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Apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning
EP1950720A2
European Patent Office
- Other languages
German French - Inventor
Chin-Rong Chen - Current Assignee
- KaiNan High School of Commerce and Industry
Worldwide applications
Application EP08100223A events
2008-07-30
2009-02-18
Status
Withdrawn
Description
translated from
-
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning and, more particularly, to an apparatus for floating a drowning swimmer and warning others of the emergency. -
[0002] Wishing to enjoy waterborne activities, a non-swimmer tends to wade in shallow water or uses a life ring or board in deep water. With the life ring or board, the non-swimmer reduces the odds of getting drown and learns to swim faster than without. -
[0003] A swimmer generally enjoys swimming in a swimming pool without any life ring or board. Should compulsion come to the swimmer, he or she might get drown. Lifeguards or people nearby might not be aware of the emergency at all. After knowing the emergency, the lifeguards or people nearby might not save the drowning swimmer in time for not knowing his or her position. -
[0004] The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. -
[0005] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning. -
[0006] To achieve the primary objective of the present invention, the apparatus includes a detecting unit for detecting the drowning of a swimmer, a floating unit for floating the swimmer under the control of the detecting unit, a transmitting unit for transmitting a warning signal under the control of the detecting unit and a receiving unit for receiving the warning signal and locating the swimmer. -
[0007] Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. -
[0008] The present invention will be described via the detailed illustration of three embodiments referring to the drawings. -
[0009] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning according to the first embodiment of the present invention. -
[0010] Fig. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the apparatus shown inFig. 1 . -
[0011] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of goggles used with the apparatus shown inFig. 1 . -
[0012] Fig. 4 is another detailed block of the apparatus shown inFig. 1 . -
[0013] Fig. 5 is top view of a display of the apparatus shown inFig. 1 . -
[0014] Fig. 6 is top view of a display of an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning according to the second embodiment of the present invention. -
[0015] Fig. 7 is top view of a display of an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning according to the third embodiment of the present invention. -
[0016] Referring toFig. 1 , there is shown an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning. The apparatus includes a detectingunit 1, afloating unit 3, a transmittingunit 2 and areceiving unit 4. The apparatus can detect and warn of the drowning of a swimmer and float the swimmer. -
[0017] Referring toFig. 2 , the detectingunit 1 includes adetector 11, atimer 12 connected to thedetector 11, a determiningelement 13 connected to thetimer 12 and asetting element 14 connected to thetimer 12. The detectingunit 1 can measure how long the swimmer puts his or her head in the water and determine if the swimmer is drowning. -
[0018] Thefloating unit 3 includes anactuator 31 connected to the determiningelement 13 and aninflatable element 32 connected to theactuator 31. -
[0019] -
[0020] Thereceiving unit 4 includes fourreceivers 41, a locatingelement 42 connected to thereceivers 41 and adisplay 43 connected to the locatingelement 42. Thereceivers 41 can receive the warning signal from theantenna 21 wirelessly. The locatingelement 42 can locate the swimmer. Thedisplay 43 can show the position of the swimmer. -
[0021] -
[0022] Theinflatable element 32 may be embodied in the form of a lifebelt, a life vest or a pair of arm rings to be worn by the swimmer. The actuatingelement 31 may be connected to the determiningelement 13 via a wire or wirelessly. -
[0023] Referring toFig. 5 , eachreceiver 41 is provided on a related side of a rectangular swimming pool. The locatingelement 42 and thedisplay 43 may be disposed in a control room or mounted on a wall near the swimming pool. The locatingelement 42 and thedisplay 43 may alternatively be provided in a watch-like device to be worn by a lifeguard. The locatingelement 42 may be connected to thereceivers 41 via wires or wirelessly. Similarly, thedisplay 43 may be connected to the locatingelement 42 via a wire or wirelessly. -
[0024] Before entering the water in the swimming pool, a swimmer wears the pair ofgoggles 5 so that the swimmer carries the detectingunit 1 and the transmittingunit 2. By maneuvering thesetting element 14, the swimmer sets a period of time in thetimer 12. The period of time represents how long the swimmer can hold his breath. It is assumed that the swimmer is drowning if staying in the water longer than the period of time. In addition, the swimmer wears thefloating unit 3 made in the form of a lifebelt or life vest or a pair of arm rings. -
[0025] Referring toFig. 4 , thedetector 11 detects if the swimmer is in the water and notifies thetimer 12 of its state. When thedetector 11 is out of the water, thetimer 12 does not keep the time. When thedetector 11 is in the water, thetimer 12 continues to keep the time and measure the period of time. Thetimer 12 notifies the determiningelement 13 of the measured period of time. Whenever thedetector 11 is out of the water again, thetimer 12 stops keeping the time and is reset. -
[0026] The determiningelement 13 compares the measured period of time with the set period of time. If the measured period of time is longer than the set period of time, the determiningelement 13 determines that the swimmer is drowning and instructs the transmittingunit 2 and the floatingunit 3 to operate. -
[0027] Instructed by the determiningelement 13, theactuator 31 actuates theinflatable element 32 to inflate and float the swimmer. Thus, the swimmer can easily be spotted. -
[0028] -
[0029] -
[0030] Referring toFig. 6 , there is shown an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except that the screen of thedisplay 43 is divided into eight areas A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H corresponding to eight areas of a swimming pool. The second embodiment is preferred for a big swimming pool. -
[0031] Referring toFig. 7 , there is shown an apparatus for preventing and warning of drowning according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except including only tworeceivers 41, with one provided on a side of rectangular swimming pool and the other on an adjacent side of the swimming pool. -
[0032] -
[0033] The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
Claims (6)
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Claims (6)
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- An apparatus for preventing and warning of downing comprising:a detecting unit (1) for detecting the drowning of a swimmer;a floating unit (3) for floating the swimmer under the control of the detecting unit;a transmitting unit (2) for transmitting a warning signal under the control of the detecting unit; anda receiving unit (4) for receiving the warning signal and locating the swimmer.
- The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit comprises a detector (11), a timer (12) connected to the detector, a determining element (13) connected to the timer and a setting element (14) connected to the timer.
- The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the floating unit comprises an actuating element (31) and an inflatable element (32) for inflation under the control of the actuating element.
- The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmitting unit comprises an antenna (21) for transmitting the warning signal wirelessly.
- The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiving unit comprises:at least two receivers (41) each for receiving the warning signal and providing a receiver-specific signal;a locating element (42) for receiving the signals from the receivers and locating the swimmer based on the receiver-specific signals; anda display (43) for showing the position of the swimmer under the control of the locating element.
- The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the receiving unit comprises four receivers (41).