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EP-4588775-B1 - BREATHING DEVICE FOR DIVERS

EP4588775B1EP 4588775 B1EP4588775 B1EP 4588775B1EP-4588775-B1

Inventors

  • GODOY, CARLOS ALBERTO

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241230

Claims (13)

  1. Breathing device (1) for divers comprising a mouthpiece (2) and a rigid breathing tube (3) having a first end (4) with an inclined opening (5) and a second end connected to a fitting (6) of the mouthpiece (2), a shutter (7) movable between an open position and a closed position of said opening (5) of said first end (4), a float (8) for actuating said shutter (7), first articulation means (9) of said shutter (7) to said tube (3), second articulation means (10) of said float (8) to said tube (3), wherein said breathing tube (3) is formed from a single tubular piece externally to which said first and second articulation means (9, 10) are positioned, characterized in that the second articulation means (10) comprise a swinging cap (11) for protective covering of said first end (4) of the breathing tube (3), said cap (11) having a positioning seat (12) where the float (8) is fixed.
  2. Breathing device (1) for divers according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a terminal portion of the breathing tube (3) comprising said first end (4) and externally presenting said first and second articulation means (9, 10) has a tubular internal perimeter profile with a constant cross-sectional area.
  3. Breathing device (1) for divers according to claim 2, characterized in that the entire breathing tube (3) has a tubular internal perimeter profile with a constant cross-sectional area.
  4. Breathing device (1) for divers according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the entire breathing tube (3) has a tubular internal perimeter profile with a constant elliptical cross-sectional area.
  5. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said first articulation means (9) comprise a first pair of rotation pins (13) defining a first hinge axis (14) integrally formed with said tube (3), and said second articulation means (10) comprise a second pair of rotation pins (15) defining a second hinge axis (16) integrally formed with said tube (3).
  6. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said first articulation means (9) comprise a first pair of rotation pins (13) defining a first hinge axis (14), and said second articulation means (10) comprise a second pair of rotation pins (15) defining a second hinge axis (16), said first pair of rotation pins (13) and said second pair of rotation pins (15) being formed on an externally fitted support to said tube (3).
  7. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that said second pair of pins (15) hinge said cap (11) to said breathing tube (3).
  8. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any preceding claim 6 and 7, characterized in that said first and second hinge axes (14, 16) are parallel.
  9. Breathing device (1) for divers according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said first hinge axis (14) is interposed between said first end (4) and said second hinge axis (16).
  10. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any preceding claim , characterized in that said float (8) is made of a closed-porosity deformable material block press-fitted into said positioning seat (12).
  11. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that said first articulation means (9) comprise a bracket (17) having two parallel arms (18) projecting from the tube (3) extending orthogonally from the first hinge axis (14) and connected by a crossbar (19), and in that said shutter (7) is equipped with a counterweight (20) and is rigidly fixed to said bracket (17).
  12. Breathing device (1) for divers according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said shutter (7) extends from a flat flange (21) of the crossbar (19) of said bracket (17) orthogonal to the two arms (18) of said bracket (17).
  13. Breathing device (1) for divers according to any one of claims 11 to 12, characterized in that the cap (11) has a sliding wall for said bracket (17).

Description

The present invention relates to a breathing device for divers of the type known by the English name "snorkel," which is intended for surface swimming and shallow free-diving. In general, such a device includes a tube equipped at one open end with automatic closure means to prevent water entry in the presence of waves or during free-diving, and at the other open end with a mouthpiece. In most cases, the automatic closure means consist of a float that controls a shutter at the first end of the tube. According to US Patent 2,815,751, the first end of the tube is semicircular, with its opening facing downward. The tube is also equipped with a pair of overlapping brackets that oscillate around the same axis. The bracket closest to the first end of the tube contains the shutter, while the bracket farther from the first end is connected to a float that pushes the shutter to close the opening of the first end of the tube when submerged. When the tube is not in a horizontal position or even upside down during the diver's descent, the float loses its ability to push the shutter against the opening of the breathing tube, and in this case, only hydrostatic pressure keeps the shutter in the closed position. Besides the limited functionality of the float when the tube is not vertical with the first end facing upward, the automatic closure means suffer from excessive bulkiness and a heterogeneity of component elements, which are made from different materials. Consequently, the technical solution is relatively costly. According to Patent Application WO 96 03313, the float and shutter are directly articulated on the opening of the breathing tube to reduce the bulk of the device. However, this structural simplicity is not accompanied by reliable operational safety due to the precariousness of the articulation means. In US Patent 5,960,791, the shutter and float form a single piece, which reduces the bulk but compromises functionality. Since the shutter is rigidly connected to the float, when the float moves due to waves or the swimmer's head movement, there is a risk of unwanted splashes of water entering the tube. Patent EP2684796A1 addresses the previous issues with an improved float-shutter system and reduced bulk, but the proposed solution can sometimes cause breathing problems. In fact, to reduce bulk, the solution involves adding a second tube positioned internally at the end of the main tube, which results in a significant reduction of the cross-sectional area. This reduced section increases the effort required for inhaling and exhaling. In other words, the swimmer must exert more effort to breathe compared to a conventional breathing tube, which, however, has other issues explained earlier. US2008/047552A1 discloses methods for improving the performance and design of snorkels that are arranged to reduce splashes of water from entering the snorkel during use. The technical task of this invention, therefore, is to create a breathing device for divers that eliminates the technical drawbacks mentioned in known technology. Within this technical task, one objective of the invention is to create a breathing device for divers where the automatic closure means at one end of the tube have reduced bulk, high structural simplicity, high mechanical strength, low cost, reliable operational safety regardless of the orientation of the tube, and that allows the swimmer to breathe with less effort compared to known technology. The technical task, as well as these and other objectives, according to the present invention, are achieved by creating a breathing device for divers according to Claim 1. In a preferred embodiment, at least the terminal portion of the breathing tube that includes the first end and externally features the said first and second articulation means has a tubular internal perimeter profile with a constant cross-sectional area. In a preferred embodiment, the entire breathing tube has a constant cross-sectional internal tubular profile. Other features of the present invention are further defined in the subsequent claims. Additional features and advantages of the invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the breathing device according to the invention, illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an isometric view of the breathing device with the shutter in the open position;Figure 1A shows an exploded view of the breathing device;Figure 2 shows a view of the breathing device with the shutter in the open position, sectioned along a plane containing the axis of the breathing tube;Figure 3 shows a view of the breathing device with the shutter in the closed position, sectioned along a plane containing the axis of the breathing tube. With reference to the cited figures, a breathing device for divers is shown and generally indicated by reference number 1. The breathing device 1 for divers includes a mouth