life jacket

Abstract

To provide a life jacket capable of having a mouth of a wearer swiftly float up.SOLUTION: A life jacket provided with a front unit having first buoyancy material for generating first buoyancy and a back unit having second buoyancy material for generating second buoyancy has a center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material positioned 37 to 50% from a bottom edge in the wearing length direction of the front unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a life jacket. [Background technology]

[0002] Wearing a life jacket is sometimes required when fishing, using a boat, etc. Conventional life jackets have a buoyancy material that generates buoyancy in water. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a life jacket that has a front body with a first buoyancy material that generates a first buoyancy and a back body with a second buoyancy material that generates a second buoyancy. By having the buoyancy material, such a life jacket functions to bring a wearer who falls into the water to the surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-18899 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to ensure the wearer's breathing when he falls into the water, it is desirable to quickly bring the wearer's mouth up to the surface. For example, if the wearer falls into the water while facing downwards, it is desirable to turn the wearer onto his back and quickly bring the mouth up to the surface. However, conventional life jackets do not fully fulfill this function.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a life jacket that can quickly raise the mouth of the wearer to the surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The life jacket according to the present invention comprises: The garment comprises a front body having a first buoyancy material that generates a first buoyancy, and a back body having a second buoyancy material that generates a second buoyancy, The center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy member is located 37 to 50% from the lower end of the front body in the length direction.

[0007] With this configuration, the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy member is located 37 to 50% from the lower end of the front body in the length direction, so that the mouth of the wearer can be quickly floated up.

[0008] In the life jacket according to the present invention, the center of buoyancy of the second buoyancy material is preferably located above the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material.

[0009] According to this configuration, the center of buoyancy of the second buoyant material is located higher than the center of buoyancy of the first buoyant material, so that the mouth of the wearer can be floated up more quickly.

[0010] Furthermore, the life jacket according to the present invention preferably comprises: The center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy member is located 37 to 38% from the lower end of the front body in the length direction, The center of buoyancy of the second buoyancy member is located 50 to 51% from the lower end of the back body in the length direction.

[0011] According to this configuration, the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material and the center of buoyancy of the second buoyancy material are positioned as described above, so that the mouth of the wearer can be floated up even more quickly.

[0012] In the life jacket according to the present invention, the first buoyancy is preferably greater than the second buoyancy.

[0013] According to this configuration, the first buoyancy is greater than the second buoyancy, so that the mouth of the wearer can be floated up even more quickly.

[0014] Furthermore, in the life jacket according to the present invention, the first buoyancy is preferably 57% or more, and more preferably 61% or more, of the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy.

[0015] According to this configuration, the first buoyancy is 57% or more, preferably 61% or more, of the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy, so that the wearer's mouth can be floated up particularly quickly.

[0016] In the life jacket according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first buoyancy material is made of a foam material.

[0017] With this configuration, the first buoyancy material is made of a foam material, which makes it easier to maintain the desired buoyancy compared to buoyancy materials filled with gas such as air. Also, the position of the center of buoyancy of the buoyancy material is more stable compared to fluid gas such as air. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, a life jacket can be provided that can quickly raise the wearer's mouth. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of the upper body of a wearer wearing a life jacket according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the upper body of the wearer of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the upper body of the wearer of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A life jacket according to one embodiment will be described below.

[0021] 1 and 2, the life jacket 1 of this embodiment includes a front body 10 that covers the wearer from the front side, and a back body 20 that covers the wearer from the back side. The front body 10 of this embodiment has a fastener portion 14 that extends along the length direction of the life jacket 1 to form a front opening and is formed in the center of the front body 10 in the width direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the life jacket 1 of this embodiment includes a pair of side portions 30 that are arranged along both the left and right sides of the wearer.

[0022] The life jacket 1 of this embodiment has buoyancy materials 40 that generate buoyancy in water. The buoyancy materials 40 include a first buoyancy material 41 provided in the front body portion 10 and generating a first buoyancy on the front side of the wearer, a second buoyancy material 42 provided in the back body portion 20 and generating a second buoyancy on the back side of the wearer, and a pair of third buoyancy materials 43 provided on each side portion 30 and generating buoyancy on both the left and right side sides of the wearer.

