Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B9/00—Component parts for respiratory or breathing apparatus
  • A62B9/02—Valves
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B17/00—Protective clothing affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents or for use at high altitudes
  • A62B17/006—Protective clothing affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents or for use at high altitudes against contamination from chemicals, toxic or hostile environments; ABC suits

Definitions

• Valve unit of a totally protective clothing
• the present invention refers to a valve unit, preferably for air of that kind that is indicated in the preamble of the accompanied main claims.
• Working environments of kind that are dangerous to health are very diversified. In most cases totally protective clothing is required to wear by the person, who is to make an effort in those usually closed spaces. Examples of such ones are nuclear power plants, chemical works, research laboratories, isotope laboratories, wells, of type cesspools and manure wells.
• the contaminated environment can be as well corrosive, as radio active or contain biological active harmful organisms and appear as gases or dust.
• the valve unit and the surronding equipments that are connected to the protective clothing and this to make secure and reliable supply of air for ventilation purpose into the clothing for the comfort of the carrier, and furthermore for the letter's continuous and necsessary need of breathing air supplied in.
• Known protective clothings have control means, which give undefined flow amounts for ventilation and admit low pressure values to the free space of the clothing, and further more the outbreathed breathing air is used as an essential component in that very flushing air that is to ventilate the protective clothing.
• Example of such a ventilation where the outlet valve in the protective clothing continuously drains off outwards a flushing amount corresponding to the outbreathed amount of air is disclosed in the patent specification DE-PS 1241713. - 2 -
• Control valve arranged in protective clothing for supply of pressure air for ventilation- and breathing purposes is described in a Swedish patent, published as No. 439588.
• the control valve. is here a pressure control valve essentially comprising a membrane 11 that is spring-loaded and of a handle bar arm arranged on a pressure valve 10, that sets the membrane to an appropriate position to achieve the overpressure of the clothing.
• the transfer of breathing air is taking place from a non- volume defined inflated free-room 4, and that the out aspirated air more serves as flushing air.
• a carrier of a protective clothing equipped with valve unit according to the invention is always secured pure feeding air from the air supply sources, as the carrier is carrying breathing mask with breathing valve of free-flow helmet.
• breathing air taken from the free-room 4, and consequently, is composed by mixed air by the existance of the inhalation valve 3 and the exhalation valve 5.
• the valve unit for ventilation air according to the invention is essentially cam-profile operated and put under a pressure of 7.5 bars.
• An aim of the present invention is to achieve ell- defined, by the carrier person of the clothing, adjustable and in advance by him known air flow volumes in litres per minute , and according to the working conditions related above, adapted flows of ventilation into the protective clothing and by that to attein a comfortable and ' suit- ably pressurized free-room between the carrier of the clothing and the clothing itself.
• a purpose is furthermore that the input air fed to the valve unit of the clothing can, alternatively depending on the circumstances , be taken from an external air supply source and be distributed by the valve unit within the clothing as ventilation air at the same time through flow takes place via an overflow passage to air- connected breathing mask/ valve , being arranged to the carrier's breathing organ, or where appropriate, that internal con- tainer for compressed air, carried under the protective clothing co-operates with the valve unit and connecting components belonging to the same, in order to provide the carrier pr ⁇ ima-r-er -y with breathing air, when the ventilation function can be throttled or by different reasons complete- ly can be blocked.
• a further purpose of the present invention is to increase the level of security in relation to what is known in the art by being able to connect alternative by-pass and switching devices, that can start to function in emergency cases and especially also be used in test situations. So for ex- aple alternative components can be put in the valve unit as spindles, nozzles etc.
