GB2315144A - Emergency pinpointer - Google Patents

Abstract

An "Emergency PinPointer" is disclosed, to be carried by a sailor, climber or fell walker so that, in the event of an accident, it may be deployed to draw the attention of would-be rescuers and passers-by to identify the location of the victim. It consists of a coloured, radar reflective balloon 7, fillable with helium from a small cylinder 2 via a pipe 6, which can be broken, allowing the balloon to be deployed up into the air at one end of a lanyard 10, the other end of which is attached to the victim, or an article of his/her clothing or equipment. The balloon and lanyard are folded separately into a compact space such that the balloon unfolds progressively as it is inflated and the lanyard does not tangle as it is deployed.

Description

EMERGENCY PINPOINTER This specification refers to means by which a person in distress may be more quickly and more easily located in the sea or in mountainous terrain so that the necessary assistance may be supplied.

Despite the best of preparations, accidents will always occur. Though it is strongly recommended that people should not go sailing, walking or climbing alone, an increasing number of lone individuals do get into difficulties. Locating an injured sailor at sea after the boat has sunk is difficult as, for the majority of the time, the sailor is hidden in the troughs between waves. Similarly, though walkers and climbers may leave details of their intended route, they often change their plans and/or may fall into a gully or be hidden by other undulations in the terrain. In a deep gully, an electronic bleeper, or mobile 'phone, may not be of much use as the sides of the gully can obscure the signal from searchers on the ground.

There is thus a need for an "Emergency PinPointer" to provide a means of readily identifying the location of a shipwrecked sailor at sea or a walker/climber in open terrain, which will be immediately obvious to trained searchers or passers-by to indicate the location of a person needing urgent assistance.

According a first aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for marking the location of a person in distress comprising: i. a source of a buoyant gas; ii. an inflatable container; iii. a means of filling said inflatable container with said buoyant gas and retaining said buoyant gas in said inflatable container; iv. a means of connecting said inflatable container to said injured person; and v. a means of separating said source of said buoyant gas from said inflatable container; characterised in that said buoyant gas has a density less than that of air.

According to a first variation of said first aspect of the invention, said inflatable container is a balloon According to a second variation of said first aspect of the invention, said inflatable container is folded into a small volume.

According to a third variation ofthe first aspect of the invention, said means of filling said inflatable container with said buoyant gas is an openable valve and a pipe connection.

According to a fourth variation of the first aspect of the invention, said means of retaining said buoyant gas in said infiatable container is a non-return valve.

According to a fifth variation of the first aspect of the invention, said means of connecting said inflatable container to said person in distress is an elongate member.

According to a sixth variation of the first aspect of the invention, said elongate member is packed into a small volume.

According to a seventh variation of the first aspect of the invention, said means of separating said source of buoyant gas from said inflatable container involves disconnection of said pipe.

In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, the source of buoyant gas is a small cylinder of compressed gas and the gas is helium. Helium is the second lightest gas known, but unlike hydrogen, it is not flammable. The inflatable container is a balloon. The helium cylinder is connected via a pipe to the balloon which is tightly folded into a small volume. When a person is in distress, he/she can release the gas by pulling a handle which will break a seal and release the helium through a short pipe into the balloon causing it to inflate. A non-return valve is provided to seal the helium in the balloon and the elongate member is a cord, lanyard or equivalent, secured at one end to the balloon and at the other end to the person in distress, or an item of clothing or equipment he/she is wearing.

When the balloon is fully inflated, the pipe connecting it to the cylinder may be disconnected. This could be via a simple, quick acting connector or by breaking the pipe at a specially prepared weak point. By releasing the pipe, the balloon, full of its buoyant gas, will float upwards to a height limited by the length of the lanyard and the prevailing wind, and thus provide a marker above the person in distress.

According to an eighth variation of the first aspect of the invention, said balloon is brightly coloured.

According to a ninth variation of the first aspect of the invention, said balloon is made of a material which is radar-reflective.

To provide the most visible indication ofthe position ofthe distressed person, the balloon is brightly coloured. It is a further advantage if the balloon will reflect a radar beam so that a searching ship or helicopter can identify the location from a considerable distance. This is particularly advantageous if an accident has occurred after dark or when visibility is poor, e.g. in fog, etc.

According to a tenth variation of the first aspect of the invention, the apparatus is operable by an injured person.

According to an eleventh variation of the first aspect of the invention, the means of filling said inflatable container with said buoyant gas includes a means of throttling the flow of said gas.

