GB2353006A - Variable safety buoy for indicating differing operational situations - Google Patents

Variable safety buoy for indicating differing operational situations Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2353006A
GB2353006A GB9919038A GB9919038A GB2353006A GB 2353006 A GB2353006 A GB 2353006A GB 9919038 A GB9919038 A GB 9919038A GB 9919038 A GB9919038 A GB 9919038A GB 2353006 A GB2353006 A GB 2353006A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
buoy
operational
sheath
diver
operational status
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9919038A
Other versions
GB9919038D0 (en
GB2353006B (en
Inventor
John Richard Mead
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9919038A priority Critical patent/GB2353006B/en
Publication of GB9919038D0 publication Critical patent/GB9919038D0/en
Publication of GB2353006A publication Critical patent/GB2353006A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2353006B publication Critical patent/GB2353006B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
    • B63C11/26—Communication means, e.g. means for signalling the presence of divers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/16—Buoys specially adapted for marking a navigational route

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)

Abstract

A safety buoy which floats on the surface of a body of water, in use, is provided with a removable cover so that when the cover is in place the buoy will convey a first operational status, and when the cover is removed it will convey a second operational status. The first status may indicate that a diver who has released the buoy has no problems, while the second status may indicate the diver is having difficulties. The body of the buoy may be tubular, spherical or teardrop shaped when inflated. The buoy may include inflation means and may have an open end trough which gas may be introduced to inflate the buoy.

Description

1 2353006 Sheathed Safety Buoy The invention relates to a delayed surface
marker buoy, of the type that is inflated by the diver when needed.
Such buoys are well known to divers, and are used to ascend from a dive in a controlled manner, by being deployed to the surface on a reel line. The diver, however, may need to stop short of the surface (usually 5-10 mtrs) to decompress. These 'decompression stops' are vital on long or deep dives, and missing them can result in decompression sickness or even death.
If a diver knows there is going to be a problem during the ascent, such as running out of air, being hassled by sharks, or problems due to illness or injury - there is no way to warn the boat on the surface.
Some divers may carry two different colour buoys and have an arrangement with the boat that one colour is an S.O.S signal. Generally thogh most divers only carry one buoy which is of one colour.
This is a problem as when a diver sends up a buoy the people in the boat will just assume that all is well and follow the buoy until the diver surfaces.
These problems can be solved by putting a sheath over the surface marker buoy. The sheath would be of a plain colour that matches the bottom part of the buoy - when deployed with the sheath on, the buoy will look normal on the surface and raise no alarm. If there is a problem, then the sheath can be removed before deployment, exposing a distress message.
This can be attcheaved by putting a tight fitting sheath of light weight, thin and elastic material over the main body of the buoy. There are many materials already in use in diving that would be ideal. The sheath can be fixed to the main body of the buoy by velcro, and adequate flaps would ensure easy release even if the diver is wearing thick gloves.
A good fit would ensure that it is secure, but easy to pull off before inflation. Holes in the top of the sheath would release trapped air that would otherwise loosen the sheath on it's ascent.
The sheath could be made to go with any shaped buoy - straight (see diagram 1.) or tear drop (see diagram 2); it will also work with any type of inflation - C02 (see diagram 1.) or open ended (see diagram 2).

Claims (8)

1. A safety buoy which has a portion of its body adapted to extend above the surface of water upon which the buoy floats in use, the extended portion being designed so that it can be set in one of at least two conditions, each of the two conditions being indicative of a different operational situation and being selectable by a user of the buoy.
2. A safety buoy which comprises a buoyant body, when in use, the buoyant body being provided with a removable cover or sheath so that when the sheath is in position the buoy will convey a first operational status and when the sheath is removed it will convey a second operational status.
3. A buoy as claimed in Claim 2 in which the first operational status indicates that a diver who has released the buoy has no operational problems and the second operational status indicates that a diver who has released the buoy has an operational problem.
4. A buoy as claimed in either Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the body of the buoy is substantially tubular when inflated into its operational condition.
5. A buoy as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the body of the buoy is substantially spherical or teardrop shaped when inflated into its operational condition.
6. A buoy as claimed in any previous claim, including means for inflating the body of the buoy.
7. A buoy as claimed in any of Claims I to 6, having an openable end through which gas may be introduced in order to inflate the buoy.
8. A buoy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
GB9919038A 1999-08-12 1999-08-12 Sheathed Safety buoy Expired - Fee Related GB2353006B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9919038A GB2353006B (en) 1999-08-12 1999-08-12 Sheathed Safety buoy

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9919038A GB2353006B (en) 1999-08-12 1999-08-12 Sheathed Safety buoy

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9919038D0 GB9919038D0 (en) 1999-10-13
GB2353006A true GB2353006A (en) 2001-02-14
GB2353006B GB2353006B (en) 2002-12-11

Family

ID=10859032

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9919038A Expired - Fee Related GB2353006B (en) 1999-08-12 1999-08-12 Sheathed Safety buoy

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2353006B (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2366769A (en) * 2001-01-11 2002-03-20 Jim Baldwin Diver's surface marker buoy
US9937981B2 (en) 2015-08-07 2018-04-10 Decathlon Decompression buoy

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4224707A (en) * 1977-02-21 1980-09-30 Giulio Mariani Floating apparatus for the remote marking of the position of bodies fallen in water
US5403219A (en) * 1993-07-06 1995-04-04 Ryan; Wayne Launchable diver surfacing signal

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4224707A (en) * 1977-02-21 1980-09-30 Giulio Mariani Floating apparatus for the remote marking of the position of bodies fallen in water
US5403219A (en) * 1993-07-06 1995-04-04 Ryan; Wayne Launchable diver surfacing signal

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2366769A (en) * 2001-01-11 2002-03-20 Jim Baldwin Diver's surface marker buoy
GB2366769B (en) * 2001-01-11 2002-08-07 Jim Baldwin Surface marker buoy apparatus
US9937981B2 (en) 2015-08-07 2018-04-10 Decathlon Decompression buoy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9919038D0 (en) 1999-10-13
GB2353006B (en) 2002-12-11

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20050812

728V Application for restoration filed (sect. 28/1977)
728Y Application for restoration allowed (sect. 28/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20090812