US20230286623A1

US20230286623A1 - Anti-sink instant flotation device for boats, ships, barges, airplanes, etc.

Info

Publication number: US20230286623A1
Application number: US17/690,294
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas Ellis Stanley Haskins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-03-09
Filing date: 2022-03-09
Publication date: 2023-09-14

Abstract

The greatest threat to any boat, ship, barge, airplane, etc. that is out upon the water is sinking. This process have has countless lives and trillions of dollars worth of lost materials and possessions over the millennia. This invention provides a device to be attached to a boat, ship, barge, airplane, etc. ahead of time that can be self-activating or can be activated manually, by a switch, that will deploy a gas-filled balloon that will prevent the boat, ship, barge, airplane, etc. from sinking.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a device to be attached permanently to any medium to large object to prevent it from sinking entirely underwater. This device is made up of a combination of a balloon that is instantly filled with compressed gas when water fills the device, releasing the balloon from the device to float to the surface of whatever waterway in which the object is sinking.

2. Description of Related Art

Current ship, boat, barge or other flotation devices and technologies designed to prevent an object from an untimely sinking fall under the following categories:

a) Built into the object to be floated and always in use for flotation and can be damaged/punctured during regular use
b) Can be attached to the object to be floated always in use for flotation and can be damaged/punctured during regular use
c) One device that wraps around most or all of the boat as one long device that is activated by expensive water sensors and controlled by expensive and ornate circuitry and utilizes one balloon filling mechanism that to fill multiple balloons such that, if it fails, will cause the entire device to fail and the object will sink.

3. How This Invention Is Unique

a) Each device in this invention is independent and has its own balloon filling mechanism
b) Each device in this invention in this invention is independent and has its own dedicated balloon
c) Each device in this invention can be attached to any size object from a small boat to a huge ocean liner, oil freighter or airplane, etc. very simply with nuts and bolts, rivets or welding
d) Each device in this invention can be made in a variety of sizes and since each is independent of the others a mixed size of devices can be attached to any object to be floated to better control the floatation results
e) Each device in this invention is self-contained and so easy to install and remove for replacement or maintenance
f) Each device in this invention is self-contained and self-sufficient and so does not require running wiring (unless the option for an electrical override switch is chosen and the wireless option is not selected) or ballon-attaching lines around the object to be floated
g) This device in this invention is designed to fill the flotation balloon with non-flammable/non-toxic gas either from a compress gas cylinder or a chemical reaction with water.

BENEFITS OF THIS INVENTION

1. As a small or comparatively small and efficiently packaged device that is self-contained and self-sufficient it can be easily installed, removed, replace and maintained by simple use of the attachment bolts and nuts.
2. Its shape and design are aerodynamic thus greatly reducing any drag from wind or water splashes
3. Will instantly and automatically activate as the sinking object begins to sink
4. Can be activated manually through a wired or wirelessly controlled switch and related trigger mechanism
5. Multiple such devices of various sizes can be independently attached, removed, maintained and moved attached to/from a medium, large and extremely large object to prevent unwanted sinking

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an anti-sink object flotation device that rapidly fills a flotation balloon with compressed gas from a bottle that is released by in internal float mechanism that activates when water enters the device only while the object is truly sinking.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an anti-sink object flotation device that rapidly fills a flotation balloon with gas that is produced by the reaction of a chemical stored in the device and water that enters the device only while object is truly sinking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following detailed description is directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different ways as defined and covered by the claims and their equivalents. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout. Unless otherwise noted in this specification or in the claims, all of the terms used in the specification and the claims will have the meanings normally ascribed to these terms by workers in the art.

