EP1470041B1 - Transportable diving system - Google Patents

Abstract

An underwater diving system including at least one breathable air tank that remains at the water surface, the air tank being flexible and integrated into a bag, such as a backpack. The flexible air tank is entirely contained within the bag when the air tank is empty, and is partially deployed outside the bag when the air tank is inflated with breathable air.

Description

The invention relates to underwater diving systems comprising a gas tank breathable that stays on the surface of the water.

In these systems, commonly called "hookahs", the diver is connected to the tank by a feed circuit comprising a pipe which is generally relatively long for allow the diver to move in a certain area around and below the tank. Unlike diving systems in which the diver takes the air tank with him under water, the diver who uses a narghile system takes under water only the hose whose free end is provided with a mouthpiece or a face mask.

There are various types of tanks for narghile systems. Some are rigid, others are flexible. Among the advantages of flexible tanks is the fact that the tank is lightweight and can be made very compact when the system is not in use. This facilitates the problem of transporting the system to the practice site.

The principle of a narghile system with a flexible tank is for example described in GB-2,164,259. A similar system is described in EP-A-437,948 which is considered to be the closest state of the art.

However, the systems described in these documents do not take full advantage of the flexible nature of the tank and nothing is planned to facilitate the transport of the system.

The invention therefore has the primary object of providing a diving system that is both simple, practical and compact, and whose transport is easy. Moreover, it is desirable that the tank remain flotation on the surface even at the end of the dive, no only so that the diving system does not run, but especially to form a buoy on which the diver can take support at the end of the dive.

The invention therefore proposes an underwater diving system comprising a reservoir of breathable gas which remains on the surface of the water, characterized in that the gas tank breathable is flexible and is integrated into a carrying bag, in that the reservoir is fully contained in the carrying bag when it is empty and in that the reservoir is partially deploys outside the carrying bag when filled with breathing gas.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues schématiques en perspective illustrant l'utilisation du système de plongée lorsqu'il est dans son état déployé ;
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique en perspective illustrant le système de plongée lorsque le réservoir est intégralement replié à l'intérieur du sac à dos , le système étant accompagné d'accessoires susceptibles d'êtres rangés à l'intérieur du sac ;
• les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues schématiques en coupe illustrant les positions déployées et repliées ; et
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique illustrant un clapet taré empêchant un dégonflement complet du réservoir par le plongeur.

Other characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows as well as on the basis of the appended drawings in which:

• Figures 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views illustrating the use of the diving system when in its expanded state;
• Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the diving system when the tank is fully folded inside the backpack, the system being accompanied by accessories that can be stored inside the bag;
• Figures 4 and 5 are schematic sectional views illustrating the deployed and folded positions; and
• Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating a calibrated valve preventing complete deflation of the tank by the plunger.

The figures show a diving system 10 comprising a gas tank breathable under pressure 12 and having a feed circuit 14 which allows the diver underwater to breathe the gas contained in the reservoir 12. According to the invention, the reservoir is a flexible reservoir, in this case consisting of a flexible tube closed at both ends, and it is meant to stay on the surface of the water. Thanks to the buoyancy of the tank when it is filled, the diving system forms a float able to support at least part of the weight of the diver (see Figure 1), which can greatly help the latter to swim at the surface of the water to get to the exact site of his dive.

The supply circuit 14 is very schematically represented by a pipe 15 which is connected to the tank and whose free end is provided with a nozzle preferably incorporating an expander by which the plunger can suck the gas in the tank 12. When the diver descends under water (see figure 2), the tank stays above it on the surface.

