Inflatable radar reflector

Abstract

To provide an inflatable radar reflector that facilitates the expansion of the main body and facilitates the reflection of radar waves. [Solution] The present invention includes a body formed to expand internally via fluid injection; a reflector provided inside the body, formed such that its upper and lower parts are symmetrically shaped like a "+" sign, for reflecting radar waves upon incidence; a plurality of elastic connecting members for connecting each corner portion of the "+" shape of the reflector to the inside of the body; and a case in which the body is stored in a folded or rolled state, wherein when fluid is injected into the body pulled out of the case, each corner portion of the reflector is pulled by the elasticity of the connecting members, and the reflector is maintained in a predetermined shape when the expansion of the body is complete.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inflatable radar reflector. More specifically, by injecting fluid to inflate the main body, the inflation of the main body can be facilitated. By configuring the connecting member with a material having an elastic force, when the main body expands, each corner of the reflector can be pulled to maintain a predetermined shape of the reflector, thereby facilitating the reflection of radar waves. The present invention relates to an inflatable radar reflector.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a radar reflector is used for tracking the position of a ship and confirming the position of an opposing ship. It is clear that the performance of such a radar reflector has a great impact on the safety of the ship.

[0003] In the case of small fishing boats, most of them have a weak ability to reflect radar waves. Therefore, when visibility is poor due to bad weather, etc., not only are collision accidents between ships frequent, but it often happens that they are not detected by the radar of medium and large ships, leading to major accidents. This is the reality.

[0004] Such radar reflectors are roughly classified into active radar reflectors and passive radar reflectors. Active radar reflectors have the advantage that detection is easy because they reflect the received radar electromagnetic wave after electrically amplifying it. However, active radar reflectors are too expensive to use, and there is a problem that they are burdensome. They are composed of complex electronic devices and have a problem of frequently malfunctioning due to the salt in the sea.

[0005] On the other hand, although the development of relatively inexpensive and permanently usable passive radar reflectors has been continuously carried out, the passive radar reflectors developed so far include a type in which the cross-shaped connection part of the radar reflector is joined by welding, and a type in which the plate of the radar reflector connection part is joined by welding or an adhesive and covered with a cylinder on the outside.

[0006] Patent Document 1 relates to a technology for a ship's radar reflector, and as shown in Figure 1, the ship's radar reflector 50 is formed by crossing reflectors 40 in an "X" shape inside an outer case 10 and a base portion 30 on which support columns 20 are formed, characterized in that a stepped portion 11 and a threaded portion 12 are formed in the outer case 10 and connected to a threaded portion 32 of the base portion 30 on which a bolt bracket 31 is formed, the support columns 20 are configured as separable support columns 20 that are used by forming protrusions 21 and recesses 22 and connecting them, and the reflectors 40 are configured so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the reflector 50 can be increased by forming a connector 42 on a triangular pyramidal auxiliary reflector 41 and connecting it to the reflector 50.

[0007] However, the radar reflector had a problem in that its external case had a fixed shape and was fixed to the ship, meaning its installation position was fixed, which meant it could not be used when escaping using a life raft or the like in the event of a maritime accident.

[0008] On the other hand, radar reflectors have been proposed that can be used to escape in the event of an accident on a ship or other vessel and used in a life raft, but the retractable radar reflector of Patent Document 2, as shown in Figure 2, includes an external cell 110 whose volume contracts or expands depending on whether or not compressed helium gas is filled in, and an internal reflector 120 which exists in the internal space of the external cell 110, but normally exists in a folded state in the internal space of the external cell 110, and in the event of an emergency, when the volume of the external cell 110 expands due to the filling of compressed helium gas, it automatically unfolds together with it and takes the form of a radar reflector, and the volume contracts or expands depending on whether or not compressed helium gas is filled in The radar reflector body 100 levitates in the air as the volume of the external cell 110 expands; a radar reflector storage box 200 for temporarily storing the radar reflector body 100 when the internal space of the external cell 110 is not filled with compressed helium gas; and a rope 300 for securing the radar reflector body 100 to the radar reflector storage box 200 so that when the internal space of the external cell 110 is filled with compressed helium gas and the radar reflector body 100 levitates, it does not completely separate from the air but maintains a state of levitation at a certain distance from the radar reflector storage box 200.

