Overboard safety device

• US 5,748,080 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clay, Charles Matthew
• Original Assignee: Clay, Charles Matthew
• Inventors: Clay, Charles Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C.
• Application Number:
  US08/723,089
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/573, 340/572, 340/571, 340/604, 340/605, 340/691, 340/693, 441/80, 362/158, 362/183, 320/48, 320/14, 455/128
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08

Abstract

A safety signaling device, usable by persons would fall overboard from a vessel, with a rechargeable battery activated by the present of water to transmit both a light signal and a radio signal. A housing contains both transmitting sources and has spaced sets of probe contacts to recharge the unit. Reset and test buttons are also provided on the housing'"'"'s front to reset the operating transmitters and to test their performance.

Claims

1. A water activated safety apparatus comprising:

a water tight housing having a rechargeable self-contained electric power source;

a water activated light source powered by said power source and located within said housing, said light source being activated by the presence of water external to the housing; and

means for recharging said power source and sensing the presence of water external housing water, said means having a probe extending externally from the housing with inner and outer contacts to both permit the recharging of the power source and to sense the presence of water to activate the light source.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein said probe'"'"'s contacts are located within a recess on the rear of said housing.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing has a water-tight light transmitting lens with said light source mounted within it to transmit light through the lens.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 3, wherein said housing also has a radio frequency transmitter whose transmitted signal is sent in response to water on said probe'"'"'s external inner and outer contacts.

5. The invention as claimed in claim 4, wherein said housing also has reset and test buttons, said reset button being able to reset the light and radio transmitting housing to its initial non transmitting state and said test button being capable of test the transmitting of light from said light source and the sending of radio signals from said radio transmitter.