WO2022141156A1

WO2022141156A1 - Breathing apparatus and facepiece

Info

Publication number: WO2022141156A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/141248
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donghai HU; Ronald David Jesme; Yueming GONG; Ruimin LIU
Original assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
Priority date: 2020-12-30
Filing date: 2020-12-30
Publication date: 2022-07-07

Abstract

A breathing apparatus (1) includes a back frame (510), a compressed gas source disposed on the back frame (510), a power supply and a first electronic module electrically connected with the power supply, the power supply and the first electronic module being disposed on the back frame (510); a facepiece (10, 10') includes a bezel (110, 110') connected to the face of a user, a lens (120) connected to the bezel (110, 110'), a connection port (130) connected to and in fluid communication with the compressed gas source, and a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece (10, 10') and the face of the user. The display device displays information from the first electronic module and the content displayed by the display device is fused with a visual field of the user. The display device is an augmented reality optical module (150, 150'a, 150'b).

Description

BREATHING APPARATUS AND FACEPIECE

FIELD

The present application relates generally to a personal protective apparatus, and in particular to a facepiece including a display device and a breathing apparatus including the facepiece.

BACKGROUND

The content in this section merely provides background information related to the present application, which may not constitute prior art.

Breathing apparatus such as self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) allows people to breathe in special environments without mechanical assistance. They are mainly used in fires, poisonous gas leaks, volatile liquid leaks, confined spaces and other areas where harmful gas is produced, or oxygen content is low. Breathing apparatus may generally include a full facepiece sealed to the user’s face, a harness and support assembly, a gas cylinder assembly containing high-pressure compressed air (or other oxygen-containing gas) for breathing, at least one pressure regulator, and a pressure gauge. Self-contained breathing apparatus usually includes two pressure regulators, where the first-stage pressure regulator is usually arranged near the gas cylinder to decompress the high-pressure gas in the gas cylinder to above atmospheric pressure; the second-stage pressure regulator is usually fluidly connected to the full facepiece, which is mainly used to adjust the air flow to meet the requirements of users.

Generally, a facepiece sealed to a user’s face may include a lens through which the user can observe the surrounding environment. The facepiece further includes an interface or mounting bracket fluidly connected to the second-stage pressure regulator, the inhaled air enters the facepiece through the second-stage pressure regulator, and the exhaled air leaves the facepiece through the second-stage pressure regulator. The user’s breathing control may include, for example, a valve system composed of an inhalation valve and an exhalation valve to control the delivery of pressurized air or negative pressure air via a second-stage pressure regulator. Generally, it is desirable to maintain a slight positive pressure within the facepiece relative to the ambient pressure to prevent harmful gases or particles from entering the facepiece.

The pressure gauge is usually a mechanical or electronic pressure gauge connected to the first-stage pressure regulator via a hose. Since the gas cylinder is usually fixed on the back side of the user, and the pressure gauge needs to be located on the front side or hand of the user’s body so that the user can check the pressure in the gas cylinder at any time, a long tube is usually needed to connect the pressure gauge to the first-stage pressure regulator and hang around the shoulder or waist of the user to the front side or body side of the user. This makes the hanging pressure gauge shake with the movement of the user, which is easy to collide with the user’s body, causing interference and extra burden to the user. Besides, the dead weight of pressure gauge and tube also brings extra burden to users. In addition, users need to lift the pressure gauge frequently to check the pressure, which is not only very inconvenient, but also easy to distract users’ attention, and users may not check the pressure in time, which may cause dangerous consequences. These shortcomings will become particularly obvious when users carry out high-intensity dangerous operations such as firefighting.

In view of the above problems, some self-contained breathing apparatuses are equipped with a head-up display (HUD) on the outside or inside of the facepiece to reflect the pressure state of the cylinder. However, head-up display usually roughly indicates the pressure state of the gas cylinder through several LEDs, which cannot reflect the pressure value in the gas cylinder immediately and accurately, so it cannot completely replace the external pressure gauge.

Besides, head-up display or similar display devices can provide very limited information. For example, for firefighters who are performing fire-fighting tasks, besides the pressure in gas cylinders, they also want to be able to obtain various information such as the power state of apparatus and other system states, companion states, alarms, thermal imaging images of fire scenes, location and map information in real time. Conventional heads-up displays can no longer meet the demand of displaying all kinds of information comprehensively in real time, but the scattered arrangement of multiple display devices (such as heads-up displays and thermal imaging camera displays) and alarm devices on the facepiece has many adverse effects. For example, the weight of the facepiece is increased, and the visual field of the user may be blocked, and the attention of the user may be distracted, so that the information cannot be obtained immediately and accurately.

