EP2546138B1 - Diving equipment - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to diving equipment comprising a compressed air source communicating with a respirator and an inflatable vest over which buoyancy can be balanced by allowing the vest to be connected to the compressed air source for inflation or to an outlet for discharging air during normal operation wherein a control device is provided with a time control unit which can be activated by connecting to the compressed air cylinder and has pneumatic delay means, wherein the pneumatic delay means after a defined time and in the absence of a respiratory activity on the respirator in an emergency operation transfer and an emergency valve on a first Move control line in an emergency position, which connects the vest in this position with the compressed air source and thus forces an inflation of the vest.

Modern diving equipment usually includes a buoyancy compensator, also called BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), which usually serves as a support for a compressed air bottle of diving equipment and with the help of which the diver can regulate and balance exactly his buoyancy at any depth by blowing or discharging air.

In general, a plurality of valves are provided in a BCD, which are provided for controlling the blowing or discharging of air into an air bubble of the vest and often also for the initiation of emergency measures. These emergency measures are initiated, for example, in the case of falling below a defined amount of compressed air in the compressed air cylinder or lack of breathing activity of the diver.

From the WO2007 / 058615 A1 emerges a diving equipment, which is composed of a buoyancy compensator and a compressed air source in the form of a compressed air cylinder, and a valve assembly for controlling a compressed air supply from the compressed air cylinder to the buoyancy compensator. The buoyancy compensates buoyancy of a diver by inflating the vest in normal operation, either through the compressed air cylinder or by releasing compressed air from the vest. The valve arrangement in this case comprises a pneumatic control device, by means of which can be transferred from the normal operation in an emergency operation. For this purpose, the pneumatic control device has a control valve which activates the control device as a function of an ambient water pressure. Furthermore, the pneumatic control device has a time control unit, which is composed of a diaphragm valve and delay means. Upon activation of the control device via the control valve, the diaphragm valve is acted upon with compressed air from the compressed air cylinder and forwards the compressed air via a first working line to the delay means. If a breath is now taken by the diver on the breathing apparatus, the compressed air conducted to the diaphragm valve is continued via a second working line to the delay means, wherein the pressure supply via the second working line causes a reset of the delay means. However, if the diver does not take a breath on the breathing apparatus over a period of time defined by the delay means, then the delay means actuates an emergency valve via a control line, which thereby connects the vest to the compressed air cylinder and thus forces it to inflate. As a result, the supposedly non-breathing diver is then transported back to the water surface.

The WO 2008/143581 A1 describes a safety device and a method for scuba diving with a diving equipment according to the preamble of claim 1.

The GB 2 126 534 A shows a pressure equalization control with an underwater replacement device that takes into account the ascent rate of the device. Based on the above-described prior art, it is now the object of the present invention to provide a diving equipment, in which a proper operation of safety-related functions can be determined.

This object is achieved on the basis of the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with its characterizing features. The following dependent claims give advantageous developments of the invention.

According to the invention, diving equipment includes a breathing apparatus, an inflatable vest for balancing buoyancy, in that the vest is normally connectable to a pressurized air source for inflating or to an outlet for discharging air. Furthermore, a control device with a time control unit is provided, which is activated by connection to the compressed air source and has pneumatic delay means. By the pneumatic delay means is transferred after a defined time and in the absence of a respiratory activity on the breathing apparatus in an emergency operation and in this case an emergency valve is moved via a first control line in an emergency position. The emergency valve then connects the vest with the compressed air source and thus forces an inflation of the vest. In the context of the invention, the time control unit is activated by a control valve located in front of it by the control valve setting the surrounding water pressure in relation to a reference pressure, preferably the atmospheric pressure, and the time control unit is connected to the compressed air source when the reference pressure is exceeded.