[0009] However, the conventional technology described above has limitations on the size of the external cell and the number of internal reflectors. If the size of the external cell is expanded or increased, it is not possible to configure multiple internal reflectors. In other words, when the size of the external cell increases and the number of internal reflectors is increased, there is no means to fix and connect them. In particular, because the internal reflectors are folded by means such as hinges, it is difficult to configure means to fix multiple internal reflectors when forming them inside the external cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Korean Published Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0068442 (Published June 29, 2009, Marine Radar Reflector with Auxiliary Reflector) [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0750365 (Registered August 10, 2007, Retractable radar reflector for lifeboats and small vessels using a trihedron-shaped reflector) [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] Therefore, the present invention was proposed to improve upon these conventional problems, and aims to provide a new form of inflatable radar reflector that facilitates the expansion of the main body by injecting a fluid to expand the main body, and facilitates the reflection of radar waves by making the connecting member an elastic material, which pulls each corner of the reflector when the main body expands, causing the reflector to maintain a predetermined shape.

[0012] Furthermore, by arranging multiple reflectors inside the main body, the radar wave incidence efficiency can be increased, and the reflection efficiency when reflecting these waves can be increased, thereby providing a new type of inflatable radar reflector that can increase the probability of rescue in the event of a maritime accident.

[0013] Furthermore, the problem to be solved is to provide a new type of inflatable radar reflector that, by incorporating a light-emitting element on the main body, makes it easy to identify even at night and enables rapid rescue, and by using a seawater battery as the power source for the light-emitting element, the light-emitting element can emit light even during prolonged rescue requests, thereby further increasing the rescue effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] According to the features of the present invention for achieving the above objective, the present invention includes a main body 200 formed so as to be expandable by fluid injection, a reflector 300 provided inside the main body 200 and formed such that its upper and lower parts are symmetrically shaped like a "+" sign for reflecting radar waves upon incidence, a plurality of elastic connecting members 400 for connecting each corner of the "+" shape of the reflector 300 to the inside of the main body 200, and a case 500 in which the main body 200 is stored in a folded or rolled state, wherein when fluid is injected into the main body 200 pulled out of the case 500, each corner of the reflector 300 is pulled by the elasticity of the connecting members 400, and the reflector 300 is maintained in a predetermined shape when the expansion of the main body 200 is complete.

[0015] In the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, the length L1 of the connecting member 400 is shorter than the length obtained by subtracting the width W1 of the reflector 300 from the diameter D1 of the main body 200, when the center of the main body 200 and the center of the reflector 300 coincide.

[0016] Furthermore, in the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, a plurality of reflectors 300 are arranged in a row inside the main body 200, and the positions of the arranged plurality of reflectors 300 are maintained by their respective connecting members 400.

[0017] Furthermore, in the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, the reflectors 300 arranged in multiple rows inside the main body 200 are arranged in multiple rows in the horizontal and vertical directions on the same plane, and their fixed positions are maintained by their respective connecting members 400.

[0018] In the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, the reflectors 300 arranged in multiple rows inside the main body 200 are arranged in multiple rows in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions, and their fixed positions are maintained by their respective connecting members 400.

[0019] In such an inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, reflectors 300 arranged in plurality inside the main body 200 are arranged in a plurality of rows in the horizontal and vertical directions, and positions fixed by respective connecting members 400 are maintained.

[0020] Also, in the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, when a plurality of the reflectors 300 are arranged in the horizontal or vertical direction, the connecting member 400 connects the main body 200 and respective reflectors 300 in the horizontal direction.

[0021] Also, the inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention includes a light emitting member 600 coupled to the main body 200 in plurality for emitting light, and a power supply unit 700 for supplying power to the light emitting member 600.

