Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6755147
-
Patent Number
6,755,147
-
Date Filed
Thursday, November 21, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 29, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Fulton; Christopher W.
- Smith; R. Alexander
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 116 26
- 116 27
- 116 142 FP
- 116 139
- 116 137 R
- 116 266
- 441 89
- 251 321
- 137 557
- 367 144
- 181 113
- 181 118
- 405 186
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A signalling device (10) adapted to make a percussive sound, for example, under water. The signalling device (10) may be attached to a pressurized fluid source, such as a diver's compressed air supply, the device (10) including: a housing (12) having a passageway (22), at least in part, for communication with the fluid source; a valve member (34) located in the passageway (22) and movable between a closed position in which it substantially blocks the passageway (22), and an open position in which fluid may flow through the passageway (22); biasing means (42), such as a spring, biasing the valve member (34) towards the closed position, wherein the valve member (34) reciprocates between the open and closed positions when a pressure difference above a set value exists on either of the valve member (34) to produce a perscussive sound.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to signalling devices and more particularly to signalling devices used for underwater signalling or warning.
BACKGROUND ART
Various devices exist for underwater sound generation. Generally, these devices are connected to a diver's compressed air supply and, when activated, the compressed air drives a piston backwards and forwards, usually by way of suitable valve arrangements. These valve arrangements may be separate from the reciprocating piston or may be incorporated into the piston. However, which ever valve arrangement is utilised, this adds cost and complexity to the device.
For example, in Johnston. U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,055, there is described a signalling device 10. The signalling device 10 comprises a main body part 11 with a bore for housing a piston 40 shown in FIG. 6. The piston 40 is adapted to reciprocate between a diaphragm 22 at one end of the bore which alternately controls the flow of compressed air to either end of the piston 40. The operation of the flapper valve 36 is separate from the piston 40.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention does away with a separate valve arrangement and instead, in a preferred form, merely utilises a spring loaded valve. The valve reciprocates when pressurised air is supplied to one side and so generates sound.
In one broad form the invention provides a signalling device for attachment to a pressurised fluid source, the device including:
a housing having a passageway, at least in part, for communication with the fluid source;
a valve member located in the passageway and movable between a closed position in which it substantially blocks the passageway, and an open position in which fluid may flow through the passageway;
biasing means biasing the valve member towards the closed position, wherein the valve member reciprocates between the open and closed
positions when a pressure difference above a set value exists on either side of the valve to produce a percussive sound.
The fluid source may be any fluid supply held under pressure. The fluid source may be a diver's compressed air supply. The air supply may include one or more air tanks of the type commonly used in scuba diving and one or more air hoses extending from the air supply to a mouth piece.
In use the signalling device may be positioned on the air hose intermediate the air tank and the mouth piece. The signalling device may alternatively be located in use on a separate pipe, tube, hose or the like in communication with the air supply. Preferably the signalling device is located around about the waist level of the operator to enable easy accessibility.
The housing may be integrally formed or may consist of a two or more discretely formed components adapted to be assembled to form the housing. The housing or the components therefor may be formed by moulding. Where the housing or one or more of the components are made of metal these may be cast in a mould. Where the housing or components are made of one or plastics materials, these may be formed by injection moulding.
The passageway formed within the housing may include a bore extending through the housing between an upstream opening and a downstream opening. The passageway may comprise a continuous line-of-sight bore extending from the upstream opening to the downstream opening and only interrupted by the valve member. The passageway may be of a consistent diameter.
The passageway may comprise one or more axes. The passageway may include two or more sections in the form of chambers. The chambers may be of varying shape and diameter. Preferably the section of the passageway to be blocked by the valve member is a circular shoulder against which the valve member is adapted to rest in the closed position. In use the upstream opening may be in communication with the fluid source by means of suitable fluid-tight connections. The downstream opening may be in communication with the environment immediately surrounding the signalling device.
The valve member may comprise any of a range of shapes provided it is configured to substantially block the passageway and accordingly the shape of the valve member may be configured to be of a complementary shape relative to the section of the passageway to be blocked.
The valve member may include a head portion and a rod or shaft portion. The head and the rod portions may be integrally formed. The head and rod portions may be formed separately. The rod portion may be adapted to slidingly engage the head portion whereby to form a further percussive means.
Preferably the head and rod portion are rigidly fixed to one another or formed integrally. The head portion may be a flat disc. The rod portion may be a solid cylindrical shape. The rod portion may extend axially from the head portion.
The valve member may be formed by casting in the case of the valve member being made of metal, or injection moulding where the valve member is made of a suitable plastic material. Where the valve member is made of plastic material, the material is preferably hard whereby to display percussive characteristics when striking another hard surface.
The valve member in the closed position may be adapted to block the passageway by abutment against a valve seat. Preferably the valve member is seated in a movable valve seat when in the closed position, and when in said open position the valve seat may move between two positions. The valve seat may be adapted to produce percussive sound upon arriving at each of the two positions. The valve seat may be retained within a bore forming part of the passageway by means of internal retaining means such as shoulders within the bore. The valve seat may be adapted to strike against the retaining means to cause a percussive sound.
The valve member is preferably located axially within the passageway and at its open position contacts a portion of the housing. This portion of the housing may include a body which may be retained within the housing. The body may be in contact with the immediate environment surrounding the signalling device.
The body may include a second bore adapted to slidingly receive the rod portion. The body portion may be located in the passageway. The body may be suspended axially within the passageway. The body may be connected to the rest of the housing by one or more radiating bridges. The body may be located axially within a chamber defined by the housing and forming part of the passageway. The chamber may contain the valve member and the body.
Preferably the biasing means comprises a first biasing member which always biases the valve member towards the closed position and a second biased member which only engages the valve member when the valve member is not in the closed position. Preferably the second biased member includes a sound generating or percussive member biased to contact against the housing.
The percussive member may be biased by a second biasing means towards the valve member. The percussive member may be a adapted to travel within the housing. More particularly, the percussive member may be a adapted to travel within the body. The percussive member may be a adapted to travel axially relative to the passageway within the housing or, more particularly, the body. The second biasing means may be housed within the body. The valve member may be adapted to strike the percussive member when moving to the open position.
The percussive member may be adapted to strike the housing when the valve member returns towards the closed position upon the urging of the percussive member towards the valve member by the second biasing means. The portion of the housing so struck preferably is the body.
The signalling device may include control means for controlling the flow of fluid through the passageway from the fluid source. The control means may include any suitable shut off or valve means. The control means may include a second valve. The second valve may be biased to an open or a closed position. Preferably the second valve is biased to a closed position by a third biasing means.
The control means may be located upstream or downstream relative to the valve member. Preferably the control means is located upstream of the valve member. The control means may be actuated automatically in certain circumstances. For example, the control means may be actuated if the fluid supply reaches a predetermined pressure level, such as where the air supply of a diver is running low. The control means may be actuable by an operator to force the control means to the open position.
Each of the valve member, the valve seat and/or the percussive member may be isolated from the immediate environment of the signalling device such as where a diaphragm is adapted to transmit the sound through its wall to the external environment. Preferably, however, each of the valve member, the valve seat and/or the percussive member is in communication with the immediate environment of the signalling device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention shall be better understood from the following non-limiting description of an embodiment of the invention and the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
shows a side cross-section of an embodiment of the invention in a “closed” position; and
FIG. 2
shows the embodiment of
FIG. 1
in the “open” position.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the signalling device
10
comprises a housing
12
and an end cap
26
. The signalling device is intended to be inserted in-line in a diver's air supply and so is provided with conventional male and female air line connectors
14
and
16
respectively. These connectors
14
,
16
are connected by a tube
18
which extends through the housing
12
. The tube
18
has one or more apertures
20
which feed air to a passageway
22
in the housing
12
.
The passageway
22
exits to the environment via openings
24
, which comprise a series of holes arranged in a circle, in end cap
26
. Located between apertures
20
and openings
24
are two valve mechanisms, generally indicated by numerals
30
and
32
. Intermediate the two valve mechanisms is a chamber
33
.
The first valve mechanism,
30
is a simple, conventional, on-off valve which controls supply of pressurised fluid to the second valve mechanism
32
. The valve
30
comprises valve member
34
, plunger rod
36
and actuating button
38
. Preferably the valve member
34
seats against an O-ring
40
and the actuating button
38
is biased by spring
42
to the closed position. Depressing actuating button
38
causes valve member
34
to move downwards, so allowing prescribed fluid to pass through the valve
30
.
The second valve member
32
comprises a movable valve seat
44
, a movable valve member
46
and biasing spring
48
.
The movable valve seat
44
is circular and is positioned in an oversize bore
50
in housing
12
. The end cap
26
screws or is a press fit into this bore
50
but has a flange
27
which contacts end
29
of housing
12
and so limits how far the end cap extends into the bore
50
. The end cap
26
thus traps the valve seat within the bore, but allows the valve seat a limited amount of axial travel between annular surfaces
52
and
54
. The valve seat
44
has an O-ring
56
on its upstream face which helps seal against annular surface
52
when in contact with it. However, this O-ring is not essential.
The valve seat
44
has a central bore
58
, which diverges in the downstream direction. The valve member
46
is located downstream of the valve seat
44
and comprises a valve disc
62
and a rod
61
. The valve member
46
is mounted on the end cap
26
via rod
61
, which is received in a bore
60
in end cap
26
. The rod
61
may reciprocate along bore
60
.
The valve disc
62
has an annular edge surface
64
for engagement within the valve seat
44
. As such the surface
64
is complimentary to bore
58
and diverges in the downstream direction. An O-ring
65
is provided in edge surface
64
to aid in sealing against valve seat
44
, but is not essential. If desired the central bore
58
may be of constant diameter and the valve disc
46
may be of greater diameter than the central bore
58
and seal against the downstream face of the valve seat
44
. In such circumstances an O-ring mounted on the upstream face of the disc
62
may be desirable.
The valve member
46
is biased toward the valve seat by spring
48
, which is sandwiched between the downstream face
68
of valve disc
62
and an annular surface
70
on end cap
26
.
The bore
60
in the end cap
26
is shorter than rod
61
and is open at both ends. At its upstream end the bore
60
receives the valve member
46
whilst at its downstream end it communicates with a chamber
72
. This chamber is open to the environment via an opening
73
. Located within this chamber
72
is a disc
74
, biased toward the bore
60
against an annular surface
75
by a spring
76
.
When the valve member
46
is fully retracted, i.e., the valve
32
is fully open, the downstream face
68
of the valve disc
62
contacts the face
69
of end cap
26
, so preventing further downstream movement. The free end of the rod
61
is in contact with the disc
74
and has moved the disc
74
away from bore
60
, against the biasing force of spring
76
, as seen in FIG.
2
.
In use, the valve
30
is normally closed, so no pressurised air is supplied to the valve
32
from the diver's air supply. As such spring
48
urges valve member
46
against the valve seat
44
and the valve seat against surface
52
, as seen in FIG.
1
.
When the actuator button
38
of valve
30
is depressed, compressed air flows into the chamber
33
upstream of the valve
32
. Provided the pressure difference across the valve
32
is high enough, this overcomes the biasing force of the spring
48
and both the valve member
46
and the valve seat
44
move downstream. Valve seat
44
then hits annular surface
54
, which generates sound which may escape to the environment via openings
24
, as well as stopping further downstream movement of the valve seat. Valve member
46
continues to move downstream until the free end of rod
61
contacts disc
74
, again generating sound which escapes to the environment via opening
73
.
Further movement of the valve member
46
downstream under action of the pressure difference now occurs against the force of both the springs,
48
and
76
until the downstream face
68
of the valve disc
62
contacts face
69
of the end cap
26
, again generating sound which also escapes to the environment via openings
24
. At this point the valve member
46
cannot move downstream any more and the valve
32
is fully open.
The valve
30
tends to throttle the supply of air, even when fully open, whilst when valve
32
is fully open, there is little resistance to flow through the chamber
33
, valve
32
and openings
24
. As such when valve
32
is fully open the air pressure upstream of valve
32
in the chamber
33
decreases substantially and so the springs
48
and
76
exert a greater force on the valve member
46
than is exerted on it by the pressure difference across the valve member
46
. Thus valve member
46
commences to move upstream toward the closed position. When the free end of rod
61
enters the bore
60
, the disc
74
contacts annular surface
75
, generating sound. Similarly when valve disc
62
contacts valve seat
44
and when valve seat
44
contacts annular surface
52
, sound is also generated.
When valve
32
is fully closed, the pressure upstream of the valve
32
in chamber
33
increases again until the pressure difference across the valve
32
overcomes the force exerted by spring
48
and cycle repeats for as long as valve
30
remains open. This cycling occurs rapidly and so the impacts of the various components are relatively severe and so the sound generated is of suitable intensity.
As is apparent from the foregoing, in the preferred embodiment the sound is generated by the device from multiple sources as the valve
32
both opens and closes. Further there is no separate switching mechanism to cause reciprocation of the valve member
46
. This also improves the sound generating efficiency of the device compared to existing devices.
It is to be appreciated that the movable valve seat
44
and the disc
74
are optional and not essential. Similarly the O-rings are not essential. If desired the invention may be reduced to a biased valve member sealing against a valve seat and in which the valve member opens and closes when a pressurised fluid is applied to the upstream side of the valve.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A signalling device for attachment to a pressurised fluid source, said device including:a housing having a passageway, at least in part, for communication with the fluid source; a valve member located in the passageway and movable between a closed position in which it substantially blocks the passageway, and an open position in which fluid may flow through the passageway; biasing means biasing the valve member towards the closed position, wherein the valve member reciprocates between the open and closed positions when a pressure difference above a set value exists on either side of the valve to produce a percussive sound; wherein the valve member in the closed position seals the passageway by abutment against a valve seat, and the valve seat is movable between two positions.
- 2. The signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat is adapted to produce percussive sound upon arriving at each of the two positions.
- 3. The signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat is retained within a bore forming part of the passageway by means of internal retaining means against which the valve seat is adapted to strike to cause a percussive sound.
- 4. The signalling device according to claim 3, wherein the valve member is oriented axially within the passageway and contacts a portion of the housing when in the open position.
- 5. The signalling device according to claim 4, wherein the valve member includes a valve head and a rod extending therefrom.
- 6. The signalling device according to claim 5, wherein the valve head is adapted to contact the valve seat in the closed position and to contact a portion of the housing in the open position.
- 7. The signalling device according to claim 5, wherein the housing includes a second bore in which the rod is adapted to travel.
- 8. The signalling device according to claim 1, including a percussive member biased by a second biasing means towards the valve member.
- 9. The signalling device according to claim 8, wherein the valve member is adapted to strike the percussive member when moving to the open position.
- 10. The signalling device according to claim 9, wherein the percussive member is adapted to strike the housing when the valve member returns toward the closed position and the second biasing means urges the percussive member towards the valve member.
- 11. The signalling device according to claim 8, wherein the percussive member is in communication with the immediate environment surrounding the signalling device.
- 12. The signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes control means for controlling the flow of fluid along the passageway from the pressurised fluid source.
- 13. The signalling device according to claim 12, wherein the control means includes a second valve biased to a closed position by a third biasing means.
- 14. The signalling device according to claim 12, wherein the control means is actuable by an operator to force the control means to the open position.
- 15. The signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the valve member is in communication with the immediate environment surrounding the signalling device.
- 16. The signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the valve seat is in communication with the immediate environment surrounding the signalling device.
- 17. A signalling device for attachment to a pressurised fluid source, said device including:a housing having a passageway, at least in part, for communication with the fluid source; a valve member located in the passageway and movable between a closed position in which it substantially blocks the passageway, and an open position in which fluid may flow through the passageway; biasing means biasing the valve member towards the closed position, wherein the valve member reciprocates between the open and closed positions when a pressure difference above a set value exists on either side of the valve to produce a percussive sound; wherein the valve member in the closed position seals the passageway by abutment against a valve seat, the valve seat is movable between two positions, and the device is for use under water.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
PQ4515 |
Dec 1999 |
AU |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/AU00/01523 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO01/41943 |
6/14/2001 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (13)