Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
  • A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
  • A62B18/00—Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort
  • A62B18/08—Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices
  • A62B18/084—Means for fastening gas-masks to heads or helmets

Definitions

• the invention relates to respiratory protection equipment comprising a respiratory mask, a harness allowing rapid fitting on the face and sometimes protective goggles against smoke, integrated or not in the mask.
• the present invention aims in particular to provide a respiratory protection equipment ensuring comfort at least equivalent to that of existing equipment during periods of wearing the mask where it is not necessary to apply it enough on the face to resist an overpressure of the respiratory gas and reduce the consumption of breathing gas during these periods.
• the invention provides in particular an equipment of the kind defined above, the extendable strap of which is connected to the face cover by at least one mechanical member of length adjustable by the user during the wearing of the equipment.
• This mechanical member can be constituted by a rack fixed to one end of the strap and a pawl carried by the face cover, allowing the relative movement of the strap and the face cover in the tightening direction, the pawl being disarmable to allow moving the rack in the opposite direction.
• This arrangement can be reversed, the rack then being fixed to the face cover.
• the pneumatic connection between the face cover, which carries the user-controllable means for supplying the inflatable element, and this inflatable element is provided to allow relative sliding. So that the inflation control causes the rack to come into the maximum tightening position, this result can be achieved by extending the rack by a hollow piston displaceable in a cylinder secured to the face cover.
• the piston then separates the cylinder into two compar iments, one of which is connected to the supply of the inflatable element and the other to the atmosphere.
• the protective equipment can be supplemented by an aneroid capsule constituting an altimetric detector and automatically causing the pressurization of the cylinder compartment causing maximum tightening in the event of ambient depressurization.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of protective equipment for implementing one invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view on a large scale showing the components of one piece of equipment allowing rapid fitting and adjustment of the pressure of the mask on the face.
• Respiratory rescue equipment shown in Figure 1 shown in the state it is in when the harness is inflated, can be viewed as having a mask 8 and a harness 10.
• the mask shown has an oronasal face cover attached to a demand regulator 13 and a rigid connection block 12.
• the connection block is provided with a connection connector with a flexible pipe 14 intended to be connected to a source of pressurized respiratory gas
• the harness shown has two straps 16 each consisting of an internal tube 17 made of a material allowing the tube to lengthen, contained in an inextensible sheath 19 limiting the elongation of the tube (fig. 2).
• the regulator will be with or without dilution with air drawn into the cabin, with or without the possibility of overpressure.
• the regulator is connected to the supply line 14 by the connection block 12.
• the block carries means for manually controlling the inflation of the straps 16, constituted for example by a tap intended to be actuated by manual pinching of two ears 18 carried by the connection block 12 and one of which is tiltable.
• the valve is constructed so as to bring into communication an internal volume of the connection block 12 and the straps 16 with the atmosphere when it is free, which then allows the straps to retract and apply the mask against the face.
• the tap When the tap is actuated, it admits, on the contrary, pressurized gas coming from the supply line 14 into the interior volume, which causes a lengthening of the straps sufficient to allow rapid fitting.
• At least one of the branches of the harness is connected to the regulator on demand by means of a mechanical length adjusting member.
• a mechanical length adjusting member In the case illustrated in FIG. 1, two members 20 are provided, each connecting one end of the harness to the regulator or to the connection block.
• the length of the internal tube 17 in the relaxed state is chosen so that the harness still applies the mask to the face with sufficient pressure when the adjusting member has its minimum length, even on wearers having the head circumference. lower expected. It is generally accepted that this minimum head circumference is 56 cm.
• the tap making it possible to fully inflate or drain the harness may have the conventional constitution shown in FIG. 2.
• a passage 22 in which is mounted a plunger 24 which constitutes a double shutter member.
• One end of the passage is connected to the supply of pressurized respiratory gas.
• the other end opens to the atmosphere.
• a first O-ring 26 carried by the plunger 24 rests on a cylindrical portion of the passage 22 and separates the gas supply from an interior volume of the block when the plunger 24 is held by the intake pressure in support. against the ear 18 in the rest position.
• the displacement of the plunger brings a second O-ring 28 in abutment against a sectional portion of the passage and separates the internal volume from 1 atmosphere.
