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US 8,946,548 B2Granted
Nautilus self pressurizing equipment enclosure system, apparatus and methods
OwnerDean Sandersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to prohibiting water ingress in enclosures designed to protect electronics or other stored objects from damage that would occur if the protected stored objects were submerged in water or other liquids. More particularly the present invention, a water ingress prevention enclosure eliminates the need for watertight doors and other sealing gaskets by utilizing an opening in the lowest portion of the enclosure to allow rising water to pressurize the ambient gas trapped in the enclosure thus forming a pressurized chamber to which liquid cannot rise. Embodiments of the invention include a system, apparatus, method and computer implemented code to enable monitoring and storage of one or more stored objects in a liquid-free environment.
Claims27
A gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus, comprising:
- an open bottom air tight enclosure with a gasketless enclosure attached thereto, said gasketless enclosure comprising:
- a gasketless water seal being the same size as an inner diameter of the open bottom air tight enclosure, thereby preventing fluid ingress into a pressurized gas area and preventing air loss from said pressurized gas area
- wherein said pressurized gas area comprises an interior of the open bottom air tight enclosure wherein stored objects may be placed, and further wherein said open bottom air tight enclosure allows liquids to push upward on said gasketless enclosure to a level wherein a total volume contained within said open bottom air tight enclosure comprises a volume of liquid below the gasketless enclosure plus a volume of gas inside the pressurized gas area;
- wherein an arrangement of stored objects are located within the pressurized gas area within the enclosure at a height greater in magnitude than an opening access cavity to create a pressure differential
- wherein said pressure differential comprises a difference of fifteen feet of water over the bottom of an enclosure opening such that said pressure differential causes said liquids to push upwards within the open bottom air tight enclosure until the pressure of gas inside the pressurized gas area equals one and one half atmospheres;
- a processor;
- one or more input devices coupled to said processor;
- one or more sensors coupled to the input devices, the one or more sensors being capable of detecting one or more user-defined parameters and generating one or more signals corresponding to a magnitude of the one or more user-defined parameters;
- a memory coupled to said processor;
- one or more wireless communications means coupled to the processor;
- one or more output devices coupled to the processor;
- and
- an execution engine for executing a method for monitoring the status of one or more stored objects in a gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus comprising the steps of:
- enabling the one or more sensors to monitor the one or more stored objects;
- monitoring with the one or more sensors whether the one or more stored objects have been subjected to unwanted contact with liquid;
- communicating with the apparatus via one or more communication means to receive one or more data from the one or more sensors;
- interpreting the one or more data to determine if the one or more stored objects have been exposed to a liquid;
- communicating with one or more users at one or more user-defined intervals;
- and
- communicating with one or more users when one or more user-defined events occur.
17 more elements
A waterproof enclosure apparatus adapted to be installed in a substantially upright position, comprising:
- a waterproof enclosure, said waterproof enclosure being gas tight at its side and top and having opening at its bottom when said waterproof enclosure apparatus stands upright;
- means for placing stored object of the waterproof enclosure apparatus to an upper portion inside said waterproof enclosure;
- wherein a lower portion of said waterproof enclosure apparatus is adapted to be used as a pressure differential cavity;
- and
- wherein the height of said waterproof enclosure is longer than the widest width of said waterproof enclosure.
2 more elements
A waterproof enclosure apparatus, comprising:
- an outer waterproof enclosure, wherein said outer waterproof enclosure being gas tight at its side and top and having opening substantially only at its bottom when said waterproof enclosure apparatus is in an intended installation orientation;
- inner waterproof enclosure, wherein said inner waterproof enclosure being gas tight at its side and bottom and having opening substantially only at its top when said waterproof enclosure apparatus is in said intended installation orientation;
- wherein through attachment means, said inner waterproof enclosure being attached inside said outer waterproof enclosure, said opening of the inner enclosure being close to the top of the outer enclosure;
- and
- means for holding stored object of the waterproof enclosure apparatus inside said inner waterproof enclosure.
2 more elements
A gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus, comprising:
- an open bottom air tight enclosure comprising a sealed top portion, sides defined by one side wall being in a substantially rectangular shape, and an open bottom portion, wherein a first inner volume is defined by the volume formed by an inner portion of said open bottom enclosure;
- a skirt coupled to the bottom portion of said open bottom enclosure, thereby forming a second inner volume, the second inner volume being less than the first inner volume;
- wherein said skirt is of a length sufficient to maintain a water proof environment inside first inner volume up to 1.5 atmospheres of pressure, therefore forming an air tight open bottom enclosure with a gasketless water seal;
- wherein said open bottom enclosure protects one or more stored objects located inside the first inner volume and wherein upon submersion of the open bottom enclosure into a liquid the liquid rises upward within said second inner volume but does not rise upward into said first inner volume, wherein said liquid rising upward pressurizes gases located in said first inner volume to a maximum pressure of one and one half atmospheres (1.5 atm), the final pressure of the gases located in said first inner volume being equal to the pressure of liquid pushing upward on said gases, thereby achieving a state of equilibrium;
- and
- wherein said state of equilibrium provides a gasketless water seal such that said one or more stored objects located in said inner volume remain free from unwanted exposure to a liquid.
