Electronic device for diving equipment

Abstract

The device (50) includes at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) provided for powering the circuit, wherein the circuit and the battery are included in a block of hydrophobic material, for example a block of resin (51). The battery is, for example, an inductively charged battery and the device can include optical sockets (56a, 56b, 56c) for fiber-optic cables, so as to avoid all contact of metal parts with water. Such a device is especially suitable for a buoyancy compensator vest, for use as a stabilizer during immersion and as a closed-circuit rebreather.

Claims

1. A device (17, 22) for a diver, comprising: a block of hydrophobic material; and at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) designed to supply said circuit, wherein said circuit and said battery are included in said block of hydrophobic material, wherein said device further comprises at least one actuator included in said block of hydrophobic material, controlled by said electronic circuit (52) and supplied by said battery (53), said block of hydrophobic material includes a first external face and an opposite, second external face, and a duct (57a, 57b, 57c) that passes through said block of hydrophobic material through the first external face, to and through the opposite, second external face, and said actuator is a motor driving a compressor, said compressor comprising the duct (57a, 57b, 57c) in said block of hydrophobic material (51), a rotor of said motor being housed inside said duct, a stator of said motor being embedded in said block of hydrophobic material.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said block of hydrophobic material is a block of electrically non-conductive polymerized resin.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said battery is of the type that may be recharged without electrical contact.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said battery is of the inductive-charging type for inductive charging through at portion of the block of hydrophobic material.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor (55) located within said block of hydrophobic material and wherein, with the device located in sea water, the temperature sensor is free of any contact with sea water.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises a valve or shutter designed to be remotely controlled.

7. A lost-air stabilising jacket (100) for a diver, comprising a device according to claim 1, connected firstly to a gas bottle (21) for stabilisation and secondly to at least one bag (11, 24) on said stabilising jacket by gas ducts.

8. A closed-circuit recycler for a diver, comprising a device according to claim 1.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein, the block of hydrophobic material is electrically non-conductive, the at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) are embedded in said block of hydrophobic material, said battery is an inductive charging battery with inductive charging through at portion of the block of hydrophobic material.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a control panel.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising communication means between said electronic circuit and said control panel.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said communication means comprise at least one means for transmitting or receiving optical and/or radio and/or acoustic-wave signals.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said means of transmitting or receiving optical signals comprise at least one optical socket (56a, 56b, 56c) that emerge on one face of the block of hydrophobic material, the at least one optical socket (56a, 56b, 56c) designed to connect an optical-fibre cable thereto.

14. A lost-air stabilising jacket (100) for a diver, comprising a device according to claim 1, connected firstly to a respiration-gas bottle and secondly to at least one bag (11, 24) on said stabilising jacket by gas ducts.

15. The stabilising jacket according to claim 14, further comprising a control panel, and communication means between the control panel and the electronic circuit, the control panel (23) comprising an optical switch (33) for activating or deactivating a stabilisation function at the expected submersion of said device.

16. The stabilising jacket according to claim 15, wherein said control panel (23) further comprises at least one additional optical switch (29, 30, 31, 32, 34) for activating or deactivating respectively at least one of the following functions of said device: slow ascent, rapid ascent, slow descent, rapid descent, pause.

17. A device (17, 22) for a diver, comprising: a block of hydrophobic material; at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) designed to supply said circuit, wherein said circuit and said battery are included in said block of hydrophobic material; and a pressure sensor (54) located within said block of hydrophobic material, wherein said block of hydrophobic material transmits a pressure on an external face of said block of hydrophobic material to said pressure sensor.

18. A device (17, 22) for a diver, comprising: a block of hydrophobic material; at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) designed to supply said circuit, wherein said circuit and said battery are included in said block of hydrophobic material, wherein, the block of hydrophobic material is electrically non-conductive, the at least one electronic circuit (52) and a battery (53) are embedded in said block of hydrophobic material, said battery is an inductive charging battery with inductive charging through at portion of the block of hydrophobic material; and a pressure sensor (54) embedded within said block of hydrophobic material, wherein said block of hydrophobic material transmits a pressure on an external face of said block of hydrophobic material to said pressure sensor, and said block of hydrophobic material includes a first external face and an opposite, second external face, and a duct (57a, 57b, 57c) that passes through said block of hydrophobic material through the first external face, to and through the opposite, second external face, and said actuator is a motor driving a compressor, said compressor comprising the duct (57a, 57b, 57c) in said block of hydrophobic material (51), a rotor of said motor being housed inside said duct, a stator of said motor being embedded in said block of hydrophobic material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments and variants will be described below, by way of non-limitative examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the chest of a diver equipped with a closed-circuit diving jacket, in front view,