[0023] In this embodiment, the front body 10, back body 20, and side portions 30 are each formed by joining a front fabric, which forms the surface that is visible when worn, to a lining fabric, which forms the back surface. The front fabric and the lining fabric form a storage space S between them that stores the buoyancy material 40. That is, the front body 10, back body 20, and side portions 30 each have storage spaces S1, S2, and S3 that store the first buoyancy material 41, the second buoyancy material 42, and the third buoyancy material 43, respectively.

[0024] In this embodiment, the front body 10 and the back body 20 each have a length that covers the wearer from the shoulders to the waist. In this specification, the vertical direction of the front body 10 and the back body 20 is referred to as the length direction, and the direction perpendicular to the length direction is referred to as the width direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, the upper edge 11 of the front body 10 and the upper edge 21 of the back body 20 are connected to form a neckline. The side edge 12 of the front body 10 and the side edge 22 of the back body 20 are connected via side portions 30 to form armholes. The front body 10 has a lower edge 13 extending along the width direction, and similarly, the back body 20 has a lower edge 23 extending along the width direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the lower edge 13 of the front body 10 and the lower edge 23 of the back body 20 are overlapped, the widthwise center of the upper edge 11 of the front body 10 is positioned lower than the widthwise center of the upper edge 21 of the back body 20.

[0027] The upper edge 11 of the front body 10 has an upper end 111 that is located at the uppermost position in the length direction. In this embodiment, the upper end 111 is located at the end of the part of the upper edge 11 that forms the neckline. In addition, the lower edge 13 of the front body 10 has a lower end 131 that is located at the lowermost position in the length direction. In this embodiment, the lower end of the lower edge 13 forms the lower end 131 of the front body 10.

[0028] The upper edge 21 of the back body 20 has an upper end 211 that is located at the uppermost position in the length direction. In this embodiment, the upper end 211 is located at the end of the part of the upper edge 21 that forms the neckline. In addition, the lower edge 23 of the back body 20 has a lower end 231 that is located at the lowermost position in the length direction. In this embodiment, the lower end of the lower edge 23 forms the lower end 231 of the back body 20.

[0029] The front body 10 accommodates a first buoyancy material 41 in the accommodation space S1. In this embodiment, the first buoyancy material 41 is composed of a plurality of plate-shaped blocks 401 having a predetermined shape and size. This allows the wearer to move more easily, and the front body 10 is less likely to get in the way when, for example, fishing.

[0030] Specifically, the first buoyancy material 41 in this embodiment comprises a pair of central blocks 401a arranged at the center of the front body 10 via fasteners 14, and a pair of side blocks 401b arranged adjacent to the central blocks 401a in the width direction and extending between the central blocks 401a and the side edges 12 of the front body 10. The first buoyancy material 41 also comprises a pair of lower central blocks 401c arranged adjacent to the pair of central blocks 401a below in the length direction and extending between the central blocks 401a and the lower edge 13 of the front body 10, and a pair of lower side blocks 401d arranged adjacent to the lower central blocks 401c in the width direction and extending between the lower central blocks 401c and the side edges 12 of the front body 10. Furthermore, the first buoyancy member 41 has a pair of upper blocks 401e arranged adjacent to each central block 401a above in the length direction and extending between the central blocks 401a and the upper edge 11 of the front body 10. The upper blocks 401e are also adjacent to the side blocks 401b in the length direction.

[0031] The pair of center blocks 401a, the pair of side blocks 401b, the pair of lower center blocks 401c, and the pair of lower side blocks 401d are formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view. On the other hand, the pair of upper blocks 401e are formed so that their width decreases from bottom to top in a plan view. Furthermore, each center block 401a is formed so that its width is larger than that of one of the side blocks 401b. Each lower center block 401c is formed so that its width is larger than that of one of the lower side blocks 401d. Furthermore, each center block 401a is formed so that its length in the garment length direction is longer than that of the lower center block 401c.

[0032] Typically, the pair of center blocks 401a are arranged along the center of the front side of the wearer's upper body, the pair of lower center blocks 401c are arranged along the center of the wearer's abdomen, and the pair of upper blocks 401e are arranged along the center of the wearer's chest.

[0033] The rear body 20 accommodates a second buoyancy material 42 in the accommodation space S2. In this embodiment, the second buoyancy material 42 is composed of a plurality of plate-shaped blocks 402 having a predetermined shape and size. This allows the wearer to move easily. Furthermore, when supporting a wearer who has fallen into water in a supine position, the wearer can be supported in a comfortable position.

