Patent Publication Number: US-8967132-B1

Title: Long-range lifebuoy launcher

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to life saving devices and more particularly to a compressed air powered device for launching a lifebuoy from long-range to save a person overwhelmed in water. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional life saving device having a launcher is provided for an automatic inflation of a float by simply acting on a lever. The mechanism comprises an air canister at a top portion with the float so that the canister is traversed by a hollow cut-off cock whose lower end projects from a container and is terminated by the lever. The upper end is introduced inside the float and the air penetrating through the hollow tube of the cock. Integral with the assembly is a ring connected to a rolled-up cable which is integrally formed with the launcher. The launcher is mounted in a gun so that a life saving assembly can be launched toward a target in danger. 
     While it has some utility, improvements in these products are desired, and these improvements are provided by the invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a life saving device comprising a housing consisting of at least two detachable pieces and comprising a neck having an opening; a cylindrical cap assembly comprising an annular groove on an outer surface, a hollow extension, a stop member secured to an opening of the extension, a transverse hole through the extension, a safety pin inserted through the transverse hole, and a spring biased sliding disc having one end secured to the stop member and an other end urging against the safety pin; a first needle moveably disposed in the cap assembly and comprising an annular first flange proximate to the safety pin; a buoyant assembly disposed in the housing and comprising a hollow first cylinder having a top secured to the opening of the neck and including an inflatable lifebuoy disposed around the first cylinder; a tubular member being in fluid communication with both the first cylinder and the lifebuoy; a delay mechanism comprising a receptacle, an annular second flange on a bottom of the receptacle, an axial hole through a center of the second flange, and an auxiliary air canister disposed in the receptacle and being in close proximity to the first needle, a hollow second cylinder having one end secured to the second flange and an opening on an other end, a disc affixed to an inner surface of the second cylinder to divide the second cylinder into a first portion defined between the disc and the second flange and a second portion defined between the disc and the main air canister, the disc having a central hole, and a main air canister disposed in the second cylinder spaced from the disc and having a bottom engaged with the opening of the second cylinder; a second needle spaced from the receptacle and moveably disposed through the central hole of the disc, the second needle being in close proximity to the main air canister; a tube put on the cap assembly and being in close proximity to the housing; a sleeve put on the tube and comprising an externally threaded end; a ring member secured onto the sleeve; a hollow third cylinder comprising a first externally threaded extension at a one end, an internally threaded cup secured to the first externally threaded extension, a second externally threaded extension at an other end, and a ring element including first internal threads secured to the externally threaded end of the sleeve, and second internal threads secured to the second externally threaded extension; a hollow anchor fastened in one end of the sleeve within the ring element; a hollow fin assembly disposed in one ends of the tube and the sleeve and being in close proximity to the anchor, the fin assembly comprising a diaphragm secured to one end of the anchor, a casing, a plurality of equally spaced slits on the casing, a plurality of spring actuated pivotal fins, and an internal biasing member biasing against the fins wherein the fins are retracted into the slits in an inoperative position; a rope having one end wound on the annular groove and an other end fastened in the anchor after passing through the tube and the fin assembly, the rope comprising an extension tied to the safety pin; and an air canister disposed in the third cylinder; wherein in response to opening the air canister, compressed air in the air canister flows to and breaks the diaphragm prior to propelling the tube out of the sleeve, the fins project out of the slits, the rope within the tube extends out of the tube to pull the safety pin out of the transverse hole, the sliding disc pushes down the first needle until the first flange engages the extension, the first needle punctures the auxiliary air canister to release compressed air from the auxiliary air canister, the compressed air enters the receptacle, the compressed air flows out of the receptacle into the first portion of the second cylinder via the axial hole, pressure in the first portion of the second cylinder increases constantly, the second needle is pushed down when the pressure reaches a predetermined value, the second needle punctures the main air canister to release compressed air from the main air canister prior to entering a second portion of the second cylinder, the compressed air flows out of the second portion of the second cylinder into the first cylinder via the opening of the second cylinder, pressure in the first cylinder increases constantly, the compressed air flows into the lifebuoy for inflation via the tubular member, the inflated lifebuoy separates the housing into the at least two pieces, and a portion of the rope wound on the annular groove unwinds. 
