Life Saving Device That Can Be Inflated Automatically

A life saving device includes a barrel, an air bottle having a mouth mounted on the barrel, an inflation nozzle having a first end connected to the mouth and a second end connected to a life saving equipment, a breaking mechanism operable to break the mouth, a stop bar movable to abut the breaking mechanism, a control handle pivotally mounted on the barrel and connected with the stop bar, an elastic member biased between the barrel and the control handle, and at least one water-soluble cord enclosing the air bottle and the control handle. Thus, the water-soluble cord is dissolved in the water quickly so that the life saving equipment can be inflated automatically without needing a manual operation, thereby facilitating the user employing the life saving equipment during an emergency.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rescue device and, more particularly, to a life saving device that is used in the water.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional life saving device comprises a life saving equipment and an air bottle attached to the life saving equipment. The life saving equipment is a life ring or a life jacket. The air bottle has a control valve. In operation, when the life saving equipment is thrown onto the water, the user can pull the control valve to connect the air bottle to the life saving equipment so that the compressed gas contained in the air bottle is released and delivered through the control valve into the life saving equipment so as to inflate the life saving equipment quickly. However, the user has to pull the control valve to inflate the life saving equipment, thereby causing inconvenience to the user. In addition, the user cannot find the control valve easily and quickly during an emergency, thereby causing danger to the user. Further, the user cannot pull the control valve when he/she faints, thereby failing the life saving equipment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a life saving device, comprising a barrel, an air bottle having a mouth mounted on the barrel, an inflation nozzle mounted on the barrel and having a first end connected to the mouth of the air bottle and a second end connected to a life saving equipment, a breaking mechanism mounted on the barrel and operable to break the mouth of the air bottle to connect the mouth of the air bottle to the inflation nozzle so as to connect the air bottle to the life saving equipment, a stop bar movably mounted on the barrel and movable to abut the breaking mechanism to stop operation of the breaking mechanism, a control handle pivotally mounted on the barrel and connected with the stop bar to control movement of the stop bar relative to the breaking mechanism, an elastic member biased between the barrel and the control handle to push the control handle outward relative to the barrel and to move the stop bar outward relative to the breaking mechanism, and at least one water-soluble cord enclosing the air bottle and the control handle to push the control handle toward the barrel and to move the stop bar toward the breaking mechanism.

The breaking mechanism includes a cover mounted on the barrel, a striker movably mounted in the barrel and movable to penetrate the mouth of the air bottle to connect the mouth of the air bottle to the inflation nozzle, a moving block movably mounted in the barrel and connected with the striker, and a restoring member mounted in the barrel and biased between the cover and the moving block to push the moving block and the striker toward the mouth of the air bottle.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a life saving device that can be inflated automatically.

According to the primary advantage of the present invention, when the life saving equipment touches the water, the water-soluble cord is dissolved to release the control handle which drives the stop bar to detach from the moving block and to unlock the breaking mechanism, so that the striker is driven to penetrate the mouth of the air bottle so as to connect the air bottle to the life saving equipment through the inflation nozzle such that the compressed gas in the air bottle is injected into the life saving equipment so as to inflate the life saving equipment quickly.

According to another advantage of the present invention, the water-soluble cord is dissolved in the water quickly so that the life saving equipment can be inflated automatically without needing a manual operation, thereby facilitating the user employing the life saving equipment during an emergency.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a partially perspective view of a life saving device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the life saving device as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic operational view of the life saving device as shown in FIG. 2 in use.

FIG. 4 is a schematic operational view of the life saving device as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a folded view of the life saving device as shown in FIG. 1.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a life saving device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a barrel 10, an air bottle 20 having a mouth 23 mounted on the barrel 10, an inflation nozzle 13 mounted on the barrel 10 and having a first end connected to the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 and a second end connected to a life saving equipment 50, a breaking mechanism 30 mounted on the barrel 10 and operable to break the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 to connect the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 to the inflation nozzle 13 so as to connect the air bottle 20 to the life saving equipment 50, a stop bar 41 movably mounted on the barrel 10 and movable to abut the breaking mechanism 30 to stop operation of the breaking mechanism 30, a control handle 40 pivotally mounted on the barrel 10 and connected with the stop bar 41 to control movement of the stop bar 41 relative to the breaking mechanism 30, an elastic member 42 biased between the barrel 10 and the control handle 40 to push the control handle 40 outward relative to the barrel 10 and to move the stop bar 41 outward relative to the breaking mechanism 30, and at least one water-soluble cord 43 enclosing the air bottle 20 and the control handle 40 to push the control handle 40 toward the barrel 10 and to move the stop bar 41 toward the breaking mechanism 30.

