Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
  • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
  • B63C9/08—Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like
  • B63C9/20—Life-buoys, e.g. rings; Life-belts, jackets, suits, or the like characterised by signalling means, e.g. lights

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a light device especially a safety or distress lighting device for use in marine environments having a light emitting means, a switch means, a source of energy and means for controlling the emitted light.
• Light devices of this type are required equipment on safety equipment for the merchant ships and other transport vessels. Furthermore, it is desirable to fit this type of emergency or distress lights to all safety crafts/rafts including life preservers, which are used at sea.
• US 5565839 discloses a diode lighting device, wherein the diodes are mounted on a base on a holder. A lens covers the diode, whereby the light pulses from the diode will be dis- persed in order to facilitate the location of the distress light into the sea.
• Another type of device presently used in light markings of especially life preservers consists of the light device connected by a wire to a battery. On the battery is provided a switch, which will be activated by the presence of seawater. Hereby is facilitated that once the life preservers enters the sea or water, the light will automatically switch on.
• Both the above-mentioned devices are connected to a source of energy in the shape of a battery by means of a wire.
• a source of energy in the shape of a battery by means of a wire.
• the lighting device itself has probably been stored for an often-long period of time only marginally sealed from the marine environment present at sea. The risk is therefore, that corrosion has occurred due to the ingress of salt, fungus and/or exhaust, has come into contact with the light emitting device and thereby short cir- cuited the electrical circuit, whereby the battery will be flat, and has therefore rendered the device useless.
• the present invention has been developed in order to improve prior art devices such that failure of the device to work in an emergency due to storage or abuse created by the user of the device in putting life preservers on, will be overcome.
• the emitted light has a higher luminosity for a longer period of time and at the same time fulfil all the requirements to this sort of equipment as required by SOLAS.
• a lighting device of the type mentioned above which is special in that the light emitting means comprises at least one light diode cast into a dome shape lens member, and that the diode is connected with an electronic circuit to the switch means and thereby to the source of energy.
• This device not only overcomes the problems with the prior art devices, it also fulfils the requirements as listed by SOLAS.
• SOLAS In order to make the device resistant against physical abuse i.e. banging into the side of the ship or rails, when a person wearing the life-preserver scrambles/climbs over the rail of the ship, the light diode has been cast into a dome shape lens member.
• the dome shaped lens member serves two purposes. Firstly it protects the diodes from direct contact with obstacles it might otherwise come into contact with.
• the dome By making the dome from a suitable material, for example a hard durable Plexiglas material and making it in a shape, where the dome shape wouldn't become stock in the physical surroundings, it is assured that the diode is protected and that the device itself will not become stock and thereby be torn off the life- preserver or life raft.
• the second purpose achieved by casting the diode into a Plexi- glas lens member is to disperse and distribute the emitted light as well as magnify the light emitted.
• the luminary intensity of this sort of equipment is not less than 4.3 cd in all directions, and the device should be able to emit light at this intensity for at least 12 hours.
• the requirement is 0.7 cd in all directions for 8 hours.
• the light emitted shall be sufficient to read survival instructions and equipment instructions for the above-mentioned life saving crafts/vessels for at least 12 hours.
• the mechanical characteristics of the device are much improved.
• the dome shape has advantages in distributing of forces from the point of contact unto the substantially complete dome, the entire device will be stronger and less likely to be damaged during use.
• the switch means comprises, two substantially parallel first and second conductive members arranged with a distance, said first member constituting part of an exterior surface of the light device, and said first member further being deformable, such that when said first member is de- formed, it will come into contact with said second conductive member.
• This embodiment gives the invention a number of advantages.
• the type of equipment provided with lighting devices according to the invention are often used in connection with emergencies, i.e. situations where there is a lot of stress involved.
• a pressure actuated switch means which for example can be activated due to the inflation of a life-preserver or life- saving raft, it is assured that the switch will be activated and the light will be turned on in case of an emergency.
• a further advantage is that the pressured switch, when not in use, will not be corroded as described above. Furthermore during storage the life preserver or life-saving raft will not be inflated, and therefore the circuit will not be activated.
