Patent Publication Number: US-6991005-B2

Title: Piercing apparatus for piercing a small compressed gas bottle to quickly inflate a sack and tool for reloading the piercing apparatus

Description:
This invention relates to a piercing apparatus for piercing a small compressed gas bottle to quickly inflate a sack. Further the invention concerns a tool for reloading the piercing apparatus. 
   The same applicant is also the owner of the Italian patent No. 1.307.293 entitled “An ejection device to expel objects from the inside of a bag in the event of a bag-snatching”. Such a device comprises an expandable sack which is arranged on the bottom of a bag below its lining. The expandable sack is connected to a small compressed gas bottle having a pierceable mouth so that the expandable sack is able to be inflated from a wait condition wherein it is empty to an operated state wherein the expandable sack is inflated to a volume greater than the internal volume of the bag. A housing, which is connected to the small compressed gas bottle and to the expandable sack, internally carries a piercing element provided with an axial passageway communicating with the expandable sack through a hollow cylindrical body thereof which is movable under a pre-charged spring. A release mechanism of the pre-charged spring to push the piercing element is provided. The release mechanism has an ogival release member that is in engagement with the piercing element through small balls. A control member of the release mechanism comprises a Bowden cable transmission, that is removably retained by a thin plate in the one of its ends near its connection to the ogival release member, and in the other one of its ends a junction member to a portion of the bag designed to be held permanently by who wears the bag, such as a handle or a shoulder-strap. Thus, a snatch being transmitted to the handle or to the shoulder-strap through the Bowden cable transmission, operates the release mechanism and causes the expandable sack to be inflated until the lining is completely overturned outside and a complete ejection of the contents from the bag occurs. 
   The above mentioned ejection device, even if it fully reaches, with respect to the self-emptying effect, the goals of the Italian patent No. 1.307.293, has some drawbacks. 
   A first drawback of said patent is that the thin plate retaining the cable transmission of the control member, as the thin plate is easily deformable, is not a means adapted to prevent reliably an undesirable operation of the ejection of the contents in a bag. 
   A second drawback of the ejection device according to said patent is that a resetting of its release mechanism is troublesome to be performed and causes waste of time. 
   A third drawback is that in the known ejection device said resetting must be performed by a skilled worker who can use suitable tools. 
   Therefore, the object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks. 
   Particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a reliable operation of the ejection of the contents in a bag in which such a safety device against the bag-snatching is installed. 
   Another object of the invention is to allow a quick and reliable resetting of the release mechanism that is used in such an ejection device. 
   Yet another object of the invention is that there is no need of a skilled worker to reset of the release mechanism that is used in such an ejection device. 
   A further object of the present invention is to provide a release mechanism that causes a small compressed gas bottle, that is used in different applications from an ejection device of a self-emptying bag, to be pierced. 
   Therefore, according to this invention there is provided a piercing apparatus for piercing a small compressed gas bottle to quickly inflate a sack, comprising:
     an expandable sack being arranged on a base of a container,   a compressed gas feeder located below the expandable sack, including:
       a small compressed gas bottle having a pierceable mouth and an externally threaded neck,   a housing being connected to the small compressed gas bottle and to the expandable sack, and in an inner chamber of the housing a piercing element having a bit provided with an axial passageway communicating with said expandable sack,   a release mechanism, being charged by a counteracting spring to push the piercing element against the small compressed gas bottle, comprising a release element being connected to a flexible transmission of control means;   
       characterized in that:
       said release element is a protuberance and is slidably mounted in said inner chamber of the elongated housing by the operation of the flexible transmission against the counteracting spring; and   said piercing element is fixed on a front end of a collet chock, which, as such, is provided, in its rear end, with fingers to grip said protuberance of the release element; said collet chock being slidable between a gripping condition and a releasing condition of said shaped protuberance upon the operation of control means.   
       

   Further the invention concerns a tool for reloading the piercing apparatus. 

   
     Now the invention will be described with reference to its preferred embodiment, although it should be appreciated that modifications can be brought without departing from the scope of the invention, with connection to the enclosed drawing, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a fragmentary longitudinal section view of a piercing apparatus to pierce a compressed gas bottle for quickly inflating a sack according to the present invention, in a loaded condition, before piercing the bottle; 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary longitudinal section view of the piercing apparatus in  FIG. 1 , in a condition after piercing the bottle; 
       FIG. 3  is a longitudinal section view of a first embodiment of a reloading tool for reloading the apparatus in  FIG. 1 , after the operation of the release mechanism; 
       FIG. 4  is a longitudinal section view of a second embodiment of a reloading tool for reloading the apparatus in  FIG. 1 , after the operation of the release mechanism; 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are diagrammatic longitudinal section views showing the piercing apparatus before and after its release mechanism being reloaded, respectively; 
       FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic, partially sectioned, front view of the piercing apparatus according to the invention in a wait condition, the apparatus being applied to a closed bag having a shoulder-strap depicted by a dotted line; 
       FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic, partially sectioned, front view of the piercing apparatus in  FIG. 7  in a operated state, with the bag being consequently opened; 
       FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic top view showing in a phantom view the piercing apparatus according to the invention in a wait condition, the piercing apparatus being applied to a rescue device; 
       FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic fragmentary top view showing the rescue device in  FIG. 9  in a operated state, the sack thereof being fully ejected; and 
       FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic cross-section view taken along line A—A in  FIG. 9 . 
   

