Safety system for boats in dry storage

• US 5,008,667 A
• Filed: 03/26/1990
• Issued: 04/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary M. Holloway, Joseph M. Collins, Larry R. Palmer
• Original Assignee: Gary M. Holloway, Joseph M. Collins, Larry R. Palmer
• Inventors: Palmer, Larry R., Collins, Joseph M., Holloway, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US07/498,971
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/984, 340/942, 340/932.2, 340/636, 340/455, 114/263, 114/264, 116/26, 342/23, 414/231, 414/232, 455/603
• US Class Current: 340/984
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 15/00 Storing of vessels on land otherwise than by dry-docking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

A safety system for use with boats to be stored in enclosed buildings to minimize potential problems of fires and explosions. This system has a transmitting unit for attachment to the boat itself which is energized when the electrical distribution system of the boat is energized. This transmnitting unit generates a signal indicating this energized state. A receiving unit associated with the building receives any output signal of the transmitting unit and sounds an alarm when this output signal is detected by the receiving unit. In the preferred form, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit utilize infra-red light as the generated and received signal. Also in the preferred embodiment, the detector unit has a plurality of detector elements arranged along the side and top edges of a doorway leading into the storage facility. As a result of this system it can be assured that no boat with an energized electrical distribution system is stored within the facility.

Claims

1. A safety system for use with boats stored within an enclosed building, which comprises:

a transmitting unit for attachment to said boats, said transmitting unit interposed between a battery system and an electrical distribution system of said boats, said transmitting unit including a disconnect switch means for selectively interrupting connection between said battery system and said electrical distribution system and further including at least one signal transmitting unit to generate an output signal when said battery system is connected to said electrical distribution system by said disconnect switch means; and

a receiving unit associated with said enclosed building, said receiving unit having at least one detector unit for receiving said output signal of said signal transmitting unit, said receiving unit further having a power supply means for said detector unit and an alarm means connected to said detector unit for generating an alarm signal whenever said detector unit detects said output signal from said signal transmitting unit.

2. The safety system of claim 1 wherein said disconnect switch means is a mechanical switch interposed between said battery system and said electrical distribution system of said boat.

3. The safety system of claim 1 wherein said transmitting unit has at least two signal transmitting units, with at least one signal transmitting unit mounted on each side of said boat.

4. The safety system of claim 1 wherein said at least one signal transmitting unit is an infra-red emitter unit for generating an infra-red light, and said detector unit of said receiving unit is an infra-red sensitive detector.

5. The safety system of claim 1 wherein said receiving unit has a plurality of detector units mounted along side and top edges of a doorway leading into said enclosed building.

6. A safety system for use with boats stored within an enclosed building, which comprises:

a transmitting unit for attachment to said boats, said transmitting unit interposed between a battery system and an electrical distribution system of said boats, said transmitting unit including a disconnect switch means for selectively interrupting connection between said battery system and said electrical distribution system and further including at least one infra-red emitting unit to generate infra-red light when said battery system is connected to said electrical distribution system by said disconnect switch means; and

a receiving unit associated with said enclosed building, said receiving unit having at least one infra-red detector unit for receiving said infra-red light of said infra-red emitting unit, said receiving unit further having a power supply means for said detector unit and an alarm means connected to said detector unit for generating an alarm signal whenever said detector unit detects said infra-red light from said infra-red emitting unit.

7. The safety system of claim 6 wherein said disconnect switch means is a mechanical switch interposed between said battery system and said electrical distribution system of said boat.

8. The safety system of claim 6 wherein said transmitting unit has at least two infra-red emitting units, with at least one infra-red emitting unit mounted on each side of said boat.

9. The safety system of claim 6 wherein said receiving unit has a plurality of infra-red detector units mounted along side and top edges of a doorway leading into said enclosed building.

10. A safety system for use with boats stored within an enclosed building, which comprises:

a transmitting unit for attachment to said boats, said transmitting unit interposed between a battery system and an electrical distribution system of said boats, said transmitting unit including a mechanical disconnect switch means for selectively interrupting connection between said battery system and said electrical distribution system and further including at least one infra-red emitting unit to generate infra-red light when said battery system is connected to said electrical distribution system by said disconnect switch means; and

a receiving unit associated with said enclosed building, said receiving unit having a plurality of infra-red detector units for receiving said infra-red light of said infra-red emitting unit, said infra-red detector units arranged along side and top edges of a doorway leading to said enclosed building, said receiving unit further having a power supply means for said detector units and an alarm means connected to said detector units for generating an alarm signal whenever a detector unit detects infra-red light from said infra-red emitting unit.

11. The safety system of claim 10 wherein said transmitting unit has at least two infra-red emitting units, with at least one infra-red emitting unit mounted on each side of said boat.