3 more elements
A gasketless waterproof enclosure system, comprising:
- an open bottom enclosure comprising a sealed top portion, sides defined by one side wall being in a substantially rectangular shape, and an open bottom portion, wherein a first inner volume is defined by a volume formed by an inner portion of said open bottom enclosure;
- a skirt coupled to the bottom portion of said open bottom enclosure, thereby forming a second inner volume, the second inner volume being less than the first inner volume;
- one or more mounting means coupled to said inner portion of the open bottom enclosure, wherein one or more stored objects can be mechanically coupled to the one or more mounting means;
- one or more processors;
- one or more clocks coupled to the one or more processors;
- one or more computer-usable readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, wherein the one or more computer-usable readable storage medium is coupled to the one or more processors;
- one or more I/O interfaces;
- one or more analog to digital interfaces;
- one or more operating system software environments;
- one or more wireless communication means;
- one or more hard-wired communication means;
- and
- wherein said open bottom enclosure protects one or more stored objects located inside the first inner volume and wherein upon submersion of the open bottom enclosure into a liquid the liquid rises upward within said second inner volume but does not rise upward into said first inner volume, wherein said liquid rising upward pressurizes gases located in said first inner volume to a maximum pressure of one and one half atmospheres (1.5 atm), the final pressure of the gases located in said first inner volume being equal to the pressure of liquid pushing upward on said gases, thereby achieving a state of equilibrium.
10 more elements
A system to provide a computer implemented method for monitoring the status of one or more stored objects in a gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus including computer-usable readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of monitoring the status of one or more stored objects in said gasketless waterproof enclosure system in an application platform, comprising;
- one or more processors;
- a clock;
- memory;
- one or more I/O interfaces;
- one or more analog to digital interfaces;
- operating system software;
- a gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus, including an outer waterproof enclosure, wherein said outer waterproof enclosure being gas tight at its side and top and having opening substantially only at its bottom when said waterproof enclosure apparatus is in an intended installation orientation, wherein the outer waterproof enclosure is an open bottom enclosure comprising a sealed top portion, sides defined by one side wall being in a substantially rectangular shape, and an open bottom portion, wherein a first inner volume is defined by a volume formed by an inner portion of said open bottom enclosure, a skirt coupled to the bottom portion of said open bottom enclosure, thereby forming a second inner volume, the second inner volume being less than the first inner volume, one or more mounting means coupled to said inner portion of the open bottom enclosure, wherein one or more stored objects can be mechanically coupled to the one or more mounting means, and an inner waterproof enclosure, wherein said inner waterproof enclosure being gas tight at its side and bottom and having opening substantially only at its top when said waterproof enclosure apparatus is in said intended installation orientation, wherein through attachment means, said inner waterproof enclosure being attached inside said outer waterproof enclosure, said opening of the inner enclosure being close to the top of the outer enclosure, wherein said open bottom enclosure protects one or more stored objects located inside the first inner volume and wherein upon submersion of the open bottom enclosure into a liquid the liquid rises upward within said second inner volume but does not rise upward into said first inner volume, wherein said liquid rising upward pressurizes gases located in said first inner volume to a maximum pressure of one and one half atmospheres (1.5 atm), the final pressure of the gases located in said first inner volume being equal to the pressure of liquid pushing upward on said gases, thereby achieving a state of equilibrium;
- a submersible chassis assembly including a guide and bracketry inner chassis portion;
- a rail sleeve telescoping guide assembly;
- a component mounting rear tray panel that is slidingly coupled to the rail sleeve telescoping guide assembly;
- an open bottom pressure differential cavity;
- a skirt coupled to the gasketless enclosure, wherein a gasketless water seal protects the stored objects up to a maximum water column height of fifteen feet over the bottom of the open enclosure bottom, and wherein said maximum water column height creates a pressure differential that causes liquid to push upwards within the gasketless enclosure until the pressure of gas inside the pressurized gas area equals one and one half atmospheres;
- and
- means for holding stored object of the waterproof enclosure apparatus inside said inner waterproof enclosure .
11 more elements
A computer implemented apparatus for providing a method for preventing one or more stored objects in a gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus from coming into contact with water, comprising:
- a processor;
- one or more input devices coupled to said processor;
- one or more sensors coupled to the processor, the one or more sensors being capable of detecting one or more user-defined parameters and generated one or more signals in response to the presence of the one or more user-defined parameters;
- a memory coupled to said processor;
- one or more wireless communications means;
- one or more output devices;
- and
- an execution engine including a method for monitoring the status of one or more stored objects in a gasketless waterproof enclosure apparatus comprising the following steps:
- placing one or more stored objects in an open bottom enclosure comprising a sealed top portion and an open bottom portion, wherein a first inner volume is defined by a volume formed by an inner portion of said open bottom enclosure, a skirt coupled to the bottom portion of said open bottom enclosure, thereby forming a second inner volume, the second inner volume being less than the first inner volume and wherein said skirt is of a length sufficient to maintain a water proof environment inside first inner volume up to 1.5 atmospheres of pressure, therefore forming an air tight open bottom enclosure with a gasketless water seal and wherein one or more mounting means are coupled to said inner portion of the open bottom enclosure, wherein one or more stored objects can be mechanically coupled to the one or more mounting means;
- enabling the one or more sensors coupled to the processor to monitor whether the one or more stored objects has been subjected to unwanted contact with liquid;
- monitoring whether the one or more stored objects has been subjected to unwanted contact with liquid with the one or more sensors;
- communicating with said apparatus via one or more wireless communication means to receive one or more data from the one or more sensors;
- interpreting the one or more data to determine if the one or more stored objects have been exposed to a liquid;
- communicating with one or more users at one or more user-defined intervals;
- and
- communicating with one or more users when one or more user-defined events occur.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.