U.S. patent application number 13/308645 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-21 for underwater viewing facility.
This patent application is currently assigned to D.T.R. Patents Ltd.. Invention is credited to Doron SEGEV.
Application Number | 20120156951 13/308645 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44718555 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120156951 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SEGEV; Doron |
June 21, 2012 |
UNDERWATER VIEWING FACILITY
Abstract
An underwater viewing facility consisting of a buoyant platform,
having a through-hole, the hole employs an underwater observation
device in form of a transparent viewing chamber, preferred of a
semi-spherical configuration, a chamber in which a person lying
prone on the platform, can insert his entire head or at least his
face, enjoying a panoramic wide angle sight.
Inventors: |
SEGEV; Doron; (Tel Aviv,
IL) |
Assignee: |
D.T.R. Patents Ltd.
Tel Aviv
IL
|
Family ID: |
44718555 |
Appl. No.: |
13/308645 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
441/129 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63C 11/49 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/129 |
International
Class: |
B63B 35/73 20060101
B63B035/73 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 19, 2010 |
IL |
210083 |
Claims
1. An underwater facility comprising of a buoyant platform, having
a through-hole, the hole's diameter is slightly bigger than the
size of a human head, the hole employs an underwater observation
device, the observation device consists of a transparent viewing
chamber, the chamber protruding the bottom of the buoyant platform
and means to secure the viewing chamber in the correct position to
said hole and in said hole, enabling an observer to lie in a prone
position on the buoyant platform with at least his face resting in
the transparent viewing chamber.
2. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the buoyant
platform is of a rigid material.
3. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the rigid
buoyant platform is sloped at its top.
4. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the rigid
buoyant platform is foldable.
5. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the buoyant
platform is a sea mattress.
6. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the buoyant
platform is an inflatable air mattress.
7. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the front
of the mattress consists of several rings, of which at least one
ring is provided with an inflatable valve of its own.
8. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the buoyant
platform's hole is surrounded by a soft protecting ring on the top
of the platform, avoiding water to reach the hole, when a viewer's
head occupies the hole.
9. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the
transparent viewing chamber is slightly bigger than the size of a
human head, enabling an observer to put his whole head into the
chamber.
10. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the
transparent viewing chamber is of a semi-spherical
configuration.
11. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the means
to secure the viewing chamber in its correct position are an
inflatable sleeve provided with its own valve to serve as a
lock-belt.
12. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the means
to secure the viewing chamber in its position are an integral part
of the buoyant platform.
13. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the means
to secure the viewing chamber in its position, are part of the
observation device.
14. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein in
addition to other means, the viewing chamber has also a flat ring
in a perpendicular position to its upper edge to help to secure the
viewing chamber into its position.
15. An underwater facility according to claim 1, wherein the means
to secure the viewing chamber in its position, are independent,
being neither part of the buoyant platform, nor of the observation
device.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater viewing
facility consisting of a buoyant platform with an underwater
observation device. More particularly, the invention provides a
buoyant platform for a person lying prone on it, such as a raft, a
sea mattress, a pontoon, or the like, with an underwater
observation device characterized by its panoramic wide angle
sight.
[0002] The prior art describes several underwater viewing
facilities, such as: [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,139 (Jul. 5, 1955)
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,399 (Sep. 13, 1955) [0005] U.S. Pat. No.
4,895,539 (Jan. 23, 1990) [0006] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 311,410 (Oct.
16, 1990) [0007] U.S. Pat. No. Des. 357,156 (Apr. 11, 1995) [0008]
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,844 (Nov. 7, 2000) [0009] U.S. Pat. No.
6,241,569 B1 (Jun. 5, 2001) [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,841 B1 (Sep.
25, 2001) [0011] U.S. Pat. 6,572,424 B2 (Jun. 3, 2003) [0012] U.S.
Pat. Appl. Pub. No. U.S. 2006/0252318 A1 [0013] U.S. Pat. Appl.
Pub. No. U.S. 2010/0062665 A1 [0014] DE 203 15 281 U1 (22.01.2004)
Gebrauchsmusterschrift [Functional design)
[0015] None of the above inventions and patents, or others which
have been cited in those, taken either singly or in combination, is
seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
[0016] All prior-art underwater observation devices, enable the
observer, which uses a buoyant platform, an insufficient and much
limited view of the underwater scenes, due to the fact that the
observer's face is situated beyond the viewing device, and as a
result, he is enjoying a more or less, however always limited angle
of sight, depending on the construction of the viewing device.
