Patent Publication Number: US-2021163105-A1

Title: Front cone of underwater motive device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The technical field relates to underwater motive devices, and more particularly relates to a front cone of an underwater motive device having improved characteristics for joining a rear main housing 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Underwater motive devices have been known for the last several decades. Most of those earlier devices were metal. As a result, the underwater motive devices were large and bulky. The early underwater motive devices were also expensive and heavy. Thus, the only effective market was professional divers because of both the cost and strength required to handle the unit under water. 
     There is a commercially available underwater motive device having a plastic rear main housing. The underwater motive device can eliminate typical drawbacks including large and bulky main housing, expensive, and limited to professional divers. Further, it can be mass produced for cost reduction and is light weight and portable. The rear main housing of the conventional underwater motive device includes a battery storage space which is O-ring sealable with a front wall. 
     The front cone includes two swinging latches being pivotal about an insertion point in the front cone and engaged with a locking structure on the rear main housing to securely hold the front cone in place. 
     However, the latches do not provide a waterproof sealing between the front cone and the battery chamber. Further, the latches may be unfastened inadvertently to flow water to the battery chamber in an underwater condition. As a result, the battery, the controller and other devices are damaged. 
     Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure is directed to a front cone of an underwater motive device for eliminating drawbacks including those associated with the conventional art. 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an underwater motive device comprising a rear main housing being substantially cylindrical and including two opposite handle bars on two sides respectively, a forward joining member being open and having a decreased diameter, a shoulder between the forward joining member and a remaining portion of the rear main housing, a battery compartment defined in both the forward joining member and the remaining portion of the rear main housing wherein the forward joining member includes an annular front end, an annular front surface between the annular front end and the shoulder, two opposite first rails on a joining portion of the annular front end and the annular front surface, and a first space on the annular front surface and abutting each of the first rails; and a front cone including a rear opening, an internal, annular surface on a rear portion, and two opposite sets of a second rail and a second space disposed forwardly of the second rail; wherein in an assembly the second rails contact the forward joining member by disposing on the annular front surface, and each of the second rails further moves to the first space which is rearward of each of the first rails so that the second rails are anchored by the first rails and a rear end of the front cone is releasably secured to the shoulder of the rear main housing. 
     In one of the exemplary embodiments, there are further comprised of a first limit member extending rearward out of an end of each of the first rails, and a second limit member extending forward out of an end of each of the second rails, a movement distance of the second rail is limited by the first limit member, and a movement distance of the first rail is limited by the second limit member respectively. 
     In one of the exemplary embodiments, the front cone further comprises an aperture on the rear end, and the rear main housing further comprises a detent on a front end of an outer surface, the detent including a trigger configured to either insert into the aperture to secure the front cone further and the rear main housing together or disengage from the aperture to separate the rear main housing from the front cone. 
     In one of the exemplary embodiments, there are further comprised of a seat on an inner surface of a front portion of the rear main housing, a limit hole adjacent to the seat, and two opposite tabs in the limit hole; the detent further comprises two flexible latches extending from the trigger, a protrusion extending outward from each of the latches, and a hook at each of the latches and being capable of movably disposing in the limit hole to secure to the tab and further lock the detent; and the trigger is configured to press to unlock the detent. 
     In one of the exemplary embodiments, in a locked position, the protrusions are disposed forwardly of the tabs; and in an unlocked position, the protrusions are disposed rearward of the tabs. 
     The invention has the following advantages and benefits in comparison with the conventional art: an improved waterproof arrangement is implemented by securing the forward joining member of the rear main housing to the front cone in a simple, convenient and quick assembly. The detent aims to lock the front cone of the assembled underwater motive device, thereby preventing the front cone from being inadvertently disengaged from the rear main housing. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an underwater motive device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal sectional view of the front cone and the rear main housing showing the detent securely joining the aperture in a locked position; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the detent disengaged from the aperture in an unlocked position; and 
         FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  schematically depict steps of assembling the front cone and the rear main housing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , an underwater motive device  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a front cone  60  and a rear main housing  10  as discussed in detail below. 