The invention now includes the technical teaching that the emergency valve has a second control line, which is acted upon by a surrounding water pressure and performs an opposite control to the first control line, wherein the control via the second control line with respect to a control via the first control line is disproportionate. In other words, therefore, a second control line is provided, via which the emergency valve is moved when pressure is applied in the direction of a basic position. In this case, the second control line is acted upon by the surrounding water pressure, so that acts on the part of the second control line, a pressure in the amount of the current surrounding water pressure on a corresponding control side of the emergency valve. In this case, a control via this second control line is disproportionate compared to a control via the first control line, ie at the same prevailing pressure in both control lines would cause a strong control of the emergency valve and this thus actuated in the direction of the basic position via the second control line. Background of this embodiment is that with increasing the depth of immersion, the pressure of the compressed air source increases by the amount of the surrounding rising water pressure. This is done so that the pressure prevailing in the respective lines of the diving equipment pressure is always at a constant Level to keep the surrounding water pressure. By this coupling of the pressure of the compressed air source, however, the time window defined by the time control unit is influenced, so that the time to transfer the control device into the emergency operation and the compulsion of inflation of the vest in case of absence of a respiratory activity is shortened with increasing the depth. This can then occasionally lead to a surprise for the diver, early inflation of the vest takes place.

By means of the embodiment of the invention, the second control line is now subjected to a pressure in the amount of the surrounding water pressure, which eliminates the pressure component in the amount of the surrounding water pressure on the part of the first control line due to the opposite control to the first control line. However, this alone would not effect a time-constant transfer to the emergency operation regardless of the depth, since the compressed air source side coupling with the surrounding water pressure also influences a flow behavior of the compressed air via the pneumatic retarder. Thus, with increasing pressure of the compressed air source filling times of the pneumatic delay means change, which also has an influence on the size of the time window of the time control unit until initiation of the emergency operation. Because in the pneumatic delay means usually the time window is defined by continuously filling a corresponding volume. This filling time is now in physical relation to the pressure source side pressure, as higher flow rates and thus faster filling takes place by a higher pressure. This aspect is now compensated for by the fact that, on the part of the second control line, a disproportionate activation takes place in comparison with an activation via the first control line. As a result of this measure, the filling time shortening of the pneumatic retarding means occurring with increasing depth of immersion and a concomitant reduction in the time window of the time control unit in the area of the emergency valve are compensated for. As a result, a constant time can be achieved until the emergency valve is transferred to the emergency position independently of the surrounding water pressure.

In contrast, at the WO 2007/058615 A1 no such compensation made, so that with increasing depth the defined time window of the time control unit is steadily reduced by the proportional to the surrounding Water pressure increasing pressure of the compressed air source is affected the release time of the retarder. As a result, with increasing depth in the absence of a breathing activity of the emergency operation is always initiated earlier, so that it may come to an unwanted inflation of the vest under certain circumstances.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control lines are in each case associated with a respective associated control surface of the emergency valve, wherein a control surface assigned to the second control line is larger than a control surface of the first control line. By such a design of the associated control surfaces can be represented over the second control line in a reliable manner, the disproportionate control. In this case, the control surfaces are preferably configured in each case by an associated frontal piston surface of a displaceable piston of the emergency valve. Alternatively, however, a definition of the different control surfaces can also be represented by designing corresponding membranes.

In a further development of the invention, a pressure regulator is provided between the compressed air source and the delay means. Such an embodiment has the advantage that an influence on the delay means can be compensated by different pressure on the input side by the pressure regulator. Because even a different filling pressure of the compressed air cylinder of the compressed air source causes different triggering times of the delay means of the time control unit, so that depending on the pressure level, a different early triggering of emergency operation can occur, which is not predictable for the user of the respective diving equipment and thus lead to an unwanted inflation of the vest can. Thus, using a compressed air cylinder with a higher inflation pressure would again reduce the window of time until emergency operation is initiated. By the intermediate pressure regulator, the pressure source side pressure can now be set to a constant pressure level, regardless of the particular compressed air cylinder used, so that the pressure prevailing in the respective compressed air cylinder pressure does not affect the operation of the pneumatic retarder.

