WO2007003750A1

WO2007003750A1 - Safety device for underwater divers

Info

Publication number: WO2007003750A1
Application number: PCT/FR2006/001476
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Orti; Isabelle Marcelle Julia Ricoeur
Original assignee: Patrick Orti; Ricoeur Isabelle Marcelle Juli
Priority date: 2005-06-29
Filing date: 2006-06-26
Publication date: 2007-01-11
Also published as: FR2887848B1; FR2887848A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety device (10) which is intended for use by an underwater diver who is equipped with at least one compressed gas cylinder. The inventive device comprises an inflatable buoy (30) which is intended to be connected to the cylinder and which is driven to the surface when inflated. The device also comprises impervious telescopic means which are equipped with activatable signalling means (64, 66) and which are solidly connected to the inflatable buoy (30). In addition, the impervious telescopic means are designed to deploy when the inflatable buoy is inflated, such as to activate the signalling means (64, 66). The device (10) is detachably mounted to the underwater diver such as to be driven to the surface, essentially directly above the diver, when the inflatable buoy (30) is inflated and when the device is detached by the diver.

Description

Safety device for submarine diver

The present invention relates to a safety device for submarine divers.

Known safety devices already allow to assist a submarine diver equipped with bottles to ensure its recovery to the surface of the marine environment in which it evolves.

These safety devices generally comprise an inflatable buoy initially folded and intended to be connected to the bottles of the plunger to be inflated in case of damage so as to drive the plunger to the surface. In some cases, the inflatable buoy takes the form of a vest that the diver puts on before acquiring a bottle of compressed gas; the vest is then equipped with a stop valve connected to the bottle to allow the inflation of the vest if necessary.

In particular, reference may be made to US Pat. No. 4,137,585, which describes such a device.

However, these devices can assist the recovery of the diver especially when he is in difficulty or that he rescues another diver. Or, said vest is a stabilizing vest for a better comfort of the diver, while maintaining its characteristics of assistance in emergency recovery.

On the other hand, apart from the fact that these devices are relatively complex to implement, they do not make it possible to alert rescue personnel, whether the diver has reached the surface or that he is still diving.

A problem that then arises and that aims to solve the present invention, is to provide a safety device that allows to overcome the aforementioned problems and in particular that allows, including in degraded circumstances, to report advantageously on the surface the presence of the diver, whether it is in the recovery phase or waiting for surface recovery. In order to solve this problem, the present invention proposes a safety device for an underwater diver, said underwater diver, equipped with at least one bottle of compressed gas, being capable of diving into a marine environment between a surface and a bottom, said device comprising an inflatable buoy intended to be connected to said bottle, said inflatable buoy being driven towards said surface when it is inflated; according to the invention said safety device comprises substantially watertight telescopic means provided with activatable signaling means, said substantially watertight telescopic means, integral with said inflatable buoy, being adapted to deploy when said inflatable buoy is inflated so as to activate said means signaling; and said device is detachably mounted to said underwater plunger so as to be driven towards the surface substantially in line with said plunger when said inflatable buoy is inflated and said device is detached by said plunger, said telescopic means being deployed above said plunger surface by activating said signaling means when said device reaches said surface; whereby the presence of said plunger is signaled substantially vertically above said signaling means. Thus, a feature of the invention lies in the mode of cooperation of the inflatable buoy and tight telescopic means, integral with each other, which together, when said inflatable buoy is inflated are driven to the surface of the marine environment independently of the diver. In this way, the telescopic means unfold and extend above the surface of the marine environment, when said assembly is on the surface, by activating the signaling means. As a result, the diver is locatable from the surface by the signaling means extended above the surface of the marine environment. Once spotted, he is likely to be assisted by a surveillance boat. In the event of accidental isolation, said signaling means will alert any fortuitous means or expedition specially to assist said diver. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said substantially sealed telescopic means comprise a tubular member in which are slidably mounted a plurality of concentric tubular elements respectively slidably mounted in each other. In this way, the tubular elements which are substantially frustoconical and engaged one inside the other to be fully housed in the tubular member, are suitable, when a pressurized gas is injected at the base of the frustoconical tubular elements, to be driven respectively in translation relative to each other for finally extend end to end forming a pole to which the signaling means can be hooked.

