WO2007034051A1

WO2007034051A1 - Underwater immersion installation

Info

Publication number: WO2007034051A1
Application number: PCT/FR2006/002113
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Mas
Original assignee: Ma Production
Priority date: 2005-09-21
Filing date: 2006-09-14
Publication date: 2007-03-29
Also published as: ATE446899T1; FR2890935B1; US20080227347A1; AU2006293882A1; EG25125A; CA2623144A1; FR2890935A1; EP1926656B1; DE602006010094D1; EP1926656A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an underwater immersion installation (10) comprising at least one immersion pod connected to means (16, 18, 20) for lifting and lowering same, and an assembly of breathing and acoustic attachments borne by the pod (14) and separable therefrom when the pod is immersed, each breathing and acoustic attachment including a headgear mounted on a vest urged to be positioned on the chest of a user and being provided with a conduit supplying the headgear with air delivered from the surface and listening/communication means connected to complementary means.

Description

Underwater immersion installation

The present invention relates to an underwater immersion installation.

The purpose of this invention is to allow anyone to perform an underwater immersion, safely, and without being a swimmer warned and, if necessary, to follow a circuit arranged.

Document FR-A-2808768 already describes an underwater immersion installation of this type which comprises at least one submersible nacelle connected to means for lifting and lowering the latter and a set of breathing equipment comprising a helmet mounted on a vest coming to be positioned on the thorax of a user and being provided with an air helmet supply duct delivered from the surface.

Thus, the descent and ascent are done passively for users who remain, during these phases, on the nacelle. The object of the invention is to propose various improvements of this installation.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an underwater immersion installation, characterized in that it comprises at least one submersible nacelle connected to means for lifting and lowering the latter, and a set of respiratory equipment and sound carried by the pod and separable from the latter when the platform is immersed, each breathing equipment having a helmet mounted on a vest that is positioned on the thorax of a user and having a supply duct air helmet delivered from the surface and sound / communication means connected to complementary means on the surface.

According to particular embodiments, the installation according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics:

each vest is provided with removable and adjustable weighting means whose weight is at least equal to the thrust exerted on the breathing and sound equipment and on the user, in immersion;

the lifting means comprise a set of cables connected at one end to the nacelle and provided, at the opposite end with a mass counterweight at least greater than that of the nacelle and its occupants, and a winch for controlling the lifting and the descent of the nacelle; the winch can be actuated by motorization means and / or manually by an operator;

each breathing and sound equipment is equipped with a grip equipped with removable fastening means for fast attachment of said hooks on a support integral with the basket;

- The installation further comprises means for lifting and lowering the support of breathing and sound equipment relative to the nacelle;

said means for lifting and lowering the support are constituted by said lifting and lowering means of the nacelle, which comprise a first descent stroke of the breathing and sound equipment in the active position in which the vests are positioned at the level of the thorax of the users and a second immersion race of the nacelle; the nacelle carries a set of seats in a number corresponding to the number of breathing and sound equipment and means for adjusting the height of the seats;

- The installation further comprises a floating platform on which are mounted the lifting and lowering means of the nacelle, means for supplying air breathing equipment and additional sound reinforcement means;

the supply means for the air equipment comprise compressed air bottles or a compressor;

- the platform is equipped with means forming fire extinguisher; the installation comprises several nacelles each associated with lifting and lowering means and with one or more sets of breathing and sound equipment; and

- each pipe is suspended from a buoy or a gallows. Other features and advantages will emerge from the following description, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall view of an immersion installation according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the installation of FIG. 1 showing the submersible nacelle,

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the breathing and sound equipment carried by the nacelle of FIG. 2, and - Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of an underwater immersion installation according to the invention, operating as an elevator.

FIG. 1 shows a general overview of an underwater immersion installation according to the invention, designated by the general reference numeral 10.

The installation 10 is mainly constituted by a floating platform 12 made for example of weighted aluminum, and preferably catamaran type to provide good lateral stability and transverse to the assembly. This installation can be fixed and positioned on the edge of a pool or pond. In this case, it has no platform (not shown).

This platform comprises security means such as extinguisher means 12a. The platform 12 supports a submersible nacelle 14 mobile, relative to the platform 12, between a high position, visible in Figure 1, and a low immersed position (not shown).

