RU2525502C2 - Lifejacket with system for detection and location of person in distress in water - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: rescue operations.

SUBSTANCE: lifejacket has one or several buoyancy chambers and system for detection and location, which comprises a casing (2) filled from the balloon with compressed helium. The balloon is equipped with a starter and fastened to the vest. The casing (2) is placed in the packaging compartment of the vest and is made of the thermoplastic polymeric material. The casing in the gas-filled condition assumes the form of a balloon with a cylindrical sidewall. Inside the casing there are four stripes made of metallised polymeric film, interconnected along the longitudinal edges. Other longitudinal edges of the strips are attached to the inner surface of the casing so that, when filling the casing with helium they form a four-bladed structure of the reflector (1) of the radar impulse having mutually perpendicular planes. The casing with a flexible tube (5) is connected to the balloon with providing quick-release coupling. Inside the casing, a return valve (4) is mounted. The casing is connected to the vest belt using a cord.

EFFECT: increased efficiency in detection of a person in distress.

3 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to individual means of saving a person on the water and can be used by the personnel of sea vessels, as well as personal rescue equipment.

Known life jacket marine "ZhSM-CYCLONE" [RF Patent for utility model No. 61249, published 02.27.2007]. The vest has a head restraint, a bib filled with a buoyant filler, a belt, a lifting loop, and a towing loop. The design of the vest also provides for the presence of a search fire and a signal whistle, and reflective tapes are sewn on the material of the vest.

There are known designs of lifejackets equipped with additional detection elements. So, in a life jacket with a system for detecting and determining the location of a person in distress on water [RF Patent for Utility Model No. 54354, published June 27, 2006], a brightly colored balloon filled with gas is attached to the vest through a cord. The lifejacket is equipped with a helium cylinder, which communicates through a valve with a ball. In an emergency, a ball hovering above water greatly facilitates the detection of a person on the water.

Known emergency rescue system [RF Patent for the invention No. 2463202, publ. 10/10/2012], adopted as a prototype. The system is fastened with straps on the human body or attached to a life jacket. The emergency-rescue system includes a balloon filled with helium and made with mirror strips on the outer surface, to which a signal-transmitting device is attached. Mirror reflective stripes on the surface of the ball, in addition to reflecting sunlight, give a noticeable point on the radar screen. The presence of a signal-transmitting device makes the emergency rescue system more complex, but also more efficient. However, when it fails, or in case of power failure, one ball with reflective stripes will not allow to detect the system from a long distance, because the radio signal reflected from the bands on the ball has a low intensity due to scattering. In addition, the device described in the prototype has a complex system for bringing it into working condition, and its use is not possible when the person in distress is in an unconscious state, or he received serious damage.

The basis of the invention is the task of expanding the arsenal of rescue equipment and creating a life jacket equipped with a new effective system for detecting and determining the location of a person, without the use of a signal-transmitting device.

The technical result achieved is an increase in the efficiency of reflection of a location radio signal by elements of a detection system. The problem is solved by changing the design. The lifejacket has one or more buoyancy chambers and is equipped with a system for detecting and determining location. This system includes a shell filled from a cylinder with compressed helium, a cylinder with compressed helium is equipped with a starting device and is mounted on a vest. The shell is placed in the packaging compartment of the vest and is made of thermoplastic polymeric material, and in the gas-filled state takes the form of a cylinder with a cylindrical side wall. Inside the shell are four strips made of a metallized polymer film, interconnected along the longitudinal edges. Other longitudinal edges of the strips are attached to the inner surface of the shell in such a way that when filling the shell with helium, they form a four-blade design of the radar reflector having mutually perpendicular planes. The shell using a flexible tube is connected to a cylinder with compressed helium to provide a quick connection of the tube and the cylinder. A check valve is installed inside the shell to prevent gas from escaping from the internal volume of the shell. The casing is connected to the waistcoat with a strong and lightweight cord.

Retroreflective and / or fluorescent strips can be applied to the outer surface of the sheath, and retroreflective and / or fluorescent strips (coated film strips) are attached to the cord.

In order to better demonstrate the distinctive features of the invention, as an example, not having any restrictive character, the preferred embodiment is described below, which is illustrated by the Figure, which shows the balloon in working (filled with helium) state with a radar reflector located inside.

The Figure indicates: 1 - reflector of the radar signal (corner reflector), 2 - shell filled with helium and having the shape of a cylinder with a cylindrical side wall, 3 - retroreflective and / or fluorescent stripes on the outer surface of the shell, 4 - check valve, 5 - flexible helium feed tube.

The life jacket has one or more buoyancy chambers. You can use any vest that meets the requirements of the Maritime Register of Shipping, for example, similar to the ZhS-2004 vest manufactured by Storm [http://www.shtorm-spb.ru/photogallery/7.htm], or the ZhSM-CYCLON vest described above ", or any other. The vest is equipped with a belt, electric fire and a whistle located in special pockets. In addition, a cylinder with compressed helium, equipped with a starting device, is fixed on the vest. On the vest there is a packing compartment with a shell (styling) placed on it, filled through the tube 5 with helium. The shell 1 is made of a durable polymer thermoplastic film, for example polyurethane, and has a bright color, for example, orange. The shell elements - the side surface and two bases, are interconnected by heat sealing. In the gas-filled state, the shell takes the form of a cylinder with a cylindrical side wall. The diameter can be from 400 to 450 mm, the height of the cylinder from 520 to 750 mm. Inside the shell - in its lower base, a check valve 4 is installed, which prevents the escape of gas from the internal volume of the shell after it is filled. The shell is connected to a life vest, or rather, with its belt, a durable polymer cord. The length of the cord is 20-25 m. A flexible tube 5 connects the shell to a cylinder with compressed helium. To reduce the weight of the structure lifted into the air, the tube is made short. It is connected to a compressed helium cylinder to provide a quick disconnect, for example, using a special device that disengages the tube when filling the balloon, or the tube has a zone of weakened strength, which automatically breaks after filling the pressure equalization balloon 1.

Inside the shell is placed corner reflector 2 of the radar signal. It is made of strips of metallized thermoplastic polymer film. In the case of using a non-thermoplastic film, a special thermoplastic layer is applied to it, which ensures the connection of the parts by heat sealing. Reflector 2 is made of four stripes of the described film - rectangular flaps, the length of which is slightly less than the height of the cylinder, and the width is equal to its radius, taking into account the tolerance on the seams. The strips (flaps) are interconnected along the longitudinal edges, other longitudinal edges are attached to the inner surface of the shell in such a way that when filling the shell 2 with gel, they form a four-blade design of the reflector 1 of the radar signal. The peripheral edges of the interconnected strips are thermally welded to the inner surface of the cylindrical part of the shell at an equidistant distance from each other. Thus, when filling the shell 2 with helium, between the stretched strips forming mirror planes, the radial angle is 90 degrees.

The inventive life vest is used as follows. After the ascent (or during the ascent), the person in distress takes out the shell 2 from the packing compartment located on the vest and turns on the starting device of the cylinder with compressed helium. The gas-filled shell 2 unfolds, and at the same time, the design of the corner reflector unfolds inside it. When filling the shell with helium, it rushes upward, like a balloon, and comes off the helium cylinder, it is held only by the cord fixed on the waistband of the vest. The backpressure valve does not allow gas to escape into the atmosphere. The use of a bright shell, floating like a balloon, at an altitude of 20-25 m above a person in distress, significantly increases the likelihood of its detection and location, especially when the sea is rough. Stripes and tapes with a retroreflective and / or fluorescent coating also contribute to this, which increases the likelihood of detection in the dark. The presence of a corner reflector inside the shell allows you to search using radar stations located on ships, aircraft and helicopters. A radar beam that hits one of the planes is reflected from it, hits the adjacent plane, and is reflected again. The right angle between the planes of the reflector ensures parallelism of the reflection beam to the falling beam, thus minimizing scattering, and the reflected beam gives a noticeable point on the radar screen.

Thus, the applied system for detecting and determining the location of a person in distress at sea is easy to manufacture, does not require the use of electronic devices and batteries, and is very effective. To bring it into action, it is enough to remove the shell from the compartment on the vest, turn on the starter on a cylinder with compressed helium. Such simple actions can be carried out by an injured person.

Claims (3)

1. A life jacket, characterized in that it has at least one buoyancy chamber and is equipped with a system for detecting and determining a location, including a shell filled from a cylinder with compressed helium, which is equipped with a starter and mounted on the vest, the shell is placed in the packing compartment of the vest and is made of thermoplastic polymer material, and in the gas-filled state takes the form of a cylinder with a cylindrical side wall, four strips made of metal are placed inside the shell of an allied polymer film interconnected along longitudinal edges, the other longitudinal edges of which are attached to the inner surface of the shell in such a way that when filling the shell with helium they form a four-blade design of the radar reflector having mutually perpendicular planes, the shell is connected to the compressed cylinder with a flexible tube helium to provide a quick-connect, a check valve is installed in the lower base of the shell to prevent gas from escaping morning volume shell, wherein the shell is connected with a belt cord using a vest. 2. Life jacket according to claim 1, characterized in that retroreflective and / or fluorescent stripes are applied on the outer surface of the shell. 3. Life jacket according to claim 1, characterized in that reflective and / or fluorescent tapes are attached to the cord.