[0022] In such an inflatable radar reflector according to the present invention, the power supply unit 700 produces electricity using seawater and supplies the produced electricity to the light emitting member 600.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] As described above, according to the inflatable radar reflector of the present invention, by injecting a fluid to expand the main body, the expansion of the main body can be facilitated. By configuring the connecting member with a material having an elastic force, when the main body expands, each corner of the reflector is pulled to enable the reflector to maintain a predetermined shape, facilitating the reflection of radar waves.

[0024] Also, by arranging a plurality of reflectors inside the main body, the incidence efficiency of radar waves can be increased, and the reflection efficiency when reflecting them can be increased, thus increasing the rescue probability in case of a maritime accident.

[0025] In addition, by configuring a light-emitting member on the main body, it becomes easy to identify even at night and enables prompt rescue. By using a seawater battery as the power supply for the light-emitting member, the light of the light-emitting member can be emitted even during a long-term rescue request, resulting in an effect of further increasing the rescue effect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a diagram for explaining the prior art. [Figure 2] It is a diagram for explaining the prior art. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a side view of an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing various arrangements of reflectors in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing various arrangements of reflectors in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing various arrangements of reflectors in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing various arrangements of reflectors in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a state where a light-emitting member and a power supply are installed in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a state where a light-emitting member and a power supply are installed in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a state where a light-emitting member and a power supply are installed in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]This figure shows a state in which a light-emitting member and a power supply unit are installed in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows the components positioned inside the case in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In Figures 3 to 13, components that perform the same function will be given the same reference numeral. In the illustrations and detailed descriptions of the drawings, detailed descriptions and illustrations of the specific technical configurations and operations of elements not directly related to the technical features of the present invention have been omitted, and only the technical configurations related to the present invention have been briefly illustrated or described.

[0028] Referring to Figures 3 to 13, an inflatable radar reflector 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body 200, a reflector 300, a connecting member 400, and a case 500. When fluid is injected into the main body 200, which is pulled out from the case 500, the elasticity of the connecting member 400 pulls on each corner of the reflector 300, and the reflector 300 is maintained in a predetermined shape when the main body 200 is fully inflated.

[0029] Specifically, the main body 200 is formed to be expandable internally via fluid injection, and is made of a cylindrical, transparent or translucent material. As shown in Figure 13, it has a fluid inlet 210 for receiving fluid from a separate fluid supply means 240. In this case, it is preferable that the fluid inlet 210 be formed on the lower side of the main body 200. This is to allow the main body 20 to expand stably during expansion.

[0030] Furthermore, the main body 200 is equipped with a base portion 220 so as to be able to support the lower part, and a connecting ring 230 can be formed on the side or upper side so as to be connected to a lifeboat or the like via a rope. In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fluid supply means 240 is configured as an automatic pump for automatically injecting air, but it may also be configured as a manual pump that can inject air manually.

[0031] The main body 200, having this configuration, is stored inside the case 500 in a folded or rolled state before use, and when in use, it expands when fluid is supplied through the fluid inlet 210 by the fluid supply means 240.

[0032] On the other hand, while the fluid supplied from the inflatable radar reflector 100 to the main body 200 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is preferably air, this is merely an example, and a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. In other words, it can also be composed of gas, etc.

[0033] The reflector 300 is for reflecting incoming radar waves and is installed inside the main body 200, and is configured so that its upper and lower parts are symmetrically shaped like a "+" sign.

[0034] The reflector 300 is made of a soft material, and its front, rear, left, and right ends can be connected to the connecting members 400.

[0035] The reflector 300, made of a soft material, is installed inside the main body 200 and can be stored in the case 500 together with the main body 200 in a folded or rolled state when the main body 200 is folded or rolled up.

[0036] On the other hand, while one reflector 300 may be located inside the main body 200, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, multiple reflectors 300 are formed in the vertical direction and arranged inside the main body 200. This is to effectively increase the incidence of radar waves and improve the reflection efficiency.

