EP3544889B1 - Flat inflation device - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of the prevention and reduction of injuries related to a fall in general, in particular to the practice of motorcycling, skiing or horse riding, and more particularly an inflation device for an inflatable vest. security.

Prior art

With the democratization of the practice of horse riding and skiing and in particular of so-called "extreme" skiing such as off-piste skiing, attempts have been made to develop systems intended to protect bikers and riders during falls. or skiers, and more specifically the most exposed parts of their body such as, for example, the neck, thorax, spine, abdomen and hips.

Thus, so-called "intelligent" protections have been developed. This type of protection conventionally consists of an inflatable safety vest of very small dimensions and capable of being inflated very quickly by a gas, when the wearer falls, to prevent the latter from striking the ground violently. The operation of this vest is analogous to the operation of "airbags" installed in vehicles.

Thus, the inflatable vest comprises a waterproof "airbag" pocket capable of being inflated and being integrated in a textile and distributed around the body of the user so as to protect certain areas of the body previously identified, said pocket itself being able to be integrated. in the form of a jacket lining. Said inflatable vest also comprises an inflation device connected to the two wheels or horse by a strap and capable of allowing the release of a gas, conventionally carbon dioxide CO2, contained in a liquefied gas cartridge.

One of the main problems encountered during the development of these active protections is to allow the rapid and complete deployment of the inflatable safety vest, said active protections also not having to cause additional injuries to the users.

• longueur = 210 à 230 millimètres,
• Largeur = 40 à 45 millimètres,
• Epaisseur = 35 à 40 millimètres.

However, currently, depending on the size of the inflatable vest, the gas cartridge can be of large dimensions. In fact, current inflation devices are composed of a cylindrical CO2 cartridge with a diameter of 30 millimeters and 140 millimeters in length. The inflation device also comprises a percussion device for puncturing said cartridge and releasing the gas it contains, the assembly thus obtained then generally having the following dimensions:

• length = 210 to 230 millimeters,
• Width = 40 to 45 millimeters,
• Thickness = 35 to 40 millimeters.

Furthermore, this type of inflation device is conventionally placed at the front of the inflatable vest, just under the chest, and can cause discomfort, especially for people of average height (less than 1.70 meters) when practicing. motorcycling or horseback riding. Indeed, the inflation device can create compression points at the level of the groin and under the chest of the rider or rider because the latter is very often in a position slightly bent forward.

In addition, in terms of aesthetics, the height and thickness of this type of inflation device makes the clothes asymmetrical and therefore unsightly.

For these two reasons in particular, this type of inflation device is not well suited to the practice of motorcycles or horseback riding.

Moreover, during a fall from the front of the wearer of the vest, the inflation device is found "compressed". between the ground and the wearer and may, given the dimensions of the cartridge, create a localized punching force in the thorax and / or abdomen and cause lesions.

Finally, when the gas (CO2) is released which is stored in the liquid state in the pressurized cartridge, the vacuum causes the CO2 to vaporize. However, the vaporization phenomenon requires a supply of a quantity of heat with the exterior of the cartridge. In the absence of this heat input, vaporization is slowed down or even incomplete, which results in slower or even partial inflation of the vest and therefore an increased risk of injury for the wearer during a fall.

Inflation devices such as those described in particular in patent applications are also known. BE 337 871 , GB 1 122 864 or US 6,561,863 , but the latter are complex to implement and lack reliability.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to present an alternative to the inflation devices for known inflatable safety jackets by proposing an inflation device that is reliable, resistant, easy to produce and to use.

