WO2002102657A1

WO2002102657A1 - Diving system with an improved reservoir

Info

Publication number: WO2002102657A1
Application number: PCT/FR2002/001944
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manuel Roure; Claude Caillat
Original assignee: Salomon S.A.; CAILLAT, Danielle
Priority date: 2001-06-14
Filing date: 2002-06-07
Publication date: 2002-12-27
Also published as: FR2825974B1; FR2825974A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a diving system, of the type comprising a reservoir (10) of compressed gas, where the reservoir comprises at least one compartment (12) made from an envelope (14), which is open at at least one end and the reservoir (10) comprises at least one head (18, 32) which is fixed at the open end of the compartment envelope (14) to seal the reservoir, characterised in that said envelope (14) is a cylindrical envelope.

Description

DIVING SYSTEM COMPRISING AN IMPROVED TANK

The invention relates to scuba diving systems. It relates more particularly to a new construction method for a compressed gas tank intended for use by an underwater diver.

Traditional diving systems include a breathing gas tank which is produced in the form of a compressed air bottle in which the air is stored, for example under a pressure of the order of 200 bars. A bottle of this type is for example formed from a cylindrical tubular envelope of revolution which is closed at a lower end by a lower base (for example hemispherical), and at an upper end by an upper base provided with an open neck. The neck is threaded to allow the connection, on the upper end of the bottle, of accessories such as a regulator or a pressure gauge.

The construction of such a bottle is generally carried out by flow forming or thermoforming for the bottles intended to store air under high pressure. For cylinders filled at a lower pressure (in particular for a maximum pressure of less than 100 bars), it is also possible to use a construction of the mechanically welded type.

The fact that these bottles have to withstand high pressures generally leads to making them out of steel. We can also see that the portion of the bottle that is mechanically the most stressed by the pressure forces is the cylindrical envelope, and that the mechanical stresses undergone by the envelope increase significantly with the increase in diameter. from the bottle.

The internal volume of the bottles generally used is in principle of the order of 10 to 20 liters. It has already been proposed in documents US-4,062,356 and US-5,660,503 diving systems in which the air tank consists of several compartments, each of which is formed by a bottle. These bottles are individual bottles of traditional shape which are enclosed in a box (sealed or not) ^ t which are connected to each other by external pipes.

In terms of cost, these systems prove to be very expensive because they require the construction of several identical complete bottles. The cost of such a bottle depends less on its size than on the care it takes to build it.

The invention therefore aims to provide a diving system in which the compressed air tank has a design allowing both to reduce the cost and weight. To this end, the invention provides a diving system, of the type comprising a compressed gas tank, characterized in that the tank comprises at least one compartment consisting of an envelope open at at least one end, and in that the tank has at least one cylinder head which is fixed to the open end of the compartment envelope to close the tank. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, as well as in the light of the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a compressed air tank for a system according to the teachings of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view in axial section of the tank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a second embodiment of a tank according to the invention; and Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line rV-IV of Figure 3. The invention is also intended for diving systems in which the tank is used as traditional diving tanks, it is that is, the tank is then carried by the diver underwater, preferably under the back, than to “hookah” type diving systems in which the tank floats on the surface of the water. In the latter case, the plunger is connected to the tank by a long supply pipe.

A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a reservoir 10 comprises three compartments 12. Each compartment is formed by a tubular cylindrical envelope of revolution 14, the three envelopes 14 being arranged in parallel l 'to one another and being clamped axially by two yokes 16, 18. Each yoke thus has housings 19 of shape complementary to the shape of the axial ends of the envelopes 14 so that the latter are received there in leaktight manner.

In the following description of this first embodiment, the two cylinder heads will be designated by the terms lower cylinder head 16 and upper cylinder head 18 with reference to the orientation of the drawings, without this being able to be interpreted as a limitation of the 'invention.

The cylinder heads are connected axially to one another by tie rods, in this case studs 20, which are two in number here but the number of which could be greater.

As can be seen in the figures, the envelopes 14 consist of simple tubes open axially at their two ends. Each compartment 12 is therefore closed at its ends by the corresponding cylinder head.

However, as a variant, the envelopes 14 could be constructed with a closed end, for example the lower end. In this case, we can keep the two cylinder heads connected by tie rods, the lower cylinder head then having only the function of mechanical link. However, it may then be preferable to keep only the upper cylinder head, the envelopes being fixed to the upper cylinder head by screws or by a system of flanges.

In the form of a tube, the envelopes illustrated in the figures are particularly easy to manufacture, made of metal, plastic or composite materials. They can thus be constructed by winding glass fiber filaments, the winding then being embedded in an epoxy resin. For an equivalent total volume of the tank, the fact independent compartments makes it possible to reduce the diameter of each compartment 12. However, thanks to this reduction in diameter, the stresses undergone by the casing 14 due to the pressure forces are considerably reduced, so that the casings can be produced with materials lighter and with smaller thicknesses. This is all the more true since the envelopes do not undergo any axial tensile stress generated by the pressure forces inside the envelope. Indeed, the entire axial component of these forces is absorbed by the tie rods 20.

