Personal floatation device for infant

Abstract

A personal floatation device to be used with an infant safety seat to provide a proper fitting, self-righting device to comply with USCG safety requirements. The device includes a floatation ring adaptable to encircle and securely attach to the infant safety seat by means of one or more capture straps and one or more retention straps. The floatation ring provides sufficient floatation to maintain the occupant airway above the water surface when floating in the water. The device further includes a righting means, which provides buoyancy-righting capability should the seat become inverted in the water. The righting strap helps secure the floatation ring to the infant safety seat.

1 . A device for providing floatation to an infant safety seat comprising: 
 a floatation ring comprising a buoyant material, the floatation ring being sized to generally confront the perimeter of the infant safety seat, the floatation ring having a first end, a second end and a body disposed therebetween;    means for drawing the ends together for secure engagement around the perimeter of the infant safety seat; and    means for releasably securing the infant safety seat inside the perimeter of the floatation ring, and    means for righting the infant safety seat should the seat be positioned in water in a manner other than an upright position,    wherein the device possesses sufficient buoyancy such that when a twenty-pound infant is secured in the safety seat, the device causes the seat and infant to float high enough in water to maintain the infant's airway above the surface of the water.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the floatation ring comprises a bendable material which can be adjusted to contiguously sandwich the perimeter of the infant safety seat.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the means for releasably securing the infant safety seat comprises a series of flexible straps running from the body, under the seat and up to the body on the opposite side of the seat.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the means for drawing the ends together comprises one or more straps which, when tightened, conform the floatation ring against the perimeter of the infant safety seat.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the means for releasably securing can conform to a plurality of the infant safety seats.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a righting member which comprises a buoyant material and which arches over the seating area of the infant safety seat, wherein the righting member provides sufficient buoyancy to raise and roll said seat into an upright orientation when said infant safety seat enters water in an upside down orientation.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the righting member comprises a bendable material and is movable to permit an infant to be placed into or removed from the seat without substantial interference from the righting member.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the arch of the righting member is maintained in all orientations of the infant safety seat.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the righting member has a first end, a second end, and a body disposed therebetween.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the ends of the righting member are movably connected to the floatation ring.  
   
   
       11 . A combination infant safety seat and personal floatation device for an infant comprising: 
 a seating member sized and shaped to correspond to an infant in a seated or reclining position, for comfortably holding an infant therein;    means for securing an infant in the seating member;    floatation ring secured to the seating member, the floatation device possessing sufficient buoyancy such that when a twenty-pound infant is secured in the seating member, the seat and infant float high enough in water to maintain the infant's airway above the surface of the water; and    righting member secured to the floatation ring or to the seating member, the righting member configured and possessing sufficient buoyancy to raise and roll said seating member into an upright orientation when the combination infant safety seat and personal floatation device enters water in an upside down orientation.    
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the floatation ring is removably securable to the seating member.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the righting is removably securable to the seating member.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the floatation ring, the righting member, or both are reusable.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the floatation ring and the righting member means are constructed from a single piece of buoyant material.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the floatation ring and the righting member are constructed from multiple pieces of buoyant material and joined together and made movable relative to each other.  
   
   
       17 . A method for providing buoyancy to an infant secured in an infant safety seat comprising: 
 securing an infant, who weighs up to twenty-two pounds, into a safety seat using one or more straps;    securing the safety seat within a floatation member which comprises a buoyant material possessing sufficient buoyancy such that the seat and infant float high enough in water to maintain the infant's airway above the surface of the water, the floatation member further comprising an integral or attached righting member configured and possessing sufficient buoyancy to raise and roll said seating member into an upright orientation when the safety seat enters water in an upside down orientation.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising securing the righting member to a handle which comprises part of the safety seat.  
   
   
       19 . A device for providing floatation for an infant in a safety seat comprising: 
 a righting means spanning over the infant safety seat;    a floatation member, comprising a buoyancy material, which encircles the infant safety seat;    a first anchor means for selectively securing together the safety seat and the floatation member; and    a second anchor means for selectively securing together the safety seat and the righting means.    
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the floatation member is in the form of a ring.  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the righting means comprises an arch-shaped body.  
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the first anchor means comprises one or more adjustable straps.  
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the second anchor means comprises one or more adjustable straps.  
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 19 , further comprising an integral infant safety seat.  
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 19 , further comprising a selectively removable and attachable infant safety seat.