The breaking mechanism 30 includes a cover 34 mounted on the barrel 10, a striker 31 movably mounted in the barrel 10 and movable to penetrate the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 to connect the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 to the inflation nozzle 13, a moving block 33 movably mounted in the barrel 10 and connected with the striker 31, and a restoring member 32 mounted in the barrel 10 and biased between the cover 34 and the moving block 33 to push the moving block 33 and the striker 31 toward the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20.

The control handle 40 has a first end 44 pivotally connected with the barrel 10 and a second end 45 enclosed by the at least one water-soluble cord 43.

The stop bar 41 has a first end pivotally connected with the control handle 40 to move in concert with the control handle 40 and a second end detachably abutting the moving block 33 of the breaking mechanism 30 to prevent the moving block 33 of the breaking mechanism 30 from being moved toward the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 and to compress the restoring member 32 of the breaking mechanism 30. The stop bar 41 is disposed between the moving block 33 of the breaking mechanism 30 and the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20. The stop bar 41 is disposed between the first end 44 of the control handle 40 and the elastic member 42, and the elastic member 42 is disposed between the stop bar 41 and the at least one water-soluble cord 43.

The barrel 10 has a first end formed with a connecting hole 12 located and connected between the inflation nozzle 13 and the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20. The connecting hole 12 of the barrel 10 is threaded, and the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 is threaded and is screwed into the connecting hole 12 of the barrel 10. The first end of the barrel 10 is formed with a guide hole 15 connected to the connecting hole 12 of the barrel 10 to guide movement of the striker 31. The barrel 10 has a second end formed with an open mounting portion 14 for mounting the cover 34 of the breaking mechanism 30. The mounting portion 14 of the barrel 10 is threaded, and the cover 34 of the breaking mechanism 30 is threaded and is screwed into the mounting portion 14 of the barrel 10. The barrel 10 has a peripheral wall formed with a sliding hole 11, and the stop bar 41 is movable in the sliding hole 11 of the barrel 10.

The striker 31 of the breaking mechanism 30 is movable in the guide hole 15 of the barrel 10 and has a first end connected with the moving block 33 of the breaking mechanism 30 and a second end extended into the connecting hole 12 of the barrel 10 and aligned with the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the life saving equipment 50 is a life ring or a life jacket.

In operation, referring to FIGS. 2-4 with reference to FIG. 1, when the life saving equipment 50 touches the water, the water-soluble cord 43 is dissolved in the water to release the control handle 40 so that the control handle 40 is pushed outward relative to the barrel 10 by the restoring force of the elastic member 42 to move the stop bar 41 outward relative to the breaking mechanism 30 so as to detach the stop bar 41 from the moving block 33 of the breaking mechanism 30 and to unlock the breaking mechanism 30. In such a manner, the striker 31 of the breaking mechanism 30 is pushed toward the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 by the restoring force of the restoring member 32 to penetrate the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 so as to connect the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 to the inflation nozzle 13 so that the compressed gas contained in the air bottle 20 is released and delivered through the connecting hole 12 of the barrel 10 and the inflation nozzle 13 into the life saving equipment 50 so as to inflate the life saving equipment 50 quickly.

As shown in FIG. 5, the life saving device further comprises a seal bag 60 to receive the life saving equipment 50. At this time, the life saving equipment 50 is folded, and the barrel 10 and the air bottle 20 are encompassed by the life saving equipment 50 so that the life saving equipment 50, the barrel 10 and the air bottle 20 are received in the seal bag 60.

