US3835852A

US3835852A - Underwater breathing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3835852A
Application number: US00324859A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-18
Filing date: 1973-01-18
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17

Abstract

Breathing apparatus including a conventional diving mask and a separate mouthpiece to which breathing conduits are connected. The mouthpiece includes protrusions to be gripped by the mouth of the user. A duct connects and communicates the mouthpiece and the facemask and has a disconnect therein of a type that could easily be separated and includes one-way valves in the respective separated ends that prevents seepage into the mask or mouthpiece.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Anderson Sept. 17, 1974 UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Robert Alfred Anderson, 18458 Aguiro St., Huntington Beach, Calif. 91745 22 Filed: Jan. 18,1973

21 Appl. No.: 324,859

Wilson 128/142 3,433,222 3/1969 Pinto 1211/1422 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 733,473 l/l95l Great Britain 128/142 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Henry J. Recla [5 7 ABSTRACT Breathing apparatus including a conventional diving mask and a separate mouthpiece to which breathing conduits are connected. The mouthpiece includes protrusions to be gripped by the mouth of the user. A duct connects and communicates the mouthpiece and the facemask and has a disconnect therein of a type that could easily be separated and includes one-way valves in the respective separated ends that prevents seepage into the mask or mouthpiece.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS Other features and advantages will be apparent from the detailed specification, claims, and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view of one style of the apparatus assembled.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 which is a frontal view.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken at the centerline so designated and numbered 3.

FIG. 4 is a front view 'of a second style or mode of gas passage.

The invention is shown applied to the mouthpiece assembly 12 of a two-hose regulator. The twin air hoses 13 loop around in a circle and each one ends in either side of the mouthpiece and is sealed with clamps 14. The skin-diving facemask 11 is a sealed facial air gap with a transparent viewing plate covering the eyes and nose of the wearer. In FIG. 4 the facemask is the same configuration as in FIG. 1, 2, 3 but numbered 41.

The connection junction 15 is a quick disconnect. A strap 22 slips over the wearers head to hold the assembly but particularly the facemask to the wearers face. Part of the mouthpiece 21 normally extends into the users mouth where it can be gripped by teeth which holds the assembly but particularly the mouthpiece to the divers face.

Another embodiment is to use conventional skindiving facemasks and mouthpiece assemblys without modification incorporated into them and connect the two with a Y shaped tube 43. Nuts 44 can be utilized to seal the entrance into the mask.

The advantage of enabling nosebreathing in addition to mouth breathing affords greater comfort and ease. A pressurized facemask aids in equalization of pressure on both sides of the eardrum of the divers eustachen tubes. This is also known as clearing the ears.

The quick dry disconnect can be of the dole valve type which screws together. Upon detachment of the junction, which must take place in order to remove the mouthpiece all the way from the divers mouth, both resultant ends seal due to spring loading and prevent leakage. Conventional full face masks enable nose and mouth breathing but this device has at least two distinct advantages over them. The mouthpiece can be removed to supply air'to a fellow diver easily and quickly and if the faceplate of the facemask should break vision only might be lost instead of both vision and air.

Another advantage is that this device can be manufactured with but minimum modifications to existing tooling.

The second embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 4 is extremely simple and inexpensive. It has the advantage of enabling the conversion of existing conventional mouthpieces and facemasks to full face breathing. The specific embodiment shown could easily be made of hard plastic such as ABS, PVC, polypropylene etc. by injection molding, vacuum forming, etc. In order to install it three holes slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the tubing must be made. One is in the mouthpiece and two in the facemask, one on either side of the nose as shown. Two nuts then seal the connection by being tightened down on either surface of the rubber. Although a quick disconnect feature is not shown in the second embodiment, one can be incorporated by slight design change.

It is to be contemplated that the configuration ration of the passageway can be varied to allow for other other designs of incorporation into mouthpieces and facemasks and other styles of quick disconnect and sealing. Such a design could eliminate the need for a screw connection and be a press fit.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Underwater breathing apparatus consisting of a facemask for enclosing the eyes and nose only, a mouthpiece separate from said facemask, a source of breathing gas, hosing communicating said source to said mouthpiece, a duct connecting and communicating said mouthpiece and said facemask to further convey said gas into said facemask, said duct including a disconnect means for quickly separating said mouthpiece from said facemask and sealing the respective ends thereof to prevent seepage into the mask or mouthpiece.