EP4673362A1

EP4673362A1 - Equipped emergency buoy

Info

Publication number: EP4673362A1
Application number: EP24714023.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luca Francesco Maria ROVERE
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-03-02
Filing date: 2024-03-01
Publication date: 2026-01-07
Also published as: WO2024180524A1; IT202300003789A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an equipped emergency buoy (1) comprising: - at least a first floating body (10), said first body (10) having an upper portion (12) normally stably above the surface; - a connection means (30) to which a rope of a boat to be moored to the buoy can be fastened; - least one container element (20), associable with said upper portion (12) of the first body (10); and - releasable locking means (17) adapted to maintain said at least one container element (20) fastened on said upper portion (12) of the first body (10) and configured to release the container element (20) following an emergency or release command.

Description

TITLE

EQUIPPED EMERGENCY BUOY

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an equipped emergency buoy which is intended, particularly but not exclusively, for use near coasts, for example in buoy fields, in their vicinity or along routes particularly used by boaters, especially in the busiest tourist areas.

More in detail, the invention relates to a buoy provided with equipment and/or devices which can provide assistance to sailors in emergency or dangerous situations.

The buoy of the present invention can be used both at sea and in bodies of water such as lakes, lagoons or the like.

As is known, pleasure craft and fishing vessels, depending on the navigation distance from the coast and/or length, must be equipped with safety equipment which may comprise, among other things, life belts and life rafts, fire extinguishers, visual and/or acoustic indicators, first aid boxes, etc.

Such aids are useful and sometimes sufficient to deal with certain emergency situations, or at least in the first moments, while waiting for help to arrive.

However, in certain situations and for various reasons, for example the type of event which has occurred, insufficient on-board equipment, the place where the vessel is located at the time of the event or the weather conditions, the people who are on board may not be able to control and manage an emergency situation while waiting for further assistance to intervene.

This can occur, for example, when the emergency is of a medical nature, in particular when a person (or more than one) needs medical equipment or medicines which are not usually included on board the vessel.

For example, for a person who suffers a cardiac event it may be useful, or sometimes essential, to intervene quickly with defibrillation using an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

In other cases, following drowning it may be necessary to resuscitate the person with the aid of mechanical ventilation which can be provided more effectively with an Ambu Bag.

In still other cases a person may need to take life-saving drugs, such as adrenaline to counteract a serious allergic reaction due to bites from insects or marine species or the ingestion of food, or insulin for diabetics.

In other cases, the emergency condition may be due to problems on the vessel, for example a fire on board, engine failure, an imminent shipwreck, or other critical conditions.

Also in these cases, depending on the severity of the event or due to poor safety equipment on board, waiting for help could put the safety of the people on board at risk. Furthermore, sometimes it may be difficult or impossible to promptly send the request for help, lengthening the waiting times for the intervention.

In this context, it is the object of the present invention to provide an equipped emergency buoy which overcomes the limits of the known art.

In detail, the object of the present invention is to make an emergency buoy which provides sailors in need with medical equipment and/or devices, drugs, safety devices or any other object or good which may be useful in an emergency situation in water.

In particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide an emergency buoy configured to contain and preserve said drugs or devices and to allow the access and removal thereof in a practical and easy manner by boat occupants in medical or other emergency situations.

Another object of the present invention is to make an emergency buoy configured to automatically send a request for assistance to the competent bodies (typically the coast guard).

A further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency buoy which allows the mooring of the vessel for the duration of the emergency and whilst waiting for any aid. These objects are achieved by an equipped emergency buoy, in accordance with claim

1.

In detail, according to the present invention, the buoy comprises at least a first floating body which has an upper portion which is normally stably above the water and a connection means to which a rope of a boat to be moored to the buoy can be fastened.

The buoy further comprises at least one container element associable with said upper portion of the first body, i.e., which can be applied or fastened to said upper portion.

For this purpose, the buoy is provided with releasable locking means which, in a resting condition, are configured to keep said at least one container element fastened on said upper portion of the first body and, in an emergency or activation configuration, to release the container element following an emergency or release command given by a person.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, the buoy comprises several container elements, for example at least three, four, five or more, each of which is associable with the upper portion of the body by respective locking means.

Inside the container elements it is therefore possible to store various types of goods and objects such as medical equipment and devices, medicines, food supplements, drinking water, safety equipment, etc.

