Life jacket case and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124278-B2
Application number	US-201414446953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

The present invention provides a life jacket case which can achieve weight reduction as well as seal the inside. Provided is a life jacket case for housing a life jacket, wherein a cover of an opening, through which the life jacket is taken in and out, is made of a first material which is hard enough to keep the shape of the cover, and a region other than or larger than the region made of the first material is made of a second material which is more lightweight than the first material. It is preferable that the life jacket case is fitted with a security tag which indicates whether or not the cover has been opened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A life jacket case for housing a life jacket, the life jacket case including:
a main body defining an opening through which the life jacket is taken in and out;
a cover for opening and closing the opening, the cover comprising two or more folding pieces that extend from the main body and are folded inward relative to the main body to close the opening, each folding piece being folded inward at a joint of the main body and the folding piece, and
a tag fitting part on which a security tag is fitted, the security tag indicating whether or not the cover has been opened,
wherein the cover is made of a first material and a region of the life jacket case other than or larger than the cover is made of a second material,
wherein the second material is more lightweight than the first material and the first material is stiffer than the second material,
wherein the opening is closed by the two or more folding pieces being overlapped such that the cover blocks the entire opening,
wherein the tag fitting part is fixed on one of the folding pieces such that the tag fitting part extends from a surface of the one of the folding pieces and passes through the another one of the folding pieces, and
wherein the security tag is fitted on a portion of the tag fitting part that protrudes from the other of the folding pieces.

2. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises four folding pieces, which are folded from four sides, into a rectangular shape.

3. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein expanding the folding pieces allows the life jacket case to be folded up flat.

4. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein a plate material marked with creases for the folding pieces is used as the first material.

5. The life jacket case according to claim 4 , wherein
the second material is used for a region including the cover, and
the first material is integrated with the second material.

6. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein
the life jacket case further comprises a pull-out string for pulling the life jacket out of the life jacket case, and
the pull-out string comprises:
a fixed part which is fixed on the life jacket case;
a turn-around part which continues to the fixed part and at which the extension direction of the pull-out string is changed inside the life jacket case to a pull-out direction in which the pull-out string is pulled out; and
a grip part extending to the outside of the life jacket case.

7. The life jacket case according to claim 6 , wherein the life jacket case further comprises a guide part which guides the pull-out string along the pull-out direction between the turn-around part and the grip part.

8. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein
a memeber molded from a resin is used as the first material, and
the first material is also used for the peripheral edge of the opening.

9. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein the life jacket case is installed in an aircraft seat or near the aircraft seat.

10. An aircraft comprising the life jacket case according to claim 1 .

11. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , the life jacket case further comprising: a string for pulling the life jacket out of the life jacket case, wherein the security tag is detached from the life jacket case as the security tag is pulled.

12. The life jacket case according to claim 11 , wherein it is determined that the cover has been opened when the security tag is detached from the life jacket case.

13. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein: the life jacket case further comprises a pull-out string for pulling the life jacket out of the life jacket case, and
when the pull-out string is pulled, the cover is pushed open from the inside of the life jacket case by the life jacket following the pull-out string.

14. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein the life jacket case further comprises a pull-out string for pulling the life jacket out of the life jacket case, and
the pull-out string is set between an outer periphery of the life jacket and an inner surface of the life jacket case.

15. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein the life jacket case further comprises a pull-out string for pulling the life jacket out of the life jacket case, said pull-out string comprising a through-hole, and
wherein the tag-fitting part of the life jacket case is adapted to interlock with the through-hole of the pull-out string when the opening of the life jacket case is closed.

16. The life jacket case according to claim 1 , wherein the main body includes:
a first side part,
a second side part,
a third side part connecting one end of the first side part and one end of the second side part, and
a fourth side part connecting another end of the first side part and another end of the second side part,
wherein the first side part, second side part, third side part, and fourth side part collectively define the opening of the main body.

17. The life jacket case according to claim 16 , wherein the two or more folding pieces of the cover comprises:
a first folding piece that is folded inward from the first side part of the main body toward the second side part of the main body, and
a second folding piece that is folded inward from the second side part of the main body toward the first side part of the main body,
wherein the tag fitting part is fixed on the first folding piece such that the tag fitting part extends from the first folding piece and passes through the second folding piece.

18. The life jacket case according to claim 17 , wherein the tag fitting part is fixed on the first folding piece such that the tag fitting part extends from an outer surface of the first folding piece, the outer surface facing away from the opening.

19. A life jacket case for housing a life jacket, the life jacket case including:
a main body defining an opening through which the life jacket is taken in and out;
a cover for opening and closing the opening, the cover comprising two or more folding pieces that extend from the main body and are folded inward relative to the main body to close the opening, each folding piece being folded inward at a joint of the main body and the folding piece, and
a tag fitting part on which a security tag is fitted, the security tag indicating whether or not the cover has been opened,
wherein the opening is closed by the two or more folding pieces being overlapped such that the cover blocks the entire opening,
wherein the tag fitting part is fixed on one of the folding pieces such that the tag fitting part extends from a surface of the one of the folding pieces and passes through the another one of the folding pieces, and
wherein the security tag is fitted on a portion of the tag fitting part that protrudes from the other of the folding pieces.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Aruga Hiroyasu

Classifications

• B64D11/0631 Primary

  for life vests · CPC title

• B65D25/38

  Devices for discharging contents ({containers formed by folding or erecting paper blanks B65D5/72} ; incorporated in removable or non-permanently secured closure members B65D47/00; for discharging thin flat articles B65D83/08) · CPC title

• B63C9/22 Primary

  Devices for holding or launching life-buoys, inflatable life-rafts, or other floatable life-saving equipment (equipment for handling life-boats or the like B63B23/00) · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title