US3591877A

US3591877A - Combination oral and cartridge inflator for life preserver vest

Info

Publication number: US3591877A
Application number: US841270A
Authority: US
Inventors: Manfred Schuler
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Mares SpA
Priority date: 1969-07-14
Filing date: 1969-07-14
Publication date: 1971-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-13

Abstract

The oral inflator, pressure relief valve, and multiple individually actuated cartridge inflators are all mounted at a single location on the life preserver vest.

Description

United States Patent References Cited [72] Inventor ManiredSchuler 669 mmm 999m B 9 s m m w W m m m m m E m mm M n m m N P W m mm 0" u BR "A m m /mm S m mwE w vMAR m 5682 N9346 um IHHH 0572 00679 011. 7049 444 223 m cv w. a m. m w n0 W ow m wmm NMJ -A 0 dc N mm wmmm S AHMA US URN-h.

55,045 7/1943 Netherlands................. 783,497 9/1957 GreatBritain................

Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler 1 Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Sauberer [54] COMBINATION ORAL AND CARTRIDGE INFLATOR FOR LIFE PRESERVER VEST Y 4 Cla1ml,3 Drawing Figs.

Attorneys-George W. Price and Walter Lewis 9/320, 222/5 1163c 9/24 ABSTRACTrThe oral inflator, pressure relief valve, and mul- 9/31 1. 320, tiple individually actuated cartridge inflators are all mounted 318, 3.19, 316, 314, 317; 222/3-6; 9/31 l-320 at a single location on the life preserver vest.

[51] llt.Cl................ [$0] Fieldo1Search".............................

PATENTEU JUL 1 3 Ian SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG. I

, v #32 izmm m FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

MA NFRED SCHULER ATTORNEY PATENTEU JUL] 3:9?! 35914877 sum 2 [1F 2 INVENTOR. MANFRED SCHULER ATTRNEY COMBINATION ORAL AND CARTRIDGE INFLATOR FOR LIFE PRESERVER VEST Oral and cartridge inflators and pressure relieve valves are well known in the life preserver vest art. However, heretofore these elements have been located at different places 'on the vest, and this is believed to be a poor arrangement from the standpoint of safety. In an emergency situation a person may become confused as to where these various parts are located.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide what is believed to be a safer and more economical arrangement of the aforemention parts.

Briefly, in the invention the aforementioned parts are all mounted or assembled together into a unitary assembly and located together at a single location on the vest so that everything will be readily accessible to a person in an emergency situation.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken away front elevation view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a broken away side elevation view; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, the preferred fonn of the invention comprises a unitary single-piece plastic material housing member 10. Housing is annular and generally flat. It has a centrally located through aperture 11 and front and rear facing

sides

12 and 13 respectively. Also, it is generally square in external outline. All the operative and necessary parts of the invention are mounted in or on the housing 10.

On its top side is positioned a rubber oral inflator tube 14. The outer end of tube 14 has a one-way check valve subassembly 15, the details of which are not disclosed since this is a very well-known type of device, see for example US. Pat. No. 3,396,743 (1968) assigned to the Halkey-Roberts Corporation of Paramus, New Jersey. Briefly, this device is of the type that when the tip 15' is depressed by finger pressure or abutting it against the lips of the mouth the not shown internal valve is opened so that air can be exhausted through tube 14 or orally blown into the tube to exhaust or orally inflate the life vest manifold 16. The life vest manifold is defined by inner and

outer layers

17 and 18.

Also mounted on the top side of the housing 10 are a pair of CO gas cartridges 19. They have their lower ends screwed into apertures formed in the top of housing 10. Their lower ends are frangible by spring-loaded pointed plungers 20 in a manner well known in the art. Plungers 20 are spring urged away from cartridges 19. However, when L-shaped levers 21 are pulled down the plungers 20 are raised to release gas from the cartridges 19. This sequence is apparent by comparing the leftand right-hand levers 21 in FIG. 1. After the right-hand lever 21 is pulled further it clears the plunger so that it is withdrawn from the punctured cartridge so that its gas can be exhausted. Before the levers 21 can be operated they must be pulled forcibly to break their wire connection 22 to the housing 10. The plungers 20 and levers 21 are mounted in suitable recesses formed in the housing 10. However, the cartridges 19 can be individually fired since they have

individual firing mechanisms

20, 21.

