Patent Publication Number: US-2011065342-A1

Title: Lighted Dive Buoy

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional patent application No. 61/235,831 filed Aug. 21, 2009, entitled “LIGHTED DIVE BOUY”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     A dive buoy with a lighted display to indicate the presence of a diver in the area. The buoy includes a floatation device with a lighted display that can be selectively illuminated. A flag may also be carried by the floatation device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Buoys are well known in the art. They are of particular importance to scuba divers to mark their location below to boaters and the like to reduce the risk of accidents. The diver&#39;s flag is well known, is attached to a floatation device, and may be anchored in place or tethered to a diver for movement with the diver. The flag and float may also be tethered to a boat. While effective, the use of a flag on a float does present problems, particularly in low light and choppy water. In addition, some boaters do not understand the significance of a diver&#39;s flag or are aware that they should look for one. 
     Another problem with a diver&#39;s flag is that it pitches with waves in the water. This occurs because there is no ballast associated with the float to which the flag is attached. The float will retain the flag in a generally upright orientation when there is ballast associated with the float. 
     The ballast may be internal or external of the float. Even with ballast, the flag will pitch with the float when the float is in choppy water and not be readily visible to all boaters. 
     Thus, there is a need for an improved diver&#39;s flag or indicator which is readily visible regardless of the conditions under which it is displayed. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention involves the provision of a dive buoy for scuba divers. The buoy includes a floatation device. The buoy is provided with means to maintain the floatation device in a generally upright orientation. A light transmissive panel is associated with the floatation device and includes indicia to indicate the presence of a diver in the area. A power source is associated with the floatation device and is connected to a light source. The light source cooperates with the panel for selectively illuminating the panel to highlight the indicia. A tether device is associated with the floatation device. 
     Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a diver flag or indicator which is highly visible. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an indicator for use with divers which is also visible from beneath the surface of the water. 
     It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an indicator for use with divers that may be used in conjunction with a life ring. 
     It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide an indicator for use with divers which employs reflective surfaces for greater visibility. 
     It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide an indicator for use with divers which employs lights for greater visibility in low light conditions. 
     It is still yet a further objective of the present invention to provide an indicator for use with divers which may be readily assembled and disassembled for storage when it is not in use. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boat with an associated buoy for indicating a diver in the area; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged fragmentary elevation view of a float useful to provide a display panel and form a buoy; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate display panel on a buoy; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of an additional alternate display panel on a buoy; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of the display panel shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of an additional alternate display panel on a buoy; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of an additional alternate display panel on a buoy; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the present invention employed with a life ring; 
         FIG. 9  is a view of the underside of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is another alternative embodiment of the present invention employing separable hemispherical elements; 
         FIG. 12  is another alternative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is another alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Like numbers used throughout this application represent like or similar parts and/or construction. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
     The reference numeral  1  designates a dive buoy attached to a boat  2  by a tether  4 . The buoy  1  includes a display panel  6  that can be selectively illuminated and preferably also includes a diver&#39;s flag  8  as well. Diver&#39;s flags are well known in the art and have a diagonal white stripe  10  and a red background  11 . The flag  8  may be rigid to stay fully exposed. The buoy  1  includes a floatation device  14 . The flag  8  may be mounted on a rod or mast  12 , that in turn is mounted to the floatation device  14 . 
       FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  6  illustrate one form of floatation device  14 . As shown, the floatation device  14  is generally spherical and has a bore  16  adapted to receive the rod  12  therein for mounting. The rod  12  may be removably secured to the floatation device  14  as by threaded engagement at  18 . In use, the floatation device  14  has a top portion  19  and a bottom portion  20  with the rod  12  extending outwardly from the top portion  19 . (As used herein, orientation terms are used to indicate positions when the buoy is in its normal orientation for use.) Ballast  22  can be provided and can be positioned in the interior of the floatation device  14  or positioned outside of the floatation device. As seen in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , the ballast  22  is suspended from the floatation device as with a hanger assembly  24 . The ballast  22  is an orientation device which maintains the floatation device  14  in a generally upright position. A plurality of ballasts  22  can be utilized if desired. The hanger assembly  24  may be removably mounted to the floatation device  14  as by extending into the bore  16  from the bottom portion and be threadably coupled to the floatation device, or may be suspended from one or more attachment devices  26  secured to an outer wall  28  of the floatation device. The attachment devices  26  can also be used to attach a tether or anchor line to the floatation device  14  from a vessel or land. 
