GB2183838A - Depth and decompression diving gauge - Google Patents

Abstract

The gauge comprises a case (10) having a face (11) bearing reference marks disposed over an arc of a circle centred on the axis of rotation of a hand (12). A first zone of the face consists of sectors (33), (34) over which the hand moves according to the depth of the diver. Between the sectors (33) (34) is a sector (35) forming the second zone of the face, in which the hand moves whilst measuring time during the diver's ascent. This sector 40 corresponding to the three metre stage is covered in the direction of the arrow A in thirty minutes when the diver ascends. A number of the zones may be provided to indicate the required decompression period at several depths. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Diving watch The present invention relates to a diving watch comprising a case, a face having reference marks, a single hand and a movement for displacing this hand over this face.

Present-day diving watches are in fact traditional watches or chronometers which provide divers with information on the duration of the dive or, when ascending, on the duration of the decompression stages. if one knows the risks taken by the diver if he does not observe the stages during his ascent, it is possible to measure the importance, to the latter, of the problem of the safe and reliable acquisition of information regarding the duration of the dive, the depth at any given time, and also the level and duration of the stage(s).

At present, the acquisition of this data can only be carried out with several separate instruments or at best a single piece of equipment having several faces and several indicator devices moving over these faces. The risk of error or of incorrect interpretation when read by the diver in difficult conditions is inevitable and diving accidents likely to result from this can not be totally avoided.

This is why the present invention proposes constructing a simple and efficient diving watch which provides the diver, by means of a single indicating device, with all essential information necessary for him to assist him during the dive and to warn him in the event of error.

For this purpose, the diving watch according to the invention is characterised in that the face has a first zone in which the reference marks correspond to data regarding depth, and a second zone supplying information regarding time, and in that the movement is designed on the one hand to displace the hand over the first zone in one direction or in the other direction according to the instantaneous depth of a diver, and on the other hand to displace the hand over the second zone, according to the duration of a decompression stage to be observed by this diver during his ascent.

The present invention will be better understood with reference to the description of exemplified embodiments and of the attached drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a view from above of a first embodiment of a diving watch according to the invention, and Figure 2 represents a diagrammatic view from above of a preferred embodiment of the diving watch according to the invention.

With reference to Fig. 1, the diving watch shown has a case 10 provided with a face 11 bearing reference marks disposed over an arc of a circle centred on the axis of rotation of a hand 12 moving over this face and driven by an appropriate electronic movement.

In this example, the face is divided into two distinct zones, a first zone in which the reference marks correspond to information regarding time, and a second zone providing information on diving depth. Each of these zones may be subdivided into several circular sectors disposed side by side or interpolated.

In the example shown by Fig. 1, the first zone providing information regarding time has a first sector 13 which, when the diver ascends, defines the three metre decompression stage, a second sector 14 defining the six metre stage, a third sector 15 defining the nine metre stage and a fourth sector 16 defining the twelve metre stage. The second zone providing information regarding depth exclusively is formed by a circular sector 17. The different sectors are delimited by a hatched area 18 which advantageously is of a different colour from the rest of the face.

The reference marks 19 which are traced on the arc of a circle of sectors 13, 14, 15 and 16 correspond to a measurement of time. The reference marks 20 traced on the arc of a circle corresponding to the sector 17 provide information regarding depth. A luminous indicator light 21, for example an electro-luminescent diode mounted opposite a window in the face, provides the diver with data regarding the observance and/or non-observance of diving orders.

In practice, the hand is at zero at the beginning of a dive. During the diver's descent the hand moves either continuously or in jumps above sectors 13, 14, 15 and 16 until the moment when the diver has reached a depth in the order of 15 metres. The movement for driving the hand 12 is designed so that from this depth the hand moves continuously or in small steps, according to the instantaneous depth of the diver. Consequently, when the hand is on sector 17, it shows the momentary depth of the diver, the movement being conceived so that the hand can move in one direction or another according to the course of the diver. For this purpose the movement is associated with a pressure pick-up (not shown), the output of which is connected to the movement, i.e. to the control electronics for the displacement of the hand 12.When ascending the hand sweeps sector 17 showing the diver at each moment the depth at which he is manoeuvring. When he arrives at the twelve metre zone, two cases can arise: -If the maximum depth of the diver and the duration of the dive have been inadequate to justify the observance of a twelve metre stage, the hand stops in the hatched area separating sectors 15 and 16. In this case, the diver may continue to ascend until the hand stops on one of the following sectors, which may be sector 15, sector 14 or sector 13. If, despite the hand stopping, the diver continues to rise, the electro-luminescent di ode 21 flashes to signal to the diver that diving orders are not being observed.

