Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7798879 | Personal flotation device This invention describes a buoyancy aid that is pre-formed from a buoyant foam plastic material and has an pre-formed internal tube that is sealed. The internal tube and the pre-formed buoyant foam are all shaped to provide support for a users head, and is designed ... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7704113 | Lifejacket The invention relates to a lifejacket used in the field of safety equipment aboard a boat. The jacket comprises an inflatable vest having two faces opposite one another, which can be housed, folded, in a protective envelope, which comprises an external peripheral op... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7313362 | High altitude airborne craft used as radio relay and method for placing said airborne craft on station The present invention relates to an aircraft and to a method of getting the aircraft onto station. According to the invention, said aircraft (1) includes propulsion means (2) capable only of enabling said aircraft (1) to move and to orient itsel... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7293311 | Method of making a multilayered mattress component A method of making a mattress component includes providing a first layer of a first material. Mating patterns are shaped in a surface of the first layer in areas corresponding to a position where hips and shoulders of the user will rest on a mattress. The mating pat... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7267509 | Floatation device A wrist mounted inflatable floatation device to provide temporary floatation support for a swimmer, boater, wader, or other person who is in the water. A wrist mounted floatation device is conveniently worn when someone is in the water or on a boat. It is attached t... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7255621 | Personal flotation device A personal flotation device (PFD) comprises a front flotation portion overlaying an upper region of a wearer's chest and a rear flotation portion overlaying an upper region of the wearer's back. The front flotation portion is joined with the rear flotation portion a... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7169001 | Life jacket A buoyancy device has a rear buoyancy area interconnected to a pair of lateral under arm buoyancy areas by a pair of front buoyancy areas, and combining to form a simulated W-shape when viewed in a plan view. The provision of the lateral or underarm buoyancy areas f... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7160167 | Animal safety apparatus Apparatus useful for providing buoyancy for animals are described. One apparatus includes a strap-like carrier and one or more non-inflatable floatation members secured substantially adjacent the carrier by a cover material stitched to the carrier. Another apparatus... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7150668 | Buoyancy garment A clothing item such as a shirt is combined with a concealed and entrapped bladder which can be inflated in the event of an emergency. The shirt can be of fashionable appearance and the buoyance function disguised to make the buoyancy device more attractive to those... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7118437 | Flotation collar A flotation collar includes an exterior cover and a bladder with two cells separated by a baffle. The exterior cover includes circumferential cover zippers which unzip if the bladder is inflated, and bottle access zippers to allow, for example, CO2 bottles to be rem... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7094119 | Life preserver assembly A life preserver assembly includes a substantially planar main body portion formed from a buoyant material and separation means defining in said main body portion at least one life preserver. The separation means permits the life preserver to be removed from the mai... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7059924 | Personal flotation device A personal flotation device that may be worn alone, as well as fitted into a separate garment, such as a jacket or vest. The personal flotation device may include a wearable inflatable bladder that is selectively adjustable into a retaining configuration that fits t... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7052345 | Animal flotation device An animal flotation device that provides full support under the animal with flotation pods on both sides and an additional detachable flotation pod located under the head of the animal to prevent the head and nose from going under water. The front flotation pod hang... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7028341 | Article of clothing with buoyant material An article of clothing such as a vest incorporating buoyant material is configured to reduce pocket bulging when carried items that are placed in pockets and to allow the wearer to move freely. The article of clothing includes a main clothing unit having one or more... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6923698 | Life preserver assembly A life preserver assembly includes a substantially planar main body portion formed from a buoyant material. A separation means is provided for defining at least one life preserver in the main body portion. The separation means permits the life preserver to be remove... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6910224 | Article of clothing with buoyant material An article of clothing such as a vest incorporating buoyant material is configured to reduce pocket bulging when carried items that are placed in pockets and to allow the wearer to move freely. The article of clothing includes a main clothing unit having one or more... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6905383 | Personal floatation device A personal floatation device 10 includes a buoyant foam member 20 enclosed within inner and outer layers 52, 54 of a garment 50. The foam member 20 can be cut as an initially flat member, which can then be folded to fit around and ... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6837764 | Multi-chambered flotation device A system for maintaining a user afloat in a fluid environment is disclosed. The system includes multiple chambers such that if one chamber fails to operate, redundant chambers will function to maintain the user afloat in a face-up position. In a preferred embodiment... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6773318 | Personal floatation device The present invention provides a personal floatation device comprising a back floatation package extending horizontally, latitudinally (when worn) across an upper back shoulder portion of the vest from an upper right back shoulder portion to an upper left back shoul... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6589088 | Low profile life vest A low-profile life vest particularly suitable for use by pilots having helmets with integrated display and sighting systems. The life vest comprises an inflatable bladder and a generally U-shaped cover that houses the bladder in the deflated condition so ... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6478510 | Dive vest A dive vest that includes a torso-engaging member with a waistband, an air bladder contained throughout the torso-engaging member, beaded weight pads quickly releasable from the waistband, a scuba tank carrier plate attached to the torso-engaging member, ... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6394866 | 1-step safety belt inflatable into a life vest A flotation device of the invention--of cell shape, substantially flat and of little bulk when deflated--is able to be filled with a compressed gas from a cartridge coupled with it so as to unfold and expand outwardly under action of the compressed gas wh... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6089936 | Personal floatation device A personal floatation device comprising an improved float to provide buoyant lift to the body of the wearer of the device when in water and a strap assembly to connect the improved float about the wearer. The improved float includes a front sized to gener... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6004177 | Pocket-sized, emergency flotation device with status indicator The present invention features a pocket-sized, portable, flotation device that folds into a storage or carrying case, which is the size of a cellular phone. It can be carried upon a person in a shirt pocket or clipped to a waistline belt. The flotation de... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5928046 | Flotation aid A flotation or buoyancy aid comprises an elongate substantially straight flexible strip of closed cell foam material (12) bent into a U-configuration so as to define a pair of arm portions (12A, 12B) extending from a bight portion (34). The bight portion ... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5911612 | Foldable, inflatable flotation device with improved retention means A personal flotation device in the form of a vest having two chest portions that are interconnected by a neck portion. The vest fits over a user's head and is secured to the user by way of a belt and a chest strap. The vest is inflatable by the user and i... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5855497 | Life jacket with flexible life line A new life jacket with flexible life line for allowing a user to have a life line conveniently located on their life jacket so that the line can be easily accessed during a rescue. The inventive device includes a life jacket with a top, a bottom, and fron... | 01/05/1999 |
| 5820431 | Deployment mechanism for pocket-sized, emergency flotation device The present invention features a pocket-sized, portable, flotation device that folds into a carrying case, which is the size of a cellular phone or camera. It can be carried upon a person in a shirt pocket or clipped to a waistline belt. The flotation dev... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5738557 | Pocket-sized, emergency flotation device The present invention features a pocket-sized, portable, flotation device that folds into a carrying case, which is the size of a cellular phone or camera. It can be carried upon a person in a shirt pocket or clipped to a waistline belt. The flotation dev... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5692934 | Swimming aid A single inflatable ring-shaped body that can be drawn together and secured at the chest by a closure mechanism so as to form a neck loop and a back loop. The inflatable body can be subdivided into several air compartments, each of which can be inflated u... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5588892 | Combination flotation device and swimming aid A personal flotation device is disclosed that maintains the user's face and head above the water level line, the flotation device having an anterior chest portion and an opposite posterior portion. At the top of the flotation device is a first shoulder po... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5494469 | Inflatable life vest An inflatable life vest comprises two sheets of polymeric material. The es of these sheets are sealed to form an inner cavity with a plurality of discrete, inflatable chambers disposed in a U-shaped pattern to define collar and chest portions of the life... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5393254 | Lifesaving apparatus A lifesaving apparatus for a human in the form of a waist pack adapted to be worn about the waist of a human. The waist pack has an inflatable vest located therein in a non-inflated/collapsed position. The opening into the interior chamber of the waist pa... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5257954 | Rescue buoy package A rescue buoy package for use on a boat for marking the location of a person overboard and for remaining in that location until help can arrive includes an outer cylindrical tube that is mounted within arm's reach of the ship's helm and an inner cylindric... | 11/02/1993 |
| 5249999 | Life jacket A life jacket of the type made from a foam buoyant material includes a transversely disposed yoke member having parallel ends which extend from the upper ends of two symmetrically opposed front panels. A body strap and a unique snap and D-ring assembly ar... | 10/05/1993 |
| 5184968 | Floatation swimwear A one-piece swimsuit having a lower pants portion and a two-ply upper portion is provided with a one-piece floatation member between the two plies of the upper portion of the floatation member. The floatation member may be of floatation foam rubber and ex... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5057046 | Flotation device peripheral system The present invention, in it several embodiments, provides a harness-type structure for securing equipment, pouches, mountings of safety harnesses to, but not limited to, a personal flotation device in a compact, easily accessible system. The invention is... | 10/15/1991 |
| 4960483 | Heat pressing apparatus for making an inflatable life vest and method for use thereof An apparatus is disclosed and method for using same wherein a life vest is formed by a single heat sealing operation which effectively forms a front and rear sealed chamber for flotation and effectively interconnects a neck member therebetween for providi... | 10/02/1990 |
| 4934973 | Life preserver A yoke-type life preserver is provided including a relatively thick buoyant filler assembly loosely received within a flexible outer cover panel assembly for the life preserver and with the buoyant filler assembly being constructed to enable the life pres... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4913589 | Diver's buoyancy compensator and backpack with independent suspension The specification herein sets forth a combination buoyancy compensator, backpack and suspension system for divers. The suspension system incorporates a spider which is made of elastomeric foam and a knitted material that conforms closely to a user's body.... | 04/03/1990 |
