Vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly

• US 9,783,274 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The 1234Mmd Investment Trust
• Original Assignee: The 1234Mmd Investment Trust
• Inventors: Greenfield, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Syed A
• Application Number:
  US14/743,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20150353170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 441 6, 40442, 40571, 40605, 40479, 40440, 116 63 P
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/00 Buoys floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06; means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/08 having means to release or urge to the surface a buoy on submergence thereof, e.g. to mark location of a sunken object
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/16 specially adapted for marking a navigational route signalling or lighting devices B63B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/166 comprising a light
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/18 having means to control attitude or position, e.g. reaction surfaces or tether
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/24 container type, i.e. having provision for the storage of material
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/26 Communication means, e.g. means for signalling the presence of diverselectric communication in general H04
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 7/26 Means for indicating the location of underwater objects, e.g. sunken vessels means for searching for underwater objects B63C11/48; buoys in general B63B22/00

Abstract

A vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly includes a multi-directional signal display assembly comprising a plurality of signal display panels. Each of the plurality of signal display panels comprising at least one display surface, and a plurality of signal indicia are affixed onto different ones of each of the plurality of display surfaces. A signal support assembly is provided such that the multi-directional signal display assembly is disposable into a deployed orientation about the signal support member. A vessel mount assembly is operatively interconnected to the signal support assembly and comprises a mount member to facilitate deployment of the multi-directional signal display assembly on the vessel.

Claims

1. A vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly deployable on a vessel, said assembly comprising:

a collapsible multi-directional signal display assembly comprising a plurality of signal display panels, said plurality of signal display panels disposable between a deployed orientation and a collapsed orientation,

each of said plurality of signal display panels comprising a pair of oppositely disposed display surfaces,

each of said plurality of signal display panels further comprising an inner edge and an outer edge,

an interconnect member attached along said inner edge of each of said plurality of signal display panels, each said interconnect member comprising oppositely disposed ends,

a plurality of complimentary signal indicia, wherein at least one of said plurality of complimentary signal indicia is affixed onto a different one of each of said plurality of display surfaces,

a signal support assembly and a signal mount assembly, wherein said signal support assembly and said signal mount assembly are cooperatively structured to facilitate disposition of said plurality of signal display panels between said deployed orientation and said collapsed orientation, wherein said collapsed orientation is at least partially defined by each of said plurality of signal display panels disposed adjacent and overlying or underlying one another and extending outwardly in a single direction from said signal support assembly while remaining interconnected thereto, and

a vessel mount assembly operatively interconnected to said signal support assembly, wherein said vessel mount assembly comprises a mount member to securely mount said collapsible multi-directional signal display assembly to a portion of the vessel.

2. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each said interconnect member comprises at least one first coupling member affixed to one of said oppositely disposed ends thereof.

3. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each said interconnect member comprises a first coupling member affixed to each of said oppositely disposed ends thereof.

4. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said signal mount assembly comprises at least one indexed member having a plurality of second coupling members attached thereto.

5. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said at least one indexed member further comprises a plurality of guide channels, wherein each of said plurality of guide channels corresponds to a different one of said plurality of second coupling members.

6. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of signal display panels further comprises an upper edge and a lower edge.

7. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said deployed orientation of said plurality of signal display panels is at least partially defined by at least one said first coupling member affixed to one said oppositely disposed end of said interconnect member of each of said plurality of signal display panels disposed in an operative engagement with a corresponding different one of said plurality of second coupling members of said at least one indexed member, and at least a portion of one of said upper edge or said lower edge of each of said plurality of signal display panels is disposed in a corresponding one of said plurality of guide channels of said at least one indexed member.

8. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said deployed orientation of said plurality of signal display panels is further defined by each of said first coupling members affixed to each of said oppositely disposed ends of said interconnect member of each of said plurality of signal display panels disposed in an operative engagement with a corresponding different one of said plurality of second coupling members of oppositely disposed indexed members, and at least a portion of each of said upper edge and said lower edge of each of said plurality of signal display panels is disposed in operative engagement within a corresponding one of said plurality of guide channels of said oppositely disposed indexed members.

9. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said complimentary signal indicia affixed onto corresponding adjacent ones of said plurality of display surfaces in combination form a single indicia representative of a U.S. dive flag.

10. The vessel mounted multi-directional signal assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said collapsed orientation of said plurality of signal display panels is at least partially defined by each of said first coupling members affixed to each of said oppositely disposed ends of said interconnect member of each of said plurality of signal display panels disposed in an operative engagement with a corresponding different one of said plurality of second coupling members of oppositely disposed indexed members, while each of said upper edge and said lower edge of each of said plurality of signal display panels is disengaged from and outside of corresponding ones of said plurality of guide channels of said oppositely disposed indexed members.