FIG. 1 List of marked items
200.	flotation balloon
201.	gas
202.	compressed gas cylinder
203.	water
204.	internal float
205.	resistance spring
206,	compressed gas cylinder valve
207.	Balloon chamber sealed door
208.	open and upward, directional movement of Balloon chamber sealed door
209.	balloon attachment lines
210.	float movement shock absorber
211.	base
212.	nuts and bolt
213.	built-in constricted water input opening
214.	convoluted water flow path
215.	primary sealed chamber inner door control arm electric trigger mechanism
216.	water flow resistance arms
217.	control switch
218.	battery
219.	FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a hardened case anti-sink object flotation device that rapidly fills a flotation balloon 200 with gas 201 released from a compressed gas cylinder 202 stored in the device. As the object begins to sink into the water past the position where this device is installed, which must be above and close to the highest water point on the object, water 203 begins to fill the device. When enough water 203 fills the device and remains in it by constant pressure caused by the object sinking rather than the action of random waves or water movement, the internal float 204 will rise up against the float resistance spring 205, pulling the float movement shock absorber up with it. The float movement shock absorber is attached to the valve mechanism and so as it rises up it will the compressed gas cylinder valve 206 such that the compressed gas 201 will be forced into the flotation balloon 200. The action of the internal float 204 rising up against the float resistance spring 205 as the water enters the device will be tempered by the built-in constricted water input opening 213, the convoluted water flow path 214, that includes the water flow resistance arms 216 built into the device, and the float movement shock absorber 210 such that sudden water pressure from action of random waves or water movement will not active the device. As the flotation balloon 200 inflates it will force the balloon chamber sealed door 207 open and upward 208 which will allow the flotation balloon 200 to expand out of the device and up toward the surface of the water in which the object is sinking, thus pulling the object up and toward the surface of the water via the balloon attachment lines 209 which are attached to the flotation balloon 200 and to the device. The device is attached to a base 211 with nuts and bolt 212 which base 211 is attached to the object to be floated via nuts and bolts and drill holes, welding or rivets. An additional option designed into this invention is a primary sealed chamber inner door control arm electric trigger mechanism that will open the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm when a control switch 217 is pushed by operators of the object being floated. This control switch 217 will control the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm via wired or wireless connection. If by wireless connection then this device shall have a battery 218 included in its design to power the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm.

FIG. 2 list of marked items
100.	flotation balloon
101.	gas
102.	chemical
103.	water
104.	constricted opening
105.	primary internal float
106.	primary chamber sealed outer door
107.	small internal float
108.	primary chamber
109.	secondary internal float
110.	secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm
111.	secondary sealed chamber opening
112.	secondary sealed chamber
113.	primary sealed chamber sealed inner door
114.	balloon chamber sealed door
115.	gas release pipe
116.	out and up, motion of balloon chamber sealed door
117.	balloon attachment lines
118.	base
119.	nuts and bolts
120.	pivot control arm
121.	lower pivot point
122.	primary float pivot control arm spring and shock absorber unit
123.	secondary float resistance spring and shock absorber unit
124.	electrical secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm controller
125.	control switch
126.	battery
127.	FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a hardened case anti-sink object flotation device that rapidly fills a flotation balloon 100 with gas 101 produced by a chemical 102 stored in the device that reacts with water 103 that enters the device through the constricted opening 104 only while object is truly sinking. As the object begins to sink into the water past the position where this device is installed, which must be above and close to the highest water point on the object, water 103 begins to fill the device. When enough water 103 fills the device and remains in it by constant pressure caused by the object sinking rather than the action of random waves or water movement, the primary internal float 105, which is attached to a pivot control arm 120 which pivots on a lower pivot point 121, will rise up against the primary float pivot control arm spring and shock absorber unit and lift away from a primary chamber sealed door 106. This will allow the small internal float 107 attached to the bottom of the primary chamber sealed outer door 106 rise up also and cause the primary chamber sealed door 106 to open and allow water 103 to enter the primary sealed chamber 108. The primary internal float 105 is prevented from rising from occasional water entry into the device caused by the action random wave or water movement by the float pivot control arm resistance spring and shock absorber unit 122. When the primary chamber 108 fills completely it will cause the secondary internal float 109 to rise up against the secondary float resistance spring and shock absorber unit 123, lifting the secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm 110 that seals the opening 111 to the secondary sealed chamber 112 and allow water 103 to enter the secondary sealed chamber 112. In the secondary sealed chamber the water will meet with a chemical 102 that will react with water to rapidly produce non-flammable/non-toxic gas 101. At the time that the secondary internal float rises, lifting the secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm 110, the resulting pressure from the expanding gas 101 will force the primary chamber sealed inner door 113 closed (a one-way door), preventing the gas 101 from escaping through it so that door and thus the gas 101 will be forced out of the secondary sealed chamber 112 through the gas release pipe 115 and into the flotation balloon 100. As the flotation balloon 100 rapidly inflates it will force the balloon chamber sealed door 114 open which will open out and up 116 allowing the flotation balloon 100 to expand out of the device and up toward the surface of the water in which the object is sinking, thus pulling the object up and toward the surface of the water via the balloon attachment lines 117 which are also attached to the device. The device is attached to a base 118 with nuts and bolts 119 which base is attached to the objects via nuts and bolts and drill holes, welding or rivets. An additional option designed into this invention is a primary sealed chamber inner door control arm electric trigger mechanism that will open the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm when a control switch 125 is pushed by operators of the object being floated. This control switch 125 will control the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm via wired or wireless connection. If by wireless connection then this device shall have a battery 126 included in its design to power the primary sealed chamber inner door control arm mechanism.