[0034] Specifically, the second buoyancy material 42 in this embodiment has a central block 402a arranged in the center of the back body 20, and a pair of side blocks 402b arranged adjacent to the central block 402a in the width direction and extending between the central block 402a and both side edges 22 of the back body 20. The second buoyancy material 42 also has a lower block 402c arranged adjacent to the central block 402a below in the length direction and extending between the central block 402a and the bottom edge 23 of the back body 20. The second buoyancy material 42 also has an upper block 402d arranged adjacent to the central block 402a above in the length direction and extending between the central block 402a and the top edge 21 of the back body 20. The lower block material 402c is also adjacent to each of the side block materials 402b in the length direction.

[0035] The central block 402a, the lower block 402c, and the upper block 402d are rectangular in plan view. On the other hand, the pair of side block materials 402b are trapezoidal in plan view, with their upper edges sloping upward from the side edges 22 of the back body 20 toward the center, resulting in a narrower width from bottom to top. Of the blocks that make up the second buoyancy material 42, the lower block 402c is formed to have the largest width and area.

[0036] Typically, the central block member 402a is positioned along the center of the back of the wearer's upper body, the lower block member 402c is positioned along the center of the wearer's waist, and the upper block member 402d is positioned along the center of the wearer's back.

[0037] Adjacent blocks 401 in the first buoyancy member 41 and adjacent blocks 402 in the second buoyancy member 42 are arranged so that their opposing edges are parallel to each other. The blocks 401 and 402 are sandwiched between the outer and inner fabrics that form the front and back body pieces 10 and 20, respectively, and are arranged in the storage spaces S1 and S2. In this embodiment, the front and back body pieces 10 and 20 each have stitches that join the outer and inner fabrics. The stitches form compartments that individually accommodate the blocks 401 and 402. That is, in this embodiment, the stitches form compartments in the storage spaces S1 and S2 that individually accommodate the blocks 401 and 402. The stitches are formed along the outer edges of the blocks 401 and 402.

[0038] The upper end of the second buoyancy material 42 of the rear body 20 (specifically, the upper end of the upper block material 402d) is positioned higher than the upper end of the first buoyancy material 41 of the front body 10 (specifically, the upper end of the upper block material 401e).

[0039] In this embodiment, the first buoyancy material 41 and the second buoyancy material 42 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the width of each of the front body piece 10 and the back body piece 20.

[0040] The first buoyancy material 41 in the front body 10 and the second buoyancy material 42 in the back body 20 are arranged so that adjacent block materials form gaps D when no buoyancy due to water is acting on them (specifically, when the wearer is not falling into the water). This allows the front body 10 and the back body 20 to be breathable.

[0041] On the other hand, the first buoyancy material 41 in the front body piece 10 and the second buoyancy material 42 in the back body piece 20 are configured so that when buoyancy due to water is acting (specifically, when the wearer falls into the water), adjacent block materials are in contact with each other via the outer fabric or the inner fabric. To make this possible, the maximum value of the size of the gap D is preferably 20 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or less. This makes it possible to stabilize the positions of the centers of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material 41 and the second buoyancy material 42 at desired positions in the front body piece 10 and the back body piece 20.

[0042] It is preferable that the thickness of each block 401 in the front body 10 is the same. It is also preferable that the thickness of each block 402 in the back body 20 is the same. The thickness of a block 44 refers to the average thickness of 20 locations selected at equal intervals across the entire block 44. In addition, "the thickness of each block is the same" means that a difference of ±10% of the average thickness of the blocks is allowed.

[0043] Here, the position in the length direction of the front body 10 is determined by setting the position of the lower end 131 as 0% and the position of the center of the width direction of the upper edge (neckline) as 100%, and the position in the length direction of the back body 20 is determined by setting the position of the lower end 231 as 0% and the position of the center of the width direction of the upper edge (neckline) as 100%. That is, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the length L1 of the front body 10 is the length from the 0% position to the 100% position in the length direction, and the length L2 of the back body 20 is the length from the 0% position to the 100% position in the length direction. At this time, it is important that the center of buoyancy F1 of the first buoyant member 41 is located at 37 to 50%. It is also preferable that the center of buoyancy F1 of the first buoyant member 41 is located at 35 to 50% and the center of buoyancy F2 of the second buoyant member 42 is located at 35 to 55%. It is even more preferable that the center of buoyancy F1 of the first buoyant member 41 is located at 37 to 38% and the center of buoyancy F2 of the second buoyant member 42 is located at 50 to 51%. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the center of buoyancy F1 of the first buoyant member 41 is located in the region where the central block member 401a (or side block member 401b) extends in the length direction of the garment. More specifically, it is located below the center of that region in the length direction of the garment. This allows the face of a wearer who falls into water to float to the surface first. The centers of buoyancy of the front body 10 and the back body 20 may be located within the above-mentioned range in the length direction, and there are no particular limitations on their positions in the width direction. For example, the centers of buoyancy may be located in the center of the front body 10 and the back body 20 in the width direction.

