Abstract:

In view of frequent occurrence of swimming drowning accidents and the lack of safety protection functions of traditional swimsuits, this research used the swimming pool environment as the test condition to study the self-rescue floating swimsuit that could be inflated in time for sudden drowning. The chemical reaction between baking soda and acetic acid to generate carbon dioxide gas quickly was applied to inflate the swimming suits, and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer material was employed to make the gas storage bag. The inflatable structure of the airbag was fixed with a round hose and a gas valve by the hot melt glue connection to ensure the airbag tightness. The structure, color and fabric of the swimsuit were characterized and analyzed. The results show that the ratio of raw materials is the key to the buoyancy value of the airbag, 67% inflation in the upper airbags and 33% in the lower bags ensure that the head and neck are always exposed above the water. The self-rescue floating swimsuit facilitates the functional design and development of convenient operation, fast-inflating and night-lighting features, demonstrating a prototype swimming suit for reducing drowning accidents, and enabling timely self-rescue and rescue efficiency.

Key words: self-rescue floating swimsuit, inflatable airbag, valve, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, swimsuit structure design