GB2082126A

GB2082126A - Floatable survival device

Info

Publication number: GB2082126A
Application number: GB8025602A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SUBMEX Ltd
Current assignee: SUBMEX Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-06
Filing date: 1980-08-06
Publication date: 1982-03-03
Also published as: GB2082126B

Abstract

A floatable survival device comprises an elongate body 10 internally divided into chambers 13, 15, 16 and 14 for ballast and survival equipment. A mast 23 extends upwardly from the body and carries a radio antenna 27 and a flashing light source 26. The device in the water simulates, i.e. floats in the same path and at the same speed, as a floating man. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Floatable survival device This invention relates to floatable survival devices.

Although, in basic form, a survival device for a person in water need only provide additional buoyancy, most modern floatable survival devices provide, additionally, life support equipment such as food, water and medical supplies; and communication equipment such as a light source, a radio transmitter and smoke canisters for facilitating the visual detection of the device both by the person in the water and his potential rescuers. An example of this more modern type of device is an inflatable life raft with a pack of survival equipment.

We have appreciated, however that existing floatable survival devices suffer from a major drawback in that they react in a different manner compared to floating persons under physical influences such as wind and current in water. Hence a survival device will float away from a man in the water thus making it difficult, or impossible, for him to reach it. In such a device moreover the communication equipment may well attract potential rescuers to a location remote from the distressed person.

According to the present invention there is provided a floatable survival device incorporating, at least, means for facilitating detection of the device and optionally storage space for survival equipment, such a device being characterised by means simulating the floating characteristics of a human being in the water. The human being will normally be supported in a generally upright position by a flotation jacket.

The simulating means can conveniently be provided by constructing the device as an elongate body with a longitudinally extending mast at one end, the body providing a depth of submergence in water of the same order as the legs and trunk of a person supported in water by a flotation jacket, and the part of the body and mast out of the water having substantially the same wind resistance as that of the head and shoulders of the person supported out of the water. The detection means may include a flashing light and/or a steady light mounted at the end of the mast farthest from the body and a radio antenna running from the said end of the mast into the body wherein there is provided a radio transmitter, connected to the antenna, and further means to power the detection means.These power supplying means include batteries which supply power to the radio transmitter, the steady light and the flashing light.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure Ishows a device in accordance with the present invention floating adjacent to a person; Figure II is a longitudinal section through the device.

In the drawings the water level is marked A. A man 1, wearing a flotation jacket 2, is shown floating in water with his legs 3 and trunk 4, hereinafter referred to as his lower parts 5, extending downwardly below the water level A, and his head 6 and shoulders 7, hereinafter referred to as his upper part 8, extending upwardly above the water level A. The man 1 is generally in a standing position leaning slightly backwards with his head clear of the water. Figure I also shows the floating survival device 9 which can best be seen in Figure II. The floating survival device 9 comprises an elongate cylindrical body 10 with hemispherical end parts 11 and 12 and a mast 25 extending upwardly coaxially with the body 10.The interior of the body 10 is divided into four chambers, a lower chamber 13, an upper chamber 14 and two intermediate chambers 15 and 16, by three bulkheads 17,18 and 19 perpendicular to the long axis of the body 10. The lowest chamber 13 contains ballast 20, the lower intermediate chamber 16 contains batteries 21, the upper intermediate chamber 15 may contain optional survival equipment (not shown) and the upper chamber 14 contains a radio transmitter 22. All four chambers 13, 14, 15 and 16 provide buoyancy to the device 9.

In the top end part of the mast 23 is a steady light source 24 and a flashing light source 26. A radio antenna 27 extends from the top end part of the mast 23 downwardly into the body upper end part 11 into chamber 14 where it is connected to the radio transmitter 22. Survival equipment (not shown) in the upper intermediate chamber 15 may include items such as, a life raft, food, fresh water, medical supplies flares, a radar reflector and smoke cannisters. The batteries 21 in the lower intermediate chamber 16 supply power to the steady light 24, the flashing light 26 and the radio transmitter 22. The ballast 20 in the lower chamber 13 ensures that the device 9 floats with the water at the desired level A and the mast 25 uppermost.

In Figure I the device 9 is shown floating having the correct orientation, mast 25 uppermost. The desired water level A is that where the part of the body 10 extending downwardly from the said water level A is of substantially the same length and volume as the lower part 5 of the man so that the device 9 floats in substantially the same path as would the man 1 and the part of the body 10 and the mast 25 extending upwardly from the said water level A has substantially the same windage on the upper part of a man 8, i.e. the wind will effect the path of the device 9 in the same way as it effects the floating man 1. The result is that if the man 1 were to fall in the water from a boat and the device 9 thrown in say, two minutes afterwards, then the device 9 would follow the man 1 to be recovered by the man and, even if not recovered provide a fair indication by lights 24 and 26 or radio signal of the man's position.

