Extensible Life-Preserving Device With Stabilizing Wings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing life-preserving devices, such as ring-shaped life belts and inflatable jackets, are limited in their ability to support multiple individuals simultaneously and require time to deploy, occupy significant space, and are cumbersome to store, often failing to provide immediate buoyancy support in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
An extensible inflatable life-preserving device with a tubular structure made of expandable material, equipped with an automatic inflation mechanism using a salt tablet or manual activation, which expands to support multiple people, featuring stabilizing wings and a compact storage design, allowing rapid deployment and increased visibility with reflector strips and a satellite indicator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional life-preserving devices (ring-shaped life belts, inflatable jackets) are used, then they can support one person floating in water, but they occupy significant space and are cumbersome to store
Solution Approach 1:
The life-preserving device is designed to be stored in a compact rolled configuration within a container, similar to a nested structure. The tubular structure can be collapsed and stored in a small volume, then rapidly deployed to provide full floating support when needed, resolving the contradiction between storage compactness and functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static compact storage state to a dynamic expanded functional state. The tubular structure is designed to be extensible, allowing it to rapidly expand from a small stored configuration to a large floating configuration, enabling both compact storage and reliable floating support.
2Reliability
If traditional life-preserving devices are deployed, then they can provide buoyancy support, but they require significant deployment time and are not immediately available in emergencies
Solution Approach 1:
The device is pre-positioned in a ready-to-deploy state within easy reach on the vessel. The compact stored configuration allows rapid retrieval and deployment, eliminating the time loss associated with searching for or assembling traditional life-preserving devices during emergencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables rapid deployment by skipping the traditional multi-step inflation and donning process. The extensible tubular structure can be quickly deployed and inflated to provide immediate buoyancy support, rushing through the deployment process to minimize response time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple traditional life-preserving devices are stored to rescue multiple people, then sufficient rescue capacity is available, but the devices become even more cumbersome and occupy more space
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed as a universal life-preserving system that can accommodate multiple users. The extensible tubular structure can be adjusted in length and configured to support one or multiple persons simultaneously, providing multi-person rescue capacity in a single compact unit rather than requiring multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular structure can be divided into multiple sections or compartments that can be independently inflated or configured. This segmentation allows the device to be adapted for different rescue scenarios, from single-person to multi-person rescue, while maintaining a compact stored configuration.
4Reliability
If shipwrecked persons must wear traditional life jackets, then proper buoyancy support is provided, but it is difficult for injured or unconscious persons to put them on
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to be easily donned by the user themselves or by rescuers with minimal effort. The openable configuration and extensible structure allow for quick placement on the user, and the device can be adjusted to fit different body sizes, making it accessible even for injured or unconscious persons who cannot perform complex donning procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simultaneous support of multiple individuals with rapid deployment and improved storage efficiency, providing immediate buoyancy and stability in emergency situations, addressing the limitations of existing devices by offering a compact, easy-to-use, and effective rescue solution.
Implementation Method 1
consisting of a salt tablet contained inside said device which, melting after a few seconds of immersion in water, releases a striker
Implementation Method 2
Said tubular structure is provided with at least one automatic activation device which, upon contact with the water, triggers the inflating action of the life preserver
Implementation Method 3
capable of supporting one or more persons at the same time and of automatically opening and inflating once in contact with water
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Extensible life-preserving device comprising at least a substantially tubular structure (1) in expansible material which is empty inside and closed, capable of receiving compressed air or gas, at least one cylinder (2) containing compressed air or gas, able to completely inflate said tubular structure (1) to which is joined permanently by means of at least one automatic activation device (3) of the cylinder (2) which allows the spillage of the compressed air or gas and the inflation of the tubular structure (1), when in contact with water, said device is in a condition of inactivity in which it is wrapped around the inflation cylinder (2), wherein said tubular structure (1) and said inflation cylinder (2) are gathered together by means of one or more bands (5) allowing the storing in any limited space of the boat or of the aircraft and in a condition of activity, when it is in contact with water, wherein the tubular structure (1) inflates presenting itself in the form of elongated tubular element, wherein the structure (1) comprises a central substantially tubular body (11) on which a plurality of wings or protrusions (12) are provided which extend substantially in the direction perpendicular to said body and that roll up with it when the device is the condition of inactivity.