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US 11,572,141 B2Granted
Lift bag with automatic gas volume regulation
OwnerKevin R. Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lift bag for moving an object underwater includes a lift bag body and a buoyancy regulator device within an internal cavity of the lift bag body. The buoyancy regulator device includes concentric regulator tubes. Each regulator tube includes a regulator tube opening and the regulator tube openings may be aligned to define a regulator tube aperture. The regulator tube aperture is in fluid communication with a lift bag slot formed in the lift bag body. A constant buoyancy for the lift bag is determined by adjusting the position of the regulator tube aperture by moving the inner and outer regulator tubes with respect to each other.
Claims20
A lift bag comprising:
- a lift bag body defining an internal cavity;
- a lift bag slot defined through a portion of said lift bag body, wherein said lift bag slot is configured to allow fluid communication between said internal cavity and an environment external of said lift bag body;
- a buoyancy regulator device positioned within said internal cavity of said lift bag body, wherein said buoyancy regulator device includes:
- an outer regulator tube including an outer regulator tube body that defines an outer regulator interior, wherein an outer regulator tube opening is defined through said outer regulator tube body and said outer regulator tube opening is in fluid communication with said outer regulator interior;
- an inner regulator tube including an inner regulator tube body that defines an inner regulator tube interior, wherein an inner regulator tube opening is defined through said inner regulator tube body and said inner regulator tube opening is in fluid communication with said inner regulator interior, and wherein said inner regulator tube fits concentrically within said outer regulator tube interior;
- wherein said outer regulator tube opening is configured to align with the inner regulator tube opening to create a regulator tube aperture, and wherein a position of said regulator tube aperture is adjustable by moving one of said inner regulator tube and said outer regulator tube with respect to the other regulator tube;
- wherein said lift bag slot is in fluid communication with said regulator tube aperture to allow excess air within said internal cavity of said lift bag body to be expelled through said regulator tube aperture and said lift bag slot;
- and
- wherein adjusting the position of said regulator tube aperture adjusts a buoyancy force provided by the lift bag.
6 more elements
A buoyancy regulator device for a lift bag comprising:
- an outer regulator tube including an outer regulator tube body that defines an outer regulator tube interior;
- a plurality of outer regulator tube holes defined through said outer regulator tube body, wherein an outer regulator tube hole axis is defined through said outer regulator tube holes;
- an inner regulator tube including an inner regulator tube body that defines an inner regulator tube interior, wherein said inner regulator tube is configured to fit concentrically within said outer regulator tube interior;
- a plurality of inner regulator tube holes defined through said inner regulator tube body;
- wherein said inner regulator tube holes are aligned along an inner regulator tube hole axis that is oblique to said outer regulator tube hole axis when said inner regulator tube is fit concentrically with said outer regulator tube interior;
- and
- wherein rotating one of said inner regulator tube or said outer regulator tube with respect to the other regulator tube when said inner regulator tube is fit concentrically within said outer regulator tube interior aligns one of said plurality of inner regulator tube holes with one of said plurality of outer regulator tube holes to determine a buoyancy force provided by the lift bag.
4 more elements
A buoyancy regulator device for a lift bag comprising:
- an outer regulator tube including an outer regulator tube body that defines an outer regulator tube interior;
- an inner regulator tube including an inner regulator tube body, wherein said inner regulator tube is configured to fit concentrically within said outer regulator tube interior;
- wherein said outer regulator tube and said inner regulator tube are mechanically coupled by a stud fit into a tube slot, wherein said tube slot includes a length and a plurality of tube slot arms extending from said tube slot each at a different position along the length of said tube slot;
- wherein when said stud is aligned with one of said tube slot arms along said length of said tube slot, said outer regulator tube and said inner regulator tube may be rotated with respect to each other so that said stud enters said tube slot arm;
- and
- wherein a buoyancy force of said lift bag is adjusted by positioning said stud within a different tube slot arm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.