According to the invention, when the reservoir is filled with breathable air under pressure, it is in an expanded state as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. When empty, the bladder can be folded so as to be fully received in a carrying bag 16 which is part of integral part of the diving system. The carrying bag 16 is more particularly represented at Figure 3 where we see that it is a soft backpack of traditional construction delimiting an internal compartment that can be accessed through an opening upper 18, and two lateral openings 20, closed for example by a closure to slide. The bag 16 is also provided with carrying means comprising, for example, suspenders 22.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the reservoir tube 12 is fully understood in the bag when folded. When the tank is fed with breathing gas pressure it has a main portion that stays inside the main compartment delimited by the bag, and end portions, which correspond to both ends of the tube, which extend outside the bag through the lateral openings 20, which will have have been opened before the start of tank inflation.

In the example illustrated, the reservoir is shaped by straps 24 which impose on the tube a particular shape once pressurized so that it unfolds according to a line right. The central portion of the reservoir thus has in the figures a U-shape returned to two branches, and the two end portions are circled, for example by straps, of to form a hairpin juxtaposed to one of the branches of the portion main. Thus circle, the reservoir 12 extends substantially in a plane so as to have a high stability on the water. Advantageously, the end portions are unfold on each side of the bag in the manner of two longitudinal parallel floats, substantially in the plane of the bag. On the contrary, the central part of the reservoir tube is preferably permanently attached to the inside of the bag.

As can be seen in the figures, the reservoir comprises an inlet valve 26 which, in the illustrated example, is connected to the central portion of the reservoir tube and which protrudes, through a hole provided for this purpose, outside the bag, on a front face opposed to a rear face on which are disposed the carrying means 22. Of this way, as can be seen in Figure 1, the diving system is intended so that, when the tank 12 and its bag 16 float on the surface of the water, the carrying means are arranged on the emergent face of the system while the inlet-outlet valve 26 is arranged on the submerged face of the system. In this way, the connection of the pipe 15 of the circuit supply 14 on the tank 12 is performed on the lower side of the floating assembly formed by the tank and the bag. This guarantees a perfect stability of the whole since the flotation unit can not be overturned if traction is applied the supply pipe 15.

The diving system 10 also comprises means (not shown) which make it possible to fill the tank with a breathing gas mixture such as air. These means can be a simple device for connecting to an air compressor. It can also be means intended to be shipped with the tank. The air will for example be stored in the tank 12 at a maximum pressure of, for example, between 4 and 20 bar.

Preferably, however, the reservoir will have a maximum maximum inextensible volume to 20 liters, which volume will be reached for example from an absolute pressure of about 1.2 to 1.5 bars. From this pressure, the reservoir will have reached an "inflated" state and, beyond, its volume will not increase significantly anymore. On the contrary, the tank will have preferably a very small external volume once "deflated". Advantageously, the reservoir will be sized so that its maximum volume is of the order of 40 to 50 liters and that it withstands pressures of the order of 4 or 5 bars. In the example shown, the tube forming tank consists of a woven frame that is coated or embedded in a flexible matrix waterproof, for example a polyurethane matrix. The material constituting the tank also be a flexible and waterproof plastic material or the tank can be built with a multilayer material involving a first layer of a material providing the mechanical resistance to pressure and at least one sealed inner layer.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, it is provided that the diving system comprises a tank filling device, for example a motor pump or a pump human action such as a manual pump 28. This pump 28 can thus be stored in the backpack, at least when the tank is in the folded configuration.

The bag will also carry other accessories, necessary or only useful for the implementation of the diving system, such as fins 50, a mask 52, a gauge 53, or a harness 54 provided with a rope 56 by which the diver can tow the tank on the surface without exerting traction on the pipe air supply (see Figure 2).

The backpack 16 may comprise, in addition to the main compartment in which is received the reservoir, auxiliary compartments, for example watertight compartments. he can also have a rigid or semi-rigid structure that can contribute to the wearing comfort of the bag.

In any case, we understand the interest of having the float retain all its flotation capacity, or at least a large part of it.

Also, according to the invention, the diving system 10 comprises a cutoff member 30 of the supply circuit 14 which, below a predetermined threshold of pressure in the reservoir 12, prevents the plunger from drawing air into the reservoir. The predetermined threshold of pressure will be determined according to the pressure required to maintain the tank 12 in a "inflated" state in which it retains all or at least a substantial part of its floatability.