In addition, and according to a particular characteristic of implementation of the invention, said tubular member has an upper portion connected to said inflatable buoy and an opposite lower end fitted into a base forming ballast. In this way, the tubular member is held substantially vertically to the surface of the marine environment or water, and the tubular elements are driven longitudinally and respectively in the extension of each other to form a perch which extends substantially vertically. above said surface.

Advantageously, said inflatable buoy has a sealed envelope, said sealed envelope having two wall portions opposite one another, and said upper part of said tubular member passes through said envelope respectively into said two wall portions. In this way, the sealed envelope which is for example of circular symmetry, and which is traversed by the tubular member in the two opposite wall portions along an axis of symmetry of said sealed envelope, is adapted to form a buoy that surrounds the upper part of the tubular organ to ensure its flotation. In addition, thanks to the base forming ballast, the tubular member is then oriented vertically, while the buoy maintains it on the surface. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said tubular member has openings in said upper part, said openings opening into said sealed envelope. Thus, when air or a compressed gas is injected at the base of the tubular elements housed in the tubular member, this air or gas, in addition to longitudinally driving these tubular elements, escapes through the openings to flow inside the envelope and inflate the inflatable buoy. In this way, only one air intake is necessary to implement the device. Preferably, said openings are equipped with non-return valves so that the air injected and contained in the inflatable buoy can not escape in the tubular member through the openings. Thus, the inflatable buoy remains inflated even though the tubular member would be open to the outside. In addition, said sealed envelope is advantageously equipped with a safety valve allowing the escape of air when the pressure reaches a certain threshold, so as to preserve the inflatable buoy in case of overpressure, either directly when air from the bottle flows inside the sealed envelope, or when during the ascent to the surface, the air trapped in the envelope naturally tends to increase its volume as the pressure decreases.

Moreover, and advantageously, said tubular member is equipped with a protective shell longitudinally surrounding said upper part to accommodate said sealed envelope, and said protective cover is divided into two longitudinal half-shells mounted articulated on said tubular member, said half-shells being adapted to pivot away from each other to release said sealed envelope. Thus, the sealed envelope including, may be housed inside the protective shell when the device is in the idle state and not yet activated, so as to form with the tubular member a relatively compact device that is likely to be easily installed on said bottle.

Advantageously, said base is equipped with a coupling, said coupling being adapted to be connected to said compressed gas bottle to allow the flow of compressed gases inside the tubular member, the tubular elements and inside. of the waterproof envelope. In addition, the safety device according to the invention advantageously comprises a reel integral with said plunger, a halyard wound in said reel having a free end intended to be connected to said safety device. Thus, the safety device, when it rises to the surface, is always secured to the plunger via the halyard that takes place. And once the surface is reached, despite currents and surface winds, the safety device is maintained in line with said plunger. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a partial schematic sectional view of a safety device according to the invention folded;

- Figure 2 is a partial schematic sectional view of the safety device shown in Figure 1, partially unfolded; and,

- Figure 3 is a partial schematic sectional view of the safety device shown in Figure 2, fully unfolded. Figure 1, partially shows a safety device 10 according to the invention, which comprises a tubular member 12 of circular section and a length for example equal to 60 cm, in which are slidably mounted and concentrically five elements substantially frustoconical tubular, of a length close to that of the tubular member 12 and referenced from the inside to the outside of the tubular member 12 respectively: 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22. The tubular member 12 has a lower end fitted into a base 24 heavy weight of a sleeve and thus achieving a ballast. In addition, the base 24 is closed by a plug 26 which has a connector 27 may be connected to a bottle of compressed gas for diving underwater by means of a flexible conduit; compressed gases, pressurized gas or pressurized air, denoting the contents of a scuba diving bottle allowing a diver to breathe underwater.