The nacelle 14 is supported by a set of cables, such as 16, connected to lifting and lowering means of the nacelle 14, constituted by a winch 18, motorized or manual, and by a set of counterweights, such as 20, whose mass is greater than that of the nacelle 14 and the occupants of the latter, so as to solicit in the high position.

As also seen in Figure 2, which shows a detailed view of the platform 12, the nacelle 14 carries a set of seats, such as 22, which are taken by the users of the installation 10.

In addition, the nacelle carries a set of breathing and sound equipment 24, shown in detail in FIG.

As seen in this FIG. 3, each breathing and sound equipment 24 comprises a helmet 26 mounted on a vest 28 intended to be positioned on the thorax of a user.

The vest 28 is provided with holding straps (not shown) to keep the equipment in position on the user.

Each equipment is also provided with a butt 30 which is fixed on a support 32 carried by the nacelle 14, by means of the use of quick-attaching removable fastening means 34, such as pincers for example, to facilitate these operations. Furthermore, each breathing and sound equipment is provided with a duct 36 for supplying the helmet 26 with air, this duct being supplied with air from the surface, that is to say from the platform 12, the air intake being located at the front of it to prevent fogging in the bottle.

More specifically, each duct 36 is supplied with air by means of compressed air cylinders (not shown) located on the platform 12 or a compressor, as the case may be.

In addition, the duct 36 comprises a sound cable 36a extending between the sound of the headphone means and means complementary to the surface.

This cable then makes it possible to connect the corresponding headset to the surface to emit for example in the headphones background music or information from the surface. In addition, the duct 36 is suspended via for example hooking means 36b to a buoy 36c or a bracket (not shown) to maintain the duct in a substantially vertical orientation and to avoid the ducts of entangling which improves the safety of use of the installation. Moreover, the vest 28 of breathing and sound equipment is equipped with forward and backward weights, such as 40 and a weighted liseret 42, regularly distributed on the front 44 and rear 46 of the vest 28 in pockets thereof so as to prevent the user's body from tipping over. The liseret may for example be ballasted with lead balls. Preferably, the total weight of the front and rear weights 40 and of the liner 42 is chosen so that their weight is at least equal to the buoyancy force acting on the breathing and sound equipment and on the user, in immersion.

For example, the weights 40 and the liseret 42 have a total mass of 50 kg.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, as indicated above, the installation 10 is provided with means for lifting and lowering the nacelle 14, comprising a set of cables, such as 16, connected at one end to the nacelle 14 and endowed, at the opposite end, counterweight 20, a winch 18 operable by motorization means and / or manually by an operator providing control of the lifting and lowering of the nacelle. It will be noted however that the installation 10 is provided with complementary means ensuring the lifting and lowering of the support 32 of the respiratory and sound equipment 24, between a high position (not shown), allowing the installation of the users on the seats 22, and a low position, in which the breathing and sound equipment 24, and in particular the vests 28 are positioned so as to be flush with the shoulders of each user or to be slightly above them.

Such an installation allows the users to better withstand the entire weight of the breathing and sound equipment 24 as the platform 14 is not immersed.

Preferably, these means for lifting and lowering the support of the breathing and sound equipment are constituted by the lifting and lowering means of the nacelle 14.

For this purpose, the counterweights 20 comprise two sets of counterweights, respectively 20-A and 20-B respectively belonging to the lifting and lowering means of the support 32 and the lifting and lowering means of the nacelle 14.

More specifically, when the breathing and sound equipment 24 are in the lower position, that is to say in the chest of users, the first set of counterweight 20-A abuts against the second set of counterweight 20-B.

Thus, in this position, the support 32 respiratory and sonic equipment 24 bears on the platform 14, a displacement of the latter causing a consequent movement of respiratory equipment.

The operation of the installation 10 which has just been described is as follows.

At rest, the nacelle 14 and the support 32 of the breathing and sound equipment 24 are in the high position. After installation of the users on the seats 22, the winch 18 is activated in a first race, until the respiratory equipment and sound 24 are in the low position.

As mentioned above, in this position, the equipment is supported on the platform 14 and is not worn by the users. During a second phase, the winch 18 is actuated so as to immerse the platform 14 until the latter is in the lower position, located, for example, at a depth of 3 meters.

