US 5,311,394 AGranted

Water-actuated pressurized gas release device

AssigneeConax Florida Corporation

InventorsCarlton W. Naab, Francis M. Miller

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Abstract

A water-actuated, pressurized gas release device (10) that automatically actuates to inflate an associated personal flotation device when immersed in an electrically conductive fluid, such as salt or fresh water, is described. The device is comprised of a high strength plastic housing (12) that holds an enclosure tube (62) housing a primer charge (68) in a longitudinal alignment with a piercing pin (44). The primer is connected to a lever (80) and a lead wire (84) that is electrically connected to an electrical circuit means (87) which is in electrical contact with a pair of batteries (118A, 118B). When the device is immersed in water, an electrical circuit is formed between a terminal (122) of the battery pack and the lever and lead wire which serve as an electrical return to the electrical circuit means. This ignites the primer which creates explosive propulsion gases that drive a lance portion (46) of the piercing pin into a puncturable closure member (32) of a gas container (30) to inflate the personal flotation device. A conformal coating prevents the water from short circuiting the electrical circuit means until after the primer has been ignited. The gas container can also be manually punctured by actuating the lever which cams against the enclosure tube which moves against the piercing pin to drive the lance into the puncturable closure.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A pressurized gas release device, which comprises:

(a) a housing means including an electrically conductive member and having a receiving bore in coaxial communication with a longitudinally extending piercing pin bore, a transverse opening through the housing means in communication with the piercing pin bore and adjacent the receiving bore, and a first cavity in communication with a second cavity which is in communication with a third cavity;
(b) a container means holding a volume of pressurized gas and having a gas outlet closed by a puncturable member, wherein the container means is removably mounted in the receiving bore with the puncturable member in communication with the piercing pin bore;
(c) a piercing pin means mounted inside the piercing pin bore and longitudinally movable between a rest position and a puncture position in puncturable contact with the puncturable member;
(d) a primer means mounted in the first cavity in longitudinal alignment along the axis with the piercing pin bore and insulated from the electrically conductive member, wherein the primer means is capable of being ignited to move the piercing pin means housed inside the piercing pin bore from the rest position to the puncture position;
(e) an electrical circuit means mounted inside the second cavity in the housing means and operatively associated with the primer means, wherein the electrical circuit means is in electrical contact with the electrically conductive member so that the circuit means is capable of igniting the primer means when the device is immersed into an electrically conductive fluid, the electrical circuit means further having a battery contact;
and
(f) a battery means mounted inside the third cavity of the housing means with one terminal in electrical contact with the battery contact and an other terminal electrically insulated from the electrically conductive member, wherein the device is immersable in the electrically conductive fluid to establish an electrical path between the other contact of the battery means and the electrically conductive member to actuate the electrical circuit means and thereby fire the primer means to release the pressurized gas from the container means.

4 more elements

A pressurized gas release device for puncturing a puncturable member closing a gas outlet of a container means holding a volume of pressurized gas for releasing the pressurized gas from the container means, which comprises:

(a) a housing means including an electrically conductive member and having a receiving bore in coaxial communication with a longitudinally extending piercing pin bore, a transverse opening through the housing means in communication with the piercing pin bore and adjacent the receiving bore, and a first cavity in communication with a second cavity which is in communication with a third cavity, wherein the container means is removably mounted in the receiving bore with the puncturable member in communication with the piercing pin bore;
(b) a piercing pin means mounted inside the piercing pin bore and longitudinally movable between a rest position and a puncture position in puncturable contact with the puncturable member;
(c) a primer means mounted in the first cavity in longitudinal alignment along the axis with the piercing pin bore and insulated from the electrically conductive member, wherein the primer means is capable of being ignited to move the piercing pin means housed inside the piercing pin bore from the rest position to the puncture position;
(d) an electrical circuit means mounted inside the second cavity in the housing means and operatively associated with the primer means, wherein the electrical circuit means is in electrical contact with the electrically conductive member so that the circuit means is capable of igniting the primer means when the device is immersed in an electrically conductive fluid, the electrical circuit means further having a battery contact;
and
(e) a battery means mounted inside the third cavity of the housing means with one terminal in electrical contact with the battery contact and an other terminal electrically insulated from the electrically conductive member, wherein the device is immersable in the electrically conductive fluid to establish an electrical path between the other contact of the battery means and the electrically conductive member to actuate the electrical circuit means and thereby fire the primer means to release the pressurized gas from the container means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.