Variable buoyancy apparatus
OwnerBrian L. Buckleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Buoyancy apparatus for carrying a payload to and maintaining the payload at substantially a constant depth or within a desired range of depth, which comprises a variable buoyancy vessel, a depth sensor, deflectable members for detecting upwards and downward movement respectively linked to a gas supply to increase the buoyancy by displacing water from the buoyancy vessel on detecting downward movement and to decrease the buoyancy by operating a release valve to vent gas from the buoyancy vessel on detecting upward movement, and apparatus for preventing said buoyancy variations commencing until the depth sensor senses that the payload is at a predetermined depth.
Claims11
Buoyancy apparatus for carrying a payload to and maintaining the payload within a desired range of depth, which apparatus comprises variable buoyancy means, depth sensing means, means for detecting upward motion, means for detecting downward motion, means for automatically increasing the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy means in response to the detection of downward motion, means for automatically decreasing the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy means in response to the detection of upward motion, and means for preventing activation of said means for increasing and decreasing the buoyancy in response to the motion detecting means until the depth sensing means senses that the payload is at a predetermined depth, wherein the variable buoyancy means comprises a source of pressurised gas and a buoyancy vessel having an inlet for said gas provided with an inlet valve and an outlet for said gas provided with an outlet valve.
Buoyancy apparatus for carrying a payload to and maintaining the payload within a desired depth range, which apparatus comprises variable buoyancy means, depth sensing means, means for detecting upward motion, means for automatically decreasing the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy means when upward motion is detected, means for automatically increasing the buoyancy to produce upward motion when no upward motion is detected and means for preventing activation of said means for increasing and decreasing the buoyancy until the depth sensing means senses that the payload is at a predetermined depth, wherein the variable buoyancy means comprises a source of pressurised gas and a buoyancy vessel having an inlet provided with an inlet valve and an outlet for said gas provided with an outlet valve.
Buoyancy apparatus for carrying a payload to and maintaining the payload within a desired depth range, which apparatus comprises variable buoyancy means, depth sensing means, means for detecting downward motion, means for automatically increasing the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy means when downward motion is detected, means for automatically decreasing the buoyancy to produce downward motion when no downward motion is detected and means for preventing activation of said means of increasing and decreasing the buoyancy until the depth sensing means senses that the payload is at a predetermined depth, wherein the variable buoyancy means comprises a source of pressurised gas and a buoyancy vessel having an inlet for said gas provided with an inlet valve and an outlet for said gas provided with an outlet valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.