AU621372B2 - Breathing apparatus system - Google Patents

Description

11; -a l ;r u lr;l il_-i r

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 19526 2 1 68 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT o o O Ao oO o 0000 0g 0 *0 A A Al 04 49 0 A( Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Address for Service: Protector Safety Pty. Ltd.

137 McCredie Road, Guildford, New South Wales, 2161, Australia ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

Complete Specification for the invention entitled BREATHING APPARATUS SYSTEM.

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 ASC 49 C) c C C 0, 5 0 :E0/06/09 0233J/PP 1j r' 1: III I

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MGM-

0589k/lfg BREATHING APPARATUS SYSTEM This invention relates to a coupling useful with portable self contained breathing apparatus carried on the back of the user and usually used in scuba diving or fire fighting. In particular it relates to a quick release method of attaching the gas cylinders of the breathing apparatus to the back harness of the wearer.

Usually the gas cylinders of a portable breathing apparatus are firmly strapped to a harness which is then strapped to the back of the user. When a change of gas cylinders is required, due to exhaustion of those carried, the harness must be removed to remove the cylinders from the wearer and a new harness complete with fresh gas cylinders strapped to the back of the user.

Clearly, in a fire fighting role, this procedure is slow, laborious and additionally, since each set of o cylinders requires its own back harness, duplication of S equipment occurs. This is expensive and limits the number S of cylinders that may be transported by a vehicle.

The present invention in one embodiment aims to provide S a quick and simple coupling which may be used for detachably securing at least one gas cylinder to a back harness such that in use the wearer may continue wearing the harness while the gas cylinders are changed and, as a side benefit, reduce duplication of equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one broad form the invention provides a coupling comprising a support member and an attachment means adapted to interconnect with said support member; said support member comprising a lower recess and an upper stop and holding means, said attachment means comprising a single lower tongue member and an upper laterally extending member, wherein in use, the lower tongue member engages in said lower recess to prevent lateral movement of the lower tongue member relative to said support member and said laterally extending member engages said stop and holding means to be supported thereon A and to prevent lateral movement of the laterally extending -4 rE~4: 0589k/lfg 2 member relative to said support member.

Preferably both the support member and attachment means units are single units, preferably they are made of plastics material and most preferably are made from high density polyurethane. However it will be appreciated that the support member and attachment means may be each comprised of separate integers.

Preferably said stop and holding means comprises two mutually parallel grooves with their open faces opposing and adapted to engage the ends of said laterally extending member.

In one form the recess is an elongate tunnel although preferably it is two elongate grooves which engage opposite longitudinal edges of the tongue member. Preferably a locking means isattached to said support means which preferably engages said tongue member to secure said support S member and attachment means together.

""0In a preferred form of the invention the support member is attached to a harness for strapping same to a human and 04 00 :0o: the attachment means is attached to at least one gas cylinder.

In another alternate form of the invention the support member may be rigidly attached to a wall, floor or ceiling So of a building or vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO 000Ci 'THE DRAWINGS •ri The invention will now be described with reference to non limiting preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 shows a back harness with the second coupling unit attached, viewed from the rear; FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the back harness and a gas cylinder to be attached, with the first unit attached; FIG. 3 shows the gas cylinder with the first coupling unit from the front; FIG. 4 is a section through FIG. 1 along line AA.

FIG. 5 shows an alternate first coupling unit, constructed of a single moulding.

i i FIG. 6 shows an alternate second coupling unit also I ii i 1, .1 0589k/lfg 3 constructed of a single moulding.

FIG. 7 shows a section along line BB of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows a section along line CC of FIG. 6.

A first form of the invention is shown in figures 1 to 4.

The first coupling unit 30 comprises two PVC plastics material mounts 3, although other plastics can be used, a top mount 2, a bottom mount 5 and a joining bar 31. The first coupling unit 30 is attached to a gas cylinder 1 as shown in FIG. 3.

The gas cylinder 1 has the top mount 2 secured to it by means of the PVC mounts 3 and steel band 4 at one end of the cylinder, while the bottom mount is secured similarly. The axes of the top and bottom mounts 2,5 are parallel to the V. cylinder axis.

I °At one end of the top mount 2 is a transverse bar 6 while at one end of the bottom mount 5 is a longitudinally extending finger 7. Adjacent the free end of the finger 7 is a side ways extending lip 8, extending towards the Scylinder 1.

The top mount support 9 is pressed metal and attached to the top of the back harness 10 by rivets or bolts etc., while the bottom support is also a metal pressing secured S similarly at its base.

°o The top mount support 9 has, pressed from itself, two o.o° spaced apart prongs 12 extending from itself and at their o free ends are tongues 13 parallel to the main body of the Ssupport 9. Two grooves 14 are thus defined, the grooves being such that the transverse bar 6 can freely pass within them. Additional support blocks 15 are provided to support the bar 6.

The bottom support has a pressed out tunnel comprised of two limbs 16 and a transverse bridge 17 joining the otherwise free ends. A longitudinal tunnel 18 is thus defined. The tunnel 18 is adapted to receive the longitudinal finger 7 and guide it the lockable position. 4 Below this tunnel is a disc rotatably attached to the bottom support and from this disc extends a first radially Sextending arm which describes a sector of a circle. At the i~ 0589k/lfg 4 free end of this arm is an annular axially extending skirt, extending towards the bottom support and subtending the same angle as the arm.