[0044] In this embodiment, the center of buoyancy F2 of the second buoyancy member 42 of the back body piece 20 is located higher than the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy member 41 of the front body piece 10. More specifically, the center of buoyancy of the back body piece 20 is located 10% or more higher than the center of buoyancy of the front body piece 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the center of buoyancy F2 of the second buoyancy member 42 is located in the region where the central block member 402a (or side block member 402b) extends in the length direction of the garment, and more specifically, it is located below the center of that region in the length direction. This allows the mouth of a wearer who falls into water to float above the water surface first.

[0045] Here, the position of the center of buoyancy F1 in the front body 10 and the position of the center of buoyancy F2 in the back body 20 can be determined by the following method (1) or method (2).

[0046] Case 1: When the buoyancy material is composed of a single block material Method (1): The center of volume of the single block is set as the center of buoyancy.

[0047] Case 2: When the buoyancy material is composed of multiple blocks Method (2): (Step 21) The positions c1, c2, c3... (%) of the center of buoyancy of each block from the lower end in the length direction are determined based on the center of volume of each block. (Step 22) The percentages p1, p2, p3, . . . (%) of the buoyancy generated by each block material relative to the total buoyancy generated by the buoyancy material are calculated. (Step 23) The value calculated using the following formula is set as the position of the center of buoyancy of the buoyancy material. [Center of buoyancy position]=c1×p1 / 100+c2×p2 / 100+c3×p3 / 100…

[0048] In this embodiment, the first buoyancy generated by the first buoyancy material 41 in the front body 10 is 4.0 kgf or more in water. In a preferred embodiment, the first buoyancy is 4.5 kgf or more. Furthermore, the second buoyancy generated by the second buoyancy material 42 in the back body 20 is 3.0 kgf in water. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy is 7.5 kgf or more. In a preferred embodiment, the first buoyancy is preferably equal to or greater than the second buoyancy, more preferably greater than the second buoyancy, and preferably greater than the second buoyancy by 1 kgf or more. More specifically, the ratio of the first buoyancy to the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 55% or more, and even more preferably 60% or more. Note that each buoyancy is a value when the buoyancy material is submerged in fresh water.

[0049] Any conventionally known buoyancy material can be used as the buoyancy material 40. The buoyancy material 40 of this embodiment is made of a resin foam material. Examples of resin foam materials include polyethylene-based resin foam materials such as polyethylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and polypropylene-based resin foam materials such as polypropylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer.

[0050] The buoyancy material 40 (blocks 401, 402) preferably has a thickness of 20 to 50 mm, and more preferably 35 to 50 mm.

[0051] Each side portion 30 has a third buoyancy member 43. Each third buoyancy member 43 is formed in the same shape and exhibits the same buoyancy.

[0052] Although one embodiment has been shown as an example, the life jacket according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. Furthermore, the life jacket according to the present invention is not limited by the above-described effects. The life jacket according to the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, a pair of side portions 30 are provided to join the front body portion 10 and the back body portion 20, but this is not limited to this, and the side portions 30 may not be provided, and the front body portion 10 and the back body portion 20 may be directly joined at their respective side edge portions.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the front body 10 has a fastener portion 14 for forming a front opening, but this is not limited to this, and the life jacket of the present invention may be of a type that does not have a front opening and is worn by the wearer by pulling it over their head.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the storage spaces S1 and S2 are partitioned by stitching to prevent block materials 401 and 402 in the front body 10 and back body 20 from shifting positions. However, each of the front body and back body may have a storage bag (not shown) for individually storing the block materials. In this case, the storage bag may be joined to the outer and inner fabrics that form the front or back body. Alternatively, each block may be joined directly to the outer and inner fabrics. This makes it less likely that each block will shift from its designated position.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the buoyancy material is made of a foam material, but this is not limited to this, and the buoyancy material may be made of, for example, an airtight bag material filled with a gas such as air. [Example]

