| 摘要 |
A method of and apparatus for floatation is provided in which a compressible and expandable float has a variable volume air chamber enclosed within a tubular main body portion made up of a foldable, cylindrical side wall and opposing end walls. One of the end walls of the floatation apparatus is non-apertured while the other end wall has an aperture therethrough which is openable and closable by means of a cap may be positioned on a spout surrounding the aperture in order to open and close the aperture against movement of air or water in or out of the air chamber. The cap allows for the opening and closing of the aperture in order to expand or compress the tubular body of the floatation apparatus by increasing or decreasing the amount of air in the air chamber. The cylindrical side wall of the floatation apparatus may be either bellows-shaped or formed from plastic sheet material enclosing an inner coiled wire in order to fold and unfold in an accordion-like manner to accommodate the compressing and expanding of the air chamber of the floatation apparatus. The aperture in one of the end walls of the floatation apparatus is capped to maintain the apparatus in an expanded or compressed state, but uncapped when the apparatus is being expanded from its compressed state or compressed from its expanded state. The apparatus also include a backdraft valve adjacent to the aperture inside the air chamber of the floatation apparatus. The backdraft valve allows air to exit the air chamber slowly, yet not affecting the speed of air entering the air chamber so as to be a safety feature to guard against rapid deflation of the floatation apparatus in the event the of an emergency situation when a user might be panicky.
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