It is frequently the case that a climber or fell walker has been injured in a fall and may thus have lost the use of one or more limbs. The apparatus is thus designed to be used by someone who may have only one functioning hand. The balloon is filled by pulling a handle which ruptures a valve or seal in the pipe connecting it to the gas cylinder. To guard against damage to the balloon by too rapid inflation the means of throttling the gas flow is an orifice plate. The design of the apparatus is intended to allow such a disabled person to separate the balloon from the cylinder by means of breaking a preweakened section of the pipe. This can be done using just one hand if the cylinder is held securely to provide the necessary reaction force.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the apparatus is incorporated into a garment or equipment worn by the person.

According to a first variation of the second aspect of the invention, the garment or equipment worn by said person is a life jacket.

According to a second variation ofthe second aspect ofthe invention, the garment or equipment worn by said person is an anorak or waterproofjacket.

According to a third variation of the second aspect of the invention, the garment or equipment worn by said person is a belt.

According to a fourth variation of the second aspect of the invention, the apparatus is secured in an easily accessible enclosure.

Preferably, the apparatus of the invention is incorporated into part of the clothing or equipment worn by the person so that, when an accident occurs, the apparatus is immediately available for use. In the case of a sailor, the apparatus could be a life jacket, which would either be worn permanently or donned at the first signs of impending danger. In the case of a climber or fell walker, the apparatus could be incorporated into a breast pouch on an anorak or waterproof. Alternatively, it could be attached to a belt which would be permanently worn.

The apparatus of the invention must be immediately available for use even if the person has fallen and is in an unusual attitude. Thus, it is preferred that the apparatus is carried in a breast pouch accessible by either hand to cover for the circumstance when one arm may have been broken in the fall. It is of course possible that a severe fall could damage the pouch and its contents but, while this is a significant risk, the disadvantage of having the apparatus separate in a rucksack, etc. which might have been lost in the fall, is greater. It is impossible to design a system which will cater for every type of accident in every eventuality, but the man skilled in the art will appreciate the purpose of the invention and understand its benefits and limitations. The apparatus of the invention is intended as a means to assist in locating a person in distress; it is not intended to be the sole means on which his/her rescue may depend.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of marking the position of a person in distress, visible from a distance, comprising the steps of: i. providing a source of a buoyant gas; ii. providing an inflatable container; iii. providing a means of inflating said inflatable container with said buoyant gas and retaining said buoyant gas in said inflatable container, iv. providing an elongate member connecting said inflatable container to said person in distress; and v. providing a means of separating said source of buoyant gas from said inflatable container; so that, when said person is in distress, he/she may inflate said inflatable container, separate it from said source and allow it to deploy to the limit of said elongate member to mark the position of said person in distress.

For a clearer understanding of the invention and to show how it may be put into effect reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an injured person using the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a first arrangement of the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of a second arrangement of the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 3A is a detail ofthe fracture point 8 shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3B is a detail of one type of non-return valve as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3C is a detail of a second type of non-return valve as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a life jacket provided with a pouch to hold the apparatus of the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the arrangement of the apparatus of the invention shown in Figure 6, along the line BB, incorporated into a life jacket or similar protective jacket.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the arrangement of the apparatus shown in Figure 5, along the line AA.

In this description, the same reference numeral is used for the same component, or different components, fulfilling identical functions.

Figure 1 shows an example of the use of the apparatus of the invention to indicate the position of an injured person 43. It consists of an inflated helium-filled balloon 7A floating in the air at the end of a lanyard 10. One end 12 of lanyard 10 is secured to the victim and the other end 11 is fast with balloon 7A. The balloon would be made of a brightly coloured material so that it would be readily apparent to a rescuer, or passerby, when deployed. The material of the balloon must be of a thin, light, gas tight, but robust fabric. It must not deteriorate with prolonged storage, when it might be exposed to moisture, heat, etc. Mylar is the Trade Name for one suitable material; it is extremely strong, can be folded tightly and be packed into a small volume, but will contain a searching gas like helium.

A strong preference is that the material should be radar-reflective so that it will stand out at sea or, in mountainous areas, where it will show as a stronger echo than that of some of the background terrain. Mylar is also radar-reflective and this is another reason for its suitability. Other materials are also suitable and new ones are being developed. Lifeboats and mountain rescue helicopters have on-board radar which can be used to identify such balloons.

Though Fig. 1 shows an 'ideal' situation with the balloon 7A floating directly above victim 43, this situation rarely occurs in practice. visibility may be poor, e.g. due to fog, rain, flilling snow etc., and it is usual that a wind will be blowing. Under these conditions, the balloon may be blown so strongly that it is virtually touching the sea or ground surface. It is thus essential that the fabric of the balloon can resist impacts with the terrain and/or the effects of salt water; Mylar is suitable for all these requirements.