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate schematically the diving jacket, seen from the back,

(5) FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged view of the stabilisation and ascent/descent control panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device 50 according to the invention. The device 50 comprises, embedded in a block of resin 51 and seen in transparency in this block: an electronic circuit 52 of conventional design, mounted on an electronic card; the detailed constitution of this electronic circuit depends on the function fulfilled by the device, but generally comprises at least one microprocessor 52a, an inductive charging battery 53 designed to supply the device with electricity, a pressure sensor 54 connected to the electronic circuit 52, the sensor of which does not need to be in contact with water since the resin transmits the pressure to this sensor; it may be mounted directly on the electronic card, a temperature sensor 55 connected to the electronic circuit 52, the sensor of which is advantageously placed close to one face of the block of resin, inside this block, in order to prevent any contact between the sensor and sea water, optical sockets 56a, 56b, 56c emerging on one face of the block of resin 51 and connected by optical fibre to the electronic circuit 52; alternatively, provision can be made for the optical-fibre cables to emanate directly from the block of resin 51, compressors, valves or shutters housed in channels 57a, 57b, 57c that pass through the block of resin 51.

(7) FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate two applications of an electronic device according to the invention to a diving jacket.

(8) Basic Equipment: The Recycling-Type Diving Jacket

(9) The jacket 100 according to the invention comprises at least two electronic control devices as described above, one for stabilisation in submersion, the other for the closed-circuit recycler, each comprising an electronic circuit and a battery included in a block of resin.

(10) The jacket put on like a normal jacket but is characterised by pockets, each containing either a gas bottle, or an inflatable bag, or an electronic device, or a bag containing a CO.sub.2 absorbent. It may also comprise a helmet 101.

(11) The jacket is provided with a network of optical fibres and a network of flexible gas ducts. The optical fibres convey information and the ducts a respirable mixture up to 4 bar.

(12) The jacket comprises open pockets and pockets that are closed, for example by adhesive bonding or welding.

(13) The open pockets of the jacket contain: in the back, an electronic device 17, a pure-oxygen bottle 19 at 200 bar with a capacity of approximately 3 litres, a flexible bag of CO.sub.2 absorbent 20, for example lime, the lime having to be changed regularly, on the front of the jacket, an emergency set 6 comprising a compressed-air bottle with pressure reducing valve for supplying the nozzle 2 on the helmet in an emergency.

(14) The closed pockets are protected by Kevlar or another untearable fabric. They contain: on the front of the jacket, a false lung 5 of the closed-circuit recycler and, at chest level, a balancing bag 11 allowing ascent, descent and stabilisation on the shoulders, bags 24 allowing ascent.
Stabilisation and Ascent/Descent Function

(15) In a conventional dive, the diver ascends and descends by manually inflating and deflating a stabilising bag (or stab) and refines his submersion by inflating and deflating his lungs (ballast lungs). Here, as the diver is not ejecting air, the ballast lung manoeuvre has no effect. The assembly is therefore replaced with inflatable bags housed in closed pockets of the jacket.

(16) Four inflatable bags are placed at chest level, two in front, two behind (only one, reference 11, is depicted) in order to stabilise submersion and for ascent or descent.

(17) In addition, two inflatable bags 24 intended to give additional buoyancy for rapid ascent are placed on the shoulders. They are placed on the shoulders in order to force an inexperienced diver to ascend with his head upwards.

(18) A control panel 23 comprising control buttons in the form of optical stabilisation and ascent/descent switches 29 to 34 is placed on the left wrist. It is connected to the electronic stabilisation and ascent/descent device 22 by optical-fibre cables so as not to have any flow of electric current.

