Disaster-response life vest

Abstract

To provide a disaster-response life vest that can prevent the wearer from suffering head injuries even if they are forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami. [Solution] The disaster-response type life vest 1 comprises a life vest body 10, torso buoyancy bodies 14, 15, and a head protector 18. The life vest body 10 has torso cover parts 110, 111 and a hood part 114. The torso cover parts 110, 111 are made of sheet fabric and cover the wearer's torso. The hood part 18 is made of sheet fabric and covers the wearer's head. The torso buoyancy bodies 14, 15 are attached to the front of the torso cover parts 110, 111 and have buoyancy. The head protector 18 is attached to the hood part 114 and protects the wearer's head and has buoyancy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a disaster response life jacket.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a disaster response life jacket that floats a wearer on the water surface during disasters such as tsunamis. As shown in FIG. 7(a), Patent Document 1 discloses a life jacket 9 including a life jacket main body 90 made of a rubber sheet or the like, and a buoyancy body 91 attached to the life jacket main body 90. The life jacket main body 90 has a body part 90a, a leg part 90b, and a hood part 90c.

[0003] The buoyancy body 91 has a body buoyancy body 91a attached to the front of the body part 90a, a leg buoyancy body 91b attached to the front of the leg part 90b, and a pillow-shaped buoyancy body 91c attached to a portion on the rear side of the wearer's neck in the hood part 90c. In Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that each of the buoyancy bodies 91a to 91c has buoyancy and heat retention properties.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 7(a), it is said that the wearer of the life jacket 9 disclosed in Patent Document 1 can take a posture in which the front part floats in a supine posture with respect to the water surface WL.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, with the life vest 9 disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a concern that the wearer may suffer head injury if they are pulled into the water by a tsunami. Specifically, experiments conducted by the inventors have confirmed that the wearer of the life vest 9 is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami, as shown by arrow B in Figure 7(b). In this case, it is assumed that the wearer's head will collide with an obstacle 500 in the water or an obstacle 501 on the water surface WLt. As mentioned above, when struck by a tsunami, the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water, resulting in a large load on the head. With the life vest 9 disclosed in Patent Document 1, the hood portion 90c that covers the head is made only of sheet fabric, so there is a concern that the wearer may suffer head injury from obstacles 500, 501.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides a disaster-response life vest that can prevent the wearer from suffering head injuries even when the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A disaster-response life vest according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a life vest body, a torso buoyancy body, and a head protector. The life vest body has a torso cover and a hood. The torso cover is made of sheet fabric and covers the wearer's torso. The hood is made of sheet fabric and covers the wearer's head. The torso buoyancy body is attached to the front of the torso cover and has buoyancy. The head protector is attached to the hood and protects the head by cushioning externally applied loads and also has buoyancy.

[0009] In the disaster-response type life vest described above, a head protection body is attached to the hood to cushion external loads and protect the wearer's head. Therefore, even if the wearer of the disaster-response type life vest is pulled into the water by a tsunami, the risk of head injury from loads applied by underwater obstacles is suppressed.

[0010] Furthermore, in the disaster-response type life vest according to the above embodiment, in addition to the torso buoyancy material being attached to the front of the torso cover, the head protection material also has buoyancy, so in the event of a disaster, the wearer can float on the water surface with the front facing upwards, and the head can also be in a floating position above the water surface.

[0011] In the disaster-response type life vest according to the above embodiment, the head protection body may have left and right protection bodies that protect the sides of the head, and a rear protection body that protects the back of the head. In this case, the left and right protection bodies and the rear protection body may be formed from separate materials and arranged spaced apart from each other.

[0012] In the disaster-response type life vest described above, even if the head is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami and collides with an obstacle, the sides and back of the head can be protected.

[0013] Furthermore, in the disaster-response type life vest according to the above embodiment, the left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body are formed from separate components and are spaced apart from each other, so that the bulkiness of the hood is suppressed when the disaster-response type life vest is not being worn before a disaster occurs. In other words, if the left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body are formed integrally, the hood becomes bulky due to its three-dimensional structure even when not being worn. In contrast, in the disaster-response type life vest according to the above embodiment, since the left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body are spaced apart from each other, the hood can be folded in the space between the protective bodies. Therefore, the bulkiness of the hood can be suppressed when the disaster has not occurred and the vest is stored.

