Signals and indicators – Nautical – Submarine
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-21
2004-06-29
Fulton, Christopher W. (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Nautical
Submarine
C116S1420FP, C405S186000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06755147
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to signalling devices and more particularly to signalling devices used for underwater signalling or warning.
BACKGROUND ART
Various devices exist for underwater sound generation. Generally, these devices are connected to a diver's compressed air supply and, when activated, the compressed air drives a piston backwards and forwards, usually by way of suitable valve arrangements. These valve arrangements may be separate from the reciprocating piston or may be incorporated into the piston. However, which ever valve arrangement is utilised, this adds cost and complexity to the device.
For example, in Johnston. U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,055, there is described a signalling device 10. The signalling device 10 comprises a main body part 11 with a bore for housing a piston 40 shown in FIG. 6. The piston 40 is adapted to reciprocate between a diaphragm 22 at one end of the bore which alternately controls the flow of compressed air to either end of the piston 40. The operation of the flapper valve 36 is separate from the piston 40.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention does away with a separate valve arrangement and instead, in a preferred form, merely utilises a spring loaded valve. The valve reciprocates when pressurised air is supplied to one side and so generates sound.
In one broad form the invention provides a signalling device for attachment to a pressurised fluid source, the device including:
a housing having a passageway, at least in part, for communication with the fluid source;
a valve member located in the passageway and movable between a closed position in which it substantially blocks the passageway, and an open position in which fluid may flow through the passageway;
biasing means biasing the valve member towards the closed position, wherein the valve member reciprocates between the open and closed
positions when a pressure difference above a set value exists on either side of the valve to produce a percussive sound.
The fluid source may be any fluid supply held under pressure. The fluid source may be a diver's compressed air supply. The air supply may include one or more air tanks of the type commonly used in scuba diving and one or more air hoses extending from the air supply to a mouth piece.
In use the signalling device may be positioned on the air hose intermediate the air tank and the mouth piece. The signalling device may alternatively be located in use on a separate pipe, tube, hose or the like in communication with the air supply. Preferably the signalling device is located around about the waist level of the operator to enable easy accessibility.
The housing may be integrally formed or may consist of a two or more discretely formed components adapted to be assembled to form the housing. The housing or the components therefor may be formed by moulding. Where the housing or one or more of the components are made of metal these may be cast in a mould. Where the housing or components are made of one or plastics materials, these may be formed by injection moulding.
The passageway formed within the housing may include a bore extending through the housing between an upstream opening and a downstream opening. The passageway may comprise a continuous line-of-sight bore extending from the upstream opening to the downstream opening and only interrupted by the valve member. The passageway may be of a consistent diameter.
The passageway may comprise one or more axes. The passageway may include two or more sections in the form of chambers. The chambers may be of varying shape and diameter. Preferably the section of the passageway to be blocked by the valve member is a circular shoulder against which the valve member is adapted to rest in the closed position. In use the upstream opening may be in communication with the fluid source by means of suitable fluid-tight connections. The downstream opening may be in communication with the environment immediately surrounding the signalling device.
The valve member may comprise any of a range of shapes provided it is configured to substantially block the passageway and accordingly the shape of the valve member may be configured to be of a complementary shape relative to the section of the passageway to be blocked.
The valve member may include a head portion and a rod or shaft portion. The head and the rod portions may be integrally formed. The head and rod portions may be formed separately. The rod portion may be adapted to slidingly engage the head portion whereby to form a further percussive means.
Preferably the head and rod portion are rigidly fixed to one another or formed integrally. The head portion may be a flat disc. The rod portion may be a solid cylindrical shape. The rod portion may extend axially from the head portion.
The valve member may be formed by casting in the case of the valve member being made of metal, or injection moulding where the valve member is made of a suitable plastic material. Where the valve member is made of plastic material, the material is preferably hard whereby to display percussive characteristics when striking another hard surface.
The valve member in the closed position may be adapted to block the passageway by abutment against a valve seat. Preferably the valve member is seated in a movable valve seat when in the closed position, and when in said open position the valve seat may move between two positions. The valve seat may be adapted to produce percussive sound upon arriving at each of the two positions. The valve seat may be retained within a bore forming part of the passageway by means of internal retaining means such as shoulders within the bore. The valve seat may be adapted to strike against the retaining means to cause a percussive sound.
The valve member is preferably located axially within the passageway and at its open position contacts a portion of the housing. This portion of the housing may include a body which may be retained within the housing. The body may be in contact with the immediate environment surrounding the signalling device.
The body may include a second bore adapted to slidingly receive the rod portion. The body portion may be located in the passageway. The body may be suspended axially within the passageway. The body may be connected to the rest of the housing by one or more radiating bridges. The body may be located axially within a chamber defined by the housing and forming part of the passageway. The chamber may contain the valve member and the body.
Preferably the biasing means comprises a first biasing member which always biases the valve member towards the closed position and a second biased member which only engages the valve member when the valve member is not in the closed position. Preferably the second biased member includes a sound generating or percussive member biased to contact against the housing.
The percussive member may be biased by a second biasing means towards the valve member. The percussive member may be a adapted to travel within the housing. More particularly, the percussive member may be a adapted to travel within the body. The percussive member may be a adapted to travel axially relative to the passageway within the housing or, more particularly, the body. The second biasing means may be housed within the body. The valve member may be adapted to strike the percussive member when moving to the open position.
The percussive member may be adapted to strike the housing when the valve member returns towards the closed position upon the urging of the percussive member towards the valve member by the second biasing means. The portion of the housing so struck preferably is the body.
The signalling device may include control means for controlling the flow of fluid through the passageway from the fluid source. The control means may include any suitable shut off or valve means. The control means may include a second valve. The second valve may be biased to an open or a closed position. Preferably the second valve is biased to a closed position by a third biasing means.
The control means may be l
Fulton Christopher W.
Greenberg & Traurig
Smith R. Alexander
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