EP1551701A1 - Marking light device for life preservers and survival crafts - Google Patents

Abstract

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. 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.

Description

Marking light device for life preservers and survival crafts

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.

Various other devices have been proposed over the years in order to provide safety and distress lighting for use in the rescue at sea. One example is proposed in US 5565839, which 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. When an emergency arises at sea it often involves people scrambling to put on their life-preservers, where after they in high seas, maybe in foggy conditions and under stress and physical exhaustion will launch and make their way into the life crafts in often stormy weather. Thereafter the people will have to jump into the sea and make their way to the life raft or other kind of life saving device. During this operation, there is a great risk that the emergency light device will be damaged due to contact with the ship, or the battery pack will be pulled off, or the wire between the light emitting device and the energy source will be broken. Furthermore 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 international organisation SOLAS (Safety of life at sea) has set up a number of minimum requirements to equipment, which should be present on merchant ships. These requirements endure a long series of tests, which this equipment has to undergo.

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.

This task is accomplished by 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. 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. 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.

According to the SOLAS requirements 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. For life jackets, however, 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.

Furthermore by casting the diode into the dome shape member the mechanical characteristics of the device are much improved. As 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.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention 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. As mentioned above 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. By providing the lighting device with 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.

In a further advantageous embodiment, 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.

In this manner fewer parts and therefore a cheaper device can be constructed, when the battery constitutes part of the switching means as well. The preference of lithium batteries is 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.

As a further power source or in order to compliment other power sources 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.

This aspect as well as the small size of the light device using other power sources is especially advantageous. For yachting it is often a requirement that a life preserver be worn at all times. By providing a not too costly device, with a long life, which does not impede the comfort for the user, yachtsmen might become more inclined to have the extra safety an emergency light provides.

In a further advantageous embodiment a removable isolating strip/diaphragm/isolating device connected to a pull ring is interposed between the source of energy and the electronic circuit. By providing such a mechanical switch system to be operated by the use of the life saving device it will be possible for the user to activate the light emitting means by pulling in the ring and thereby removing the isolator between the con- ductive members. This is especially important in the case, where the life saving device should fail to inflate. In that situation the pull out ring provides a back-up system, whereby at least the light emitting device will be activated and aid the rescuers in localising the person in/on the sea. Furthermore the isolating member connected to a pull ring can be a backup to the deformable switch means as described above.

In a further advantageous embodiment the electronic circuit comprises programmable means and a pressure-actuated switch.

By providing an electronic circuit, which in addition to being able to control the light emission at the required intensity for the required period of time and also being programmable, a number of advantages are achieved.

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.

Inside 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.

Outside the raft it is desirable to have sufficient light intensity such that vessels con- ducting rescue operations, especially aircrafts, clearly can see the light on the surface of the water. Also during rescue operations the requirements to the emitted light is different, in that white light is very difficult to distinguish during foggy conditions as well as in daylight, whereas orange or red coloured light is easier distinguishable during daylight hours, and foggy conditions. However, during night it is easier for the rescue personal to detect white lights at longer distances. By incorporating programmable means into the light device it is possible with one standard device to address all the situations stated above.

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.

In further developments it can be contemplated that 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.

Furthermore 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. In a further advantageous embodiment 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.

When the frequency of the pulses is at least 40 Hz. it will be perceived to the human eye as substantial constant.

In a further advantageous embodiment the at least one diode is cast into a transparent material having a three-dimensional lens shape. By constructing the entire dome from a transparent material such as for example Plexiglas or Lexam®, it will be possible to disperse and distribute light in a complete 360° circle, and minimum 180° from horizon to horizon. 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.

In a still further advantageous embodiment two diodes are cast into the light device, a first diode emitting white light and the second diode emitting orange or red light.

As explained above 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.

For rescuers to identify life rafts or life preservers in/on the sea at long distances, it can be advantageous that 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.

In a still further advantageous embodiment 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.

According to the requirements set up by SOLAS and other international shipping organisations, there are strict requirements to the endurance of the light devices as well as how these are fitted on to the safety crafts, whether it will be a life preserver or a life raft. As the art already suggests a number of solutions, which are also adaptable for use with the inventive device according to the present invention, the skilled person would recognize the most appropriate way of attaching the emergency/distress light according to the invention on to a life-serving device in order to fulfil the safety re- quirements.

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. The introduction of FOLED into this type of applications encompasses a number of advantages in that FOLED 's are inexpensive to produce and with the latest processes of applying FOLED to different materials it is possible to apply FOLED to the fabric, which is used to make the life preservers or life rafts. Furthermore FOLED are characterized by a very low weight and what is especially important from a safety aspect, their energy consumption is very low. All this factors together significantly reduce the cost of applying FOLED to this sort of applications, but at the same time dramatically increases the safety aspect in that the life rafts can be equipped with a completely luminous surface for example the canopy, which will be very easy to detect from the air, in comparison to one or two diodes. The same aspect is true for life preservers.

Furthermore 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.

In some situations the stressful situation at sea may, for one reason or another, render that the manual operation of these types of devices impossible. This may be due to unconsciousness of the user, a cold chock caused by being placed in the water or a simple stress reaction due to the fact that an emergency situation has arisen. Therefore, in order to make sure that the light devices are activated, 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.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawing, wherein

Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the light device,

Fig. 2 illustrates a life raft, fitted with a light device according to the invention, and

Fig. 3 illustrates a life preserver, fitted with lights according to the invention. Turning to fig. 1 the line 1 is the centre line of the device. In the figure 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.

Inside the device as illustrated on the right hand side of the line 1 , the base member has a cavity 5 for accommodating the power source for example in the shape of one or more batteries 6. In this example the batteries are secured in place by screwing a battery cap 7 into the bottom of the base member 3. In the cavity as well as in the battery cap is provided 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. Due to the diodes 10 being cast into the lens member 4, 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.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 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. As a backup system to the presostat-activating 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.

In fig. 2 is illustrated 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

13 fails to turn the right side up. 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.

In fig. 3 is illustrated a life preserver 14 fitted with OLED in the neck collar part 15. Again in this embodiment the OLED can be arranged around the circumference of the neck part 15 or can cover the entire surface of the neck part 15.

Claims

1. A light device especially a safety or distress lighting device for use in marine environment having a light emitting means, a switch means, a source of energy and means for controlling the emitted light, characterized 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.

2. A light device according to claim 1, characterized in that 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 deformed, it will come into contact with said second conductive member.

3. A light device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second conductive member is the source of energy in the shape of a battery, for example a lithium battery.

4. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a removable isolating strip/diaphragm/isolating device connected to a pull ring is interposed between the source of energy and the electronic circuit.

5. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic circuit comprises programmable means and a pressure actuated switch.

6. A light device according to any of the proceeding claims, characterized in that the electronic circuit is programmed to either pulse the light emitting diode with the frequency of at least 40 Hz. or alternate the pulsing or a sequence of pulses between the two or more diodes such that only one colour of light is admitted at a time.

7. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one diode is cast into a transparent material having a three- dimensional lens shape.

8. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that two diodes are cast into the light device a first diode emitting white light and the second diode emitting orange or red coloured light.

9. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic circuit is programmed to create at least 50 and not more that 70 light pulses per minute or to any desired pulses.

10. A light device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diode is an OLED, preferably a FOLED and that the source of en- ergy is a flexible gel type battery pack.