Advantageously, said container elements are floating and comprise a housing accessible from a watertight cover.

Said container elements are thus suitable for conserving and preserving the contents from atmospheric agents and preventing the contact thereof with sea water, lake water, etc.

As mentioned above, if a sailing vessel finds itself in an emergency situation among those described above, or any other type, it can go to the nearest emergency buoy to access the contents of one or more container elements.

For this purpose, such emergency buoys can be registered on nautical charts so that they can be easily identified and reached with classic navigation tools.

According to a preferred variant, such a container element is configured so that the cover is not accessible or in any case cannot be opened when the container element is fixed to the upper portion of the buoy body.

According to another aspect of the invention, the upper portion of the first body has at least respective recesses adapted to at least partially accommodate the container elements. Thereby, said container elements are protected both from possible impacts from boats approaching the buoy and from the action of the waves, preventing them from accidentally detaching from the buoy body.

According to another aspect of the invention, the locking means can comprise at least one engaging element, mounted on the upper portion of the first body, movable between a locked position, in the resting condition, and a release position, in the activation condition. Said engaging element can be for example a pin, a hook or the like and is adapted to cooperate with a corresponding locking seat obtained on the container element. The movement of the engaging element can be controlled by an electromagnet or equivalent switching device.

According to another variant of the invention, said at least one engaging element is mounted on the container element and the locking seat is included on the upper portion of the first body.

For each container element, depending on the shape and size, more than one engaging element and respective locking seats can be included.

According to another aspect of the invention, the buoy comprises a control unit configured to manage the activation, i.e., the release, of the locking means; according to such a variant, the latter are therefore of the electrically actuated type.

The control unit is further connected to an emergency control and release device by means of which a person can activate the locking means to release the container. The control device is preferably positioned on the external surface of the upper portion of the first body so as to be easily identifiable and accessible to a person who must operate it. Said device is typically of the push button or lever or similar type.

If the buoy comprises multiple container elements, it can be equipped with only one or with several control devices, for example one for each container element. According to such a variant, following the actuation of one of the control devices, the control unit can be configured to release only the locking means of the container element associated with the actuated control device or all the means of all the container elements.

According to another aspect of the invention, the buoy further comprises retaining means adapted to retain the container elements released within a certain distance from the buoy body.

Said retaining means can comprise for example a flexible element, such as a cable or a rope, the ends of which are fastened respectively to the upper portion of the first body and to the container element.

Thereby, even if the container element were to fall into the water it would still remain anchored to the buoy without being lost.

According to a preferred variant, said flexible element is wound on a retractable spool mounted on the upper portion of the first body.

According to another aspect of the invention, the buoy can comprise further secondary locking means of the container elements. Said secondary locking means are configured to allow the separation of the container element from the upper portion of the first following a pulling action applied to the container element.

More in detail, said secondary locking means are calibrated in such a way as to prevent that, once the (main) locking means have been released, the container element can fall or in any case exit from its housing solely due to the weight force or oscillations of the buoy, but at the same time allows a person to pick up the released container with minimal effort. Said secondary locking means can be of a mechanical type, for example hooks, interlockings or the like, or permanent magnets.

According to another aspect of the invention, the buoy can be provided with a wireless communication module connected to the control unit, for example of the type suitable adapted to communicate with Telco operator base stations.

According to this variant, the control unit is configured to forward an emergency signal to a remote receiving device when one or more control devices are actuated, i.e., when an emergency or release command is given.

Typically, the emergency signal is forwarded to the authorities (e.g., coast guard) components for the area where the buoy is installed.

The emergency signal generally comprises at least the geographic coordinates of the buoy.

According to a variant of the present invention, the buoy can comprise means for recording at least one of audio, images or video, or preferably all. Said recording means are connected to the control unit and can be activated automatically following an emergency or lock release command given with one of the control devices.

Thereby, the buoy is capable of filming and/or photograph the surrounding area, possibly recording the audio, including the person or people who operated the control device to release the container elements and/or send the emergency signal.

Preferably the video and/or audio recording or a series of images taken at certain time intervals can be sent through the communication module to the competent authorities so as to be able to evaluate the type of emergency in progress (for example if the vessel is sinking or if there is a fire on board) but also to identify subjects who have issued the report without a valid reason or who have attempted to steal the objects contained in the container elements.

