Patent Publication Number: US-10329001-B2

Title: Distress device of lifejacket

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuing application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/248,552, filed on Aug. 26, 2016, and entitled “DISTRESS DEVICE OF LIFEJACKET”. The entire disclosures of the above application are all incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a distress device used in a water-related field, especially to a distress device of lifejacket. 
     Description of Related Art 
     When taking an air or water transportation vehicle such as a cruiser, a yacht or an aircraft, a lifejacket is the basic safety equipment when an accident happens. When a sea disaster happens, the lifejacket is able to assist the sufferer to float on the seawater for a long period of time, so that the sufferer can be protected from being drowned and the rescue time can be prolonged. 
     For increasing the possibility of the sufferer in a sea disaster being rescued, the conventional lifejacket is usually painted or coated with a bright color such as yellow or orange, a light reflection strip or a light emitting bulb can also be provided, and a whistle and a light reflection mirror may also be provided, so that the sufferer in the sea disaster can be rapidly found through the noticeable appearance, lighting effect and making sounds. 
     However, the above-mentioned functions are still not enough for the sufferer in the sea disaster, because the bright color (yellow or orange), the light reflection strip and the light reflection mirror are unable to provide proper functions in the nighttime, the sound generated by the whistle can only be transferred to a limited distance, the conventional lithium battery is not allowed to be brought on an aircraft, and the light emitting bulb often utilizes a solar panel for storing electricity, thereby having a problem of not providing sufficient amount of electricity. 
     Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention has devoted himself for improving the mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a distress device of lifejacket, in which a lithium polymer battery is adopted to replace a convention lithium battery, so that the distress device of lifejacket can be safety disposed in an aircraft for providing sufficient amount of electricity required by a wireless emitter, thereby allowing the distress device of lifejacket to have an additional function of emitting signals, and the research and rescue team is able to rapidly locate the sufferer, so that the distress device of lifejacket is provided with advantages of increasing operation safety and facilitating the locating procedure for search and rescue. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a distress device of lifejacket, which comprises: a lifejacket main body; a wireless emitter, disposed inside the lifejacket main body, wherein the wireless emitter includes a circuit board and an antenna, the antenna is electrically connected to the circuit board; and a lithium polymer battery, electrically connected to the circuit board and disposed inside the lifejacket main body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view showing a distress device of lifejacket according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective exploded view showing the distress device of lifejacket according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the assembly of the distress device of lifejacket according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective exploded view showing the distress device of lifejacket according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing the assembly of the distress device of lifejacket according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the assembly of the distress device of lifejacket according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     Please refer from  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the present invention provides a distress device of lifejacket, and the distress device of lifejacket  10  mainly comprises a lifejacket main body  1 , a wireless emitter  2  and a lithium polymer battery  3 . 
     The lifejacket main body  1  includes a tying band  11  and an inflation pulling member  12 , the tying band  11  is used for tying the lifejacket main body  1  on a human body, and the inflation pulling member  12  is used for actuating a connector of an inflation steel bottle disposed therein to inflate the lifejacket main body  1  when a pulling operation is performed. 
     In addition, the lifejacket main body  1  is composed of at least four plastic layers  13  being mutually and thermally pressed and adhered, and the wireless emitter  2  and the lithium polymer battery  3  are disposed between two of the four plastic layers  13 . 
     The wireless emitter  2  is disposed inside the lifejacket main body  1  and includes a circuit board  21  and an antenna  22 , and the antenna  22  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 . 
     The lithium polymer battery  3  is defined as a lithium battery provided with polymer electrolyte, instead of liquid electrolyte, and the lithium polymer battery  3  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21  and disposed inside the lifejacket main body  1 . 
     In addition, the liquid electrolyte contains organic solvents, so problems such as liquid leakage or even explosion may happen, the polymer electrolyte inside the lithium polymer battery  3  only contains very small amount or contains zero organic solvent, so that the lithium polymer battery  3  is provided with advantages of increasing safety, lowering the possibility of liquid leakage and preventing explosion. 
     Moreover, the lithium polymer battery  3  has better recharging cycles, better energy density (including mechanism energy density and weight energy density) and better battery self-discharge rate. 
     The distress device of lifejacket  10  provided by the present invention further includes one or a plurality of light emitting diodes  4 , a package member  5  and an immersing sensor  6 , the light emitting diode  4  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 , and the light emitting diode  4  is disposed and exposed on the lifejacket main body  1 . 
     Details are provided as follows. The circuit board  21 , the antenna  22  and the lithium polymer battery  3  are stacked with each other, the package member  5  is served to cover at the outer sides of the circuit board  21 , the antenna  22  and the lithium polymer battery  3 , so that the package member  5  is able to provide an effect of preventing moisture from entering the circuit board  21 , the antenna  22  and the lithium polymer battery  3 . Wherein, the package member  5  is made of epoxy or silicon. 
     In addition, the immersing sensor  6  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21  and exposed at the outer side of the lifejacket main body  1 , the immersing sensor  6  is used for sensing water and generating a water sensing signal, and the circuit board  21  is able to receive the water sensing signal and actuate the antenna  2  to transmit a distress signal. 