-If the diver's maximum depth and the length of the dive justify a 12 m stage being observed, the hand stops at a determined point of this stage, i.e. on sector 16, and moves at a determined speed so that it effectively remains on sector 16 during the entire time necessary for observing the 12 m stage.

When the duration of the 12 m stage has elapsed, the hand passes over the hatched area separating sectors 16 and 15, then engages on sector 15 where it stops if the diver has to observe the 9 m stage. In the opposite case, it continues its progress right up to the intermediate area between sectors 15 and 14.

If the hand stops on this area, the diver may continue his ascent until the hand stops on one of the sectors corresponding to a decompression stage. If the length of time a diver stops at a decompression stage is long, the hand will stop at the beginning of this sector and will slowly move to sweep the entire surface of the sector. On the other hand, if the duration of the stage to be observed is short, the hand will stop nearer the intermediate area between two successive stages or the final hatched area corresponding to zero on the face.

The movement responsibe for the displacement of the hand has intelligent electronics which determine the orders for the diver's ascent according to parameters of depth and duration characteristic of the dive. During ascent, a galance at the hand 12 gives the diver all necessary data for an ascent under conditions of maximum safety. The luminescent indicator light 21 moreover constitutes a calling to order should there be non-observance of orders. For example, observance of the 12 m stage is ensured when the diver goes to a depth of between 11 and 13 m. If he goes down again, hand 12 shows a movement in the direction of arrow D. If he rises above the limit of the stage before the end of the time for the observance of this stage, the hand remains in the 12 m stage 16 and the electroluminsce nt diode 21 flashes.

The most advantageous solution to enable the diver to avoid any error is to vary his depth so as to make the diode flash from time to time until the end of the stage and to rise to the following stage.

The diving watch, illustrated by Fig. 2 has, just as above, a case 10 provided with a face 11 having reference marks disposed over an arc of a circle centred on the axis of rotation of a hand 12 moving over this face and driven by a suitable electronic movement. The first zone, in which the reference marks correspond to data on depth, in this case consists of a first circular sector 33 corresponding to depths going from zero to three metres and of a second circular sector 34 corresponding to depths going from three to seventy metres.

The second zone corresponds to a circular sector 35 disposed between the sectors 33 and 34 and corresponding to the three metre decompression stage.

The circular sector 33 has reference marks 33' disposed so that the interval between two adjacent reference marks corresponds to a difference in depth of one metre.

In the circular sector 34, the reference marks 34' are for example arranged so that the interval between two adjacent reference marks corresponds to a difference in depth of ten metres starting from a depth of ten metres. The reference mark 34" corresponds to a depth of six metres.

As above, the watch is equipped with a pressure pick-up (not shown), the output signal of which is transmitted to the electronics responsible for the displacement of the hand 12.

The circular sector 35 corresponds to the three metre decompression stage. The reference marks 35' traced on the face in this sector provide the diver with data regarding the length of stay at this stage.

Reference marks 35' are marked so that the hand turning in the direction of arrow A, when the diver ascends, indicates at every moment to this diver the time he still has to remain at the three metre stage before being able to rise to the surface. In sector 35 the hand may be regarded as a chronometer hand, except that it does not indicate the time which has elapsed since an initial moment, but the time which separates the present instant until the instant of the end of the stage.

This watch is moreover equipped with a luminous indicator light or a coloured indicator device designed to inform the diver about the observance or non-observance of orders regarding his ascent. For example, the indicator light may be green or red and gives information regarding the time limit or non-observance of the depth during the stage. This data may be obtained by means of a rotating disc having, for example, a green area and a red area, and disposed below a window in the face.