A second radially extending arm is provided on the disc by which one may rotate the disc.

To connect the cylinder to the harness the finger is inserted in the longitudinal tunnel from the end opposite that facing the disc while simultaneously the transverse bar is inserted into the grooves from the sides opposite the support blocks. The longitudinal length of the bar is greater than the gap between the support blocks and the tongues and thus it is trapped next the top mount support.

The lip extending from the finger now lies within the circle defined by the skirt of the arm. The disc is now rotated using the arm until the other arm is positioned with the skirt between the lip and the tunnel. The lip is now °o.o trapped behind the skirt and the finger cannot be removed from the tunnel, thereby securing the cylinder to the harness.

ol Removal is a rapid affnir, the disc being turned such that the lip is no longer trapped and the cylinder lifted upwards to so release it.

While one embodiment shows the top and bottom mounts being separate, clearly they could be a single item.

Similarly the top and bottom mount supports could be manufactured using a single plate. This form is shown in Figs. 5 to 8.

Referring to figures 5 to 8 an alternate form of the invention is shown.

The first coupling unit 30 is comprised of a single plastics moulding, preferably of high density polyurethane.

The cylinder mounts 3, top and bottom mounts 2 and 5 and joining bar 31 are now a single unit. Obviously costs and parts are reduced by manufacturing this unit as a single piece.

Referring to Fig. 6, the second coupling unit is manufactured integrally with a back harness, 39, again reducing parts and costs, and is preferably manufactured of plastics material, again most preferably of high density <4 rE 0589k/lfg polyurethane. The harness shown in Fig. 6 is shown without the locking member or attachment straps for clarity.

The harness/coupling unit differs from the first embodiment at both the top and bottom mount supports.

The top mount support includes air hose clips 33, 34 and an air hose tunnel 35 to secure air hoses (not shown), running from the air cylinder to the user. These are necessary, since with the top mount support being integral to the harness, the hoses cannot be passed between the two, as shown in Fig. i.

Referring to the bottom mount support, the two raised arms 16 do not have a cross bar (17 in Fig. 1) but merely two short horizontally extending arms 37. Thus a tunnel is not defined, but the arms 16, 37 serve the same function.

When the finger of the first coupling unit is inserted in the gap 38 between arms 16, the horizontal arms 37 trap the finger in a similar manner as the cross member 17.

o •The grooves of the top mount-support in the preferred embodiments face towards each other but a single upwardly 0 open horizontal groove would be adequate.

Although, in the preferred form, the locking member is shown as rotatable and engaging a lip on the first member, :on obviously any locking means which releasably engages part of the first coupling unit is satisfactory. Thus a spring loaded push type lock, similar to a door latch engaging °o I~e S0 either the first or second member would serve a similar I function.

Similarly, although in the preferred form the lip on the first member is at its free end, the invention would still work if this lip were distant from the free end. In fact there is no need for the lip to pass through the tunnel. One possible embodiment could have the lip positioned such that it never passes into the tunnel. The lock would still engage the lip to prevent removal.

A further embodiment could have the locking member rotating about an axis substantially parallel, rather than perpendicular to the tunnel, whether it engages the first or second members.

Many other modifications are obvious in respect of a 0589k/lfg 6 orientation, materials used and articles coupled; for instance the harness may be made complete with the top and bottom mount supports by injection moulding of plastics.

Two or more gas cylinders may be attached to a suitable harness, either by providing duplicate means or, preferably, by using suitable PVC mounts, the top and bottom miuints may be situated along the centre line of two adjacent cylinders.

It will be recognised by the person skilled in the art that other various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as herein described and shown in the drawings.

0 a 0 Q r* a 0 0 4 a a a i i

Claims (11)

1. A coupling comprising a support member and an attachment means adapted to interconnect with said support member; said support member comprising a lower recess and an upper stop and holding means, said attachment means comprising a single lower tongue member and an upper laterally extending member, wherein in use, the lower tongue member engages in said lower recess to prevent lateral movement of the lower tongue member relative to said support member and said laterally extending member engages said stop and holding means to be supported thereon and to prevent lateral movement of the laterally extending member relative to said support member. 0

2. The coupling of claim 1 wherein the support member S further comprises locking means, said locking means adapted to engage said lower tongue member to prevent disengagement 0 of the attachment means from the support member. 0400 :Op.

3. The coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking member engages a lip on said tongue member.

4. The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 .00 wherein the lower recess is an elongate tunnel. S

5. The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in S* a which the lower recess comprises two elongate parallel *rcr grooves which engage opposite longitudinal sides of the tongue member.

6. The coupling as -laimeI in any one of claims 1 to wherein said stop and holding means comprises at least one stop member upon which the laterally extending member is supported and two elongate parallel grooves which engage the lateral ends of the laterally extending member.

7. The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wher-in said stop and holding means comprises an upwardly open groove into which the laterally extending member engages.

8. The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said attachment means is adapted to engage at least r0 i; ~4q j S0589k/lfg 8 one compressed respirable gas cylinder.

9. The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said support means comprises a harness for attaching to the body of a person.

The coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said support means is adapted to be secured to a wall, floor or ceiling of a vehicle or building.

11. A coupling substantially as Lerein described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 17th day of December, 1991. o a 4 44 I e o o o e1ee~f a o l t I e 4 4 4t 4 4 #4 4t St I I (I i t PROTECTOR SAFETY PTY LIMITED By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE a i j ii w :i0