A Life Jacket Rettungsweste Gilet De Sauvetage
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Europäisches Patentamt *EP000744336B1* (19) European Patent Office Office européen des brevets (11) EP 0 744 336 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.7: B63C 9/115 of the grant of the patent: 21.03.2001 Bulletin 2001/12 (21) Application number: 96650018.3 (22) Date of filing: 27.05.1996 (54) A life jacket Rettungsweste Gilet de sauvetage (84) Designated Contracting States: • Kelly, Aidan BE DE DK FI FR GB IE NL SE Delgany, County Wicklow (IE) (30) Priority: 25.05.1995 IE 950379 (74) Representative: O’Connor, Donal Henry et al c/o Cruickshank & Co., (43) Date of publication of application: 1 Holles Street 27.11.1996 Bulletin 1996/48 Dublin 2 (IE) (73) Proprietor: O’Dare International Limited (56) References cited: Bray, County Wicklow (IE) GB-A- 1 576 765 GB-A- 191 325 945 US-A- 1 842 653 US-A- 2 618 257 (72) Inventors: US-A- 2 629 118 US-A- 3 076 206 • Darcy, Roderick Gerard US-A- 3 266 069 US-A- 4 281 428 Greystones, County Wicklow (IE) Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 0 744 336 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 0 744 336 B1 2 Description determining whether or not buoyancy aids are worn. It goes on to make certain comments about buoyancy aids Introduction that are equally applicable to life-jackets in that they should provide a sufficient degree of buoyancy in a gar- [0001] The present invention relates to safety equip- 5 ment which is light in weight, not unnecessarily bulky ment for marine use and in particular to life-jackets and and allows freedom of movement. buoyancy aids, hereinafter referred to collectively where It should be secure in wear, providing positive support the context permits as life-jackets and additionally to in the water, allowing the wearer to swim or actively as- garments for general maritime use. sist himself or others. Indeed, it is obvious from reading [0002] The term "life-jacket" and "buoyancy aid" are 10 these European Standards that the European Commit- terms that often cause confusion because the distinction tee for Standardization were well aware of the need to between these terms in Ireland and the United Kingdom provide more efficient life-jackets, but they equally ap- is a distinction between a buoyancy aid which is consid- preciated the necessity for a compromise between what ered to be something that keeps you afloat and a life- was desirable at one level in relation to life saving and jacket which in addition to keeping you afloat, namely 15 flotation and what was equally likely to be worn by the as a flotation aid will turn you face upwards as well. How- user. This is discussed in more detail below. ever, in other countries, the term "life-jacket" is used for [0005] In this specification the term "maritime" is essentially the same construction of aid as for a buoy- loosely used to indicate all water and shore based ac- ancy aid. tivities with fresh or sea water or even industrial activi- [0003] There are no less than four European Stand- 20 ties where liquids are being handled and there is a need ards for life-jackets and personal buoyancy aids. These for operatives to wear life-jackets. Thus, such activities are EN393 for buoyancy aids up to 50 Newtons, EN395 may be commercial, leisure, military, conservationist or for life-jackets of 100 Newtons, EN396 for life-jackets of educational. 150 Newtons and EN399 for life-jackets of 275 New- [0006] The term "boating" is a general term used in tons. A Newton is a measured unit of force and ten units 25 the specification to include but not exclusively, sailing are approximately equivalent to 1 kg of buoyancy. The whether racing or cruising in keel boats and dinghies, higher the Newton number the higher the buoyancy rat- canoeing, motor-boating, fishing and the like maritime ing. Thus, the 50 Newton buoyancy aid is considered to activities. be only suitable for competent swimmers and then there [0007] Similarly the term "sailing" when used in the are various degrees of buoyancy given. But even for the 30 general sense includes all boating activities as herein- 275 Newton life-jacket, these cannot be guaranteed to before defined and for example, a reference to a "sailing self-right an unconscious user wearing heavy clothing. suit" includes inter alia a reference to a suit for use in all The buoyancy they provide ensures that they should boating activities referred to above and this would cover provide this self-righting and as mentioned above this suits for commercial