An inflatable bag includes a gas cylinder filled with a compressed gas and having a bottle mouth for discharging the compressed gas, a hole-piercing device pressable to pierce into the bottle mouth for letting the compressed gas be discharged out of the gas cylinder, an inner bag surrounding the gas cylinder and the hole-piercing device and having air holes for the passing of the discharged gas, and an inflatable outer bag surrounding the inner bag and inflatable by the gas that is discharged out of the gas cylinder and flows through the air holes of the inner bag. By the above configuration, the inflatable bag is placed in a box around the object to be protected and quickly inflated to form a filling buffer without generating heat, ensuring that the protected object is not easily deteriorated and facilitating recycling and cleaning.

A gas source for pressuring sparkling and other beverage containers, e.g., to re-pressurize the container to keep a carbonation level of beverage during storage. A gas cylinder can include a cap with a flange and catch below the flange. The catch can be engaged by a cylinder support to move the cylinder into contact with a piercing element to pierce the gas outlet of the cylinder and form a seal between the cylinder and gas receiver. A pressure indicator can have a single pressure sensor to indicate a capacity of a gas cylinder to deliver pressurized gas and a pressure in a beverage container.

An axial piercing mechanism for a pressurized gas canister includes a housing, electric motor assembly, pushrod assembly, and lancet. The housing defines one or more radial exhaust ports and coaxial internal cavities. The electric motor assembly and pushrod assembly are disposed in the respective first and second cavities. The pushrod assembly is coupled to the electric motor assembly and is rotatably driven along the longitudinal axis thereby. The lancet is coupled to the pushrod assembly. The housing includes a second end that receives or couples to a sealed end of the pressurized gas canister proximate the lancet such that the electric motor assembly, when energized, causes the pushrod assembly and lancet to translate along the longitudinal axis, pierce a sealed end/diaphragm of the canister, and release pressurized gas through the exhaust port. A system includes the axial piercing mechanism and the pressurized gas canister.

There is provided a release valve for releasing fluid from a source of compressed fluid for inflating an inflatable structure, comprising: a housing comprising an inlet for coupling to a source of compressed fluid, and an outlet; a flow chamber disposed within the housing and forming part of a flow path from the inlet to the outlet; a valve member configured to move to a release position to permit fluid to flow from the inlet to the flow chamber; and an actuator and a biasing device, wherein the actuator and the biasing device are disposed in the flow chamber, the actuator configured to move through the flow chamber from an unactuated position to an actuated position to move the valve member to the release position.

The present invention relates to an inflator mounted on protective equipment, comprising: a main body (100) having a cylindrical structure that is open at the top and bottom thereof, wherein the main body (100) has a key-ball insertion hole (110) and a gas supply hole (120) that are formed on portions of a lateral side thereof, and a bomb (600) for storing compressed air is coupled to the lower side of the main body (100); an eccentric lever (200) that is rotatably coupled to the upper opening of the main body (100) through a rotation shaft (230) and includes a lever (210) that adjusts a downward pressure by rotating an eccentric drum part (220) having the shape of a circular plate; a perforation part (300) that provides a restoring force downward according to the pressure state of the eccentric lever (200) and perforates the bomb (600) to allow the gas in the bomb (600) to be supplied to a user's protective equipment through the gas supply hole (120); and a key-ball (400) that confines the movement of the perforation part (300) while being inserted into the key-ball insertion hole (110) and separates from the key-ball insertion hole (110) according to the state of the outside to operate the perforation part (300).

A high brightness laser-sustained broadband light source includes a gas containment structure and a pump laser configured to generate a pump beam including illumination of a wavelength at least proximate to a weak absorption line of a neutral gas contained in the gas containment structure. The broadband light source includes one or more anamorphic illumination optics configured to focus the pump beam into an approximately elliptical beam waist positioned in or proximate to the center of the gas containment structure. The broadband light source includes one or more first collection optics configured to collect broadband radiation emitted by the plasma in a direction substantially aligned with a longer axis of the elliptical beam waist.

Canisters are provided that include a cylindrical body and a cap welded to the body to define a cavity filled with carbon dioxide or other fluid. The canisters may be loaded into a medical device, e.g., to provide an energy source for operating the device. Methods for making such canisters are also provided.

A cartridge loader includes a lever arm, a hinge axle and a cam centered on the hinge axle, and a housing for receiving a cartridge, the housing having a first end and a second end, the first end adapted to connect to an appliance, and the second end adapted to allow the lever arm to open and close, the housing having an aperture exposing an interior of the housing, the aperture shaped to receive the cartridge and the lever arm, wherein the cam is adapted to assist in seating the cartridge in the housing when the lever arm is closed, and ejecting the cartridge when the lever arm is opened.

An inflation device is provided including a shell, a pin, a restraining element, and a barrier. The shell may be coupled to an inflation canister. The pin is positioned within the shell in order to open a seal of the inflation canister. The restraining element is positioned within the shell and is positioned to prevent the pin from opening the seal of the inflation canister. The restraining element is dissolvable. The barrier is positioned within the shell. The barrier includes a fluid resistant skin and a heating element coupled to the fluid resistant skin. The heating element may open a portion of the barrier responsive to an electrical current running through the heating element.

The present invention relates to improved personal flotation devices and their methods of use. Advantageously, the devices and methods of the invention eliminate the need for a pyrotechnical firing mechanism, and compared to current devices, are less apt to be spontaneously activated by deterioration that is caused by storage in a humid environment or the passage of time. Instead, the devices and methods of use of the present invention incorporate electronic circuitry to activate automatic operation.