This disc can be driven by a motor little by little. A positive impulse transmitted to the motor displaces the disc so that the green area appears in the window and a negative impulse cause the appearance of the red area in this window.

During the dive, the hand 12 sweeps the first sector 33 up to the three metre depth shown on the face and then jumps over sector 35 to continue its normal course according to the instantaneous depth of the diver up to a maximum depth which may be in the order of seventy metres. The electronics calcuate the time of the ascent, taking into consideration the obligatory halt of the diver, for example at the three metre decompression stage, which lasts for example thirty minutes.

From the moment when the maximum diving time is reached, or if other stages are necessary during ascent, the indicator signal passes to red. If at this moment, or in a determined period in the order of one to two minutes, the diver rises at a normal speed, the indicator light becomes green again and the diver may carry out his three metre decompression stage normally for a period of time fixed for this purpose. If the diver has not ascended, the indicator light will remain red throughout the ascent and the diver will only have the data regarding depth.

Moreover, if the diver does not observe the three metre depth during the stage, the indicator light also becomes red until the diver returns to the level of the stage. a At this moment the hand 12 leaves sector 35 to show the diver his actual depth.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the hand 12 returns to the maximum depth at the end of a minute after the diver leaves the water. If diving orders have been followed, the indicator light 16 is green; in the opposite case it is red. One hour after leaving the water the watch becomes at rest and the control electronics are disconnected. During this hour or afterwards, the watch may be reused provided that it is reset to zero which can be effected by means of a push button 36, or any other appropriate means.

For reasons of safety, the watch must not be used, if the hand does not return to zero, for example because the voltage of the battery is too weak. To enable the correction of errors in calculating the motor, the motor pitch number is preferably greater than the pitch number required to ensure the total displacement of the hand up to the zero point, so that this hand always stops against a mechanical stop. The electronic circuit which controls the movement of the hand may be designed so that it takes into consideration corrections to be made during successive dives.

Corrections may be specified to take into consideration the altitude, especially when diving in high mountain lakes.

Claims (11)

1. Diving watch comprising a case, a face having reference marks, a single hand and a movement for displacing this hand over this face, characterised in that the face has a first zone in which the reference marks correspond to data on depth, and a second zone providing information regarding time, and in that the movement is designed on the one hand to displace the hand over the first zone in one direction or in the other direction according to the instantaneous depth of a diver, and on the other hand to displace the hand over the second zone, according to the duration of a decompression stage to be observed by this diver during his ascent.

2. Diving watch according to Claim 1, characterised in that the second zone is provided with reference marks corresponding to data relating to time.

3. Diving watch according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first zone consists of a first series of circular sectors, and in that the second zone consists of a second series of circular sectors, the circular sectors of the second series being interposed between the circular sectors of the first series, and each corresponding to a decompression stage.

4. Diving watch according to Claim 1, characterised in that the second zone of the face consists of a single circular sector interposed between two circular sectors forming the first zone of the face.

5. Diving watch according to Claim 4, characterised in that the second zone corresponds to a decompression stage, in that the circular sector forming this zone is graduated in minutes, and in that the movement is designed so that the displacement of the hand over this sector has a total duration equal to the duration of this decompression stage to be observed by the diver during his ascent.

6. Diving watch according to Claim 5, characterised in that the movement is designed so that the hand informs the diver, by direct reading, at a decompression stage, during his ascent, of the length of time he still has to remain at this stage before being able to continue his ascent.

7. Diving watch according to Claim 5, characterised in that the second zone corresponds to the three metre stage and in that the movement is designed so that the duration of the displacement of the hand over this sector is thirty minutes.

8. Diving watch according to Claim 1, characterised in that it comprises at least one visual device designed to provide information regarding the observance and/or non-observance of a decompression stage.

9. Diving watch according to Claim 8, characterised in that the visual device is an electro-luminescent diode.

10. Diving watch according to Claim 8, characterised in that the visual device is a disc comprising at least two areas of different colours.

11. A diving watch constructed, arranged and adapted for use substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1, or Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawing.