PRIORITY

This application claims priority to and incorporates by reference in its' entirety, United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/284086, entitled â€œSandy canâ€ , and filed Sep. 21, 2015.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to water rescue equipment and more particularly to portable rescue flotation devices with a skin and filler.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable flotation devices are used by professional rescuers in the water rescue (lifesaving) industry to assist people to shore who may not be able to swim to safety without assistance. These devices are normally a few feet long and torpedo shaped with handles around their sides. A strap and line is attached to the device and the rescuer can put the strap around his/her shoulder or other body part to pull a person hanging onto the handles back to shore. Traditionally these floatation devices are made from either foam or a hard plastic. The foam devices are not very durable. The hard plastic devices sometimes fill with water. More importantly, the hard plastic devices frequently cause injuries to both the rescuers and rescued persons from impact in turbulent water. There is a long felt need for an alternative floatation device designed for continuous use with little maintenance, which will not cause serious injury from impacting a rescuer or a recued person. The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A portable rescue flotation device assembly for use in water rescues includes a floatation device having an elongated body portion and a handle assembly fixedly connected to the body portion. The body portion includes a durable water resistant skin configured to enclose a filler. The skin has an outside surface and an inside surface.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable rescue flotation device assembly with a first embodiment of a floatation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the second embodiment of a floatation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the second embodiment of the floatation device, a view of which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the second embodiment of the floatation device, views of which are illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the second embodiment of the floatation device along line 5-5â€² in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional rear view of the second embodiment of the floatation device along line 6-6â€² in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a third embodiment of the floatation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the third embodiment of the floatation device, a view of which is illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the third embodiment of the floatation device, views of which are illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the third embodiment of the floatation device along line 10-10â€² in FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional rear view of the third embodiment of the floatation device along line 11-11â€² in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. Throughout the description, relational terms such as front, rear, first side, second side, top, and bottom are used to aid the reader in understanding relationships of different parts and elements of devices disclosed in the drawings and disclosure. The description, including the relational terms, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a portable rescue flotation device assembly 100 is illustrated. The assembly 100 includes a floatation device 102 with an elongated body portion 108 and a handle assembly 110 fixedly connected to the body portion 108. The assembly 100 may also include a rope 104 which may be fixedly attached to the floatation device 102 with a rope attachment 124, and a strap 106 which may be detachably and/or fixedly attached to the rope 104. In the embodiment illustrated the rope attachment 124 includes a rope aperture 126 in the body portion 108 through which the rope 104 may be inserted and secured as would be known in the art. The rope 104 may include any a length of strong cord made by twisting together strands of natural fibers such as hemp or artificial fibers such as polypropylene, or more generally may include any elongated member which may be used to fixedly attach the floatation device 102 to the strap 106 such that a rescuer may use the strap 106 to pull a rescued person with the floatation device 102. The strap 106 may include any strip of cloth, rubber, vinyl, or other flexible material which the rescuer may hang on to or fasten around a body part to pull the rescued person to safety.

The floatation device 102 may include a front end 134, a rear end 136, a first side 138, a second side 140, a top 142, and a bottom 144. The body portion may be an elongated member, and may be torpedo shaped. The body portion 108 may have a rounded end near the rear end 136, and a rounded cone shape end near the front end 134. The rope attachment 124 may extend through the body portion 108 near the front end 134. As shown more clearly in relation to FIGS. 6 and 11, the body portion 108 may have an elliptical shaped, and in some cases a circular shaped cross section. The body portion 108 may have a skin 146 enclosing a filler 148 as seen in relation to FIGS. 5, 6, 10, and 11. The body portion 108 may include a fill mechanism 128 which may in some embodiments include a valve 130, or a sealable opening 132 (shown and described in relation to FIGS. 7) through which the filler 148 is inserted into the skin 146.

