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US 4,260,075 AGranted
Automatic inflator
OwnerGlenn H. Mackalinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerGlenn H. Mackalinventor
Estimating the term…
There is disclosed an inflator for the inflation of inflatable articles such as life vests and the like, such inflator being operated automatically upon being subjected to water as upon the ditching or parachuting of an aviator wearing a life vest provided with such inflator. In the preferred embodiment of the inflator disclosed, the automatically operating portion of it is embodied as an attachment to a known manually operated inflator, the resulting inflator being capable of operation both manually and automatically. The automatically operating portion of the inflator incorporates a latch which holds a plunger operated by a coil compression spring in cocked condition until the latch releases the plunger, which thereafter thrusts a gas-containing capsule against a piercing pin, so that the pin passes through the sealing diaphragm of the capsule. The latch is provided with a water-destructible member which retains the latch in plunger-cocking position until the water-destructible member is subjected to water in an amount sufficient to weaken it so that the latch releases the plunger.
In an automatic inflator for gas-inflatable articles, said inflator having a body, a gas capsule-holding means on the body, a capsule-piercing pin, a plunger for advancing the piercing pin and capsule relatively toward each other to pierce the capsule, the plunger having a stem, a transverse surface on the stem, resilient means which when stressed constantly urges the plunger and the percing pin relatively toward each other, and a latching means cooperating with the transverse surface on the stem for selectively holding the plunger from movement toward the piercing pin, the improved latching means which comprises a sleeve telescoped about the plunger, the sleeve being made up of a plurality of axially extending segments having teeth on the inner surface thereof in engagement with the transverse surface on the plunger when the plunger and piercing pin are in the cocked position relative to each other, the segments of the sleeve being mounted for being swung radially outwardly to free the teeth from engagement with the transverse surface, a water-destructible ring disposed around the segments to hold the teeth thereon in engagement with the transverse surface on the plunger, and means engaging the outer surface of the ring in locations between the segments of the sleeve to hold the ring in compression in the spans thereof between such means and successive segments of the sleeve.
A latching means adapted for use in an automatic inflator for gas-inflatable articles, said inflator having a body, a gas capsule-holding means on the body, a capsule-piercing pin, a plunger for advancing the piercing pin and capsule relatively toward each other to pierce the capsule, the plunger having a stem a transverse surface on the stem, resilient means which when stressed constantly urges the plunger and piercing pin relatively toward each other, and a latching means cooperating with the transverse surface on the stem for selectively holding the piercing pin and the plunger from movement toward each other, said latching means comprising a sleeve adapted to be telescoped about the plunger, the sleeve being made up of a plurality of axially extending segments having teeth on the inner surface adapted to engage the transverse surface on the plunger when the plunger and piercing pin are in the cocked position relative to ech other, the segments of the sleeve being mounted for being swung radially outwardly to free the teeth from engagement with the transverse surface, a water destructible ring disposed around the segments to hold the teeth thereon in engagement with the transverse surface on the plunger, and means engaging the outer surface of the ring in locations between the segments of the sleeve to hold the ring in compression in the spans thereof between such means and successive segments of the sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.