[0014] Furthermore, in the disaster-response type life vest according to the above embodiment, since the left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body are separate components, the left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body can be attached to the hood section individually during manufacturing, thus avoiding complicated work during manufacturing.

[0015] In the disaster-response life vest according to the above embodiment, the hood portion may have an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion is formed using a first sheet material. The inner portion is formed using a second sheet material having higher elasticity than the first sheet material and is disposed inside the outer portion.

[0016] In the disaster-response life vest according to the above embodiment, the hood portion has an outer portion with relatively low elasticity and an inner portion with relatively high elasticity, with the inner portion being positioned inside the outer portion. Therefore, the inner portion is positioned to conform to the wearer's head due to its high elasticity. On the other hand, the outer portion that covers the outside of the inner portion has lower elasticity and higher strength than the inner portion, so damage from contact with obstacles is suppressed.

[0017] In the disaster-response life vest according to the above embodiment, the outer and inner parts may each have an opening that exposes at least a portion of the wearer's face to the outside. The opening in the inner part may be smaller in size than the opening in the outer part. In this case, the inner part may be liquid-tightly fixed to the outer part at the opening edge of the outer part and may have a portion that extends inward from the opening edge of the outer part toward the wearer's face.

[0018] In the disaster-response life vest according to the above embodiment, the inner and outer parts are liquid-tightly fixed at the opening edge of the outer part, so that water does not enter the interior from the fixing part between the outer and inner parts. Therefore, the loss of the wearer's body heat due to water ingress is suppressed.

[0019] In addition, in the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, since the opening in the interior part is formed to be smaller than the opening in the exterior part, the interior part has a portion that extends toward the inside of the wearer's face beyond the opening edge of the exterior part. Therefore, the extending portion of the interior part abuts against the wearer's face. That is, in the above disaster response life jacket, the extending portion of the interior part having high elasticity abuts against the wearer's face in a state along the face, and the intrusion of water from the hood part is suppressed.

[0020] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, the hood part may have pressing means for pressing at least a part of the head protector toward the head.

[0021] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, since the hood part has pressing means, the head protector can be firmly pressed against the wearer's head, and the wearer's head can be reliably protected.

[0022] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, it may further include a body clothing main body part that can be worn over the body cover part of the life jacket main body part and is formed using a sheet fabric, and a body clothing buoyancy body attached to the body clothing main body part.

[0023] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, if the body clothing is worn over the body cover part, the buoyancy will increase further, and even when the wearer is pulled into the water by a tsunami, the momentum can be suppressed, and the wearer can be quickly floated to the water surface even when pulled in.

[0024] In addition, in the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, since the body clothing is provided separately from the life jacket main body part, a wearer wearing the life jacket main body part can further wear the body clothing when a tsunami occurs. Therefore, it is possible to wear it more easily compared to the case where the life jacket main body part and the body clothing are integrally formed.

[0025] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, the body jacket buoyancy body may be composed of a buoyancy body having a greater buoyancy than the body part buoyancy body.

[0026] In the disaster response life jacket according to the above aspect, since the body jacket buoyancy body is composed of a buoyancy body having a greater buoyancy than the body part buoyancy body, when being hit by a tsunami, the momentum when the wearer wearing the body jackets stacked is further pulled into the water can be further suppressed.

Effect of the Invention

[0027] In the disaster response life jacket according to each of the above aspects, even when the wearer is vigorously pulled into the water by a tsunami, it is possible to suppress the wearer from getting injured on the head.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a disaster response life jacket according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the hood part, where (a) shows the state where both the inner wearing part and the outer wearing part are opened, (b) shows the state where the inner wearing part is closed, and (c) shows the state where both the inner wearing part and the outer wearing part are closed. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the arrangement of the head protection body in the hood part, where (a) is a cross-sectional view from the front and (b) is a cross-sectional view from the side. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the inner collar part. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the wearer of the disaster response life jacket according to the first embodiment, where (a) shows the state of floating on the water surface and (b) shows the state of being pulled into the water by a tsunami. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a disaster response life jacket according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the wearer of a life jacket according to the prior art, where (a) shows the state of floating on the water surface and (b) shows the state of being pulled into the water by a tsunami.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are illustrative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments except for its essential configuration.