• un tube à l'intérieur duquel coulisse un piston muni d'une extrémité perforante disposée du côté de la cartouche associée,
• un organe de poussée apte à mettre en mouvement ledit piston entre une position "normale" dans laquelle l'extrémité perforante du piston n'est pas en contact avec la cartouche associée et une position "activation" dans laquelle l'extrémité perforante du piston a perforé la cartouche associée, et
• un organe de retenue permettant de maintenir ledit piston dans sa position "normale" et étant mobile, en cas d'activation, de sorte à libérer le piston pour qu'il se déplace jusqu'à sa position "activation" sous l'action de l'organe de poussée,

ledit dispositif de gonflage étant remarquable en ce que l'organe de retenue de chaque deuxième dispositif de percussion est de préférence un loquet mobile entre une position "blocage" ou il prend appui sur le piston précédent, alors en position "normale", de sorte à maintenir le piston suivant dans sa position "normale" et une position "libération" dans laquelle il n'est plus en appui sur le piston précédent, alors en position "activation" ou à proximité immédiate de cette position, de sorte à libérer le piston suivant dans sa position "normale" et lui permettre de rejoindre sa position "activation" sous l'action de l'organe de poussée associé.In accordance with the first object of the invention, there is therefore proposed an inflation device for an inflatable safety vest, comprising a storage casing containing at least two pressurized gas cartridges arranged contiguous to one another so as to form a row and a release casing comprising at least one percussion device making it possible, in the event of activation, to simultaneously or successively perforate each of said cartridges so as to release the gas which they contain in the form of gas outside the inflation device through at least one orifice made on the release casing, said storage and release casings being in the general shape of a hollow flattened parallelepiped and fixed between them in a removable and gas-tight manner contained in said cartridges, said release housing allowing successive perforation of each of said cartridges and contains a first percussion device associated with the cartridge located at one end of the row of cartridges contained in the storage housing and at least one second percussion device associated with the other cartridges, said first and second percussion devices comprising:

• a tube inside which slides a piston fitted with a perforating end placed on the side of the associated cartridge,
• a thrust member adapted to set said piston in motion between a "normal" position in which the perforating end of the piston is not in contact with the associated cartridge and an "activation" position in which the perforating end of the piston has perforated the associated cartridge, and
• a retaining member making it possible to maintain said piston in its "normal" position and being movable, in the event of activation, so as to release the piston so that it moves to its "activation" position under the action of the thrust member,

said inflation device being remarkable in that the retaining member of each second percussion device is preferably a latch movable between a "blocking" position or it bears on the preceding piston, then in "normal" position, so to maintain the next piston in its "normal" position and a "release" position in which it is no longer resting on the previous piston, then in the "activation" position or in the immediate vicinity of this position, so as to release the next piston in its "normal" position and allow it to return to its "activation" position under the action of the thrust member associate.

The retaining member of the first percussion device is advantageously a pin capable of being engaged simultaneously in a retaining orifice of the release casing and in a cavity made in the piston to keep it in the "normal" position, and disengaged to release said piston.

Advantageously, each thrust member is a helical spring arranged between the piston and the end of the tube located opposite the storage casing.

According to an alternative embodiment, the thrust member of each second percussion device is formed by part of the gas contained in the preceding cartridge and injected between the piston and the end of the tube located opposite the storage casing.

Brief description of the figures

• la figure 1 est une vue de face extérieure d'un dispositif de gonflage selon l'invention ;
• les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues de coupe transversales du dispositif de la figure 1 selon l'axe II-II' avant et après activation ;
• les figures 4 à 6 sont des vues de coupe frontales partielles d'une variante de réalisation du dispositif de la figure 1 à différentes étapes de l'activation.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge better from the description which follows, of a particular embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, of an inflation device for an inflatable safety vest according to the invention, in reference to the appended figures in which:

• the figure 1 is an exterior front view of an inflation device according to the invention;
• the figures 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the device of the figure 1 along axis II-II 'before and after activation;
• the figures 4 to 6 are partial front sectional views of an alternative embodiment of the device of the figure 1 at different stages of activation.

Best way to carry out the technical invention

With reference to figures 1 to 6 , there is shown the inflation device 1 for an inflatable safety vest, not shown in the figures. Said inflation device 1 comprises a storage casing 2 containing at least two, preferably four, cartridges 3 of pressurized gas, conventionally carbon dioxide, placed side by side so as to form a row and a casing of release 4 allowing, in the event of activation, that is to say in the example described in the event of a fall of the wearer of the inflatable safety vest, to simultaneously or successively perforate each of said cartridges 3 so as to release the gas which 'they contain in gaseous form inside the inflatable safety vest in order to ensure its deployment.

