Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present disclosure relates generally to transporting and protecting elongated cylindrical tanks, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to devices attachable to the lower end of cylindrical tanks.
Tank boots, also referred to as caps, for protecting the bottom ends of cylindrical tanks and for facilitating transport of the tanks have been in use for many years. Typically, a boot fits snugly over the bottom end of a tank and may provide a stable base to support the tank in an upright position. Tank boots are generally made of a resilient material such as thermoplastic or rubber that snugly grips the bottom end of the tank by suction or friction. While tank boots can be deployed on a wide range of cylindrical tanks, tank boots are often used on scuba tanks due to the fact that the scuba tanks are commonly transported across rough ground to reach the dive location and the fact that they are extremely heavy even when empty. The boot may remain on the tank during a dive.
One improvement upon a basic tank boot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,353, granted to Good et al., which discloses a tank boot having a ribbed sidewall that grips a scuba tank. Channels formed between the ribs allow water to drain freely so that the boot does not need to be removed from the tank after a dive.
More recent improvements to tank boots include attaching an axle and a roller to the boot as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,140 granted to Laing. The roller allows a person to easily relocate and control a heavy tank without having to lift the tank or use a separate transport device. The Laing device is especially suited for scuba tanks as the roller wheel is designed for movement across soft surfaces, such as sand. Another wheeled device for transporting tanks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,670 granted to Clements et al. This device comprises two wheels mounted on an axle and a pair of tank-engaging members. While not a boot per se, the device does attach to the bottom end of a tank. The device is collapsible, making it more convenient to store. Other non-boot type devices have also been used in the past for transporting scuba tanks to the dive location. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,080, granted to Ross, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,761, granted to Henderson et al., both disclose dolly-type devices for transporting scuba tanks. These devices are typically detached from the tank during use and may serve other functions such as a dive work platform.
Despite the advantages of known tank boots and other transport devices, improvements are still being sought. For example, it would be beneficial to provide a tank boot with one or more storage compartments. The storage compartments, if watertight, could be used for a wide range of purposes including storing personal valuables during a dive such as cellular phones, car keys, and wallets. In addition, the compartments could be used for storing a tool kit, spare tank parts, or a first aid kit. The storage compartments could also be used as specimen containers or as the location for a sensor for recording information about the dive or for a transmitter.
Another example of an improvement over the prior art would be an inclusion of a power supply and a light source in a tank boot. This would allow divers to keep track of one another while diving, especially from behind. In addition, external electrical devices could be connected to the power supply. Still another improvement would be a tank boot having a transparent portion thereby allowing items in a storage compartment, such as a printed insert or light from a light source, to be externally viewable.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
Applicant has invented a tank boot for cylindrical tanks having many useful features, especially when mounted on a scuba tank. Applicant's invention provides one or more storage compartments that may be watertight, thereby allowing items of importance to be stored safely and conveniently while diving. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is also unique in that it provides a power supply and a light source contained in a tank boot. In addition, the invention also provides a self-draining tank boot, thereby preventing the accumulation of excess water in the boot. Another aspect of the invention provides a tank boot with a transparent portion, thereby permitting items in a storage compartment to be viewed externally.
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in
Referring now to
The wall 18 is preferably constructed of a resilient material such that when the tank 11 is installed into the cavity 24, the wall 18 expands in a radial direction and snugly grips the tank 11 thereby holding the boot 10 onto the tank 11 by a friction fit. The resilient nature of the wall 18 permits the boot 10 to conform to slightly different sized tanks without modification.
Ports 28 extending from an inner surface 20 (see
Ribs 42 protruding from the inner surface 20 of the wall 18 extend from about the topmost portion 26 of the wall 18 to about the bottom of the cavity 24 in a longitudinal direction as best seen in
Still referring to
In
It will be appreciated that the channels 44 on the inner surface 20 of the wall 18 and the channels 48 on the upper portion 14 of the base member 12 in conjunction with the ports 28 allow water trapped in the boot 10 after a dive to be drained when the tank 11 is in either the vertical or horizontal direction.
Referring back to
An axle 34 is attached to the lower portion 16 of the base member 12. The axle 34 extends through a bore 35 (see
A pair of wheels 32 are mounted on the first and second ends of the axle 34. It will be noted that the axle 34 should be of sufficient strength to withstand the rigors of transporting the tank 11 over rough terrain. The axle 34 should also be non-corrosive in nature. In one embodiment, the axle 34 may be constructed of metal.
It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that each of the wheels 32 may be mounted onto an independent axle. Further, an axle may comprise a pair of stubs extending from the lower portion 16 of the base member 12 onto which the wheels 32 may be mounted. Some embodiments of the present invention may not have the wheels 32 or an axle 34 as is shown in
In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the wheels 32 comprise a stamp 50 to imprint a logo, graphic or text, either separately or in combination, into a soft surface, such as sand, as the wheels 32 roll along the soft surface. Stamps 50 comprising an exemplary design are shown on each of the wheels 32 in
The lower portion 16 further comprises a skid portion 36 disposed between the wheels 32. The skid portion 36 is formed at least partially by the intersection of a sidewall 38 and the bottommost surface 30. The skid portion 36 is rounded to facilitate transporting the tank 11 across a soft surface, such as sand, mud, or dirt. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the wheels 32 may sink into a soft surface, and that the rounded curvature of the skid portion 36 more easily allows the tank 11 to be dragged across the surface without gouging into the soft surface.
