Buoyancy compensator belt

Abstract

A buoyancy compensator belt comprising a belt to which is mounted a tubular inflatable bladder positioned within a flexible housing and a small gas cylinder. In one embodiment, one or more weights are mounted onto the belt. A combination power inflation/bleed valve is operatively connected to the inflatable bladder and is fluidly connected to a first stage regulator of the gas cylinder by a hose. A dump valve is operatively connected to the bladder to prevent over-inflation and allow dumping of the air from the bladder. The buoyancy compensator belt is particularly suitable for use by free divers to allow the diver to rapidly descend to the desired depth due to the negative buoyancy produced by the weight of the belt, to allow the diver to partially inflate the inflator bladder to achieve neutral buoyancy at the desired depth, and then, when the diver wishes to ascend, to more fully inflate the inflator bladder to achieve positive buoyancy and rapidly ascend to the surface.

1 . A buoyancy compensator belt, comprising in combination:
 a belt configured to be worn around a person's waist;   a generally tubular inflation bladder mounted relative to said belt to be bent around the person's waist along with said belt;   a gas cylinder mounted relative to said belt;   a power inflator sealingly connected to said inflation bladder and operatively connected to said gas cylinder to selectively allow gas from said gas cylinder to inflate said inflation bladder; and   a dump valve for exhausting said gas from said inflation bladder when the pressure in said inflation bladder reaches a predetermined amount.   
   
   
       2 . The buoyancy compensator belt of the invention, further comprising at least one weight mounted relative to said belt. 
   
   
       3 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , further including a bladder housing in which said inflation bladder is positioned, said bladder housing including at least one belt loop through which said belt is threaded to mount said inflation bladder relative to said belt. 
   
   
       4 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 2 , wherein said weight comprises a belt slot through which said belt is threaded to mount said weight to said belt. 
   
   
       5 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , further including a first stage regulator operatively connected to said gas cylinder to which said power inflator is operatively connected to selectively allow gas from said gas cylinder to inflate said inflation bladder. 
   
   
       6 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 5 , wherein said first stage regulator allows refilling of said gas cylinder. 
   
   
       7 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 6 , wherein said gas cylinder to mounted midway on said belt to be positioned at the small of the diver's back, wherein said inflation valve is mounted relative to one end of said inflation bladder, and wherein said inflation valve is operatively connected to said gas cylinder by a hose that extends around the side of the waist of the diver to the inflation valve. 
   
   
       8 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 7 , wherein said dump valve is mounted relative to another end of said inflation bladder. 
   
   
       9 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , wherein said inflation valve includes a bleed valve. 
   
   
       10 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , wherein said dump valve includes a manual dump valve operable upon pulling on a pull handle. 
   
   
       11 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , wherein said gas cylinder is mounted relative to said belt by a mounting plate to which said gas cylinder is removably mounted by a tank strap and buckle. 
   
   
       12 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting plate comprises at least one slot through which said belt is threaded. 
   
   
       13 . The buoyancy compensator belt of  claim 2 , wherein said weight is mounted relative to said belt by at least one slot through which said belt is threaded. 
   
   
       14 . A method for free diving using a weighted buoyancy compensator belt, comprising the steps of:
 positioning a weighted buoyancy compensator belt around the waist of a diver, the weighted buoyancy compensator belt comprising a belt, a generally tubular inflation bladder mounted relative to the belt and bent around the diver's waist along with the belt, at least one weight mounted relative to the belt, a gas cylinder mounted relative to the belt, a power inflator sealingly connected to the inflation bladder and operatively connected to the gas cylinder to selectively allow the diver to inflate the inflation bladder from the gas cylinder into the inflation bladder to inflate said inflation bladder and create positive buoyancy, and an exhaust valve sealingly connected to the inflation bladder for exhausting said gas from said inflation bladder to decrease buoyancy;   operating the exhaust valve to exhaust gas from the inflation bladder to decrease buoyancy thereby causing the diver to descent; and   operating the inflation valve to flow gas into the inflation bladder to increase buoyancy thereby causing the diver to ascend.   
   
   
       15 . The method as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the exhaust valve comprises a dump valve to dump gas from the inflation bladder when the gas pressure in the inflation bladder reaches a predetermined amount such that upon ascent, the increasing volume of gas inside the inflation bladder is exhausted and does not burst the inflation bladder. 
   
   
       16 . The method as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the exhaust valve comprises a bleed valve allowing the diver to exhaust gas from the inflation bladder to decrease positive buoyancy thereby allowing the diver to achieve a neutral buoyancy by bleeding gas from the inflation bladder. 
   
   
       17 . The method as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the gas cylinder is mounted midway on said belt to be positioned at the small of the diver's back, wherein the dump valve comprises a manual dump valve having a pull handle to allow manual exhaustion of gas from the inflation bladder. 
   
   
       18 . The method as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the inflation valve is mounted relative to one end of the inflation bladder, wherein the dump valve is mounted relative to the other end of the inflation bladder, and wherein the inflation valve is operatively connected to the gas cylinder by a hose that extends around the side of the waist of the diver to the inflation valve, whereby the gas cylinder is mounted away from the diver's hands, and whereby the inflation valve and the dump valve may each be easily operated by one of the diver's hands, respectively. 
   
   
       19 . A method for free diving using a buoyancy compensator belt, comprising the steps of:
 positioning a buoyancy compensator belt around the waist of a diver, the weighted buoyancy compensator belt comprising a belt, a generally tubular inflation bladder mounted relative to the belt and bent around the diver's waist along with the belt, a gas cylinder mounted relative to the belt, a power inflator sealingly connected to the inflation bladder and operatively connected to the gas cylinder to selectively allow the diver to inflate the inflation bladder from the gas cylinder into the inflation bladder to inflate said inflation bladder and create positive buoyancy, and an exhaust valve sealingly connected to the inflation bladder for exhausting said gas from said inflation bladder to decrease buoyancy;   mounting at least one weight on the diver;   operating the exhaust valve to exhaust gas from the inflation bladder to decrease buoyancy thereby causing the diver to descent; and   operating the inflation valve to flow gas into the inflation bladder to increase buoyancy thereby causing the diver to ascend.