VEST INFLATION/EXHAUST VALVE ASSEMBLY

• US 3,727,250 A
• Filed: 12/02/1971
• Issued: 04/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwin M. Bethune, James P. Koehn
• Original Assignee: Edwin M. Bethune, James P. Koehn
• Inventors: Koehn, James P., Bethune, Edwin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buchler, Milton
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sauberer, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US05/204,204
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 9/313,311,314,316,329,342,340 222/3,5 128/142-142.7 61/70,71
• US Class Current: 405/186
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/2245 With provisions for connection to a buoyancy compensator

Abstract

An underwater buoyancy device such as a safety vest includes an air chamber and a tube communicating from the chamber to an inflation/exhaust valve assembly. The valve assembly facilitates vest inflation from a scuba supply tank or exhaustion to vent the air chamber or to permit breathing of air from the device. To this end, the assembly includes in a common housing: a quickrelease coupling for a supply tank hose, an inflation valve for controlling air flow from the hose to the vest, a mouthpiece or like outlet, and an exhaust valve to control venting from the vest to the mouthpiece.

Claims

1. An underwater buoyancy device having an air chamber and an inflation/breathing tube communicating between said chamber and an inflation/exhaust assembly, said chamber being inflatable with air supplied from a scuba tank via a hose, said assembly comprising:

a. a housing having coupling means providing flow communicating, quick-release connection to said hose, b. a mouthpiece formed in said housing, c. an exhaust valve in said housing for controlling air flow from said tube to said mouthpiece for breathing or for venting of said chamber, d. a separately manually operable inflation valve in said housing for controlling air flow from said hose via said coupling means to said tube.

2. A buoyancy device according to claim 1 wherein said tube is flexible and of sufficient length to permit a diver wearing said device to breathe air from said chamber via said mouthpiece.

3. A buoyancy device according to claim 2 wherein said device comprises a vest and wherein said assembly is adapted to be hand-held for independent digital operation of said valves.

4. A buoyancy device according to claim 2 wherein said hose includes a connector, and further comprising check valve means in said connector for preventing escape of air from said hose when said connector is disengaged from said coupling means.

5. A buoyancy device according to claim 4 wherein said coupling means includes a projection matingly received by said connector, wherein said connector includes means for latched engagement to said housing, and wherein said check valve means includes a spring biased element positioned within said connector to urge quick release of said connector when said latch means is disengaged.

6. A buoyancy device according to claim 5 wherein said connector has a cylindrical bore therethrough, said bore having a relatively narrow diameter section extending to one connector end and opening into a relatively wider diameter section with a shoulder at said opening, said projection extending through said narrow diameter section into wider region, said element comprising a valve disc and a spring in said wider section, said spring biasing said disc against said shoulder to block said opening when said connEctor is disengaged, said spring pressing said disc against the end of said projection to urge quick release of said connector.

7. A safety vest for a scuba diver and having a chamber inflatable with air supplied via a hose from a scuba supply tank, said vest having a flexible inflation/breathing tube extending from said chamber and terminating at an assembly including in a common housing a mouthpiece and an exhaust valve controlling air flow from said chamber to said mouthpiece, said tube being of sufficient length to permit said mouthpiece to be held at the mouth of a diver wearing said vest, said hose having a connector and said housing having coupling means detachably receiving said connector, one of said connector and coupling means containing a separate valve for controlling inflation of said chamber from said supply tank, the other of said connector and coupling means having a check valve to prevent air escape.

8. In a buoyancy vest of the type worn by underwater divers and having a flexible oral inflation/breathing tube extending therefrom, an end of said tube being provided with a mouthpiece and control valve for breathing or venting air from said vest, the improvement wherein said vest is inflatable with air from a scuba tank supplied via a hose releasably connected to the same end of said tube having said mouthpiece.

9. A buoyancy vest according to claim 8 wherein said mouthpiece and control valve are in a common housing, said housing also containing a separate, manually operable inflation valve for controlling air flow from said hose to said vest.

10. A buoyancy vest according to claim 9 wherein said hose terminates at a connector having a check valve, said connector being quick-releasably, matingly engageable with a coupling member on said housing.