The glass-breaker mechanism includes a sensor component and a glass-breaker component. The sensor component is installed at a low point within the driver door of a vehicle. The sensor component contains a water-soluble material that retains a spring in its compressed state so long as the water-soluble material is dry. If the vehicle is immersed in water, the water-soluble material dissolves, releasing the spring. The spring drives a pin into the end of a pressurized gas (e.g., CO2) cartridge, releasing the gas therein. The gas passes through a tube to the glass-breaker component installed upon the glass just below the top of the door to drive a spiked piston into the glass and shatter the tempered safety glass of the window.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to emergency escape devices and systems, and more particularly to a glass-breaker mechanism that will automatically break a glass panel, e.g., in a motor vehicle, when the water level exceeds a predetermined level to provide an escape route during flooding or submerged conditions.

2. Description of the Related Art

A number of tragic accidents have occurred over the years when motor vehicles have ended up at least partially submerged in a body of water. Such a situation may be due to the failure of a parking brake, a collision, loss of control of the vehicle, or flooding during hurricane conditions, among various potential causes. In many instances the vehicle is relatively undamaged and the occupants may be physically capable of escape, but the vehicle doors may be jammed or unable to be opened due to water pressure. More and more motor vehicles are now equipped with electrically operated windows, which of course are inoperable when the electrical system of the vehicle is submerged. The required tempered safety glass of motor vehicle windshields and windows is extremely resistant to breakage by a blunt impact force, and cannot be readily kicked out to allow escape. A reasonably fast or heavy impact with a pointed or edged object is necessary to cause the glass to shatter.

As a result, a number of handheld tools and devices for breaking the glass in an automobile window or the like have been developed in the past. The problem with all such devices is that they must be manually operated by the person(s) trapped in the vehicle. If for some reason the trapped person is unable to use the glass-breaking tool (e.g., due to injury or loss of consciousness), he or she remains trapped within the submerged vehicle to drown unless rescue from outside the vehicle occurs in short order.

Thus, a glass-breaker mechanism solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The glass-breaker mechanism includes a sensor component and a glass-breaking component. The sensor component is installed within the door or other suitable structure of the vehicle, and includes a water-soluble substance (e.g., bicarbonate of soda, etc.) that retains a spring in compression when the substance is dry. When the water-soluble material dissolves, the spring is released and drives a pin into a gas cartridge to release a pressurized gas (e.g., carbon dioxide, CO2) stored within the cartridge.

The gas is transmitted under pressure through a flexible tube or hose to the glass-breaking component, which is secured to the lowermost portion of the window glass below the top of the door or other body panel. A spiked piston is disposed within the glass-breaking component, and is driven outward from its housing by the gas pressure against the glass with enough force to shatter the glass. As motor vehicle glass is required to be tempered safety glass, the glass is shattered into myriad small pieces that are held together by the plastic safety laminate. A person trapped within the vehicle may then easily break out the shattered glass to escape from the submerged vehicle.

In one embodiment, the sensor device or component is immovably affixed in the lower portion of a vehicle door. Any immersion of the lower portion of the vehicle in water will immerse the sensor device, thus triggering the breaker mechanism to allow vehicle occupants to escape. Alternatively, the sensor device may be installed upon a generally vertical guide (e.g., a rod or tube, etc.) within the door. The sensor device will normally rest in the bottom of the door, but if the vehicle were to turn over, the sensor device would slide to what would normally be the top of the door, thus reducing the depth of water required to trigger the sensor unit. At least one such system may be installed within the driver's door of the vehicle, but preferably at least two such systems are installed, one on each side of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The glass-breaker mechanism is an automated device that requires no action whatsoever on the part of the user. The device may be used to break a glass panel or the like automatically in virtually any environment or installation when activated by water, but is particularly well suited for installation within the door or other body panel of a motor vehicle. Typically, the glass-breaker component is secured to the lower portion of the window glass below the upper edge of the door or panel, i.e., to a portion of the window that is still inside the door when the window is fully closed.

