Patent Application
20240166318
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The disclosure relates to launcher devices and more particularly pertains to a new launcher device for launching buoyancy vests into a body of water when an individual has fallen overboard from a maritime vessel. The device includes a housing with a plurality of launching wells and a plurality of projectiles positioned in a respective launching well. The device includes a launching unit for launching the projectiles outwardly from the housing. The device includes a plurality of buoyancy vests that are each stored within a respective projectile which are inflated when the projectiles land in water.
The prior art relates to launcher devices including a rescue line which trails a maritime vessel and a net attached to the rescue line. The prior art discloses a life preserver that is equipped with a launcher which can be launched from a maritime vessel. The prior art discloses a ballistic life preserver that includes a buoyancy vest stored within a canister that is launched from the canister with compressed air. The prior art discloses a rescue system that includes a wearable tracking unit, a modular rocket system which launches a guided rocket for deploying a floatation device.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing mounted to the deck of a maritime vessel. The housing has a plurality of launching wells each extending into the housing. A plurality of projectiles is positioned within a respective one of the launching wells. A launching unit is positioned in the housing to launch each of the projectiles outwardly from the respective launching wells thereby facilitating the plurality of projectiles to be dispersed into a body of water in which the maritime vessel is traveling. A plurality of buoyancy vests is each positioned within a respective one of the projectiles. Each of the buoyancy vests is inflatable when the projectiles are launched from the housing to facilitate the individual that has fallen overboard to wear one of the buoyancy vests to inhibit the individual from drowning.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of mounts 32 is provided and each of the mounts 32 is coupled to and extends downwardly from the bottom wall 22. Each of the mounts 32 has a leg 34 extending downwardly from the bottom wall 22 and a foot 36 extending laterally away from the leg 34 thereby facilitating the foot 36 of each of the mounts 32 to lie on the deck 14 of the maritime vessel 16. Each of the mounts 32 has a hole 38 extending through the foot 36 thereby facilitating a plurality of fasteners 40 to be extended through the hole in the foot 36 of a respective one of the mounts 32 and engage the deck 14 to fasten the housing 12 to the deck 14.
A plurality of projectiles 42 is provided and each of the projectiles 42 is positioned within a respective one of the launching wells 20. Each of the projectiles 42 has a front end 44, a back end 46 and an outer wall 48 extending between the front end 44 and the back end 46 and the front end 44 of each of the projectiles 42 is open. The outer wall 48 of each of the projectiles 42 is continuously arcuate about an axis extending between the front end 44 and the back end 46 such that each of the projectiles 42 has a cylindrical shape. Additionally, the back end 46 of each of the projectiles 42 rests against the lower bounding surface 30 of the respective launching well 20.
Each of the projectiles 42 has a cone 50 that is attached to the front end 44 for closing the front end 44. Additionally, each of the projectiles 42 has a plurality of fins 52 hingedly attached to the outer wall 48. Each of the fins 52 is biased into a deployed position having each of the fins 52 extending away from the outer wall 48 of a respective projectile 42. Furthermore, each of the fins 52 is urged into a collapsed position having the fins 52 lying against the outer wall 48 of the respective projectile 42 thereby facilitating the respective projectile 42 to be inserted into the respective well. The outer wall 48 of each of the projectiles 42 has a perforation 54 extending between the front end 44 and the back end 46.
A launching unit 56 is positioned in the housing 12 and the launching unit 56 is in communication with each of the projectiles 42. The launching unit 56 is actuatable into a launching condition to launch each of the projectiles 42 outwardly from the respective launching wells 20. In this way the plurality of projectiles 42 can be dispersed into a body of water 58 in which the maritime vessel 16 is traveling. The launching unit 56 comprises a launch canister 60 which stores a compressed gas. The launch canister 60 is positioned within the housing 12 and the launch canister 60 has an outlet 62. Furthermore, the compressed gas in the launch canister 60 may comprise carbon dioxide or other type of inert gas.
The launching unit 56 includes a pressure regulator 64 that has an input 66 and an output 68 and the input 66 is fluidly attached to the outlet 62 of the launch canister 60. The pressure regulator 64 releases the compressed gas outwardly through the output 68 at a pre-determined pressure. The launching unit 56 includes a plurality of valves 70 that each has an inlet 72 and an outlet 74 and supply hose 76 that is fluidly coupled between the output 68 of the pressure regulator 64 and the inlet 72 of each of the valves 70 thereby facilitating the inlet 72 of each of the valves 70 to receive the pressurized gas. Each of the valves 70 is in a normally closed condition to inhibit the compressed gas from being released from the outlet 74 of each of the valves 70. Conversely, each of the valves 70 is actuatable into an open condition to facilitate the compressed gas to be released from the outlet 74 of each of the valves 70. Each of the valves 70 may comprise an electrically controlled gas valve or the like and of the valves 70 may comprise an instant open valve such that the compressed gas is released from the valves 70 at full operating pressure when the valves 70 are actuated into the open condition.
