Modular diver's buoyancy control device

United States Patent [w]

Stinton

US006120213A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

6,120,213 Sep. 19,2000

[54] MODULAR DIVER'S BUOYANCY CONTROL DEVICE

[75] Inventor: Robert T. Stinton, Lakeside, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Diving Unlimited International, Inc.,

San Diego, Calif.

[21] Appl. No.: 08/961,719 [22] Filed: Oct. 31, 1997

[51] Int. CI. B63C 11/02

[52] U.S. CI 405/186; 441/111

[58] Field of Search 405/186; 441/106,

441/108, 111, 112, 113, 114

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,660,751 4/1987 von Dewitz 3/8

4,990,115 2/1991 Vorhauer et al 441/111

5,020,941 6/1991 Bulin et al 405/186

5,205,672 4/1993 Stinton 405/186

5,249,890 10/1993 Bergstrom 405/186

5,346,419 9/1994 Kaiser 441/111

5,451,121 9/1995 Seligman 405/186

5,562,513 10/1996 Kaiser 405/186

5,607,258 3/1997 Eungard 441/106

5,620,282 4/1997 Stinton 405/186

Primary Examiner—Eileen Dunn Lillis
Assistant Examiner—Frederick L. Lagman
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Michael H. Jester

Adiver's buoyancy control device (BCD) comprises a jacket configured to be worn by a diver. The jacket includes a back portion for overlying a diver's back and a pair of side portions connected to the back portion for overlying the diver's chest. A scuba tank can be releasably connected to the back portion of the jacket. An inflatable bladder is connected to the back portion of the jacket and a mechanism is provided for selectively inflating and deflating the bladder with a pressurized gas from the scuba tank. The base of a shoulder yoke that includes a pair of shoulder straps is adjustably connected to the back portion of the jacket at a plurality of preselected vertical positions for permitting easy and rapid size adjustment. A waist belt has a pair of segments each of which has a rear end that is attached to a corresponding location on a corresponding side of the back portion of the jacket. A first mechanism is provided for releasably coupling a pair of mating forward ends of the waist belt segments. A pair of shoulder strap extensions are provided, each of which has a lower end connected to a corresponding waist belt segment. A second mechanism is provided for releasably coupling an upper end of each shoulder strap extension to a corresponding shoulder strap of the shoulder yoke. The waist belt is provided with a quick release weight system to enable emergency ascent. The bladder may have extra buoyancy cells connected to an outer wing of each side portion of the jacket for increased surface flotation capability. Stay straps connected to the waist belt may connect to the wings to counter their buoyant force.

21 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets