Water Safety Garment With Delayed Inflation for Safe Submergence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatically inflatable floatation devices prevent experienced swimmers from submerging themselves in water due to unwanted inflation, which can hinder activities like swimming or surfing.
Innovation Solution
A water safety garment with inflatable chambers that can be submerged for a predetermined time before automatically inflating, featuring an activation mechanism with sensor elements to detect submergence and a control device to actuate inflation only after a set period, allowing safe flotation without interfering with underwater activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an automatically inflatable floatation device is supplied with a water-activated inflator to prevent drowning, then safety for non-swimmers is improved, but experienced swimmers are prevented from submerging themselves due to unwanted inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a time-delay mechanism that delays inflation until a predetermined time period has elapsed after water contact. This allows experienced swimmers to submerge temporarily without triggering unwanted inflation, while still providing safety for non-swimmers who remain submerged longer. The control device is configured to initiate inflation only after the delay period, resolving the contradiction between immediate safety response and allowing intentional submergence activities.
2Reliability
If a water-activated inflator is designed to resist inadvertent inflation from splashing and rain, then false activation is reduced, but the device may still fail to distinguish between intentional submergence and accidental water contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a time-delay threshold that distinguishes between brief water contact (splashing, rain, intentional submergence) and prolonged submergence (distress, drowning risk). The control device is configured with a predetermined time period that must elapse before inflation is triggered, which naturally filters out short-duration water contacts while capturing extended submergence events that indicate potential drowning situations.
3Speed
If the inflation mechanism is activated immediately upon water contact, then rapid response to drowning risk is achieved, but experienced swimmers cannot engage in underwater activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a predetermined time delay before inflation is triggered. This delay period allows experienced swimmers to complete brief underwater activities without triggering unwanted inflation, while still ensuring rapid inflation response for prolonged submergence events. The control device is configured to start the timing sequence immediately upon water contact and initiate inflation only after the predetermined period elapses, balancing speed of response with flexibility for water activities.
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 experienced wearers to submerge safely for extended periods before automatically inflating, preventing drowning while allowing continued water-based activities without unwanted inflation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sensor element positioned to detect at least a part of a head of a user wearing the body being submerged under water
Data Source
AI summary
A water safety garment and apparatus configured to avoid drowning can be configured to permit submergence for a predetermined period of time without inflation. After the predetermined time has passed, the garment or other apparatus can be configured to inflate to help a person wearing the garment float on top of the water to avoid drowning or other potentially harmful condition that may result from being underwater for too long. In some embodiments, a circuit may be utilized to detect the submergence condition of a person wearing the apparatus or garment. Upon a determination that the detected submergence condition has occurred continuously for a pre-determined period of time, an inflation mechanism can be actuated to force the person wearing the apparatus or garment to float to the top of the water.