Wrist-worn, inflatable, smart life preserver

Abstract

The inventive concept discloses an inflatable life preserver device compacted within a wristband, in a convenient, minimally-sized form that operates simply by pulling of at least one rip-cord attached within the wristband. A floating plastic sac internal to the wristband is then deployed, and produces immediate mixing of water and internally contained, powdered acidic and alkaline substances. When the two types of substances are combined with a minute quantity of the water flowing into the plastic sac, a chemical reaction is created within the plastic sac. This condition generates, in the preferred embodiment, carbon dioxide gas. The entirety of the deployed plastic sac remains attached to the wristband. In this manner, the float device is inflated, providing substantial buoyancy, enabling the wearer to stay afloat in an emergency situation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flexible wristband containing an internally-stored, deployable floatation device, the flotation device becoming inflatable when the wearer of the wristband manually deploys the flotation device while immersed in a body of water, the floatation device, by reason of its inflation, inherently becoming a device providing buoyancy. 
     
     
         2 . The flexible wristband of  claim 1 , wherein the deployable floatation device comprises a compacted, folded plastic sac stored within a chamber internal to the wristband, the sac further containing both a powdered acidic substance and a powdered alkaline substance, such that when the two substances are mixed with water, carbon dioxide gas is released within the sac, causing the sac to substantially expand in volume. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible wristband of  claim 1 , wherein the means for deploying the flotation device comprises at least one pull tab mounted on the exterior of the wristband, the at least one pull tab connected to a rip cord, which rip cord is connected to an attachment point within the wristband, whereby, manually tugging of the at least one pull tab by a wearer causes the rip cord to breach the exterior of the wristband, causing the release of the floatation device. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible wristband of  claim 1 , further having a Bluetooth-enabled transmitter affixed to the outer cover of the wristband. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible wristband of  claim 1 , further having an RFID-functioning device affixed to the outer cover of the wristband. 
     
     
         6 . A method of providing an emergency buoyancy support device for use by a person immersed in a body of water, comprising the steps of:
 a) constructing a flattened plastic sac shaped in the general form of the letter, “V,” further having (i) a left wing, (ii) a right wing, (iii) a continuous seam along the edges of the plastic sac, except for (iv) a small orifice in a channel intake in the left wing, (v) a small orifice in a channel intake in the right wing, and vi) having a bottommost neck, the neck having stored therein a mixture of a powdered acidic substance and a powdered alkaline substance;   b) constructing a flexible wristband having (i) an outer cover, (ii) an inner cover, (iii) an inner chamber, and further, (iv) wherein the outer cover and inner cover are of the same dimensions and are detachably bound together along at least one of their common longitudinal edges;   c) constructing at least one pull tab mounted on the exterior of the wristband, the at least one pull tab connected to a first end of rip cord and the second end of the rip cord being connected to an attachment point within the wristband;   d) folding the flattened plastic sac multiple times, achieving a compacted form of the plastic sac, and bonding a segment of the exterior surface of the neck of the plastic sac onto the outer cover of the wristband;   e) packing the compacted plastic sac entirely within the inner chamber; wherein   f) producing a firm tug upon the at least one pull tab and its associated rip cord causes (i) breach of the exterior of the wristband; (ii) the release of the compacted plastic sac, (iii) the entry of water into the small orifices of the wings thereby intermixing water with the powdered acidic substance and the powdered alkaline substance, and (iv) the generation of carbon dioxide gas, which causes rapid expansion of the plastic sac.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the flexible wristband further comprises a Bluetooth-enabled transmitter affixed to the outer cover of the wristband. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the flexible wristband of  claim 1 , further comprises an RFID-functioning device affixed to the outer cover of the wristband.