In addition, electrical devices such as thermal imaging cameras consume a lot of power and need multiple dry batteries or larger rechargeable batteries to supply power. Including electrical devices such as thermal imaging cameras and their batteries in or on the facepiece will greatly increase the weight and volume of the facepiece, reduce the comfort of users and hinder the movement of the head and neck. In addition, dry batteries need to be replaced frequently, which is very inconvenient and costly to maintain. In order to solve the above problems, it is expected that a unified system power supply (such as rechargeable battery) located outside the facepiece can be used to power the whole breathing apparatus. Using unified power supply to power the whole breathing apparatus can also support more electrical devices and improve the expansion space of future system functions.

Therefore, it is hoped to improve the design of traditional breathing apparatus, so as to allow users to view accurate pressure values and other necessary information in real time, simplify the system, reduce the overall weight of breathing apparatus and facepiece, reduce the volume of facepiece, and improve the scalability of electrical devices in breathing apparatus.

SUMMARY

An object of the present application is to optimize the information transmission and display mode in the facepiece of breathing apparatus, and to feed back the pressure in the gas cylinder and other kinds of information to the user immediately, accurately and comprehensively. Another object of the present application is to replace the pressure gauge and its tube in the traditional breathing apparatus, simplify the structure of the breathing apparatus and reduce its overall weight. Yet another object of the present application is to optimize the internal power supply mode of the breathing apparatus, and to supply power to the whole breathing apparatus with a unified power supply, thereby allowing the breathing apparatus to support more electrical devices and enhancing the system scalability of the breathing apparatus.

An aspect of the present application provides a breathing apparatus comprising: a back frame; a compressed gas source disposed on the back frame; a power supply and a first electronic module electrically connected with the power supply, the power supply and the first electronic module being disposed on the back frame; a facepiece including a bezel connected to the face of a user, a lens connected to the bezel, a connection port connected to and in fluid communication with the compressed gas source, and a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece and the face of the user. The display device displays information from the first electronic module and the content displayed by the display device is fused with a visual field of the user.

Preferably, the content displayed by the display device may be completely fused with a natural visual field of the user. Preferably, the display device may be an augmented reality optical module. Using augmented reality technology, all kinds of information can be displayed in front of the user in the form of graphics or text superimposed with the real scene, which can ensure the user to view the required information in time and keep the user’s vision to the greatest extent. Besides, compared with traditional heads-up display devices, augmented reality optical module has higher resolution and can display abundant information.

In an embodiment, the augmented reality optical module may be secured to a top portion of the bezel of the facepiece and extend downwards to a position in front of the eyes of the user.

In an embodiment, the augmented reality optical module may be secured to a side portion of the bezel of the facepiece and transversely extend to a position in front of the eyes of the user.

With this preferred arrangement, the augmented reality optical module can be reliably fixed in the narrow space between the facepiece and the user’s face, and the data can always be presented in front of the user’s eyes without blocking the user’s visual field.

In an embodiment, the facepiece may further include a second electronic module and the second electronic module may be electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.

In an embodiment, the second electronic module may be configured to communicate with the first electronic module and control the display device to display information from the first electronic module and/or the second electronic module.

In an embodiment, the breathing apparatus may further include a demand valve, wherein the demand valve is in fluid communication with the compressed gas source and is electrically connected with the first electronic module, and the demand valve is detachably attached to the connection port of the facepiece and is electrically connected with the second electronic module by means of the connection port.

In an embodiment, the demand valve may include a first power and data connection interface electrically connected with the first electronic module, the connection port of the facepiece may include a second power and data connection interface electrically connected with the second electronic module, and when the demand valve is attached to the connection port of the facepiece, the first power and data connection interface is electrically connected with the second power and data connection interface.

In an embodiment, the breathing apparatus may further include electrical devices, wherein the electrical devices include a first group of electrical devices disposed on the back flame and/or a second group of electrical devices disposed on or in the facepiece.

In an embodiment, the first electronic module may be configured to perform power and data transmission with the power supply and the first group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, and control on, off and operating states of each of the first group of electrical devices.

In an embodiment, the first group of electrical devices may include but is not limited to at least one of a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas source, an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a battery voltage ADC, a WIFI module, a 4G/5G module, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a noise sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor, an intercom interface module, a battery charging module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a gas detector, an interface or a communication module of the gas detector, an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a nuclear radiation sensor, a communication module of an electronic wristband, a buddy light, an audio and optic alarm, and a vibration alarm.

In an embodiment, the second electronic module may be configured to perform power and data transmission with the second group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, control on, off and operating states of each of the second group of electrical devices, and control the display device to display information from the second group of electrical devices.

In an embodiment, the second group of electrical devices may include but is not limited to at least one of a thermal imaging camera, a camera, a night vision device, an intercom interface module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a bone conduction earphone, a sound amplifier, an audio and optic alarm, and a vibration alarm.

In an embodiment, the breathing apparatus further includes a background management system in wireless connection with the breathing apparatus, wherein the electrical devices communicate with the background management system by means of wireless connection.

