Inflatable Buoyancy Garment with Dynamic Volume Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Military personnel on swimming missions face challenges in maintaining comfort and safety due to the need for additional gear and equipment, which affects their buoyancy and mobility both in and out of the water, as existing solutions restrict movement and do not provide adequate buoyancy adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A personal flotation device in the form of a garment with inflatable bladders that can be inflated to provide adjustable buoyancy, allowing for smooth transitions between water and land, featuring multiple bladders attached longitudinally to the garment, connected via flexible air lines to a hand pump or gas cartridge, with check and bleeder valves for control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If simple pieces of foam are added to increase buoyancy, then buoyancy is improved, but mobility and comfort are worsened due to restriction of movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing static foam buoyancy elements with inflatable bladders that can dynamically adjust their volume. The bladders can be inflated to provide needed buoyancy and deflated to reduce restriction on movement, allowing the system to adapt between these two states as required by the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by enabling the buoyancy volume to be variable rather than fixed. Through inflation and deflation of the bladders, the volume parameter can be changed to match the operator's needs - providing maximum buoyancy when needed and minimum buoyancy when mobility is prioritized.
2Adaptability or versatility
If inflatable bladders are added to provide adjustable buoyancy, then buoyancy control is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the buoyancy system into multiple separate bladders that can be independently controlled. Each bladder can be inflated or deflated separately, allowing fine-grained control over the total buoyancy. This modular approach makes the complex buoyancy control manageable and adaptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing the bladders to serve multiple functions: they provide buoyancy control, can be inflated to specific volumes for trim adjustment, and can be deflated for mobility. The same structural element handles multiple operational requirements, reducing the need for separate specialized components.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple inflatable bladders are used for buoyancy adjustment, then buoyancy precision is improved, but ease of operation is worsened due to multiple valves and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining multiple bladder control functions into a unified valve system. Rather than requiring separate control mechanisms for each bladder, the design integrates multiple valves into a coordinated system that can control the bladders in unison or independently as needed, simplifying the operational interface while maintaining precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The garment enhances buoyancy and swimming efficiency while maintaining mobility, allowing for horizontal or vertical trim adjustments, ensuring comfort and safety by providing increased buoyancy without restricting movement, and can be easily deflated for land transitions.
Implementation Method 1
the bladders are configured to inflate to a pressure of at least about 10 psi to about 200 psi... the garment enhances buoyancy and swimming efficiency
Implementation Method 2
configured to inflate in response to pressurized medium to form a pneumatic structure... each bladder is configured to inflate to a pressure of at least about 10 psi to about 200 psi
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a garment (e.g., pants, underpants, shorts, headgear, a skullcap, a glove, socks, shoes, a vest, a jacket, a shirt, an undershirt, an undergarment, or a full body suit) that can be worn by a wearer (e.g., military or civilian law enforcement personnel, an emergency first responder, or a dog) that includes inflatable bladders. When activated, the bladders of the garment inflate, thereby providing an increase in buoyancy to the wearer of the garment, e.g., while swimming.