Torso-Mounted Inflatable Marker Tube for Rescue Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal flotation devices (PFDs) face challenges in enhancing visibility and facilitating rescue, especially in wave conditions or from aircraft, as they may not be easily locatable when the wearer is unconscious or submerged, and existing solutions either require user inflation or create imbalance.
Innovation Solution
A marker and recovery device with a deployable inflatable tube secured to the torso, which branches to form a closed figure providing a leverage point for rescuers, and can be inflated using a gas cylinder or manual mechanism, ensuring the device remains attached during rescue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If existing PFDs use high visibility materials, then visibility is improved, but the wearer may still not be readily locatable when unconscious or in wave conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional visibility enhancement (surface materials) to three-dimensional visibility by deploying a vertical tube structure that extends above the water surface, creating a new dimensional marker that is visible from aircraft and distant locations regardless of wave conditions
2Illumination intensity
If a folded marker device is added to the back of the PFD, then visibility is improved, but the device creates imbalance that may hold the wearer's face in the water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the marker function from the flotation function by placing the deployable tube in a separate enclosure at the rear of the PFD, allowing the marker to be deployed independently without affecting the forward weight distribution and balance of the wearer
3Illumination intensity
If an inflatable bar is attached to the PFD to enhance visibility, then visibility is improved, but the position of the bar relative to the wearer may vary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-securing the tube within the enclosure and pre-positioning it relative to the PFD, ensuring that when deployed, the tube maintains a consistent and stable position relative to the wearer without requiring adjustment during rescue operations
4Productivity
If the tube branches to form a closed figure for rescue leverage, then rescue efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible inflatable tube that can be inflated to various shapes, including a closed figure configuration. The flexibility of the inflatable structure allows it to form complex geometries without requiring complex rigid frameworks, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining rescue functionality
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 device enhances visibility and facilitates safe recovery by providing a stable and easily graspable handle for rescuers, ensuring the wearer can be lifted out of the water without detaching from the PFD, improving rescue efficiency and visibility in adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The tube is extendable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the tube extends from the torso of the wearer
Data Source
AI summary
A marker and recovery device comprising: an enclosure secured to a torso of a wearer; a bladder configured to fit within the enclosure in an uninflated state, the bladder including an elongate tube being physically connected at a first end to the enclosure; a first upper tube fluidly connected to the elongate tube at a distal end of the elongate tube; and a second upper tube fluidly connected to the elongate tube at the distal end of the elongate tube; and an inflation mechanism to inflate the bladder to extend the bladder from the uninflated state to a deployed state in which said elongate tube extends from said enclosure and where the first upper tube and second upper tube form a handle portion at the end of the elongate tube.