WO2003097444A1

WO2003097444A1 - Self-contained underwater breathing device with double gas stream circuit

Info

Publication number: WO2003097444A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/001556
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olivier Bardot
Original assignee: Bardot, Laurence
Priority date: 2002-05-22
Filing date: 2003-05-22
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: AU2003249417A1; FR2839944A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a self-contained underwater breathing device comprising a breathing mouthpiece (1) two valves (2a, 2b) for communication, with a flexible lung (4), a system for compensation of the gas metabolized by the diver, consisting of a compressed gas tank (9) provided with an injection system (13) in the breathing circuit, a means for filtering (3) gas exhaled by the diver. The invention is characterized in that said device comprises a combination: of said system recycling the gas exhaled by the diver which is a double stream system, and a bypass arrangement of said flexible lung (4) relative to the gas breathing circuit which, therefore, is not connected to the corrugated tube of the breathing circuit, and two filtering half-cartridges (3a, 3b) as means for recycling exhaled gas.

Description

Autonomous underwater breathing device with double gas flow circuit

The invention relates to the field of autonomous underwater penetration and, more particularly, to the field of means used by man to move and move underwater.

More particularly, the invention relates to a respiratory device allowing man to perform explorations or underwater missions without the need to rise to the surface to breathe and, more specifically still, the invention relates to a respiratory device for recycling the gas exhaled by the diver.

Essentially, we know, to date, breathing apparatus for divers allowing recycling of the gas exhaled by the diver, thereby avoiding the emission of bubbles in the aquatic environment. Although very widespread, these single-flow devices have several major drawbacks. In addition to their volume, due to the bulk, and their mass, two elements determined by the need to protect, against impact, by a rigid shell also serving as a fairing, the internal organ, called the lung, they have a fairly large insecurity since, if the suction valve by the recycled gas plunger is neutralized by an incident or damaged by an accident, the gas exhaled by the plunger no longer passes through the gas filtration cartridge. Similarly, if the filter cartridge becomes out of use, the diver can no longer breathe recycled gas. In both cases, after a short time, the plunger being no longer supplied with recycled gas risks suffocation. An example of an “underwater breathing apparatus” making it possible to increase the duration of use by using two cartridges for purifying the exhaled air is described in the document FR 1 103 157 by De Sanctis, but it has the drawback of requiring a double bottle of compressed gas, which makes it even heavier and more cumbersome than conventional devices of more limited duration.

Document FR 2 524 809 of the Laboratories of Applied Mechanics "LAMA" proposes, with the same objective of increasing the duration of use, a device comprising a double cartridge for purifying the exhaled gas, crossed by a simple flow of gas , and fitted with a thermal trap which may prove useful under certain conditions. Other similar devices, with a double cartridge for purifying exhaled gas, having the same drawbacks in terms of mass and size are described in US Patents 3,577,988 from Agonie Engineering Inc. and US 4,879,996 from Van H. Harwood Jr. et al., The latter device being intended, more particularly to save money by avoiding the rejection into the medium, of helium, which is particularly expensive.

The first aim of the invention is therefore a safety aim, by proposing an autonomous underwater breathing device, of an economical design and construction, which allows, above all, by avoiding the emission of bubbles in an aquatic environment. and by maintaining the diving autonomy, eliminating the risks of suffocation of the diver, thanks to a double flow gas recycling system. Another object of the invention is to allow the user greater ease of handling and greater flexibility of use of the autonomous underwater breathing device, as well as better mobility and greater adaptability to the morphology of the diver, thanks to the reduction in mass and volume of the device, enabled by the folding capacity of the autonomous underwater breathing device, authorized by the air recirculation system with double flow, folding made impossible, in the devices of the prior art, by the protection, necessarily rigid, of the flexible, fragile lung, in single-flow devices.

To do this, the invention consists of an autonomous underwater breathing device comprising a system for recycling expired gas, with a double flow. Unlike single-flow systems, the flexible lung of which has two orifices, one for the entry and the other for the exhalation of expired gases, the flexible lung of the device which is the subject of the invention has only one used orifice both for the entry and for the exit of the gases exhaled by the user, since it is placed in bypass of the respiratory circuit. In one of its variants, the invention comprises a means allowing assembly by folding of the components making it possible to reduce the volume of the assembly, therefore the bulk.

The autonomous underwater breathing device according to the invention, comprising a gas breathing circuit, comprising a breathing nozzle, two valves allowing communication, in suction or in expiration, with a flexible lung for the storage of gas, a system of compensation of the gas metabolized by the diver, consisting of a compressed gas tank provided with an injection system in the respiratory circuit and a system for recycling the gas exhaled by the diver, consisting of a filtration means, is characterized in that said device comprises a combination:

(i) said system for recycling the gas exhaled by the plunger which is a double-flow system, and (ii) an arrangement in derivation of said flexible lung with respect to the gas respiratory circuit which, therefore, is not connected to the corrugated pipes of the respiratory circuit, and

(iii) two half filter cartridges as a means of recycling expired gas.

