JP2024081906A - Respiratory system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a respirator that does not impede the movement of the wearer. [Solution] The respirator reduces the pressure of gas in a gas cylinder carried by the wearer and sends it to a facepiece, and is equipped with piping connected to the facepiece, and the piping has an expandable portion that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction. [Selected Figure] Figure 7

Description

This disclosure relates to the respiratory system.

Firefighters carry out rescue operations in dangerous locations, such as fire sites. For this reason, firefighters wear respiratory equipment when carrying out rescue operations.

Such a respirator is disclosed, for example, in JP 2019-205784 A (Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-205784 A

Conventional respirators can restrict the wearer's movement.

According to one aspect, a respirator that reduces the pressure of gas in a gas cylinder carried by the wearer and sends it to a facepiece includes piping that is connected to the facepiece, and the piping has an expandable section that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction.

In a respirator configured in this way, the piping has an expandable section that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction, so even if the required length of the piping changes, this change can be absorbed by the expandable section. As a result, the wearer's movements are not impeded even if the position of the facepiece changes.

Preferably, the stretchable section has a bellows-shaped portion. In this case, the use of a bellows-shaped portion allows the stretchable section to be formed with a simple structure.

Preferably, the stretchable section has an inner hose provided in the bellows-shaped portion. In this case, air flows smoothly through the inner hose in the stretchable section. Furthermore, since the stretchable section does not deform inward from the inner hose, it is possible to prevent the movement of the stretchable section from being hindered when the stretchable section deforms. The bellows shape creates stretchability by continuously changing the cross-sectional area in the longitudinal direction, but has a new problem in that the air flowing inside loses energy due to friction with the hose wall and between the air flows. Unlike the stretchable section, the inner hose has a straight structure that does not change its cross-sectional area, but since the inner hose cannot absorb the change due to stretching, if they are connected in parallel, the stretchability of the inner hose will limit the stretchability of the entire hose. Therefore, by not fixing one end of the inner hose to the face piece, the inner hose is structured so that it is not affected by the deformation of the stretchable section.

Preferably, the piping is at least one of an air supply line and a pressure inspection line. In this case, it is possible to prevent the movement of the facepiece from being impeded in either the air supply line or the pressure inspection line.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wearer 201 wearing a face piece 11 and a backpack 300 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wearer 201 wearing the face piece 11 and the backpack 300 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the wearer 201 with the shackle 240 raised. FIG. 4 is a first perspective view of a backpack 300 having a respirator 400 according to an embodiment as viewed from the wearer 201 side. FIG. 5 is a second perspective view of the backpack 300 having the respirator 400 according to the embodiment, with the cover of the lower portion 332 removed, as viewed from the wearer 201 side. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the expansion section 500 provided in the air supply line 210. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the expandable portion 500 in a contracted state. FIG. 9 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the expandable portion 500 in a contracted state. FIG. 10 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the expandable portion 500 in an expanded state.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts and components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of these will not be repeated.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a wearer 201 wearing a face piece 11 and a backpack 300 according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a view of the wearer 201 with the scoro 240 raised.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, this is a perspective view of a wearer 201 wearing a face piece 11 and a backpack 300 according to an embodiment. The wearer 201 is wearing protective clothing 200. The head of the wearer 201 is protected by a helmet 230, a face piece 11, and a brace 240. The wearer 201 is wearing the backpack 300. A gas cylinder 250 is attached to the backpack 300. No pressure demand valve is provided on the front body surface 241 or the face piece 11 of the protective clothing 200.

The backpack 300 extends from the upper part 331 to the lower part 332. The gas cylinder 250, which extends from the upper part 331 to the lower part 332, is fixed to the backpack 300 with a band. The tip of the gas cylinder 250 is inserted between the two rod-shaped parts of the backpack 300. Respiratory gas containing oxygen, for example air, is compressed and filled into the gas cylinder 250 as an inhalation gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.

The lower part 332 of the backpack 300 is provided with a bypass valve switch 301 and a positive pressure lock switch 302. The bypass valve switch 301 is a switch for directing the high-pressure gas discharged from the gas cylinder 250 to the face piece 11 without passing through the pressure demand valve.

The positive pressure lock switch 302 is for stopping the positive pressure supplied from the air supply line 210 to the facepiece 11. When the wearer 201 removes the facepiece 11, gas continues to be supplied to the facepiece 11 from the air supply line 210, and the supplied gas is not used and is released into the atmosphere. To prevent this, the positive pressure lock switch 302 can be operated to cut off the gas supply from the air supply line 210, thereby preventing gas from being wasted.

A guard bar is provided on the lower part 332 of the backpack 300. The guard bar protects the lower part 332 of the backpack 300 and allows the backpack 300 to stand on its own on the ground.