In an embodiment, the power supply supplies power to the display device and each of the electrical devices by means of the first electronic module.

In an embodiment, the power supply supplies power to the first group of electrical devices by means of the first electronic module only, and supplies power to the second group of electrical devices by means of both the first electronic module and the second electronic module.

Another aspect of the present application provides a facepiece, the facepiece includes a bezel connected to the face of a user, a lens connected to the bezel, a connection port connected to and in fluid communication with a compressed gas source, an electronic module, and a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece and the face of the user, wherein the electronic module transmits power and data to the display device and controls the display device to display the data, and the content displayed by the display device is fused with a visual field of the user.

In an embodiment, the electronic module is configured to receive power and information from a first group of electrical devices separated from the facepiece by means of the connection port such that the information is displayed on the display device.

Preferably, the display device is an augmented reality optical module.

In an embodiment, the electronic module may be disposed at a bottom portion of the facepiece and electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.

In an embodiment, the electronic module may be disposed at a center of the facepiece and electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.

In an embodiment, the first group of electrical devices may include but is not limited to at least one of a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas source, an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a batteries voltage ADC, a WIFI module, a 4G/5G module, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a noise sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor, an intercom interface module, a batteries charging module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a gas detector (or its interface or communication module) , an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a nuclear radiation sensor, and a communication module of an electronic wristband.

In an embodiment, the facepiece further includes a second group of electrical devices disposed on or in the facepiece.

In an embodiment, the electronic module is configured to perform power and data transmission with the second group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, control on, off and operating states of each electrical device of the second group of electrical devices, and control the display device to display information from the second group of electrical devices.

The breathing apparatus according to the present application has a significant advantage compared with the conventional breathing apparatus. Firstly, the breathing apparatus according to the present application removes the traditional head-up display, external pressure gauge and its tube and interface, thus significantly simplifying the system structure of the breathing apparatus, reducing the overall weight of the breathing apparatus, and avoiding the interference caused by the shaking of the traditional pressure gauge and its tube to the user. Besides, the breathing apparatus according to the present application allows the user to view the accurate pressure value and other necessary information in real time without any additional operations, thus freeing the user’s hands. In addition, the preferred augmented reality optical module has high resolution, rich displayable information and will not lose the attention of users. Finally, the breathing apparatus according to the present application adopts an optimized power supply mode, and can use a unified power supply to power the entire breathing apparatus, thereby further reducing the weight of the breathing apparatus and the weight and volume of the facepiece, improving the comfort of users, allowing more electric devices to be supported, and improving the expansion space of future system functions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present application will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same features or components are represented by the same reference numerals, and the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a breathing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged front view of the facepiece in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a side view of the facepiece in Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a system frame diagram of the breathing apparatus according to the present application; and

Figure 5 shows a facepiece according to another embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present application and its applications and uses. It should be understood that in all the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts and features. The drawings only schematically show the concept and principle of the embodiments of the present application, and do not necessarily show the specific dimensions and proportions of the embodiments of the present application. Specific parts in specific drawings may use an exaggerated manner to illustrate related details or structures of the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of various embodiments of the present application, the adopted orientation terms related to “up” , “down” , “left” and “right” are described by the upper, lower, left and right positions of the views shown in the drawings. In the process of practical application, the positional relationships of “upper” , “lower” , “left” and “right” used in this specification can be defined according to the actual situation, and these relationships can be reversed.

First, the structure of a breathing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present application will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 shows the overall structure of a breathing apparatus 1. As shown in the Figure, the breathing apparatus 1 includes a facepiece 10 and a pressurized gas source for supplying air or other oxygen-containing gas to the facepiece 10, for example, a gas cylinder assembly 20 containing high-pressure compressed gas, including a gas cylinder 210 and a cylinder valve 220. The breathing apparatus 1 further includes at least one pressure regulator, a pressure reducer 30 as a first-stage pressure regulator and a demand valve 40 as a second-stage pressure regulator in this embodiment. The user can wear and fix the breathing apparatus 1 on the body through the harness assembly 50. For example, the harness assembly 50 may include a back frame 510, a waistband 520 and straps 530 to allow a user to carry the back frame 510 and various components fixed on the back frame 510 on his/her back. In order to clearly show the components fixed on the back frame 510, the gas cylinder 210 is shown in broken lines in Figure 1. The gas cylinder 210 is upside-down fixed on the back frame 510 in the harness assembly 50 with its opening downward, and its opening is hermetically connected to the pressure reducer 30 through the cylinder valve 220. The pressure reducer 30 is fixed on the back frame 510 and located near the opening of the gas cylinder 210. The high-pressure compressed gas in the gas cylinder 210 is decompressed to above atmospheric pressure by the pressure reducer 30, and then transmitted to the demand valve 40 connected with the facepiece 10 through a flexible medium-pressure tube 60, and then transmitted to the facepiece 10 through the demand valve 40, and then passed through an oronasal mask 180 to keep the user breathing.

