Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Buoy
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2001-12-25
Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Buoy
C441S007000, C441S009000, C441S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332819
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device that is attached to a valuable item and can retrieve that valuable item if it is dropped in muddy or deep water.
2. Description of Related Art
Water sports have always been a popular pastime in this country. Warm climate areas such as Florida, Texas and California, provide their residents with plenty of ocean shoreline, which can be used a large portion of if not the entire calendar year. There are a wide variety of water sports that include swimming, surfing, boating, sailing, fishing and scuba diving to name a few. While participating in these sports, people can easily lose important items such as keys, wallets and glasses.
There are many several ingenious devices in the related art that are designed to keep valuable items from sinking and being lost in deep or muddy water. Some take the form of a lifesaving device as outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,387 issued to Atwell, while a device, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,986 issued to Stichling, are specifically designed to retrieve submerged items. Both of these items utilize basic chemistry to make their devices more buoyant and enable them to rise to the surface of a large body of water.
Other devices that utilize basic chemistry to make a particular sinking object more buoyant are outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,780 issued to Kubiatowicz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,749,658 issued to Neumann, U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,129 issued to Asaro and U.S. Pat. No. 1,007,011 issued to Sekikawa.
The chemistry used behind these inventions is simple. Baking soda, together with citric acid or tartaric acid react in contact with water. The device regulates the movement of water with its contact with the chemicals, which release carbon dioxide as a bi-product, which makes the toy or item lighter than the water that it is in, and results in the item rising to the surface of the water.
The actual principle and invention have already been implemented and are outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,986 issued to Stichling. The device outlined in the Stichling patent utilizes calcium carbide or Alka-Seltzer to generate a gas upon exposure to water. Once the chemicals are exposed to water, the gas is formed and the device, attached to the object, rises to the top of the water.
The device outlined in the Stichling patent is over 40 years old and still works effectively. However, the Stichling patent can be improved with a better design and the use of modern materials. That is what the present invention does, it takes a proven technology and improves it with a better design and the use of modern materials.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is in the shape of a latex fish (in one preferred embodiment), which contains chemicals that react with the surrounding water that is drawn into the device. Once the device and the protected object are in the water, the device sinks and resurfaces to the top of the water with the reaction of the chemicals releasing carbon dioxide gas within the internal cavity of the device. The device becomes more buoyant and brings the protected item to the surface of the water. The device can also be brightly covered and can protect a wide variety of items such as wallets, glasses and other valuables.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a water retrieval device that is attached to a valuable item to prevent that item from sinking and being lost in muddy or deep water.
It is another object of the invention to provide a water retrieval device which is made of material which is more expansive and buoyant than plastic or metal water retrieval devices.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a water retrieval device that can retrieve larger and heavier valuable items than current water retrieval devices.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a water retrieval device that is made of biodegradable materials.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1007011 (1911-10-01), Sekikawa
patent: 1208232 (1916-12-01), Taylor
patent: 1476387 (1923-12-01), Atwell
patent: 1580227 (1926-04-01), Wilheim
patent: 1659129 (1928-02-01), Asaro
patent: 2642693 (1953-06-01), Broady
patent: 2749658 (1956-06-01), Neumann
patent: 2866986 (1959-01-01), Stichling
patent: 2892198 (1959-06-01), Gruenberg
patent: 4198780 (1980-04-01), Kubiatowicz
patent: 4312089 (1982-01-01), Taylor
patent: 4583314 (1986-04-01), Kirkland
patent: 4705050 (1987-11-01), Markham
patent: 5000482 (1991-03-01), Cimino
patent: 5133683 (1992-07-01), Dorfman
patent: 5387147 (1995-02-01), Ohshima et al.
patent: 5600873 (1997-02-01), May
patent: 5727974 (1998-03-01), Wiebenson
patent: 70764 (1950-03-01), None
patent: 1338504 (1971-07-01), None
patent: WO 94/27695 (1994-12-01), None
Avila Stephen
Litman Richard C.
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