WO2015036701A1

WO2015036701A1 - Device for controlling a dump valve on a buoyancy compensator used in underwater diving

Info

Publication number: WO2015036701A1
Application number: PCT/FR2014/052250
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Burel
Original assignee: Beuchat International
Priority date: 2013-09-16
Filing date: 2014-09-11
Publication date: 2015-03-19
Also published as: FR3010694A1; FR3010694B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the manual control of a dump valve (5) of a buoyancy compensator (1) for practising underwater diving, said device comprising an operating body in the form of a handle connected to said purge valve by a control connector, characterised in that the control connector is in the form of a flexible, shape-memory tongue (8) and comprises: a free distal end (81) to which the operating body is attached, and a proximal end (82) designed to be connected to the dump valve (5), either directly or by an intermediate means (10).

Description

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A PURGE VALVE ON A BALANCING VEST USED IN AN UNDERWATER DIVING

Description

Technical Field of the Invention The invention relates to a control device which is associated with a purge valve which is found on a balancing vest worn by a diver for the practice of scuba diving.

It concerns the technical field of elements allowing a diver to maneuver such a valve safely.

State of the art The balancing vest, as described in patent document FR 2 948 093

(BEUCHAT), is a comfort and safety equipment for the diver. This vest has inflatable chambers that are located in the back of the diver and on its flanks overflowing to the front and the gas filling of these chambers to stabilize the diver to its depth of evolution.

The inflatable chambers are associated with a reserve of compressed air and emptying means which is operated by a manual control by actuating an appropriate purge valve. The control of opening of the purge valve of the dorsal chamber is effected by means of a maneuvering member in the form of a handle which is grippable and accessible on the front of the vest. This handle is currently disposed at the distal end of a corded textile cord whose other end is connected to the valve of the purge valve. This cord is also described and shown in the document US Patent 2008/0267715 (SULLIVAN).

When placing the vest on the user, or diving, this cord maneuver tends to move and, often if we are not careful, to get out of reach of said user, even to hang under the sling of the harness, which can lead to a stressful situation or even life-threatening, as may be the case if it proves impossible to purge the room quickly during a lift. The invention aims to remedy this state of affairs. In particular, an object of the invention is to improve the control device of the type described in the patent documents FR 2 948 093 and US 2008/0267715 cited above, in order to avoid this type of incident and more specifically; avoid any deformation and / or displacement of its constituent elements capable of generating a winding and / or jamming of said constituent elements on a vest element.

Disclosure of the invention. The solution proposed by the invention is a manual control device for a purge valve of a balancing vest for the practice of scuba diving. This device is of the aforementioned type, that is to say it comprises a handle-shaped operating member connected to the purge valve by a control clip. This device is remarkable in that the control clip is in the form of a flexible tongue and shape memory, and comprises: a free distal end at which the operating member is fixed,

a proximal end configured to be directly connected, or by means interposed, to the purge valve.

The Applicant has found that this tongue is held in place and / or returns after any request so as to position the operating member, in all circumstances, at a place intended to "fall" under the hand of the diver. This tongue is not likely to wrap and / or get caught on an element of the vest, which helps to improve the safety of the diver.

Other advantageous features of the device that is the subject of the invention are listed below. Each of these features can be considered alone or in combination with the remarkable features defined above, which remarkable features are not indispensable as such to the resolution of technical problems that the following features propose to solve:

- Preferentially, the cross section of the tongue is such that it is part of a rectangle with dimensions between: 1 mm to 4 mm for its thickness; and 4 mm to 10 mm for its width.

- The tongue is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material of the family of polyamides, or steel, or carbon, or composite material.

- The section of the tongue can be full or hollow.

- The tongue can be flat, with one or more longitudinal reinforcing ribs forming an "X" section, or "+", or "I": a "I" single or double by abutment.

- The handle-shaped operating member may be in the form of a bell which locks on the free distal end of the tongue, which tongue comprises at least one notch to allow adjustment of the position of said bell along its length.

- The operating member may comprise, in addition to the bell, a core which is housed in a central cavity of said bell and which is clamped on a notch arranged on the tongue, which bell is also partially covered and wrapped by a flexible sheath which closes said central cavity and holds in position the assembly consisting of: said bell, the tongue, and its core.

- This core may consist of one or two pieces that cooperate with the or notches arranged on the tongue.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of lengthening the tongue of the control device described above, this method of positioning the core at the appropriate location on said tongue according to the size of the balancing vest, then to capping said core with the bell which thus locks its position, then cutting the projecting portion of said tongue which protrudes from said bell and, finally, partially covering said bell by enclosing it partially in the sheath-shaped elastic envelope which, at the same time, closes the cavity serving as a housing for said core inside said bell.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a balancing vest for the practice of scuba diving, comprising a straps harness and at least one inflatable dorsal chamber, which chamber is associated with a purge valve, a device for manual control for actuating said valve, which device comprises a handle-shaped operating member connected to said valve by a control clip. This vest is remarkable in that the control clip is in the form of a flexible tongue and shape memory, and comprises:

a free distal end at which the operating member is fixed, a proximal end configured to be directly connected, or by means interposed, to the purge valve.