1. Afloatable survival device incorporating, at ieast, means for facilitating detection of the device and optionally storage space for survival equipment, such a device being characterised by means simulating the floating characteristics of a human being.

2. Afloatable survival device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the simulating means comprise an elon

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Floatable survival device This invention relates to floatable survival devices. Although, in basic form, a survival device for a person in water need only provide additional buoyancy, most modern floatable survival devices provide, additionally, life support equipment such as food, water and medical supplies; and communication equipment such as a light source, a radio transmitter and smoke canisters for facilitating the visual detection of the device both by the person in the water and his potential rescuers. An example of this more modern type of device is an inflatable life raft with a pack of survival equipment. We have appreciated, however that existing floatable survival devices suffer from a major drawback in that they react in a different manner compared to floating persons under physical influences such as wind and current in water. Hence a survival device will float away from a man in the water thus making it difficult, or impossible, for him to reach it. In such a device moreover the communication equipment may well attract potential rescuers to a location remote from the distressed person. According to the present invention there is provided a floatable survival device incorporating, at least, means for facilitating detection of the device and optionally storage space for survival equipment, such a device being characterised by means simulating the floating characteristics of a human being in the water. The human being will normally be supported in a generally upright position by a flotation jacket. The simulating means can conveniently be provided by constructing the device as an elongate body with a longitudinally extending mast at one end, the body providing a depth of submergence in water of the same order as the legs and trunk of a person supported in water by a flotation jacket, and the part of the body and mast out of the water having substantially the same wind resistance as that of the head and shoulders of the person supported out of the water. The detection means may include a flashing light and/or a steady light mounted at the end of the mast farthest from the body and a radio antenna running from the said end of the mast into the body wherein there is provided a radio transmitter, connected to the antenna, and further means to power the detection means.These power supplying means include batteries which supply power to the radio transmitter, the steady light and the flashing light. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure Ishows a device in accordance with the present invention floating adjacent to a person; Figure II is a longitudinal section through the device. In the drawings the water level is marked A. A man 1, wearing a flotation jacket 2, is shown floating in water with his legs 3 and trunk 4, hereinafter referred to as his lower parts 5, extending downwardly below the water level A, and his head 6 and shoulders 7, hereinafter referred to as his upper part 8, extending upwardly above the water level A. The man 1 is generally in a standing position leaning slightly backwards with his head clear of the water. Figure I also shows the floating survival device 9 which can best be seen in Figure II. The floating survival device 9 comprises an elongate cylindrical body 10 with hemispherical end parts 11 and 12 and a mast 25 extending upwardly coaxially with the body 10.The interior of the body 10 is divided into four chambers, a lower chamber 13, an upper chamber 14 and two intermediate chambers 15 and 16, by three bulkheads 17,18 and 19 perpendicular to the long axis of the body 10. The lowest chamber 13 contains ballast 20, the lower intermediate chamber 16 contains batteries 21, the upper intermediate chamber 15 may contain optional survival equipment (not shown) and the upper chamber 14 contains a radio transmitter 22. All four chambers 13, 14, 15 and 16 provide buoyancy to the device 9. In the top end part of the mast 23 is a steady light source 24 and a flashing light source 26. A radio antenna 27 extends from the top end part of the mast 23 downwardly into the body upper end part 11 into chamber 14 where it is connected to the radio transmitter 22. Survival equipment (not shown) in the upper intermediate chamber 15 may include items such as, a life raft, food, fresh water, medical supplies flares, a radar reflector and smoke cannisters. The batteries 21 in the lower intermediate chamber 16 supply power to the steady light 24, the flashing light 26 and the radio transmitter 22. The ballast 20 in the lower chamber 13 ensures that the device 9 floats with the water at the desired level A and the mast 25 uppermost. In Figure I the device 9 is shown floating having the correct orientation, mast 25 uppermost. The desired water level A is that where the part of the body 10 extending downwardly from the said water level A is of substantially the same length and volume as the lower part 5 of the man so that the device 9 floats in substantially the same path as would the man 1 and the part of the body 10 and the mast 25 extending upwardly from the said water level A has substantially the same windage on the upper part of a man 8, i.e. the wind will effect the path of the device 9 in the same way as it effects the floating man 1.The result is that if the man 1 were to fall in the water from a boat and the device 9 thrown in say, two minutes afterwards, then the device 9 would follow the man 1 to be recovered by the man and, even if not recovered provide a fair indication by lights 24 and 26 or radio signal of the man's position. CLAIMS

2. Afloatable survival device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the simulating means comprise an elon gate body with a longitudinally extending mast at one end, the body providing a depth of submergence in water of the same order as the legs and trunk of a person in the water and the part of the body and mast of the device out of the water having substantially the same wind resistance as that of the head and shoulders of the person above the water level.

3. Afloatable survival device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the detection means include; a flashing light and/or a steady light mounted at the end of the mast furthest from the body and a radio antenna running from the said end of the mast into the body wherein there is provided a radio transmitter, connected to the antenna and further means to power the detection means.