A compressed air powered long-range life saving device is provided. Compressed air in an air canister flows to project a tube, a rope within the tube extends to unfasten a safety pin, a sliding disc pushes down a first needle until stopped, the first needle punctures an auxiliary air canister to release compressed air, the compressed air enters a receptacle, the compressed air flows out of the receptacle into a first portion of a second cylinder, the second needle is pushed down when the pressure reaches a preset value, the second needle punctures a main air canister to release compressed air prior to entering a second portion of the second cylinder, the compressed air flows out of the second portion into the first cylinder, the compressed air flows into the a lifebuoy for inflation, the inflated lifebuoy separates a housing into two pieces, and the rope unwinds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to life saving devices and more particularly to a compressed air powered device for launching a lifebuoy from long-range to save a person overwhelmed in water.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional life saving device having a launcher is provided for an automatic inflation of a float by simply acting on a lever. The mechanism comprises an air canister at a top portion with the float so that the canister is traversed by a hollow cut-off cock whose lower end projects from a container and is terminated by the lever. The upper end is introduced inside the float and the air penetrating through the hollow tube of the cock. Integral with the assembly is a ring connected to a rolled-up cable which is integrally formed with the launcher. The launcher is mounted in a gun so that a life saving assembly can be launched toward a target in danger.

While it has some utility, improvements in these products are desired, and these improvements are provided by the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a life saving device comprising a housing consisting of at least two detachable pieces and comprising a neck having an opening; a cylindrical cap assembly comprising an annular groove on an outer surface, a hollow extension, a stop member secured to an opening of the extension, a transverse hole through the extension, a safety pin inserted through the transverse hole, and a spring biased sliding disc having one end secured to the stop member and an other end urging against the safety pin; a first needle moveably disposed in the cap assembly and comprising an annular first flange proximate to the safety pin; a buoyant assembly disposed in the housing and comprising a hollow first cylinder having a top secured to the opening of the neck and including an inflatable lifebuoy disposed around the first cylinder; a tubular member being in fluid communication with both the first cylinder and the lifebuoy; a delay mechanism comprising a receptacle, an annular second flange on a bottom of the receptacle, an axial hole through a center of the second flange, and an auxiliary air canister disposed in the receptacle and being in close proximity to the first needle, a hollow second cylinder having one end secured to the second flange and an opening on an other end, a disc affixed to an inner surface of the second cylinder to divide the second cylinder into a first portion defined between the disc and the second flange and a second portion defined between the disc and the main air canister, the disc having a central hole, and a main air canister disposed in the second cylinder spaced from the disc and having a bottom engaged with the opening of the second cylinder; a second needle spaced from the receptacle and moveably disposed through the central hole of the disc, the second needle being in close proximity to the main air canister; a tube put on the cap assembly and being in close proximity to the housing; a sleeve put on the tube and comprising an externally threaded end; a ring member secured onto the sleeve; a hollow third cylinder comprising a first externally threaded extension at a one end, an internally threaded cup secured to the first externally threaded extension, a second externally threaded extension at an other end, and a ring element including first internal threads secured to the externally threaded end of the sleeve, and second internal threads secured to the second externally threaded extension; a hollow anchor fastened in one end of the sleeve within the ring element; a hollow fin assembly disposed in one ends of the tube and the sleeve and being in close proximity to the anchor, the fin assembly comprising a diaphragm secured to one end of the anchor, a casing, a plurality of equally spaced slits on the casing, a plurality of spring actuated pivotal fins, and an internal biasing member biasing against the fins wherein the fins are retracted into the slits in an inoperative position; a rope having one end wound on the annular groove and an other end fastened in the anchor after passing through the tube and the fin assembly, the rope comprising an extension tied to the safety pin; and an air canister disposed in the third cylinder; wherein in response to opening the air canister, compressed air in the air canister flows to and breaks the diaphragm prior to propelling the tube out of the sleeve, the fins project out of the slits, the rope within the tube extends out of the tube to pull the safety pin out of the transverse hole, the sliding disc pushes down the first needle until the first flange engages the extension, the first needle punctures the auxiliary air canister to release compressed air from the auxiliary air canister, the compressed air enters the receptacle, the compressed air flows out of the receptacle into the first portion of the second cylinder via the axial hole, pressure in the first portion of the second cylinder increases constantly, the second needle is pushed down when the pressure reaches a predetermined value, the second needle punctures the main air canister to release compressed air from the main air canister prior to entering a second portion of the second cylinder, the compressed air flows out of the second portion of the second cylinder into the first cylinder via the opening of the second cylinder, pressure in the first cylinder increases constantly, the compressed air flows into the lifebuoy for inflation via the tubular member, the inflated lifebuoy separates the housing into the at least two pieces, and a portion of the rope wound on the annular groove unwinds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 10, a life saving device in accordance with the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below.

A launching unit5and a projectile unit are provided. The launching unit5comprises the following components: A sleeve52is provided. A ring60is provided to interconnect the projectile unit and the sleeve52.

The projectile unit comprises a housing1consisting of two detachable halves and comprising a cylindrical top neck17having an opening14. A cylindrical cap assembly2comprises an annular groove21on an outer surface, a narrow extension22, a disc-shaped member24secured to an opening of the extension22, and a transverse hole29through the extension22. A safety pin4is inserted through the hole29to support a sliding disc26in the extension22. A helical spring25is biased between the disc-shaped member24and the sliding disc26. A moveable first needle20is moveably provided in the cap assembly2and comprises an annular flange23proximate to the safety pin4, an annular groove27proximate to a pointed end, and an O-ring28sealingly put on the groove27.

