GB2229414A - Inflatable balloon distress marker - Google Patents

Abstract

A distress beacon 10 includes a housing 11 which contains a balloon 16, a line 20 which can be used to connect the balloon 16 to the line, means (17) (18) (19) for inflating the balloon 16 with a lighter-than-air gas which, upon opening of the housing 11 allows the balloon to rise to form an active and/or passive location marker. The balloon may have part of its surface highly reflective, e.g. of aluminium foil, and/or part coated with a fluorescent pigment. It can also be radar reflective. It may carry a lamp, and the line 20 may form an aerial for a radio transmitter. <IMAGE>

Description

DISTRESS BEACON This invention relates to a device which can be carried and, in times of distress, deployed to attract attention. The device can be carried by a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, a boat or an aircraft and deployed when it is desired to attract attention for rescue or comparable purposes.

When vehicles and/or persons are in distress on land or at sea, various distress beacons are available. For example, it is not at all unusual for sailors or walkers to carry flares which can be used to attract attention. Further, life jackets often carry lamps illuminated by a bulb powered by sea water entry to a battery chamber, which increases the chances of being found by search vehicles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an easily portable device which can rapidly draw attention to a person or a vehicle in distress.

The invention provides a distress beacon in the form of an openable housing protecting and containing a balloon in a collapsed condition, a supply of lighter-than-air-gas for connection to the balloon and a length of line capable of tethering the balloon to the housing upon inflation and release of the balloon.

Preferably, the balloon is of material which has an enhanced light and/or other radiation reflective material. The balloon can be specifically made from or can incorporate material which is radar reflective. The balloon can include fluorescent paint.on the outside thereof and a metalised radar reflective coating on the inside thereof. The supply of compressed gas can be a light canister of aluminium light alloy or comparable material. The canister can be permanently connected to the balloon in order that it can be lifted with the balloon.

Alternatively, the canister can be separate from the balloon, a user being able to connect the canister to the balloon, discharge the canister to fill the balloon and then discard the canister.

If the canister is of lightweight materials it can remain attached to the balloon and enhance the radar reflective nature thereof. A valve can be , provided between the canister and the balloon for inflation purposes. The balloon can have an over-pressure valve to prevent bursting at high pressure. The line can be nylon mono-filament, steel (such as stainless steel) or any other convenient material having, for example, a breaking strain of from 1 - 5 kg. The container can be provided with a tamperproof seal such as a tear strip which would indicate immediately once the container has been opened.

The balloon can carry a lamp and a power supply provided such lamp can be carried by the buoyancy of the balloon. The line could be adapted to supply power to a light within the balloon provided that such cable could be incorporated within the support line without too great a weight penalty.

As an alternative possibility the inflatable gas could include or consist of a gas which, upon release, fluoresces and thus becomes illuminated at night. In the case that the balloon contains or incorporates a lamp or some form of illumination, parts of the balloon could be transparent or translucent to allow such light to be seen. In order that the balloon can b both radar reflective and transparent the balloon could be made of two or more panels, at least one panel being translucent and at least one panel being radar reflective.

The balloon can be inflated with heilium. The balloon can also be aerdynamically shaped to assist in staying aloft and keeping the line nearer to vertical in wind.

The device of the invention can be relatively small and compact and can be carried by vehicles such as motor vehicles or sailing vessels. The beacon is preferably small enough to be carried by an individual in a pack or on a life jacket thus allowing the device to serve as an individual safety aid.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Fig. 1 is a sketch showing a cross-sectional view through a preferred embodiment of distress beacon of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the beacon in use.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of beacon 10 includes a housing in the form of a tube 12 of plastics material having a closed base 13 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is secured to the tube 12 by a tearable strip 15. Until release of the strip 15 the interior of the tube 12 is air and water tight making it bouyant. Within the housing 11 is disposed a collapsed balloon 16 which is attached to a container 17 for a lighter than air gas such as helium. A valve 18 is provided which can connect the interior of the container 17 to the balloon 16 and there is further provided a pressure release valve 19 which is connected to the interior of the balloon. This allows the balloon to vent excess gas if pressure therein should rise too high due to for example, high temperatures.

