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US 4,267,944 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 piercing pin against and through the sealing diaphragm of a gas-containing 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. The inflator is particularly characterized by the fact that only the latch needs to be replaced after operation of the automatic inflator, and that the coil compression spring can be compressed to cock the plunger by a wholly manual operation.
In an inflator for a gas-inflatable article, said inflator having a gas capsule-holding means, a capsule-piercing pin, means including a plunger for advancing the piercing pin and capsule relatively toward each other to pierce the capsule, resilient means urging the plunger and capsule relatively toward each other, and a latching mechanism cooperating with the plunger for holding the plunger in cocked position against the thrust of the resilient means, the improvement which comprises a housing for the plunger and the latching mechanism, the housing having a body with an elongated sleeve and a transverse base portion at an axially inner end thereof, a cap with a transverse cover portion at its axially outer end and an elongated skirt extending axially inwardly from the cover portion, the sleeve and skirt being telescoped and having a threaded connection therebetween, the plunger extending longitudinally within the sleeve and skirt and having a free end terminating adjacent the base portion of the housing, the latching mechanism comprising an annular water-responsive latching unit removably received in a seat within the sleeve in the base portion of the housing, the latching unit receiving the free end of the plunger therewithin and substantially encircling said free end of the plunger, and the resilient means being interposed between a portion of the cap adjacent its axially outer end and a part of the plunger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.