[0030] [First Embodiment] Disaster-response type life vest (hereinafter simply referred to as "life vest") 1 is designed to protect the wearer's head from the load applied by underwater obstacles even if the wearer is pulled into the water during a disaster such as a tsunami.

[0031] 1. Components of Life Vest 1 The configuration of the life vest 1 according to the first embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the life vest 1 comprises a life vest body 10, buoyancy devices 14-17, and a head protector 18. The life vest body 10 is integrally formed with torso cover parts 110, 111 that cover the wearer's torso, arm cover parts 112, 113 that cover the wearer's arms, hood part 114 that cover the wearer's head, leg cover parts 115, 116 that cover the wearer's legs, and leg cover parts 118, 119 that cover the wearer's feet. The life vest body 10 is made of a waterproof sheet fabric (for example, high-density taffeta fabric). The buoyancy devices 14-17 and the head protector 18 are each made of a foamed resin material (for example, foamed polyethylene, foamed urethane, or foamed polystyrene).

[0033] The torso cover sections 110 and 111 have a right torso cover section 110 and a left torso cover section 111, and have a front opening structure so that the front body opens to the left and right (front opening section 1a). As shown in Figure 4, the life vest body section 10 further has an inner gusset section 119 that is fixed on the inside to the edge 110a of the right torso cover section 110 and the edge 111a of the left torso cover section 111, which face the front opening section 1a.

[0034] The inner gusset portion 119 is formed using a waterproof sheet fabric (for example, high-density taffeta fabric) and is wide enough so that the edges 110a of the right torso cover portion 110 and the edges 111a of the left torso cover portion 111 can be opened to the left and right. The wearer inserts their body inside with the edges 110a of the right torso cover portion 110 and the edges 111a of the left torso cover portion 111 opened to the left and right, and closes the edges 110a and 111a together using hook-and-loop fasteners 110b and 111b.

[0035] The torso buoyancy bodies 14 and 15 are installed inside the front panels of the torso cover sections 110 and 111. The right torso buoyancy body 14 and the left torso buoyancy body 15 each contain multiple buoyancy bodies. The multiple buoyancy bodies contained in the right torso buoyancy body 14 and the left torso buoyancy body 15 are separate from each other and spaced apart. This does not hinder the wearer's movement.

[0036] The right arm cover portion 112 is continuous with the shoulder portion of the right torso cover portion 110, and the left arm cover portion 113 is continuous with the shoulder portion of the left torso cover portion 111. Openings are provided at the tips 112a and 113a of the arm covers 112 and 113, respectively, allowing the wearer's hands to pass through. The tips 112a and 113a of the arm covers 112 and 113 are made of a shrinkable material that conforms closely to the wearer's wrist.

[0037] The life vest 1 also includes gloves 12 and 13 that are worn on the wearer's hands, which protrude from the arm covers 112 and 113. The gloves 12 and 13 protect the wearer's hands from obstacles such as underwater rocks and driftwood floating on the water's surface. In addition, the gloves 12 and 13 have heat-retaining properties to prevent heat loss from the hands.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2(a) to (c), the hood portion 114 has a double-layered structure including an outer portion 1140 and an inner portion 1141. The outer portion 1140 has an opening 1140b provided for the wearer's face to be exposed. The inner portion 1141 has an opening 1141a that is smaller in size than the opening 1140b of the outer portion 1140. The inner portion 1141 is fixed to the outer portion 1140 at the opening edge 1140c of the outer portion 1140 (seam sealing). The inner portion 1141 and the outer portion 1140 are fixed by processing the sewn seam sealing LN to be liquid-tight.