The handle assembly 110 may include a rear handle assembly 112 at the rear end 136, a first side handle assembly 114 at the first side 138, and a second side handle assembly 116 at the second side 140. When being rescued, a person may put their body on the top 142 the body portion 108 while holding onto the handle assembly 110, while the rescuer pulls them to safety. The person may also just hang onto the handle assembly 110, or use the handle assembly 110 to pull their body onto the body portion 108. The handle assembly 110 may include indents 120 or apertures 122 forming handles 118. In a first embodiment of the floatation device 102 illustrated, the handle assembly 110 includes six handles 118. In other embodiments, more or less handles may be included.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a top view of an exemplary second embodiment of a floatation device 102 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the handle assembly 110 includes three handles 118, one in the rear handle assembly 112, one in the first side handle assembly 114, and one in the second side handle assembly 116. Although not illustrated in the figures, a bottom view of the second embodiment of the floatation device 102, may be very similar if not identical to the top view. The fill mechanism 128 may be located on the top 142 or bottom 144 of the body portion 108, or in some embodiments on the handle assembly 110.

FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of the second embodiment of the floatation device 102, and FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the second embodiment of the floatation device 102.

Referring now to FIG. 5 a cross-sectional side view of the second embodiment of the floatation device 102 along line 5-5â€² in FIG. 2 is illustrated. The skin 146 on the body portion 108 may have an outside surface 150 and an inside surface 152. The inside surface 152 may enclose the filler 148. The handle assembly 110 may also include the skin 146 enclosing the filler 148 as illustrated. In other embodiments the handle assembly 110 may be formed entirely of the skin 146 and may include layers of skin 146 as shown and described in relation to FIGS. 10 and 11.

The skin 146 may be made of a material which is durable enough such that minimal maintenance is needed despite continuous use of the floatation device 102 over a long period of time rescuing people in turbulent waters. The material the skin 146 is made from may be flexible enough that minimal injury is caused when the rescuer or the person rescued is impacted with the floatation device 102 is turbulent waters of a rescue. In some embodiments, the skin 146 may be at least an eighth (â…›) of an inch thick. Suitable materials may include the vinyl used in making Taylor Made Products vinyl fenders or similar vinyl, rubber, vinyl composite, or rubber composite material. Another suitable material may include layers of an outer nylon type skin such as is used in making a backpack and an inner rubber and/or vinyl or composite rubber and/or vinyl bladder. For example, the layered material used by Mustang Survival to make an inflatable PFD could be used for the skin, or a similar layered material.

The filler 148 may include compressed atmospheric air, or another gas. When the filler 148 includes a gas or compressed gas, the fill mechanism may include the valve 130. The valve 130 may include a check valve or other means known in the art to prevent the gas from escaping from the skin 146. In some embodiments, the handle assembly 110 may be filled with the filler 148 separately from, and with a separate fill mechanism 128 than the body portion 108.

In another embodiment, the filler 148 may include foam, such as a light hydrophobic foam. The foam may ensure that the floatable device 102 remains buoyant if punctured. The foam may be sprayed or otherwise inserted in the skin 146 through the fill mechanism 128 before or after manufacture. If the foam is inserted during manufacture other means may be used to insert the foam into the skin, including separately inserting the foam into the body portion 108 and the handle assembly 110, and then attached the body portion 108 to the handle assembly 110. In other embodiments, the filler 148 may be any substance which can be used to give the floatation device 102 buoyance, as would be known in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a cross-sectional rear view of the second embodiment of the floatation device 102 along line 6-6â€² in FIG. 2 is illustrated. In the second embodiment, the handle assembly 110 includes the skin 146 and filler 148. As illustrated, the skin 146 of the body portion 108 and handle assembly 110 connect and form a cavity enclosing the filler 148.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-11, a third exemplary embodiment of the floatation device 102 is illustrated. FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the third embodiment of the floatation device 102. FIG. 8 illustrates a rear view of the third embodiment of the floatation device. FIG. 9 illustrates a front view of the third embodiment of the floatation device 102. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the third embodiment of the floatation device along line 10-10â€² of FIG. 7, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional rear view of the third embodiment of the floatation device along line 11-11â€² of FIG. 7. The third embodiment of the floatation device 102 is similar to the second embodiment, but the skin 146 includes a first layer 154 including the outer surface 150 and a second layer 156 including the inner surface 152, as best illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. In addition, the handle assembly 110 does not include filler 148, but does include layers 158 of the skin 146 material as best illustrated in FIG. 11.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.