User wearable inflatable garment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now specifically to FIGS.
1 through 3 which depict preferred examples of the type of garments employed to practice the invention.
FIGS.
1 and 2 depict showings of a garment 10 of the vest type not unlike those worn by boaters for buoyancy when the wearer is in water or the like.
The garment 10 includes a plurality of individual inflatable bags 12 positioned in locations which encompass the wearer when inflated as shown in FIG.
3.
The inflation can be accomplished by self contained pressurized air or gas cylinders 14 the air or gas from which is released by the action of signals from a combination of crash sensors 16 and 18 herein after described.
When the gas is caused to be released from cylinders 14 the air bag or bags are inflated as shown in the jump suit garment of FIG.
3 and surround and substantially protect the wearer from impact injury.
It should be understood that the air bags may have interconnecting air or gas passageways 21 wherein the plurality of air bags are effectively only a single air bag surrounding the wearer.
Referring now to FIG.
4 which is a block showing of the air bag or bags deploying mechanism 24.
A plurality of accelerometer crash or deceleration sensors 16 are located remote from the garment 10 and the wearer.
A plurality of sensors 18 of the same type as 16', as shown in FIG.
2, are positioned in the garment or attached to the wearer of the garment.
The crash sensors 16 and 18 comprise a strain gage accelerometer 26 and an associated voltage generating sensor 28.
The voltage generating sensor may be fabricated from a piezoelectric polymer material capable of producing electrical energy in response to changes in mechanical forces.
One example of this type material is Polyvinylidene (PVF-2) which when fabricated as a membrane and given a coating of Barium Titinate will produce electrical energy under conditions of acceleration.
In general there is an entire class of materials referred to as Ferroelectric materials which are capable of generating a voltage (piezoelectric) when a mechanical force (acceleration) is imposed upon them