(19) Two compressors are placed in the electronic ascent/descent device 22 making it possible as required to communicate air coming from one or more compressed-air bottles 21 at 20 bar and the inflatable bags 11, 24 under local pressure. These compressors are embedded in the same resin as the electronic control circuit and the battery. In this way there is no electrical connector in contact with water. The battery is recharged by induction for this same reason.

(20) For reasons of safety all the equipment is duplicated: the rapid ascent/descent optical-fibre network is separated from the slow ascent/descent network. The electronic systems are also duplicated with a master system as in the space industry. All the systems of conduits and network of fibres are protected from impacts and tears by an untearable fabric of the Kevlar type or metal shells.

(21) The slow ascent/descent instruction inflates only the balancing bags located at lungs level. The rapid ascent/descent instruction in addition inflates the bags 24 located at shoulder level. This makes it possible to have two completely independent circuits and, if an ascent network fails, the other, which is valid, makes it possible to ascend gently.

(22) The optical controls comprise a light-conveying network that illuminates the buttons continuously. Two functioning are envisaged: when the finger is brought close, either this reflects part of the light into another fibre, which sends the instruction, or this cuts off the light circuit between two fibres and is such cutting off gives the instruction.

(23) Balancing of the Ears

(24) During descent, the pressure of the water on the external face of the eardrum increases and diverges from the pressure on the internal face, which may cause intense pain. To balance the ears the Valsalva's manoeuvre is for example performed: the diver pinches his nose and blows strongly into it, which balances the pressure on either side of the eardrum, and this manoeuvre is repeated throughout descent.

(25) In order to avoid learning of this manoeuvre and to be able to make a larger mask, the jacket helmet incorporates two small inflatable bags 26 on the ears. Carrying out pressure/negative pressure cycles in these bags assists balancing of the ears. These cycles can be created by a small ram or a flexible membrane in the air circuit. Care will be taken to remain outside the audible region (20 Hz-20,000 Hz). These inflatable bags are controlled by a dedicated button 35 on the control panel 23.

(26) Closed-Circuit Recycler Function

(27) The basic principle of the jacket according to the invention is that of diving with a closed-circuit recycler. The air expired by the diver is sent into a bag 20 of absorbent that absorbs the CO.sub.2 and allows the unused dioxygen to pass. The CO.sub.2 absorbent (lime or the like) is contained in a flexible bag 20 housed along the vertebral column. In this way the movements of the diver mix the lime, preventing the creation of preferential passages.

(28) Additional pure oxygen contained in a small bottle 19 is added to the air that has passed through the bag of absorbent. The partial pressure of oxygen in the mixture is monitored continuously by means of sensors and the electronic device 17 dedicated to this function.

(29) The percentage of oxygen is calculated according to the depth but also according to the state of the diver, in particular his pulse or other physiological data denoting a state of lack (pupil etc.) or indication of emergency ascent.

(30) The use of a helmet enclosing the mouth and nose in which an air flow suited to the depth and temperature is established and regulated not only makes use for a beginner diver easier but also avoids adding a buffer tank to the system.

(31) All the data on the physiological state and the gaseous compositions are conveyed by optical fibres. For this purpose the measuring diodes (% of oxygen by laser diode in particular, etc.) will be housed in the electronic device comprising the electronics and the battery so that no electrical current or signal circulates outside the block of resin.

(32) All the electronics and sensors are duplicated with a master processor in order to determine which system to trust. The networks of optical fibres and ducts of the electronic devices 17 and 22 are protected from tears by Kevlar or equivalent.

(33) Dive Information Panel 16

(34) The information on the state of the diver are generated by an electronic device controlling the mixture 17 and transmitted to the right wrist by an optical-fibre network. There are no electronics on the wrist, only a spreading of the optical fibres in the conventional bitmap display matrix.

(35) The remaining dive time is calculated to the worst possible case: this is the time remaining at the current depth at least thirty minutes before ascent and the levelling-off spot.

(36) Emergency Function

(37) The jacket incorporates a small compressed-air bottle 6 at 200 bar, a pressure reducing valve and a conventional nozzle 2 so as to be able to ascend and implement the safety decompression stop if the electronic devices are or appear faulty.

(38) During ascent, if the electronic ascent device 22 is not touched, recommendations will be issued for the attention of the diver (do not forget to breathe out, do not ascend more quickly than the ascender makes you, etc.).

