Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
  • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
  • B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
  • B63C11/18—Air supply
  • B63C11/22—Air supply carried by diver
  • B63C11/24—Air supply carried by diver in closed circulation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
  • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
  • B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
  • B63C11/12—Diving masks
  • B63C11/14—Diving masks with forced air supply

Definitions

• bail-out systems such as closed or semi-closed circuit scuba equipment. Both of these contain the common elements of a gas supply, a breathing bag (i.e. an expandable volume), a C0_ scrubbing canister, and a way of metering gas into the system to maintain a high enough oxygen level.
• the * less-than-one- minute 1 bai l-out cylinder described above can be made to last for a half hour or more.
• breathing apparatus including headgear and means for supplying breathable gas thereto which further comprises a stowable bag connected directly to the headgear and bag deployment means whereby the bag may be deployed for use with the headgear as a means of containing a breath ⁇ able volume of gas.
• the direct connection may be made by mounting the bag directly on a helmet or face mask forming part of the headgear thereby avoiding the use of additional connecting hoses.
• the breathing apparatus comprises a helmet, a breathable gas supply connected to the helmet, means for pro iding a neck seal for the " helmet, a flexible bag stowable in the neck region of the helmet and releasable retaining means for securing the bag in a stowed position in said neck region of the helmet, the said retaining means being operable to release the bag from the stowed position to a deployed position where breathable gas supplied to the helmet inflates the bag to form a gas-containing breathing bag.
• the headgear has directly connected thereto a canister containing CO -absorbent material which under normal use of the headgear s protected against exposure to C0 ? and water, and has.
• the canister s preferably directly connected to the head ⁇ gear by mounting the canister directly on a helmet or face mask forming part of the headgear thereby avoiding the use of additional hoses. It is particularly preferred that the C0 ? scrubber canister is mounted directly at the oral-nasal mask in- order to reduce C0--retaining dead space to a minimum and thus allow pendulum breathing (i .e. bi-directional flow), thereby getting a double pass through the CO ⁇ 'absorbent material and minimising the required volume and weight of C0-,-absorbent material.
• the cannister is provided with sealing means whereby rotation of the canister with respect to the sealing means, or vice versa, exposes the C0 ? - absorbent material to gas breathed by a user of the headgear.
• the canister is sealed by means including low pressure relief valves communicating ith the helmet interior and operative in opposite di rections.
• the bag may be formed as part of the neck dam material normally provided in diving headgear. Altern ⁇ atively, it may be a separate item which is directly connected to the helmet or face mask.
• the improved breathing apparatus of this invention provides a flexible helmet- neck dam material restricted from ballooning in normal use by releasable fasten ng means, but capable upon release of expanding n response to helmet pressure to form a breathing bag.
• Another way is to have a band of flexible but reasonably stiff material extending up from the neck ring or yoke into the helmet, forcing the breathing bag up with it and into a fold around it.
• the bag material cannot balloon, as it is trapped between either the helmet and the strip, or the strip and the diver.
• the most advantageous method of pro iding a stowable breathing bag for a helmet which incidentally allows a larger volume than that just described above, is to form a bag of a flexible material, fasten it in the neck region of the helmet, and stow it within the helmet by turning the bag inside out and pushing it into the interior of the neckdam to fill the space under the chin and beneath the jaw on either side of the neck of a user of the headgear.
• the release of the bag for use is preferably achieved by using bag deployment means comprising a flexible rod attached at both ends thereof to said bag at opposing side portions of the bag which are intended to be stowed on either side of the neck of a user of the apparatus, and a pull handle attached to said rod in a central position.
• An advantage of t is arrangement is that with the bag within the helmet and inside-out, it is flattened into the stowed position by helmet pressure so that there is no possibility of 'ballooning' with resultant trim and buoyancy changes in then normal mode.
• FIG. 1 shows a cross sect on through a diving helmet forming part of breathing apparatus of this invention in wh ch the neckdam/breathing bag is in the normal stowed position;