shipping, fisherman's work suits, conflict between Ireland, the United Kingdom and the 35 survival or anti-exposure clothing for, for example, arctic rest of Europe has not by any means been resolved. conditions and so on. These and other terms have been However, it is very instructive to read some of the com- used in this specification because of their general de- ments in for example EN393 where it is stated that while scriptiveness and not to be in any way considered as buoyancy aids should only be used in situations where limiting the generality of their application. there is little risk of incapacitation the reason for prefer- 40 [0008] There are major problems with all known forms ring a buoyancy aid in such circumstances should be of life-jacket and particularly with life-jackets of the type when the added bulk of a life-jacket would restrict or im- comprising an upper body garment containing a quantity pede the activity to be undertaken or even create added of buoyancy material, which is the more regular form of risk such as in the case of dinghy sailors who may, if life-jacket, the other form of life-jacket being an inflata- they use life jackets, become trapped in a capsized45 ble life-jacket which operates in substantially the same boats or of canoeists who may not be able to conduct way as an air bag. There are types of such inflatable life- themselves safely on the water with anything more jackets which are automatically inflatable on contact bulky. with water. One of the major problems with these auto- [0004] One of the things that prompted the present matically inflatable life-jackets is that they can inadvert- applicants to consider this whole problem is the very tell- 50 ently inflate in situations where it is not required. For ex- ing statement made in this European Standard EN393, ample, excessive amount of spray or water contacting where it is stated that equally essential is the need for the life-jacket can cause it to inflate. Indeed this is one the designer to encourage the wearing of the equipment of the reasons that many people will not wear them, be- by making it comfortable and attractive for continuous cause they inflate inadvertently and can be positively wear on or near the water. The main reason, they main- 55 dangerous when people are working on tasks around a tain, for having a standard for a life-jacket or buoyancy boat such as those carried out by a foredeck hand while aid with as low a buoyancy as 50 Newtons is the recog- racing. nition that comfort and mobility are important factors in [0009] There are numerous suppliers of life-jackets of 2 3 EP 0 744 336 B1 4 the type referred to already which comprise an upper or even cause added danger risk of problem. Thus, it is body garment containing a quantity of buoyancy mate- not entirely carelessness and inattention to safety that rial. But as one brochure produced by a prominent man- causes many a life-jacket to be discarded and not worn. ufacturer of sea-gear, namely, Helly Hansen, stated in [0013] US Patent Specification No. 3,076,206 (Shaw their 1995 catalogue it is virtually impossible to force 5 et al) describes a typical example of survival apparel in- everyone to use a life-jacket. In a further telling comment cluding an upper body portion having a plurality of sep- they state that people gladly spend a fortune on a boat arate pockets each containing buoyancy material. This to enjoy their life and why not spend a small sum to save specification also discusses in some detail the issues of it? They go on to remark unnecessarily that the majority comfort in use. This issue of discomfort when using life- of those who drown from leisure boats are not wearing 10 jackets is also discussed in GB Patent Specification No. a life-jacket. They suggest that this basically is because 1,576,765 (A.D. Crompton Ltd.) when the solution pro- most accidents occur in situations in which people feel posed is to provide a plurality of individual buoyancy sa- safe, close to the coast in calm waters. They make the chets in garment pockets rather than large blocks of very strong point that if you are going to be safe at sea, buoyancy material in each pocket. Again this is no anal- you must wear a life-jacket. 15 ysis of the restrictive nature of the life-jacket beyond the [0010] Generally speaking, what happens is such life- belief which is correct that such an arrangement would jackets are worn on top of oilskin trousers and jackets reduce the restriction imposed on the movements of the or oilskin suits and therefore form a very bulky garment.