Patent landscapes › Sports & games
Is a life jacket patented?
Short answer: specific designs of a life jacket have been patented many times, but "a life jacket" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.
What our index shows
- 249 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “life jacketvestpreserver” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
- Among the 145 best keyword matches we examined, 38 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
- Most frequent assignees in those matches: BE AEROSPACE INC (4), RECARO AIRCRAFT SEATING GMBH & CO KG (4), COURTNEY WILLIAM L (3), P & P UTVECKLING AB (3).
- Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): B63C (130), B63B (23), B64D (23), A41D (14).
Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.
14 real patent publications related to a life jacket
- Wetsuit, wetsuit vest, life jacket, rash shirt and wetsuit jacket WO-2026080965-A1 2026 · JPI PTY LTD
A protective garment for water sports is disclosed. The protective garment may comprise a wetsuit, vest, life jacket or rash shirt and comprises a body portion with at least one permanently secured protective element and a zippere…
View on Google Patents - Ventilated life jacket US-10926850-B2 2021 · TOUSSI AFSHIN
A ventilated life jacket is an apparatus that facilitates airflow through the vest. The apparatus includes a vest, a first buoyant foam layer, a second buoyant foam layer, at least one first ventilation track, at least one second …
View on Google Patents - Life jacket with visual awareness safety accessory US-10286987-B2 2019 · ZUP LLC
A Visual Awareness Safety Accessory (VASA) is disclosed for use by a person engaged in watersport/water-based activity. The device may be worn by itself or in combination with a personal flotation device (PFD). The VASA includes a…
View on Google Patents - Life jacket WO-2019203660-A1 2019 · HANSEN HELLY AS
It is described a life jacket comprising a first elongated element (1) of buoyant material designed to cover a first side of a user's abdominal and thorax area up to and including a first side of the user's head, a second …
View on Google Patents - Life jacket having additional lifesaving means and lifesaving means for arrangement in buoyancy aids or life jackets US-9475557-B2 2016 · MAECHLER PHILIP
The invention addresses the basic problem of providing a lifesaving means 1 for a life jacket RW, wherein said life jacket offers a higher degree of buoyancy in an emergency. This is achieved in principle by inserting an additio…
View on Google Patents - Life jacket beacon US-8251763-B1 2012 · ROSITAS ARMANDO
The beacon for increasing the visibility of a person floating in water. The beacon includes a flotation core constructed of a buoyant material, an outer cover and an attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism allows the beacon…
View on Google Patents - Reflective life jacket and associated method US-7530873-B1 2009 · CHANG JOLAN
A reflective life jacket includes a buoyant body suitably sized and shaped for fitting over an upper thoracic cavity of a user. The apparatus further includes a plurality of disposable stacked reflective strips positioned along se…
View on Google Patents - Flotation life vest US-2008090476-A1 2008 · HAMBURG RON WAYNE
The Flotation Life Vest described here is a personal flotation device (PFD) that is defined more as a Type III PFD (used by swimmers and non-swimmers alike), yet can demonstrate flotation or buoyant force high enough to be similia…
View on Google Patents - Life jacket and rescue vest WO-2007147620-A1 2007 · BERNHARDT APPBAU GMBH U CO
The invention relates to a life jacket or rescue vest comprising a U-shaped base body (1) which can put around the neck of a wearer when in use and its two sides (2, 3) lie on the chest of a wearer. The base body (1) is made of tw…
View on Google Patents - Metal air battery and buoyancy module for life vests US-7150667-B1 2006 · US ARMY
An individual flotation device includes a shell that has a cavity for receiving air and a housing that is connected to the shell. The housing has a metal air battery compartment that is dimensioned and configured to receive a meta…
View on Google Patents - Garment integrated multi-chambered personal flotation device or life jacket US-6805519-B1 2004
A multi-chambered torque personal flotation device for corrective turning action of a weighted individual. The multi-chambered device is capable of being adjusted to provide a wide range of buoyancy as might be needed under differ…
View on Google Patents - Life jacket resistant to separation from wearer caused by buoyancy thereof US-2004053548-A1 2004
A life jacket includes a jacket body having a neck and two armholes. At least one fastening strap is mounted to an outside surface of the jacket for tightening the jacket on a wearer. An anti-sliding strip made of a resilient mate…
View on Google Patents - Integrated or attached space occupying cephalic restraint collar for improved life jacket performance US-6776678-B2 2004
An integrated or attached (built in or retrofitted) space occupying (fills space beneath the chin) cephalic restraint collar (holds the head in the axis of rotation) for improved personal flotation device (“PFD”) performance. The …
View on Google Patents - Fabric laminated flotation foam material for manufacturing life jackets and similar articles and articles manufactured using such materials US-6235661-B1 2001 · EXTRASPORT INC
Heat, pressure, and glue are used to form a composite material in which a layer of U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation foam is located between a pair of fabric layers which are glued to the foam layer. The process of bonding the f…
View on Google Patents
What this means for your idea
Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a life jacket been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Sports equipment patents tend to cover the grip, impact absorption, training feedback, and how gear is adjusted.
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Guides that help with this
First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.