     The floatation device  14  of  FIG. 2  is shown as being generally spherical. It is to be understood that any suitable shape may be provided such as cylindrical, rectangular and the like. It should also be noted that the floatation device can be constructed from a luminescent, e.g. glow in the dark, or otherwise illuminating material. Preferably the outer wall  28  of the floatation device is constructed from a translucent material. This permits the passage of light from the interior of the device to the exterior so that the device may be seen from a distance. It should further be noted that the floatation device can be used by itself for use as a channel or crab trap indicator or the floatation device may be used with pre-existing dive flag components to add functionality thereto. The floatation device may also include reflectors or mirrors positioned on its outer diameter to further reflect light. The outer wall  28  can also be made from a mirror like or reflective material. The illustrated floatation device  14  is constructed to provide access to the interior  30  for the mounting of a power source  32  and a light source  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the floatation device can have portions releasably connected together as at  36  as by threaded engagement, bayonet mount and the like. The power source  32  is coupled to the light source  34  and is operable to selectively power the lamps  35  of the light source. Preferably, the lamps  35  are of a high efficiency type such as LED&#39;s. A switch, not shown, can be connected between the power source  32  and the light source  34  for selective illumination of the light source  34 . The switch may include an emergency mode that causes the lights to blink and may additionally cause a siren to sound. A preferred power source  32  includes a battery pack  38  using rechargeable batteries. Also preferred as part of the power source  32  is one or more solar cells  37  coupled to the battery pack  38  to provide electrical energy to the battery pack  38  to effect recharging by converting light energy to electrical energy. The solar cells  37  can be mounted to the wall  28  for exposure to light, such as sunlight. In a preferred embodiment, the wall  28  can be light transmissive by being transparent or translucent at least in selected areas. The solar cells  37  can then be mounted in the interior  30 . In a preferred embodiment, the rod  12  is also constructed to be light transmissive and hollow, contain light members that may be illuminated with the floatation device  14  and/or the display panel  6 . Lamps can also be placed on the exterior of the floatation device  14  to enhance its visibility. The lamps on the exterior of the floatation device and the translucent material of the outer wall  28  enable lights to be directed downwardly so that an ascending diver or someone under the water can observe the floatation device. This feature enables the device to be utilized as a reference point for divers to return to their boat or platform. 
     A GPS device  39  can optionally be positioned within the interior of floatation device  14 . The GPS device  39  can communicate with satellites in orbit to determine the exact location of the floatation device. The GPS device may be provided with its own antenna or it may employ rod  12  as an antenna. The GPS device can display the location of the floatation device  14  on the exterior of the floatation device so that the location may be readily observed by anyone in the vicinity of the floatation device. A digital wireless communications device  41  can also be positioned within the interior of the floatation device. The digital wireless communications device can be placed in communications with other communication devices on land or other vessels. The digital wireless communications device  41  can transmit the location of the floatation device to other communication devices on land or on other vessels by utilizing the GPS device  39 . The digital communications device  41  can function similar to On Star® devices used in automobiles. Alternatively, the digital communications device can operate one way only, i.e. transmit only when activated. The device  41  can be manually actuated or be programmed to be actuated whenever the diver or other person utilizing the floatation device is in danger. For example, if the device  41  is moved violently, if the device  41  comes in contact with water, if the device  41  is not actuated for a period of time (which would indicate that the diver cannot retrieve the floatation device and may be in danger), etc. 
     The display panel  6  can be configured for exposure and visibility in several configurations as seen in the various Figures. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the display panel  6  is mounted in the interior  30  and is associated with the light source  34  for illumination of the display panel. As shown, the light source  34  is positioned interiorly of the display panel  6  to backlight the display panel. This allows for the light source  34  to simultaneously illuminate more than one display panel  6 . The display panel  6  may be provided with indicia  40  for illumination and communication to a viewer that a diver may be in the area and to proceed with caution. The indicia  40  on the display panel can be a diver&#39;s flag similar to flag  8  secured atop rod  12 , in  FIG. 1 . While the display panel  6  is shown as having indicia applied thereto for illumination, it is to be understood that the panel could also be an LCD or plasma screen that can be illuminated and display an image stored in a memory transmitting light through portions thereof. The display panel  6  can be mounted to the outer wall  28  which can be light transmissive for illumination by backlighting. The display panel  6  may also be positioned on an outer surface of the wall  28 . It is to be noted that a plurality of display panels  6  may be provided, preferably with each panel facing a different direction. Each panel can be illuminated by a light source  34 . 
       FIGS. 3 ,  5  show an alternate embodiment of the buoy  1 . As illustrated, the buoy  1  has a display panel  6  mounted in a housing  50  that is mounted on the floatation device  14  on the rod  12 . The housing  50  can be provided with a display panel  6  on opposite sides of the housing  50  for increased exposure. In the illustrated structure, the buoy  1  is provided with ballast  22  as described above. The housing  50  can be provided with attachment devices  26  as described above. The light source  34  and power source  32  can be mounted in the housing  50  or the light source can be in the housing  50  and the power source in the floatation device  14  and connected together by wiring  52 . Preferably, the housing  50  is watertight. As shown, mounting devices  54  can be attached to the housing  50 , whereby the housing and its display panel(s)  6  can be mounted to other than the floatation device, e.g., a boat or boat window. The illustrated mounting devices  54  are suction cups. The attachment devices  26  can also be used for supplemental mounting, as suspending the device from hooks or the like. 