The demand valve 40 can be detachably attached to the facepiece 10. The demand valve 40 is provided with a protrusion 410 on the side facing the facepiece 10. When the demand valve 40 is attached to the facepiece 10, the protrusions 410 of the demand valve 40 extend into a corresponding connection port on the facepiece 10 and fix the demand valve 40 relative to the facepiece 10. The demand valve 40 may further be provided with an adjusting member 420, such as a knob. The adjusting member 420 is provided at a position where the demand valve 40 is connected with the medium-pressure tube 60 and is in fluid communication with the medium-pressure tube 60 for forced deflation and can adjust the pressure and flow rate of the gas introduced into the facepiece 10 as required. The internal structure of the demand valve 40 is not specifically shown in the drawings, but the structure and working principle of such demand valves are well known in the art. For example, the demand valve 40 may be a demand valve provided with a diaphragm therein. In addition, the demand valve 40 further includes a first power and data connection interface 430, which will be described in detail below.

The breathing apparatus 1 further includes a control box 70, which includes a power supply and a first electronic module responsible for power supply management, data acquisition, data transmission and reception. The control box 70 may further include some electrical devices, which are collectively referred to as a first group of electrical devices herein. The first group of electrical devices can transmit power and data with the first electronic module. Data transmission can be unidirectional or bidirectional. For example, buddy light (s) , audio and optic alarm (s) and vibration alarm (s) in the first group of electrical devices may not provide data to the first electronic module, but only receive data from the first electronic module, such as control instructions; another part of electrical devices such as various sensors can provide information for the first electronic module. For example, the first group of electrical devices includes a pressure sensor, which is connected to the pressure reducer 30 via a flexible high-pressure tube 80 and communicates with the gas that has not been depressurized by the pressure reducer 30, thereby sensing the pressure at the opening of the gas cylinder 210 and providing pressure data to the first electronic module. The first electronic module in the control box 70 is configured to be electrically connected with the power supply for power conversion and management, thereby providing power for other components. Meanwhile, the power supply can also transmit data with the first electronic module through a battery voltage ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) , thereby the first electronic module can obtain the remaining battery power, duration and other information. The first electronic module is configured to communicate with the pressure sensor and can supply power to the pressure sensor to obtain pressure data sensed by the pressure sensor. The first electronic module is electrically connected to the first power and data connection interface 430 of the demand valve 40 via a power and data wire 90. The power and data wire 90 can be fixed on the harness assembly 50 together with the medium-pressure tube 60 to save space and avoid mutual winding of wires and tubes.

Besides the pressure sensor, the control box 70 may further include other types of first group electrical devices that provide data to the first electronic module, which includes but is not limited to an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a battery voltage ADC, a WIFI module, a 4G/5G module, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a noise sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor, an intercom interface module, a battery charging module, a wireless charging module, a Bluetooth or other wireless communication module, a gas detector (or its interface or communication module) , an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a nuclear radiation sensor, a communication module of an electronic wristband and the like. Each of the first group of electrical devices may be configured to communicate with the first electronic module in the control box 70 in a wired or wireless manner and may be powered by the first electronic module. In addition, the first electronic module can also be configured to analyze and process the data it receives, and control on, off and operating state of each of the first group of electrical devices.

Next, the structure of the facepiece 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3 showing the facepiece 10 in the breathing apparatus 1 in an enlarged manner. For convenience of description, the front-back direction is defined based on a user who normally wears the facepiece 10 and stands upright, that is, the user faces forward and his/her back faces backward. In this embodiment, the facepiece 10 is a full facepiece attached to the user’s face. The facepiece 10 includes a bezel 110 surrounding and connected to the user’s face. Preferably, the facepiece 10 may further include a sealing element 112 hermetically connected to the rear side of the bezel 110 along the periphery of the bezel 110 or integrally formed with the bezel 110. The sealing element 112 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber, and forms a rear opening 114 around the face and/or head of the user, thereby hermetically bonding the bezel 110 of the facepiece 10 to the user’s face. The bezel 110 or the sealing element 112 may also be attached with several fasteners for fixing the facepiece 10 to the user’s head, which are shown as

head straps

116a and 116b in this embodiment, but other numbers and types of fasteners may also be used.

