Automatic inflator for inflatable articles

Details Automatic inflator for inflatable articles Automatic inflator for inflatable articles

1990-05-07

1991-07-30

Huppert, Michael S.

Dispensing

Gas or vapor dispensing

With cutter or punch

222 41, 222 63, 441 93, B67D 500

Patent

active

050353454

ABSTRACT:
An inflator for automatically inflating an inflatable article, such as a personal flotation vest, upon immersion in water. A plunger and a piercing pin are movably mounted within a housing and are movable with respect to a pressurized gas canister attached to the housing. A force generating mechanism, mounted within the housing, acts on the plunger to forcibly move the plunger and the piercing pin to pierce the canister to release the pressurized gas therefrom through the housing to an inflatable article attached to the housing. A pair of spaced water sensor probes mounted in the housing provide a signal to a control device indicating that the housing is immersed in water. The control device activates a release mechanism which rotates a cam to release a spring-biased ram in the force generating mechanism from a first, retracted position such that the ram engages the plunger and urges the plunger and the piercing pin under force into the sealed end of the gas canister. The release mechanism, in a preferred embodiment, includes a motor actuated by the control device and gears which couple the motor output shaft to the cam which holds the ram in a first, retracted position. A manual lanyard is connected to a shaft extensibly mounted within the housing. A link connected to the shaft includes a cam which acts on the plunger to manually urge the plunger and the piercing pin into the gas canister when the lanyard shaft is pulled outward from the housing. An externally rotatable cap is mounted on the housing and internally engages the ram to retract the ram to the first position and allow the control device to rotate the cam to the first position to block the ram in the first position.

REFERENCES:
patent: 1329990 (1920-02-01), Muller
patent: 2527605 (1950-10-01), Walk
patent: 2627998 (1953-02-01), Musser et al.
patent: 2675143 (1954-04-01), Seemann, Jr.
patent: 2701886 (1955-02-01), Ivie
patent: 2894658 (1959-07-01), Spidy
patent: 2904217 (1959-09-01), Gurney
patent: 2944268 (1960-07-01), Fruendt
patent: 2964050 (1960-12-01), Novak
patent: 3059814 (1962-10-01), Poncel et al.
patent: 3077288 (1963-02-01), Henry
patent: 3090979 (1963-05-01), Segrest
patent: 3127624 (1964-04-01), Kubit et al.
patent: 3193140 (1965-07-01), Trauger
patent: 3198384 (1965-08-01), Anderson
patent: 3221932 (1965-12-01), Anderson
patent: 3242514 (1966-03-01), Waters
patent: 3266668 (1966-08-01), Davis
patent: 3308464 (1967-03-01), Licher
patent: 3350730 (1967-11-01), Kubit et al.
patent: 3426942 (1969-02-01), McMains et al.
patent: 3494506 (1970-02-01), Fujimoto
patent: 3510025 (1970-05-01), Turner et al.
patent: 3526339 (1970-09-01), Bernhardt et al.
patent: 3630413 (1971-12-01), Beckes et al.
patent: 3682354 (1972-08-01), Witte
patent: 3693202 (1972-09-01), Ohtani
patent: 3716882 (1973-02-01), Middleton, Jr. et al.
patent: 3802012 (1974-04-01), Middleton, Jr.
patent: 3812546 (1974-05-01), Witte
patent: 3815783 (1974-06-01), Hirata
patent: 3833029 (1974-09-01), Munn
patent: 3910457 (1975-10-01), Sutliff et al.
patent: 3934292 (1976-01-01), Mulderrig
patent: 3997079 (1976-12-01), Niemann
patent: 4024440 (1977-05-01), Miller
patent: 4094028 (1978-06-01), Fujiyama et al.
patent: 4191310 (1980-04-01), Bernhardt et al.
patent: 4223805 (1980-09-01), Mackal
patent: 4246672 (1981-01-01), Fujiyama et al.
patent: 4260075 (1981-04-01), Mackal
patent: 4267944 (1981-05-01), Mackal
patent: 4475664 (1984-10-01), Mackal
patent: 4482081 (1984-11-01), Meggs
patent: 4493664 (1985-01-01), Dale
patent: 4498604 (1985-02-01), Mackal et al.
patent: 4498605 (1985-02-01), Mackal et al.
patent: 4500014 (1985-02-01), Zimmerly
patent: 4524885 (1985-06-01), Zimmerly
patent: 4629436 (1986-12-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 4927057 (1990-05-01), Janko et al.
patent: 4946067 (1990-08-01), Kelsall

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Automatic inflator for inflatable articles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Automatic inflator for inflatable articles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic inflator for inflatable articles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1537758