US010155573B2 (12 ) United States Patent ( 10 ) Patent No. : US 10 , 155 , 573 B2 Burleson et al. (45 ) Date of Patent: Dec . 18 , 2018 ( 54 ) PORTABLE INFLATABLE HABITAT WITH 2259/ 4566 ; B63G 8 /001 ; B636 8 / 14 ; MODULAR PAYLOAD , SYSTEM AND B63G 8 /08 METHOD See application file for complete search history . (71 ) Applicants :Winslow Scott Burleson , New York , ( 56 ) References Cited NY (US ) ; Michael Lombardi , Rumford , RI ( US) U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS 3 ,299 ,645 A * 1/ 1967 Link .. .. B63C 11 / 44 ( 72 ) Inventors : Winslow Scott Burleson , New York , 114 / 314 NY (US ) ; Michael Lombardi, 3 , 543 ,526 A * 12 / 1970 Krasberg .. B63C 11 /44 Rumford , RI (US ) 114 /333 ( 73 ) Assignee : New York University , New York , NY (Continued ) (US ) OTHER PUBLICATIONS ( * ) Notice : Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Lombardi, M . , Burleson , W . , Godfrey, J . , Fryburg , R ., An Experi patent is extended or adjusted under 35 mental Deployment of a Portable Inflatable Habitat in Open Water U . S .C . 154 (b ) by 0 days . to Augment Lengthy In - Water Decompression by Scientific Divers, 2013 , Marine technology Society Journal, Nov. /Dec . 2013 vol. 47 (21 ) Appl . No. : 15 /438 ,415 No. 6 , paes 52 -64 . ( Year : 2013 ) . * ( 22 ) Filed : Feb . 21 , 2017 Primary Examiner — Carib A Oquendo (65 ) Prior Publication Data ( 74 ) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Ansel M . Schwartz US 2017 / 0253312 A1 Sep . 7 , 2017 ( 57 ) ABSTRACT A diving apparatus for a diver underwater includes a por Related U . S . Application Data table habitat in which a breathable environment is main tained underwater . The habitat has a collapsible envelope . (60 ) Provisional application No . 62 / 302 ,608 , filed on Mar. The collapsible envelope takes shape through inflation to an 2 , 2016 . expanded state underwater. The habitat has a modular pay (51 ) Int. Ci. load which removably attaches to the envelope underwater. B63C 11 / 32 ( 2006 .01 ) The habitat has a seat on which a diver can sit while the B63C 11/ 44 ( 2006 .01 ) habitat is underwater . The modular payload has a breathable gas source to provide breathable gas for the diver to breathe (Continued ) in the habitat and a carbon dioxide scrubber which removes ( 52 ) U . S . CI. carbon dioxide from the environment when the habitat is CPC . .. .. B63C 11 /325 ( 2013 .01 ) ; B01D 53 /62 underwater. The apparatus has an anchor mechanism ( 2013 .01 ) ; B63C 11/ 18 ( 2013 .01 ) ; B63C 11/ 42 attached to the habitat to maintain the habitat at a desired ( 2013. 01 ) ; depth underwater . A method for a diver to dive underwater. ( Continued ) A system for supporting a diver underwater . A diving ( 58 ) Field of Classification Search apparatus having a propulsion unit. An apparatus for a user CPC . .. .. .. B63C 11/ 325 ; B63C 11 /44 ; B63C 11/ 42 ; in outer space or on another planet . B63C 11 /34 ; B63C 11/ 30 ; B63C 11 /52 ; B01D 2257 /504 ; B01D 53 /0407 ; B01D 22 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets {NFLATABLE ENVELOPE ? ???? 16 46 OXYGEN DISPLACEMENT GAS 38 ASCRUBBER TV36 02 . 34 ) 24 PINS TO LATCH MODULAR PAYLOAD US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 Page 2 (51 ) Int. Ci. 3 , 729 ,005 A * 4 /1973 Lee . .. .. .. A61F 13 / 49406 B63C 11/ 42 ( 2006 . 01 ) 604 / 366 B01D 53 /62 ( 2006 . 01 ) 3 ,800 ,722 A * 4 / 1974 Lepage .. .. .. B63C 11 / 42 B63C 11 / 18 ( 2006 . 01 ) 114 /333 B63B 21 / 26 3 , 875 , 753 A * 4 / 1975 Ehlers .. B63C 11/ 44 ( 2006 .01 ) 405 / 185 (52 ) U . S . CI. 3 ,924 ,616 A * 12/ 1975 Banjavich B63C 11/ 24 CPC . .. B63C 11/ 44 ( 2013 .01 ) ; B01D 2251/ 302 128 /201 . 25 (2013 . 01 ) ; BOID 2251/ 404 ( 2013 .01 ) ; BOID 4 , 026 , 283 A * 5 / 1977 Banjavich .. B63C 11/ 24 2257 / 504 ( 2013 . 01 ) ; B01D 2258 /06 (2013 .01 ) ; 128 / 201. 27 B01D 2259 / 4566 (2013 . 01 ) ; B63B 2021 /267 4 , 208 , 152 A * 6 / 1980 ColstonColston .. B63C 11/ 28 ( 2013 .01 ) ; YO2C 10 /04 ( 2013. 01 ) ; YO2C 10 /08 126 / 204 (2013 .01 ) 4 ,724 ,790 A * 2 / 1988 Blanc .. .. B63C 11/ 44 114 /315 ( 56 ) References Cited 5 , 727 , 906 A * 3 / 1998 Nuckols .. B63C 11/ 325 126 / 204 U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS 2002/ 0083653 Al * 7 / 2002 Hilbert . .. E04H 1 / 1277 52 / 2 . 17 3 ,706 ,206 A * 12/ 1972 Clark . .. .. .. B63C 11 / 34 405 /185 * cited by examinerne U . S . Patent Dec. 18 , 2018 Sheet 1 of 11 US 10 ,155 ,573 B2 INFLATABLE1 ENVELOPE ??14 22 w 16 46 OXYGEN DISPLACEMENT GAS 738 38 - 7 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 24- 7 34 ) PINS TO LATCH MODULAR PAYLOAD FIG . 1 BENCH SEATS 26 OXYGEN La MANIFOLD . DISPLACEMENT GAS MANIFOLD www 36 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww w wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. wwwwwwwwwwwwww w wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww w . .. .. .. wwwwwwww . .. .. .. .. lu . w ww wwwwww FIG . 2 U . S . Patent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 2 of 11 US 10 , 155 , 573 B2 POOLWITH BALLAST FIG.3 CA atent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 3 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 SCRUBBER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION WHEN OPEN 52 - FAN 748 - (CO2 REMOVED ) O MONITOR SCRUBBER 129 BATTERYBATTERY/ 55 ???? + GAS FLOW ( CO2 RICH ) SIZE = MISSION DURATION X 1. 5 FOR SAFETY FIG . 4 SCRUBBER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION WHEN CLOSED FOR TRANSPORT TO HABITAT - 59 54 02 MANIFOLD DEMAND REGULATOR FED BATTERY FROM OXYGEN SUPPLY FIG . 5 CAP WITH OVER PRESSURE RELIEF U . S . Patent Dec . 18, 2018 Sheet 4 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 FRAME -64 MODULARPAYLOAD STRAP FIG.6 ENVELOPE 22 FRAME AT . ? MODULARPAYLOAD ni U . S . Patent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 5 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 = = = = = HABITAT 147 . SPACE INITIAL DEPLOYMENT PAYLOAD ????????? HABITAT PAYLOAD CONSUMED SPACE AND REMOVED / REPLENISHED AT SURFACE PAYLOAD = = = = = HABITAT NEW PAYLOAD SPACE INSTALLED FOR SUBSEQUENT OCCUPANTS PAYLOAD FIG . Y Patent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 6 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 DILUENT SIDE DISTRIBUTION 56 SHUTOFF / MANIFOLD ISOLATORS 77 CHECK VALVE 717 , CHECKW / QDVALVE DEMAND REGULATORS FOR EMERGENCY EGRESS 75 - 75 DISPLACEMENT GAS CYLINDERS FIT TO FRAME FIG . 8 U . S . Patent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 7 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 MANIFOLD Har81 QUICK CONNECT SHUTOFF 50 WITH CHECK VALVE NEEDLE VALVE 0 . 5 TO 1 LPM 02 DEMAND REGULATOR REDUNDANT O2 SUPPLY CYLINDERS Koos FIG . 9 U . S . Patent Dec. 18, 2018 Sheet 8 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 RATCHETING METER / VW /INCH FOR VARIABLE - DEPTH FIG .10 U . S . Patent Dec . 18, 2018 Sheet 9 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 INTERIOR EXTERIOR BALL VALVES wwwwwwwww 15512Lt | 22 22152 Tin 160 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww AIR LOCK FIG . 11 APPARATUS 710 HABITAT ENVELOPE MODULAR PAYLOAD ANCHOR MECHANISM PROPULSION 104 UNIT 102 MARINE PROPELLER / Wwwwwww ENGINE ENGINE PUSH / PULL Fkommand G parsemaine U . S . Patent Dec . 18 , 2018 Sheet 10 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 FIG . 13 wwwwwwwwwwwwww FIG . 14 U . S . Patent Dec . 18, 2018 Sheet 11 of 11 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 Www IN 152 + FIG . 15 122 FIG . 16 14 wwwwwwwwwwww FIG . 17 US 10 , 155 ,573 B2 PORTABLE INFLATABLE HABITAT WITH dollar annual budget . The project has since been reconsti MODULAR PAYLOAD , SYSTEM AND tuted by Florida Atlantic University but continues to struggle METHOD with financial sustainability . The prior art self - contained underwater breathing appa CROSS -REFERENCE TO RELATED 5 ratus provides for about 8 hours of life support . This time is APPLICATIONS used for the cumulative bottom and decompression phases of the dive . This is a non - provisional of U . S . provisional application Ser. No . 62/ 302, 608 filed Mar. 2 , 2016 , incorporatedad by by 10 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION reference herein . The present invention allows these 8 hours to be utilized on the bottom for work / exploration , with the present inven FIELD OF THE INVENTION tion augmenting the dive duration during the resulting extended decompression stays , e . g ., enabling multiple The present invention is related to a portable diving 15 sequential 8 hour work /exploration phases . The present apparatus for a diver underwater that has a breathable invention is portable and modular to make it readily deploy environment and a replacement modular payload which able and easily utilized by a board spectrum of the diving provides a breathable gas and a carbon dioxide scrubber . ( As population with lower cost and infrastructure than existing used herein , references to the “ present invention ” or “ inven platforms. tion ” relate to exemplary embodiments and not necessarily 20 The present invention continues the development of a to every embodiment encompassed by the appended claims. ) portable inflatable habitat and significantly improves human More specifically , the present invention is related to a performance in the undersea environment. Coupling the portable diving apparatus for a diver underwater that has a delicate , intricate , and intimate performance of a human breathable environment and a replacementmodular payload with extended , cost- effective , undersea stays contributes which provides a breathable gas and a carbon dioxide 25 substantially to the marine sciences. In the context of scrubber , where the diver can sit and remove diving equip exploration , coupling this new capability with established ment to rest and / or decompress and / or carry out tasks within robotics and imaging technologies will provide a compre this breathable environment . hensive technology platform by which vast areas of ocean space can be examined in an all new way . BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 30 The present invention is a next evolutionary step to an already successful exploration program of Lombardi funded This section is intended to introduce the reader to various by the National Geographic Society , where broad , multi aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the disciplinary research topics are being addressed at the lower present invention . The following discussion is intended to limits of Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs ), a national provide information to facilitate a better understanding of 35 science priority , to depths nearing 150 meters of sea water the present invention .