Claims

1. An instant flotation device adapted to rapidly float sinking objects and to activate instantly and automatically, and/or by operator manual activation, when the object it is attached to begins to sink into water below the desired level;

An outer case, base and structure that are

light-weight; and

hardened; and

attached firmly to the floating object with nuts and bolts, rivots or welding; and

water-proof; and

all inner parts are water-proof; and

an opening for water and internal water flow channel that are constricted and convoluted, respectively, to resist sudden and all but consistent water flow into the device under the water pressure from outside the device caused by the device sinking into the water, such that the action of random waves or water movement do not trigger the device; and

a compressed gas cylinder controlled by a release valve, and

a compressed gas cylinder release valve controlled by an internal float; and

an internal float attached to a float movement shock absorber; and

an internal float shock absorber which tempers the upward floating action of the internal float up against its resistance spring; and

a resistance spring to resist the action of the internal float until enough water fills the inter chamber to overpower the strength of the resistance spring; and

a rapidly inflatable flotation balloon to receive the release compress gas, expand suddenly out of the device and up to the surface of the water in which the object is sinking; and

flotation balloon attachment lines that attach the flotation balloon to the device

an electrical mechanism built into the compressed gas cylinder valve that will open the valve when a switch for operator activation options; and.

2. The instant flotation device according to claim 1 with variation further comprising:

An instant flotation device adapted to rapidly float sinking objects and to activate instantly and automatically, and/or by operator manual activation, when the object it is attached to begins to sink into water below the desired level;

An outer case, base and structure that are

light-weight; and

hardened; and

water-proof; and

all inner parts are water-proof; and

a reservoir of chemical designed to react to water upon contact and so rapidly produce non-flammable/non-toxic gas; and

a primary internal float that is attached to a pivot control arm and rises up and away from a primary sealed door causing releasing it to open as water flows into the device, allowing water into the secondary sealed chamber that contains the reactive chemical; and

a pivot control arm that is attached to the primary internal float and pivots on a lower pivot point; and

a small internal float attached to the primary sealed chamber sealed outer door that will cause the door to open in water; and

a primary sealed chamber sealed outer door that, when opened will allow water to enter the primary sealed chamber; and

a primary sealed chamber that contains a primary sealed chamber sealed inner door, a secondary internal float, secondary float resistance spring and shock absorber unit, a secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm and a secondary sealed chamber; and

a secondary chamber sealed inner door; and

a secondary internal float; and

secondary float resistance spring and shock absorber unit; and

a secondary chamber; and

a secondary sealed chamber sealed door control arm; and

a secondary sealed chamber containing a chemical designed to react to water upon contact and rapidly produce non-flammable/non-toxic gas, which chamber is also attached to a gas relief pipe that is connected to a flotation balloon; and

a chemical designed to react to water upon contact and rapidly produce non-flammable/non-toxic gas; and

a gas release pipe; and

a rapidly inflatable flotation balloon to receive the releases and expanding compressed gas, expand suddenly out of the device and up to the surface of the water in which the object is sinking; and

flotation balloon attachment lines that attach the flotation balloon to the device.