INFLATION DEVICE

An inflation device (5) for an inflatable article (such a life jacket), includes a housing (8) for holding a container of pressurised fluid (6), a displacement means (12) including a piercing means (15) displaceable so as to penetrate the container (6) and allow the release of said pressurised fluid, and actuation means (23, 27, 28, 29) having engaging co-operating elements (17, 25) which engage to retain the displacement means (12) in an unactuated configuration. The actuation means (23, 27, 28, 29) release the displacement means (12) both through the presence of water or by manual operation. The co-operating elements (17, 25) are substantially radially arranged. The line along which the displacement means (12) acts may be coaxial with the radii o f the co-operating elements (17, 25). One of the co-operating elements (17) is capable of inward radial movement, and the actuation means (27, 28, 29) operates to prevent that co-operating element's (17) radially inward movement. Similarly, one of the co-operating elements (25) is capable of outward radial movement, and also prevented by the actuating means (23). When the actuation means (23, 27, 28, 29) is triggered (by water or by the manual release), the movement of one of the co-operating elements (17, 25) causes the displacement means (12, 15) to pierce the container.