The facepiece 10 further includes a lens 120, which is a panel connected to the front side of the bezel 110 along the periphery of the bezel 110 and at least a part of which is transparent, so that a user can observe the surrounding environment through the lens 120. Preferably, the lens 120 is connected to the bezel 110 in a sealed manner. The lens 120 includes a substantially central opening 122 disposed through a lower region thereof, and a connection port 130 for connecting with the demand valve 40 is disposed around the opening. The connection port 130 includes a second power and data connection interface 132. In use, the demand valve 40 is attached to the connection port 130 and sealed, so that the first power and data connection interface 430 on the demand valve 40 is docked with the second power and data connection interface 132 on the facepiece 10. The connecting port 130 serves as both an inhalation port and an exhalation port and is selectively controlled to inhale or exhale through the demand valve 40. The lens 120 may further include two side openings 124a, 124b passing through a lower region thereof for receiving a first sound amplifier element 140a and a second sound amplifier element 140b of the facepiece 10, respectively, and may allow a user’s voice to more easily pass out of the facepiece 10. The first sound amplifier element 140a and the second sound amplifier element 140b include sealing

members

142a, 142b extending around their peripheries to hermetically couple the first sound amplifier element 140a and the second sound amplifier element 140b to the side openings 124a, 124b of the lens 120, respectively. In this embodiment, the first sound amplifier element 140a and the second sound amplifier element 140b are circular, and accordingly, the sealing

members

142a and 142b are annular.

The facepiece 10 further includes a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece 10 and the user’s face. The display device can fuse the displayed content with a visual field of the user. Preferably, the content displayed by the display device is completely fused with a natural visual field of the user. In the present preferred embodiment, the display device is an augmented reality (AR) optical module 150. The augmented reality optical module 150 includes a transparent lens or lenses 152 for displaying information and an integrated interface 154 for mechanically fixing the lens or lenses 152 and supplying light sources and signals to the lens or lenses 152. In this embodiment, two lenses 152 are fixed to the lower end of the integrated interface 154 and extend generally vertically downward, and the integrated interface 154 is attached to the top of the bezel 110 of the facepiece 10 via a flat mounting bracket 156. The mounting bracket 156 extends downward from the top of the bezel 110 and inclines slightly to the outside of the facepiece, so that the lenses 152 are fixed in front of the eyes of the user and are at a proper distance from the eyes of the user, thus ensuring that the user has a good visual field and comfortable use. The integrated interface 154 and the mounting bracket 156 can be detachably attached and angularly adjusted to facilitate the replacement and adaptability of the augmented reality optical module 150. The integrated interface 154 of the augmented reality optical module 150 is electrically connected to a second electronic module 160 responsible for power management, data acquisition, data transmission and reception, and display control via a wire 158 arranged along the periphery of the bezel 110 and the mounting bracket 156. In this embodiment, the second electronic module 160 is fixed at the bottom of the facepiece 10, that is, at the chin of the user, so as to avoid blocking the visual field of the user and make the weight distribution of the facepiece 10 reasonable. The second electronic module 160 is electrically connected to the second power and data connection interface 132 on the connection port 130. When the demand valve 40 is attached to the facepiece 10, the first power and data connection interface 430 on the demand valve 40 and the second power and data connection interface 132 on the facepiece 10 are electrically connected with each other, so that the second electronic module 160 receives power and data from the first electronic module via the first power and data connection interface 430 and the second power and data connection interface 132, and further transmits the power and data to the augmented reality optical module 150. Any suitable type of augmented reality optical module can be used as the augmented reality optical module 150, and any other type of display device can also be used. The second electronic module 160 and the second power and data connection interface 132 on the connection port 130 can also be arranged at other suitable positions, for example, at the approximate center of the facepiece 10, that is, at the position corresponding to the nose of the user on the facepiece 10.

On one hand, the second electronic module 160 in the facepiece 10 communicates with the first electronic module via the first power and data connection interface 430 and the second power and data connection interface 132. On the other hand, the facepiece 10 may further include a second group of electrical devices disposed on or in the facepiece 10, and the second group of electrical devices may transmit power and data with the second electronic module 160. Similar to the first electronic module and the first group of electrical devices, the data transmission between the second group of electrical devices and the second electronic module 160 can be unidirectional or bidirectional. The second group of electrical devices includes, for example, a thermal imaging camera 170. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the thermal imaging camera 170 is attached to the outside of the facepiece 10 and electrically connected to the second electronic module 160 via a wire (not shown) , thereby transmitting the data of the thermal imaging camera 170 to the second electronic module 160 and further to the augmented reality optical module 150. The thermal imaging camera 170 may also be arranged in other suitable positions. The thermal imaging camera 170 may be powered by the second electronic module 160 or may have a built-in separate power source. Besides, the facepiece 10 may further include other types of second group electrical devices that can provide information to the second electronic module 160, including but not limited to cameras, night vision devices, intercom interface modules, wireless charging modules, Bluetooth or other wireless communication modules, etc. The second group of electrical devices may further include electrical devices that communicates unidirectionally with the second electronic module 160, such as bone conduction earphones, sound amplifiers, audio and optic alarm, and vibration alarms. The first group of electrical devices and the second group of electrical devices may include repeated or paired electrical devices, such as audio and optic alarm, vibration alarm, Bluetooth or other wireless communication modules. However, electrical devices such as intercom interface module, wireless charging module and the like can be selectively arranged at only one of the back frame 510 or the facepiece 10. The second group of electrical devices can be arranged inside or outside the facepiece 10, and can communicate with the second electronic module 160 in a wired or wireless manner and can be powered by a single power source via the first power and data connection interface 430 and the second power and data connection interface 132. Finally, the second electronic module 160 controls the display device to display data from the first electronic module and the second group of electrical devices on the display device. Besides, the second electronic module 160 can also be configured to analyze and process the data it receives, and control on, off and operating state of each of the second group of electrical devices.

