Sea rescue informing apparatus and life boat comprising the apparatus

• US 20040113798A1
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elna Kabushiki Kaisha, Elna Components Kabushiki Kaisha (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Original Assignee: Elna Kabushiki Kaisha, Elna Components Kabushiki Kaisha (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Inventors: Yamada, Katsumi, Hikita, Masao, Takamura, Katsutoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/728,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.6
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/002 Distress signalling devices, e.g. rescue balloons vehicle optical signalling for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/006 Portable traffic signalling devices G08B5/004 takes precedence; emergency signalling devices to be placed on roads or vehicles B60Q7/00

Abstract

It is an object of this invention to provide a sea rescue informing apparatus and a life boat comprising the sea rescue informing apparatus. The sea rescue informing apparatus can securely inform a rescuer about the current position of a sufferer by continuously operating a rescue informing device with no fear of electric power consumption.

According to FIG. 1, the sea rescue informing apparatus includes at least a rescue informing device 12 having an illuminator 13 and a rescue signal generator 17, and an electric power source 32 having a solar battery 33 and an electric charger 36 for supplying electricity to the rescue informing device 12. The rescue informing device 12 and the electric power source 32 are disposed in the sea rescue informing apparatus with light emission from the illuminator 13 and rescue signal transmission from the rescue signal generator 17 freely operated by electricity supplied from the electric charger 36 charged by electric power sent from the solar battery 33.

Claims

1. A sea rescue informing apparatus comprising at least a rescue informing device and an electric power source, the rescue informing device having an illuminator and a rescue signal generator, the electric power source having a solar battery and an electric charger for supplying electricity to the rescue informing device, wherein the rescue informing device and the electric power source are disposed in the sea rescue informing apparatus with light emission from the illuminator and rescue signal transmission from the rescue signal generator freely operated by electricity supplied from the electric charger, the electric charger charged by electric power sent from the solar battery.

2. A sea rescue informing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rescue informing device and the electric power source are disposed in a watertight hermetically sealed casing with a photo acceptance panel surface of the solar battery and a communication antenna included in the rescue signal generator exposed from the watertight hermetically sealed casing.

3. A sea rescue informing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric charger comprises one or more electric double-layer capacitors rapidly chargeable from the solar battery.

4. A sea rescue informing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rescue signal transmitted from the rescue signal generator includes position information obtained from a GPS positioning device.

5. A life boat comprising a boat body and a sea rescue informing apparatus, the sea rescue informing apparatus being the sea rescue informing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the sea rescue informing apparatus mounted in the boat body.

6. A life boat according to claim 5, wherein a luminous face of the illuminator is disposed on the top surface of the sea rescue informing apparatus, and a photo acceptance panel surface of the solar battery is disposed on a suitable surface area of the boat body where the sunlight is able to be received.