• Other switching means known from the prior art for example switch means being activated by the presence of water can be activated by a mistake if water due to leakage in the storage container enters the mechanism. The water can enter the storage due to excess of rains or sea water washing over the boat or condensation in areas with high humidity. The result will be that the device is turned on, when not needed and therefore the battery becomes depleted. This can be very disastrous in an emergency situation, where it is desirable that the light devices should emit enough light for rescuers to be able to retrieve persons wear- ing the life preservers or persons in a life raft.
• the switch is constructed by making the second conductive member a part of the source of energy in the shape of the battery, for example a lithium battery.
• lithium batteries are based on the fact, that the battery technology especially as represented by lithium, cadmium or nickel based battery technology has improved efficient power life over traditional batteries. This makes it possible to use smaller size batteries with higher and more durable power out put, than the old fashioned dry batteries.
• Recent commercially available gel-batteries would also be suitable for use in the present device. These gel-batteries are often flexible, which is an advantage when packag- ing and storing these types of devices. Furthermore, when the rescue light is arranged on a life preserver, a flexible power source will give added comfort to the life preserver user. Suitable gel-type flexible batteries are available from Danionics, Denmark.
• a solar panel may be provided.
• the solar panel may comprise a charging circuit such that the batteries may be kept in a well-charged condition at all times and/or so that the solar panel may deliver electricity directly to the light devices, for example inside a safety raft when the surrounding light is sufficient.
• a removable isolating strip/diaphragm/isolating device connected to a pull ring is interposed between the source of energy and the electronic circuit.
• the electronic circuit comprises programmable means and a pressure-actuated switch.
• the light requirements are different from inside a life raft and outside the life raft. Furthermore the light requirements on the life preserver are again different.
• the life raft it is desirable to have enough light intensity to be able to read the instructions for the correct operation of devices present in the life raft. Furthermore at night it is desirable to have the light on inside the raft but without loosing night vision. For this purpose the light inside the raft can have a red or blue-greenish colour.
• a light sensor may also be provided such that when there is a certain light intensity, the lights are switched off. With this additional feature it is possible to save energy and thereby prolong the period in which the light may shine and be seen, and thus increase the possibilities of rescuers to reach and locate the raft/craft or life preserver.
• the user whether he is sitting in- side the life raft or is wearing a life preserver with a safety light mounted on, can switch between orange or white light according to the surrounding situations described above.
• the device can furthermore be pre-programmed according to where it is intended to be mounted.
• the programmable electronic circuit also makes it possible to program the light pulsing according to the specific use. For example, inside the life raft, a substantially constant light is desirable, whereas lights mounted on the outside of the life raft as well as on life preservers may pulse at longer intervals, such that it is possible to detect separate pulses. This is due to the fact that it is preferable to have a light that does not flicker, when being for example seated inside the craft, whereas the human eye easier spots a pulsed or flickering light.
• the electronic circuit is programmed to pulse the light emitting diode with a frequency of at least 40 Hz. or alternate the pulsing (both frequency and pulse duration) or a sequence of pulses between two or more diodes, such that only one colour of light is emitted at one time.
• the at least one diode is cast into a transparent material having a three-dimensional lens shape.
• a transparent material such as for example Plexiglas or Lexam®
• the cast material By shaping the cast material as a three dimensional lens shape, the light will be dispersed and magnified in all directions. Furthermore, as there is a clear view of the light-emitting device in that no obstacles are put in the way, it further improves the visibility of the emergency/distress light.
• two diodes are cast into the light device, a first diode emitting white light and the second diode emitting orange or red light.
• the combination of colour provides the lighting device according to the invention with a number of advantages, as well as it makes the use of the device more versatile in that according to the programming of the electronic circuit, the device can be used in a number of situations.
• the light pulses are emitted at a certain interval, as this will trigger the detection by the human eye easier.
• the invention is therefore in a further advantageous embodiment arranged such that the electronic circuit is programmed to create at least 50 and not more than 70 light flashes per minute. This is in strict accordance with the SOLAS requirements, which again are based on experience gathered over many years. This should therefore be the most advantageous flashing sequence in order to achieve the best detection possibilities.
• the device can however be pro- grammed to any desirable number of pulses as well as the pulse length (time of emitting light) can be programmed.
• the light emitting means are arranged in the dome, the electronic circuit and the energy source constitute one integral unit, optionally having means for attachment to an emergency craft, life preserver or vessel.