   Referring to the drawing, a piercing apparatus according to the invention is shown as a whole in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in a wait condition and in an operated state, respectively. 
   By way of example, such a piercing apparatus can be employed in a self-emptying bag  100 , which is depicted by dotted lines in a closed condition ( FIG. 7 ) and in a following consequently opened condition ( FIG. 8 ). By way of example, the bag  100  is endowed with a shoulder-strap  200 . The bag  100  is provided with a folding cover  101 . Further, with respect to closure means of the folding cover  101 , that is diagrammatically shown in  300 , it can be of any suitable kind, such as press-stud, Velcro (trade name) or the like, provided that it is yielding under the action of an ejection device, using the piercing apparatus according to the invention, in order to allow the bag to be opened and its contents to fall down. 
   Conveniently the bag  100  is lined inside by a lining  400  shaped as a pocket that is preferably held, although this is not shown in the drawing, in its upper hem by the edge of the bag in a removable way, e.g. by means of a zip or so called Velcro. Thus, by opening the zip or moving away the edges of Velcro from each other, a hand of a person may enter easily a space  401  between the bottom of the lining  400  and the base  102  of the bag  100 . 
   The bottle piercing apparatus according to the invention is located in the space  401 . 
   The airtight expandable sack  1 , as diagrammatically depicted in its collapsed state in  FIG. 7 , is arranged in a collected way, e.g. folded, under the lining  400 . In this inflated state ( FIG. 8 ) the expandable sack  1 ′ takes on the form of a prismatic body, so to be able to keep the lining  400  overturned in  400 ′ as shown in the same figures. 
   At the bottom the expandable sack  1  is hermetically connected through connection duct  10  to an elongated housing  20  of a compressed gas feeder  2 . The elongated housing  20  can be made of a suitable plastic material. 
   The compressed gas feeder  2  is located below the expandable sack  1 , being preferably arranged between restraint panels  5  e.g. of a suitable foamy plastic material, in order to prevent the compressed gas  2  from wandering troublesomely on the base  102  of the bag. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , which is a longitudinal section view of the compressed gas feeder  2 , the generally cylindrical, elongated housing  20  thereof, whose inner chamber  21  is in communication with the expandable sack  1 , frontally carries a small bottle  6  of compressed air or other gas and, in a sequence from an end to the other end thereof, a spring-charged piercing element  7  and a release mechanism  8 . 
   The small gas bottle  6 , having a pierceable sealed mouth  60 , is screwed to the elongated housing  20  by means of its externally threaded neck  61 . The small gas bottle has such a capacity that the expandable sack  1 , after being inflated instantaneously, is able with its expansion to exert a sufficient force to expel objects contained inside the bag  100  between the lining  400  and the bag cover  101  upon the opening of the closure means and the overturning of the cover. 
   The gas bottle  6  is closed in its mouth  60  by a septum that is easily pierceable by the piercing element  7  provided with a piercing bit  72 . The piercing bit  72 , preferably as a mouthpiece of a flute, is shaped so that the cut portion of septum remains in part laterally attached to the septum, without obstructing the emission of gas. In addition, the piercing bit  72  has an axial passageway  73 . 
   The release mechanism  8 , which pushes the piercing element  7  against the gas bottle  6 , comprises a release member being connected to a flexible transmission  30  of control means  3 , e.g. the control means of a self-emptying bag in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
   According to the present invention, such a release member is a protuberance  87 , that is slidable in the inner chamber  21  of the elongated housing  20  by the operation of the flexible transmission  30  against a counteracting spring  89 . Preferably, the protuberance  87  is rigidly connected to a cylindrical element  83  that is provided with at least a pair of opposed tooth  84 . These tooth  84  are designed to slide on grooves  85  that are provided in the inner chamber  21  of the elongated housing  20 . 
   The piercing element  7  is fixed to one end of a collet chuck  70 , which, at the other end, is provided with fingers  88  to grip the protuberance  87  of the release mechanism  8 . The collet chuck  70  is very similar to that one of a propelling pencil and can be made of plastic material. 
   The collet chuck  70 , being movable between a gripping condition ( FIG. 1 ) and a releasing condition of the protuberance  87  ( FIG. 2 ), is slidable coaxially with respect to an external cam profile  90  surrounding at least the fingers  88  under the action of a spiral spring  91 . The spiral spring  91  is abutted between a flange  92  of the front end of the collet chuck  70  and the external cam profile  90 . The external cam profile  90 , that is in abutment against an internal circumferential projection  93  of the inner chamber  21  of the elongated housing  20 , has an internal space  94 , that is preferably cylindrical, with a consecutive frusto-conical portion  95 . Then, such an internal space is adapted to receive and retain the fingers  88  of the collet chuck  70  in engagement with the protuberance  87  against the slide of the same collet chuck  70 . 