• a suitable embody ent of the valve unit put in its connection according to. the invention is shown in Fig- 1 a schematic outline of a person carrying a totally protective clothing with the valve unit tightenly connected to the clothingwall and passing through the wall, with external and internal hose connectors intended for external and internal air, Fig. 2 more in detail and partly in section an overview of the connection of the inlets and the internal passages arranged to an interior valve house and the connection of a cam knob to an outer valve housing,
• Fig. 3 partly in section a distributing cover that, when applied by screwing against the clothingwall be means of a cover holder, clamps up the distributing cover via the intermediate fitted seal ring, and ensure the valve unit to tighteningly attachement against the clothing wall,
• Fig. 4 a lateral view of the cam knob attached to the outer top section of the valve housing
• Fig. 4a a front view of the cam knob with marked values of air indicated as litres per minute that is to vent the protective clothing
• Fig. 4b a cam knob arranged to the valve housing, part-- ly in section, showing a hole, and inside the cam knob a cam-profile path is provided,
• Fig. 4c a view of a horisontal section in Fig. 4b and a path of the cam-profile provided concentrically to the fulcrum of the knob and four holes in the valve housing, Fig. 5 an extention of the cam profile and the positions where a valve spindle with its end abutting the cam- profile,
• Fig. 6 an essential part of the valve unit located inside the clothing, and partially as broken up section view, and - 5 - where a displaceable spindle takes an initial position, a sealing position *
• Fig. 8 the same detailed view as in Fig. 7, but the spindle displacement to an off position of a seat S Formula and the passage of air out from the channels of the spindle an d via hole in the valve spindle housing,
• FIG. 9 detailed view in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, but with the end position of the displacable spindle, and a seat S_ for the passage of the ventilation air via nozzles out into distributing cover
• the Figures 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a are enlarged detail views that principally show the air passages in their positions respectively,
• Fig. 10 the transfer passage of the incoming feeding air through the valve unit at closed or open position for ventilation air, so called by-pass function
• Fig. 11 the two channels and T-pieces of the distributing cover
• valve unit 3 With 1 is designated a totally protective clothing of a modern kind with glass gauge for the carrier's sight and the valve unit 3, tightenly attached in front on the chest for safe and comfortable control.
• An external air source 2a provides the valve unit, via mobile hose 4 and alternative connecting couplings said unit, with air that is flowing through the same.
• This air will be divided up in the valve unit 3 as ventilation air to the clothing by means of the divert channels 7 and 7' for further passage via venti- lation hoses 11 and ll'of the clothing, which each distribu- - 6 - te the ventilation air upwards to the arms and downwards to the legs.
• From the valve unit 3, via transfer channel, - air for breathing purposes emanates by an attached hose 6, (see Fig.
• Fig 2 shows an embodyment of the valve unit 3 according to the invention in that a valve housing 13, sealingly attached to the exterior clothing wall la, carries a controllable cam knob 19 that by means of a cover plate 21 protects a clamp ring 22 and is snapped in close to the valve housing.
• the cam knob 19 protects the position defining device inside the casing of the cam knob, as more in detail are shown from the Figures 4b, 4c and Fig. 5.
• four holes 24 are arranged in the valve housing 3 for reception of a spring-loaded positioning ball 23 that at the rotary motion of the cam knob finds its fixed rest position in one respective hole 24.
• the valve housing 13 has inside the protective clothing an arranged section that must be sealed against out-or inflowing media, and has therefor attached around the wall opening of the clothing a thin sealing ring 34 illustrated according to Fig. 3.
• the ring 34 is lying over notches 36 in a distributing cover 26 ountable on the above said opening and is by that sealingly located against the clothing wall la.
• a good sealing is achieved by the fact that a hook-shaped fastener has been arranged around the distributing cover 26, and so performed that it clamps up the clothing wall against the valve housing 13, when a cover holder 27 is screwed on the distributing cover 26.
• the cover holder is by means of gasket ring, so called 0-ring sealingly fixed to the distributing cover, and gives here space for a chamber 11, in that part of the valve unit 3 that protrudes in the protective clothing, i.e. the free space 14.
• the valve unit 3 primarily comprises a therein arranged spindle housing 25 that by means of 0-rings 38 (Fig. 6) are sealingly mounted in the space of the distributing cover 26.
• a quick coupling 15 with integreted non-return valve is threadedly fixed to the outer lower part of the valve unit 3, and an overflow channel 16 in the valve housing of the unit 3 is in communication with the chamber 17.
• a communication channel 52 carrying breathing air is connected, and said channel ends in an orifice (see Fig. 10), with the arrangements 45, 51 leading to the distributing cover 26.