[0037] The connecting member 400 is made of an elastic band or string and is used to connect the "+" shaped corners of the reflector to the inside of the main body 200. One side can be connected to the front, rear, left, and right ends of the reflector 300, and the other side can be connected to the inside of the main body 200, i.e., the inner circumferential surface. In this case, the connecting member 400 connected to the main body 200 and the reflector 300 is formed so that it is taut when the main body 200 is expanded, and can connect the main body 200 and the reflector 300.

[0038] Furthermore, the reflector 300 and the main body 200, which are connected to one or the other side of the connecting member 400, have a ring formed on them (not shown in the figure), and the connecting member 400 can be connected by tying it to the ring.

[0039] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the length L1 of the connecting member 400 is shorter than the length obtained by subtracting the width W1 of the reflector 300 from the diameter D1 of the main body 200, when the center of the main body 200 and the center of the reflector 300 coincide.

[0040] If the length L1 of the connecting member 400 is longer than the length obtained by subtracting the width W1 of the reflector 300 from the diameter D1 of the main body 200, the weight of the reflector 300 will not be able to stably support the reflector 300 inside the main body 200. As a result, the reflector 300 will not be able to maintain its predetermined shape and will not be able to reflect radar waves, which may make it difficult to request rescue.

[0041] As shown in Figure 13, the case 500 is configured to allow storage of the main body in a folded or rolled state. In this case, the case 500 includes not only the main body 200, but also a main body 510 with an open top and storage section 511 to accommodate the fluid supply means 240, and a lid 520 that covers the open top of the main body 510.

[0042] On the other hand, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the case 500 is constructed in a box shape including a main body 510 and a cover 520, but it can also be constructed as a bag with a zipper or the like.

[0043] As described above, according to the inflatable radar reflector of the present invention, the body can be easily expanded by injecting a fluid to expand the body, and by making the connecting member out of an elastic material, the body pulls on each corner of the reflector when it expands, so that the reflector maintains a predetermined shape and the reflection of radar waves is made easier.

[0044] Figures 5 to 8 show various arrangements of reflectors in an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figures 5 and 6 show a configuration in which reflectors are installed on the same plane; Figure 5 is a perspective view, and Figure 6 is a front view of Figure 5.

[0046] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the reflectors 300 are arranged in multiple rows in the horizontal and vertical directions on the same plane in the vertical direction, and are configured so that when the main body 200 expands, the positions fixed by each connecting member 400 are maintained.

[0047] Figures 7 and 8 show a configuration with additional rows compared to the reflectors in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 7 is a perspective view, Figure 8(a) is a front view of Figure 7, and Figure 8(b) is a plan view of Figure 7.

[0048] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the reflectors 300 can be arranged in multiple rows in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions, and configured so that when the main body 200 expands, the position fixed by each connecting member 400 is maintained.

[0049] As described above, when the reflectors 300 are arranged inside the main body 200, the main body 200 is not formed in a long vertical direction as shown in Figures 3 and 4, but rather when it is extended horizontally, the reflectors 300 can be arranged as shown in Figures 5 to 8.

[0050] On the other hand, in the inflatable radar reflector 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connecting members shown in Figures 3 to 8 are configured to connect the main body 200 and each reflector 300 in the horizontal direction when multiple reflectors 300 are arranged in the horizontal or vertical direction. That is, the connecting members 400 are not connected to the upper and lower parts of the reflectors 300, but are connected only in the horizontal direction and can be connected to the inner circumferential surface of the main body 200.

[0051] By arranging multiple reflectors inside the main body in this way, the radar wave incidence efficiency can be increased, and the reflection efficiency when reflecting these waves can be improved, thereby increasing the probability of rescue in the event of a maritime accident.

[0052] On the other hand, an inflatable radar reflector 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of light-emitting members 600 coupled on a main body 200 for emitting light, and a power supply unit 700 for supplying power to the light-emitting members 600.