[0039] As described above, in the life vest 1 according to this embodiment, the opening 1141a of the inner part 1141 is formed to be smaller in size than the opening 1140b of the outer part 1140. Therefore, the inner part 1141 has an extended portion 1141c that extends inward toward the wearer's face beyond the opening edge 1140c of the outer part 1140. As a result, the extended portion 1141c, which has higher elasticity than the outer part 1140, comes into contact with the wearer's face.

[0040] The outer part 1140 is the same as the body cover parts 110 and 111, and is formed using a first sheet material, which is a sheet fabric (for example, high-density taffeta fabric). In contrast, the inner part 1141 is formed using an elastic material such as sheet rubber (a second sheet material). Due to its elasticity, the inner part 1141 easily conforms to the wearer's head. This prevents water from entering the neck and head.

[0041] On the other hand, the outer casing 1140 is stronger than the inner casing 1141 and is less susceptible to damage from contact with obstacles in the water. Furthermore, the outer casing 1140 is formed to be slightly larger than the inner casing 1141 so that it can cover the outside of the inner casing 1141.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the head protector 18 is positioned between the outer casing 1140 and the inner casing 1141 of the hood portion 114. The head protector 18 is attached to the inner circumferential surface 1140a of the outer casing 1140. The presence of the head protector 18 protects the wearer's head from input loads even if the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami. In other words, even if the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami, the head protector 18 can buffer the loads input from underwater obstacles and protect the wearer's head. Furthermore, the head protector 18 has buoyancy and can keep the wearer's head afloat on the water surface.

[0043] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the head protection body 18 is attached to the inner circumferential surface 1140a of the outer casing 1140 using hook-and-loop fasteners. Therefore, the wearer can reposition the head protection body 18 within the inner circumferential surface 1140a to fit the shape of their own head.

[0044] The head protection body 18 includes a plurality (for example, nine) of protective bodies 180-188, which are separate components and spaced apart from each other. Protective bodies 180, 183, and 186 are positioned close to the right side of the wearer's head (contacting the inner lining 1141). Protective bodies 181, 184, and 187 are positioned close to the left side of the wearer's head (close to the inner lining 1141). Protective bodies 182, 185, and 188 are positioned close to the back of the wearer's head (close to the inner lining 1141). In other words, protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, and 187 protect the sides of the head, and protective bodies 182, 185, and 188 protect the back of the head.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2(a) to (c), the outer part 1140 has outer covering parts 1142 and 1143, and the inner part 1141 has flap-shaped inner covering parts 1144 and 1145. Each of the outer covering parts 1142 and 1143 is attached so as to extend from the lower part of the outer part 1140 and is configured to be able to close the lower part of the opening 1140b. The inner covering parts 1144 and 1145 are attached so as to extend from the lower part of the inner part 1141 and are configured to be able to close the lower part of the opening 1141a. As shown in Figures 3(b) and (c), by closing the outer covering parts 1142 and 1143 and the inner covering parts 1144 and 1145 respectively, these covering parts 1142 to 1145 cover the wearer's face from the mouth to the neck.

[0046] The right outer attachment portion 1142 and the left outer attachment portion 1143 are joined together by hook fasteners 1142a and 1143a provided on each. Similarly, the right inner attachment portion 1144 and the left inner attachment portion 1145 are joined together by hook fasteners 1144a and 1145a provided on each.

[0047] Here, the portion of the outer casing 1140 around the head at the bottom is formed with a circumference slightly longer than the wearer's head. When the wearer closes the outer coverings 1142 and 1143 when wearing the life vest 1, the circumference of the outer covering 1140 around the head at the bottom is shortened. This applies tension to the outer covering 1140, making it possible to press the head protectors 18 (especially the lower right protector 186, the lower rear protector 188, and the lower left protector 187) against the head. In other words, the main body portion 10 of the life vest 1 also functions as a means of pressing the lower right protector 186, the lower rear protector 188, and the lower left protector 187 against the head, with the outer coverings 1142 and 1143 also functioning as a means of pressing.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the leg buoyancy devices 16 and 17 are attached inside the front panels of the leg cover sections 115 and 116. Each of the right leg buoyancy device 16 and the left leg buoyancy device 17 contains multiple (for example, two) buoyancy devices. The multiple buoyancy devices constituting the right leg buoyancy device 16 are attached to the front panels covering the thighs and shins, avoiding the area that would come into contact with the wearer's knees. Similarly, the multiple buoyancy devices constituting the left leg buoyancy device 17 are attached to the front panels covering the thighs and shins, avoiding the area that would come into contact with the wearer's knees. As a result, the wearer can bend and straighten their knees and walk on land even while wearing the life vest 1.

