Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of buoyancy systems, in particular to those useful for teaching swimming to children.

Prior Art

Several buoyancy systems are on the market to be used for teaching swimming to children.

These systems are specially designed for teaching swimming to young children.

In particular, there are lifebuoys made so that the child can float in the water while maintaining a horizontal position instead of a vertical one, so that it is easier for him to make the basic movements for learning swimming.

These lifebuoys have an opening in their rear part so that the legs can take a horizontal position with respect to the waterline.

In addition, the lifebuoy is provided with a belt to be fastened to the child's waist, so that she becomes fastened to the lifebuoys itself and to the buoyancy system.

Among the lifebuoys of this kind available on the market there are also several with little straps which are made to pass onto the child's shoulder so that his body is made more tightly fastened to the buoyancy system.

The straps and the belt are not a floating device themselves, even though they are made with inflatable plastic material. The only reason why they are made with inflatable plastic is that by inflating and deflating the straps and the belt these guarantee a better wearability and therefore are more useful for children of all ages.

Anyway, the fact that they are made with plastic material is a problem, since plastic is often the cause for bothersome irritations to the delicate skin of children.

Also, the system of straps as it is, is extremely dangerous: in fact, besides being unable to guarantee the safety and stability of the child with respect to the buoyancy system, they even represent for the child a high risk of drowning.

In fact, if the straps are not correctly fastened or if they get loosened by the sliding of the buckle or because of the water, or if they slip from the child's shoulders as a consequence of one of his movements, the lifebuoy turns over with the risk of the child drowning, who cannot emerge because of the pressure applied to his head, remaining with his face in the water.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the buoyancy system according to the invention, comprising a lifebuoy (10), wherein it is evidenced the straps crossing system (11) of the inguinal belt (14) and of belt (12) to be fastened around the child's waist, with the adjustable transversal element (13).

Figure 2 shows the same buoyancy system (10), provided with further adjustable transversal elements (15). Summary of the invention

The present invention is a buoyancy system for teaching swimming, in particular to children, and, at the same time a safety system, since it increases the safety of the buoyancy systems designed for teaching swimming to young children.

In particular, it relates to a fastening system of the lifebuoy (10) that increases the stability of the child's body with respect to the lifebuoy itself, keeping him in the correct position for learning swimming. The lifebuoy (10) is open in its rear part and is preferably made with more than one air chamber.

The present invention relates not only to the material used to make the body harness, but also to the way it is fastened.

The straps (11) and the optional inguinal belt (14), according to the present invention, are made of neoprene or other material having the same features, which are elasticity, cut resistance, abrasion and crush resistance, weathering resistance, thermal resistance, an almost total inertia to chemicals such as oils and solvents. Neoprene is in fact the same material with which diving suits are made, and therefore, once inflated, it guarantees not only a perfect wearability for more than one size, but also a better adhesion to the body of the subject who is using the buoyancy system of the invention, for example a child who will thus be better fastened to the buoyancy system.

The portion of the abdominal belt (12) is also made of the same material, since, as already said above, the fact that the abdominal belt (12) is made of inflatable plastic material, as in some systems on the market, is not functional for the child's buoyancy, being this function carried out by the lifebuoy 10 only.

The features of the material used for either the abdominal belt (12) and the straps (11) and the optional inguinal belt (14), together with the buoyancy system, guarantees at the same time a better wearability of the system with respect to the child's body and a better adhesion of the child's body respect to the buoyancy system, a greater stability of the child body with respect to the system itself and therefore a greater safety.

In addition, according to the invention, the straps (11) that are fastened to the same buckle of the belt (12), in a similar way to the safety systems used in car seats for children, are endowed with a crossing system both frontally and back on the child's shoulders so that the adhesion to the buoyancy system (10) is further enhanced.

The crossing system of the straps (11) and the optional inguinal belt (14) with the adjustable transversal element (13), also made of inflatable neoprene, and in a preferred embodiment joined to further adjustable transversal elements (15) in such a way that they are placed on the front of and behind the body of the subject, allows to obtain a total safety for the subject with respect to the buoyancy system (10), since the subject's body, e.g. a child, is perfectly fastened to the buoyancy system (10), a fact that prevents sudden movements of the child in the water to turn over the lifebuoy (10), with great danger for the child's safety.

In case of the child turning over in the water, the further transversal inflatable neoprene element (15), placed in the rear part of the straps, keeps the child's nape out of the water, preventing him from drawning.

Actually, it has been proved that the known current buoyancy systems, due to stability issues in the child-blocking system with respect to the lifebuoy, are very unstable when the child, by moving in the water simulating the swimming movements, shifts forward the body weight and, very easily is likely to make the lifebuoy turn over. As a matter of fact, the pressure that the lifebuoy exerts onto the child's head in the water, and the fact that the child is fastened to the lifebuoy with his whole body, prevent the child to reach again a correct position with respect to the water, with an evident detriment of his safety.

The buoyancy and safety system for children of the invention does not present with such drawbacks; in particular, the fastening system of the lifebuoy improves the stability of the child's body with respect to the lifebuoy thus increasing his safety.

The invention relates not only to the material used for the body harness, but also to the way it is fastened.

The strap and abdominal belt system with which the subject is fastened, in particular a child, guarantees an effective wearability for different sizes, a higher adhesion to the body which will thus be better fastened to the buoyancy system, even maintaining the position needed for learning swimming.

Also, the crossing system of the straps, with the adjustable transversal elements, together with the material used, allows reaching a total safety for the child with respect to the buoyancy system, since the child's body is perfectly integral with the system itself.

This buoyancy system , therefore, in addition to being a useful system for teaching swimming, also represents an effective safety system.