[0057] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0058] [Evaluation of buoyancy material placement] A resin doll (30 cm tall, 311 g) with a mark on its mouth was prepared. This doll was dressed in a vest-type jacket with a front and back body. The front and back body sections were designed to cover the doll from its neck to its waist. To evaluate the position and buoyancy of the buoyancy material in the front and back body sections, blocks (2 cm long, 2 cm wide, and 1.5 cm thick) were attached to the front and back body sections, as shown in Table 1 below. Specifically, nine sections (3 vertical and 3 horizontal) were created on the surface of the front and back body sections so that the blocks could be attached to each section. The blocks were attached to these sections (the sections shaded in black in Table 1). A water bath was used, and the doll, lying horizontally on its back, was submerged to a predetermined depth while being held in the hand. The time from when the hand was released until the mark on the doll's mouth emerged from the water was measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] The position and buoyancy of the buoyancy materials in the front and back body sections were further evaluated based on the results in Table 1. Note that Test Examples 11 and 12 were designed so that the total buoyancy of the buoyancy materials would be the same as Test Examples 2 to 9 in Table 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] Referring to the results of Test Example 1 in Table 1, it is clear that the time it takes for the mouth mark to reach the water surface is less than 2 seconds, which means that the device is excellent at quickly bringing the wearer's mouth to the surface. On the other hand, looking at the results of Test Examples 2 to 9, which used less buoyancy material than Test Example 1, Test Examples 2 to 4, which did not have a buoyancy material in the back (no second buoyancy material), took more than 2 seconds for the mouth mark to come to the water surface, resulting in poorer results than Test Example 1. Also, Test Examples 5 to 9, which had both the first and second buoyancy materials and in which the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material was located 16.7, 33.3, or 83.3% from the bottom end in the length direction, also took more than 2 seconds for the mouth mark to come to the water surface, resulting in poorer results than Test Example 1. In contrast, referring to the results of Test Examples 11 and 2 in Table 2, although Test Examples 11 and 12 used less buoyancy material than Test Example 1, the time it took for the mouth mark to rise to the water surface was shorter than that of Test Example 1. These results show that by setting the position of the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material to 37-50% from the bottom end of the front body in the length direction, the wearer's mouth can be quickly raised to the surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1: life jacket, 10: front body, 11: upper edge, 111: upper end, 12: side edge, 13: lower edge, 131: lower end, 14: fastener, 20: back body, 21: upper edge, 211: upper end, 22: side edge, 23: lower edge, 231: lower end, 30: side, 41: first buoyancy material, 42: second buoyancy material, 43: third buoyancy material, 401, 402: block material, 401a: central block material, 401b: Side block material, 401c: Lower central block material, 401d: Lower side block material, 401e: Upper block material, 402a: Central block material, 402b: Side block material, 402c: Lower block material, 402d: Upper block material, S1, S2, S3: Storage space, D: Gap, L1: Length of front body, L2: Length of back body, F1: Center of buoyancy of first buoyancy material, F2: Center of buoyancy of second buoyancy material

Claims

1. a front body having a first buoyancy material that generates a first buoyancy; A life jacket comprising: a rear body having a second buoyancy material that generates a second buoyancy; The first buoyancy material is composed of a plurality of blocks, three of which are arranged in a row along the length direction of the front body, and the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material is positioned 37 to 50% from the lower end of the front body in the length direction of the life jacket.

2. 2. The life jacket according to claim 1, wherein the center of buoyancy of the second buoyancy material is located above the center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy material.

3. The center of buoyancy of the first buoyancy member is located 37 to 38% from the lower end of the front body in the length direction, 3. The life jacket according to claim 1, wherein the center of buoyancy of the second buoyancy material is located 50 to 51% from the lower end of the rear body in the length direction.

4. 4. The life jacket according to claim 1, wherein the first buoyancy is greater than the second buoyancy.

5. 5. The life jacket according to claim 4, wherein the first buoyancy is 57% or more of the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy.

6. 6. The life jacket according to claim 5, wherein the first buoyancy is 61% or more of the total buoyancy of the first buoyancy and the second buoyancy.

7. 7. The life jacket according to claim 1, wherein the first buoyancy material is made of a foam material.

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