Other advantageous features of the balancing vest object of the invention are listed below. Each of these features can be considered alone or in combination with the remarkable features defined above, which remarkable features are not indispensable as such to the resolution of technical problems that the following features propose to solve:

- The tongue is preferably plated on a shoulder strap of the vest, said tongue being rigid enough to hold in place and / or return after any stress so as to position the operating member, in all circumstances, at a place intended for "Fall" under the hand of the diver.

- Guide means of the tongue is advantageously installed on a strap of said vest.

- This guide means may be in the form of a sheath or a passer in which is mounted sliding tongue.

- The tongue can be integral, its proximal end being directly connected to the purge valve.

- The proximal end of the tongue can however be connected to the purge valve by means of a cord.

- The control device can be prepared before installation on said vest or during installation, according to the method mentioned above.

Description of the figures.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear better on reading the description of a preferred embodiment which follows, in reference to the accompanying drawings, given as indicative and non-limiting examples and in which:

- Figure 1 shows, schematically, a balancing vest with a purge valve and the control device in the form of tongue that actuates said purge valve;

- Figure 2 shows a purge valve installed on a balancing vest with an integral tongue which actuates directly said valve;

FIG. 3 shows the free end of the tongue with the handle-shaped operating member installed at its distal end;

- Figure 4 shows a purge valve installed on a balancing vest with the control device which comprises the tongue and a cord which connects said tongue to said valve;

- Figures 5 to 7 show several possible embodiments of the section of the tongue;

- Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the tongue with its handle-shaped operating member, which operating member is arranged to provide a possibility of adjusting the length of said tongue;

- Figure 9 shows the maneuvering device in section: a section along 9-9 of Figure 10;

- Figure 10 also shows the maneuvering device in section: a section along 10-10 of Figure 9;

- Figures 1 1 and 1 1a schematically illustrate an embodiment of the tongue and its arrangement for a length according to the size of the balancing vest;

- Figures 12 to 15 schematically illustrate other embodiments of the tab lengthening means to adapt to the size of the balancing vest.

Preferred embodiments of the invention Figure 1 shows a balancing vest 1 which includes inflatable chambers to ensure the stability of the plunger: a dorsal chamber 2 and two lateral chambers and abdominal 3, for example. The balancing vest 1 may, however, comprise only one dorsal chamber 2 or more. The side and abdominal chambers 3 comprise purge valves operable by the plunger. The dorsal chamber 2 also has a purge valve 5 which is located in the upper back, for example, and which can be actuated by means of the control device object of the invention. This control device is installed on one of the shoulder straps 6 of the harness which is integrated with the balancing vest 1 and which constitutes the structure. This control device comprises the maneuvering member 7 in the form of a gripping handle and which is easily accessible for the plunger. It also comprises, interposed between the operating member 7 and the purge valve 5, a tab-shaped fastener 8 which appears in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The tongue 8 is slidably mounted in a guide means, the latter making it possible to press it on the shoulder strap 6. The tongue 8 may for example be guided in a sheath or, as shown in FIG. 1, in one or more passers-by 9 which are located on the front of ramp 6.

The proximal end 82 of the tongue 8 is configured to be connected directly, or by means interposed, to the bleed valve 5. In FIG. 2, the tongue 8 is integral, that is to say that its end proximal 82 is directly connected - or in direct contact - with the purge valve 5.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention which constitutes a transition and makes it possible to apply the control device which is the subject of the invention to the current purge valves, the control of which is carried out by means of a cord 10. The cord 10 extends between the proximal end 82 of the tongue 8 and the bleed valve 5. The proximal end 82 is arranged in eyepiece shape to block a knot made at the end of the cord 10. This solution is also advantageous because it facilitates the adaptation of the control device, and in particular of its tongue 8, to the different sizes of the balancing vests 1.

This tongue 8 is flexible and it slides flat, plated on the surface of the shoulder strap 6. The tongue 8 deforms - or folds - but it remains sufficiently rigid, like a shape memory tongue, for keep in place and / or return after any solicitation; this feature guarantees a good positioning of the operating member 7, in all circumstances, at the dedicated place to "fall" under the hand of the diver. In other words, the tongue 8 does not remain bent, twisted or twisted following a solicitation, but automatically returns to its original position. In practice, the tongue 8 is flat and has two flat faces bordered by lateral edges: it bends at its flat faces but not, or hardly, at its lateral edges. Good results in terms of shape memory deformation are obtained when the tongue 8 is made of a thermoplastic material of the family of polyamides, for example of the Rilsan® or Pebax® type. However, other materials can be used, such as: steel (eg stainless steel), carbon, composite material (eg resin + glass fiber), etc.

