The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 11, 1997
Filed:
Feb. 07, 1995
Jacek M Weinheimer, Treasure Island, FL (US);
Lyman W Fawcett, Jr, St. Petersburg, FL (US);
Halkey-Roberts Corporation, St. Petersburg, FL (US);
Abstract
An inflator for the inflation of inflatable articles such as life vests and the like, such inflator being operated automatically upon being subjected to water as upon the ditching or parachuting of an aviator wearing a life vest provided with such inflator. In the preferred embodiment of the inflator disclosed, the automatically operating portion of it is embodied as an attachment to a known manually operated inflator, the resulting inflator being capable of operation both manually and automatically. The automatically operating portion of the inflator incorporates a releasable blocking device which holds an actuator pin operated by a coil compression spring in cocked condition until the releasable blocking device releases the actuator pin, which thereafter thrusts a piercing pin against and through the sealing diaphragm of a gas-containing capsule. The releasable blocking device is provided with a water destructible element which retains the releasable blocking device in actuator pin cocking position until the water destructible element is subjected to water and sufficiently weakened so that the releasable blocking device releases the actuator pin. The actuator body having specially designed apertures so that inadvertent water splashes and moisture will not prematurely activate the inflator. The apertures promote an activation of the inflator only during emergency situations in which the inflator is submerged under water.