Abstract:
An alert device that includes a tubular encasement holding battery powered marking light, a compass and a whistle, the tubular encasement and whistle are threadedly interconnected and rotating the whistle of the device with respect to the tubular encasement serves to provide electrical communication activating the light, with the light serving to light up the face of the compass.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a signal device and more particularly to a signal device for identifying the location of a person lost in the desert, woods, lakes, rivers or seas. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Common epitaphs over the centuries have been statements such as “child lost in forest”,“lost at sea”, “searching lake bottom” and the like. Literally thousands of persons have been lost in the woods and subject to hypothermia or dislocated from a boat or ship often at night and often in strong winds and rough sea waves. Often such persons are under water at depths of 20, 40 or 100 or more feet. Countless hours have been spent searching for these dislocated persons, in some instances the persons are found unconscious and rescued through the use of CPR and/or the application of oxygen to bring the person back to consciousness. All too commonly the dislocated person dies due to the amount of time that is taken in locating the person. 
     Attempts have been made in the past to provide signaling or marking devices. During war time, servicemen have been provided with flares and/or small rockets that are fired off into the air if they are lost at sea. In other instances, a surface water coloring chemical is released on the surface of the water. Both of these assist in locating the person “lost at sea.” Both have short comings. In order to fire off the small rockets the lost person must be conscious to activate the system; the same is true with respect to the water marking dye. 
     A need has been present over the years for a very simple marking device that may be worn by persons not at high risk such as fishermen, canoeists, and the like. The device must be small to avoid it being bothersome. The device is desirably automatic since the person is often unconscious and may be in a depth of water. 
     The present invention over comes the problems associated with prior devices. The present invention is small, lightweight, even decorative. The present device may be worn whenever the user goes into the forest or onto the water such as in a fishing boat or canoe without being burdensome or objectionable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a marking device for identifying the location of a person that may be lost. The present invention is suitable for use in essentially all geographical locations. The present marking device is highly desirable for use in water locations where, due to darkness or submersion, it may be difficult for searchers to find the individual. The present invention may include a light emitting means powered by a means for powering together with a means for sound making. The present invention may further include a compass to assist the wearer in identifying the direction in which the wearer is traveling. 
     The marking device is a tubular water proof encasement. The tubular water proof encasement has a first chamber that is water proof and contains the various electrical components, such as one or more light emitting means, corresponding circuits and one or more means for powering. The light emitting means may be deposed within the first chamber. The tubular water proof encasement and first chamber desirably are constructed by injection molding of a transparent polymer. The tubular water proof encasement and the first chamber may be constructed with at least a portion being transparent. 
     The means for sound making may be constructed by injection molding of a polymer. The means for sound making may be a simple whistle construction such as the type used by traffic direction police officers. 
     The first chamber may have threading means on a second end and the whistle may have cooperating threading means so that the whistle may be threadedly engaged with the first chamber. The first chamber and the whistle will generally be tubular in construction having walls sufficiently thick to avoid accidental breakage during normal use. The walls may be transparent or translucent so as to allow light from the light emitting means to be seen. The circuitry contained in the first chamber may include a pair of electrical contacts that extend through the wall of the first chamber into a second chamber. 
     The whistle may include a switch means for interconnecting the pair of electrical contacts to complete the electrical continuity to provide power between the means for powering and the circuitry leading to the light emitting means. The switch means may be moved into a position of interconnecting the pair of electrical contacts by simple rotation of the whistle with respect to the first chamber using the threaded engagement. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the marking device includes a zone (or second chamber) between the whistle and the adjacent portion of the first chamber containing the exposed electrical contact such that water may fill the second chamber thereby providing electrical contact automatically when submerged. In other words, the water provides the electrical continuity between the contacts. 
     The present invention may be worn by any of a wide variety of persons that are walking in the woods or forest, boating on lakes or canoeing on rivers. The present marking device is normally maintained in a standby condition with the light emitting means in an unpowered condition. The user may, from time to time, observe the compass to determine direction. If the wearer becomes disoriented or lost, the wearer may activate the light emitting means by rotating the whistle of the marking device with respect to the first chamber. The user may sound an alert by three sharp blasts on the whistle, repeated at timed intervals. Those within hearing distance will recognize the signal and seek out the wearer. 
     The present device may be similarly used if the wearer is lost while traveling on the water, such as in a speed boat on a large lake or traveling down a river by canoe. In the instances where the wearer is suddenly dislodged from the boat or canoe, the light emitting means is automatically moved to a powered condition by water flooding the second chamber adjacent to the pair of the electrical contacts. The water serves as the electrical connector between the contacts. 
    
    
     IN THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows the first embodiment of the present invention in an assembled condition; 
     FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the lower end cap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 shows the second embodiment of the present invention in an assembled condition; 
     FIG. 5 shows an exploded side view of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the compass of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the whistle portion of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The same reference numerals are used for the same parts in all seven figures; therefore, some parts will only be described in reference to the first embodiment though the discussion holds true for all embodiments. 
     The present invention (FIGS. 1-7) is a marking device  10  which is a tubular water proof encasement and has a first chamber  11 . The first chamber  11  may have a first enclosing means and a second enclosing means for the first end and the second end, respectively. The first and second enclosing means may be a first end cap and a second end cap, respectively. The first end cap may be an upper end cap  11   b  and the second end cap may be a lower end cap  11   c . The marking device  10  may contain the first end cap at the upper end and the second end cap at the lower end. The first chamber  11  (FIG. 1) may generally be defined by a circular wall portion  11   a , the upper end cap  11   b , and the lower end cap  11   c . The upper end cap  11   b  may also include a removable eyelet  11   d  that may be threaded into the upper end cap  11   b.    