The storage casing 2 is in the general shape of a hollow flattened parallelepiped comprising, advantageously on its underside, fixing means 5 and is able to fully contain the gas cartridges 3 oriented so that their perforable end 31 is positioned on the bottom. side of said fixing means 5.

The release casing 4 is in the general shape of a hollow flattened parallelepiped comprising, advantageously on its upper face, complementary fixing means 6 able to cooperate with the fixing means 5 of the storage casing 2 to guarantee a removable and gas-tight fixing. contained in said cartridges 3, storage 2 and 4 release casings between them.

However, the storage 2 and release 4 casings may be slightly curved to adapt to the morphology of the human body, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Below or above is meant here by lower or upper elements or parts of elements located below or above when the inflation device 1 according to the invention is used under normal conditions, namely attached to a vest worn by a standing individual, the storage casing 2 being placed above the release casing 4. These lower and upper terms will have to be adapted if the inflator 1 is fixed differently under normal conditions.

Furthermore, the term “gas-tight fastening contained in said cartridges 3” denotes a fastening which does not necessarily make it possible to obtain absolute tightness which is difficult to achieve, but sufficient tightness to ensure that the gas released from the cartridges 3 will spread into the vest. associated safety in sufficient quantity to ensure its complete inflation and not outside the inflation device 1 according to the invention.

A detailed example of the embodiment of said fixing means 5 of the storage casing 2 and of the complementary fixing means 6 of the release casing 4 is described in another patent application filed concomitantly in the name of the applicant and which specifically relates to this aspect.

With reference to figures 2 and 3 , the release casing 4 comprises a percussion device 7 associated with each of the cartridges 3 and capable of perforating the associated cartridge 3, in the event of the wearer of the inflatable safety vest falling, so as to release the gas it contains under gaseous form inside said inflatable safety vest in order to ensure its deployment. The release housing 4 further comprises an orifice 8 to the right of each percussion device 7 connecting the interior of said release housing 4 and the exterior of the inflator 1 in order to allow the passage of gas inside. of said inflatable safety vest.

• un tube 71 à l'intérieur duquel coulisse un piston 72 muni d'une extrémité perforante 73, par exemple du type lame ou aiguille, disposée du côté de l'extrémité perforable 31 de la cartouche 3 associée,
• un organe de poussée 74 apte à mettre en mouvement ledit piston 72 entre une position "normale" dans laquelle l'extrémité perforante 73 du piston 72 n'est pas en contact avec la cartouche 3 associée et une position "activation" dans laquelle l'extrémité perforante 73 du piston 72 a perforé l'extrémité perforable 31 de la cartouche 3 associée, et
• un organe de retenue permettant de maintenir ledit piston 72 dans sa position "normale".

Each percussion device 7 then comprises:

• a tube 71 inside which slides a piston 72 provided with a perforating end 73, for example of the blade or needle type, disposed on the side of the perforable end 31 of the associated cartridge 3,
• a thrust member 74 able to set said piston 72 in motion between a "normal" position in which the perforating end 73 of the piston 72 is not in contact with the associated cartridge 3 and an "activation" position in which the perforating end 73 of the piston 72 has perforated the perforable end 31 of the associated cartridge 3, and
• a retaining member making it possible to maintain said piston 72 in its "normal" position.

Said thrust member 74 is preferably a helical spring arranged between the piston 72 and the end of the tube 71 located opposite the complementary fasteners 6 of the release housing 4, that is to say at the end of the tube 71. opposite of the storage case 2.

The retaining member is advantageously a pin 75 capable of being engaged simultaneously in a retaining orifice 9 of the release casing 4 and in a cavity 76 formed in the piston 72 to keep it in the "normal" position, and integral with a strap 10 mechanically connecting said pin 75 to a fixed point of the motorcycle or the saddle of the horse. Thus, in the event of activation, that is to say in the event of separation of the rider from his motorcycle or of the rider from the horse, the tensile force exerted by the strap 10 will disengage the pin 75 and release the piston 72, which under the effect of the thrust exerted by the thrust member 74 will come to the "activation" position and pierce the associated cartridge 3 so as to release the gas inside said inflatable safety vest in order to '' ensure its deployment.