(39) An intermittent sound as well as lights will indicate to the other divers that an emergency ascent is being made.

(40) Emergency Ascent Button

(41) In the event of panic the diver can press on a button of the emergency stop type 4 triggering an emergency ascent. This button is situated on the right shoulder and connected to the network of control optical fibres.

(42) In this case the mixing system will enrich the respiratory mixture with oxygen, the helmet will be illuminated with a calming light and safety instructions will be given (do not swim, remain vertical, etc.). The ascent system will trigger a rapid ascent; if the physiological conditions are met (not excessively deep or excessively long dive in particular), no safety decompression stop will be implemented.

(43) Camera or Photographic Apparatus Option

(44) The lens of the photographic apparatus or camera 13 is disposed on the top of the helmet with the microphone. The flash or flashes 27 is/are disposed on the helmet between the lens and the ears. This makes it possible not to have direct illumination of the particles in suspension in the water and therefore images. Sound waves are captured alongside the lens and are retransmitted by a tube as far as the vision electronics 3.

(45) The optical-fibre network shows, inside the helmet, the region photographed and the settings would be optimised for conventional shots as with all current compact cameras. The electronics of the apparatus will be embedded in the resin with its induction-rechargeable battery.

(46) The light will be transmitted form the lens to the photographic apparatus or camera by the optical fibres. The light or the flash likewise. These fibres will not be protected by Kevlar.

(47) Guidance or Commentary Options

(48) These options will be implemented in the same way as the photographic apparatus functions: recovery of the information by lens and optical fibres, projection in the mask by optical fibres, processing in electronics embedded in the resin and supplied by a battery embedded in the same block of resin and recharged by induction.

(49) Guidance option the diving sites are almost all known and mapped. Knowing the starting point by GPS before descent, optical recognition makes it possible to situate oneself and to know where to go according to the main points of interest on the site. When a diver sees something new, the depth and place are known; if the diver photographs this thing and then connects to a dedicated website, the photograph and its coordinates will then be added to a databank constantly updated for the next divers.

(50) Commentary option: before the start of the diving, it is possible to load a database containing the description of the majority of living species at the place where the dive is going to be carried out. During the dive a blink detector triggers the optical recognition software, which then displays, by projection in the helmet, the names and characteristics of the animal or plant recognised. The optical recognition functions continuously in order to warn the diver of a potential danger. If the software recognises a dangerous animal or plant, it will display the characteristics thereof in the helmet and optionally trigger slight inflation of the bags in order to move the diver away from it.

(51) GPS and Radio Call to the Boat Option

(52) The GPS and radio antennas 25 are at neck height in the helmet. The systems activate automatically when leaving the water (pressure=starting atmospheric pressure). Same implementation as the rest of the electronic equipment with the antenna connectors embedded in the resin like the electronics and the battery.

REFERENCES

(53) 1 Head-up display 2 Emergency nozzle 3 Vison electronics 4 Emergency ascent button 5 Respirator false lung 6 Emergency assembly 7 Elastic belt 8 Belt loop 9 Electronics, GPS, radio 10 Pocket for lead weights 11 Balancing bag for ascent/descent 12 Photo and films electronics 13 Photographic apparatus or camera 14 Pure-air duct (helmet inlet) 15 Vitiated air duct (helmet outlet) 16 Information panel on dive and pulse readings 17 Electronic device comprising electronics for producing and monitoring the respirable mixture 18 Respirable compressed-air bottle (diluent) (200 bar) 19 Oxygen bottle 20 Flexible bag of lime 21 Compressed-air bottle for ascent/descent (20 bar) 22 Electronic device comprising electronics for stabilising and ascent/descent 23 Ascent/descent control panel 24 Inflatable bags for rapid ascent 25 GPS and radio antenna 26 Vibrating part for ears 27 Flash or torch 28 Part covered with Kevlar 29 Rapid-descent button 30 Rapid-ascent button 31 Slow-ascent button 32 Slow-descent button 33 Stabilisation button 34 Pause button 35 Ear vibration button 50 Electronic device 51 Block of resin 52 Electronic circuit 52a Microprocessor 53 Battery 54 Pressure sensor 55 Temperature sensor 56a, 56b, 56c Optical sockets 57a, 57b, 57c Compressor ducts 100 Jacket 101 Helmet