Breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6516797
  • Patent Number
    6,516,797
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, March 21, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 11, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus of present invention is characterized in that a ventilating valve is provided between a space formed by tube body under main tube with main body under mouthpiece and above exhaust valve, the ventilating valve includes a valve seat and a valve plate, a through hole connecting with main tube is provided on the valve seat, the valve plate which can cover the through hole and its specific body; the structure of the valve plate is designed to form movement by means of closing as blowing and opening as sucking, which can make snorkelers breathe fully. A recess provided on the main body, which is a stagnant position as the valve plate being floated off. The specific gravity of the valve plate for ventilating valve is between 0.95-0.2.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The invention relates to a breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus and more specifically to a breathing system of fresh air for snorkelers.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The basic constitution of a conventional snorkeling apparatus (as shown in

FIG. 1

) includes a mouthpiece A, a main tube B and an exhaust valve C etc, there are following problems when which is in use.




1. When a “blowing ” state of snorkeling apparatus is used by snorkelers, the gas accumulated in the main tube B of snorkeling apparatus is a gas blowing out by mouthpiece A, i.e. a gas in which more carbon dioxide is contained, and when it's in “sucking” state, the “exhausted gas” in the main tube B is first of all sucked in, the fresh air entering from outside of tube body would be then sucked in; the “blowing”, “sucking” air of such state consumes easily the strength of snorkelers and specifically the user with less vital capacity.




2. When snorkelers enter the water in the beginning, the water is usually filled in the snorkeling apparatus, therefore, who blow off first a mouthful of gas, the water in snorkeling apparatus is discharged from the exhaust valve C and the air inlet of the main tube B; usually, the water cannot be entirely discharged out of the snorkeling apparatus after this blowing action, and water still remains in the snorkeling apparatus, in a using state. This water cannot be easily discharged from the exhaust valve C unless the blowing is powerful.




3. Usually, in the time of using snorkeling apparatus sprays are mostly not large, although a structure blocking the water which is entered from air inlet, is provided in the end of main tube B, but the water is usually still accumulated in tube; a small space is generally preset under the mouthpiece A, and an exhaust valve C is provided under the space, the water is accumulated at the space, the water is discharged out of the exhaust valve C by means of a powerful blowing; but, air enters/exits easily into/out of air inlet/outlet, because the water pressure outside of exhaust valve C (under water plane) is large, therefore, the effect discharging water is not good, specifically at the time in which the blowing is not powerful, the water is only flowed in tube. Such phenomenon accumulating water in snorkeling apparatus will prevent often breathing of snorkelers.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of the present invention is to provide a breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus, in order to improve the above-mentioned defects, the structure can make the snorkelers breathe fully when which is in use, the sucked air is mostly fresh air, the exhausted air can be mostly discharged out of the snorkeling apparatus at the blowing time.




Embodying the above-mentioned object of present invention adopts technical solutions as below: the breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus includes mainly a main tube, which is a hollow tube body, upside is opened, downside is tightly connected in main body; a main body, which is a hollow body and has three openings with different directions, i.e. mouthpiece direction, exhaust valve direction and ventilating valve direction; a mouthpiece, which is blowing and sucking opening of snorkelers; an exhaust valve, which is a valve body of water and air outlet; a ventilating valve is provided between a space formed by tube body under main tube with main body under mouthpiece and above exhaust valve, the ventilating valve includes a valve seat and a valve plate, a through hole connecting with main tube is provided on the valve seat, the valve plate which can cover the through hole and its specific gravity is lighter than water, is a constitutional body; the structure of the valve plate is designed to form movement by means of closing as blowing and opening as sucking, which can make snorkelers breathe fully; a recess provided on the main body which is a stagnant position as the valve plate being floated off; the specific gravity of the valve plate for ventilating valve is between 0.95˜0.2.




