A buoy includes a surface unit comprising a sealed tank comprising an inflatable bag, a tubular wall of axis z and a bottom, the tubular wall and the bottom delimiting a volume referred to as the inner volume, the surface unit comprising at least one cartridge enclosing a compressed gas that can be released in such a way as to inflate the inflatable bag such that it functions as a float in an operational configuration of the buoy, and the sealed tank comprises a projecting container protruding from the bottom and extending out from the inner volume, from the bottom.

A buoy includes a surface unit comprising a sealed tank comprising an inflatable bag, a tubular wall of axis z and a bottom, the tubular wall and the bottom delimiting a volume referred to as the inner volume, the surface unit comprising at least one cartridge enclosing a compressed gas that can be released in such a way as to inflate the inflatable bag such that it functions as a float in an operational configuration of the buoy, and the sealed tank comprises a projecting container protruding from the bottom and extending out from the inner volume, from the bottom.

A buoy includes a surface unit comprising a sealed tank comprising an inflatable bag, a tubular wall of axis z and a bottom, the tubular wall and the bottom delimiting a volume referred to as the inner volume, the surface unit comprising at least one cartridge enclosing a compressed gas that can be released in such a way as to inflate the inflatable bag such that it functions as a float in an operational configuration of the buoy, and the sealed tank comprises a projecting container protruding from the bottom and extending out from the inner volume, from the bottom.

A salvaging device, particularly for a personal device such as a smartphone dropped into a body of water. A housing has an opening and a gas cartridge. A triggering mechanism is further packed within the housing, which includes a lever arm. A main spring is above the lever arm cocking the lever arm in a downward position. A plunger is aligned with the gas cartridge. A water-soluble retainer abuts the lever, wherein upon the retainer dissolving in a water environment, the main spring recoils to thereby unload the plunger into the gas cartridge such that gas can exit the opening. A balloon is connected at the opening inflatable by the gas to thereby provide a buoyancy force to the handheld device upon inflation.

A salvaging device, particularly for a personal device such as a smartphone dropped into a body of water. A housing has an opening and a gas cartridge. A triggering mechanism is further packed within the housing, which includes a lever arm. A main spring is above the lever arm cocking the lever arm in a downward position. A plunger is aligned with the gas cartridge. A water-soluble retainer abuts the lever, wherein upon the retainer dissolving in a water environment, the main spring recoils to thereby unload the plunger into the gas cartridge such that gas can exit the opening. A balloon is connected at the opening inflatable by the gas to thereby provide a buoyancy force to the handheld device upon inflation.

Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and method, by which a gaseous chemical, e.g., hydrogen gas, can be retrieved by, stored within, and transported by, a low-cost autonomous vessel. The vessel is deployed, and operates, within a body of water. A submerged portion of the vessel is subjected to an ambient hydrostatic pressure that is used to compress the stored gases. A spar buoy that floats adjacent to a surface of the body of water regulates and stabilizes a depth of the submerged portion. A single pressure-tolerant chamber within the submerged portion is used to acquire gas from a gas provider and to equilibrate the pressure of the gas so acquired. The pressure-equilibrated and/or pressure-balanced gas is then drawn into a first gas storage tank through a venting of an approximately equal volume of another gas, e.g., air, from a second gas storage tank, resulting in a gas transfer at an approximately constant pressure. The processing and storage of acquired gases at pressures approximately equal to the ambient hydrostatic pressures permits the use of thin-walled tanks, and makes possible a low-cost gas acquisition, storage, and transportation, vessel.

A floatation device includes a body transformable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. A stiffener assembly is movable between a first position and a second position. The stiffener assembly is biased into the second position. The stiffener assembly is operably coupled to the body such that movement of the stiffener assembly between the first position and the second position causes the body to transform between the retracted position and the extended position. During the transformation of the body between the retracted position and the extended position, a partial vacuum is created within the body to inflate the floatation device.

A floatation device includes a body transformable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. A stiffener assembly is movable between a first position and a second position. The stiffener assembly is biased into the second position. The stiffener assembly is operably coupled to the body such that movement of the stiffener assembly between the first position and the second position causes the body to transform between the retracted position and the extended position. During the transformation of the body between the retracted position and the extended position, a partial vacuum is created within the body to inflate the floatation device.

A recovery device can include a bladder, a canister, an opening mechanism, and a tether. The bladder can be disposable in an inflated configuration and an un-inflated configuration. The canister can contain a compressed fluid and be coupled with the bladder. The opening mechanism can be configured to selectively open the canister and direct the compressed fluid into the bladder. The tether can extend between a first end coupled to the bladder and a second end engageable with a vehicle. The bladder in the inflated configuration can define a volume of less than one-tenth of a cubic meter.

A salvaging device, particularly for a personal device such as a smartphone dropped into a body of water. A housing has an opening and a gas cartridge. A triggering mechanism is further packed within the housing, which includes a lever arm. A main spring is above the lever arm cocking the lever arm in a downward position. A plunger is aligned with the gas cartridge. A water-soluble retainer abuts the lever, wherein upon the retainer dissolving in a water environment, the main spring recoils to thereby unload the plunger into the gas cartridge such that gas can exit the opening. A balloon is connected at the opening inflatable by the gas to thereby provide a buoyancy force to the handheld device upon inflation.