Figure 4 shows a system frame diagram of the breathing apparatus 1, where the arrows filled with patterns represent the transmission paths of gas, and the arrows filled with gray represent the transmission paths of power and data. As shown in the Figure, when using the breathing apparatus 1, the high-pressure compressed gas in the gas cylinder 210 is first introduced into the pressure reducer 30, a part of the gas which is not decompressed is led to the pressure sensor in the control box 70 through the high-pressure tube 80, and the other part of the gas is led to the demand valve 40 through the medium-pressure tube 60 after being decompressed to above atmospheric pressure through the pressure reducer 30 and then to the facepiece 10. The first electronic module in the control box 70 acquires power and power data from the power supply in the control box 70 and performs power management, supplies power to the first group of electrical devices in the control box 70 and acquires data from them, and then transmits the power and data to the demand valve 40 via the power and data wire 90. Power and data are further transmitted to the second electronic module 160 in the facepiece 10 via the first power and data connection interface 430 of the demand valve 40 and the second power and data connection interface 132 on the facepiece 10 which are electrically connected with each other. Optionally, the second electronic module 160 can also supply power to and communicate with the second group of electrical devices arranged inside or outside the facepiece 10. Finally, the second electronic module 160 processes and converts the received data, and transmits the processed data to the augmented reality optical module 150 as a display device, so that information such as pressure data of the gas cylinder 210, power supply capacity, remaining working time, thermal imaging image, alarm information, image information, walking path and position, and map information are comprehensively displayed on the lenses 152 of the augmented reality optical module 150 in the form of images or texts. Optionally, users can set the types of information to be displayed and the display mode of information according to their own habits. The second electronic module 160 can also transmit important information such as alarms to the user in visual, auditory or tactile ways by means of bone conduction earphones, alarms and other components.

As shown in Figure 4, the breathing apparatus 1 may further include a background management system wirelessly connected with it, so that the first group of electrical devices and/or the second group of electrical devices can communicate with the background management system directly or via the first electronic module and/or the second electronic module through wireless connection. For example, the background management system may allow firefighters using the breathing apparatus 1 to perform real-time remote data interaction with people outside the fire field.

It should be noted that, although the breathing apparatus 1 according to the above preferred embodiment includes the second electronic module 160 located in the facepiece 10 to supplement and enhance the function of the first electronic module, the second electronic module 160 is not necessary for the breathing apparatus according to the present application. Without the second electronic module 160, the augmented reality optical module 150 and the second group of electrical devices can be directly electrically connected to the second power and data connection interface 132 on the facepiece 10 and controlled by the first electronic module.

In the above preferred embodiment, the augmented reality optical module 150 is used as the display device, which has the beneficial effect that the information of the self-used electrical devices can be directly superimposed in the visual field of the real scene in the form of text or image, which is convenient for the user to observe all kinds of information in real time without looking away from the scene to see another display device. This can not only greatly improve the convenience, but also improve the safety of firefighters for the scene where firefighters extinguish fires. However, the present application is not limited to this, and any type of display device can be controlled to display information acquired by the first electronic module and the second electronic module according to the present application. However, no matter using the preferred augmented reality optical module or other types of display devices, the external pressure gauge and its tube in the traditional breathing apparatus can be removed, so that the information such as pressure can be viewed more conveniently, the interference of the shaking of the pressure gauge to the user can be avoided, and the structure of the breathing apparatus is simplified at the same time.

In the above preferred embodiment, the augmented reality optical module 150 is fixed to the top of the facepiece 10 and extends obliquely downward to the front of the user’s eyes. The wire 158 electrically connecting the augmented reality optical module 150 and the second electronic module 160 is arranged along the periphery of the bezel 110 of the facepiece 10, so that the augmented reality optical module 150 is firmly fixed in a narrow space between the facepiece 10 and the user’s face without blocking the user’s visual field at all. However, the present application is not limited to this, and the augmented reality optical module 150 can be fixed in other ways.