A unitary single piece plastic material tubular member 23 has a snug fit in the aperture 1 l of housing 10. It has an interior hollow 24 which opens into vest chamber 16. A central external annular groove 25 is formed in tubular member 23. A plurality of through holes 26 are formed in the base of groove 25. The holes 26 open into the hollow 24. The tube 14 at its inner end is connected to a nipple 27. A passage 28 extends from nipple 27 to the groove 25. Thus, when the vest is orally inflated gas enters the vest from the tube 14 by the

path

28, 25, 26 and 24. The path of gas travel is reversed when exhausting the vest by depressing tip 15'.

A second groove 29 is formed in the tubular member 23. This groove is separated from the groove 25 by a shoulder 30 which has a snug fit in aperture 11 so as to isolate

grooves

25 and 29 from each other. Passages 31 in the housing 10 extend from adjacent the lower ends of cartridges 19 to the second groove 29. There are also a plurality of passages 32 formed in the right-hand flange end (when viewing FIG. 2) of tubular member 23 which extend from the second groove 29 to the vest chamber 16. Thus, when either of the cartridges are fired the path of gas travel therefrom is via 31, 29, and 32 into vest chamber 16. The advantage of isolating

grooves

25 and 29 from each other is that the path of gas travel due to oral inflation or by cartridge is separated one from the other. Therefore, if by accident one or both cartridges is fired when a person has the tip 15 in his mouth, the high-pressure cartridge gas will not backfire into the persons mouth. Rather, it first has to go into the vest chamber 16 where it is reduced in pressure before it can reach the mouth via 24, 26, 25, 28, 27 and 14.

If the pressure in the vest is excessive it is relieved through the left-hand valved end (when viewing FIG. 2) of tubular member 23. This left-hand end of tubular member 23 is at the front side of the housing 10 or life preserver vest. The valved end of tubular member 23 has a one-way automatic check valve for pressure relief from inside the vest. The left end of tubular member 23 has a valve seat 33 formed thereon. A valve element 34 is seated on seat 33 and it is biased to closed position by a coil spring 35. The valve end of tubular member 23 is closed by a vented cap 36. The left end of tube 23 and the cap 36 are threaded for engagement with each other.

I Slight turning of the cap 36 can vary the closure-force on the valve element 34. In addition however, turning'the cap 36 down on tube 23 sealingly clamps the whole assembly to the life vest. The right-hand or inner end of tube 23 has an integral flange 37. It is fitted inside the hole in the outer vest layer 18. Both sides of this vest hole are bounded by a pair of sealing rings 38. When the cap 36 is turned down on the threaded valve end of tubular member 23 this causes seal clamping of the vest layer 18 between the seals 38 and their contiguous flange 37 and rear housing side 13. The relief of excessive pressure from within the vest of course is through the hollow 24, the valve element 34, and the vented cap 36 to the ambient.

The tubular member 23 has a third groove 39 in which is disposed a sealing ring 40. This seal 40 is snug in the aperture 1 1 to prevent escape of gas other than by automatic unseating of valve element 34 or manual opening of valve 15 by depression oftip 15.

It will now be seen that the invention provides a compact and economical arrangement of all necessary parts in a single assembly or housing. This means that all the necessary functions of a life preserver or diving vest are now positioned at a single readily accessible location on the vest.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and that it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In a life preserver vest having inner and outer layers for forming an inflatable interior manifold, apparatus for inflating said vest, which comprises:

a housing having an aperture therethrough affixed to one side of the vest, said aperture communicating with the interior of the vest through a hole provided in the outer layer thereof,

a hose mounted to the housing and communicating with said aperture,

a manually operated valve mounted in the hose for permitting gas to be blown into the hose, through the aperture and into the vest,

at least one gas cartridge mounted on the housing and communicating with said aperture,

means for piercing said gas cartridge,

a tubular member mounted in said aperture for sealing said hose from said gas cartridge, said tubular member including a flanged end positioned on the far side of the portion of the outer layer of the vest surrounding the hole therein, a threaded end and conduit means providing separate communication to the interior of the vest from the hose and the gas cartridge,