• Fig. 2 shows an enlarged iew of part of the helmet showing one possible form of the releasable fastening means for retaining the neckdam/bag in the stowed position as illustrated in Fig.1;
• Fig. 3 shows a breathing bag in the stowed position beneath the chin and on either side of the neck of a user of the breathing apparatus (helmet removed); and Fig. 4 shows a breathing bag in the deployed position beneath a helmet forming part of the apparatus of this i nvent i on.
• Examp le 1 In a first embodiment of the invention as i ll ⁇ ustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a diver's helmet (1) is prov ded with a flexible material (2) capable of being stowed (Fig.
• the flexible material (2) has an upper edge fixed to the neck ring (10) of the helmet (1) and is stowed within the neck region (3) of the helmet (1) by use of releasable restraining means comprising a strip- (4) of flexible but reasonably stiff material extending up from the neck ring or yoke (5) into the helmet (1), forcing the material (2) up with it and into a fold around it.
• the flexible material cannot balloon, as it is trapped between either the helmet (1) and the strip (4); or the strip (4) and the neck of a diver wearing the apparatus and in this position serves as a neckdam.
• a flexible rod (6) (more preferably two rods, one on either side of the helmet (1)) is threaded through a series of loops (7) which are linked by a cord (8) passing through the yoke (5) to a retainer (9) on the far side of the strip (4).
• the end(s) . of the rod(s) (6) stick(s) out at the front of the helmet (1) and a hand grip (not shown) is provided at the end(s) .
• the diver pulls the rod (6 ) through the series of loops (7 ) thus freeing the flexible strip (4).
• a second and preferred embodiment as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises a diver's helmet (11) which is located in the yoke ( 15) of a diver's suit and sealed with a neckdam material ( 12). Besi ' de this neckdam material (12), in the neck region (13) to the front of the yoke (15), there is located a breathing bag (14) which s stowed (Fig. 3) inside-out so as to lie flat under the diver's chin and beneath the jaw to either side of his neck.
• the bag (14) i.s secured to the neckdam material, but it could easily be secured else ⁇ where as long as the method of secural did not interfere with deployment of the bag (14) from the helmet (11).
• a flexible rod (16) is attached at both ends thereof to the bag (14) at opposing side portions (141, 14r) of the bag (14) which are intended to be stowed in the helmet (11) to either side of the neck of a diver.
• a pull handle (17) is attached by cord (18) to the flexible rod (16) at a central position.
• the bag (14) when inflated is of substantially cylindrical shape, but tapering towards the middle where an opening (20) provides a connecting passage between the helmet interior andthe bag interior.
• the helmet (11) is also provided with a CO -removing canister (21) which contains CO ⁇ -absorbing material.
• This canister (21 ) is mounted close to and directly connected to the helmet oral-nasal mask (22) to reduce CO -retai ni ng dead space to a minimum and thus allow pendulum breathing (bi-directional flow).
• pendulum breathing (bi-directional flow).
• An oxygen make-up tank is pro ided on the diver's back (not illustrated) and this completes the three elements required to turn the diving headgear into a semi-closed system.
• rotation of the C0 ? removal canister (21) opens a) the in-and-out from the oral- nasal mask (22); b) the in-and-out from the canister (21) to the helmet interior; and c) the metabolic oxygen make-up flow, supplied from a cylinder of oxygen- rich, helium/oxygen mixture on the diver's back.
• the canister Prior to deployment, the canister is essentially sealed off, but protected by low pressure relief valves communi cat i ng with the helmet interior facing both in and out. Thus, there will be some gas flowing in and out as the diver goes up and down in the water, but it will be slight. Likewise, the 0 ? make-up flow is shut off.
• the bag (14) When in the stowed position, the bag (14) gives no discomfort to the diver since, being inside the helmet and inside-out, it is trapped in the space under the diver's chin and under the helmet liner and so held in place. Additionally, since it is in the outside position and helmet pressure tends to flatten it into t is position there is absolutely no 'ballooning' of the bag (14) and so no trim and buoyancy changes in the normal mode of use .

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pulmonology (AREA)
• Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10575852

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1985
  • 1985-03-12 GB GB858506341A patent/GB8506341D0/en active Pending
• 1986
  • 1986-03-12 WO PCT/GB1986/000139 patent/WO1986005461A1/en unknown
  • 1986-03-12 EP EP19860901934 patent/EP0214264A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-03-12 GB GB08627033A patent/GB2183163B/en not_active Expired

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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