To obtain good rigidity of the tongue 8, its cross section is such that it fits in a rectangle with dimensions of the order of 1 mm to 4 mm for its thickness and 4 mm to 10 mm for its width , and it is on this width that it is in contact with the surface of the ramp on which it slides, guided by the passers-by 9.

The section of the tongue 8 may be of the solid type, as shown in FIG. 5, or hollow, as shown in FIG. 6. It may be flat with one or more longitudinal ribs of reinforcement. Thus, FIG. 7a shows a flat tongue 8 provided with a central rib on each face which gives it a Section in the form of "X" or "+". Figure 7b shows a flat tongue 8 with a simple "I" shaped section and Figure 7c shows a flat tongue 8 whose section is shaped like two "I" butt. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the control device according to the invention which resumes the embodiment of FIG. 4. The purge valve 5 is again found with the cord 10 which extends the tongue 8, which tongue 8 extends in the operating member 7 and it is arranged with a notch 19 which allows, in cooperation with this actuator 7, to adapt the useful length of said tongue and the position of said actuator according to the size of the vest balancing and in particular the size of the shoulder straps 6.

The operating member 7 is itself arranged to allow this adjustment. It is in the form of a bell 12 which comprises, as represented in FIGS. 9 and 10, a cavity 13 open towards the bottom in which the tongue 8 is inserted as well as means which make it possible to lock this tongue with respect to said bell 12. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "bell" means a part having an open cavity, which piece may be square, rectangular, frustoconical, truncated pyramid, triangular, etc.

This bell 12 is itself surrounded by sheath 14 which closes the cavity 13. This sheath 14 is made of elastomer-type material to be positioned around the bell 12 in a recess 15 formed in recesses around the sides of said bell 12 as shown in FIG.

The following figures show several embodiments of devices for stopping and lengthening of the tongue 8 which make it possible to adapt this tongue 8 to balancing vests 1 of different sizes. Figures 1 1 and 1 1a show a device for stopping and locking the end of the tongue 8 in the case of a tongue 8 which is of the monobloc type. The tongue 8 has a thinning which forms a hinge 16 a few centimeters from its end and this hinge separates two notches 17 and 18 identical but in opposite directions. Thus, as shown in Figure 1 1 a, when they are folded over one another after folding of the tongue 8 at the hinge, the notches 17 and 18 fit into one another and form stubborn. The latter is inserted and cooperates with the cavity 13 of the bell 12 whose dimensions are suitable for housing the tongue 8. The locking of this tongue 8 is achieved by means of the sheath 14 which partially surrounds the bell 12 and closes the cavity 13.

Figure 12A shows a tongue 8 with a notch 19 arranged on one side. This notching 19 cooperates with a piece 20, also notched, which can be positioned at a selected location on the tongue 8 as shown in Figure 12Aa. This positioning is chosen according to the size of the balancing vest and in particular of the strap 6 on which the tongue 8 is installed. The latter, and the piece 20, are housed in the cavity 13 of the bell 12. are locked by means of the sheath 14 which partially envelops said bell 12 and closes said cavity 13.

Figure 12B shows a tongue 8 which has the same notch 19 as that shown in Figure 12A. This notching is arranged symmetrically on either side of the tongue 8. Similarly, two notched parts 20 also cooperate with each notch of the tongue 8 and the assembly is housed in the cavity 13 of the bell 12, as before to obtain the correct length of the tongue 8, adapted to the size of the balancing vest 1.

FIG. 13 proposes a solution of the slider type 21: a slider guided on the tongue 8. This tongue 8 has a notch, FIG. 13A and the slider 21 also, or it comprises two notches, FIG. 13B with the same thing for the cursor 21. The procedure for locking is the same as before.

Figure 14A shows a slider consisting of two pieces 22 and 23 notched which are clipped with each other and lock simultaneously on the tongue 8 which is provided with a notch 19 on both sides. As previously, the tongue 8 is housed with its cursor in the cavity 13 of the bell 12 and the assembly is held in position by the sheath 14 which surrounds said bell 12 and closes said cavity 13.

FIG. 14B shows a variant of FIG. 14A in which the slider 24 is made in one piece by means of a hinge 25 which joins the two parts of said slider 24. This slider 24 encloses the tongue 8 and locks with himself by clipping. The mounting and installation of this slider 24 in the cavity 13 of the bell 12 to adjust the length of the tongue 8 is the same as before.