A plurality of outlet hoses 78 is provided and each of the outlet hoses 78 is fluidly coupled to the outlet 74 of a respective one of the valves 70 thereby facilitating each of the outlet hoses 78 to receive the compressed gas when the valves 70 are actuated into the open condition. Each of the outlet hoses 78 has an output nozzle 80 that is coupled to the lower bounding surface 30 of a respective one of the launching wells 20 such that the output nozzle 80 on each of the output hoses 78 releases the compressed gas into the respective launching well 20 when the valves 70 are actuated into the open condition. In this way the compressed gas is released at full operating pressure to launch the plurality of projectiles 42 outwardly from the housing 12. The full operating pressure of the compressed gas is sufficient to facilitate the projectiles 42 to have a launching distance ranging between approximately 15.0 meters and 60.0 meters.
Each of the launching wells 20 in the housing 12 extends along an axis that is oriented at a unique angle with the second portion 28 of the rear wall 24 with respect to each other. In this way the projectiles 42 can be launched in a different direction with respect to each other. Furthermore, the projectiles 42 land in the water in a laterally spread pattern with respect to the maritime vessel 16 thereby ensuring at least one of the projectiles 42 lands near an individual that has fallen overboard 79 from the maritime vessel 16. Each of the valves 70 releases a pre-determined pressure of the pressurized gas, which varies from valve 70 to valve 70, into the respective launching well 20 thereby facilitating each of the projectiles 42 to be launched a unique distance from the maritime vessel 16 with respect to each other. In this way the plurality of projectiles 42 land in the water in a distally spread pattern with respect to the stern 18 of the maritime vessel 16 thereby ensuring at least one of the projectiles 42 lands near the individual that has fallen overboard 79 from the maritime vessel 16. As is most clearly shown in
A plurality of buoyancy vests 82 is provided and each of the buoyancy vests 82 is positioned within a respective one of the projectiles 42. Each of the buoyancy vests 82 is in a deflated condition thereby facilitating the buoyancy vests 82 to be stored within the respective projectile 42. Conversely, each of the buoyancy vests 82 is inflatable when the projectiles 42 are launched from the housing 12 to facilitate the individual that has fallen overboard 79 to wear one of the buoyancy vests 82 to inhibit the individual that has fallen overboard 79 from drowning. Each of the buoyancy vests 82 may be designed to comply with United States Coast Guard regulations for commercial personal floatation devices.
A plurality of inflation canisters 84 is provided and each of the inflation canisters 84 is integrated into a respective one of the buoyancy vests 82. Each of the inflation canisters 84 stores a compressed gas and each of the inflation canisters 84 is in fluid communication with the respective buoyancy vest 82. Furthermore, the compressed gas in each inflation canister 84 may comprise carbon dioxide or other inert gas. Each of the inflation canisters 84 releases the compressed gas into the respective buoyancy vest 82 when the inflation canisters 84 receives an inflate command for inflating the respective buoyancy vest 82. Each of the projectiles 42 splits open along the perforation 54 in the outer wall 48 of the projectiles 42 when the buoyancy vest 82 in each of the projectiles 42 is inflated. In this way the buoyancy vest 82 in each projectile 42 is released from the projectiles 42 thereby facilitating the buoyancy vest 82 in each projectile 42 to be accessible to the individual that has fallen overboard 79.
A plurality of water sensors 86 is provided and each of the plurality of water sensors 86 is integrated into a respective one of the projectiles 42. Each of the water sensors 86 is electrically coupled to the inflation canister 84 that is integrated into the buoyancy vest 82 which is stored in the respective projectile 42. Furthermore, each of the water sensors 86 communicates the inflate command to the inflation canister 84 in the respective projectile 42 when the water sensor 86 in the respective projectile 42 is placed into contact with water such that the buoyancy vest 82 in the respective projectile 42 is inflated when the respective projectile 42 lands in the water. Each of the water sensors 86 may comprise an electronic water sensor that is turned on when the water sensors 86 are exposed to water.
