Abstract:
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., CO 2 ) 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.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/396,421, filed May 27, 2010. 
    
    
     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, CO 2 ) 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&#39;s door of the vehicle, but preferably at least two such systems are installed, one on each side of the vehicle. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a submerged vehicle having a glass-breaker mechanism according to the present invention installed therein, illustrating its operation. 
         FIG. 2  is an environmental elevation view in section of the components of the glass-breaker mechanism of  FIG. 1 , showing an exemplary installation within the door of a motor vehicle. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial environmental elevation view in section similar to  FIG. 2 , but illustrating the system after actuation by immersion in water. 
         FIG. 4  is an environmental elevation view in section of an alternative embodiment of a glass-breaker mechanism according to the present invention, wherein the sensor component is installed on a rod within the vehicle door, the sensor being slidable along the rod in the event of vehicle rollover. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     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. 1  of the drawings is an environmental perspective view of a first embodiment of the glass-breaker mechanism  10 , and  FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the mechanism  10  in its armed state and in its activated state, respectively. In  FIG. 1 , a motor vehicle V is immersed in a body of water W. The mechanism  10  has been activated by water entering the sensor unit  12  installed within the door D of the vehicle V. As a result, the glass-breaker unit  14  has 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 3  respectively illustrate the glass-breaker mechanism  10  in its armed and activated conditions. The mechanism  10  includes a sensor unit  12  and glass-breaker unit  14 . The two units  12  and  14  communicate pneumatically by a flexible pneumatic tube or hose  16  connecting the two components. The sensor unit  12  comprises a sensor body  18  having opposite first and second ends  20  and  22  and a wall  24  extending between the two ends  20 ,  22 . The first and second ends  20 ,  22  and the wall  24  of the sensor body  18  define an interior chamber  26 . At least one water passage  28  (and preferably a plurality of such passages) extends through the wall  24  to allow water to flow into the interior chamber  26  when the sensor unit  12  is submerged. 
     A pressurized gas cartridge  30  (e.g., a CO 2  cartridge) extends from the first end  20  of the sensor body  18 . The neck of the cartridge  30  extends into the interior chamber  26 , and defines a mouth closed by a penetrable seal. A water-soluble material  32  (e.g., bicarbonate of soda, etc.) is placed within the interior chamber  26 , adjacent the first end  20  of the sensor body  18 . A cartridge-penetrating pin  34  is installed within the interior chamber  26 , and is oriented toward the penetrable seal of the pressurized gas cartridge  30 . A compression spring  36  is installed within the interior chamber  26  adjacent the second end  22  of the sensor body  18 , and is biased to urge the pin  34  toward the gas cartridge  30 . However, the pin  34  is restricted from penetrating the end of the cartridge  30  by the water-soluble material  32 , which is located within the interior chamber  26  between the pin  34  and the first end  20  of the sensor body  18 . Thus, the pressurized gas cartridge  30  cannot be punctured to allow the gas to escape to the glass-breaking unit or component  14  unless and until the water-soluble material is dissolved and/or washed from the interior chamber  26  of the sensor body  18 . 
     The glass-breaker unit  14  has a housing or body  38  having a closed first end  40  and an open second end  42 . The second end  42  preferably has a relatively large flange  44  extending therefrom for securing (e.g., glass adhesive  46 , etc.) the housing  38  to the glass G. The body  38  defines an interior chamber  48  extending between the first and second ends  40  and  42 . A glass-breaker spike  50  is slidably disposed within the interior chamber  48 . The spike  50  has a sharpened or pointed edge or end  52  oriented toward the open second end  42  of the glass-breaker body  38 . The diameter of the spike  50  fills the internal diameter of the interior chamber  48 . The glass-breaker body  38  and its closed first end  40 , along with the spike  50 , define a pneumatic chamber  54  therein. 
     The mechanism  10  operates completely automatically whenever the sensor unit  12  is submerged in water. While the mechanism  10  may 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 3  illustrate the mechanism  10  in an exemplary installation within a motor vehicle door D. The glass-breaker component  14  is 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. In  FIG. 2 , the system is armed, but has not been activated. The water-soluble material  32  remains in its solid state, thereby holding the spring  36  and the cartridge-penetrating pin  34  away from the penetrable seal or nozzle of the pressurized gas cartridge  30 . As the cartridge  30  remains sealed, no pressurized gas can escape through the flexible hose or tube  16  to the glass-breaker unit or component  14  to propel the glass-breaking spike  52  into the window glass G, and the glass remains unbroken. 
       FIG. 3  provides a detailed illustration of the result of immersion in water of the sensor unit or component  12 , as would occur in the circumstances depicted in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. In  FIG. 3 , water has entered the interior chamber  26  of the sensor body  24  through the water passages  28 , dissolving and washing away the water-soluble material previously contained therein and illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This allows the spring  36  to push the pin  34  into the penetrable seal or nozzle of the pressurized gas cartridge  30 , puncturing the seal and allowing the gas (CO 2 , etc.) to escape. The pressurized gas passes into the flexible pneumatic line  16  and travels to the glass-breaking component  14 . 
     The pressurized gas enters the pneumatic chamber  54  of the glass-breaker body  38 , thereby forcing the glass-breaker spike  50  outward toward the open second end  42  of the glass-breaker unit  14 , i.e., toward the window glass G to which the glass-breaker unit  14  is attached. As the glass-breaker spike  50  is propelled into the glass G, the sharpened tip or edge  52  of the spike  50  contacts 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 mechanism  10  is 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 unit  12  are replaced after use. It will be seen that the second end  22  of the sensor unit  12  may have a removable cap (e.g., a threaded cap) that may be removed and replaced as desired. Also, the pressurized gas cartridge  30  may be removed from the opposite first end  20  of the sensor unit  14 . Accordingly, the depleted cartridge  30  is replaced with a fresh, fully charged cartridge, and the cap at the second end  22  of the sensor unit  14  is removed to access the interior chamber  26  of the sensor unit  12 . The spring  36  and the pin  34  are removed, and a fresh charge of water-soluble material is placed within the first end  20  of the sensor unit  12 . The pin  34  and the spring  36  are then replaced in proper order, and the cap at the second end  22  is replaced to ready the sensor unit  12  for reuse. The glass-breaker unit  14  may be removed from the shattered glass to which it was attached, and the glass-breaker spike  50  is pushed back toward the closed first end  40  of the glass-breaker body  38 . The glass-breaker unit  14  may then be reinstalled to an unbroken sheet of glass G for reuse as necessary. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the glass-breaker mechanism, designated generally as mechanism  10   a , wherein the sensor unit  12   a  can travel vertically within the vehicle door D. A guide  56  (e.g., a rod, or alternatively, a tube, a track, a channel, etc.) is installed generally vertically within the door D. The sensor unit  12   a  includes a pair of loops  58  extending laterally therefrom. The loops  58  pass around the guide  56  to secure the sensor unit  12   a  slidably 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 unit  12   a  will always seek the lowest point along the guide  56 . In the event that the motor vehicle is immersed in water in the general orientation illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the sensor unit will remain near the bottom of the door D, thus providing actuation of the mechanism  10   a  shortly 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 unit  12   a  will 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. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.