According to the invention, the pneumatic retarding means comprise a filling diaphragm, which is placed between the compressed air source and a control volume and from the activation of the pneumatic retarding means a throttled flow from below Allows pressurized fluid in the control volume, wherein the pressure regulator is located immediately in front of the filler panel. By means of such an embodiment of the pneumatic delay means, a time window can be defined in a reliable manner, beyond which, if the respiratory activity is not exceeded, it is transferred into the emergency mode. Because by providing a filler panel, which flows from activation of the control device continuously pressurized fluid in the downstream control volume, the desired time window of the pneumatic retarder can be reliably defined according to the throttling on the filler panel and the size of the control volume.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the two aforementioned embodiments of the pressure regulator is designed as a pressure relief valve. In this case, this pressure limiting valve is placed in such a way that, when a specified pressure is exceeded, compressed air is removed via a bypass lying parallel to the pneumatic retardation means. Advantageously, this can be done in a simple manner, an adjustment of the compressed air source side pressure.

The invention is not limited to the specified combination of the features of the main claim or the dependent claims. It also results in ways to combine individual features, even if they emerge from the claims, the following description of an embodiment or directly from the drawings. The reference of the claims to the drawings by use of reference numerals is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Figur 1

ein Blockschaltbild einer Tauchausrüstung gemäß einer bevorzugten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung; und

Figur 2

eine schematische Darstellung im Bereich eines Notfallventils der Tauchausrüstung gemäß Figur 1.

Further, advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which refers to the figures shown in the drawings. It shows:

FIG. 1

a block diagram of a diving equipment according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2

a schematic representation in the area of an emergency valve according to the diving equipment FIG. 1 ,

Out FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a diving equipment according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this case, this diving equipment comprises a compressed air source 1, which - a compressed air supplied to a - not shown here - breathing apparatus, so that a diver can be supplied with breathing air under water. In this case, this compressed air source 1 is formed by a - also not shown here - compressed air cylinder, wherein a pressure of the compressed air cylinder is increased when using the diving equipment to the surrounding water pressure, so that in lines of the diving equipment always a constant pressure level compared to the surrounding water pressure is present ,

Furthermore, an inflatable vest 2 is provided, which is provided with an air bubble, this air bubble can be inflated either by the compressed air source 1 with compressed air or targeted air can be discharged from this. About this a buoyancy of the diver can be balanced, in which by deliberately supplying a corresponding amount of air an increase and by discharging air, a drop is represented.

In a normal operation, the supply and discharge of air into the vest 2 is controlled by intermediate valves in the form of an inflation valve 3 and a drain valve 4, which can each be actuated via an associated actuator 5 and 6 by the diver. In the present case, these adjusting elements 5 and 6 are each designed as a pushbutton, in the respective actuation of which the inflation valve 3 or the drainage valve 4 can be moved in an actuating position. Both the inflation valve 3 and the drain valve 4 are designed as 2/2-way valves and are biased in each case via an associated spring in a basic position shown here, from which it then moves by actuation of the associated control element 5 and 6 in the operating position can be. In the operating position, the inflation valve 3 then connects the compressed air source 1 with the vest 2, so that the vest 2 is inflated by supplying compressed air. By contrast, upon actuation of the control element 6 and a transfer of the drain valve 4 in the operating position, the vest 2 is connected to a mouthpiece 7, via which compressed air from the vest 2 escape into the environment and thus a discharge of compressed air from the vest 2 can be displayed. In addition, can be made on the mouthpiece 7 but also a manual filling of the vest 2 in an individual case. According to an actuation of the two valves 3 and 4, the Diver so balance his buoyancy according to the filling or emptying of the vest 2.

As further out FIG. 1 it can be seen, the diving equipment according to the invention has a control device 8, which detects a failure of a breathing activity of the diver on the breathing apparatus and in this case deliberately switched to emergency operation and inflation of the vest 2 can be forced, so that the diver as a result of Inflation is transported back to the water surface. For this purpose, the control device 8 has a time control unit 9, via which a time is defined, after the expiry of which the absence of the respiratory activity on the breathing apparatus is converted into said emergency operation. The time control unit 9 in this case has pneumatic delay means, which in the present case are formed by a filler panel 10, a control volume 11 and an emptying valve 12. As soon as the time control unit 9 is activated, the control volume 11 is continuously filled with pressurized air via the filler panel 10, whereby in the case of breathing activity of the diver and a concomitant pressure drop in the conduit system connected to the compressed air source 1 via the emptying valve 12, the control volume 1 is emptied , The drainage valve 12 provided on the outlet side to the control volume 11 is likewise designed as a 2/2-way valve and coupled to the compressed air source 1 in such a way that the diver breathes on the breathing apparatus on a control side of the pressure drop and, as a consequence, the drain valve 12 in which the control volume 11 emptying operating position is moved. The time range until the transfer in the emergency operation is defined by a suitable choice of a volume of the control volume 11 and throttling on the filler panel 10, as these parameters specify in interaction, from when a continuous filling of the control volume 11 via the filler panel 10 a defined pressure in the control volume 11 is reached. The achievement of this defined pressure indicates the time from which is transferred to the emergency operation.