The facepiece 11 is worn on the head of the human body and is composed of a facepiece body 21 that is configured to cover the wearer's face when worn, and a tightening strap 22 for fastening the facepiece body 21 to the wearer's head.

The facepiece body 21 is composed of a front plate 31, which is a colorless and transparent plate-like member having a size sufficient to cover the human face, and a support 32 that supports the front plate 31 in front of the wearer's face with an appropriate distance from the wearer's face when the mask is worn. This front plate 31 is a member also known as an eyepiece.

A rotation mechanism 100 is attached to the face piece 11. The rotation mechanism 100 is a member located between the air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220 and the front panel 31. One end of the rotation mechanism 100 is connected to the air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220. The other end of the rotation mechanism 100 is connected to the front panel 31.

Figure 4 is a first perspective view of the backpack 300 having the respirator 400 according to the embodiment, as seen from the wearer 201 side. Figure 5 is a second perspective view of the backpack 300 having the respirator 400 according to the embodiment, as seen from the wearer 201 side, with the cover of the lower part 332 removed. This is a second perspective view of the backpack 300 having the respirator 400 according to the embodiment, as seen from the wearer 201 side.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the backpack 300 has a body 330 .
The main body 330 extends in the longitudinal direction from an upper portion 331 to a lower portion 332. The upper portion 331 is provided with a pair of a first protruding portion 336 and a second protruding portion 337. The first protruding portion 336 is provided with a belt hole 338. The second protruding portion 337 is provided with a belt hole 339.

The upper part 331 refers to the upper half in the longitudinal direction, and the lower part 332 refers to the lower half in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the main body 330 has the upper part 331 located on the neck side of the wearer and the lower part 332 located on the waist side of the wearer.

The main body 330 is provided with four cushions 307 for positioning the gas cylinder 250. A lid 335 is provided between the cushions 307.

The main body 330 is provided with a connector 310. The connector 310 is provided to be rotatable around a rotation axis relative to the main body 330. A joint 315 and a connector 314 are provided at the tip of the connector 310. The connector 314 is connected to the gas cylinder 250.

The main body 330 is provided with a protruding portion 303. A belt hole 309 is formed in the protruding portion 303. The protruding portion 303 is provided so as to cover the bypass valve switch 301 and the positive pressure lock switch 302.

A hose 312 is connected to the main body 330. A display device 313 is attached to the end of the hose 312. The display device 313 displays the remaining amount of air or the remaining pressure in the gas cylinder 250.

The air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220 are arranged between the two guide sections 351, 352.

The pressure demand valve 380 has the function of supplying air at a pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure to the facepiece 11 in response to breathing.

The pressure demand valve 380 is connected to the facepiece 11 by the pressure inspection line 220, so the pressure inside the case of the pressure demand valve 380 fluctuates as the wearer 201 breathes. When the pressure inside the case fluctuates, the diaphragm is affected by the pressure fluctuation and its shape changes. The air supply port of the pressure demand valve 380 is connected to the facepiece 11 by the air supply line 210. The pressure inside the facepiece 11 fluctuates due to the air supplied to it, and the fluctuating pressure is detected by the pressure inspection port in the pressure demand valve 380 via the pressure inspection line 220, and this pressure fluctuation moves the diaphragm. The main body 330 is provided with a drain plug. Water accumulated inside the pressure demand valve 380 can be drained by opening the drain plug.

In Figures 1 and 2, the shackle 240 is lowered, so the rotating mechanism 100 is not visible, but in Figure 3, the shackle 240 is raised, so the rotating mechanism 100, the air supply line 210, and the pressure inspection line 220 are exposed. The air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220 are preferably positioned on the left side of the wearer 201. This is because the wearer 201 carries a fire hose on his right shoulder, and if the air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220 were placed on the right side, they would interfere with the fire hose.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the expansion section 500 provided in the air supply line 210. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 6.

The air supply line 210, which is a hose that supplies air from the primary side (regulator side) (pressure demand valve 380 side) of the respirator 400 to the secondary side (facepiece 11 side), has a double structure that combines reduced friction between the inner and outer walls of the hose and elasticity, and is the elastic section 500. The elastic section 500 may be provided in the pressure inspection line 220.

The bellows-shaped outer hose 530 is fixed to the primary outer hose connector 540 by the primary fixing device 520. The bellows-shaped outer hose 530 is fixed to the secondary outer hose connector 2101 by the secondary fixing device 510.

The inner hose 560 is inserted into the outer hose 530. The inner hose 560 is fixed to the primary side inner hose connector 2102 by the primary side fixing device 520. The inner hose 560 is not fixed to the secondary side outer hose connector 2101.