In a preferred variant, the autonomous underwater breathing device, provided with its flexible lung placed in bypass with respect to the gas respiratory circuit, is characterized in that a mechanical means allows, thanks to a rotation followed by a folding down, a assembly of all the components, in a compact form, thus making it possible to produce an autonomous foldable and lightened underwater breathing device.

Said system for recycling the gas exhaled by the plunger, with double flow, by virtue of the provision in derivation of said lung relative to the respiratory gas circuit and equipped, as means of recycling the exhaled gas, with two half filter cartridges can be mounted , without difficulty on underwater breathing devices provided with a rigid fairing as on the autonomous folding and lightened underwater breathing devices.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description accompanying the drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 shows the diagram of the respiratory circuit of a single-flow underwater breathing apparatus, of the prior art, in which the lung is placed in line in said respiratory circuit of the gas breathed by the diver.

- Figure 2 is a diagram of the dual-flow respiratory circuit equipping the autonomous underwater breathing device, object of the invention, in which the flexible lung is placed bypass in said respiratory circuit of the gas breathed by the diver.

- Figure 3 details, in views 3a, 3b and 3c, the different stages of assembly of the variant of the autonomous folding underwater breathing device, object of the invention, assembly, in compact form, which only the arrangement allows bypass of the flexible lung.

FIG. 1 shows the diagram of the respiratory circuit of a single-flow underwater breathing apparatus, of the prior art, comprising a breathing nozzle (1) two valves (2a, 2b) arranged on either side of said breathing nozzle (1), a system for compensating the gas metabolized by the diver, consisting of a cylinder of compressed gas (9) provided with an injection system (13) in the respiratory circuit, a recycling means consisting of a filtration cartridge (3), a flexible lung (4).

In the respiratory circuit shown, the flexible lung (4) is placed in line in said gas respiratory circuit between said filtration cartridge (3) and the valve (2a), but it could, in another symmetrical arrangement, be placed between the valve (2b) and the filter cartridge (3). If the valve (2a), in the first arrangement, or the valve (2b) in the second, were to be neutralized as a result of an incident or accident, the diver would breathe, via the breathing apparatus ( 1), as a pendulum on the flexible lung (4). The gas exhaled by the plunger would then return to said lung (4) without passing through the filtration cartridge (3), that is to say without being filtered, thereby canceling out any possibility of recycling and which may induce , fairly quickly, risks of suffocation of the diver.

The same risks would be incurred by the diver in the event of tearing or deterioration of the corrugated pipes connecting the flexible lung (4) to the breathing nozzle (1).

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the dual-flow respiratory circuit equipping the autonomous underwater breathing device, object of the invention, which comprises, like the devices of the prior art, a breathing piece (1) two valves (2a, 2b ) arranged on either side of said respirator nozzle (1), a system for compensating for the gas metabolized by the plunger, consisting of a compressed gas cylinder (9) provided with an injection system (13) in the respiratory circuit but whose recycling means consists of two half filtration cartridges (3a, 3b) arranged in line, on either side of the flexible lung (4), mounted, him, bypass of the circuit.

If one of the valves (2a, 2b) were to be neutralized as a result of an incident or accident, the diver would never breathe, by means of the breathing mouthpiece (1), as a pendulum on the lung flexible (4).

The gas exhaled by the plunger could never return to said flexible lung (4) without passing through one of the half filtration cartridges (3a, 3b). Therefore, the gas is always filtered by one of the two half filter cartridges (3a, 3b) which cancels any risk of asphyxiation of the diver.

This arrangement considerably increases the safety of the diver because, first of all, it allows breathing, by the diver, of the recycled gas by only one of the half filter cartridges (3a, 3b), and therefore it allows replacement , in situ, that is to say underwater, of one of the half cartridges (3a or 3b) which would come to be defective or used, by disconnecting it and replacing it half a new filter cartridge (3a or 3b). Finally, the respiratory effort provided by the diver to circulate the gas in the device is halved compared to conventional single-flow systems, since with each inspiration or expiration the amount of lime crossed by the gas is reduced by half compared to conventional single flow systems.

FIG. 3 details, in views 3a, 3b and 3c, the different phases of assembly of the components of the autonomous device for underwater breathing, object of the invention, in a foldable variant, assembly, in compact form, which only the flexible lung bypass arrangement. View 3a shows the autonomous underwater breathing device, unfolded, with, on the illustrated variant, the assembly consisting of the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) and the flexible lung (4) fixed on a retaining frame (12) connected to the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) thanks to a connecting beam (6a) and provided with a rotation means, preferably, but not limited to, consisting of a ball joint (7), placed on the lower edge said retaining frame (12), in the vicinity of the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) surrounded by the hoop (8), on which is fixed the connecting beam (6b) between the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) and the bottle of compressed gas (9).

At a distance from the opposite edge of said flexible lung (4), is arranged a means of fixing (10) of said flexible lung (4) on said holding frame (12), the rotation means (7), comprising a locking means (11) and the fixing means (10) being joined by said holding frame (12). In this view of the unfolded autonomous device, the flexible lung (4), the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) and the cylinder of compressed gas (9) are in a quasi-alignment, at an angle (α), variable, for allow the adaptation of the autonomous underwater breathing device to the diver's morphology.