According to a preferred variant, the sending of the audio and/or video data can occur in real time. According to a variant of the invention, the buoy can comprise sound reproduction means. In such a variant, the control unit can be configured to automatically forward an emergency call, for example to the coast guard, allowing the person who gave the command to speak to an operator through the buoy.

According to another aspect of the invention, the connection means which allow the rope of a boat to be tied is housed in a seat obtained in the first body and is movable between a retracted or lowered position and a projecting or raised position. In the retracted position, said connection means partially or completely fall within the shape of the first body, and are therefore not accessible; in the projecting position, instead, the connection means project from the upper end of the first body, allowing the fastening of a rope to the buoy.

The movement of the connection means between the retracted position and the projecting position is controlled by actuator means, preferably controlled by the control unit.

According to a variant of the invention, in normal conditions of the buoy, i.e., in the absence of an emergency or release command, the connection means are normally in the retracted position. This prevents the buoy from being used improperly for mooring boats which do not have emergency situations.

The actuator means are instead operated by the control unit, bringing the connection means into the projecting position, when a release or emergency command is given through the control device.

The power for the electrical or electronic devices on board the buoy is provided by a battery housed in the first body. According to a preferred variant, photovoltaic panels used to recharge the battery are applied to the outer surface of the upper portion of the first body.

The buoy is thus self-sufficient and does not require power from submerged cables. This allows for easy installation in various places without requiring the provision of dedicated infrastructure.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will appear clearer from the description of an example of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an equipped buoy, as illustrated in the attached figures in which:

- figure 1 is a side view of the equipped emergency buoy according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a perspective view from above of the buoy of figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a perspective view from above of a detail of the buoy according to the present invention;

- figure 4 is a further perspective view from above of the buoy according to the present invention.

With reference to the attached figures, the number 1 generally indicates the equipped emergency buoy according to the present invention. The buoy 1 comprises a first body 10 of which a lower portion 11 is normally immersed below the water level L, and an upper portion 12 which is instead normally emerged above said level.

In the context of the present invention, the definitions normally submerged and emerged refer to the buoy in a body of water in calm conditions. It is clear that due to the wavy movement or the pulling action of the rope of a possibly moored boat, a part of the upper portion can be temporarily immersed just as a part of the lower one can be temporarily emerged.

The first body 10 comprises a hollow casing 15 which, in addition to allowing the body to float, defines a cavity therein in which all the devices and components of the buoy which must remain protected from the water are housed.

In the example of the figures, the first body 10 has a mushroom-like shape, with the lower portion 11 having a substantially cylindrical shape and the upper portion 12 having a substantially hemispherical shape. The external surface 12a of the upper portion 12 has a plurality of recesses 16, seven in the illustrated example, arranged radially with respect to a vertical axis Y of the buoy 1. Said recesses 16 form respective seats in each of which a container element 20 is arranged.

The container element 20 comprises a container 21 with an opening 23 closed by a cover 22. The cover 22 is preferably hinged to the container 21 and can be opened with a lateral rotation movement or, as in the illustrated example, downwards.

The cover 22, the container 21 or both are provided with a sealing gasket, not shown, which makes the container element 20 watertight.

The container element 20 can be fastened to the upper portion 12 by locking means 17, represented in a schematic and simplified manner in the figures.

As mentioned above, said locking means are adapted to keep the container element 20 in its seat in a stable manner, even in the presence of external actions due to the pushing of the water or by a person.

Said locking means 17 can be released by means of a control device 18, for example of the push button type, as illustrated in the figures.

Each container element 20 is further connected to the upper portion 12 by retaining means 24 in the form of a cable, rope or similar, the ends of which are connected to the upper portion 12 of the first body and to the container 21.

According to a preferred variant, winders, not shown, are arranged inside the first body 10, which allow the retaining element 24 to be unwound and rewound, which passes through an opening made in the casing 15.

The buoy 1 further comprises connection means 30 which allow the connection of a rope of a boat. According to the illustrated variant, said connection element 30 comprises a perforated body 31 inside which it is possible to pass the rope.

Said body 31 is fastened to the end of a stem 32 mounted sliding with respect to the first body 10 along a substantially vertical direction, considering the state of rest of the buoy. More in detail, said stem 32 can slide in a cavity of the body 10 isolated from its internal volume.

