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.

A pressure activated time-delayed release device and method. The device includes a body having a drive chamber and a compression chamber disposed therein, a drive piston disposed within the drive chamber of the body, and a compression piston disposed within the compression chamber of the body. A throttle mechanism is disposed between the drive piston and the compression piston. The throttle mechanism controls a release of viscous fluid from the drive chamber into the compression chamber. The drive piston and compression piston are connected so as to cause the compression piston to move substantially simultaneously with the drive piston to compress a compressible element disposed within the compression chamber. The device moves from an un-actuated state to an actuated state when the device is exposed to a predetermined water pressure for a predetermined period of time.

A pressure activated time-delayed release device and method. The device includes a body having a drive chamber and a compression chamber disposed therein, a drive piston disposed within the drive chamber of the body, and a compression piston disposed within the compression chamber of the body. A throttle mechanism is disposed between the drive piston and the compression piston. The throttle mechanism controls a release of viscous fluid from the drive chamber into the compression chamber. The drive piston and compression piston are connected so as to cause the compression piston to move substantially simultaneously with the drive piston to compress a compressible element disposed within the compression chamber. The device moves from an un-actuated state to an actuated state when the device is exposed to a predetermined water pressure for a predetermined period of time.

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.

The present invention involves a system for the release of low relief, self-orienting deployable payloads from a platform such as an underwater vehicle and a mechanism of passive buoyancy compensation of the vehicle. The system secures one or more payloads by a vacuum force without an additional mechanical restraining mechanism and deployment of a payload is accomplished by disengaging the vacuum hold to release the payload for its intended function. Once deployed, the payload may reorient itself to a functional orientation without additional assistance.

The present invention involves a system for the release of low relief, self-orienting deployable payloads from a platform such as an underwater vehicle and a mechanism of passive buoyancy compensation of the vehicle. The system secures one or more payloads by a vacuum force without an additional mechanical restraining mechanism and deployment of a payload is accomplished by disengaging the vacuum hold to release the payload for its intended function. Once deployed, the payload may reorient itself to a functional orientation without additional assistance.

The location of lost or entangled fishing gear, known as derelict gear, is detected. The motion or change of position of a buoy attached to fishing gear is determined via sensors mounted on the buoy and compared to typical buoy motion. If the buoy has moved beyond a threshold value from its original location, an alert is sent to the fisherman. The available sensor data will be used to determine the likelihood of loss or entanglement. This alert facilitates recovery of lost or entangled gear by identifying where immediate retrieval efforts should be focused. The number of traps lost to the ocean that otherwise would continue to trap or entangle marine life may be reduced.

The present invention addresses the problem of achieving communication with the outside at a position different from a position at which a surfacing device has surfaced. A surfacing device 100 is released from a submerging body 200 sunk underwater UW to surface overwater OW and communicates with an external communicator 300. The surfacing device 100 comprises: a surfacing unit which surfaces, from underwater UW to overwater OW, the surfacing device 100 released from the submerging body 200; a communication unit which can transmit target information to the external communicator 300 after the surfacing device 100 has surfaced from underwater UW to overwater OW; and a moving unit which moves a target portion, which is at least a part of the surfacing device 100, after the surfacing device 100 has surfaced from underwater UW to overwater OW.