a relief valve positioned against the end of said tubular member having the threaded portion and operable to port gas from said vest to the atmosphere upon the attainment of pressure therein of more than a predetermined amount, and

a cap adapted to be threaded on the threaded portion of the tubular member and clamp said vest outer layer portion between the flanged end and the housing, said cap having apertures therein to permit gas ported by the relief valve to pass therethrough to the atmosphere.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the conduit means for conducting gas into said vest from said hose comprises an external annular groove formed in the central portion of said tubular member, a passageway in said housing extending from said hose to said annular groove, and a plurality of apertures formed in the bottom of said annular groove and opening into the interior hollow of said tubular member and the conduit means for conducting gas into said vest from said cartridge comprises a second external annular groove formed in said tubular member, passageways in said annular member extending fromsaid cartridges to the second annular groove, and a plurality of apertures formed in the flange end of the tubular member and extending from the second external groove into said vest.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a unitary single-piece plastic member, said tubular member and its flange comprises another unitary single-piece plastic member, a shoulder is formed on said tubular member between said external annular grooves to isolate them from each other, a third external annular groove is formed in said tubular member, a sealing ring is disposed in said third groove to seal said tubular member in said annular member, said third groove being disposed between the first-mentioned groove and said threaded end, and said second groove is disposed on the opposite side of said first-mentioned groove.

4. In a life preserver vest having inner and outer layers for forming an inflatable interior manifold, apparatus for inflating said vest, which comprises:

ahousing having an aperture therethrough afi'ixed to one side of the vest, said aperture communicating with the interior of the vest through a hole provided in the outer layer thereof,

a hose mounted to the housing and communicating with said aperture,

means for piercing said gas cartridge,

means mounted in said aperture for sealing said hose from said gas cartridge, and

a relief valve mounted in said aperture for porting gas from said vest to the atmosphere upon attainment in said vest of pressure of more than a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. In a life preserver vest having inner and outer layers for forming an inflatable interior manifold, apparatus for inflating said vest, which comprises: a housing having an aperture therethrough affixed to one side of the vest, said aperture communicating with the interior of the vest through a hole provided in the outer layer thereof, a hose mounted to the housing and communicating with said aperture, a manually operated valve mounted in the hose for permitting gas to be blown into the hose, through the aperture and into the vest, at least one gas cartridge mounted on the housing and communicating with said aperture, means for piercing said gas cartridge, a tubular member mounted in said aperture for sealing said hose from said gas cartridge, said tubular member including a flanged end positioned on the far side of the portion of the outer layer of the vest surrounding the hole therein, a threaded end and conduit means providing separate communication to the interior of the vest from the hose and the gas cartridge, a relief valve positioned against the end of said tubular member having the threaded portion and operable to port gas from said vest to the atmosphere upon the attainment of pressure therein of more than a predetermined amount, and a cap adapted to be threaded on the threaded portion of the tubular member and clamp said vest outer layer portion between the flanged end and the housing, said cap having apertures therein to permit gas ported by the relief valve to pass therethrough to the atmosphere.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the conduit means for conducting gas into said vest from said hose comprises an external annular groove formed in the central portion of said tubular member, a passageway in said housing extending from said hose to said annular groove, and a plurality of apertures formed in the bottom of said annular groove and opening into the interior hollow of said tubular member and the conduit means for conducting gas into said vest from said cartridge comprises a second external annular groove formed in said tubular member, passageways in said annular member extending from said cartridges to the second annular groove, and a plurality of apertures formed in the flange end of the tubular member and extending from the second external groove into said vest.

4. In a life preserver vest having inner and outer layers for forming an inflatable interior manifold, apparatus for inflating said vest, which comprises: a housing having an aperture therethrough affixed to one side of the vest, said aperture communicating with the interior of the vest through a hole provided in the outer layer thereof, a hose mounted to the housing and communicating with said aperture, a manually operated valve mounted in the hoSe for permitting gas to be blown into the hose, through the aperture and into the vest, at least one gas cartridge mounted on the housing and communicating with said aperture, means for piercing said gas cartridge, means mounted in said aperture for sealing said hose from said gas cartridge, and a relief valve mounted in said aperture for porting gas from said vest to the atmosphere upon attainment in said vest of pressure of more than a predetermined amount.