     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 a life saving device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the life saving device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is an exploded view of the projectile unit of  FIG. 2   
         FIG. 3B  is a further exploded view of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a longitudinal section of the projectile unit of  FIG. 1  prior to trigger; 
         FIG. 4B  is a detailed view showing the first needle piercing the auxiliary air canister and the second needle piercing the main air canister in an initial phase; 
         FIG. 5A  is a view similar to  FIG. 4A  showing the first needle clearing the auxiliary air canister and the second needle clearing the main air canister in an intermediate phase; 
         FIG. 5B  is a detailed view of an upper part of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the launching unit of the life saving device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a longitudinal sectional view of a substantial portion of the launching unit; 
         FIG. 7B  is a view similar to  FIG. 7A  with the fins projecting out and the other end of the rope tied as a knot fastened in the anchor; 
         FIG. 8A  is an exploded view of the fin assembly; 
         FIG. 8B  is a further exploded view of  FIG. 8A ; 
         FIG. 9A  is a longitudinal sectional view of the fin assembly showing an anchor member in the anchor for fastening the other end of the rope; 
         FIG. 9B  is a view similar to  FIG. 9A  showing a fastening member as a replacement of the anchor member for fastening the other end of the rope; and 
         FIG. 10  schematically depicts a final phase with the lifebuoy being expanded and the housing being split into two halves. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 10 , a life saving device in accordance with the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below. 
     A launching unit  5  and a projectile unit are provided. The launching unit  5  comprises the following components: A sleeve  52  is provided. A ring  60  is provided to interconnect the projectile unit and the sleeve  52 . 
     The projectile unit comprises a housing  1  consisting of two detachable halves and comprising a cylindrical top neck  17  having an opening  14 . A cylindrical cap assembly  2  comprises an annular groove  21  on an outer surface, a narrow extension  22 , a disc-shaped member  24  secured to an opening of the extension  22 , and a transverse hole  29  through the extension  22 . A safety pin  4  is inserted through the hole  29  to support a sliding disc  26  in the extension  22 . A helical spring  25  is biased between the disc-shaped member  24  and the sliding disc  26 . A moveable first needle  20  is moveably provided in the cap assembly  2  and comprises an annular flange  23  proximate to the safety pin  4 , an annular groove  27  proximate to a pointed end, and an O-ring  28  sealingly put on the groove  27 . 
     A buoyant assembly  9  is provided in the housing  1  and comprises a hollow cylinder  91  having a top secured to the opening  14  and having a bottom hole  92 , and an inflatable lifebuoy  90  disposed around the cylinder  91 . A tubular member  15  has one end inserted into the hole  92  and the other end inserted into the surface of the lifebuoy  90 . A delay mechanism  3  comprises a cylindrical receptacle  31  having an internal space  35 , an annular flange  39  on a bottom of the receptacle  31 , an axial hole  33  through the center of the flange  39 , and an auxiliary air canister  30  disposed in the space  35  and having a top  32  in close proximity to a pointed end of the first needle  20 . A hollow, cylindrical member  11  has one end secured to the flange  39  and an opening  13  on the other end. The delay mechanism  3  further comprises a disc  36  affixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical member  11  to divide the cylindrical member  11  into a first portion defined between the disc  36  and the second flange  39  and a second portion defined between the disc  36  and a main air canister  10  in the cylindrical member  11 , the disc  36  having a hole  34  through its center. The main air canister  10  is provided under the disc  36  and has a bottom engaged with the opening  13 . 
     A moveable second needle  40  is under the receptacle  31  and is disposed through the hole  34  of the disc  36 . The second needle  40  comprises an annular groove  41  and an O-ring  42  sealingly put on the groove  41 . The pointed end of the second needle  40  is in close proximity to a top  12  of the main air canister  10 . A rope  6  has one end affixed to a member within the launching unit  5  as detailed later and the other end wound on the groove  21 . The rope  6  has an extension  61  tied to the safety pin  4 . 
     A short, hollow, cylindrical anchor  53  is provided on a lower portion of the sleeve  52 . The anchor  53  comprises two opposite, curved openings  57  on one surface for allowing air to pass, an axial channel  54  for allowing the rope  6  to pass through, two opposite slits  56  formed on the mouth of the channel  54 , two annular grooves  58 , and two O-rings  59  fitted in the grooves  58  for sealing purpose. 