The ventilating valve device of the present invention includes at least a valve seat and a valve plate, wherein the valve plate is a structure in which its specific gravity is lower than water, which can be made from the material with lower density, can also be formed in combination with constitutional body in which there is water, the valve plate will be automatically floated off in the form of presetting state by means of characteristic for its specific gravity lower than water, at that time the level in snorkeling apparatus is higher than ventilating valve. The ventilating valve device of present invention can include a valve seat, a valve plate and a recess provided at the arisen position of valve plate, the recess is to provide a stagnant position of valve plate when its arisen angle is larger than 90°.




The snorkeling apparatus provided with ventilating valve device of present invention has functionally following characteristics, such as:




1. when the level accumulated water in snorkeling apparatus is lower than ventilating valve, the blown air from snorkelers makes ventilating valve in the form of tightly closing, the blown air (exhausted gas) is discharged by exhaust valve; in such state, the blown gas is only remained between “space” formed by ventilating valve with main body under mouthpiece and above exhaust valve, and fresh air is in snorkeling apparatus above ventilating valve; ventilating valve is opened when snorkelers is in sucking, the sucking gas of snorkelers is fresh air, except for a few exhaust gas remained in above-mentioned “space”;




2. when the level in snorkeling apparatus is over the ventilating valve, the valve is automatically opened and makes valve plate remain in preset position, snorkelers can make water in snorkeling apparatus discharge from exhaust valve and air inlet with whose powerful blowing; and valve plate will be fallen down when blowing force is reduced to a certain extent.




3. when a few water in snorkeling apparatus make ventilating valve in the form of a little opening, air is entered into that small space from mouthpiece as snorkelers in blowing, valve plate will be closed by press of air after a few waters are moved, waters are mostly discharged with blown air at exhaust valve; the few waters can mostly be discharged after blowing for one or two times.




The breathing structure of snorkeling apparatus for present invention is now further described in combination with embodyment shown in drawings, wherein











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a structure of conventional snorkeling apparatus,





FIG. 2

is a structure of snorkeling apparatus for the present invention.





FIG. 3

is an enlarged sectional view of area D shown in

FIG. 2

,





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of ventilating valve,





FIG. 5

is a sectional view for closing state of ventilating valve,





FIG. 6

is a sectional view for sucking state of ventilating valve, and





FIG. 7

is a sectional view of ventilating state in full water state.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




As shown in

FIGS. 2

,


3


, the constitution of present invention includes mainly main tube


10


, mouthpiece


20


, exhaust valve


30


and ventilating valve


40


etc; between ventilating valve


40


, mouthpiece


20


and exhaust valve


30


is a space


50


.




Above-mentioned constitution can be divided into main tube


10


and main body


60


in manufacturing; part for main body


60


includes mouthpiece


20


, exhaust valve


30


and ventilating valve


40


. The main tube


10


is as same as main tube of conventional snorkeling apparatus, which is hollow tubular body, an opening


11


is provided in upside, which can provide air passage and can discharging water in main tube


10


and main body


60


. Upside of main tube


10


is as same as conventional snorkeling apparatus, a device preventing entrance from water can be provided.




The mouthpiece


20


is as same as prior mouthpiece of snorkeling apparatus, which is a constitution provided for entering/exhausting air from mouth.




The exhaust valve


30


is as same as discharging water valve structure of prior snorkeling apparatus, which can provide discharging water and air in space


50


by means of air pressure, and is immediately automatically closed after discharging water (gas) by reasons of material, structural design and water pressure. The lower end


12


of main tube


10


is connected with main body


60


in the form of tight state.




As shown in

FIG. 3

, main body


60


is a hollow body which has three outlets with different directions, which are respectively part of mouthpiece


20


, part of exhaust valve


30


and part of ventilating valve


40


; a recess


61


is provided on the main body


60


located at a place adjoining ventilating valve


40


.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, the constitution of ventilating valve


40


includes a valve seat


41


and a valve plate


42


; valve seat


41


can tightly be provided on main body


60


for lower end


12


of main tube


10


, the constitution of valve seat


41


includes a groove


411


and a through hole


412


; the constitution of valve plate


42


includes an axle


421


and a plate face


422


, other face of plate face


422


is designed with a form of projection


423


(for increasing buoyancy); valve plate


42


is constitutional body with specific gravity lower than water, the specific gravity of valve plate


42


can be between 0.95-0.2, in order to increase sensitivity for floating up; the axle


421


of valve plate


42


is provided on the groove


411


of the valve seat


42


, the through hole


412


is a passage of air and water between main tube


10


and space


50


; above-mentioned constitution forms a state which can make a movement as positions shown in

FIGS. 5

,


6


,


7


.