This predetermined cutoff threshold may for example be an absolute pressure threshold in the tank. It can thus be set at an absolute pressure value of between 1.2 and 1.5 bar. It can also be a threshold of relative pressure in the tank compared to the atmospheric pressure, the cut-off device imposing a pressure in the reservoir above atmospheric pressure, for example from 50 to 500 millibars.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a cut-off device that can be used to the implementation of the invention. The cutoff member 30 is here a calibrated valve made under the form of a ball check valve, which is known in itself, and is shown in FIG. switch off position of the power supply.

The valve 30 is for example integrated with the inlet-outlet valve 26. It comprises a seat 32 on which a ball 34, arranged on the downstream side of the threshold 32, is pressed upstream by a compression spring 36.

When, on either side of the ball 34, the force of the air pressure in the reservoir 12 is greater than the sum of the force of the pressure in the feed pipe (i.e. the pressure in the lungs of the diver when he seeks to breathe air) and the prestressing the spring 34, the ball 34 is detached from the seat 32 and the air can flow from the reservoir 12 to the supply pipe 16, so to the plunger. On the contrary, as soon as force of air pressure in the reservoir 12 becomes lower than said sum, the ball 34 is is pressed by the spring 36 against the seat 32, which interrupts the flow of air as shown in Figure 2. The diver does not continue to empty the tank; the air pressure inside the tank can not fall below a value of threshold, so that the tank can not deflate and retains its flotation capacity. In this embodiment, the threshold pressure is an absolute pressure which varies in depending on the depth at which the diver is at the moment considered. Indeed, the pressure in the supply pipe is greater than the atmospheric pressure and the value Overpressure is proportional to the depth of the diver. Advantageously, the value this absolute pressure will decrease as the diver ascends, this one finding the ability to suck up some air after going back a certain distance

Of course, the embodiment of the cutoff member that is proposed here is only a non-limiting example. Other known cutting members performing the same function could be used for the implementation of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. Underwater diving system comprising a carrying bag (16) and a breathing gas tank (12) that remains at the water surface, characterized in that the breathing gas tank (12) is flexible and integrated into the carrying bag (16), in that the tank (12) is entirely contained in the bag (16) when it is empty, and in that the tank is partially deployed outside the bag when it is filled with breathing gas.
2. Diving system according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank (12) comprises at least a shaped portion of a flexible tube.
3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the portions of the tank in the form of a flexible tube are maintained in shape (24) to prevent the tube from completely unfolding when it is filled.
4. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (12) comprises a main portion that remains within the bag (16) when the tank is filled.
5. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that when it is filled, the tank (12) has a volume greater than 20 liters.
6. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrying bag (16) has adequate capacity to contain, in addition to the tank (12), accessories of the system, such as a supply circuit (14), a mouthpiece and/or a pump (28) for filling the tank.
7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the filling pump is a human-actuated pump (28).
8. Diving system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a supply circuit (14) through of which a diver is connected to the flexible tank (12) in order to retrieve breathing gas therefrom, and in that the system comprises a member (30) for shutting off the supply circuit, which shuts off the supply of breathing gas to the diver when pressure in the tank (12) drops below a predetermined shut-off threshold.
9. Diving system according to claim 8, characterized in that the shut-off threshold is predetermined so as to maintain the tank (12) in an inflated state.
10. Diving system according to any of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the shut-off member (30) is inserted in the supply circuit (14).
11. Diving system according to claim 10, characterized in that the shut-off member is a valve (30).
12. Diving system according to claim 11, characterized in that the check valve (30) comprises a shutter (34) that is pressed, upstream, against a shutting seat (32) by elastic return means (36) that prevent the opening of the check valve when pressure in the tank (12) is below a predetermined threshold.
13. Diving system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bag is a backpack.

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