releasable closure 154 is open, bladder 152 passes through the opening as further inflation occurs. Figures 12, 13, and 14 show bladder 152 when fully inflated, after releasable closure 154 is opened.

[0062] Figures 12, 13 and 14 show bladder 152 after it has moved from inside article of clothing 110 (as shown in Figures 8-11) to the exterior of article of clothing 110 as it inflates. The inflated bladder is positioned over the wearer's chest and behind the wearer's neck to provide buoyancy and thereby prevent drowning for aircraft crew in the event of an emergency landing in water.

[0063] Inner cover 156 or outer surface 150 can be opened by a releasable closure 158 (formed, for example, by press studs, a conventional zipper, or Velcro®) to allow bladder 152 to be removed from article of clothing 110 for maintenance or repair. Unlike automatically releasable closure 154, releasable closure 158 is not configured to automatically open when bladder 152 is inflated.

[0064] In this embodiment, instead of using a conventional single layer material consisting of a fibrous support sheet (e.g., nylon or polyester) coated or laminated to the inside with a sheet of flexible air impermeable polymer such as neoprene or polyurethane, two separate layers are provided (i.e., an outer fibrous layer and a separate inner polymer layer) to form the air bladder 152.

[0065] The use of two separate layers to create bladder 152 may result in a bladder structure that is lighter, more compact when stored, and stronger.

[0066] As shown in FIGS. 15A-15C, the outer fabric layer 252 (e.g., nylon or polyester) of the bladder 152 may be formed of two sheets of material sewn together. The upper sheet material 253A has an outer surface 257A and an inner surface 257B. The lower sheet material 253B has an outer surface 258A and an inner surface 258B. The sheets 253A and 253B are connected at edge regions 259 of each of the sheets such that the distal inner surface of one of the sheets overlaps the distal outer surface of the other of the sheets, and the distal surfaces are sewn together as shown at 261. In the illustrated configuration, the distal inner surface 257B of the upper layer 257A is positioned facing a distal portion of the outer surface 258A of the lower layer 253B, and the layers are held in contact by stitches 261.

[0067] The inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 is formed by two sheets 254 of flexible, air impermeable material. The two sheets are joined by a weld 256.

[0068] In this embodiment, the outer fabric layer 252 can be sewn (thin) around its edges, which creates a much stronger seam than welding. As shown in Figures 15A-15C, the inner layer of the bladder 152 is made to be oversized or made from a polymer that can stretch, so that the welded edges 256 are never subjected to surface tension. The inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 may be of approximately the same shape as the outer fabric layer 252, but the inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 may be of approximately larger size. The inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 may be made from a sufficiently large size so that when inflated within the outer fabric layer 252, the inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 fills the interior volume of the outer fabric layer 252 without causing any stretching of the inner layer 255 of the bladder 152, and tension is absorbed by the outer fabric layer 252. If the inside of the bladder 152 is oversized, the inner layer 255 of the bladder 152 may be made of a non-stretchable and / or non-elastic material. Advantageously, the outer fabric layer 252 is stronger than the inner layer of the bladder 152 so that tension forces are borne by the outer fabric layer 252.

[0069] Preferably, the outer fabric layer 252 is made from a lightweight "ripstop" material and coated with a lubricant such as silicone. This produces an extremely strong material with high tear strength, and also provides a surface with very low surface friction so that the inner polymer layer 255 slides easily over it, resulting in a very compact life jacket.

[0070] Ripstop fabric is a woven fabric made of nylon or other materials that uses a special reinforcing technique to make it more resistant to ripping and tearing. During weaving, relatively thick reinforcing yarns are woven into the fabric at regular intervals in a cross-hatch pattern. The spacing is typically 5-8 mm. Thin, lightweight ripstop fabric has a three-dimensional structure because thicker yarns are woven into the thinner fabric.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the LPU bladder is attached to the inside surface of a jacket or vest, suit, etc. (i.e., an article of clothing) but upon activation of inflation, as a result of the bladder being pressurized, it moves from the interior to the exterior of the article of clothing via an automatically opening zipper or Velcro® or press studs, etc.

[0072] The protective clothing article may be clothing worn by flight crew and intended to protect the flight crew during normal flight, as described in the embodiments above, or alternatively may be clothing worn in other applications where protection from drowning is desirable, such as on a ship or oil rig.

[0073] The above embodiments have been described by way of example, and many variations are possible without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. 1. An article of body protective clothing configured, in use, to cover at least a portion of a wearer's body, comprising: The protective clothing article has an inflatable chamber configured to, when inflated, provide buoyancy to support a body of the wearer above water to rescue the wearer from drowning.

2. 10. The protective clothing article of claim 1, wherein the protective clothing article is configured to protect the wearer from the effects of fire, high G-acceleration, and / or altitude.

3. 3. An article of protective clothing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inflatable chamber functions as a life jacket or life preserver.

4. 4. An article of protective clothing according to claim 1, 2 or 3 including an initiating means for automatically initiating inflation of said inflatable chamber upon contact with water.

5. An article of protective clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inflatable chamber extends over the wearer's chest and behind the wearer's neck.

6. 6. The protective clothing article of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the protective clothing article covers at least the chest and back of the wearer and extends behind the neck.

7. An article of protective clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the article of protective clothing is a flight vest or a flight suit.

8. An article of protective clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the inflatable chamber is an inflatable bladder.

9. 9. The protective clothing item of claim 8, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed under an outer clothing layer of the protective clothing item when deflated, the outer clothing layer including a line of weakness that opens under pressure applied by partial inflation of the inflatable bladder to allow full inflation of the inflatable bladder outside of the outer clothing layer of the protective clothing item.

10. 10. The protective clothing article of claim 9, wherein said outer garment layer is substantially inelastic.

11. 11. A protective clothing item according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the inflatable bladder, when deflated, is located between an outer garment layer and an inner garment layer of the protective clothing item.

12. 12. The protective clothing article of claim 11, wherein the inner clothing layer is adjacent to the wearer's torso.

13. 13. The protective clothing article of claim 11 or 12, wherein the inner garment layer is substantially inelastic.

14. An article of protective clothing according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the line of weakness is formed by a releasable connection such as a tear-off zipper.

15. The article of protective clothing of any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein the inflatable bladder includes an inner bladder layer and an outer bladder layer, the inner bladder layer being separate from the outer bladder layer.

16. 17. The protective clothing article of claim 16, wherein the outer bladder layer comprises first and second sheet materials that are thin and sewn together, e.g., the first sheet material having an outer surface and an inner surface and the second sheet material having an outer surface and an inner surface, the first and second sheet materials being connected at edge regions of each of the first and second sheet materials, a distal portion of the inner surface of one of the first and second sheet materials overlapping a distal portion of the outer surface of the other of the first and second sheet materials, and the distal surfaces being sewn together.

17. 17. The protective clothing article of claim 15 or 16, comprising a low friction material between the inner bladder layer and the outer bladder layer.

18. 18. The protective clothing article of claims 15, 16 or 17, wherein the outer bladder layer is substantially inelastic.

19. A method for protecting a person from drowning, comprising: providing a person with an article of protective clothing configured to cover at least a portion of the person's body to protect the person during normal use; the protective clothing article having an inflatable chamber configured to provide buoyancy when inflated configured to support a person's body above water to prevent the person from drowning; The method includes the step of inflating the inflatable chamber upon contact with water or upon anticipated contact with water, such that the buoyancy protects the person from drowning.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the article of protective clothing is an article of protective clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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