A plurality of projectile transceivers 88 is provided and each of the plurality of projectile transceivers 88 is integrated into a respective one of the projectiles 42. Each of the projectile transceivers 88 is in wireless communication with a global positioning system 90 thereby facilitating the projectile transceivers 88 to establish the physical location of the respective projectile 42. Additionally, each of the projectile transceivers 88 is in wireless communication with a control room 92 in the maritime vessel 16 thereby facilitating a captain of the maritime vessel 16 to track the physical location of each of the projectiles 42. Each of the projectile transceivers 88 may comprise a dual channel radio frequency transceiver or the like and each of the projective transceivers 88 may employ a frequency typically employed for maritime radio communications on a respective channel and a frequency typically employed for global positioning systems on a respective channel.
A plurality of projectile power supplies 94 is included and each of the projectile power supplies 94 is integrated into a respective one of the projectiles 42. Each of the projectile power supplies 94 is electrically coupled to the projectile transceiver 88 and the water sensor 86 in the respective projectile 42. Each of the projectile power supplies 94 comprises a battery. A plurality of radio beacons 96 is provided and each of the radio beacons 96 is attached to a respective one of the buoyancy vests 82. Each of the radio beacons 96 is electrically coupled to the water sensor 86 attached to the projectile 42 in which the respective buoyancy vest 82 is positioned. Furthermore, each of the radio beacons 96 is actuated when the water sensor 86 in the projectile 42 in which the respective buoyancy vest 82 is positioned senses water. Each of the radio beacons 96 transmits a location signal when the radio beacons 96 are turned on thereby facilitating a rescue team to receive the location signal to locate the radio beacons 96. Each of the radio beacons 96 may comprise a personal location beacon of any conventional design that is approved by the United States Coast Guard. Additionally, each of the radio beacons 96 has a unique electronic identity with respect to each other and the unique electronic identity is stored in the control room 92 of the maritime vessel 16. In this way each radio beacon 96 can be located by the rescue team when the individual that has fallen overboard 79 is being recovered to enhance locating the individual that has fallen overboard 79.
A plurality of strobe lights 98 is provided and each of the strobe lights 98 is attached to a respective one of the buoyancy vests 82. Each of the strobe lights 98 is electrically coupled to the water sensor 86 attached to the projectile 42 in which the respective buoyancy vest 82 is positioned. Furthermore, each of the strobe lights 98 is actuated when the water sensor 86 in the projectile 42 in which the respective buoyancy vest 82 is positioned senses water. Each of the strobe lights 98 emits flashing light when the strobe lights 98 are turned on thereby facilitating each of the buoyancy vests 82 to be visually located at night. Each of the strobe lights 98 may comprise a floating strobe light of any conventional design that is approved by the United States Coast Guard.
A communication unit 100 is integrated into the housing 12 and the communication unit 100 is in remote communication with the control room 92 of the maritime vessel 16. Furthermore, the communication unit 100 is in communication with the launching unit 56. The communication unit 100 actuates the launching unit 56 into the launching condition when the communication unit 100 receives a launch command from the control room 92. The communication unit 100 comprises a control circuit 102 that is integrated into the housing 12 and the control circuit 102 receives a launch input. The control circuit 102 is electrically coupled to each of the valves 70 and each of the valves 70 is actuated into the open condition when the control circuit 102 receives the launch input. Additionally, the control circuit 102 is electrically coupled to a power source 104 comprising an electrical system of the maritime vessel 16.
The communication unit 100 includes a launch transceiver 106 that is integrated into the housing 12. The launch transceiver 106 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 102. Additionally, the launch transceiver 106 is in wireless communication with the control room 92 of the maritime vessel 16. The control circuit 102 receives the launch input when the launch transceiver 106 receives a launch command from the control room 92. The launch transceiver 106 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like.
In use, the captain of the maritime vessel 16 actuates a control in the control room 92 to launch the projectiles 42 when the individual has fallen overboard 79. Thus, the projectiles 42 are launched into a spread pattern behind the maritime vessel 16 and each of the buoyancy vests 82 is inflated when the projectiles 42 land in the water. In this way the individual that has fallen overboard 79 will be located near at least one of the buoyancy vests 82 thereby facilitating the individual that has fallen overboard 79 to put on one of the buoyancy vests 82. Additionally, each of the radio beacons 96 is turned on and each of the strobe lights 98 is turned on when the projectiles 42 land in the water. In this way the rescue team is facilitated to locate the individual that has fallen overboard 79 at night, in low visibility conditions or any other situation that would make it difficult or impossible to visually locate the individual that has fallen overboard 79.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