SUMMARY
[0017] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
obviate the said disadvantage of the prior-art and to provide the
observer with a much broader angle of underwater sight.
[0018] The present invention achieves the above object by providing
a buoyant platform made of any kind of floating material or
floating capacity, the buoyant platform having a through-hole, the
hole's diameter is slightly bigger than the size of a human head,
the through-hole penetrating from top to bottom of the buoyant
platform ,the buoyant platform on its top has a soft protecting
ring around said hole, thus when an observer is lying in a prone
position on the buoyant platform with his face in the hole, the
protective ring around his head prevents water to reach the hole,
the hole employs an underwater observation device, the observation
device consists of:
[0019] 1. A viewing chamber, e.g. a transparent chamber, sitting in
the hole of the buoyant platform, the chamber protruding the bottom
of the buoyant platform, the observer's face rests in the
transparent viewing chamber, through the chamber's opening at its
upper side;
[0020] 2. Means to secure the viewing chamber in the correct
position to said hole, in a preferred embodiment said means are:
[0021] a. A flat ring is in a perpendicular position to the
chamber's upper edge; [0022] b. A lock-belt is situated around said
chamber, a ring configuration, to secure the position of the
transparent viewing chamber in the hole of the buoyant
platform;
[0023] In a preferable embodiment of the present invention the
lock-belt is an inflatable sleeve provided with an inflatable valve
of its own, the sleeve being part of the observation device.
[0024] If the buoyant unit of the present invention is an air
mattress, preferably it will have an integral lock-belt made of a
separate inflatable sleeve provided with a separate, inflatable
valve.
[0025] The most preferred shape of the viewing chamber of the
underwater observation device of the present invention is of a
semi-spherical configuration, however, it could be of any other
configuration such as rectangular, trapezoidal or any other desired
configuration, as long as the chamber is open at is upper edge, and
the chamber's size is such that the observer can insert at least
his face, or preferable his entire head, into the transparent
viewing chamber.
[0026] In case of an air mattress the person lying prone on it, the
weight of his body causes the mattress to float below sea level,
however, the front of the mattress carrying only the weight of the
person's head is automatically lifted and stays in a tilt position
to the rest of the mattress, thus enabling the person to insert his
head easily into the viewing chamber and in a comfortable
manner.
[0027] In case of a rigid buoyant platform, in order that the
person can insert his head easily and in a comfortable manner into
the viewing chamber, it is preferred that the platform's front is
thinner than its rear side, which means that the upper surface of
the platform is slightly sloped.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] In the annexed drawings:
[0029] FIGS. 1a and 1b are, respectively, perspective and partial
section views of an underwater viewing facility;
[0030] FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c are, respectively schematic views of an
embodiment of the underwater viewing facility illustrating folding
capability;
[0031] FIG. 3a illustrates a person lying prone on the underwater
viewing facility shown as an air-mattress;
[0032] FIG. 3b illustrates schematically a viewing chamber of the
underwater viewing facility;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a top view of an underwater viewing facility in
the configuration of an air-mattress;
[0034] FIG. 5a is a perspective view illustrating a person lying
prone on an underwater viewing facility shown as an air-mattress;
and
[0035] FIG. 5b is a perspective view illustrating the bottom of
front of the underwater viewing facility air-mattress of FIGS. 4
and 5a with an external ring about the viewing chamber.
DESCRIPTION
[0036] With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is
stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for
the purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred
embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the
cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and
readily understood description of the principles and conceptual
aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to
show structural details of the invention in more detail than is
necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the
description taken with the drawings making apparent to those
skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be
embodied in practice.
[0037] In FIGS. 1a and 1b is shown an underwater viewing facility
made of a rigid buoyant platform 1, the platform's front 5 is
thinner than its rear side 4, its upper surface 3 being moderately
sloped. A through-hole 8, which is slightly bigger than the size of
a human head, penetrates from the upper surface 3 to the bottom 2,
of the buoyant platform 1. A transparent chamber 6 is accommodated
in the hole 8, the chamber 6 has a flat ring 7 in a perpendicular
position to its upper edge, the ring 7 is resting on the upper
surface 3 of the buoyant platform 1. Chamber 6 is protruding the
bottom 2 of platform 1. A lock-belt 11 is pressed between chamber 6
and platform 1 to secure the chamber 6 in a correct position to
hole 8. In this embodiment, lock-belt 11 has on its top a soft
protective ring 20, ring 20 is situated over, and is surrounding,
the upper edge of chamber 6.
[0038] An observer lying prone on the sloped upper surface 3 of
rigid platform 1, can easily insert his head and in a comfortable
manner into transparent viewing chamber 6.
[0039] When an observer inserts his head in opening 9 of chamber 6,
the soft protecting ring 20 fits itself around his head and
prevents water to enter through opening 9 into chamber 6.
[0040] The rigid buoyant platform 1 of this invention, may be a
massive body made of any floating material, or a hallow float body
of a material which by its own is without floating capacity, such
as a metallic body, or the like.
[0041] In FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c is shown an underwater viewing
facility similar to the one described in FIGS. 1a and 1b, however
it differs from that facility, in the buoyant platform's folding
capability, thus this embodiment needs less storage room at home
and fits well in a car's trunk.
[0042] The rigid buoyant platform 1 of FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c consists
of three links; 16, 17, and 18. The edge 19 of each two neighboring
links is coupled to each other.
[0043] When the user wishes to fold the buoyant platform 1, he
pulls the links 16, 17 and 18 to withdraw them from each other.
Between each two links are fixed pivoted bars 13 with a couple of
hinge pins 14 and 15. When the links 16, 17 and 18 are withdrawn
from each other, the space 12 between each two links enables the
links to fold and lie on each other.
[0044] As long as the edges 19 of the links 16,17 and 18 are tied
to each other, the hinge pins 14 and 15 sit close to the center of
their pivoted bar 13 (See FIG. 2a). Having pulled the links 16, 17,
and 18 away from each other, the hinge pins 14 and 15 move to the
edges of their pivoted bar 13 (See FIGS. 2b and 2c).
[0045] FIGS. 3 to 5 demonstrate an embodiment of the underwater
viewing facility with a soft buoyant platform 10 being a constant
air mattress or the like, or an inflatable one.
[0046] In this embodiment in which the buoyant platform 10 is an
air mattress, the soft protecting ring 20 is part of the air
mattress's front 21 (See FIGS. 4a and 5a) and not part of a
lock-belt as in the previous embodiments.
[0047] In FIGS. 3a and 5a is shown a person 22, an observer that is
lying prone on the buoyant platform 10, an air-mattress 10.
Contrary to the main body of the air-mattress 10, which carries a
considerable weight, that is the person's 22 body, the front 21 of
air-mattress 10 carries only the low weight of the person's 22
head. This division in the weight acting on buoyant mattress 10,
while floating, causes automatically the front 21 to raise itself
and stay tilt to the main body of buoyant mattress 10. This
phenomenon helps the person 22 to easily insert his head 23 into
the transparent viewing chamber 6 and in a comfortable manner.
[0048] In FIGS. 3b, 4 and 5a are shown, a transparent viewing
chamber 6 with its perpendicular ring 7 (FIG. 3b) at its upper
edge. In a hole 8 in the internal ring 24 of front 21 of the
mattress 10, is accommodated the transparent viewing chamber 6. In
this embodiment internal ring 24 presses on transparent viewing
chamber 6 to secure the chamber 6 in a correct position to hole 8.
The same function of internal ring 24 in this embodiment, is
carried out in the previous embodiments by the lock-belt. A
lock-belt is unnecessary in this embodiment of the air-mattress.
The front 21 of air-mattress 10 consists of an external ring 25, an
internal ring 24 with its hole 8 and a soft protecting ring 20. All
three said rings and the air-mattress may be produced as one
unit.
[0049] In FIGS. 4 and 5a is seen opening 9 of transparent viewing
chamber 6 (not illustrated here). In FIG. 5a the observer 22 lying
on air-mattress 10, has started to put his face 23 into opening 9,
in order to insert most of his head, or even the entire head in the
transparent viewing chamber.
[0050] In FIG. 5b is shown a view of the bottom of front 21 of
air-mattress 10, with external ring 24, transparent view chamber 6
and ring 24 which will soon press against chamber 6 when ring 24 is
more inflated.
[0051] The embodiments of the present invention, including the
preferred embodiments, disclosed herein are intended to be
illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that
various modifications and adaptations of the present invention as
well as alternative embodiments of the present invention may be
contemplated. It is to be understood the present invention is not
limited to sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any
and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *