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WO1997032777A1 - Ameliorations apportees a des valves de scaphandre de plongeurs - Google Patents

Ameliorations apportees a des valves de scaphandre de plongeurs Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997032777A1
WO1997032777A1 PCT/GB1997/000636 GB9700636W WO9732777A1 WO 1997032777 A1 WO1997032777 A1 WO 1997032777A1 GB 9700636 W GB9700636 W GB 9700636W WO 9732777 A1 WO9732777 A1 WO 9732777A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
valve
spring
water pressure
lever
cap
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1997/000636
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Kenneth Smith Ainscough
Original Assignee
Apeks Marine Equipment Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Apeks Marine Equipment Limited filed Critical Apeks Marine Equipment Limited
Publication of WO1997032777A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997032777A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
    • B63C11/04—Resilient suits
    • B63C11/08—Control of air pressure within suit, e.g. for controlling buoyancy ; Buoyancy compensator vests, or the like

Definitions

  • This invention relates to improved valves for controlling automatically the buoyancy of a diver wearing a diving suit known as inflation valves, and to valves for releasing air from a diver's suit, known as dump valves.
  • the invention further relates to a combined inflation and dump valve.
  • a purpose of the present invention is to enable a diver to maintain a neutral or other predetermined buoyancy without the need to operate the valve controls once they have been adjusted to ensure that the required buoyancy is maintained.
  • the present invention provides an inflation valve for controlling the buoyancy of a diver wearing a diving suit comprising a conduit located within the valve and having an inlet communicating with a source of compressed air and an outlet contacting a valve member, the valve member being located movably within the valve and connected operably by a lever to a moveable member responsive to changes in water pressure, the valve including a spring, the degree of compression of which can be adjusted, the spring being arranged to affect the valve member directly or indirectly.
  • valve member can be urged against the outlet of the conduit by the spring which co-operates with means for varying the pressure exerted by the spring on the valve member.
  • the means for varying the spring pressure can comprise a control member which can be rotated so as to compress the spring or allow the spring to extend.
  • the moveable member responsive to water pressure can comprise a flexible diaphragm, the central of area of which includes a rigid member which bears against the lever.
  • the flexible diaphragm is preferably arranged so as to be manually operable.
  • the lever can be operable by contact with the member responsive to water pressure and the spring can contact the water pressure responsive member on the face opposite to that contacted by the lever.
  • the spring pressure in this further embodiment can be varied by means of a threaded member which contacts the spring at one end, the threaded member being located in an inner fixed cap and rotatable by means of an outer rotatable cap which engages the threaded member.
  • This further embodiment can include an intermediate member located between the inner and outer caps, the intermediate member being contactable by depression of the outer cap and having means to contact the water pressure responsive means.
  • the present invention further includes a combined inflation and dump valve including an inflation valve as described above, the valve including a water pressure responsive assembly comprising fixed and moveable portions which can either be sealingly engaged together or displaced relative to each other.
  • the fixed portion can comprise an annular seal which is mounted on a flexible support and the moveable portion can comprise a housing, the outer face of which contacts the lever and the other face of which is contacted by the spring.
  • Figure 1 is a side view taken in vertical section of one form of inflation valve according to the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is also a side view taken in vertical section of a further form of inflation valve according to the present invention and
  • Figure 3 is a side view taken in vertical section of a combined inflation and dump valve according to the present invention.
  • valve shown generally as numeral (1) is inserted in the wall of a diving suit (2) in a position where the diver can gain ready access to knob (3) of a control member.
  • the latter is provided with a stem (4) having a circular groove in which is located an 0 ring seal (5) .
  • the ste terminates in a cylindrical recess (6) which houses a spring (7) .
  • the outer wall of the recess is threaded (8) so that when the knob is rotated the spring can be either compressed or allowed to expand.
  • a pin (9) The exposed end of spring (7) bears against valve member (10) which is located for sliding motion within the casing (11) of the valve.
  • the valve is connected to a source (not shown) of compressed air by a nipple (12) utilising a "quick connect" coupling (not shown) .
  • the nipple forms part of a plug connected screwably to the casing (11) of the valve and leakage of air between the plug and the casing is prevented by an 0 ring seal (13) .
  • the plug is provided with a conduit (24) having an inlet communicating with the source of compressed air and an outlet within the valve casing which terminates in a valve head (14) having a seating (15) against which the valve member (10) is urged by spring (7) .
  • the valve head is provided also with an 0 ring seal (16).
  • a flexible diaphragm (17) is secured in position by a snap-on cover (18) .
  • the central area of the diaphragm is covered by a rigid disc (19) which bears against lever (20) .
  • the latter pivots about position (21) and causes valve member (10) to be lifted off valve seat (15) .
  • the diver turns knob (3) in the direction and to the extent necessary in order to provide neutral buoyancy or such other degree of negative or positive buoyancy which the diver may require. He then commences his descent. As the pressure of water acts on the flexible diaphragm (17) the latter pressures through disc (19) against lever (20) causing it to lift valve member (10) off the valve seating (15) thereby allowing air to pass round the valve member through channel (24) into chamber (22) and out through discharge annulus (23) into the diving suit.
  • a valve (100) is inserted into the wall of a diving suit (not shown) in the position where the diver can gain ready access to an outer cap (102) of the valve control which will be described below.
  • the valve (100) is connected to a source (not shown) of compressed air by a nipple (104) and the nipple forms part of a plug which is connected screwably to a casing (106) of the valve.
  • the plug is provided with a conduit (108) communicating with the source of compressed air and an outlet within the valve casing in which is located a tilt valve comprising a head (110) and a seal (112) .
  • the tilt valve is attached to a lever (114) which is contacted by the outer surface of a water pressure responsive member (116) .
  • the member (116) is fixed and sealed within the valve by means of an inner cap (118) which is provided with openings (120) , so that water cannot enter the divers suit, and compressed air cannot escape.
  • the inner cap (118) has a central threaded bore (122) in which is located a threaded head (124) and a spring (126) is located between the head (124) and the inner face of a depression formed in the member (116) .
  • the cap (102) is retained on the valve casing by means of an annular lip (128) on the valve casing and a corresponding annular lip (130) on the cap (102).
  • the cap (102) can rotate relative to the valve casing and also can be depressed relative to the valve casing.
  • the cap (102) is provided with two legs (132) which engage in corresponding openings (134) in the head (124) .
  • the cap (102) is also provided with openings (136) to allow for the free inflow of water to the water pressure responsive member (116) which will also pass through the openings (120) in the inner cap (118) .
  • the valve (100) is also provided with an intermediate member (138) which has a central opening (140) through which the legs (132) extend, a number of outer equispaced legs (142) which extend through openings in the inner cap (118) .
  • the diver turns the cap (102) in the direction and to the extent necessary in order to provide neutral buoyancy or such other degree of negative or positive buoyancy which the diver may require. It will be appreciated that rotation of the outer cap (102) causes the head (124) to rotate and depending upon the direction of rotation of the cap (102) the spring (126) will either be compressed or allowed to extend. Thus the spring pressure is varied and therefore the spring pressure acting on the water pressure responsive member (116) is varied.
  • the diaphragm (116) acts against the lever (114) causing it to operate the tilt valve and displace the head (110) from the seal (112) allowing compressed air to pass into a chamber (144) and out through openings (146) into the diver's suit.
  • An advantage to the arrangement shown in Figure 2 is that both the manual and automatic operations of the valve are located in the same region of the valve.
  • the rotation of the cap (102) is used to pre-set the spring pressure whilst depression of the cap (102) provides a manual override.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a combined inflation and dump valve in which the inflation valve includes many features common to the embodiment shown and described with reference to Figure 2. Where appropriate common references have been used regarding the components of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2.
  • valve shown in Figure 3 is identical in many ways to that shown in the embodiment of Figure 2 apart from the construction of the water pressure responsive member (116) which allows for the valve to also function as an automatic dump valve.
  • the member (116) is in the form of fixed and moveable portions (116a, 116b).
  • the fixed portion (116a) comprises a sealing member (148) which is mounted upon an annular flexible diaphragm (150) , secured in position by the cap (118) .
  • the construction of the moveable portion (116b) is very similar to the central portion of the member (116) shown in Figure 2, except for the provision of a knife edge seal (152) .
  • a special advantage of the inflation valves according to the present invention is that a dump valve and one of the present valves can be incorporated within a diving suit. As a result a diver can make frequent ascents and descents without the need to manipulate the valve controls once they have been provided with the correct settings. This facility is of special value when, for example, a diver is working on the legs of an oil-rig when his hands are occupied by the handling of tools.
  • both inflation and dump modes are automatic after the spring pressure has been pre-set, and both modes of operation can be manually over-ridden.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Safety Valves (AREA)

Abstract

Une valve de gonflage de scaphandre comprend un conduit (24) placé à l'intérieur de ladite valve (1) et comportant un orifice d'admission communiquant avec une source d'air comprimé, et un orifice d'évacuation en contact avec un élément (15) de valve. Cet élément de valve est placé amovible à l'intérieur de la valve et raccordé de manière fonctionnelle par un levier (20) à un élément amovible (17) sensible aux modifications de pression dans l'eau, cette valve comprenant un ressort (7).
PCT/GB1997/000636 1996-03-08 1997-03-07 Ameliorations apportees a des valves de scaphandre de plongeurs WO1997032777A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9604911.9A GB9604911D0 (en) 1996-03-08 1996-03-08 Improved valve and a divers suit incorporating the same
GB9604911.9 1996-03-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997032777A1 true WO1997032777A1 (fr) 1997-09-12

Family

ID=10790051

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1997/000636 WO1997032777A1 (fr) 1996-03-08 1997-03-07 Ameliorations apportees a des valves de scaphandre de plongeurs

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB9604911D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997032777A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6193665B1 (en) 1998-12-31 2001-02-27 General Electric Company Doppler angle unfolding in ultrasound color flow and Doppler

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4324507A (en) * 1980-04-14 1982-04-13 Shane Harrah Automatically-controlled buoyancy vest
GB2111174A (en) * 1981-12-11 1983-06-29 Buoyco Depth responsive gas control device
US4601609A (en) * 1985-04-29 1986-07-22 Hyde Robert W Buoyancy device
WO1988005670A1 (fr) * 1987-02-02 1988-08-11 Abdella Mark G Dispositif automatique de compensation de la flottabilite

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4324507A (en) * 1980-04-14 1982-04-13 Shane Harrah Automatically-controlled buoyancy vest
GB2111174A (en) * 1981-12-11 1983-06-29 Buoyco Depth responsive gas control device
US4601609A (en) * 1985-04-29 1986-07-22 Hyde Robert W Buoyancy device
WO1988005670A1 (fr) * 1987-02-02 1988-08-11 Abdella Mark G Dispositif automatique de compensation de la flottabilite

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6193665B1 (en) 1998-12-31 2001-02-27 General Electric Company Doppler angle unfolding in ultrasound color flow and Doppler

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9604911D0 (en) 1996-05-08

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