To activate the control device 8, the timing control unit 9 is preceded by a control valve 13, which activates the control device 8 as a function of the currently surrounding water pressure. For this purpose, the control valve 13 is connected on the one hand via a control line 14 to a pressure port 15, via which the control valve 13 is acted upon by the surrounding water pressure. On the other hand, the control valve 13 is still connected via another control line 16 with a reference volume 17, in which a reference pressure prevails, preferably the atmospheric pressure. The present as a 2/2-way valve designed control valve 13 separates the underlying time control unit 9 in the illustrated basic position of the compressed air source 1, wherein the control valve 13 but then transferred to an operating position as soon as the surrounding water pressure, the pressure in the reference volume 17 and a through a spring element of the control valve 13 has exceeded the pressure shown. In this operating position, the time control unit 9 is then connected to the compressed air source 1, so that compressed air can flow to the filler panel 10. Consequently, therefore, the control device 8 is activated by reaching the control of a defined depth of water 13.

For transferring to emergency operation with the consequence of inflation of the vest 2, the control device 8 further comprises an emergency valve 18, which in the present case is also designed as a 2/2-way valve and connects the compressed-air source 1 directly to the vest 2 in an actuated position, so that while inflating the vest 2 is made. To transfer to this operating position, the emergency valve 18 is connected via a first control line 19 to the time control unit 9, said first control line 19 thereby branches off between the control volume 11 and the emptying valve 12. On the opposite side to the first control line 19, however, the emergency valve 18 is still controllable via a second control line 20 and also provided with a spring element, which opposes a transfer of the emergency valve 18 in the operating position corresponding resistance.

In this case, a compensation of the pressure rising on the part of the first control line 19 with increasing immersion depth is achieved via the second control line 20. Because due to the coupling of the pressure represented by the compressed air source 1 with the surrounding water pressure to keep the already mentioned in advance pressure level in lines of diving equipment relative to the surrounding water pressure constant, the predetermined by the time control unit 9 time window is shortened with increasing depth. This is due to the fact that due to the higher pressure of the air flowing into the control volume 11 compressed air earlier the trigger pressure in the control volume 11 is achieved, resulting in a previous transfer of the emergency valve 18 in the operating position would result. The fact that now on a side opposite to the first control line 19 side of the emergency valve 18, the second control line 20 performs a control of the emergency valve 18 with a pressure in the amount of the surrounding water pressure, this pressure component is compensated in the emergency valve 18 via the second control line 20. Overall, so that the emergency valve 18 is moved to the operating position when a control of the emergency valve 18 via the first control line 19 fails greater than a control of the emergency valve 18 via the second control line 20 and also exceeded a caused by the spring element force. If the emergency valve 18 is then moved once into the actuation position, it is held in this position by a further control line 21 due to the then prevailing pressure.

