Buoyancy garment

Claim 2

A buoyancy aid comprising a garment having: a jacket part; an air-tight outer skin to said jacket part; an air-tight inner lining perimetrically secured to said outer skin at the neck and sleeve ends of each; a first pocket defined between said skin and said lining; a first free bottom edge to said outer skin; a second free bottom edge to said inner lining; said second free bottom edge being disposed above the level of said first free bottom edge; a trousers part made of air-tight material; an upper edge to said trousers part; said trousers part co-operating in use with said jacket part whereby said upper edge lies entirely above the level of said first free bottom edge, and at least part of said upper edge lies below the level of said second free bottom edge.

Claim 3

A buoyancy aid comprising a garment having: two sleeves; a trunk fitting portion; an air-tight outer skin; an air-tight inner lining perimetrically secured to said air-tight outer skin at the neck and sleeve ends of each; a first pocket extending within both said trunk fitting portion and said sleeves and defined between said secured lining and skin; a free bottom edge of said lining within said trunk portion; a free bottom edge of said air-tight outer skin at the lower end of said trunk portion, and a single downward-facing opening to said first pocket, defined between said two free bottom edges.

Claim 4

A buoyancy aid comprising a garment having: two sleeves; a trunk fitting portion; an air-tight outer skin; an air-tight inner lining perimetrically secured to said air-tight outer skin at the neck and sleeve ends of each; a first pocket extending within both said trunk fitting portion and said sleeves and defined between said secured lining and skin; a free bottom edge of said lining within said trunk portion; a free bottom edge of said air-tight outer skin at the lower end of said trunk portion, and a single downward-facing opening to said first pocket, defined between said two free bottom edges.

Claim 5

A buoyancy aid according to claim 2 having a second air-tight inner lining secured to said air-tight outer skin, a second pocket defined between said secured outer skin and second lining, an opening and a blind end to said second pocket which are respectively uppermost and downmost relative to the wearer during use, and in which the first and second air-tight inner linings overlap to form a single cell including both first and second pockets.

Claim 6

A buoyancy aid comprising: a jacket including a trunk encircling portion with a neck opening at the top and an opEn lower end and further including sleeves, said jacket being constituted by an outer shell and a lining each formed of air-tight material; means seaming the shell and lining to one another in an air-tight manner at the neck and at the distal extents of the respective sleeves; the lower extent of the lining being disposed above the lower extent of the shell and there being perimetrically inextensive means joining the lining near the lower extent thereof to the shell near the lower extent of the shell to prevent the lining from riding up with respect to the shell while leaving an entrance to the mouth defined between the lower extents of the lining and shell relatively unobstructed; an intermediate liner including a trunk encircling portion with a neck opening at the top and an open lower end and further including sleeves, said intermediate liner being fabricated of one of open mesh fabric and open cell flexible plastic foam and being disposed within the pocket defined between the shell and lining so as to have its lower extent near said mouth, its sleeves extending within the jacket sleeves and its neck; air tight seam means joining the shell to the liner along two laterally spaced generally vertical lines extending upward from said mouth to said neck on the front of the jacket, these lines bulging away from one another near the jacket neck to provide a sub-pocket of such shape as to predispose the wearer to float right end up and face up when air is trapped in the sub-pocket.

Claim 7

A buoyancy aid comprising: a jacket including a trunk encircling portion with a neck opening at the top and an opEn lower end and further including sleeves, said jacket being constituted by an outer shell and a lining each formed of air-tight material; means seaming the shell and lining to one another in an air-tight manner at the neck and at the distal extents of the respective sleeves; the lower extent of the lining being disposed above the lower extent of the shell and there being perimetrically inextensive means joining the lining near the lower extent thereof to the shell near the lower extent of the shell to prevent the lining from riding up with respect to the shell while leaving an entrance to the mouth defined between the lower extents of the lining and shell relatively unobstructed; an intermediate liner including a trunk encircling portion with a neck opening at the top and an open lower end and further including sleeves, said intermediate liner being fabricated of one of open mesh fabric and open cell flexible plastic foam and being disposed within the pocket defined between the shell and lining so as to have its lower extent near said mouth, its sleeves extending within the jacket sleeves and its neck; air tight seam means joining the shell to the liner along two laterally spaced generally vertical lines extending upward from said mouth to said neck on the front of the jacket, these lines bulging away from one another near the jacket neck to provide a sub-pocket of such shape as to predispose the wearer to float right end up and face up when air is trapped in the sub-pocket.