KISS Manufacturing’s New Travel KISS

Here we find ourselves on the third annual Dave Hancock invitational technical dive trip aboard the Nautilus Explorer. We are patiently waiting for the tidal current to subside so we can splash on the Diamond Knot. Currently (pun intended) its running at about 3 knots. The karma of The Knot continues.

Dave invites Gordon Smith to show off his prototype Travel Kiss here in the main saloon. Everybody gathers around, some dressed in dry suit jammies, some (well, Ok, only me) dressed in the complimentary robes provided by the Nautilus. Kim Smith sets up a video camera to capture the dissection for their archives, as does Peter Den Haan. A few of us grab our cameras. Here is the story.

The travel KISS is designed to be compact, lightweight and easy to pack for traveling especially via airlines. The loaded weight with full 13cf cylinders is about 35 lbs. It shares many features with the normal KISS RB, mainly the breathing hoses, mouthpiece, KISS method of oxygen injection, and the three sensor display. The 3 sensor pickup is located on the top of the unit in a pod. It attaches via a bayonet type fitting and secures with a 90 degree turn. This pod is the same pod as on the exhale hose that houses the tilt valve for diluent injection and the overpressure relief valve. Thinking about this one can surmise that the RB can be reconfigured by the diver to be either direction gas flow and that is the case. One could also fit a solenoid injection system if one was so inclined.

Here is the 3 sensor housing. It uses K1-d sensors primarily because of their small size. The hoses are ambient pressure all the way to the display.

Here is the pod the sensor housing mounts to. This is the same piece on either inhale or exhale side. The prototype is all delrin but the production parts will be molded ABS.

Here is the pod and housing in place on the RB.

This is the exhale side pod with the tilt valve facing the camera, the fitting diagonally inserted into the housing is the diluent line and the 90 degree fitting on the right is the oxygen injection line. This is twisted 90 degrees as it is being removed from the top of the RB housing.

Shot of the top of the unit with the fabric covering pulled back. There is a hinged panel that will allow the Counterlungs to be space limited to match the lung volume of the diver. The top plate is attached to the counterlungs and the scrubber is inside the counterlungs.

The counterlungs and integrated scrubber lifted out of the frame. Prototype CL’s are neoprene but the production ones will be another material that is more durable. The scrubber is a fabric material also and can be removed from inside the counterlung for more detailed cleaning. Scrubber capacity is about 5.5 lbs.

The scrubber removed, bayonet fittings and o-ring seals are on top.

Most of the RB, minus the frame. Notice the neoprene counterlungs. The mouthpiece is standard fare from the original KISS. It has a 90 deg knob on the bottom that will instantly give the diver open circuit gas.

Counterlungs from the top. The design of the dual counterlungs and scrubber makes the gas pass through the scrubber twice, once on the way into the CL and again on the way out.

Another shot of the unit minus the frame.

Now for the travel portion of the show. Notice with the counterlungs and scrubber removed the 13cf cylinders fit inside the frame, the counterlungs and scrubber fold up pretty small. This was a part of the design, not an afterthought.

The travel KISS can be used with 13 cf cylinders or as an option 6 cf paintball cylinders with custom valves. The unit is not available for sale as of this writing 13 march 04 but is expected to be available around the middle of the second quarter of 04. The retail price is expected to be around $3500usd.

Contact Gordon@kissmanufacturing.com