This ability to adapt to the morphology of the diver by varying the angle (α) is maintained if the flexible lung (4) is mounted under a rigid fairing. View 3b illustrates an intermediate phase of the folding of the autonomous underwater breathing device according to the invention. The assembly consisting of the flexible lung (4) and its holding frame (12), comes, thanks to the strapping (8), following a rotation of 90 degrees less (α) around the virtual axis ( X) of the respiratory circuit cartridge (5), position itself at a right angle to the assembly consisting of said respiratory circuit cartridge (5), the strapping (8) and the compressed gas bottle (9). This also applies to underwater breathing devices fitted with a rigid fairing. View 3c illustrates the final phase of folding the autonomous underwater breathing device according to the invention. The flexible lung (4) fixed on its frame (12), comes, following an unlocking of the ball joint (7) by unlocking the blocking element (11) and a drawdown of 90 degrees around the rotation means (7), position itself in contact with the assembly consisting of the respiratory circuit cartridge (5), the strapping (8) and the compressed gas bottle (9).

The flexible lung (4) can then be pressed against the assembly consisting of the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5), the strapping (8) and the compressed gas bottle (9) so as to minimize the size of the device when folded.

In this variant, foldable and double-flow, of the autonomous underwater breathing device, there is no connection between the corrugated pipes of the respiratory circuit and the flexible lung (4).

Consequently, there is no risk of water entering into said flexible lung (4) as could occur, following a violent pull, on said corrugated pipes of the devices of the prior art . This variant of the autonomous underwater breathing device therefore allows the flexible lung (4) to be put into the water without the protection of a rigid fairing and offers the possibility of folding the device according to the invention, making it possible to reduce its mass to a minimum. , its volume and, therefore, its size during its storage, transport and use.

If the diver breathes the gas contained in the flexible lung (4), the volume of the latter decreases, which makes it possible to further reduce the size of the autonomous underwater breathing device and to increase the mobility of the upper limbs of the diver, increasing , therefore, its agility.

The autonomous underwater breathing device which is the subject of the invention offers, compared to the solutions known from the prior art, multiple advantages, among which the main ones are, essentially:

- safety, by eliminating the risk of asphyxiation of the diver, thanks to the bypass arrangement of the flexible lung on the respiratory circuit and the placing on both sides of said flexible lung, of two half filter cartridges; this arrangement allows, which does not allow any device of the prior art, the in situ replacement of a half used cartridge by another, new; it also avoids any accident on the connections between the corrugated pipes of the respiratory circuit and the flexible lung;

- increased flexibility, mobility and agility of the diver, thanks to the reduction in mass and volume of the autonomous breathing device underwater also due to the flexible lung bypass arrangement, avoiding the need for any rigid fairing;

- the increase in comfort of use thanks to the faculty of adaptation of the autonomous underwater breathing device to the morphology of the diver and the reduction of the respiratory effort provided by the diver to circulate the gas in the device;

- the ease of storage, transport, handling and use, thanks to the mass gain obtained, depending on the variants, by the flexible lung bypass arrangement without rigid fairing and / or by the folding ability of the assembly the autonomous underwater breathing device, object of the invention;

- the increase in diving autonomy, resulting from both the gain in mass and volume of the autonomous underwater breathing device, object of the invention;

- the versatility of the device: the double flow device applies to rigid devices, with fairing, as well as to foldable devices.

In summary, it is obvious that the autonomous underwater breathing device according to the invention solves the problems of safety and autonomy of diving, flexibility of use by the diver, handling of said device, on land as in difficult or confined underwater passages, by offering, in its various variants and combinations, a versatile and economical device to realize.

It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can combine the different variants of the autonomous underwater breathing device which is the subject of the invention, or use equivalent means, without going beyond the ambit of the invention.

Claims

1 - Autonomous underwater breathing device comprising a gas breathing circuit, comprising a breathing nozzle (1), two valves (2a, 2b) allowing communication, aspiration or expiration, with a flexible lung (4) for storage, a system for compensating the gas metabolized by the diver, consisting of a compressed gas reservoir (9) provided with an injection system (13) in the respiratory circuit, a system for recycling the gas exhaled by the diver, consisting a filtration means (3) characterized in that said device comprises a combination:

(i) said system for recycling the gas exhaled by the plunger which is a double-flow system, and

(ii) an arrangement in derivation of said flexible lung (4) relative to the gas respiratory circuit which, therefore, is not connected to the corrugated pipes of the respiratory circuit, and

(iii) two half filter cartridges (3a, 3b) as a means of recycling the exhaled gas.

2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle (α) formed by the axes of the flexible lung (4) on the one hand, and of the assembly consisting of the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) provided with its strapping (8) and the compressed gas bottle (9) on the other hand, is variable and allows the shape of said device to be adapted to the morphology of the diver.

3 - Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a mechanical means, consisting of a ball joint (7) having a locking element (11) allows, thanks to a rotation of 90 degrees around the virtual axis (X) of the cartridge of the respiratory circuit (5) followed by a folding down, also of 90 degrees, an assembly of the assembly in a compact form, thus allowing the realization of an autonomous breathing device foldable and lightweight underwater.