FIG. 1of the drawings is an environmental perspective view of a first embodiment of the glass-breaker mechanism10, andFIGS. 2 and 3illustrate the mechanism10in its armed state and in its activated state, respectively. InFIG. 1, a motor vehicle V is immersed in a body of water W. The mechanism10has been activated by water entering the sensor unit12installed within the door D of the vehicle V. As a result, the glass-breaker unit14has shattered the window glass G of the vehicle V to allow the occupant to escape. All glass panels in motor vehicles are required by law to be made of tempered safety glass. Such glass is highly resistant to breakage when hit by a blunt object, but will shatter into myriad small pieces when broken by a sharp impact by a pointed object. The small pieces of glass are only held together by the plastic laminate between the two panes, allowing the glass to be broken away easily for escape.

FIGS. 2 and 3respectively illustrate the glass-breaker mechanism10in its armed and activated conditions. The mechanism10includes a sensor unit12and glass-breaker unit14. The two units12and14communicate pneumatically by a flexible pneumatic tube or hose16connecting the two components. The sensor unit12comprises a sensor body18having opposite first and second ends20and22and a wall24extending between the two ends20,22. The first and second ends20,22and the wall24of the sensor body18define an interior chamber26. At least one water passage28(and preferably a plurality of such passages) extends through the wall24to allow water to flow into the interior chamber26when the sensor unit12is submerged.

A pressurized gas cartridge30(e.g., a CO2cartridge) extends from the first end20of the sensor body18. The neck of the cartridge30extends into the interior chamber26, and defines a mouth closed by a penetrable seal. A water-soluble material32(e.g., bicarbonate of soda, etc.) is placed within the interior chamber26, adjacent the first end20of the sensor body18. A cartridge-penetrating pin34is installed within the interior chamber26, and is oriented toward the penetrable seal of the pressurized gas cartridge30. A compression spring36is installed within the interior chamber26adjacent the second end22of the sensor body18, and is biased to urge the pin34toward the gas cartridge30. However, the pin34is restricted from penetrating the end of the cartridge30by the water-soluble material32, which is located within the interior chamber26between the pin34and the first end20of the sensor body18. Thus, the pressurized gas cartridge30cannot be punctured to allow the gas to escape to the glass-breaking unit or component14unless and until the water-soluble material is dissolved and/or washed from the interior chamber26of the sensor body18.

The glass-breaker unit14has a housing or body38having a closed first end40and an open second end42. The second end42preferably has a relatively large flange44extending therefrom for securing (e.g., glass adhesive46, etc.) the housing38to the glass G. The body38defines an interior chamber48extending between the first and second ends40and42. A glass-breaker spike50is slidably disposed within the interior chamber48. The spike50has a sharpened or pointed edge or end52oriented toward the open second end42of the glass-breaker body38. The diameter of the spike50fills the internal diameter of the interior chamber48. The glass-breaker body38and its closed first end40, along with the spike50, define a pneumatic chamber54therein.

The mechanism10operates completely automatically whenever the sensor unit12is submerged in water. While the mechanism10may be used as an automated, water-activated glass-breaking device in virtually any environment, it is particularly well suited for installation in a motor vehicle.FIGS. 2 and 3illustrate the mechanism10in an exemplary installation within a motor vehicle door D. The glass-breaker component14is adhesively attached to the window glass G along the lowermost portion thereof, i.e., that portion that remains below the windowsill of the door D when the window glass G is all the way up. InFIG. 2, the system is armed, but has not been activated. The water-soluble material32remains in its solid state, thereby holding the spring36and the cartridge-penetrating pin34away from the penetrable seal or nozzle of the pressurized gas cartridge30. As the cartridge30remains sealed, no pressurized gas can escape through the flexible hose or tube16to the glass-breaker unit or component14to propel the glass-breaking spike52into the window glass G, and the glass remains unbroken.