Note also that the envelopes may have a shape other than that of a cylinder of revolution. By giving them a cylinder shape with a square or rectangular base, it will be possible, with equivalent dimensions, to increase the internal volume of the tank by reducing the spaces lost between the compartments.

Advantageously, the cylinder heads 16, 18 incorporate a series of connection means which allow the various compartments to be connected together and which make it possible to connect the internal volume of the tank to external accessories such as a reloading valve, a regulator 22 or a pressure gauge 24. In the example illustrated, all of the connection means are integrated in the upper cylinder head 18. In FIG. 2, one can see in particular pipes 26 which are arranged in the cylinder head 18 and which, on the one hand , connect the three compartments 12 to each other, and, on the other hand, connect the three compartments to an external connection box 28 to which the regulator and the pressure gauge are connected. The compartments 12 are connected here in parallel, but it is also possible to connect them in series. Similarly, it is possible to provide, in the pipes 26, directional devices (not shown) such as non-return valves which organize the circulation of air between the different compartments, for example to prevent all the air from the tank being able to escape by a compartment which would present a leak.

The cylinder heads 16, 18 can for example be obtained by molding a light alloy, each cylinder head possibly being made in several pieces, in particular to facilitate the arrangement of the pipes 26. The cylinder heads can also be made with plastic materials, possibly reinforced with mineral fibers such as glass fibers.

In the case where the diving system is of the type in which the tank is taken underwater by the diver, a carrying device (for example suspenders and a belt) will be stowed on the tank, preferably on the cylinder heads 16 , 18 which will then be provided with the necessary securing means.

Between the two cylinder heads, provision may be made for the tank to be provided with cover panels making it possible to protect the compartments, and making it possible to improve the aesthetics and the hydrodynamic nature of the tank. In one possible embodiment, the reservoir is intended to be refilled with a human-action pump, that is to say a pump operated by hand or by foot. In this case, it will be advantageous to integrate the pump inside the cowling, next to the compartments. The pump can then be connected to the compartments through one of the cylinder heads. As a variant, it can be envisaged that the pump body is at least partially integrated directly into the cylinder head, or that the pump body consists of a cylindrical envelope similar to that of the compartments (or of several envelopes in the case of 'a pump with several bodies), so it too closed axially by the cylinder head (s). The devices such as valves and valves necessary for the operation of the pump will advantageously be integrated in the cylinder head (s).

In the case where the diving system is of the “hookah” type, the compartments of the tank may be surrounded by a material promoting the buoyancy of the tank.

Figures 3 and 4 schematically illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention particularly suited to the case where the tank is carried on the back of the plunger. In this embodiment, the envelopes 14 of the tank compartments are arranged so as to be substantially horizontal when the plunger is standing and carries the tank on its back. The cylinder heads 30, 32 are then arranged vertically on each side of the back of the plunger.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the cylinder heads and the compartments 12 are no longer arranged in a plane but according to an anatomical profile adapted to the back of the user. The profile shown is purely indicative and provides that the face 34 facing the back of the plunger (on which there have been straps 36 and a belt 38) is S-shaped. One could also consider that the profile is simply concave. For this embodiment, compartments 12 of small diameter have been chosen which are staggered in order to obtain a compact assembly.

The construction according to the invention, in which the tank is closed at at least one end by an independent cylinder head, makes it possible to group in a single piece (the cylinder head) all of the technical functions, the envelopes then being less expensive to produce. The invention is of course applicable to the particular case where the tank has only one compartment delimited by a single envelope.

Claims

1. Diving system, of the type comprising a reservoir (10) of compressed gas, of the type in which the reservoir (10) comprises at least one compartment (12) consisting of an envelope (14) open at at least one end, and of the type in which the reservoir (10) comprises at least one cylinder head (18, 32) which is fixed to the open end of the envelope (14) of the compartment for closing the reservoir, characterized in that the envelope ( 14) is a cylindrical envelope.

2. Diving system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second cylinder head (16, 30) arranged at a second end of the casing (14), and in that the two cylinder heads (16, 18, 30, 32) are connected to each other by a system of tie rods (20) so as to axially enclose the envelope (14).

3. Diving system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the envelope (14) of the compartment (12) is a tubular envelope open at its two ends, and in that it is closed at its second end opened by a second cylinder head (16, 30).

4. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder head (18, 32) comprises devices for connecting the internal volume of the tank to external accessories (22, 24).

5. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (10) comprises several compartments (12) each of which is delimited by an envelope, in that the compartments are arranged parallel to one another and are closed at at least one end by a common yoke (18, 32).

6. Diving system according to claim 6, Diving system according to claim 5, characterized in that a common cylinder head (16, 18, 30, 32) comprises devices (26) for connecting the compartments one to the 'other.

7. Diving system according to claim 6, characterized in that the compartments (12) are connected to each other in parallel.

8. Diving system according to claim 6, characterized in that the compartments (12) are connected to each other in series.

9. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the envelope (14) of the compartment (12) is made of plastic materials.

10. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank has a cover which surrounds the compartments (12).