A buoyant assembly9is provided in the housing1and comprises a hollow cylinder91having a top secured to the opening14and having a bottom hole92, and an inflatable lifebuoy90disposed around the cylinder91. A tubular member15has one end inserted into the hole92and the other end inserted into the surface of the lifebuoy90. A delay mechanism3comprises a cylindrical receptacle31having an internal space35, an annular flange39on a bottom of the receptacle31, an axial hole33through the center of the flange39, and an auxiliary air canister30disposed in the space35and having a top32in close proximity to a pointed end of the first needle20. A hollow, cylindrical member11has one end secured to the flange39and an opening13on the other end. The delay mechanism3further comprises a disc36affixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical member11to divide the cylindrical member11into a first portion defined between the disc36and the second flange39and a second portion defined between the disc36and a main air canister10in the cylindrical member11, the disc36having a hole34through its center. The main air canister10is provided under the disc36and has a bottom engaged with the opening13.

A moveable second needle40is under the receptacle31and is disposed through the hole34of the disc36. The second needle40comprises an annular groove41and an O-ring42sealingly put on the groove41. The pointed end of the second needle40is in close proximity to a top12of the main air canister10. A rope6has one end affixed to a member within the launching unit5as detailed later and the other end wound on the groove21. The rope6has an extension61tied to the safety pin4.

A short, hollow, cylindrical anchor53is provided on a lower portion of the sleeve52. The anchor53comprises two opposite, curved openings57on one surface for allowing air to pass, an axial channel54for allowing the rope6to pass through, two opposite slits56formed on the mouth of the channel54, two annular grooves58, and two O-rings59fitted in the grooves58for sealing purpose.

A disc shaped diaphragm19having a central opening18for allowing the rope6to pass is provided on one surface of the anchor53in covering relationship to the openings57and the channel54. A hollow cylinder70comprises a first externally threaded extension75at a one end, a cup76having internal threads77secured to the first externally threaded extension75, a second externally threaded extension71at the other end, and a ring72having first internal threads73secured to an externally threaded extension65on a lower end of the sleeve52, and second internal threads74secured to the second externally threaded extension71. The cylinder70further comprises two sealing rings78,79in which one sealing ring79is provided between a joining portion of the ring72and the second externally threaded extension71, and the other sealing ring78is provided between a joining portion of the ring72and the externally threaded extension65all for sealing purposes.

A tube51is provided with the sleeve52tightly put thereon. Further, the tube51is tightly put on the cap assembly2. The ring60is used to fasten ends of the cap assembly2, the tube51, and the sleeve52together. A fin assembly8is provided on lower portions of both the tube51and the sleeve52and comprises a plurality of equally spaced slits (four are shown)34on a housing83, and a plurality of pivotal fins (four are shown)88corresponding to the slits84respectively. The fins88do not project out of the slits84prior to launching of the life saving device because they are pushed into the housing83by the inner wall of the sleeve52when the housing83is disposed in the sleeve52. The fin assembly8further comprises a narrow extension81at one end, the extension81being fastened by a lower portion of the tube51, a passage82through the housing83, four wells85each formed on an inner surface of the housing83and at one end of the slit84, four pivots87disposed in the wells85, four torsion springs86each put on the pivot87so that the pivots87may make the fins88pivotal, and a helical spring89anchored in the passage82and biased against the fins88.

The rope6passes the extension81and the passage82to be fastened in the channel54. In detail, a knot63A is formed by tying the other end of the rope6and is fastened in the channel54(seeFIG. 7B). Alternatively, an anchor member63B is provided in the channel54with the other end of the rope6being secured thereto (seeFIG. 9A). Still alternatively, the anchor member63B is replaced with a fastening member63C (seeFIG. 9B).

A rescue operation of the invention is described in detail below. First, a person may remove the cup76, place an air canister7in the cylinder70, and secure the cup76to the bottom of the cylinder70.

As shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B, a user may open the air canister7to cause compressed air in the air canister7to strongly flow to the diaphragm19to break the diaphragm19. And in turn, the compressed air propels the tube51out of the sleeve52. The fins88extend out of the slits84due to expansion of the spring89after leaving the sleeve52. The extended fins88can stabilize the flight of the tube51and the projectile unit including housing1. The rope6gradually extends out of a rear end of the tube51during the flight of the tube51.

As shown inFIGS. 4B,5A, and5B, after a period of flying time, the extending rope6pulls the safety pin4out of the hole29. The energized spring25expands to push down the sliding disc26which in turn pushes down the first needle20until the flange23engages a bottom of the extension22(i.e., being stopped). The pointed end of the first needle20thus punctures the top32of the auxiliary air canister30to release compressed air from the auxiliary air canister30prior to entering the receptacle31. The compressed air flows out of the receptacle31into the space35via the hole33. The pressure in the space35increases constantly and will push down the second needle40when the pressure reaches a predetermined value. The pointed end of the second needle40punctures the top12of the main air canister10to release compressed air from the main air canister10prior to entering the cylindrical member11. The compressed air flows out of the cylindrical member11into the cylinder91via the opening13. The pressure in the cylinder91increases constantly and the compressed air flows into the lifebuoy90for inflation via the tubular member15. The inflated lifebuoy90finally separates the housing1into two halve and the portion of the rope6wound on the groove21unwinds. Finally, the lifebuoy90reaches a person being overwhelmed in water.