In this embodiment the container 17 is permanently attached to the balloon 16 and the container, therefore, is attached by means of a line 20 to the base 13 to the container 11. The balloon 16 and the container 17 can be contained within a net bag 21 (only shown in Fig.2). The net bag 21 can constrain over inflation of the balloon 16 and contribute to its stability and permanence. The housing 11 can be provided with various attachment s means. As shown in Fig. 1, there is a waist or comparable loop 22 which can be attached to a belt or to a rucksack or to part of a life jacket or other structure. There can also be provided an additional base lug 23 which would enable the beacon to be secured to structure such as part of a vehicle or a life boat by means of a length of cord or the like.

Fig. 2 shows how the beacon 10 might be used in one particular situation. Fig. 2 illustrates a person 24 partly immersed in water 25 after some accident at sea, for example an airplane crash or a shipwreck or oil rig disasters. The person 24 is shown wearing a life jacket 26 to which is attached a beacon 27 comparable to beacon 10. The beacon 27 is securely attached to the life jacket 26. It will be seen in fig. 2 that the contents of the housing 11 have been deployed and a line 20 is held aloft by the balloon 16 which is inflated within the net bag 21 and carries the container 17 with it. The balloon 16 may float some 20 to 50m above the person 24. The balloon 16 can have its outer surface including or consisting of a highly reflective material, for example, aluminium foil and/or include a fluorescent material such as "DAYGLO" (Registered Trade Mark) pigment.The interior of the material of the balloon 16 can include or consist of a radar reflective material such as an aluminium film.

It will be appreciated that the balloon 16 (which may be some 600mm in diameter, is a very visible article floating above the surface of the sea. In daylight or moonlight the outer surface provides a very visible indication of the presence of a victim and even at night or in bad weather the radar reflective nature of the balloon can draw rescue craft towards the victim.

It will, of course, be appreciated that in relation to vehicles lost in deserts and/or in snowstorms or marooned in very severe conditions comparable advantages accrue. The device can also be carried by travellers in remote regions, mountaineers, walkers and comparable people on land who may wish to attract attention.

Skiers facing a pending avalanche could send-up a distress beacon before they are covered in snow.

Divers in difficulties under water could also send a distress beacon up.

The fact that the device is small and portable, for example being some 200mm long and perhaps 70mm in diameter renders it a very convenient and compact device which can be carried with minimum expense and discomfort.

Variations are possible within the scope of the above invention.

For example, the balloon could carry a light which would enable the balloon to be more easily seen at night. The light could be powered by a solar array together with a storage battery provided that the balloon was large enough to carry the weight thereof.

If possible, the line could include or consist of electrical conductors to enable power from a battery in the housing 11 to be led to a light along the outside of the balloon 16.

All or part of the line 20 could consist of or incorporate an aerial connected to a transmitter carried within the tube 12.

When in use in conditions where lightning strikes might be possible, the size and weight of the line 20 could be chosen such that any appreciable electric current flowing in the line due to lightning could cause a breaking of a fusible link thus preventing the user being electrocuted. As an alternative, a lower portion of the line could be constructed to be a good conductor. This lower portion of the line could be connected to an earth connection, for insertion into the ground or into the sea at a small distance from the victim. In the case of users on land, it would normally not be too difficult to ensure that the housing is secured to the ground some safe distance from the victim in order to protect him from lightning strike.In the case of victims at sea, it could be arranged that the line 20 leads to the beacon 27 which itself floats on the surface of the sea at some distance (for example lOm) from the victim and is connected to the victim by an immersed non-conducting line. This will ensure that in the event of lightning strike on the balloon and transmission down the line, the charge will be dissipated in the sea rather through the victim.

As a further possibility the main line connecting the balloon to the container can include or consist of an electrically conductive wire serving as an aerial.

If the container for the beacon is of non-conducting material a conducting lead can be attachable to the conducting main line and lead to a ground based radio transmitter. The conducting lead from the radio transmitter can be connected to the main line via a unit consisting of a diode/fusible link to reduce the possibility of a charge passing down the beacon wire damaging the radio transmitter.

