UNDERWATER COMMUNICATION ACCESSORY TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of scuba diving. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for communicating during scuba diving.

BACKGROUND

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (scuba) to breathe underwater.

Unlike other modes of diving, which rely either on breath-hold or on air pumped from the surface, scuba divers cany their own source of breathing gas, usually compressed air, allowing them great freedom of movement. Scuba diving lacks reasonable communication means, for forwarding information to the diver, and for receiving information therefrom.

In one aspect of the invention, the invention provides an apparatus for reasonable communication means, for forwarding information to the diver, and for receiving information therefrom In one aspect of the invention, the invention provides a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the invention is directed to an underwater accessory (10), including:

- a sealed casing (20), for housing a computerized wireless device (32), the sealed casing (20) including a waterproof sheet (22) for pressing a touch screen (50) therethrough for transferring information from the computerized wireless device (32), and for watching (58) the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet (22), for receiving information from the computerized wireless device (32); and

- a pressure supply assembly (52), for supplying pressurized air (56) to the sealed casing (20), the pressure ranged for enabling operating (62) the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet (22) against underwater pressure (36),

- thereby utilizing a conventional computerized wireless device (32) underwater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an underwater accessory according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a person wearing the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1, and once further tuning the pressure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well- known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an underwater accessory according to one embodiment of the present invention. An underwater accessory 10 constitutes a sealed casing 20, for housing a computerized wireless device 32; and a pressure supply assembly 52, for supplying pressurized air 56 into sealed casing 20.

Touch screen 50 of a conventional computerized wireless device 32 is operable upon receiving a point pressure 62, named herein "operable pressure", of 20-60 grams applied by the user's finger.

Sealed casing 20 includes a waterproof sheet 22, for pressing touch screen 50 for operating it in the underwater pressure.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1.

Waterproof sheet 22 is sufficiently transparent for allowing the user's eye 58 to watch the touch screen 50 of computerized wireless device 32 therethrough. Waterproof sheet is further sufficiently flexible, for pressing touch screen 50 therethrough.

Casing 20 accompanies the user in typing information on touch screen 50, and in reading information from touch screen 50.

Casing 20 is sealed, for protecting computerized wireless device 32, and thus it does not accompany the user in speaking to phone 32 or in listening therefrom.

Pressurized air 56 is supplied equally to sealed casing 20 and to computerized wireless device 32 through holes 38 of computerized wireless device 32, thus the pressure 34A in sealed casing 20 and in computerized wireless device 32 is equal.

According to one embodiment, presenting a non-accurate aspect of the invention, the pressure 34A supplied by pressure supply assembly 52, is equal to the underwater pressure 36, for balancing the external pressure 36 to the internal pressure 34 A.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a person wearing the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1.

Pressure supply assembly 52 includes piping 26 being connected to the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (sc uba) 12 of the user and communicating therewith.

Thus, for example, upon diving to a depth of 30 meters, the pressure meter 16 of scuba 12 measures a pressure of 4 atmospheres, and thus the pressure valve 24 of scuba 12 limits the air supplied by the compressed air tank 14, to the pressure of 4 atmospheres.

Scuba 12 supplies the 4 atmospheres of air, except for the breathing, also to pressure supply assembly 52 of underwater accessory 10.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the underwater accessory of Fig. 1, while containing the computerized wireless device of Fig. 1, and once further tuning the pressure.

Touch screen 50 of a conventional computerized wireless device 32 is operable upon receiving a point pressure of 20-60 grams applied by the user's finger, exceeding the surrounding pressure. Thus, the pressure supplied to sealed casing 20 must be accurate in the range of dozens of grams of the operable pressure.

Thus, pressure supply assembly 52 preferably includes a pressure valve 18 of its own, for tuning the pressure supplied to sealed casing 20 to conform to the range of the pressure required for operating touch screen 50.

According to a preferred embodiment, the pressure supplied by pressure supply assembly 52 is attenuated by pressure valve 18, to be pressure 34B being slightly smaller than the underwater pressure 36.

Pressure 34B draws waterproof sheet 22 towards touch screen 50, as indicated by arrow 54, since being slightly smaller than underwater pressure 36, thus attaching waterproof sheet 22 of underwater accessory 10 to touch screen 50. This effect makes the user's finger almost press touch screen 50.

The difference between pressure 34B and pressure 36 must be sufficiently small for not making waterproof sheet 22 press touch screen 50 at a pressure exceeding the operable pressure 62 (described in Fig. 1). Underwater accessory 10 allows transferring and receiving information, and thus communicating at underwater with a conventional computerized wireless device 32.

The diver may thus receive indications regarding scuba 12 on screen 50, such as regarding the depth of the diving, on the air pressure in air tank 14, on the environmental temperature, regarding decompression tables, time left, and regarding warning, via a special application for divers.

Computerized wireless device 32 may include pre-prepared messages, for just selecting one of them. Computerized wireless device 32 may allow communication between divers, being proximate one to the other via wireless communication, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, sonar, optical, other acoustic communication etc, or long range communication.

Computerized wireless device 32 of one diver may send pictures to a computerized wireless device 32 of another diver, which may be through the camera and the flash of the computerized wireless device.

Computerized wireless device 32 may be utilized for transferring vibrations to the diver, for proving relevant messages thereby. Computerized wireless device 32 may be a mobile phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant, etc.

Computerized wireless device 32 may include various sensors, being adapted to divers, e.g., a barometer, electrodes for measuring the sealing.

Thus, the invention is directed to an underwater accessory (10), including:

- a sealed casing (20), for housing a computerized wireless device (32), the sealed casing (20) including a waterproof sheet (22) for pressing a touch screen (50) therethrough for transferring information from the computerized wireless device (32), and for watching (58) the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet (22), for receiving information from the computerized wireless device (32); and

- a pressure supply assembly (52), for supplying pressurized air (56) to the sealed casing (20), the pressure ranged for enabling operating (62) the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet

(22) against underwater pressure (36),

thereby utilizing a conventional computerized wireless device (32) underwater. The waterproof sheet (22) is sufficiently transparent for allowing the watching (58) therethrough.

The waterproof sheet (22) is sufficiently flexible for allowing the pressing therethrough.

The pressure of the air (56) supplied to the sealed casing (20) ranged for enabling operating the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet (22) against underwater pressure (36), may include a pressure being substantially equal to the underwater pressure (36).

However, preferably, the pressure of the air (56) supplied to the sealed casing (20) ranged for enabling operating the touch screen (50) through the waterproof sheet (22) against underwater pressure (36), may include a pressure being smaller than the underwater pressure (36) in a range of fingers pressing, for attaching the waterproof sheet (22) of the underwater accessory (10) to the touch screen (50) of the computerized wireless device (32). The pressure supply assembly (52) may include piping (26) being connected to the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (12), for receiving pressurized air therefrom.

The pressure supply assembly (52) may include a pressure valve (18), for tuning pressure supplied from the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (12).

In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned: - numeral 10 denotes the underwater accessory, according to one embodiment of the invention;

- numeral 12 denotes the S elf-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (scuba);

- numeral 14 denotes the air tank of the scuba;

- numeral 16 denotes the pressure meter;

- numeral 18 denotes a pressure valve, being in addition to the pressure valve of the scuba;

- numeral 20 denotes the sealed casing;

- numeral 22 denotes the waterproof sheet of the sealed casing;

- numeral 24 denotes the pressure valve of the scuba;

- numeral 26 denotes the piping communicating the sealed casing to the scuba;

- numeral 32 denotes a computerized wireless device, such as a conventional mobile phone;

- numerals 34A and 34B denote pressures of the air, supplied to the sealed casing;

- numeral 36 denotes the underwater pressure, being as a function of the depth of the diving;

- numeral 38 denotes a hole in the casing of the computerized wireless device, representing that the casing is not sealed and thus that the pressure supplied to the sealed casing is equal to the pressure within the computerized wireless device;

- numeral 50 denotes the touch screen of the computerized wireless device;

- numeral 52 denotes the pressure supply assembly;

- numeral 54 denotes an arrow;

- numeral 56 denotes supplied pressurized air; numeral 58 denotes the user's eye watching the screen;and

numeral 62 denotes the pressure applied on the touch screen upon which the touch screen provides signals.

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.