Fig. 2 shows the "Emergency PinPointer" 1. A helium-filled gas cylinder 2 is firmly connected 16 to a valve/activating unit 3. A handle 4 is pulled 5 to break the valve/seal (not shown) and discharge the gas from the cylinder into a pipe 6, which is securely connected 35 to a balloon 7. As shown, balloon 7 is folded flat and contains no gas.

The method of folding is such that ingress of gas 2 will progressively inflate and unfold balloon 7 so that the process will be automatic and fully fill the balloon 7A (Fig. 1) without over stressing the fabric.

To prevent damage to balloon 7, e.g. bursting due to over-rapid inflation which could occur if the helium was at high pressure and released too quickly, an orifice plate 44 is incorporated into connection 16. Connection 16 is the ideal location for orifice plate 44 as it would not expose pipe 6 to high pressure. The disadvantage of having the orifice plate 44 is that balloon 7 will inflate more slowly, but this should not be a disadvantage, it is certainly less of a disadvantage that of tearing balloon 7 by over rapid inflation. A non-return valve 9 is incorporated in pipe 6. This valve 9 is designed to seal the helium in balloon 7A. The helium molecule is very small so that a high standard of seal is required to stop leakage.

Fast with pipe 6 is a connection 11 to secure a lanyard 10. The other end of lanyard 10 is secured 12 to the life jacket or jacket worn by the victim. Symbol 13 indicates a considerable length of lanyard between fixings 11 and 12. This is so that the balloon 7A can float at a significant distance above the victim 43, so that it can be seen by would-be rescuers from a considerable distance. This is important if; for example, the victim has fallen into a gully on a mountain when the balloon 7A will be able to rise out of the gully and thus be visible from a distance. As shown (Fig 4), lanyard 10 is coiled in a fashion so that it can be deployed to its full extent without tangling.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative arrangement in which the components of activating unit 3 are shown in detail and pipe 6 is bent at a right angle alongside cylinder 2. Here, the connection 16 between cylinder 2 and pipe 6 is shown. The connection to valve/seal 14 is shown with handle 4 passing through a seal 15. When handle 4 is pulled 5, valve/seal 14 is ruptured thus releasing gas 2 into pipe 6. The helium flows through pipe 6 and non-return valve 9 into balloon 7 to inflate it 7k The (heavy) cylinder 2 and unit 3 are separated from balloon 7A by breaking pipe 6 at fracture point 8. This leaves a short length of (light) pipe 6 attached 35 to balloon 7A; this length of pipe 6 includes non-return valve 9 and lanyard attachment 11. When pipe 6 is broken at fracture point 8, balloon 7A is released and will rise, deploying lanyard 10, and float freely.

Fracture point 8 is shown in detail in Fig. 3A as an annular notch 17 which can be fractured by a twisting, or bending, action on pipe 6. The material of pipe 6 would preferably be a high quality polymer with sufficient strength to resist normal usage and accidental bumps, but which would fail in a brittle manner when a sufficient twisting or bending force was applied. Notch 17 is only one of a number of methods by which the (heavy) cylinder 2 can be separated from balloon 7A and other methods, for example quick release connections, will be apparent to the skilled person. Simple methods are essential as the person using the apparatus of the invention may often be injured, e.g.

after having fallen while climbing, and may have sustained broken bones.

Non-return valve 9 is shown in more detail in Fig. 3B and consists of a ball 18 held against a seat 19 by a spring 20 captive against a stop 21. Gas flow 36 lifts ball 18 off seat 19 so that it may flow into balloon 7. When the pressure in balloon 7 is essentially the same as that in cylinder 2, spring 20 will urge ball 18 against seat 19 and seal the valve 9. An alternative arrangement of valve 9 is shown in Fig. 3C. Here a flap 23 is secured 22 to the inside of pipe 6. Gas flow 36 lifts flap 23 and enters balloon 7 until the pressures in balloon 7 and cylinder 2 are equal. When fracture point 8 is broken, the gas 2 trying to leave balloon 7A will force flap 23 to shut and seal valve 9.

In designing the apparatus of the invention, it must be borne in mind that the victim may have suffered considerable injuries in the actual shipwreck, or a fall in the mountains. He/she may thus have broken bones. If this included broken collar bones, arms, wrists and/or hands, it would be difficult to break fracture point 8 as, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, two strong hands and arms would be required. For this reason, the alternative arrangement in Fig. 3 is shown in which squeezing pipe 6 and cylinder 2 together, as shown by arrows 24, would fracture 8 pipe 6.

