Patent ID: 7232354

Claim:
A device for providing buoyancy to a negatively buoyant object, comprising: a lower casing which comprises a hollow cylinder with a solid bottom end, the hollow cylinder defining a cavity in which rests a plunger, means of maintaining pressure between the lower casing and the plunger, a bobbin which is water-soluble, where the bobbin is designed and manufactured to disintegrate upon contact with water and where the bobbin is configured to maintain the means of maintaining pressure between the lower casing and the plunger until it is at least partially disintegrated upon contact with water, and a triggering mechanism that controls when water will be allows to come into contact with the bobbin, a central casing which is a cylinder which defines a cavity, a canister filled with a compressed gas, a syringe unit with means of puncturing the canister, means of directing the compressed gas released from the canister to a gas outlet, where the canister, the o-ring, and the syringe unit can be inserted into the cavity of the central casing, a balloon casing, a balloon with an inflatable portion and a bottom portion, where the bottom portion has a rolled lip which is thicker than the inflatable portion of the balloon, means of attaching the balloon to the syringe unit, and an end cap, where the balloon and the means for attaching the balloon to the syringe unit can be inserted into the balloon casing, one or more holes between the inside of the device and the outside of the device through which water can pour when the object is submerged in water, where, the top of the syringe unit can be brought into contact with the means of attaching the balloon to the syringe unit when the central casing and balloon casing are connected to each other, where, there are means to secure the lower casing, middle casing, and balloon casing together into one unit, where, when the bobbin disintegrates, the means of maintaining pressure between the lower casing and the plunger causes the plunger to contact the canister, which causes the canister to move up and be punctured by the syringe unit, whereupon the compressed air in the canister exits the canister and fills the balloon, thereby providing buoyancy for the object.