• To the lower part of the distributing cover is sealingly inserted a male piece of a hose coupling that enables engagement of alternative internal connecting devices, as an example plug 53.
• valve spindle housing 25 a displacable spindle 28 takes four different positions depending of the control of the cam knob 19.
• the design of the cam knob is illustrated more - 8 -
• a cam profile 20 is shaped, with limited, different length of extension between the profile parts, as is obvious from the Fig. 4c.
• 24 is designated the four, concentrically around the fulcrum of the knob, performed borings in the abutment surface of the valve housing 13 against the knob 19.
• Fig. 5 shows in lateral view an extension of the path 20a of the cam profile and illustrates the profile levels, which define the different end positions L Read , L ⁇ , L administrat., L ⁇ L. ⁇ , that the spindle end 29 can take by abutment against the cam profile part, respectively.
• the spindle 28 lies displacable in its longitudinal direction in a valve spindle housing 25, that has inlet ports 48, communicating the chamber 17 via an anteroom of the valve spindle housing 25.
• a sealed seat S is located with associated 0-shaped ring 39a, that seals against a nozzle A impart (see Fig. 7a).
• the nozzle A shall.is in communication with a longitudinal channel 37 in the spindle 28.
• a short distance in on the opposite, solid end 29 of the spindle is concentrically attached an 0-shaped ring 41.
• a way in on the spindle end turned towards the seat S _ is concentrically attached an 0-shaped ring 39b, that forms a seat S to shoulders in the interiour space of the spindle housing.
• the spindle 28 has, perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, a bored up, through channel 46, that ends in the channel 37 and permits .the larger flow volumes in litres per minute to pass further into the channel 37.
• An outlet port 49 penetrates through the spindle channel 37 upwards and ends in a transfer channel arranged in the valve spindle housing inside the bored hole 50. This hole is provided with a nozzle
• the upper opening 42 of the transfer channel in the valve spindle housing 25 leads to the hollow space in the distributing cover 26. From this mentioned cover, wide distributing channels 44a, 44b lead, oriented 180 in relation to each — 9 —
• Fig. 10 With reference to Fig. 10 is shown the path that external air flows through the valve unit and how a so called bypass function is achieved. By this all mentioned ventilation positions of the clothing, as well as closed po- sition of the seat S,, can be prevailing.
• the external air fed in via hose 4 passes the channel 16 and the chamber 17, at for example closed seat S,, whereby an opening 45 in the chamber com- municates the chamber 51 and 52 arranged in a lower part - 10 -
• the pressure constituting the control pressure is 7.5 bars for the displacement of the spindle towards the path of the cam profile. This pressure is such that it easily is over- come for the displacement of the spindle in direction towards the seat S- .
• pressure reduction occurs in the chamber 17, for example at rupture of the hose 4, a reverse motion of the spindle 28 to the seat S, takes place not as a consequence of prevailing pressure differen- ces in, a channel 37, but readjustment by restoring of the cam knob of the carrier to position Vietnamese is required and recommended .
• the many-sidedness of the valve unit by its technical design manifests in case of emergency.
• the non-return valve 15 starts to function, and does not permit intake into the valve unit of contaminated air, simultaneously as feeding air, automatically or manually, quickly is transmitted from the compressed air container 2b.
• a pressure reduction sensing valve 33 is connected at the angle tee 5 on the feeding conduct.
• the feeding pressure 7.5 bars is catered for in this case by a regulator 12 arranged to the container 2b.
• the present valve unit has been manufactured and has been tested under different conditions, and aims to constitute an arbitr product to form an integral part of modern protective clothings and in that respect at least to stand up to the requirements of reliability that is claimed, when protective work is concerned.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pulmonology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Toxicology (AREA)
• Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=20410953

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1998
  • 1998-04-15 SE SE9801296A patent/SE511868C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1999
  • 1999-04-12 WO PCT/SE1999/000585 patent/WO1999055424A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-04-12 EP EP99918421A patent/EP1007157B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-04-12 DE DE69922324T patent/DE69922324T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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