The lower portion 16 of the base member 12 further comprises a removable compartment 40, sometimes referred to herein as a drawer. The removable compartment 40 is held in place by a pair of fasteners, such as a buckle 41 type fastener. The fasteners may be disposed on opposite sides of the boot 10 to more securely hold the removable compartment 40 (see
As most clearly shown in
The back 60 of the wall 54 is generally planar. The removable compartment 40 has an open top as shown in
Alternatively, a removable compartment 96 may have a lid 100 as shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Due to its location, the removable compartment 40 serves as a door to the compartment 62. It will be noted that any type of door may be employed to enclose the compartment 62. The rearmost portion 60 of the removable compartment 40 may form a watertight seal around the opening 64 by engaging a vertical surface 80 of the lower portion 16 when the removable compartment 40 is installed into the boot by engaging the lower portion 16 as shown in
Compartment 72 is located between a transparent portion 74 of the bottom surface 30 and the planar bottom member 52 of the removable compartment 40. The planar bottom member 52 of the removable compartment 40 functions as a door to gain access to the compartment 72. When the removable compartment 40 is installed into the boot 10, the compartment 72 typically cannot be accessed. The planar bottom member 52 of the removable compartment 40 may seal water tightly from the compartment 72 by engaging the horizontal surface 76 of the lower portion 16.
In
In
Switch 88 may be a manual switch or may have a sensor to automatically turn on the light source 84 when the boot 81 is submerged. Electrical path 87 connects the switch 88 and the power supply 82. An external plug 91 connected to the power supply 82 by electrical path 93 may allow external electrical accessories (not shown) to be connected to the power supply 82.
A transparent portion 90 allows light from the light source 84 to be externally viewed. It will be appreciated that the light source 84 allows divers to keep track of each other while diving, especially in low light conditions.
As discussed above, lid 100 is provided for the removable compartment 96. The lid 100 is held tightly in abutment with the topmost portion 102 and the resilient member 110 when the removable compartment 96 is installed into the boot 81. In this manner, the interior of the compartment 96 remains dry during a dive.
Useful items 101 are shown in the removable compartment 96 which may include, without limitation, a first aid kit, spare parts for a tank upon which the boot 81 is installed, and a tool kit. Useful items 101 may also include a transmitter for sending out a signal. This may be useful to allow a dive master with a receiver to know that divers are still underwater, as divers have been left stranded at remote dive locations in the past.
A tank boot 150 having a wall 152 extending upwardly from an upper portion 154 is shown in
Door 163 opens to allow access to compartment 156, as shown in
The lower portion 162 comprises an opening 173 leading to compartment 156. A recessed surface 174 circumscribes opening 173. The recessed surface 174 engages resilient member 170 on the door 163 when the door 163 is in the closed position. In this manner, a watertight seal is formed to prevent water from entering compartment 156 during a dive.
A switch 176 is disposed inside compartment 156 to control the light source 166. It will be appreciated that placing the switch 176 inside the compartment 156 allows the light source 166 to be conveniently turned ON before a dive by simply opening the door 163 and toggling the switch 176. After a dive, the light source 166 may be turned OFF in the same manner.
As shown in
A tank boot 200 having a wall 202 extending upwardly from an upper portion 204 is shown in
Another embodiment of a tank boot 250 having retractable wheels 252 is shown in
When the arms 260 are extended, the tank boot 250 may still stand upright and may act to prevent the tank (not shown) from toppling over. The arms 260 lock in place when in the extended and retracted position. The arms 260 may be released from either position by depressing mechanical release 254 (see
Referring now to
It will be noted, that in the various embodiments of the present invention that may be deployed on scuba tanks, the storage compartments may be watertight to thereby maintain items stored therein dry throughout the dive. Other embodiments of the present invention may not require the storage compartments to be watertight. As mentioned, the storage compartments may be used to store a wide range of items, including a power supply, first aid kit, tool kit, spare parts for the tank, or personal items, such as keys, wallets or cellular phones.
The tank boot of the present invention can be made of a variety of materials. Advantageously, however, tank boot can be made by molding plastics, according to methods well known in the art.
Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provided by the features of the present invention. For example, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a tank boot having one or more compartments, some or all of which may be watertight. Another feature of the present invention is to provide a wheeled tank boot having a skid portion to facilitate transport across soft surfaces. It is a further feature of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide a tank boot that may be drained in the horizontal or vertical position. It is still another feature of the present invention to provide a tank boot having a light source located in the tank boot to assist divers in keeping track of one another.
It should be noted that a tank boot in accordance with the principles of the present invention may be manufactured in different colors or even of transparent material. If the boot is transparent, then items in the compartments are externally visible. As used herein, the term transparent means transparent and translucent, i.e., permitting the passage of light in any amount.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in single embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.