     In the embodiment, the rear main housing  10  is cylindrical and includes two opposite handle bars  19  on two sides respectively, a forward joining member  42  being open and having a decreased diameter, a shoulder  50  between the joining member  42  and a remaining portion of the rear main housing  10 , a battery compartment  41  defined in both the forward joining member  42  and the remaining portion of the rear main housing  10 , a plurality of fan main housing supports  15  extending rearward, and a fan main housing  16  supported by the fan main housing supports  15 . 
     In the embodiment, the forward joining member  42  includes an annular front end  421 , an annular front surface  424  between the annular front end  421  and the shoulder  50 , an O-ring  426  put on the annular front surface  424  and abutting the shoulder  50 , two opposite first rails  422  on a joining portion of the annular front end  421  and the annular front surface  424 , a first limit member  427  extending rearward out of an end of each of the first rails  422 , and a first space  423  on the annular front surface and between the O-ring  426  and each of the first rails  422 . 
     In the embodiment, on an inner surface of a front portion of the rear main housing  10  there are provided a seat  561 , a limit hole  567  adjacent to the seat  561 , and two opposite tabs  563  in the limit hole  567 . A detent  56  is disposed on a front end of an outer surface of the rear main housing  10  and includes a trigger  562 , two flexible latches  564  extending from the trigger  562 , a protrusion  565  extending outward from each of the latches  564 , and a hook  566  at each of the latches  564  being capable of movably disposing in the limit hole  567  to secure to the tab  563 . Thus, the trigger  562  is locked in a normal position. The trigger  562  can be pressed to unlock the detent  56 . In detail, in the locked position (see  FIG. 3 ), the protrusions  565  are disposed forwardly of the tabs  563  and the trigger  562  projects out of the shoulder  50 . In the unlocked position (see  FIG. 4 ), the protrusions  565  are disposed rearward of the tabs  563  and the trigger  562  is flush with the shoulder  50 . In short, a pressing of the trigger  562  can unlock the detent  56 . 
     In the embodiment, the front cone  60  is tapered forwardly and includes a rear opening  69 , two opposite fins  61  on two sides respectively for stabilization purpose, an aperture  62  on a rear end, a support member  63  on an inner surface of a front end, a ring  64  secured to the support member  63 , an internal, annular surface  68  on a rear portion, and two opposite sets of a second rail  65 , a second limit member  66  extending forward out of an end of the second rail  65 , and a second space  67  forwardly of the second rail  65 . The sets of the second rail  65 , the second limit member  66  and the second space  67  are formed on the internal, annular surface  68 . An inner diameter of a rear open end of the front cone  60  is greater than an outer diameter of the forward joining member  42 . 
     Assembly of the front cone  60  and the forward joining member  42  is discussed in detail below. The second rail  65  contacts the forward joining member  42  by disposing on the annular front surface  424 . The first rail  422  passes the internal, annular surface  68  until the front cone  60  is adjacent to the shoulder  50 . Next, the front cone  60  is rotated to move the second rail  65  on the first space  423  until the second rail  65  is anchored by the first rail  422 , the first limit member  427  and the O-ring  426 . 
     In the above description, a movement distance of the second rail  65  is limited by the first limit member  427  and a movement distance of the first rail  422  is limited by the second limit member  66  respectively. Thus, both the first rail  422  and the second rail  65  are held in place. As a result, the front cone  60  and the forward joining member  42  are fastened and a waterproof arrangement is implemented in cooperation with the O-ring  426 . Otherwise, water may enter both the front cone  60  and the rear main housing  10 . Further, a battery  46  is mounted in the battery compartment  41  in cooperation with the support member  63  and the ring  64 . Finally, the trigger  562  is inserted into the aperture  62  to lock the detent  56 , thereby finishing assembly of the underwater motive device  100 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a pushing of the trigger  562  out of the aperture  62  disposes the detent  56  in the unlocked position, the second rail  65  next moves away from the annular front surface  424 , and the second rail  65  and the first rail  422  are separated. As a result, the front cone  60  and the rear main housing  10  are separated. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.