As shown in

FIG. 5

is a state as ventilating valve


40


in blowing, force Fx formed by blown air from part of mouthpiece


20


makes plate face


422


of valve plate


42


covering through hole


412


, the blown air can only be exhausted from the direction of exhaust valve


30


. As shown in

FIG. 6

is a state as ventilating valve


40


in sucking, the valve is opened by fresh air S and gravity of valve plate


42


, and the valve plate due to flowing is a little upwards risen, plate face


422


covers not through hole


412


, air S is flowed from main tube


10


to direction of mouthpiece


20


.




As shown in

FIG. 7

is a state as water fills the snorkeling apparatus (snorkelers enter the water in the beginning), valve plate


42


due to buoyancy is floated off, and is located at recess


61


of main body


60


, its arise angle θ is larger than 90°; in this state, air and water are flowed according to direction shown with arrow by means of blowing from snorkelers, which makes plate face


422


forming a vector Py, valve plate


42


is remained in this position and is not fallen down, the valve plate


42


is only fallen down until the vector Py formed from flowing air or water, is less than gravity of valve plate


42


.




The recess


61


in above-mentioned constitution is mainly a space which is easily remaining for valve plate


42


, a far less air flowing state is formed in recess


61


and in the form of adherence; which can be without recess


61


, if force Py is enough to make valve plate


42


not fall down and is enough to discharge most of water in snorkeling apparatus.




In summary, the structure provided by present invention can make snorkelers full breathing in use, and the sucked air can in more parts be fresh air, the most of exhaust gas can be discharged out of snorkeling apparatus as blowing.




The above-mentioned constitution is only an embodyment, the characteristic of present invention is in that a ventilating valve


40


is provided under main tube, a space


50


is spaced between downside of mouthpiece


20


, exhaust valve


30


and ventilating valve


40


, the present object is arrived by means of providing ventilating valve


40


; in present constitution, analogous constitutions i.e. corresponding technical measure can be substituted for the ventilating valve


40


, which belongs still to claimed scope.



Claims
  • 1. A snorkeling apparatus, comprising:a) a hollow main body having three openings; b) an elongated, hollow tube communicating with a first of the three openings, the main tube having an upper opening; c) a mouthpiece communicating with a second of the three openings; d) an exhaust valve located in a third of the three openings; and e) a ventilating valve assembly including a valve seat in communication with the first of the three openings and a buoyant valve plate pivotally moveable between a closed position, wherein the valve plate is in contact with the valve seat, and an opened position, wherein the valve plate is displaced away from the valve seat, pivotal movement of the valve plate between the closed and opened positions being greater than 90°, whereby water in the main body and the main tube moves the valve plate to the opened position.
  • 2. The snorkeling apparatus of claim 1 wherein the valve plate has a specific gravity of between 0.95-0.2.
  • 3. The snorkeling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a recess formed in the main body and located such that the valve plate enter the recess when in the opened position.
  • 4. The snorkeling apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:a) a groove in the valve seat; and, b) an axle on the valve plate engaging the groove such that the valve plate is pivotally movable with respect to the valve seat.
  • 5. The snorkeling apparatus of claim 1 wherein the valve plate has a first side which contacts the valve seat when the valve plate is in the closed position and a second side opposite to the first side, and further comprising a projection projecting from the second side of the valve plate.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
3860042 Green Jan 1975 A
4793341 Arasmith Dec 1988 A
4805610 Hunt Feb 1989 A
4872453 Christianson Oct 1989 A
4877022 Christianson Oct 1989 A
4928710 Campbell May 1990 A
5261396 Faulconer et al. Nov 1993 A
5487379 Koshiishi Jan 1996 A
5657746 Christianson Aug 1997 A
6318363 Monnich Nov 2001 B1