     Moreover, the immersing sensor  6  includes a sensor body  61  and a cover member  62 , the sensor body  61  includes a press switch  611  and a water sensing port  612 , the sensor body  61  and the press switch  611  are respectively and electrically connected to the circuit board  21 , the sensor body  61  is able to utilize the water sensing port  612  for sensing the existence of water so as to generate the water sensing signal, the cover member  62  is served to cover and shield the press switch  611 , and the cover member  62  is used for protecting the press switch  611  so that the press switch  611  can be prevented from being accidently pressed. 
     Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the sensor body  61  is fastened on the tying band  11 , thereby allowing the immersing sensor  6  to be fastened on the tying band  11 , but what shall be addressed is that the scope of the present is not limited by the above-mentioned fastening means, the immersing sensor  6  can also be hanged at any location of the lifejacket main body  1 . 
     According to the present invention, the assembly of the distress device of lifejacket  10  is that: the wireless emitter  2  is disposed inside the lifejacket main body  1  and includes the circuit board  21  and the antenna  22 , and the antenna  22  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 ; the lithium polymer battery  3  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21  and disposed inside the lifejacket main body  1 . 
     According to the present invention, the operating status of the distress device of lifejacket  10  is that: the lithium polymer battery  3  is adopted to replace the conventional lithium battery, so that the distress device of lifejacket  10  can be safely placed in an aircraft and provide sufficient amount of electricity to the wireless emitter  2 , thereby allowing the distress device of lifejacket  10  to be provided with an additional function of emitting signals, so when a disaster happens, sufferers wearing the lifejackets can emit a distress signal (for example: SOS, coordinates, flight information, PCS code of each lifejacket) to the COSPAS SARSAT to start the search and rescue procedure, thus the search and rescue teams are able to rapidly locate the sufferers and narrow the search range, and the whole search and rescue time can be effectively shortened; accordingly, the distress device of lifejacket  10  is provided with advantages of increasing operation safety and facilitating the locating procedure for search and rescue. 
     In addition, the lithium polymer battery  3  is very thin in thickness and light in weight, the volume defined by the assembly of the lithium polymer battery  3  and the wireless emitter  2  is relatively small, so that the lithium polymer battery  3 , the wireless emitter  2  and the lifejacket main body  1  can be more easily combined, and the lithium polymer battery  3  can be considered as the best material for storing electricity in an aircraft. 
     Moreover, when a sea disaster happens, the water sensing port  612  is immersed, and the sensor body  61  is able to sense the existence of water so as to generate the water sensing signal, the circuit board  21  receives the water sensing signal and actuates the antenna  22  to emit the distress signal (for example: SOS, coordinates, flight information, PCS code of each lifejacket) to the COSPAS SARSAT (satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system), thus the distress device of lifejacket  10  is provided with an advantage of having excellent accuracy for emergency search and rescue. Furthermore, the distress device of lifejacket  10  provided by the present invention further includes the light emitting diode  4 , the light emitting diode  4  is exposed on the lifejacket main body  1  and can be synchronously actuated with the antenna  22 , if the light emitting diode  4  cannot be lit, the sufferer can be informed that the antenna  22  is not in a normal operation status, at this moment the sufferer can manually open the cover member  62  and press the press switch  611 , so that the press switch  611  is able to actuate the antenna  22  through the circuit board  21  for emitting the distress signal; accordingly, the distress device of lifejacket  10  has advantages of providing lights at nighttime and ensuring the normal operation status of the antenna  22 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , which disclose a second embodiment of the distress device of lifejacket  10  provided by the present invention. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment, and the difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the distress device of lifejacket  10  further includes a switch member  7 . 
     Details are provided as follows. The switch member  7  is disposed and exposed on the lifejacket main body  1 , the switch member  7  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 , and the switch member  7  is able to actuate the antenna  22  through the circuit board  21  for emitting the distress signal. Accordingly, the sufferer can press the switch member  7  to actuate the antenna  2  for emitting the distress signal (for example: SOS, coordinates, flight information, PCS code of each lifejacket) to the COSPAS SARSAT, thus the distress device of lifejacket  10  is provided with an advantage of ensuring the wireless emitter  2  being actually actuated. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , which disclose a third embodiment of the distress device of lifejacket  10  provided by the present invention. The third embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment, and the difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that the inflation pulling member  12  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 . 
     Details are provided as follows. Because the inflation pulling member  12  is electrically connected to the circuit board  21 , when the inflation pulling member  12  is pulled, the circuit board  21  is triggered to actuate the antenna  22  for emitting the distress signal. Accordingly, when the lifejacket main body  1  is inflated for being used, the inflation pulling member  12  is pulled and the antenna  22  is actuated at the same time for emitting the distress signal (for example: SOS, coordinates, flight information, PCS code of each lifejacket) to the COSPAS SARSAT, so that the distress device of lifejacket  10  of the present invention is provided with an advantage of having excellent accuracy for emergency search and rescue. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.