Figure 5 shows a facepiece 10’ according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The facepiece 10’ according to the present embodiment is suitable for being used together with other components of the breathing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 instead of the facepiece 10, and the same or similar components in the facepiece 10’ as those in the facepiece 10 according to the above embodiment are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals with apostrophes and will not be described repeatedly. In the facepiece 10’, there are two separated augmented reality optical modules 150’a and 150’b, where the first augmented reality optical module 150’a includes a first lens 152’a and a first integrated interface 154’a, and the second augmented reality optical module 150’b includes a second lens 152’b and a second integrated interface 154’b. The first integrated interface 154’a and the second integrated interface 154’b are respectively fixed to the left and right edges of the bezel 110’ of the facepiece 10’ at a height substantially flush with the human eyes, and substantially transversely extend to the center of the facepiece 10’, such that the first lens 152’a and the second lens 152’b are fixed in front of the eyes of the user. The first integrated interface 154’a and the second integrated interface 154’b are electrically connected to a second electronic module 160’ responsible for power management, data acquisition, data transmission and reception, and display control via a first wire 158’a and a second wire 158’b arranged along the periphery of the bezel 110’, respectively. In this embodiment, the second electronic module 160’ is fixed at the bottom of the facepiece 10’, that is, at the chin of the user, so as to avoid blocking the visual field of the user and make the weight distribution of the facepiece 10’ reasonable. In this embodiment, no additional mounting bracket is provided to fix the first augmented reality optical module 150’a and the second augmented reality optical module 150’b to the bezel 110’ of the facepiece 10’. Clearly, if necessary, such a mounting bracket can be provided as an extension and support of the first integrated interface 154’a and the second integrated interface 154’b, so as to firmly fix the first augmented reality optical module 150’a and the second augmented reality optical module 150’b in the narrow space between the facepiece 10’ and the face of the user.

Besides, other ways to fix the augmented reality optical module can also be envisaged. For example, an eyeglass frame surrounding the lenses of the augmented reality optical module may be provided and fixed to the bezel of the facepiece, or the eyeglass frame may be fixed to the oronasal mask in the facepiece to further enhance stability. The eyeglass frame with the lenses of the augmented reality optical module can be detachably fixed to the bezel of the facepiece or the oronasal mask in the facepiece or other suitable positions. Therefore, the augmented reality optical module can be flexibly disassembled and assembled, so that the augmented reality optical module can be easily adjusted, maintained and replaced, and is convenient to adapt to different types of facepieces.

In the above preferred embodiment, two augmented reality optical module lenses are respectively arranged in front of two eyes of a user in the facepiece. But the present application is not limited to this, only one augmented reality optical module lens can be provided.

In the above preferred embodiment, the first electronic module on the back frame 510 of the breathing apparatus 1 and the second electronic module 160 in the facepiece 10 are electrically connected in a wired manner via the first power and data connection interface 430 on the demand valve 40, the second power and data connection interface 132 on the facepiece 10, and the power and data wire 90. This wired electrical connection directly utilizes the gas path from the gas cylinder 210 to the facepiece 10 via the demand valve 40 to simultaneously transmit pressure data from the gas cylinder 210 and data from other components arranged on the back frame 510. Wireless power transmission and communication can also be performed between the first electronic module and the second electronic module.

Using the first electronic module disposed on the back frame 510 and the second electronic module 160 disposed in the facepiece 10 for power and data transmission also has the following beneficial effects. For the sake of ergonomics, more components (especially heavy or bulky components, such as batteries, etc. ) tend to be arranged on the back frame 510 instead of the facepiece 10. The first electronic module on the back frame 510 is adapted to transmit power and data with these components and further supply power and data to the second electronic module 160 on the facepiece 10. The second electronic module 160 is also suitable for power and data transmission with light components arranged on or near the facepiece 10, and controls the display device, earphone, alarm and other devices to transmit various information to the user in time. Therefore, under the condition of ensuring that the user can obtain various information in time, as many components as possible can be arranged on the back frame 510. Thereby minimizing the weight of the facepiece 10 and making the weight distribution of the breathing apparatus 1 more reasonable.

Meanwhile, such a power supply mode allows a unified power supply (e.g., rechargeable battery) to supply power to the whole breathing apparatus 1, which can support more electric devices and increase the expansion space of future system functions. The first electronic module and the second electronic module can play the role of power management, and solve the problem that a single output voltage of a single DC power supply cannot adapt to different electrical devices. Compared with the existing design, in the breathing apparatus, especially in the facepiece, there is no need to set up batteries for each electrical device to supply power independently, and unified control and reasonable power distribution can be carried out for each electrical device. This saves the inconvenience that users frequently change batteries of various electrical devices and can’t uniformly control the on, off and operating state of various electrical devices, and greatly reduces the maintenance cost. By omitting the battery in the facepiece, the size and weight of the facepiece are significantly reduced, which makes the head and neck activities of the user more flexible and improves the comfort of the user.