Alternatively, a hand could be forced between cylinder 8 and pipe 6 as shown by arrow 25; this would have the same effect of breaking fracture point 8. People skilled in the art will be aware of other arrangements of the apparatus of the invention which would enable people with fractures to separate the inflated balloon from cylinder 2. Though cylinder 2 is relatively small, it is still too heavy to be supported by inflated balloon 7 and thus must be separated, e.g. by a fracture point 8.

Similarly, lanyard 10 is made of a material, and of a suitable length so that its weight does not adversely affect the deployment of balloon 7A. Clearly, the longer lanyard 10 is the better, but 1 Sm has been found to be a sensible length.

Though the "Emergency PinPointer" 1 is intended to be used with balloon 7A deployed in the air above victim 43, it will be apparent that even if the injured person is only able to inflate balloon 7A and not break pipe 6 at fracture point 8, balloon 7A will still inflate and provide a brightly coloured beacon on the ground, or on the sea, adjacent to victim 43. Unless the victim is in a deep gully, and out of sight, inflated balloon 7A will still provide an obvious target which should be visible to a close passer-by who might otherwise not see the victim. The dogs, trained to detect injured people on the fells, can also be taught to recognise balloons 7A.

Fig. 4 shows an arrangement of a life jacket 26. The standard form of life jacket 26 includes a hole 27 through which the head is placed. In some types, an opening flap 28, secured by a Velcro strip (not shown) is provided. On the front of the life jacket 26 are two pouches 34, 37 covered by naps secured by Velcro fastening. On the left hand side, in pouch 34, is the life jacket inflation apparatus 29, consisting of a gas cylinder 29 with a release valve pull 31 discharging into a pipe 32 and into the life jacket buoyancy bag (not shown) via connection 33.

In the right hand pouch 37, is the apparatus 1 according to the invention. Here, balloon 7 is shown folded between cylinder 2 and lanyard 10. The end 12 of lanyard 10 is secured to life jacket 26. The two pouches 34, 37 are on the front ofthe life jacket 26 and thus immediately available for use in an emergency. In the case of a sailor who falls overboard, he would first reach for handle 31 and pull it to inflate life jacket 26. If he was alone, or becoming separated from his ship, he would open the flap covering pouch 37 to expose apparatus 1 and pull handle 4. This would cause gas 2 to inflate balloon 7. When the process was complete, the sailor would break fracture point 8 and balloon 7A would float upwards deploying lanyard 10.

It will be apparent that a similar arrangement could be produced for climbers or fellwalkers. Here, of course, there would be no requirement for inflation apparatus 29, but an equivalent to pouch 37 could be incorporated into an anorak or suitable garment.

Figs. 5 and 6 show an arrangement for pouch 37 which consists of a flap sewn at one side 37A to the garment 39 and secured at the other by a Velcro fastening 37B. The free edge 37C of flap 37 extends beyond the edge of Velcro fastening 37B, so that it may be readily opened in an emergency. The arrangement of the items of the apparatus 1 in these figures is slightly different to that shown in Fig. 4, in that balloon 7 is folded on top of cylinder 2 and coiled lanyard 10 (Fig. 6). A pocket 42 is stitched 42A around cylinder 2 and activation unit 3 with two holes 42B through which handle 4 and pipe 6 pass, as shown. The connection (35) between pipe 6 and balloon 7 is shown by arrow 38. A backing member 40 is shown inserted in a pocket 41, sewn to the garment, to give rigidity between the fabric 39 of the life jacket 26 or anorak and apparatus 1 of the invention to provide some protection during normal use of the garment in nonemergency conditions.

In an emergency, the injured sailor/climber/walker would try to lie on his/her back and pull flap 37C to expose "Emergency PinPointer" 1. He/She would then pull handle 4.

Because cylinder 2 and unit 3 are in pocket 42, stitching 42A will provide the reaction to the force 5 of the pull on handle 4. This will cause balloon 7 to inflate and stand up on its connection 38 to pipe 6. Fracture point 8 would be broken, in the manner described previously and balloon 7A would rise deploying lanyard 10. One end 12 of lanyard 10 is secured to life jacket 26 or the anorak so that it is automatically deployed and visible from a distance. The victim 43 would then try and assume the 'recovery position', as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that, because cylinder 2 and unit 3 are secured in pocket 42, this will provide the reaction force so that fracture point 8 can be broken using only one hand. If the injured person could not break fracture point 8, the coloured inflated balloon would still provide a beacon' to attract would-be rescuers and passers-by.

