High Pressure Hose Reserve Air Supply for Underwater Diving
A tankless secondary air supply system to be used in an emergency situation during underwater diving is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention is a high pressure hose reserve air supply for underwater diving. The system is configured with a secondary hose separately connected to the main air tank. The secondary hose is of larger than customary bore and is made of flexible reinforced material in order to store reserve air when filled with pressurized air from the main tank. The hose is connected to the main tank with a check valve which permits the air from the main tank to automatically fill the hose immediately upon connection via the first stage regulator. The check valve maintains the high pressure air supply within the hose. The air which is stored in the hose serves as a secondary source of air during an emergency situation via a secondary regulator mouthpiece.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in air supply for underwater diving. Specifically, the present invention relates to a high pressure hose reserve air supply for underwater diving.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an underwater diving emergency, such as depletion of the diver's primary air supply, divers need an alternate air source in order to make a normal ascent. The redundant air supply systems currently in use are auxiliary tanks (also known as pony tanks). These tanks are small, independently filled diving cylinders that provide a totally independent source of breathing gas for the diver in an emergency. When used with a typical scuba diving configuration, an auxiliary tank delivers ample air to enable the diver to execute a controlled ascent from an out of gas incident. The pony tank has its own independent diving regulator with first and second stages and often a submersible pressure gauge. The pony tank is a requirement for a solo diver with no alternate air source from a companion diver's tank and octopus regulator.
However, this auxiliary tank has significant disadvantages including weight and size. The pony tank also requires additional baggage fees, cost and time for filling of the tank at the diving destination, as well as the cost and time for proper maintenance. It is very important that the pony tank be adequately maintained with regular hydrostatic testing and visual inspection procedures. The pony tank is an emergency device and pre-dive safety testing must be performed to ensure that it is ready for use.
Thus, the auxiliary tank of the current state of the art requires significant effort and expense to transport and maintain. What is needed is a device which provides ample air to execute a controlled ascent from an out of gas incident at a much reduced cost and significantly greater convenience. It would be less expensive and much more convenient to have a device that was tankless and therefore did not require hydrostatic testing or visual inspection procedures. It would also be advantageous to have an integrated device that did not require additional equipment and that was self-filling, always on, and always ready to go.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention discloses a tankless secondary air supply system to be used in an emergency situation during underwater diving. Specifically, the present invention is a high pressure hose reserve air supply for underwater diving. The system is configured with a secondary hose separately connected to the main air tank. The secondary hose is of larger than customary bore and is made of flexible reinforced material in order to store reserve air when filled with pressurized air from the main tank. The hose is connected to the main tank with a check valve which permits the air from the main tank to automatically fill the hose immediately upon connection via the first stage regulator. The check valve maintains the high pressure air supply within the hose. The air which is stored in the hose serves as a secondary source of air during an emergency situation via a secondary regulator mouthpiece. The secondary hose is not additional equipment but rather takes the place of the alternate breathing air hose and alternate second stage regulator and mouthpiece which are part of the standard air supply system for underwater diving. The emergency air supply system of the present invention improves ease of use and enhances diver safety.
Reference is made first to
Reference is next made to
The surface consumption rate for a diver is about 12 psi per minute. The reserve air supply hose of the present invention would be approximately 60-70 inches long and have a ½ 1 inch internal diameter. Within these parameters, the ½ inch internal diameter hose would yield between 4.5 to 5.3 minutes at 1 atm and 1.1 to 1.3 minutes at 4 atm. A 1 inch internal diameter hose would yield between 9.3 to 10.9 minutes at 1 atm and 2.3 to 2.7 minutes at 4 atm.
The other end of the high pressure reserve air supply reservoir hose 66 is connected to a reserve air supply pressure gauge (psi) 76, which is attached to an alternate/reserve second stage regulator (high pressure) and mouthpiece 68. High pressure reserve air supply reservoir hose 66 takes the place of the alternate breathing air hose (low pressure) 26 in
In an alternate embodiment, there would be a quick connect to a High Pressure Port on the tank valve itself. This embodiment would require a change in the tank valve and would not be integrated into the regulator system. In another alternate embodiment, a T connector off of the single high pressure port typically found on low end first stage regulators could be utilized to connect to the tank pressure hose in the first instance and the check valve and reserve air supply hose in the second instance.
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The alternate embodiment of the present invention shown in
Changes in the precise embodiments of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. Other designs may be evident to those skilled in the art upon viewing this device. Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications to this embodiment that still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A high pressure hose reservoir system for use with a standard air supply system for underwater diving, the standard air supply system having a primary air supply tank, tank valve, a first stage regulator with a high pressure side and a low pressure side, primary breathing air hose, and primary second stage regulator and mouthpiece, the high pressure hose reservoir system comprising:
- a reservoir valve in flow communication with the high pressure side of the first stage regulator;
- a reservoir high pressure hose in flow communication with the reservoir valve; and
- a reserve second stage high pressure regulator and mouthpiece in flow communication with the reservoir high pressure hose;
- wherein the high pressure hose reservoir system provides an emergency air supply to the user when the standard air supply system is depleted.
2. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the reservoir valve is a check valve.
3. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 further comprising a reserve air supply pressure gauge.
4. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the check valve is integrated with the first stage regulator.
5. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the reservoir high pressure hose comprises a length in the range of 60 to 70 inches.
6. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the reservoir high pressure hose comprises an internal diameter in the range of 0.5 to 1 inch.
7. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the reservoir high pressure hose comprises rubber.
8. The high pressure hose reservoir system of claim 1 wherein the reservoir high pressure hose comprises a braided polyester outer layer over a woven Kevlar inner layer.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the standard air supply system for underwater diving further includes a tank pressure hose and the high pressure hose reservoir system further comprises a T-connector in flow communication with the high pressure side of the first stage regulator, wherein an in-flow connection of the T-connector is attached to the first stage regulator and out-flow connections of the T-connector are connected to the tank pressure hose and the reservoir valve.
10. A high pressure hose reservoir system for use with a standard air supply system for underwater diving, the standard air supply system having a primary air supply tank, tank valve with DIN-type connector, a DIN first stage regulator with a high pressure side and a low pressure side, primary breathing air hose, and primary second stage regulator and mouthpiece, the high pressure hose reservoir system comprising:
- a T-connector having an in-flow connection and two out-flow connections; wherein the tank valve with DIN-type connector is attached to the in-flow connection of the T-connector and the DIN first stage regulator is attached to an out-flow connection of the T-connector;
- a reservoir valve in flow communication with an out-flow connection of the T-connector;
- a reservoir high pressure hose in flow communication with the reservoir valve; and
- a reserve second stage high pressure regulator and mouthpiece in flow communication with the reservoir high pressure hose;
- wherein the high pressure hose reservoir system provides an emergency air supply to the user when the standard air supply system is depleted.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 5, 2015
Publication Date: Dec 8, 2016
Inventor: Thomas Dean Dutton (Austin, TX)
Application Number: 14/732,472