This configuration is certainly effective but has the drawback of needing as many straps 10 as there are cartridges 3, which can be particularly bulky and difficult to implement.

With reference to figures 4 to 6 , according to a particularly advantageous variant embodiment, the release casing 4 of the inflation device 1 only comprises a percussion device 7, then called the first percussion device 7, provided with a retaining member of the pin type 75 capable of 'be secured to a single strap 10, said first percussion device 7 being associated with the cartridge 3 located at one end of the row of cartridges 3 contained in the storage casing 2. The release casing 4 of the release device inflation 1 comprises at least one other percussion device 11,12,13, then called second percussion device 11,12,13, provided with a retaining member of the latch type 77,78,79 disposed between two first and / or second (s) adjacent percussion devices 7,11,12,13 and pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing the longitudinal axes of the percussion devices 7,11,12,13.

In the example shown, the release casing 4 of the inflation device 1 comprises three second percussion devices 11,12,13.

The latch 77,78,79 of each second percussion device 11,12,13 pivots between a "locking" position or it bears on the previous piston 72, then in the "normal" position, so as to maintain the following piston 72 in its "normal" position and a "release" position in which said latch 77 is no longer resting on the previous piston 72, then in the "activation" position or in the immediate vicinity of this position, so as to release the piston 72 next in its "normal" position and allow it to return to its "activation" position under the action of the organ push 74 associated.

The latch 77,78,79 of each second percussion device 11,12,13 is preferably movable by pivoting, but may also be movable in translation without departing from the scope of the present invention. The latch 77,78,79 of each second percussion device 11,12,13 is preferably associated with return means tending to return it to its "activation" position.

The term preceding or following here denotes elements or parts of elements situated before or after in the order ranging from the first percussion device 7 to the last of the second percussion devices 13 in the row.

Thus, with this configuration, as soon as the piston 72 of the first percussion device 7 is released by the disengagement of the pin 75 under the action of the strap 10, said piston 72 will move to its "activation" position, then the latch 77 located between the first percussion device 7 and the next second percussion device 11 will pivot so as to release the piston 72 from the second percussion device 11 so that it moves to its "activation" position. At this point, the latch 78 located between the second percussion device 11 and the next second percussion device 12 will in turn pivot so as to release the piston 72 from the second percussion device 12 so that it moves to its "activation" position. At this point, the latch 79 located between the second percussion device 12 and the next second percussion device 13 will in turn pivot so as to release the piston 72 from the second percussion device 13 so that it moves to its "activation" position.

It will be understood that this configuration makes it possible to successively perforate the cartridges 3, arranged adjacent to one another so as to form a row, from that which is associated with the first percussion device 7 to the last 13 of the second percussion devices of the row, because the retaining member 77 or 78 or 79, of the latch type, makes it possible to release the next associated piston 72 so that it returns to its "activation" position, as soon as the preceding piston 72 is in the "activation" position or in the immediate vicinity of this position.

Furthermore, it will be understood that the person skilled in the art will have no difficulty in modifying the shapes of the pistons 72 of the first and second percussion devices 7,11,12,13 and of the latches 77,78,79 to adapt if necessary. the time difference between the successive release of the pistons 72. It is thus possible to arrange a recess in the pistons 72 to allow faster pivoting of the latches 77,78,79 and therefore faster release of the pistons 72.

Furthermore, it is also understood that with this configuration, the thrust member 74 of the second percussion devices 11, 12, 13 may be formed by part of the gas contained in the previous cartridge and injected between the piston 72 and the end of the tube 71 located opposite the storage casing 2.

• longueur = 160 millimètres,
• largeur = 85 millimètres,
• épaisseur = 24 millimètres.

It will be understood that the inflation device 1 according to the invention is in the general shape of a flattened parallelepiped don the dimensions are of the order of:

• length = 160 millimeters,
• width = 85 millimeters,
• thickness = 24 millimeters.

