Turning air off after equipment assembly

[GrumpyOldGuy]

In this day and age, when we can put a man on the moon and manufacture diving computers that can tell you everything except when to take your next bowl movement, why don't we have a tank valve that we know for certain when it is on or off. I have thought about it and come up with an invention. It consists of a hole, a cotter pin, and a piece of wire. When you turn the wheel on a air tank to the on position it exposes a little hole in the shaft. You stick the cotter pin thru the hole. The piece of wire attaches the cotter pin to the tank so it doesn't get lost. The cotter pin prevents the wheel from being closed. I have read where cave divers rubbing the valve on the cave roof can accidentally close the valve. The cotter pin would prevent this from happening. If the cotter pin is in the hole you know the valve is on. If the cotter pin isn't in the hole there is a good chance the valve is off. So how about it? Can I patent this and make a million dollars?

+2 for a creative idea.
-1 in that most cold water divers and/or cave divers want to be able to turn off their valve in case of free flow (obviously they have redundant supplies or a good buddy).
-1 in that changing anything in the dive industry is hard, new ideas tend to get smoked just because they are new / different. Its a hard crowd to please.

Here is another one you can have. Put a clicker ratchet on the valve. Not to make it one way, but to make loud clicking noise when turned[-] counter[/-] clockwise (off). That way when someone is turning it off instead of on, they know it instantly. As a bonus, if a DM does a behind you head move, you know it. Make it loud enough and anyone within 10 feet would know it.

Its not hard to do a patent search and file a provisional patent. That gives you time to sell the idea to someone with the deep pockets (and insurance) to make & sell the product.[-][/-]

 

[redacted]

Think of it like zipping up your fly. Most folks just don't seem to have a problem. And this is one your buddy probably does not mind checking.

 

[Ayisha]

Please note that counter clockwise is ON. Righty tighty, lefty loosey...

 

[brnt999]

Please note that counter clockwise is ON. Righty tighty, lefty loosey...

Is that counter clockwise when you are facing the front of the BCD or the back of it?

 

[kelemvor]

Such a product already exists - its a replacement tank handle with IIRC a red/green colored stripe on it that is exposed based on on/off.

I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier when I posted. My LPS 108's have those. However, you can't see the handle once you've got the tank on your back. I didn't order them special or anything, they just came that way when I bought the tanks. This is what they look like:

Righty tighty, lefty loosey...

I see what you did there... political humor!

 

[Hatul]

I'm a big believer in the indicator valves and all three of my tanks have them. Still, if you turn off the air you should depressurize the system even with the loss of a little air, and always test all regs before getting in the water.

 

[Edward3c]

Please note that counter clockwise is ON. Righty tighty, lefty loosey...

Doesn't work on lefthanded threaded valves.

Best advice I've had. Tell the guide/DM at the start that if they touch my kit without my permission their NOT going to get a tip. Works every time


Kind regards

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Is that counter clockwise when you are facing the front of the BCD or the back of it?

My bad, fixed. You got the idea (turning off create a rachet, which can be hear and felt) and pointed out the reason people screw it up at the same time - a 2 fer.

The red green indicators are another nice idea. Unfortunately a significant number of the male population is red/green color blind. A smart idea would be to use a pattern also

 

[Tigerman]

Well, if youre red/green color blind you still figure out the traffic lights.. location is everything

 

[axop]

Many leaks can be detected while on the boat ride. I leave it on for rides less then 45 minutes anything above pressurize it.
Take a at least 3 breaths prior dive (at least 3, in case valve is off)