• the adjustment member 20 comprises a rack 30 extended by a tip 32 on which the end of the harness is fixed in leaktight manner. Opposite the end piece 32, the rack is extended by an annular piston 34.
• the portion of the adjustment member capable of sliding relative to the rack consists of an arm of the housing 12 which houses a rack pawl 36 provided with a release button 38.
• a spring 40 pushes the pawl 36 towards a position where it engages on the rack 30 and prohibits the movement of the latter in a direction corresponding to the elongation of the adjusting member.
• the arm of the housing is also provided a cylinder which the annular piston 34 separates a compartment 42 connected to the atmosphere by an orifice 44 and a second compartment 46.
• the internal volume of the tap communicates with the tube 17 by means of aligned holes made in the arm of the housing, in the rack 30 and in the nozzle 32.
• a path 47 balances the pressure prevailing in the compartment 46 and the pressure in the harness.
• O-rings carried by the piston 34 sealingly separate the compartments 42 and 46.
• the mode of use of the equipment is then as follows. Installation: when the user wishes to put the mask which is placed in a storage box, he grabs it by the connection block 12, takes it out of the box and presses the ears 18. The arrival of respiratory gas is then connected to the harness and, via the passage 47, in the compartment 46. The force exerted on the annular piston 34 moves it, to the right in the case of FIG. 2, and brings the adjustment member into its position minimum length. When the user has placed the mask on his face, he releases the ears 18. The mask is applied to the face with a maximum strength.
• emergency tightening it can be carried out by pushing the flange 50 of the adjustment member (or each adjustment member) fully back. It is also possible to cause this tightening by fully inflating the harness by pressing on the ear 18. The compartment 46 is then put under pressure and "rearms" the rack by bringing it to its rightmost position. As soon as the ear is released, the harness returns to the maximum tightening position.
• the user When the user wishes to replace the mask in its box, it fully inflates the harness by action on the ear 18.
• the pressure in the compartment 46 automatically rearms the rack.
• the user Once the mask has been removed, the user only has to release the ear 18 so that the harness becomes flexible and allows storage in a state such that the tightening will be maximum in the event of replacement of the equipment on the head.
• two mechanical adjustment members In the case where two mechanical adjustment members are provided, it suffices that one of the two has a pneumatic connection with the straps.
• FIG 3 shows an alternative embodiment causing maximum tightening in the case of depressurization.
• Emergency tightening is caused by pressurizing the compartment 46 using a barometric capsule 52. This capsule is subjected to ambient pressure. It is provided with a push rod 54 which causes the forced opening of a valve 56 when the ambient pressure drops below a predetermined value. The valve 56 then communicates the arrival of pressurized respiratory gas with the compartment 46 connected to the atmosphere by a constriction 58 making it possible then to cause the slow deflation of the compartment 46.
• a non-return valve 60 connects the downstream of the valve 56 to the internal volume of the housing 12 and to the harness, to avoid discharging in the open air.
• the capsule In the event of depressurization while the rack is in the intermediate position, the capsule causes the compartment 46 to be pressurized and the rack to be completely reset.
• the throttle 58 does not allow the pressure to drop in the compartment 46 until it is no longer supplied by the valve 56.
• the non-return valve 60 prevents the flow in the open air when the compartment 46 is pressurized.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pulmonology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)
• Telephone Function (AREA)
• Filters For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Plant Substances (AREA)
• Massaging Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9526246

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Families Citing this family (50)

Family Cites Families (22)

• 1998
  • 1998-05-12 FR FR9805949A patent/FR2778575B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-05-07 JP JP2000548045A patent/JP2002514482A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-05-07 EP EP99918026A patent/EP1077743B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-05-07 ID IDW20002344A patent/ID29278A/id unknown
  • 1999-05-07 WO PCT/FR1999/001087 patent/WO1999058197A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-05-07 AT AT99918026T patent/ATE276799T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-05-07 KR KR1020007012612A patent/KR20010043518A/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-05-07 DE DE69920441T patent/DE69920441T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-05-07 AU AU36097/99A patent/AU3609799A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-05-07 US US09/700,117 patent/US6470887B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-05-07 CN CNB998060917A patent/CN1146456C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-05-07 RU RU2000131162/12A patent/RU2214845C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-05-07 ES ES99918026T patent/ES2229700T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-07-05 UA UA2000116386A patent/UA55535C2/uk unknown
• 2000
  • 2000-11-10 NO NO20005695A patent/NO320451B1/no unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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