Here, exemplary embodiments of the breathing apparatus and facepiece according to the present application have been described in detail. It should be noted that, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described and shown in detail above. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application. All these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the present application. Besides, all the components described here can be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

Claims

A breathing apparatus, comprising:

a back frame;

a compressed gas source disposed on the back frame;

a power supply and a first electronic module electrically connected with the power supply, the power supply and the first electronic module being disposed on the back frame;

a facepiece comprising a bezel connected to the face of a user, a lens connected to the bezel, a connection port connected to and in fluid communication with the compressed gas source, and

a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece and the face of the user,

wherein the display device displays information from the first electronic module and the content displayed by the display device is fused with a visual field of the user.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device is an augmented reality optical module.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the augmented reality optical module is secured to a top portion of the bezel of the facepiece and extends downwards to a position in front of the eyes of the user.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the augmented reality optical module is secured to a side portion of the bezel of the facepiece and transversely extends to a position in front of the eyes of the user.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the facepiece further comprises a second electronic module and the second electronic module is electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second electronic module is configured to communicate with the first electronic module and control the display device to display information from the first electronic module and/or the second electronic module.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a demand valve, wherein the demand valve is in fluid communication with the compressed gas source and is electrically connected with the first electronic module, and the demand valve is detachably attached to the connection port of the facepiece and is electrically connected with the second electronic module by means of the connection port.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the demand valve comprises a first power and data connection interface electrically connected with the first electronic module, the connection port of the facepiece comprises a second power and data connection interface electrically connected with the second electronic module, and when the demand valve is attached to the connection port of the facepiece, the first power and data connection interface is electrically connected with the second power and data connection interface.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising electrical devices, wherein the electrical devices comprise a first group of electrical devices disposed on the back flame and/or a second group of electrical devices disposed on or in the facepiece.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first electronic module is configured to perform power and data transmission with the power supply and the first group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, and control on, off and operating states of each of the first group of electrical devices.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first group of electrical devices comprises at least one of a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas source, an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a battery voltage ADC, a WIFI module, a 4G/5G module, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a noise sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor, an intercom interface module, a battery charging module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a gas detector, an interface or a communication module of the gas detector, an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a nuclear radiation sensor, a communication module of an electronic wristband, a buddy light, an audio and optic alarm, and a vibration alarm.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second electronic module is configured to perform power and data transmission with the second group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, control on, off and operating states of each of the second group of electrical devices, and control the display device to display information from the second group of electrical devices.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second group of electrical devices comprises at least one of a thermal imaging camera, a camera, a night vision device, an intercom interface module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a bone conduction earphone, a sound amplifier, an audio and optic alarm, and a vibration alarm.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 11 or 13, further comprising a background management system in wireless connection with the breathing apparatus, wherein the electrical devices communicate with the background management system by means of wireless connection.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the power supply supplies power to the display device and each of the electrical devices by means of the first electronic module.
The breathing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the power supply supplies power to the first group of electrical devices by means of the first electronic module only, and supplies power to the second group of electrical devices by means of both the first electronic module and the second electronic module.
A facepiece, comprising a bezel connected to the face of a user, a lens connected to the bezel, a connection port connected to and in fluid communication with a compressed gas source, an electronic module, and a display device disposed in a space formed by the facepiece and the face of the user, wherein the electronic module transmits power and data to the display device and controls the display device to display the data, and the content displayed by the display device is fused with a visual field of the user.
The facepiece according to claim 17, wherein the electronic module is configured to receive power and information from a first group of electrical devices separated from the facepiece by means of the connection port such that the information is displayed on the display device.
The facepiece according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the display device is an augmented reality optical module.
The facepiece according to claim 19, wherein the augmented reality optical module is secured to a top portion of the bezel of the facepiece and extends downwards to a position in front of the eyes of the user.
The facepiece according to claim 19, wherein the augmented reality optical module is secured to a side portion of the bezel of the facepiece and transversely extends to a position in front of the eyes of the user.
The facepiece according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the electronic module is disposed at a bottom portion of the facepiece and is electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.
The facepiece according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the electronic module is disposed at a center of the facepiece and is electrically connected to the display device by means of a wire extending along the bezel of the facepiece.
The facepiece according to claim 18, wherein the first group of electrical devices comprises at least one of a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas source, an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a batteries voltage ADC, a WIFI module, a 4G/5G module, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a brightness sensor, a noise sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor, an intercom interface module, a batteries charging module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a gas detector, an interface or a communication module of the gas detector, an electromagnetic radiation sensor, a nuclear radiation sensor, and a communication module of an electronic wristband.
The facepiece according to claim 18, further comprising a second group of electrical devices disposed on or in the facepiece.
The facepiece according to claim 25, wherein the electronic module is configured to perform power and data transmission with the second group of electrical devices, analyze and process data, control on, off and operating states of each electrical device of the second group of electrical devices, and control the display device to display information from the second group of electrical devices.
The facepiece according to claim 25, wherein the second group of electrical devices comprises at least one of a thermal imaging camera, a camera, a night vision device, an intercom interface module, a wireless charging module, a wireless communication module, a bone conduction earphone, a sound amplifier, an audio and optic alarm, and a vibration alarm.