       FIG. 4  shows an additional embodiment wherein the floatation device  14  is generally in the form of a rectangular solid with a peaked roof  55  with a pair of roof panels  57 . Each roof panel  57  can be provided with a display panel  6  as described above. The embodiment of the buoy  1  of  FIG. 4  is shown with a hanger assembly  24  and ballast  22 . A power source  32  and light source  34  can be mounted in the interior of the floatation device  14  as described above. 
       FIG. 6  shows a still further embodiment of the buoy  1  having a housing  60  with a generally triangular transverse cross sectional shape providing for three display panels  6  each with indicia  40  thereon. The power source  32  and light source  34  can be in the housing  60  as described above for the structure in  FIGS. 3 ,  5 . The power source  32  could be in the floatation device  14  and connected to the light source by wiring  52 . 
     The buoy  1  can also be provided with an outrigger  70  as seen in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the outrigger  70  can be secured to the floatation device  14  to reduce pitching movement of the floatation device  14  and parts mounted thereto like the flag  8 . The outrigger  70  is an orientation device which maintains the buoy  1  in a generally upright position. A plurality of outriggers  70  can be utilized if desired. The outriggers  70  can be provided with lights and/or reflective surfaces. 
       FIG. 7  shows a still further embodiment of the buoy  1  having a tube or cylindrical element  71  secured around the rod  12 . The tube  71  can be a continuous element with an open top and bottom. The tube  71  can also be slit along a length thereof so as to be readily securable onto rod  12 . Tube  71  can also be a cylindrical element with a substantially closed top and bottom. LEDs or other illumination devices  72  can be secured to the surface of tube  71 . Mirrors  74  can also be secured to the surface of tube  71 . Reflectors  76  can also be secured to the surface of tube  71 . Alternatively, one or more of the illumination devices, mirrors and reflectors can be secured to the surface of tube  71 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show another embodiment of the present invention. A life ring  80  is provided with a plurality of support members  82 . These support members are preferably secured to one another to form a cross or “X”. The ends of the support members are secured to the inner surface of the life ring. The area at which the support members meet is preferably provided with an aperture into which a pole or rod of a dive flag  8  is inserted. The buoyancy of the life ring retains the dive flag in a substantially upright position even in conditions of rough waters. A plurality of lights  84  are secured to the underside of life ring  80 . These lights can be self powered or obtain their power from a central source, not shown. The central power source can be a battery, solar power or a combination of both. Lights  84  can also be secured to the upper surface of the life ring. While four support member  82  are shown in the shape of an “X” any number of support members can be employed. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of floats  86  are secured to support rods  88 . The support rods are secured to a central member  90 . Member  90  is in the form of a cross or “X”. An aperture  94  in member  90  permits the insertion of a diver&#39;s flag. Preferably the supports rods  88  are secured to member  90  with a pivotable connection at points  92 . This type of construction enables the device to be folded for storage when it is not in use. While four support members  88  are shown, any number of support members  88  can be employed. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 10  can be optionally provided with an illuminated display  96 . Display  96  is preferably formed of a tubular member  98  which contains at least one and preferably two lights  100 . Lights  100  are preferably self powered, but can also be powered from a central power source, not shown. While a single display  96  is illustrated, a preferred embodiment utilizes four displays, one at each end of the support rods  88 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates another embodiment wherein the floatation device  14  comprises two hemispherical elements  102 ,  104  secured to a central disc  106 . Each of the hemispherical elements  102  and  104  can be secured to disc  106  in any number of ways. They can be threadable secured. They can be snap fit secured. They can employ bayonet connections, etc. The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 11  can also be provided with all of the features illustrated in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , reflectors, lights, reflective material on the outer surface, luminescent material utilized for elements  102  and  104 , lights directed downwardly under the surface of the water, a dive flag pole, etc. Further, only one of the hemispherical members  102 ,  104  can be employed. When only one member is used, it is employed above the surface of the water. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 10  is provided with one of the hemispherical elements  102 ,  104  of  FIG. 11 . Lights  35  can be provided on the outer surface of element  102 . Element  102  can be made from a reflective material or be coated with a reflective material. Reflectors  108  can also be secured to element  102 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention. A conventional dive ball  110  is provided with the floatation device  14  of the present invention. Hemispherical elements  102 ,  104  are provided with abutment members  112 . Abutment members  112  position the hemispherical elements  102 ,  104  around the dive ball  110 . The abutment members  112  provide a space between the dive ball and the hemispherical members. This embodiment can also be provided with lights and power source(s). The wires for the lights can pass through the space between the dive ball and the hemispherical elements. Apertures  114  in elements  102  and  104  can be employed to run or pass wires or other members through elements  102  and  104 . For example, if lights were to be placed on the outer surface of elements  102  and/or  104 , wires could be run from the lights to a power source within elements  102 ,  104 . 
     It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein. 
     One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.