Accordingly, when the life saving equipment 50 touches the water, the water-soluble cord 43 is dissolved to release the control handle 40 which drives the stop bar 41 to detach from the moving block 33 and to unlock the breaking mechanism 30, so that the striker 31 is driven to penetrate the mouth 23 of the air bottle 20 so as to connect the air bottle 20 to the life saving equipment 50 through the inflation nozzle 13 such that the compressed gas in the air bottle 20 is injected into the life saving equipment 50 so as to inflate the life saving equipment 50 quickly. In addition, the water-soluble cord 43 is dissolved in the water quickly so that the life saving equipment 50 can be inflated automatically without needing a manual operation, thereby facilitating the user employing the life saving equipment 50 during an emergency.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A life saving device, comprising:

a barrel;
an air bottle having a mouth mounted on the barrel;
an inflation nozzle mounted on the barrel and having a first end connected to the mouth of the air bottle and a second end connected to a life saving equipment;
a breaking mechanism mounted on the barrel and operable to break the mouth of the air bottle to connect the mouth of the air bottle to the inflation nozzle so as to connect the air bottle to the life saving equipment;
a stop bar movably mounted on the barrel and movable to abut the breaking mechanism to stop operation of the breaking mechanism;
a control handle pivotally mounted on the barrel and connected with the stop bar to control movement of the stop bar relative to the breaking mechanism, an elastic member biased between the barrel and the control handle to push the control handle outward relative to the barrel and to move the stop bar outward relative to the breaking mechanism; and
at least one water-soluble cord enclosing the air bottle and the control handle to push the control handle toward the barrel and to move the stop bar toward the breaking mechanism.

2. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein the breaking mechanism includes:

a cover mounted on the barrel;
a striker movably mounted in the barrel and movable to penetrate the mouth of the air bottle to connect the mouth of the air bottle to the inflation nozzle;
a moving block movably mounted in the barrel and connected with the striker; and
a restoring member mounted in the barrel and biased between the cover and the moving block to push the moving block and the striker toward the mouth of the air bottle.

3. The life saving device of claim 2, wherein the stop bar has a first end pivotally connected with the control handle to move in concert with the control handle and a second end detachably abutting the moving block of the breaking mechanism to prevent the moving block of the breaking mechanism from being moved toward the mouth of the air bottle and to compress the restoring member of the breaking mechanism.

4. The life saving device of claim 3, wherein the stop bar is disposed between the moving block of the breaking mechanism and the mouth of the air bottle.

5. The life saving device of claim 3, wherein

the control handle has a first end pivotally connected with the barrel and a second end enclosed by the at least one water-soluble cord;
the stop bar is disposed between the first end of the control handle and the elastic member;
the elastic member is disposed between the stop bar and the at least one water-soluble cord.

6. The life saving device of claim 2, wherein the barrel has a first end formed with a connecting hole located and connected between the inflation nozzle and the mouth of the air bottle.

7. The life saving device of claim 6, wherein

the connecting hole of the barrel is threaded;
the mouth of the air bottle is threaded and is screwed into the connecting hole of the barrel.

8. The life saving device of claim 6, wherein

the first end of the barrel is formed with a guide hole connected to the connecting hole of the barrel to guide movement of the striker;
the striker of the breaking mechanism is movable in the guide hole of the barrel.

9. The life saving device of claim 6, wherein the barrel has a second end formed with an open mounting portion for mounting the cover of the breaking mechanism.

10. The life saving device of claim 9, wherein

the mounting portion of the barrel is threaded;
the cover of the breaking mechanism is threaded and is screwed into the mounting portion of the barrel.

11. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein

the barrel has a peripheral wall formed with a sliding hole;
the stop bar is movable in the sliding hole of the barrel.

12. The life saving device of claim 9, wherein the striker of the breaking mechanism has a first end connected with the moving block of the breaking mechanism and a second end extended into the connecting hole of the barrel and aligned with the mouth of the air bottle.

13. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein the life saving equipment is a life ring.

14. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein the life saving equipment is a life jacket.

15. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein the life saving device further comprises a seal bag to receive the life saving equipment.

16. The life saving device of claim 1, wherein

the life saving equipment is folded;
the barrel and the air bottle are encompassed by the life saving equipment;
the life saving equipment, the barrel and the air bottle are received in the seal bag.
Patent History
Publication number: 20110284127
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 11, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 24, 2011
Inventors: Tso-Fei Mao (Yuanlin Chen), Sen-Bin Lan (Taichung City)
Application Number: 12/854,217
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: With Puncturing Connecting Means (141/329)
International Classification: B65B 65/00 (20060101);