Hydraulic and earth engineering – Diving – Suit or accessory therefor
Patent
1992-07-15
1994-04-12
Corbin, David H.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Diving
Suit or accessory therefor
116 26, 116112, 441 89, B63C 1126
Patent
active
053020553
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
THIS INVENTION relates to signalling devices and in particular to a signalling device which can be used underwater to signal to and between divers.
BACKGROUND TO INVENTION
Various means have been devised by which acoustic signals may be generated underwater. Generally these comprise pistons impacting against a diaphragm in contact with water. U.S. Pat. Specification No. 4,095,667 to Mahig and Allen describes a portable underwater signalling device. Other acoustic signal generators are described in U.S. specifications 3,433,202 to Sharp et al and 3,277,437 to Bouyoucos.
In Mahig and Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,667, the valving to drive the piston and the piston involve complex shapes and sealing arrangements.
In Sharp, U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,202, and Bouycousos, U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,437, valving is achieved externally of the device such that these devices are not useful to divers needing a small hand held acoustic generator.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a signalling device by which communication between divers is possible with an acoustic generator of simple construction which is able to be hand held or incorporated into other equipment such as buoyancy control devices and which is a unit requiring only a high pressure air line connected thereto.
The invention achieves its object in providing a signalling device for underwater use comprising:
a main body part having a bore therein to form a cylinder with at least one open end thereto;
a diaphragm fitted to the main body part over the at least one open end of the cylinder, the diaphragm being, in use, in contact with water;
a piston contained within the cylinder, for movement to and fro therein;
an inlet to the cylinder on the main body part whereat a pressurised gas may be supplied; and
a valve means mounted in the main body part between the inlet and the cylinder; and
the valve means, in use, switching pressurised gas to opposite ends of the piston to repetitively drive the piston against the diaphragm.
In a particular form of the invention there is provided a pneumatic signalling device for hand held use by divers when underwater, said signalling device comprising:
a main body part having a bore therein to form a cylinder with an open end thereto;
a diaphragm fitted to the main body part over the open end of the cylinder, the diaphragm being, in use, in contact with the water;
a piston with first and second pressure faces at opposite ends thereto contained within the cylinder for movement to and fro therein, to impact the end associated with the first pressure face against the diaphragm;
an inlet to the cylinder on the main body part whereat an air line may be attached to feed air under pressure to a flapper valve; and
a flapper valve mounted in the main body part between the inlet and the cylinder;
action of the flapper valve under pressure of air serving to switch pressurised air repetitively to first the second pressure face and then the first pressure face to drive the piston to and from the diaphragm to repeatedly impact thereagainst and generate, in use, an acoustic signal in the water.
In this specification the terms bistable and flapper valve are to include any valve suitable to switching an inlet to either of two outlets, the state of the valve being switchable to either of the two outlets by any suitable means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the main body part or cylinder, end cap, locking ring and diaphragm of a signalling device in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view of the end plug at the inlet end of the signalling device as seen in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view of the cylinder of FIG. 1 looking at the inlet end;
FIG. 4 is a view of the cylinder of FIG. 1 looking at the diaphragm end;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view through the parts of a valve which may be employed in the signalling device of FIGS. 1 to 4;
FIG. 6
REFERENCES:
patent: 3277437 (1965-04-01), Bouyoucos
patent: 3433202 (1969-03-01), Sharp et al.
patent: 3895561 (1975-07-01), Felderhof et al.
patent: 4095667 (1978-06-01), Mahig et al.
patent: 4852510 (1989-08-01), Joseph et al.
patent: 4950107 (1990-08-01), Hancock et al.
patent: 5022790 (1991-06-01), Stevenson
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