     A disc shaped diaphragm  19  having a central opening  18  for allowing the rope  6  to pass is provided on one surface of the anchor  53  in covering relationship to the openings  57  and the channel  54 . A hollow cylinder  70  comprises a first externally threaded extension  75  at a one end, a cup  76  having internal threads  77  secured to the first externally threaded extension  75 , a second externally threaded extension  71  at the other end, and a ring  72  having first internal threads  73  secured to an externally threaded extension  65  on a lower end of the sleeve  52 , and second internal threads  74  secured to the second externally threaded extension  71 . The cylinder  70  further comprises two sealing rings  78 ,  79  in which one sealing ring  79  is provided between a joining portion of the ring  72  and the second externally threaded extension  71 , and the other sealing ring  78  is provided between a joining portion of the ring  72  and the externally threaded extension  65  all for sealing purposes. 
     A tube  51  is provided with the sleeve  52  tightly put thereon. Further, the tube  51  is tightly put on the cap assembly  2 . The ring  60  is used to fasten ends of the cap assembly  2 , the tube  51 , and the sleeve  52  together. A fin assembly  8  is provided on lower portions of both the tube  51  and the sleeve  52  and comprises a plurality of equally spaced slits (four are shown)  34  on a housing  83 , and a plurality of pivotal fins (four are shown)  88  corresponding to the slits  84  respectively. The fins  88  do not project out of the slits  84  prior to launching of the life saving device because they are pushed into the housing  83  by the inner wall of the sleeve  52  when the housing  83  is disposed in the sleeve  52 . The fin assembly  8  further comprises a narrow extension  81  at one end, the extension  81  being fastened by a lower portion of the tube  51 , a passage  82  through the housing  83 , four wells  85  each formed on an inner surface of the housing  83  and at one end of the slit  84 , four pivots  87  disposed in the wells  85 , four torsion springs  86  each put on the pivot  87  so that the pivots  87  may make the fins  88  pivotal, and a helical spring  89  anchored in the passage  82  and biased against the fins  88 . 
     The rope  6  passes the extension  81  and the passage  82  to be fastened in the channel  54 . In detail, a knot  63 A is formed by tying the other end of the rope  6  and is fastened in the channel  54  (see  FIG. 7B ). Alternatively, an anchor member  63 B is provided in the channel  54  with the other end of the rope  6  being secured thereto (see  FIG. 9A ). Still alternatively, the anchor member  63 B is replaced with a fastening member  63 C (see  FIG. 9B ). 
     A rescue operation of the invention is described in detail below. First, a person may remove the cup  76 , place an air canister  7  in the cylinder  70 , and secure the cup  76  to the bottom of the cylinder  70 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , a user may open the air canister  7  to cause compressed air in the air canister  7  to strongly flow to the diaphragm  19  to break the diaphragm  19 . And in turn, the compressed air propels the tube  51  out of the sleeve  52 . The fins  88  extend out of the slits  84  due to expansion of the spring  89  after leaving the sleeve  52 . The extended fins  88  can stabilize the flight of the tube  51  and the projectile unit including housing  1 . The rope  6  gradually extends out of a rear end of the tube  51  during the flight of the tube  51 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4B ,  5 A, and  5 B, after a period of flying time, the extending rope  6  pulls the safety pin  4  out of the hole  29 . The energized spring  25  expands to push down the sliding disc  26  which in turn pushes down the first needle  20  until the flange  23  engages a bottom of the extension  22  (i.e., being stopped). The pointed end of the first needle  20  thus punctures the top  32  of the auxiliary air canister  30  to release compressed air from the auxiliary air canister  30  prior to entering the receptacle  31 . The compressed air flows out of the receptacle  31  into the space  35  via the hole  33 . The pressure in the space  35  increases constantly and will push down the second needle  40  when the pressure reaches a predetermined value. The pointed end of the second needle  40  punctures the top  12  of the main air canister  10  to release compressed air from the main air canister  10  prior to entering the cylindrical member  11 . The compressed air flows out of the cylindrical member  11  into the cylinder  91  via the opening  13 . The pressure in the cylinder  91  increases constantly and the compressed air flows into the lifebuoy  90  for inflation via the tubular member  15 . The inflated lifebuoy  90  finally separates the housing  1  into two halve and the portion of the rope  6  wound on the groove  21  unwinds. Finally, the lifebuoy  90  reaches a person being overwhelmed in water. 
     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.