FIG. 3provides a detailed illustration of the result of immersion in water of the sensor unit or component12, as would occur in the circumstances depicted inFIG. 1of the drawings. InFIG. 3, water has entered the interior chamber26of the sensor body24through the water passages28, dissolving and washing away the water-soluble material previously contained therein and illustrated inFIG. 2. This allows the spring36to push the pin34into the penetrable seal or nozzle of the pressurized gas cartridge30, puncturing the seal and allowing the gas (CO2, etc.) to escape. The pressurized gas passes into the flexible pneumatic line16and travels to the glass-breaking component14.

The pressurized gas enters the pneumatic chamber54of the glass-breaker body38, thereby forcing the glass-breaker spike50outward toward the open second end42of the glass-breaker unit14, i.e., toward the window glass G to which the glass-breaker unit14is attached. As the glass-breaker spike50is propelled into the glass G, the sharpened tip or edge52of the spike50contacts the glass G, causing the glass to break. As all motor vehicle glass is required to be tempered safety glass, the glass breaks into myriad small particles, held together only by the plastic safety core sandwiched between the two glass sheets. A person within the motor vehicle can then easily break out the shattered glass without undue force or risk of injury.

While the present automated glass-breaker mechanism10is intended to be a permanently installed component in a motor vehicle, it will be seen that the various components may be reused if the disposable materials of the sensor unit12are replaced after use. It will be seen that the second end22of the sensor unit12may have a removable cap (e.g., a threaded cap) that may be removed and replaced as desired. Also, the pressurized gas cartridge30may be removed from the opposite first end20of the sensor unit14. Accordingly, the depleted cartridge30is replaced with a fresh, fully charged cartridge, and the cap at the second end22of the sensor unit14is removed to access the interior chamber26of the sensor unit12. The spring36and the pin34are removed, and a fresh charge of water-soluble material is placed within the first end20of the sensor unit12. The pin34and the spring36are then replaced in proper order, and the cap at the second end22is replaced to ready the sensor unit12for reuse. The glass-breaker unit14may be removed from the shattered glass to which it was attached, and the glass-breaker spike50is pushed back toward the closed first end40of the glass-breaker body38. The glass-breaker unit14may then be reinstalled to an unbroken sheet of glass G for reuse as necessary.

FIG. 4illustrates an alternative embodiment of the glass-breaker mechanism, designated generally as mechanism10a, wherein the sensor unit12acan travel vertically within the vehicle door D. A guide56(e.g., a rod, or alternatively, a tube, a track, a channel, etc.) is installed generally vertically within the door D. The sensor unit12aincludes a pair of loops58extending laterally therefrom. The loops58pass around the guide56to secure the sensor unit12aslidably along the guide. Other means may be used to secure the sensor unit to the guide, depending upon the specific configuration of the guide.

In this embodiment, the sensor unit12awill always seek the lowest point along the guide56. In the event that the motor vehicle is immersed in water in the general orientation illustrated inFIG. 1, the sensor unit will remain near the bottom of the door D, thus providing actuation of the mechanism10ashortly after water rises above the lowest portion of the door. However, in the event that the motor vehicle comes to rest inverted in a body of water, the sensor unit12awill slide along the rod to a position adjacent the windowsill of the door, thus providing activation even if the lower half of the motor vehicle remains clear of the water.

Although the glass-breaker mechanism is shown and described herein as being installed within the driver side door of a motor vehicle, the mechanism may be installed in any practicable location within the vehicle, as desired. For example, the sensor unit may be installed in some fixed structure of the vehicle, e.g., a front or rear fender, etc., the sensor communicating pneumatically with the glass-breaker unit installed upon a fixed or movable window panel through the pneumatic tube. Also, although only a single mechanism is illustrated herein in each of the drawings, it will be seen that multiple mechanisms may be installed in any given vehicle, e.g., one in each door, rear hatch, tailgate, and/or fixed window or windshield panel, if desired.