During the descent, users sit on the seats

22 and breathe the air delivered from the compressed air (or compressor) bottles situated on the platform 12, via the ducts 36 and are in sound communication with the surface thanks to the sound reinforcement means (for example microphone and headphones).

An autonomous diver then comes to unlock the sticks 30 of 0 support 32.

Users can then move easily on the sea floor.

It should be noted that the weight of the counterweights 40 and 42, arranged to position the center of gravity of the equipment 24 at the user's abdomen, makes the assembly very stable and allows the users to walk on the bottom, while being free of their movements.

To reassemble the users, they come to sit on the seats 22, the autonomous diver locks the sticks 30 on the support 32. 0 Finally, the winch 18 is again activated, according to a first race so as to reposition the basket 14 in the high position, and in a second race, during which the equipment 24 are lifted so as to allow the occupants to get out of them.

It will be appreciated that the invention which has just been described allows any person to perform an underwater dive without the need to be a skilled diver, insofar as the descent and climb operations are carried out by means of the nacelle, and to the extent that the counterweights worn by the vests are adapted to allow them to market on the seabed while allowing to remain in contact with the surface. It will be noted, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described.

Indeed, in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, it was considered that the installation 10 allows people to immerse themselves and walk on a seabed. As illustrated in FIG. 4, this installation can also be used in a private setting, in particular in a swimming pool or pool. In this case, the lifting means and supply of compressed air equipment are positioned on the edge of the pool or basin, this installation being devoid of platform.

It is possible to use, for example, two independent nacelles, such as 48 and 50, connected to means for controlling their rise and descent, constituted for example, in this case, by pneumatic drive means.

The nacelles can be operated in cycles out of phase, that is to say that when one of the nacelles is in the high position, the other nacelle is located in the low position.

In addition, each nacelle can be associated with several ramps of breathing and sound equipment so as to support, simultaneously, several groups of people.

In this case, when one of the nacelles comes down, and the occupants have cleared the latter, the nacelle is raised to receive another ramp of breathing and sound equipment and to support a another group of users.

After descent of these, the first group of users is reassembled and another group of users is then supported.

Claims

1. Installation (10) for submerged immersion, characterized in that it comprises at least one submersible nacelle (14; 48,50) connected to means (16, 18, 20) for lifting and lowering the latter, and a set of breathing and sound equipment (24) carried by the carrycot

(14; 48,50) and dissociable from the latter when the platform is immersed, each breathing equipment comprising a helmet (26) mounted on a vest (28) coming to be positioned on the thorax of a user and being provided with a supply duct of the air helmet delivered from the surface and sound / communication means connected to complementary means on the surface.

2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each vest (28) is provided with weighting means (40, 42) removable and adjustable whose weight is at least equal to the thrust exerted on the respiratory equipment and sound and the user, in immersion.

3. Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the lifting means comprise a set of cables (16) connected at one end to the nacelle and provided, at the opposite end counterweight (20) of mass at least greater than that of the nacelle and its occupants, and a winch (18) for controlling the lifting and lowering of the nacelle.

4. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the winch (18) is operable by motorization means and / or manually by an operator.

5. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each breathing and sound equipment is provided with a butt (30) provided with removable fastening means for quick attachment of said butts on a support (32) integral of the nacelle (14; 48,50).

6. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises means for lifting and lowering the support (32) of breathing equipment and sound relative to the nacelle.

7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that said means for lifting and lowering the support are constituted by said lifting means (16, 18, 20) and descent of the nacelle, which comprise a first descent stroke of breathing and sound equipment in active position in which the vests are positioned at thorax level of the users and a second immersion race of the nacelle.

8. Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the nacelle carries a set of seats (22) in a number corresponding to the number of breathing and sound equipment and means for adjusting the height of the seats.

9. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises a platform (12) floating on which are mounted the lifting and lowering means of the nacelle, means of feeding air breathing equipment and supplementary sound equipment.

10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the air equipment supply means comprise compressed air bottles or a compressor.

11. Installation according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the platform (12) is provided with extinguisher means (12a).

12. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises several nacelles (48, 50) each associated with lifting and lowering means and one or more sets of breathing equipment and sound .

13. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each duct (36) is suspended from a buoy (36c) or a bracket.