• the light emitting means has so far been described as a single light diode of the traditional type. It is however possible to utilise the latest OLED (Organic Light Emitting Device) technology within the scope of the present invention. Especially the variant of OLEDS's, namely the FOLED (Flexible Organic Light Emitting Device) is especially suitable for the type of applications mentioned above. By being able to for example make the entire exterior layer of a life raft or life preserver from a FOLED material, the light emitting area is enormously increased in comparison to other devices knowing in the art.
• OLED Organic Light Emitting Device
• FOLED field-emitting diode
• this technology is also applicable to already existing life saving devices in that the FOLED can be applied by conventional printing techniques to the surface. It is therefore possible to spray already existing life-preserving material with a FOLED diode, whereby large light emitting surfaces will be available on the life preservers.
• This combination of large area of flexible light emitting devices in combination with flexible energy sources as the gel power sources mentioned above makes it possible to elevate the rescue light constructions to a new level, where it will be much easier to detect persons wearing life preservers or life rafts on the sea.
• OLED's as well as FOLED's, which fulfils the requirements to this type of applications are available from Universal Display Corporation, USA.
• a hydro-activating switch may be provided such that when this switch is exposed either by a certain water pressure or due to a certain level of humidity for a period of time, the light circuitry will be activated.
• Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the light device
• Fig. 2 illustrates a life raft, fitted with a light device according to the invention
• Fig. 3 illustrates a life preserver, fitted with lights according to the invention.
• the line 1 is the centre line of the device.
• the device on the left side of the line 1 is shown as it will appear from the outside, whereas the right side of the centre line 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a device according to the invention.
• the light device 2 as seen left of the line 1 is made from a device base 3, whereupon is mounted a dome shape lens member 4.
• the dome shape lens member can for example be glued, be cast directly into the body of the device or by other suitable means be fastened to the base member 3.
• the base member can be fastened to the life preserver or life rafts by any means and method. The skilled man will select the most appropriate way of attaching the lighting device to the life preserver or life raft according to circumstances.
• the base member has a cavity 5 for accommodating the power source for example in the shape of one or more batteries 6.
• the batteries are secured in place by screwing a battery cap 7 into the bottom of the base member 3.
• an aperture 8 This aperture serves to detect a change of pressure in the member unto which the light device 2 is mounted. By increasing pressure the switch will be actuated, whereby the light device will begin to emit light pulses according to a predetermined pattern.
• the control of the light emitting sequence or pulsing is stored on an electronic chip member 9.
• the electronic chip member further comprises means for connecting the diode 10 to the power source 6.
• On the right hand side of the centre line 1 is illustrated one diode, but another diode or a number of other diodes can be arranged symmetrical around the centre line 1.
• All light emitting means in the shape of diode(s) 10 are connected to the electronic microchip, which will control the light emissions i.e. both the pulse length and the frequency of any and all diodes.
• the material usually Plexiglas or any other suitable plastic materials, from which the lens is made, will disperse and distribute the light 360° around the horizon and at least 180° from horizon to horizon.
• a presostat is mounted on the electronic chip. This presostat will be activated due to increased pressure in the aperture 8 at the bottom of the light device.
• a pull out ring is arranged in connection with the presostat in order to activate this, whereby it becomes possible to manually turn on the lights.
• a life raft where the light emitting means is in the shape of an OLED/FOLED.
• the FOLED 12 has been applied to the top surface of the canopy covering the life raft 13 and an additional light member has been applied to the bottom surface of the raft member.
• the light member 11 in the bottom of the life raft has been applied in order to improve the chances of detection in the situation, where the life raft
• the light emitting means can by means of the electronic micro chip 9 (fig. 1) be programmed to have any light pattern, light pulse or changes in colour, which might be desirable. In order to increase the visibility the OLED can be programmed to have a circulating light, which will aid the rescuers in localising the upturned raft.
• the OLED can be arranged around the circumference of the neck part 15 or can cover the entire surface of the neck part 15.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 2003
  • 2003-09-30 EP EP03747845A patent/EP1551701A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-09-30 AU AU2003266938A patent/AU2003266938A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-30 WO PCT/DK2003/000643 patent/WO2004028896A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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