A groove is provided on the outer periphery of the primary side outer hose connector 2102, and an O-ring 550 is fitted into the groove. The O-ring 550 maintains airtightness between the primary side outer hose connector 2102 and the outer hose 530.

The telescopic section 500 is provided in either the air supply line 210 or the pressure inspection line 220 between the backpack 300 and the face piece 11. The telescopic section 500 may be provided in both the air supply line 210 and the pressure inspection line 220. The secondary side external hose connector 2101 and the primary side external hose connector 2102 are connected to piping that constitutes either the air supply line 210 or the pressure inspection line 220.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the stretchable portion 500 in a contracted state. Figure 9 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the stretchable portion 500 in a contracted state. Figure 10 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the stretchable portion 500 in an extended state.

By expanding and contracting the outer hose 530, the air supply line 210 and pressure inspection line 220 do not interfere with the movement of the backpack 300 and the facepiece 11 even if the distance between the backpack 300 and the facepiece 11 changes. Because the inner hose 560 is provided inside the outer hose 530, it is possible to prevent energy loss due to friction between the bellows-shaped outer hose 530 and the inner wall surface of the hose or friction between air and air.

In this embodiment, the inner hose 560 is fixed on the primary side, but it may be free on the primary side and the inner hose 560 may be fixed on the secondary side.

The respirator in this embodiment is a so-called open-type respirator. In an open-type respirator, the air in the gas cylinder 250 is supplied to the facepiece 11 via a pressure reducing valve, a pressure demand valve 380, or a demand valve. The air in the facepiece 11 is discharged to the atmosphere, and is not returned to the pressure demand valve 380. In contrast, the above configuration can be applied to a closed-circuit respirator. In a closed-circuit respirator, a closed circuit is provided. Therefore, oxygen in the gas cylinder 250 is supplied to the closed circuit via a pressure reducing valve and a demand valve. Gas is supplied from the closed circuit to the facepiece 11, and the gas is returned from the facepiece 11 to the closed circuit. Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the returned gas by a carbon dioxide absorbent, and gas according to the amount of deficiency is supplied to the closed circuit.

That is, the expandable section 500 can be provided in a portion of the gas circuit that circulates gas in a closed circuit. The outer hose 530 is made of, for example, rubber. If it may be used at high temperatures, it is preferable that it be made of heat-resistant rubber.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which an air supply line 210 and a pressure inspection line 220 are provided, but it is sufficient that at least an air supply line 210 is provided; a pressure inspection line 220 does not necessarily have to be provided.

(Appendix 1)
The respirator 400 reduces the pressure of gas in a gas cylinder 250 carried on the wearer's back 201 and sends the gas to the facepiece 11, and is provided with an air supply line 210 or a pressure inspection line 220 as a pipe connected to the facepiece 11, and the air supply line 210 or the pressure inspection line 220 has an expansion section 500 that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction.

(Appendix 2)
2. The respirator (400) of claim 1, wherein the telescopic portion (500) has an outer hose (530) as a bellows-shaped portion.

(Appendix 3)
3. The respirator (400) of claim 2, wherein the telescopic portion (500) has an inner hose (560) disposed within the bellows-like portion.

(Appendix 4)
4. The respirator (400) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the piping is at least one of an air supply line and a pressure measurement line.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

11 facepiece, 21 facepiece body, 22 tightening string, 31 front plate, 32 support, 100 rotation mechanism, 200 protective suit, 201 wearer, 210 air supply line, 220 pressure inspection line, 230 helmet, 240 pressure lock switch, 241 front of body, 250 gas cylinder, 300 backpack, 301 bypass valve switch, 302 positive pressure lock switch, 303 extension, 307 cushion, 309, 338, 339 belt hole, 310 connector, 312 hose, 313 display device, 314 connector, 315 joint, 330 body, 331 upper part, 332 lower part, 336 first protruding part, 337 second protruding part, 380 pressure demand valve, 400 respirator, 500 expansion part, 510 Secondary side fixing device, 520 Primary side fixing device, 530 Outer hose, 540 Outer hose connector, 550 O-ring, 560 Inner hose, 2101 Secondary side outer hose connector, 2102 Primary side outer hose connector.

Claims (4)

A respirator that reduces the pressure of gas in a gas cylinder carried by the wearer and sends it to a facepiece, the respirator having piping connected to the facepiece, the piping having an expandable section that can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction. The respirator of claim 1, wherein the elastic portion has a bellows-shaped portion. The respirator according to claim 2, wherein the expandable portion has an inner hose provided within the bellows-shaped portion. 4. The respiratory apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piping is at least one of an air supply line and a pressure measurement line.

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