Life raft testing device

• US 4,642,783 A
• Filed: 06/11/1984
• Issued: 02/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Safe Text Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Safe Text Ltd.
• Inventors: Alexander, William B., Frenger, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/619,601
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 364/558, 364/557, 364/567, 364/550, 364/551, 364/571, 73/714, 73/720, 73/721, 73/726, 73/727, 73/753, 73/146.8, 441/40, 441/41, 441/42
• US Class Current: 702/140
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A life raft testing device comprising an arrangement of transducer sensors; connectors between the transducers and the life raft desired to be tested; processors electrically connected to the transducer sensors; a controller electrically connected to and interactive with the processors; and a display of the electrical output. The transducer sensors comprise a pressure transducer, a temperature transducer, and a load cell transducer. The temperature transducer is positioned generally adjacent to the nozzle of the life raft. The processors of the present invention comprise a multiplexer electrically connected to the transducer sensors, a differential amplifier electrically connected to the multiplexer, and a sample/hold amplifier electrically connected between the analog-to-digital converter and the differential amplifier. The controller comprises an input/output keyboard connected to the processors through an RS-232 communication line. The output display is a video display terminal and/or a serial type line printer. The controller includes the means to execute a raft protocol under program control communicating commands to and data from the processor means.

Claims

1. A testing device for evaluating the physical parameters of a life raft comprising:

transducer means for converting the physical inputs from said life raft to electrical impulses, said transducer means comprising;

a pressure transducer for evaluating the pressure of a gas within said life raft, said pressure transducer having a chamber connected thereto;

a temperature transducer having a nozzle for connection to a valve of said life raft, said temperature transducer positioned adjacent said nozzle; and

a load cell transducer for weight measurement of said life raft;

connection means fastened to said transducer means for enabling said transducer means to be interactive with said physical input from said life raft, said connection means comprising;

a pressure transducer nozzle for connection to a valve for said life raft, said chamber of said pressure transducer being adjacent to and in air-tight connection with said pressure transducer nozzle, said chamber for allowing differential pressures within said chamber and said life raft to equalize upon connection of said pressure transducer nozzle to a valve of said life raft; and

a load cell hook physically connected to said load cell transducer for receiving the weight to be measured of said life raft, said load cell hook being interactive with said load cell transducer;

processing means electrically connected to said transducer means for selectively converting said electrical impulses of said transducer means into signals relative to said physical inputs each of said pressure transducer, said temperature transducer, and said load cell transducer having electrically conductive lines extending therefrom to said processing means, the signals from said transducer means being passed as separate inputs to said processing means;

said processing means evaluating said life raft based on said signals;

control means electrically connected to and interactive with said processing means for selectively manipulating said signals from said processing means; and

output means electrically connected to said control means for producing a perceivable display of said signals from said processing means.

2. The device of claim 1, said processing means comprising:

differential amplifier means electrically connected to said transducer means for producing an analog signal relative to a selected one of said electrical impulses from said transducer means; and

analog-to-digital converter means electrically connected to said differential amplifier means for converting said analog signal to a digital output.

3. The device of claim 2, said processing means further comprising:

multiplexer means electrically connected to said transducer means, said multiplexer means receptive of the signals from said transducer means, said multiplexer means selectively passing a signal to said differential amplifier means.

4. The device of claim 3, said processing means further comprising:

sample/hold amplifier means electrically connected between said analog-to-digital converter means and said differential amplifier means, said sample/hold amplifier means for capturing the voltage output from said multiplexer means for a predetermined period of time.

5. The device of claim 1, said control means comprising:

an input/output keyboard connected to and interactive with said processing means through a RS232 communication line.

6. The device of claim 1, said output means comprising a video display terminal connected to and interactive with said control means and said processing means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery power supply connected to said processing means for providing electrical energy to said processing means.