Of course, a similar protector could be used to protect a person against lightning strike.

As a furtherpossibility, solar cells mounted on the net bag over the balloon can be interconnected and power a small radio transmitter carried by the balloon. In this case the net bag and/or the balloon itself can constitute an aerial. If aluminium coated panels are used as a radar reflector, such panels can be interconnected to form an aerial.

The balloon, and/or the container 17 can be coated with an ice/water repelent material such as that sold on the Trade Mark "VELLOX" to reduce the possibility that accretion of ice can cause an increase in the weight thereof.

As shown in Fig. 3, the beacon can include a balloon 28 which can carry a canister 29 comparable to the canister 17. Tha balloon 28 is aerodynamically shaped, being generally T-shaped in vertical cross section having an upper wing 30 and a lower fin 31.

The fin 31 can be connected to the line 20 either directly via an attachment 32 or indirectly via a harness 33. The attachment point and/ or a harness and the aerodynamically shaped balloon 28 are so arranged that in the wind the wing 30 generates uplift which tends to brace the line 20 in a position which is closer to the vertical there would be the case if the balloon was a pure spherical balloon with no aerodynamic shape. Plus, for a given length of line 20, the aerodynamic balloon 28 achieves a higher position in the sky and is therefore more easily seen.

Of- course, other aerodynamic shapes creating lift and that shown in Fig. 3 can be used.

A retaining cord overlight (not shown) can extend from the extremities of the wing 30 to the fin or to the harness. These can restrain the rather weak inflated fin from leaving its generally downward concave configuration under the influence of wind forces. Several retaining cords or other retaining means can be provided if necessary.

Many other variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A distress beacon in the form of an openable housing protecting and containing a balloon in a collapsed condition, a supply of lighter-than-air-gas 5for connection to the balloon and a length of line capable of tethering the balloon upon inflation and release of the balloon.

2. A beacon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the line is attached to the housing.

103. A beacon as claimed 1 or 2, wherein the balloon is of material which has an enhanced radiation reflective material.

4. A beacon as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the radiation is light and/or radar waves.

155. A beacon as claimed in claim 4, wherein the balloon includes fluorescent material and/or a metalised radar reflective coating.

6. A beacon as claimed in all previous claims wherein, the supply of compressed gas in a light 20canister.

7. A beacon as claimed in claim 6 wherein the canister is permanently connected to the balloon in order that it can be lifted with the balloon.

8. A beacon as claimed in claim 6, wherein the 25canister is separate from the balloon, a user being able to connect the canister to the balloon, discharge the canister to fill the balloon and then discard the canister.

9. A beacon as claimed in claim 7, wherein the canister is of lightweight materials and remains attached to the balloon to enhance the radar reflective nature thereof.

10. A beacon as claimed in claim 7 or 9, wherein a valve is provided between the canister and the balloon or inflation purposes.

11. A beacon as claimed in all preceding claims, wherein theballoon has an over-pressure valve to prevent bursting.

2. A beacon as claimed in all preceding claims wherein the line has a breaking strain of from 1 - 5 kg.

13. A beacon as claimed in all preceding claims wherein the container is provided with a tamperproof seal which indicates if the container has been opened.

14. A beacon as claimed in all preceding claims, wherein the balloon carries a lamp and a power supply light enough to be carried by the buoyancy of the balloon.

5. A beacon as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein supply power to a light within the balloon.

16. A beacon as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the inflation gas includes or consists of a gas which fluoresces and thus becomes visible at night.

17. A beacon as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the balloon contains or incorporates a lamp, parts of the balloon being transparent or translucent to allow such light to be seen.

18. A beacon as claimed in claim 17, wherein, in order that the balloon can be both radar reflective and transparent the balloon is made of two or more panels, at least one panel being translucent and at least one panel being radar reflective.

19. A beacon as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the balloon is of airfoil shape to assist in keeping it aloft and the line near vertical in windy conditions.

20. A beacon substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.