Helmet-Mounted LED Pressure Indicator for Diver Air Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater divers and firefighters face difficulties in monitoring the pressure of their breathing air tanks due to turbidity and positioning issues with analog gauges, and conventional emergency lights fail to provide quantifiable pressure data or function reliably.
Innovation Solution
A breathing-air tank pressure tracking system with a housing containing spaced-apart lights, a pressure sensor, and a controller that activates LEDs to provide visual pressure data, ensuring the information is always in the user's field of view, using a color-coded scheme to indicate pressure levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If an analog gauge is provided on the tank, then the gauge can display pressure information, but the gauge becomes difficult to read/monitor during a dive due to water turbidity, position of the gauge, etc.
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the pressure information display from the tank body (spatial dimension) to the diver's field of view through head-mounted lights (visual dimension). Multiple lights arranged in a line provide quantifiable pressure data that is always visible to the diver regardless of water conditions or tank orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces lights as an intermediary between the pressure sensor and the diver's perception. The controller activates selected lights based on pressure levels, creating a visual intermediary representation of pressure data that overcomes the limitations of direct analog gauge viewing through turbid water.
2Loss of information
If an emergency light is provided to indicate low pressure, then the warning function is provided, but the light does not convey any gauge information and the system loses reliability if the light or triggering system fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pressure information display into multiple discrete light elements arranged in a line. Each light represents a specific pressure level or range, allowing the system to provide both continuous gauge information through multiple light patterns and reliable emergency warning through specific activation patterns, thereby overcoming the limitations of a single emergency light.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-light system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides continuous pressure monitoring information through various light combinations and delivers reliable emergency warning through specific activation patterns. This universal system replaces both the analog gauge and emergency light functions, improving information delivery while maintaining reliability.
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
The system provides continuous, quantifiable pressure data directly to the user, enhancing visibility and reliability compared to analog gauges and conventional emergency lights, ensuring timely awareness of low pressure levels.
Implementation Method 1
A pressure sensor is coupled to a tank containing pressurized breathing air wherein the pressure sensor detects a pressure of the pressurized breathing air and produces a signal indicative thereof
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of lights are mounted in the housing. The lights are spaced-apart from one another and disposed along a line... The controller activates selected ones of the lights based on the signal received from the pressure sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A breathing-air tank pressure tracking system includes a housing having lights mounted therein. The lights are spaced-apart from one another and disposed along a line. A pressure sensor is coupled to a tank containing pressurized breathing air. The pressure sensor detects a pressure of the pressurized breathing air and produces a signal indicative thereof. The housing is configured to be coupled to an exterior portion of a dive helmet wherein the lights are positioned in a field-of-view of a user wearing the dive helmet. A controller, mounted in the housing, is coupled to the pressure sensor and the lights. The controller activates selected ones of the lights based on the signal received from the pressure sensor.