As a special feature, however, a disproportionate control of the emergency valve 18 takes place via the second control line 20 with respect to a control via the first control line 19. For although the pressure component in the amount of the surrounding water pressure is compensated by providing the second control line 20, a flow behavior of the compressed air in the time control unit 9, however, changes due to the increasing pressure with increasing depth of immersion, which additionally leads to a variation of the time defined by the time control unit 9. Namely, with increasing pressure of the compressed air, the flow of compressed air over the filler panel 10 changes by a high flow in the Füllblende 10 and thus a shorter filling time of the control volume 11 is shown at a higher pressure. Thus, by this faster filling of the control volume 11 and the predetermined for the transfer of the emergency valve 18 in the operating position release pressure reached earlier and thus defined with increasing depth shorter tripping times. This circumstance is counteracted now by a control over the second control line 20 disproportionately with respect to a control via the first control line 19, so that the part of the second control line 20 thereby more than just the surrounding water pressure is compensated. This then has the overall consequence that the influence on the triggering of the emergency valve 18 caused by the increasing depth of the air due to the changing flow behavior of the compressed air via the filler panel 10 is also compensated. As a result, the time window defined by the time control unit 9 is thus constant, regardless of the immersion depth. With regard to the concrete representation of the disproportionate control via the second control line 20 is now the other FIG. 2 taken to the rescue. How out FIG. 2 It can be seen, on the part of the second control line 20, a control surface 22 designed larger than a control surface 23 on the part of the first control line 19. For this purpose, an end-side piston surface 24 on the side of the second control line 20 is larger than a front-side control surface 25 side of the first control line 19th ,

As a further feature parallel to the time control unit 9, a bypass 26 is configured, in which a pressure regulator in the form of a pressure relief valve 27 is provided. This bypass 26 branches off between the control valve 13 and the filler panel 10 and leads at opening of the pressure relief valve 27 compressed air directly to the vest 2. By means of the bypass 26 and the pressure relief valve 27 can thus an input-side pressure of the time control unit 9 are limited to a defined level, so that the unwanted influence of different filling pressures of compressed air cylinders can be prevented by the compressed air source 1. Because this ensures that the input side of the time control unit 9, a certain pressure level is not exceeded and thus does not lead to an unwanted shortening of the defined by the time control unit 9 time window.

By means of the inventive design of a diving equipment, it is thus possible to have a transfer to an emergency operation via the control device 8, regardless of the respective diving depth to take place within a constant time window.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Compressed air source

2

vest

3

inflation

4

drain valve

5

actuator

6

actuator

7

mouthpiece

8th

control device

9

Time control unit

10

filler panel

11

control volume

12

drain

13

control valve

14

control line

15

pressure connection

16

control line

17

reference volume

18

emergency valve

19

first control line

20

second control line

21

further control line

22

control surface

23

control surface

24

piston area

25

piston area

26

bypass

27

Pressure relief valve

Claims (6)

1. Diving equipment which includes an inflatable vest (2) for counterbalancing buoyancy, in that the vest (2) during normal operation is connectable to a compressed air source (1) for inflation with air, or to an outlet for discharging air, and
   a control device (8) having a time control unit (9) which is activatable by connection to the compressed air source (1) and which has pneumatic delay means,
   the pneumatic delay means being configured, after a defined time period and in the absence of respiratory activity on a breathing apparatus which is connected to the compressed air source (1), to go into emergency operation and to move an emergency valve (18), via a first control line (19), into an emergency position in which the emergency valve (18) connects the vest (2) to the compressed air source (1) and thus forces inflation of the vest (2),
   characterized in that
   the emergency valve (18) has a second control line (20) which may be acted on by surrounding water pressure and which is configured for carrying out control opposite from the first control line (19), the control via the second control line (20) being disproportionate with respect to control via the first control line (19), and
   the pneumatic delay means include a filling diaphragm (10) which is placed between the compressed air source (1) and a control volume (11), and which, after activation of the pneumatic delay means, allows a throttled flow of pressurized fluid into the control volume (11).
2. Diving equipment according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that the control lines (19, 20) are each connected to an associated control surface (22, 23) of the emergency valve (18), a control surface (22) associated with the second control line (20) being larger than a control surface (23) of the first control line (19).
3. Diving equipment according to Claim 2, characterized in that the control surfaces (22, 23) are each formed by an associated end face-side piston surface (24, 25) of a displaceable piston of the emergency valve (18).
4. Diving equipment according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that a pressure regulator is provided between the compressed air source (1) and the pneumatic delay means.
5. Diving equipment according to Claim 4,
   characterized in that the pressure regulator is situated directly upstream from the filling diaphragm (10).
6. Diving equipment according to Claim 4 or 5,
   characterized in that the pressure regulator is designed as a pressure control valve (27) which is placed in a bypass (26) situated in parallel to the pneumatic delay means.

Images