The tubular member 12 has an upper portion 28 equipped with a flexible envelope 30 adapted to form an inflatable buoy and that will be described in more detail in the following description. Furthermore, it has an upper edge 32 provided with a deformable circular seal and housed between the last tubular element 22 and the inner wall of the tubular member 12 to seal the junction between the two at the upper edge 32. The flexible envelope 30 is, in Figure 1, folded around the upper portion 28 of the tubular member 12 and housed inside a protective shell 34, which consists of two half-shells trough, 36, 38 mounted pivoting in the vicinity of the upper edge 32, respectively about two parallel axes 40, 42 and perpendicular to the tubular member 12.

In addition, the sealed and flexible envelope 30, which is of course closed, is substantially circularly symmetrical and has two orifices opposite to each other, 44, 46, the two orifices each having a flange 48 adapted to sealingly engage around the tubular member 12, and are spaced apart from each other in its upper portion 28. In addition, each of the flanges 48, is clamped around the tubular member 12 through In this way, the sealed envelope 30 and a portion of the outer wall of the tubular member 12 constitute a first sealed chamber. However, the tubular member 12 has in its upper part

28, openings 52 thus opening inside the sealed envelope 30, between the two orifices 44, 46 to be able to inject a gas therein under pressure, and the sealed envelope 30 is equipped with a safety valve 54 allowing in the event of overpressure, to let escape the gas in question. In addition, these openings 52 are equipped with unrepresented non-return valves allowing the gas injected inside the sealed envelope 30 not to be able to come out through the openings 52.

Thus, the safety device 10 as described above in the folded position, is adapted to a diving bottle, filled with compressed gas, by means of a mounting plate using a strap which maintains a stabilizing vest on said bottle. On the other hand, on the one hand, the safety device 10 is connected to the plunger bottle via the above-mentioned connector 27 so as to be able to inject the compressed gas under pressure into the tubular member 12 at the level of its lower end and secondly it is mounted detachable to be released by the diver. Of course, the plunger first injects compressed gas into the tubular member 12, and only then is the safety device 10 released.

Thus, when the plunger controls the injection of compressed gases into the tubular member 12 via a stop valve for example, and the gas flows through the connector 27, it diffuses between the wall internal of the tubular member 12 and the outer wall of the last tubular member 22 to go up in its upper part 28 and pour into the sealed envelope 30 through the openings 52 without leaking at the upper edge 32 which is equipped of said deformable circular seal. In this way, the sealed envelope 32 swells and thus tends to separate the two half-shells 36, 38 from one another, which then rises substantially in the same plane perpendicular to the tubular member 12, as well as Figure 2 illustrates. The plunger can then release the safety device 10 to freely ascend to the surface of the aqueous medium.

Then, in this Figure 2, in addition to all the elements of the safety device 10 illustrated in FIG. inflated and which forms a buoy around the tubular member 12 in its upper part 28.

In addition, as soon as pressurized air is injected into the tubular member 12, through the connector 27, it also contributes to the deployment of the tubular elements 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 which are respectively driven in translation by relative to each other in the extension of the tubular member 12 to form a boom 60 which appears extended in Figure 3. Indeed, the compressed gas tends to expand occupying a maximum volume, and the volume is maximum when the tubular elements are deployed.

The boom 60 is thus maintained, provided that the tubular elements can form with the tubular member 12 a second sealed chamber. To do this, being substantially of frustoconical shape, the base of each of the tubular elements, is adapted to engage sealingly against the inner wall of the upper end of the element which surrounds it; the upper end of the first tubular element 14 being obviously closed.

Thus, the sealed envelope 30 which in this Figure 3 defines, according to another embodiment, a buoy of substantially different shape in disc, around the tubular member 12 in its upper portion 28, forms with the pole 60 which s extends from the tubular member 12 to the first tubular member 14, a single sealed chamber in which the compressed gas initially injected has expanded.

