Personal flotation device

Claim 1

An emergency rescue assembly for rescuing a person in a body of water, comprising in combination: a container including left and right side walls, top and bottom walls, and front and rear walls, said side, bottom and rear walls being secured together to form an open-ended enclosure, said front wall being secured along one edge to said bottom wall to form a front flap, said top wall being secured along one edge to said rear wall to form a top flap; means for removably fastening said front wall to said side walls and to said top wall whereby said front wall may be secured in a closed position fastened to said side walls and to said top wall to close the open-ended enclosure and whereby said front wall may be pulled open to an opened position allowing access to said container; an inflatable personal flotation device stored within said container; means for inflating said personal flotation device upon pulling said front wall to said opened position, said inflating means including storage means containing a supply of compressed gas, valve release means associated with said storage means and including a puncture pin operatively disposed within a body for piercing said storage means allowing the gas contained therein to flow into said personal flotation device, said valve release means further including a removable cam-shaped lever having a cut-out mounted on a pivot pin and a lanyard having one end connected to said cam-shaped lever for pivoting said cam-shaped lever about said pivot pin to drive said puncture pin into said storage means whereupon said cam-shaped lever is disengaged from said body, means for connecting another end of said lanyard relative to said front wall functioning as said front flap, whereby said valve is automatically actuated to begin inflation of said personal flotation device upon pulling of said front flap; and tether means securely interconnecting said container and said personal flotation device.