• moins de gêne au niveau de la poitrine et de l'aine du porteur,
• plus de facilité pour dissimuler le dispositif de gonflage 1 sous une veste ou un gilet de concours d'équitation,
• moins de risque de poinçonnement lors des chutes à l'avant grâce à une surface plus grande, courbée et moins épaisse, donc moins saillante.

Thus, the inflation device 1 according to the invention, which has a total volume very slightly greater than the known devices, makes it possible to have a system that is much flatter, slightly curved and therefore better suited to the shapes of the human body, which has the following effects:

• less discomfort in the chest and groin area of the wearer,
• easier to conceal the inflation device 1 under a riding competition jacket or vest,
• less risk of punching during falls in the front thanks to a larger, curved and less thick surface, therefore less protruding.

Finally, the fact of using several cartridges rather than a single one makes it possible to increase the heat exchange surfaces so as to accelerate the heating of the gases, the vaporization of the gas contained in the cartridges, when it is contained at the liquid state, and therefore the deployment of the inflatable safety vest in the event of an accident.

Possibility of industrial application

It will be understood that the inflation device 1 according to the invention is preferably used for the deployment of an inflatable safety vest in the event of a fall of a motorcyclist or rider. However, it is obvious that the inflation device 1 according to the invention can be adapted and used to release gas for other purposes such as for example fire protection.

Finally, it goes without saying that the examples of inflation device 1 in accordance with the invention which have just been described are only specific illustrations, in no way limiting the invention.

Claims (4)

1. Inflation device (1) for an inflatable life vest, comprising a storage casing (2) containing at least two pressurised gas cartridges (3) which are arranged side-by-side and touching one another so as to form a row and a release casing (4) comprising at least one striker device (7, 11, 12, 13) making it possible, in case of activation, to puncture successively each of said cartridges (3) so as to release the gas that they contain in gaseous form to the outside of the inflation device (1) through at least one orifice (8) arranged on the release casing (4), said storage casings (2) and release casings (4) being in the overall shape of a flattened hollow parallelepiped and joined together removably and in a manner that is gastight to the gas contained in said cartridges (3), said release casing (4) making possible a successive puncturing of each of said cartridges (3) and contains a first striker device (7) associated with the cartridge (3) located at one of the ends of the row of cartridges (3) contained in the storage casing (2) and at least one second striker device (11, 12, 13) associated with the other cartridges (3), said first and second striker device(s) (7, 11, 12, 13) comprising:

   - a tube (71) inside which slides a piston (72) equipped with a puncturing end (73) arranged on the side of the associated cartridge (3),

   - a thrust member (74) capable of moving said piston (72) between a "normal" position wherein the puncturing end (73) of the piston (72) is not in contact with the associated cartridge (3) and an "activation" position wherein the puncturing end (73) of the piston (72) has punctured the associated cartridge (3), and

   - a retaining member (75, 77, 78, 79) making it possible to maintain said piston (72) in the "normal" position thereof and being mobile, in case of activation, so as to release the piston (72) such that it is moved up to the "activation" position thereof under the action of the thrust member (74).

   said inflation device (1) being characterised in that the retaining member (77, 78, 79) of each second striker device (11, 12, 13) is a latch mobile between a "blocking" position where it bears against the preceding piston (72), thus in the "normal" position, so as to maintain the following piston (72) in the "normal" position thereof and a "release" position wherein it no longer bears against the preceding piston (72), thus in the "activation" position or in the immediate proximity of this position, so as to release the following piston (72) in the "normal" position thereof and make it possible for it to join the "activation" position thereof under the action of the associated thrust member (74).
2. Inflation device (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the retaining member (75) of the first striker device (7) is a pin capable of being engaged simultaneously in a retaining orifice (9) of the release casing (4) and in a cavity (76) arranged in the piston (72) to maintain it in the "normal" position and disengaged to release said piston (72).
3. Inflation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that each thrust member (74) is a helicoidal spring arranged between the piston (72) and the end of the tube (71) located opposite the storage casing (2).
4. Inflation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the thrust member (74) of each second striker device (11, 12, 13) is formed by a portion of the gas contained in the preceding cartridge and injected between the piston (72) and the end of the tube (71) located opposite the storage casing (2).

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