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
• • 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
  • A62B18/02—Masks
  • A62B18/025—Halfmasks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to pressure breathing masks such as the oxygen masks used by military aircrew.
• the exoskeleton is attached to a helmet by a mechanism which can be tightened to bring the facepiece into tighter contact with a wearer's face.
• the conventional arrangement includes a toggle bar which the wearer moves physically with his fingers.
• an inflatable bladder is positioned between the rigid exoskeleton and the flexible face piece.
• a pressure breathing mask includes a rigid exoskeleton, means for attaching the exoskeleton to a helmet, a flexible facepiece with a gas delivery connection, inflatable means positioned between the exoskeleton and the facepiece, and means for automatically inflating the inflatable means when gas is delivered under pressure to the mask characterised in that a rigid intermediate member conforming to the general configuration of the flexible facepiece and bearing against the facepiece is used to convey the effects of inflating the inflatable means to the facepiece.
• the mask will usually be an oxygen mask, the inflatable means will be a bladder and the gas will be oxygen.
• the Applicant has discovered that by using the rigid intermediate member improved operation is achieved.
• the degree of flexibility of the facepiece inevitably varies over its surface and can result in disadvantageous distortion when the facepiece is in direct contact with an inflated bladder. It has also been found that the use of the rigid intermediate member does not disadvantageously affect the flexibility of the facepiece necessary for accommodating changes in facial contours.
• the means for automatically inflating the bladder preferably comprise a connection to the oxygen delivery system.
• Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mask according to the invention
• Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mask shown in Figure 1
• FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section along line I-I of Figure 1,
• Figure is an exploded view of the side elevation of Figure 3.
• FIG. 1 is a sketch illustrating the operation of a tightening toggle of a conventional mask.
• a conventional aircrew oxygen mask for use with a pressure breathing system has an exoskeleton 10, formed of, for example, Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP) to which is secured a flexible facepiece 11 made from, for example, silicone rubber.
• GRP Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic
• the mask will normally contain radio transmission equipment at position 12, details of which are omitted for clarity.
• the exoskeleton 10 has oxygen tube access ports by means of one of which an oxygen tube can be connected via inlet 15 (Figure 2) to the inside of the facepiece 11, and the exoskeleton 10 and facepiece 11 have exhaust valves 18, 19 respectively.
• the mask exo-skeleton 10 of the mask has connecting chains 16 by means of which it can be secured to a helmet.
• the chains 16 are mounted on a toggle system 17 which, in use, can be rotated through 180 degrees (see Figure 4) to tighten the facepiece, via the exo-skeleton, against the face of a wearer (not shown) .
• an inflatable bladder 20 is positioned between the exoskeleton 10 and a rigid intermediate member 30.
• the intermediate member 30 bears on the flexible facepiece 11.
• An connector 21 ( Figure 1) allows access to the bladder.
• a wearer dons a helmet (not shown) and attaches a mask to the helmet by means of the chains 16 in the usual way.
• An oxygen pipe 22 is connected to the facepiece 11 by means of the ports Ik , and is also connected by means of a tube 23 and the connector 21 to the bladder 20.
• oxygen under pressure will be supplied not only to the wearer via the inside of the facepiece 11 but also to the bladder 20.
• the bladder 20 will inflate, so forcing the intermediate member 30 against the facepiece 11, which results in the facepiece 11 being firmly held, without distortion from its basic shape, against the face of the wearer.
• an independent gas supply preferably operated by the same actuation means as the pressurised oxygen supply, may be used for pressurising the bladder.
• this arrangement allows for different pressurisation levels of the oxygen to the user and of gas to the bladder.
• the chains 16 are illustrated as being attached to a toggle 17 this may be dispensed with in masks according to the invention, with the chains 16 being attached directly to the exoskeleton 10.
• the toggle 17 may be retained as a back-up in case of failure of the bladder 20. Versions of the mask other than for attachment to a helmet are possible.
• the intermediate member 30 should cover the maximum area of the facepiece 11 , though clearly some uncovered areas must remain to allow, for example, for an exhaust valve. Whilst the invention is ideally suited to aircrew oxygen supply equipment it will be realised that it might also have applications to other pressure breathing apparatus such as respirators as used by firemen.

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

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10717032

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (70)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1992
  • 1992-06-12 GB GB9212571A patent/GB2267648A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 1993
  • 1993-06-07 EP EP93913307A patent/EP0644787B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-06-07 AU AU43423/93A patent/AU4342393A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-06-07 WO PCT/GB1993/001202 patent/WO1993025275A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-06-07 US US08/351,306 patent/US5538001A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-06-07 GB GB9423751A patent/GB2281514B/en not_active Revoked
  • 1993-06-07 DE DE69301244T patent/DE69301244T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1993-06-08 IN IN582DE1993 patent/IN186311B/en unknown
  • 1993-06-09 IL IL10596193A patent/IL105961A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1993-06-09 ZA ZA934039A patent/ZA934039B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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