[0049] The foot cover sections 117 and 118 are each bag-shaped parts and are formed continuously with the leg cover sections 115 and 116. The foot cover sections 117 and 118 suppress the loss of body heat from the wearer's feet in the water and also suppress injuries to the feet from obstacles such as rocks in the water or driftwood floating on the water surface. Furthermore, since the foot cover sections 117 and 118 are also formed using waterproof sheet material such as high-density taffeta fabric, the surface resistance is low even when wet. As a result, the wearer can easily put on shoes with their feet covered by the foot cover sections 117 and 118. In other words, it is difficult to put on shoes directly with wet feet due to the great resistance, but because the wearer's feet are covered by the foot cover sections 117 and 118 made of high-density taffeta fabric, it is easy to put on shoes. Thus, by putting on shoes, the wearer can avoid injuring their feet when they come ashore.

[0050] 2. Condition of the wearer in water Figure 5 illustrates the condition of a person wearing life vest 1 while underwater.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5(a), if a person wearing the life vest 1 is thrown into the water, they will float on the water surface WL with their front facing upwards. This is because the torso buoyancy devices 14 and 15 are attached to the front of the torso cover sections 110 and 111, and the leg buoyancy devices 16 and 17 are attached to the front of the leg cover sections 115 and 116. In other words, in the life vest 1, the buoyancy devices 14 to 17 are attached unevenly to the front of the torso cover sections 110 and 111 and the leg cover sections 115 and 116, so the wearer can float on the water surface WL with their front facing upwards.

[0052] Furthermore, when the wearer is floating on the water surface WL, their head is positioned above the water surface WL. This is because the head protection body 18, each having buoyancy, is attached to the hood portion 114.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown by arrow A in Figure 5(b), even if the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami, the loads input from obstacles 500 and 501 in the water or on the water surface WLt are buffered by the head protector 18, protecting the wearer's head. Therefore, even if the wearer of the life vest 1 is struck by a tsunami, the head protector 18 attached to the hood portion 114 will prevent head injuries from the loads input from obstacles 500 and 501.

[0054] 3. Effects In the life vest 1 according to this embodiment, a head protection body 18 is attached to the hood portion 114 to cushion loads input from the outside and protect the wearer's head. Therefore, even if the wearer of the life vest 1 is pulled into the water by a tsunami, the risk of head injury from loads input from underwater obstacles 500 and the like is suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, in addition to the torso buoyancy bodies 14 and 15 attached to the front of the torso cover sections 110 and 111, the head protector 18 also provides buoyancy. Therefore, in the event of a disaster such as a tsunami, the wearer can float with the front facing upwards, and the head can also be positioned above the water surface WL and WLt.

[0056] Furthermore, with life vest 1, even if the head collides with obstacle 500 when being forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami, the cushioning properties of the head protector 18 can protect the sides and back of the head.

[0057] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, the left and right protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 and the rear protective bodies 182, 185, 188, which are included in the head protective body 18, are formed from separate components and are spaced apart from each other. This suppresses the bulkiness of the hood portion 114 when the life vest 1 is not being worn before an accident occurs. In other words, if the left and right protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 and the rear protective bodies 182, 185, 188 are formed integrally, the hood portion 114 will have a three-dimensional structure and become bulky even when not being worn. In contrast, in life vest 1, the left and right protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 and the rear protective bodies 182, 185, 188 are spaced apart from each other, so the hood portion 114 can be folded in the space between the protective bodies 180-188. Therefore, the bulkiness of the hood portion 114 can be suppressed before a disaster occurs.

[0058] Furthermore, in life vest 1, the left and right protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 and the rear protective bodies 182, 185, 188 are separate components. Therefore, during manufacturing, the left and right protective bodies 180, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 and the rear protective bodies 182, 185, 188 can be attached individually to the hood section 114, thus avoiding complicated work during manufacturing.