[0053] Here, the main body 200 is cylindrical, as explained in Figures 1 and 2, and includes a fluid inlet 210, a base portion 220, and a connecting ring 230, but a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0054] The light-emitting member 600 is connected to the power supply unit 700 via a cable 610 and emits light when power is supplied from the power supply unit 700. In this case, one end of the cable 610 is connected to the power supply unit 700 and the other end is connected to the connector 620. The cable 610 is located inside the main body 200, one end of the connector 620 is connected to the cable 610 inside the main body 200, and the other end of the connector 620 may be connected to the light-emitting member 600 outside the main body 200.

[0055] On the other hand, the cotter 620 connected to the other side of the cable 610 may be configured in multiple units on the side or top of the main body 200, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, or it may be configured as a single unit on the top of the main body 200, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, and it can be connected to the light-emitting member 600 to cause the light-emitting member 600 to emit light.

[0056] The power supply unit 700 is for producing electricity using seawater and supplying the produced electricity to the light-emitting element 600. It is attached to the lower part of the base 220 which is located at the bottom of the main body 200, and can produce electricity by connecting to seawater.

[0057] By incorporating a light-emitting element on the main body in this way, it becomes easy to identify even at night, enabling quick rescue. Furthermore, by using a seawater battery as the power source for the light-emitting element, the light-emitting element can continue to emit light even during prolonged rescue requests, thus further increasing the effectiveness of the rescue.

[0058] Although an inflatable radar reflector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention described above has been shown with reference to the above description and drawings, this is merely an example, and it is easy for an ordinary person in the art to understand that various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 100 Inflatable Radar Reflector 200 main unit 300 reflector 400 Connecting member 500 cases 600 Light-emitting component 700 Power supply section

Claims

1. A main body (200) whose interior is formed to expand by fluid injection, A reflector (300) is provided inside the main body (200), and is formed such that its upper and lower parts are symmetrical in a "+" shape, for reflecting radar waves when they are incident on it. Multiple connecting members (400) having elasticity, for connecting each corner portion of the "+" shape of the reflector (300) to the inside of the main body (200), A case (500) in which the main body (200) is stored in a folded or rolled state, Multiple light-emitting members (600) are coupled to the main body (200) and are used to emit light. The system includes a power supply unit (700) connected to the light-emitting member (600) via a cable (610) for supplying power to the light-emitting member (600), When fluid is injected into the main body (200) pulled out from the case (500), the elasticity of the connecting member (400) pulls each corner of the reflector (300), and when the expansion of the main body (200) is complete, the reflector (300) is maintained in a predetermined shape. The cable (610) is located inside the main body (200), with one end connected to the power supply unit (700) and the other end connected to a connector (620) formed inside the main body (200). An inflatable radar reflector characterized in that the light-emitting member (600) is connected to the connector (620) outside the main body (200).

2. The length (L) of the connecting member (400) １ ) is when the center of the main body (200) and the center of the reflector (300) coincide, and the diameter (D) of the main body (200) is １ ) from the width (W of the reflector (200) １ The inflatable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that it is shorter than the length obtained by subtracting ).

3. The inflatable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of the reflectors (300) are arranged in a row inside the main body (200), and the positions of the arranged plurality of reflectors (300) are maintained by their respective connecting members (400).

4. The inflatable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that the reflectors (300) arranged in multiple rows in the horizontal and vertical directions on the same plane are fixed in position by their respective connecting members (400).

5. The inflatable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that the reflectors (300) arranged in multiple rows inside the main body (200) are arranged in multiple rows in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions, and their fixed positions are maintained by their respective connecting members (400).

6. The inflatable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that the reflectors (300) arranged in multiple rows inside the main body (200) are arranged in multiple rows in the horizontal and vertical directions, and their fixed positions are maintained by their respective connecting members (400).

7. The inflatable radar reflector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the connecting member (400) connects the main body (200) and each reflector (300) in the horizontal direction when a plurality of the reflectors (300) are arranged in the horizontal or vertical direction.

8. The expandable radar reflector according to claim 1, characterized in that the power supply unit (700) produces electricity using seawater and supplies the produced electricity to the light-emitting member (600).

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