     The first chamber  11  may contain one or more light emitting means, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)  12 , and a circuit board  13  (FIGS. 2,  4 , and  5 ). The light emitting diodes  12  may be conventional in nature and preferably about one twentieth of a watt. The circuit board  13  may be conventional in nature and serves to interconnect the light emitting diodes  12  with one or more means for powering. The circuit board  13  may also control the power to the LED&#39;s causing the LED&#39;s to blink or flash. 
     The means for powering may be one or more batteries  14 . The batteries  14  may be of any suitable configuration such as disc or button shaped. The circuit board  13  has a first electrical path that provides electrical continuity between a first pole of the battery, such as the negative pole, and one side of the diodes. The second side of the light emitting diode is connected to a first electrical contact  16  that extends through the wall of the chamber  11 . A second pole of the battery, such as the positive pole, is connected to an electrical conduit such as a small wire and a second contact  17  that likewise extends through the wall of the chamber  11  at a location adjacent to, but normally electrically separated from, the first contact  16 . 
     The first chamber  11  may be completely water proof. A second chamber  31  (see FIG. 2) may be permeable to water. A third enclosing means may releasably enclose the second chamber  31  which may be disposed at one end of the tubular water proof encasement. The first chamber  11  may have a pair of light emitting diodes  12  which communicate with a first pole of the means for powering, such as one or more batteries  14 , disposed within the first chamber  11 . The second chamber  31  may have a first electrical contact  16  that communicates with the pair of light emitting diodes  12  and a second electrical contact  17  that communicates with a second pole of the means for powering. The second chamber  31  may be open to the reception of water when the marking device  10  is contacted with water. The water may provide electrical continuity between the second electrical contact  17  and the second pole of the battery, or batteries, and thus activating the pair of light emitting diodes  12  when water enters the second chamber  31 . 
     Electrical continuity may be completed between the first electrical contact  16  and the second electrical contact  17  with one of two switch means. One switch means is a metal bar  27  (FIG.  3 ). The bottom cap  11   c  may carry a metal bar  27  that serves to electrically interconnect the first electrical contact  16  and the second electrical contact  17  when in a powering condition. The metal bar  27  does not contact both contacts when in a second position of non-powering condition. In other words, the bar engages both the contacts  16  and  17  when in the powering condition and does not contact both contacts  16  and  17  when not in the powering condition. The bar  27  may be selectively moved from the powering condition to the non-powering condition. The bar  27  may be positioned in the lower end cap  11   c  such that rotating the lower end cap  11   c  will cause the bar  27  to move into and out of the powered condition. 
     The second way that electrical continuity can be achieved between the contacts  16  and  17  is by a second switch means. The second switch means is activated when water enters into the lower end cap  11   c  through an opening  32  (FIG.  2 ). The opening  32  allows water to enter the second chamber  31  and cause electrical continuity between the contacts  16  and  17 . 
     SECOND EMBODIMENT 
     A second embodiment of the marking device  10  is shown in FIGS. 4-7. This embodiment includes a means for sound making such as a whistle  21  or an electrically powered buzzer. The second embodiment is essentially the same as the first embodiment, so only the major differences will be detailed here. 
     The second embodiment has a first and second enclosing means as does the first embodiment. A first enclosing means for a first end of a tubular water proof encasement is a compass  28 . The second enclosing means for a second end of the tubular water proof encasement is a whistle  21 . Primarily, the whistle  21  replaces the lower end cap  11   c  and a compass  28  replaces the upper end cap  11   b . The circular wall portion  11   a  may have a threading means  22  suitable for engagement with a cooperating threading means  23  contained on the whistle  21 . The whistle  21  may have the conventional components of a whistle including a central chamber  24  and a channel  26 . 
     The whistle  21  also functions similar to the end cap  11   c  and the second chamber  31 . The whistle  21  may function as the switch means. The whistle  21  may carry a metal bar  27  (shown in FIG.  3 ), that serves to electrically interconnect the two contacts  16  and  17  when in a powering condition, similar to the end cap  11   c . The bar  27  may be positioned in the whistle  21  such that rotating the whistle  21  will cause the bar  27  to move into and out of the powered condition. In addition, electrical continuity can be achieved between the contacts  16  and  17  by water entering into the whistle  21  through the central chamber  24  and channel  26 . The central chamber  24  and channel  26  allow water to enter and cause electrical continuity between the contacts  16  and  17 . 
     FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the compass of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the whistle of the second embodiment. The central chamber  24  and the channel  26  are shown in FIG.  7 . 
     USE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The marking device  10  of the present invention may be carried on a lanyard around the neck of the user while taking hikes or traveling on water such as in a boat. The marking device  10  is normally in the non-operating condition, e.g. turned off. If the user wishes to determine the direction of travel, the user holds the marking device  10  in an upright position with the compass pointed upright. The user may blow on the whistle if the user is attempting to gain the attention of others, e.g. if the user is lost or needs rescue. If the user is traveling at night, the marking device  10  may be placed in the operating condition to send out a signal that can be observed by others. The others can then locate the user and rescue the user.