[0059] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, the hood portion 114 has an outer portion 1140 with relatively low elasticity and an inner portion 1141 with relatively high elasticity, with the inner portion 1141 positioned inside the outer portion 1140. As a result, the inner portion 1141 is positioned to conform to the wearer's head due to its high elasticity. On the other hand, the outer portion 1140 that covers the outside of the inner portion 1141 has lower elasticity and higher strength than the inner portion 1141, so damage from contact with obstacles 500, 501 is suppressed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, the inner part 1141 and the outer part 1140 are liquid-tightly fixed at the opening edge 1140c of the outer part 1140 (at the seam LN), so that water does not enter the interior from the seam LN. Therefore, the loss of the wearer's body heat due to water ingress is suppressed.

[0061] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, the opening 1141a in the inner part 1141 is formed to be smaller than the opening 1140b in the outer part 1140, so that the inner part 1141 has a portion (extended portion 1141c) that extends inward toward the wearer's face beyond the opening edge 1140c of the outer part 1140. As a result, the extended portion 1141c of the inner part 1141 comes into contact with the wearer's face. In other words, in the life vest 1, the extended portion 1141c of the highly elastic inner part 1141 comes into contact with the wearer's face in a manner that conforms to the wearer's face, suppressing the entry of water from the hood portion 114.

[0062] Furthermore, in the life vest 1, when the outer covering parts 1142 and 1143 are closed, the outer covering part 1140 is shortened by reducing the circumference around the head at the lower part of the outer covering part 1140, thereby applying tension to the outer covering part 1140. As a result, the head protector 18 (especially the lower right protector 186, the lower rear protector 188, and the lower left protector 187) is pressed against the head. Thus, the wearer's head can be reliably protected.

[0063] As described above, the life vest 1 according to this embodiment can prevent the wearer from suffering head injuries even when the wearer is forcefully pulled into the water by a tsunami.

[0064] [Second Embodiment] As shown in Figure 6, the life vest 1 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it further comprises a vest 20, which is a so-called life jacket, but is otherwise the same as the first embodiment.

[0065] The life vest 20 is a jacket designed to be worn over the body cover portions 110 and 111 of the life vest body portion 10, and comprises a life vest body portion 21 and a life vest buoyancy body 22. The life vest body portion 21 is made of a waterproof sheet fabric (e.g., high-density taffeta fabric). The life vest buoyancy body 22 is made of a foamed resin material (e.g., foamed polyethylene, foamed urethane, foamed polystyrene). The life vest buoyancy body 22 is attached to the inside of the front panel of the life vest body portion 21.

[0066] The vest 20 has a front-opening structure that opens to the left and right at the front placket 20a. The vest 20 has a fastening section 20b that closes the front placket 20a when worn over the body cover sections 110, 111. The fastening section 20b is made up of a buckle or hook-and-loop fastener.

[0067] The vest 20 is further equipped with attachment straps 23 that hook onto the wearer's hip area when worn over the body cover sections 110 and 111.

[0068] The life vest buoyancy device 22 has a greater buoyancy than the combined buoyancy of the buoyancy devices 14-17 attached to the main body of the life vest 10. For example, the life vest buoyancy device 22 has approximately twice the buoyancy of the combined buoyancy of the buoyancy devices 14-17.

[0069] The life vest 1 according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the life vest 1 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the life vest 1 according to this embodiment, the body jacket 20 can be worn over the body cover parts 110, 111, which further increases buoyancy and can suppress the force with which the wearer is pulled into the water when struck by a tsunami, and can quickly float the wearer to the water surface WLt if they are pulled in.

[0070] Furthermore, in the life vest 1 according to this embodiment, the vest 20 is provided separately from the main body of the life vest 10, so that a wearer wearing the main body of the life vest 10 can also put on the vest 20 when a tsunami occurs. Therefore, it is easier to put on compared to the case in which the main body of the life vest 10 and the vest 20 are integrally formed.