The size of balloon 7A is determined by the volume of gas which is available in cylinder 2. Inflation cylinder 30, for one type of life jacket 26, contains 33g of carbon dioxide which is probably in a liquid form. Helium is a permanent gas and cannot be liquefied at normal temperatures. Thus it will have to be at a higher pressure than for the carbon dioxide and a larger size of cylinder 2 may be required. If a high gas pressure has to be used in cylinder 2, it is advisable to place an orifice plate 44 in the cylinder outlet so that the gas is not released too quickly as this could cause damage, e.g. bursting pipe 6, or tearing balloon 7 if the rate of inflation was faster than the rate at which it could unfold naturally. As there should be no desperate rush to inflate and deploy the balloon, it is sensible to do it slowly rather than risk damage by over rapid inflation.

As the helium 2 is likely to be at a very high pressure (relative to that required in balloon 7A), a very small size of orifice hole 44 is preferred, e.g. perhaps only a few micrometers in diameter and drilled with a laser. Such an arrangement may cause the balloon to inflate over a period of, say, 1 - 2 minutes, after which pipe 6 is broken 8 to deploy balloon 7A.

The volume of balloon 7A determines its lifting capacity, which must be adequate to support the fabric of balloon 7A, connection 35, part of pipe 6, non-return valve 9 and lanyard 10, as well as to provide additional buoyancy to keep balloon 7A as high in the air as possible against the prevailing wind. The S.T.P. density data is: Air 1.293 kg/m3 Helium 0.166 kg/m3 Lift provided per kg of helium = 1.127 kg The above data will help a skilled person to put the invention into effect when the cover provided by this application has expired.

Claims (29)

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for marking the location of a person in distress comprising: i. a source of a buoyant gas; ii. an inflatable container; iii. a means of filling said inflatable container with said buoyant gas and retaining said buoyant gas in said inflatable container; iv. a means of connecting said inflatable container to said injured person; and v. a means of separating said source of said buoyant gas from said inflatable container; characterised in that said buoyant gas has a density less than that of air.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inflatable container is a balloon.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said balloon is folded into a small volume.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means of folding said balloon is such that it can be unfolded by internal inflation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means of filling said balloon with said buoyant gas includes an openable valve.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means of filling said balloon with said buoyant gas includes a pipe connection.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means of filling said balloon with said buoyant gas includes an orifice restriction.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claims 5, 6 and 7, wherein said means of retaining said buoyant gas in said balloon is a non-return valve.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means of connecting said balloon to said person in distress is an elongate member.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said elongate member is a cord or the like.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said elongate member is packed into a small volume.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method of packing said elongate member is such that it may be deployed quickly without said elongate member becoming entangled.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means of separating said source of buoyant gas from said balloon involves disconnection of said pipe.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said means of separating said source of buoyant gas from said balloon involves breaking said pipe.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein a part of said pipe is weakened to facilitate breaking of said pipe.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means of weakening said pipe to facilitate breaking is a wholly, or partly, circumferential notch.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said buoyant gas is helium.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said balloon is brightly coloured.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said balloon is made of a material which is radar reflective.

20. Apparatus as claimed in any previous claim, which is operable by said person using only one hand.

21. Apparatus as claimed in any previous claim, which is incorporated into a garment or equipment worn by said person.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said garment or equipment is a life jacket.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said garment or equipment is an anorak or waterproofjacket.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said garment or equipment is a belt or strap.

25. Apparatus as claimed in claims 21 - 24, which is secured in an easily accessible enclosure.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said source of said buoyant gas is secured in an enclosure attached to said garment or equipment worn by said person.

27. A method of marking the position of a person in distress, visible from a distance, comprising the steps of: i. providing a source of a buoyant gas; ii. providing an inflatable container; iii. providing a means of inflating said inflatable container with said buoyant gas and retaining said buoyant gas in said inflatable container; iv. providing an elongate member connecting said inflatable container to said person in distress; and v. providing a means of separating said source of buoyant gas from said inflatable container; so that, when said person is in distress, he/she may inflate said balloon, separate it from said source of buoyant gas and allow it to float upwards to the limit of said elongate member to mark the position of said person in distress.

28. A method of marking the position of a person in distress as claimed in claim 27, in which said inflatable container is filled with said buoyant gas in a slow and gradual manner so that said inflatable container is progressively unfolded and deployed.

29. Apparatus and method of marking the position of a person in distress as described in and by the attached text with reference to the accompanying drawings.