The stem 32 is movable between a retracted or lowered position, in which the connection element 30 partially or completely enters a seat 19 obtained on the upper part of the body 10, and a raised position where it brings said connection means 30 to a height from the water surface of a few tens of centimetres to 2 metres, depending on the size of the buoy.

The movement of the stem 32 can be controlled by actuator means such as a linear actuator, an electric motor or a pneumatic actuator.

According to another embodiment, the stem 32 is connected to a second body 40, normally submerged, whose sinking level can be controlled in order to move the stem 32, and thus the connection means, between the retracted and raised positions.

Said second body 40 is movable inside a protective cage 41 connected to the lower portion 11 of the first body 10.

Such a control system of the connection element 30 is described in patent EP 3707066 B 1 of the same applicant.

Preferably, the lifting of the stem 32 can occur automatically when the push button 18 is pressed for releasing the container elements 20 and sending the emergency signal.

According to a variant of the invention, the buoy further comprises audio and video recording means 50. Said recording means 50 are preferably arranged on the upper part of the body 31 of the connection means 30. Thereby, when the stem 32 is raised, the recording means 50 are capable of framing the deck of the boat, or at least a part thereof, and the people near the buoy and to pick up the audio.

Said recording means 50 typically comprise a video camera, preferably of the type with a wide angle or 360° view, and a microphone.

The data recorded by the recording means can be sent to a remote receiving device by means of a low-power wireless communication module, for example configured to exchange data through NB-IoT or LTE Cat. Ml protocols. As mentioned above, a control unit, located in the casing 15 of the first body 10, has the task of controlling and/or commanding the locking means 17, the actuator means of the stem 32, the communication module, and the recording means 50.

In particular, following the pressing of the push button 18, a pressure which can be single or multiple to avoid false alarms, the control unit releases the locking means to allow access to the contents of the container elements 20, sends by means of the communication module an emergency report to a competent authority, starts the recording means 50 and simultaneously sends the recorded data to the remote receiving device and brings the stem 32 to the raised position. The power for the electrical or electronic devices on board is provided by a battery housed in the casing 15 of the first body 10. On the external surface of the upper portion 12 there are photovoltaic panels 14 connected to the battery which are adapted to provide energy for recharging.

The present invention has been described for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, according to some preferred embodiments. The person skilled in the art will be able to find numerous other forms of implementation and variations, all falling within the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

1. An equipped emergency buoy (1) comprising:

- at least a first floating body (10), said first body (10) having an upper portion (12) normally stably above the surface;

- a connection means (30) to which a rope of a boat to be moored to the buoy can be fastened;

- least one container element (20), associable with said upper portion (12) of the first body (10);

- releasable locking means (17) adapted to maintain said at least one container element (20) fastened on said upper portion (12) of the first body (10) and configured to release the container element (20) following an emergency or release command.

2. The buoy (1) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one container element (20) comprises a housing (23) accessible from a watertight cover (22), said container element (22) being floating.

3. The buoy (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper portion (12) of the first body (10) has at least one recess (16) adapted to accommodate at least in part the container element (20).

4. The buoy (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising retaining means adapted to retain the container element released within a certain distance from the body of the buoy.

5. The buoy (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means (17) comprise an engaging element mounted on the upper portion of the body, movable between a locked position and a release position, adapted to coact with a corresponding locking seat obtained on the container element (20).

6. The buoy (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, quale said locking means (17) are electrically actuated, the buoy further comprising a control unit connected to said locking means (17) and an emergency or release control device (18).

7. The buoy (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the control device (18) is positioned on the outer surface (15) of the upper portion (12) of the first body (10), said control device (18) being in the form of a push button or lever.

8. The buoy (1) according to claim 6 or 7, comprising recording means (50) at least of audio, video or images, said recording means (50) being connected to the control unit and being activatable following an emergency or release command issued with the control device (18).

9. The buoy (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising a wireless communication module connected to the control unit and configured to send signals and/or data to a remote receiving device after an emergency or release command has occurred.

10. The buoy (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said connection element (30) is housed in a seat (19) obtained in the first body (10) and is movable between a retracted or lowered position, in which it is partly or fully contained within the shape of the first body (10), and a projecting or raised position, in which it projects from the upper end of the first body (10) allowing a rope to be fastened to the buoy.

11. The buoy according to claims 6 and 10, wherein the movement of said connection means (30) is controlled by actuator means commanded by the control unit.