In addition, given the hydrostatic pressure of the medium in which the plunger is initially located and which is a function of the depth, the pressurized gases initially injected inside the tubular member 12 tend to expand as and when as the safety device 10 rises to a surface 62 and the hydrostatic pressure decreases, and therefore to further expand the sealed envelope 30 and to act to deploy the pole 60. With the safety valve 54, if too much pressurized gas has been injected into the tubular member 12, part of the gas escapes from the sealed envelope 30 when its internal pressure becomes too strong, to avoid bursting.

Once the safety device 10 has reached the surface 62, the pole 60 is held vertically above the level of the water, thanks to the sealed envelope 30 forming a buoy and the tubular member

12 which then plunges into the water and which is held vertically thanks to the heavy base 24.

Moreover, the pole 60 is equipped with signaling means 64,

66, the first 64 consisting of a reflective flag, the second 66 by radar reflective strips. In addition, a flash fire not shown can be installed at the upper end of the first tubular element 14.

In addition, the safety device 10 can be connected by means of a halyard to a reel not shown and held fast with the plunger, the halyard being initially wound in the reel and then unrolled as and when the safety device 10 rises to the surface.

In addition, it should be noted that in the event of a pneumatic incident, the tubular elements 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 are likely to be deployed manually and the buoy can be inflated with the mouth.

Claims

1. Safety device (10) for submarine plunger, said underwater plunger, equipped with at least one bottle of compressed gas, being capable of diving in a marine environment between a surface and a bottom, said device comprising a inflatable buoy (30) intended to be connected to said bottle, said inflatable buoy being driven towards said surface when inflated; characterized in that it comprises sealed telescopic means (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) provided with activatable signaling means (64, 66), said sealed telescopic means forming a single sealed chamber with said inflatable buoy, said sealed telescopic means, integral with said inflatable buoy (30), being adapted to deploy when said inflatable buoy is inflated to activate said signaling means (64, 66); and in that said device (10) is detachably mounted to said underwater plunger so as to be driven towards the surface substantially in line with said plunger when said inflatable buoy (30) is inflated and said device is detached by said plunger, said plunger telescopic means (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) extending over said surface by activating said signaling means (64, 66) when said device reaches said surface; whereby the presence of said plunger is signaled substantially vertically above said signaling means.

2. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that said sealed telescopic means (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) comprise a tubular member (12) in which are slidably mounted a plurality of tubular elements. (14, 16, 18, 20, 22) concentric respectively slidably mounted in each other.

3. Safety device according to claim 2, characterized in that said tubular member (12) has an upper portion (28) connected to said inflatable buoy (30) and an opposite lower end fitted into a base (24) forming ballast.

4. Safety device according to claim 3, characterized in that said inflatable buoy (30) has a sealed envelope, said sealed envelope having two wall portions opposite one another, and in that said upper portion of said tubular member passes through said envelope respectively in said two wall portions.

5. Safety device according to claim 4, characterized in that said tubular member (12) has openings (52) formed in said upper portion (28), said openings opening into said sealed envelope (30).

6. Safety device according to claim 5, characterized in that said openings (52) are equipped with nonreturn valves.

7. Safety device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that said sealed casing (30) is equipped with a safety valve (54).

8. Safety device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said tubular member (12) is equipped with a protective shell (34). longitudinally surrounding said upper portion (28) to accommodate said watertight envelope (30), and in that said protective shell is divided into two longitudinal half-shells (36, 38) mounted hinged to said tubular member (12), said half - Shells being adapted to pivot away from each other to release said sealed envelope (30).

9. Safety device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that said base (24) is equipped with a connector (27), said connector being adapted to be connected to said compressed gas cylinder.

10. Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises a reel integral with said plunger, a halyard wound in said reel having a free end intended to be connected to said safety device (10).