Search and rescue transponder housing
First Claim
1. An improved housing assembly comprising:
- a water impervious upper housing said upper housing being substantially cylindrical, including a closed end and an open end, said open end having a first lip disposed about said open end;
a water impervious lower housing being substantially cylindrically shaped, said lower housing sized to receive a plurality of batteries mounted in a circular side-by-side array, said lower housing including an annular lip, said lower housing having a closed end and an open end portion, said lip being disposed about said open end; and
a resilient retaining ring sized to fit circumferentially about said upper housing and said lower housing and mountable over said first lip on said upper housing and said second lip on said lower housing engaging said first and second lips in a connecting relationship, whereby said retaining ring secures said upper housing to said lower housing when disposed around and joining said upper and lower housings together.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved search and rescue transponder having an improved housing assembly that permits the device to be turned on or off by rotating one segment of the housing relative to the other for ease of use even with heavy or bulky gloves. In addition, the housing assembly exterior surface includes a plurality of longitudinal ridges for ease in gripping. The housing assembly includes an upper housing and lower housing joined by a retaining ring and O-ring seal, eliminating the need for fasteners for manufacturing efficiency. The lower housing includes quick disconnect that attaches to a mounting disk affixed to a ship or life raft. The mounting disk includes a plurality of resilient fingers which act in conjunction with cam surfaces on the flange of the lower housing, which when rotated together allow for a quick disconnect. The improved overall reduced size and configuration of the housing assembly contains five batteries arranged circularly in a side-by-side array, packed together in the lower housing, allowing for a SART of reduced length and easily handling configuration.
17 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An improved housing assembly comprising:
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a water impervious upper housing said upper housing being substantially cylindrical, including a closed end and an open end, said open end having a first lip disposed about said open end; a water impervious lower housing being substantially cylindrically shaped, said lower housing sized to receive a plurality of batteries mounted in a circular side-by-side array, said lower housing including an annular lip, said lower housing having a closed end and an open end portion, said lip being disposed about said open end; and a resilient retaining ring sized to fit circumferentially about said upper housing and said lower housing and mountable over said first lip on said upper housing and said second lip on said lower housing engaging said first and second lips in a connecting relationship, whereby said retaining ring secures said upper housing to said lower housing when disposed around and joining said upper and lower housings together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6)
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5. An improved housing assembly for a Search and Rescue Transponder ("SART") comprising:
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a water impervious upper housing, said upper housing including a transponder and an antenna mounted therein, said upper housing being substantially cylindrical, including a closed end and an open end, said open end having a first lip disposed about said open end; a water impervious lower housing being substantially cylindrically shaped, said lower housing sized to receive a plurality of batteries mounted in a circular side-by-side array, said lower housing including an annular lip, said lower housing having a closed end and an open end portion, said lip being disposed about said open end; a resilient retaining ring sized to fit circumferentially about said upper housing and said lower housing and mountable over said first lip on said upper housing and said second lip on said lower housing engaging said first and second lips in a connecting relationship, whereby said retaining ring secures said upper housing to said lower housing when disposed around and joining said upper and lower housings together; power supply means comprised of a plurality of batteries mounted within said lower housing; means electrically connecting said battery power supply to said transponder and said antenna in said upper housing; electrical switching means mounted relative to said upper housing and said lower housing, said switching means turning said transponder on or off when said upper housing is rotated relative to said lower housing to predetermined positions; said upper housing and said lower housing exterior surfaces including a plurality of longitudinal ridges for gripping said upper housing and said lower housing; and means for retaining the batteries in the lower housing. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. An improved housing assembly, comprising:
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a water impervious upper housing, said upper housing being substantially cylindrical, including a closed end and an open end, said open end having a first lip disposed about said open end; a water impervious lower housing being substantially cylindrically shaped, said lower housing sized to receive a plurality of batteries mounted in a circular side-by-side array, said lower housing including an annular lip, said lower housing having a closed end and an open end portion, said lip being disposed about said open end; a resilient retaining ring sized to fit circumferentially about said upper housing and said lower housing and mountable over said first lip on said upper housing and said second lip on said lower housing engaging said first and second lips in a connecting relationship, whereby said retaining ring secures said upper housing to said lower housing when disposed around and joining said upper and lower housings together; a sealing O-ring, said O-ring sized to fit between said upper housing first lip and said lower housing annular lip when said retaining ring is mounted between said upper housing and said lower housing, thereby sealing the upper housing and lower housing when joined together from the ambient environment; a plurality of batteries mounted in a side-by-side array in said lower housing; means electrically connecting said batteries to a device disposed within said upper housing; electrical switching means mounted relative to said upper housing and said lower housing, said switching means including (a) a magnet mounted in said retaining ring; (b) a plurality of reed switches mounted in said upper housing at predetermined circumferential locations; (c) said means electrically connecting said batteries to said device disposed within said upper housing, said switching means for turning said device on or off when said upper housing is rotated relative to said lower housing to predetermined positions, said switching means further including a test position for testing the batteries; audio means connected to said switching means and said batteries for providing an audio signal whenever said switching means is moved to the test position, said upper housing and said lower housing exterior surfaces including a plurality of longitudinal ridges for gripping said upper housing and said lower housing; means for retaining the batteries in said lower housing; a light mounted at the top of said upper housing and connected to said switching means and said power supply, wherein when said switching means is moved to the test position and to the on position, said light is activated; said upper housing having a predetermined step gap in the bottom edge of the support wall, said lower housing having a stop movable within said upper housing step gap portion to permit partial rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing, whereby said upper housing cannot rotate past said stop connected to said lower housing past said step gap portion in said upper housing; and a mounting disk, said mounting disk including at least one resilient radially movable finger, said lower housing including a lower lip for engaging said finger, said lower housing including a cam surface at a predetermined position to allow said lower housing to be disengaged from said finger by rotation of said lower housing engaging said cam surface, said cam surface moving said finger outwardly away from said lip for quick disconnect of said lower housing from said mounting disk.
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Specification