   In order to assemble the parts of the piercing apparatus inside the inner chamber  21  of the elongated housing  20 , a portion of the latter near the connection with the gas bottle  6  is screwed to the remaining portion of the elongated housing  20 . 
   The operation of the piercing apparatus according to the invention is as follows. 
   By manually acting on the control means  3 , which is generally a Bowden cable, its flexible transmission  30  being connected to the protuberance  87 , causes the protuberance  87  to slide, by virtue of its tooth  84  engaging the grooves  85  of the inner chamber  21  of the elongated housing  20  against the action of the counteracting spring  89 . By the spring  89  the protuberance  87  loses the engagement with the fingers  88  of the collet chuck  70 . The fingers, for example four in number, being retained no longer by the protuberance  87  against the cylindrical-frustoconical space  94 – 95  of the cam profile  90 , are able to pass through the cylindrical portion  94  of said space  94 – 95 . The collet chuck  70 , that is pushed by the spring  91  in abutment between the flange  92  of the same collet chuck  70  and the cam profile  90 , is obliged to travel suddenly toward the front end of the elongated housing  20 , where the small gas bottle  6  is screwed. The piercing element  7 , having a passageway  73  inside, pierces the sealed mouth  60  of the small bottle and causes the compressed gas therein contained to exit, to pass through the passage  22  into the expandable sack  1 . The expandable sack  1  is inflated immediately. 
   In order to prevent the compressed gas from coming out through the rear portion of the housing  20 , a seal gasket  99 , being situated around the connection with the flexible transmission  30  of the release element, is provided. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 3 to 6 , which are diagrammatic section views, there is shown a tool for reloading the piercing apparatus according to the invention. In a first embodiment thereof, shown in  FIG. 3 , the reloading tool has an elongated cylindrical body, including a maximum diameter, first section  50 , an intermediate diameter, second section  51 , and a minimum diameter, third section  52 . The maximum diameter, first section  50  is internally hollow and is provided with an internal thread for screwing onto the threaded neck of the gas bottle  6 . The second section  51 , that is externally threaded, has a diameter equal to that of the neck of the gas bottle  6  with same thread. Finally, the minimum diameter, internally hollow, third section  52  is such that it surrounds the piercing element  7 . By screwing the tool in  FIG. 3  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , onto a bottle and then onto the mouth of the elongated housing  20 , at the same way of a new bottle, the section  52  of the tool causes the collet chock  70  to move backward until the fingers  88  of the collet chock  70  engage the protuberance  87  of the release element. This engagement is made temporarily firm by the cam profile  90 , against which the fingers  88  are retained, until the operation of the control means  3 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 4 , a second embodiment of the tool for reloading the piercing apparatus according to the invention is shown. This second embodiment is characterized by a shaped body  53  comprising an externally threaded section  51  being equal to that one of the neck of the small bottle and a hollow end portion  52  such that it surrounds the piercing element  7  and cause it to move backward until the fingers of the collet chock  70  engage the protuberance  87  of the release element, as described with reference to the first embodiment of tool. In this second embodiment, the shaped body  53  acts as a handle. 
   At this moment, the reloading tool can be screwed and instead of it a new charged small bottle  6  can be located. 
   It is clear that the operation for restoring the expandable sack  1  inside a bag and reloading the piercing device by a new small bottle can be easily performed by any owner of the same bag, thanks to the characteristics of the piercing apparatus of the invention and to the reloading tools. 
   However, the piercing apparatus of the invention can have other employment. For example, with reference to  FIGS. 9 to 11 , a sea rescue device is diagrammatically shown. In a container  104  a compressed gas feeder  2  is located side to side to a rolled up expandable sack  1 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . The container  104  has a slidable cover  105  with a handle  106 . A free end of control means is connected to the slidable cover  104 . Thereby, when the cover  104  is pulled for uncovering the sack  1 , the sack  1  is inflated in virtue of the piercing of the small bottle  6 .