[0071] Furthermore, in the life vest 1 according to this embodiment, the vest buoyancy body 22 is made of a buoyancy body that has greater buoyancy than the torso buoyancy bodies 14 and 15, so even when struck by a tsunami, the force with which the wearer is pulled into the water when wearing the vest 20 in layers can be further suppressed.

[0072] [Differentiation] In the first and second embodiments described above, the head protector 18 has nine separate protectors 180 to 188, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the wearer's head may be covered with a single integrally formed buoyancy body, or it may be covered with ten or more buoyancy bodies.

[0073] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the head protection body 18 is designed to protect the wearer's temporal and occipital regions, but additional protection bodies may be added to protect the wearer's crown and forehead.

[0074] Furthermore, the constituent materials of the head protection body 18 may be the same as those of the torso buoyancy bodies 14, 15 and the leg buoyancy bodies 16, 17, or they may be different. For example, the head protection body 18 may be made of a material (such as urethane foam) that has higher load-absorbing properties than the torso buoyancy bodies 14, 15 and the leg buoyancy bodies 16, 17.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the hood portion 114 was configured to have an exterior portion 1140 and an interior portion 1141. However, in the present invention, it is not necessarily required to adopt a two-layer hood portion 114. A single-layer hood portion 114 can be adopted, or a hood portion 114 with three or more layers can be adopted. When adopting a single-layer hood portion 114, it is preferable to attach the head protector 18 to the inside of the hood portion 114. By providing the head protector 18 to the inside of the hood portion 114 in this way, it is possible to make it difficult for the head protector 18 to come off due to water or obstacles.

[0076] Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments described above include a life vest body 10 in which the torso cover portions 110, 111, hood portion 114, leg cover portions 115, 116, foot cover portions 117, 118, and arm cover portions 112, 113 are integrally formed, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each portion 110 to 118 may be formed separately. In this case, it is preferable to make the joint portions waterproof in order to prevent the wearer's body heat from being lost.

[0077] Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments described above employ a configuration in which the life vest body 10 has an inner gusset 119, in the present invention, the life vest body 10 does not necessarily have to have an inner gusset 119. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1. Disaster-response type life vest 10 Life jacket body part 14,15 Fuselage buoyancy chamber 16,17 Leg buoyant body 18 Head protection 20 vests 22. Vest buoyancy device 110,111 Body cover section 114 Food section 119 Inner town area 1140 Exterior part 1141 Interior 1142,1143 Outer covering part 1144, 1145 Inner part LN seam

Claims

1. A life vest body having a body cover portion made of sheet fabric that covers the wearer's torso, and a hood portion made of sheet fabric that covers the wearer's head, The torso buoyancy body, which is attached to the front of the torso cover portion and has buoyancy, A head protector is attached to the hood portion, which cushions external input loads to protect the head and has buoyancy, Equipped with, Disaster-response life vest.

2. The head protector comprises left and right protectors that protect the temporal region of the head, and a rear protector that protects the occipital region of the head. The left and right protective bodies and the rear protective body are formed from separate materials and are spaced apart from each other. The disaster-response type life vest according to claim 1.

3. The hood portion comprises an exterior portion formed using a first sheet material, and an interior portion formed using a second sheet material having higher elasticity than the first sheet material, and disposed inside the exterior portion. The disaster-response type life vest according to claim 1.

4. Each of the exterior and interior parts has an opening that exposes at least a portion of the wearer's face to the outside. The opening in the interior part is formed to be smaller in size than the opening in the exterior part. The interior part is liquid-tightly fixed to the exterior part at the opening edge of the exterior part, and has a portion that extends inward toward the wearer's face beyond the opening edge of the exterior part. The disaster-response type life vest according to claim 3.

5. The hood portion has a pressing means that causes at least a part of the head protector to be pressed against the head. The disaster-response type life vest according to claim 1.

6. The life vest further comprises a body vest made of sheet fabric, which can be worn over the body cover portion of the life vest body, and a body vest buoyancy device attached to the body vest body, A disaster-response type life vest according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The aforementioned vest buoyancy body is composed of a buoyancy body having greater buoyancy than the torso buoyancy body. The disaster-response type life vest according to claim 6.

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