The shape of the notch 19 may vary as shown in Figures 15A and 15B. The notch 19 may be inclined and disposed on one or both sides of the tongue 8. This notch 19 may also, as shown in Figure 15B, be of the square or rectangular type, on one side or on both sides of the tongue 8 .

All these solutions detailed in FIGS. 12 to 14 proceed from the same operating mode to result in a lengthening of the tongue 8. This lengthening of the tongue 8 can be carried out before its installation on the balancing vest 1 or during his installation. The method consists of positioning the serrated core 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 at the appropriate place on said tongue 8, then to cap this core with the bell 12 to accommodate it in the cavity 13 so as to lock its position on the tongue 8, then to cut the projecting portion of the tongue 8 which protrudes from the bell 12 and, finally, to partly cover said bell 12 by enclosing it partially in the flexible sheath 14 which, at the same time, closes said cavity 13 in which is housed the clamped core on the tongue 8.

The arrangement of the various elements and / or means and / or steps of the invention, in the embodiments described above, should not be understood as requiring such an arrangement in all implementations. In any case, it will be understood that various modifications may be made to these elements and / or means and / or steps, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, the operating member 7 can be held in position on the tongue 8 by means of a simple ring or a pin. This member 7 can also be directly molded at the distal end 81 of the tongue 8.

Claims

claims

1. Device for manual control of a purge valve (5) of a balancing vest (1) for the practice of scuba diving, which device comprises a maneuvering member (7) in the form of a connected handle to said purge valve by a control clip,

characterized in that the control clip is in the form of a flexible and shape-memory tongue (8), and comprises:

a free distal end (81) at which the operating member (7) is fixed,

- a proximal end (82) configured to be directly connected, or by means interposed (10), to the purge valve (5).

2. Control device according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the tongue (8) is such that it fits in a rectangle with dimensions between: 1 mm to 4 mm for its thickness; and 4 mm to 10 mm for its width.

3. Control device according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the tongue (8) is made of a thermoplastic material of the family of polyamides, or steel, or carbon, or composite material.

4. Control device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the section of the tongue (8) is solid or hollow.

5. Control device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tongue (8) is flat with one or more longitudinal reinforcing ribs forming an "X" section, or "+", or "I"": A single or double" I "by abutment.

6. Control device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the handle-shaped maneuvering member (7) located at the distal end (81) free of the tongue (8), is under the shaped bell (12) which locks on said free end (81), which tongue (8) comprises at least one notch (19) to allow adjustment of the position of said bell (12) along its length.

7. Control device according to claim 6, wherein the handle member (7) comprises, in addition to the bell (12), a core (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25). which is housed in a central cavity (13) of said bell (12) and which is clamped on a notch arranged on the tongue (8), which bell (12) is also partially covered and wrapped by a flexible sheath (14) which closes said central cavity (13) and holds in position the assembly consisting of: said bell (12), the tongue (8), and its core.

8. Control device according to claim 7, wherein the core (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) consists of one or two parts which cooperate with the notches (19) arranged on the tongue ( 8).

9. A method of lengthening the tongue (8) of the control device according to claim 7, of positioning the core at the appropriate location on said tongue (8) according to the size of the balancing vest (1), then to cover said core with the bell (12) which thus locks its position, then to cut the projecting portion of said tongue (8) which projects beyond said bell (12) and, finally, to partly cover said bell (12) by enclosing it partially in the sheath-shaped elastic envelope (14) which, at the same time, closes the cavity (13) serving as a housing for said core inside said bell (12).

10. Balancing vest for scuba diving, taking a shoulder harness (6) and at least one inflatable dorsal chamber, which chamber is associated with a purge valve (5), a manual control device for actuating said valve, which device comprises a handle-shaped operating member (7) connected to said valve by a control clip,

a free distal end (81) at which the operating member (7) is fixed,

- a proximal end (82) configured to be directly connected, or by means interposed, to the purge valve (5).

1 1. Balancing vest according to claim 10, wherein the tongue (8) is pressed onto a strap (6) of said vest, said tongue being rigid enough to hold in place and / or return after any request of to position the operating member (7), in all circumstances, at a place intended to "fall" under the hand of the diver.

12. Balancing vest according to one of claims 10 or 1 1, wherein a guide means of the tongue (8) is installed on a shoulder strap (6) of said vest.

13. Balancing vest according to claim 12, wherein the guide means is in the form of a sleeve or a loop (9) in which is mounted slidably the tongue (8).

14. Balancing vest according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the tongue (8) is integral, its proximal end (82) being directly connected to the purge valve (5).

15. Balancing vest according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the proximal end (82) of the tongue (8) is connected to the purge valve (5) by means of a cord (10). .

16. Balancing vest according to one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the control device is prepared before installation on said vest, or during its installation, according to the method of claim 9.