Personal water safety device

Abstract

A personal water safety device comprising a strap and a housing secured to the strap. The housing releasably encloses a bladder and an inflation assembly. The bladder completely encloses the inflation assembly. The inflation assembly includes a gas container that provides gas to the bladder to inflate the bladder upon the selective deployment of gas from the gas container. The strap keeps the bladder secured to a user's appendage before and after inflation of the bladder.

1 . A personal water safety device comprising:
 a strap; and   a housing secured to the strap, the housing releasably enclosing a bladder and an inflation assembly, the bladder completely enclosing the inflation assembly, the inflation assembly including a gas container that provides gas to the bladder to inflate the bladder upon the selective deployment of gas from the gas container, the strap keeping the bladder secured to a user's appendage before and after inflation of the bladder.   
     
     
         2 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a selectively removable cover, the bladder being inflatable upon the selective removal of the cover from the housing. 
     
     
         3 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a shuttle secured to the cover, the shuttle being movable to deploy gas from the gas container in response to movement of the cover. 
     
     
         4 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 3 , wherein the inflation assembly includes a block and a plunger assembly, the block secured to the gas container, the plunger assembly being secured to the block, the block and plunger assembly being positionable relative to one another from an unapproximated condition to an approximated condition to deploy gas from the gas container upon predetermined movement of the shuttle, the shuttle being indirectly engagable with the gas container to move the block and plunger assembly between the unapproximated and approximated conditions. 
     
     
         5 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 4 , wherein the gas container is sealed with a diaphragm and the plunger assembly includes a pin, the pin being engagable with the diaphragm to pierce the diaphragm as the block and plunger assembly arc positioned relative to one another from the unapproximated condition to the approximated condition, the gas container releasing gas upon being pierced by the pin to inflate the bladder. 
     
     
         6 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 5 , wherein the plunger assembly includes a plunger having a deflector plate and a plurality of legs extending from the deflector plate, the block includes a plurality of channels defined therethrough, the plurality of channels accommodating the plurality of legs to facilitate the relative movement of the plunger assembly and the block from the unapproximated condition to the approximated condition. 
     
     
         7 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 6 , wherein a passage is formed between a leg of the plurality of legs and a channel of the plurality of channels, the passage providing a travel path for the released gas. 
     
     
         8 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 7 , wherein the deflector plate directs the released gas toward the passage. 
     
     
         9 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 5 , wherein the plunger assembly includes a ball coupled to the pin to facilitate the piercing of the diaphragm by the pin. 
     
     
         10 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 3 , wherein the shuttle is axially and rotatably movable. 
     
     
         11 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 10 , wherein the cover includes a pair of arms extending therefrom, the arms extending through apertures defined in the shuttle, the arms facilitating the movement of the shuttle in response to movement of the cover. 
     
     
         12 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the arms includes a rotation boss securable within a rotation boss aperture defined in a frame of the housing, the rotation boss facilitating the rotation of the shuttle in response to movement of the cover relative to the frame. 
     
     
         13 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 10 , wherein the shuttle moves axially to facilitate deployment of the gas from the gas container and moves rotationally to facilitate the inflation and release of the bladder from the housing. 
     
     
         14 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 10 , wherein the shuttle includes a pair of guide tabs extending therefrom, the guide tabs being engagable with a pair of recesses defined in the housing, the guide tabs being axially slidable within the recesses, the recesses preventing the shuttle from rotating when the guide tabs are positioned within the recesses, the shuttle being freely rotatable when the guide tabs are positioned outside of the recesses. 
     
     
         15 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 14 , wherein the housing defines a pair of detents to stabilize the shuttle via the guide tabs prior to movement of the shuttle. 
     
     
         16 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 2 , wherein the cover includes a finger aperture that enables a user to attain purchase of the cover. 
     
     
         17 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 2 , wherein the cover includes a tab extending therefrom that is releaseably engagable with a frame of the housing to maintain the cover secured to the frame in order to contain the bladder and inflation assembly within the housing prior to deployment. 
     
     
         18 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a heat shrinkable material and a tape secured to the housing to prohibit the ingress of foreign matter. 
     
     
         19 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a window in a bottom surface thereof, the bladder being secured to the strap through the window. 
     
     
         20 . A personal water safety device according to  claim 1 , wherein the strap includes a tension adjuster.