SPACE SUIT

• US 3,751,727 A
• Filed: 08/05/1968
• Issued: 08/14/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dixie Rinehart, George P. Durney, Kenneway A. J III, Leonard F. Shepard, Melvin C. Case, Richard C. Pulling, Robert C. Wise, Ronald J. Bessette
• Original Assignee: Dixie Rinehart, George P. Durney, Kenneway A. J III, Leonard F. Shepard, Melvin C. Case, Richard C. Pulling, Robert C. Wise, Ronald J. Bessette
• Inventors: Shepard, Leonard F., Durney, George P., Case, Melvin C., Kenneway, A. J. III, Wise, Robert C., Rinehart, Dixie, Bessette, Ronald J., Pulling, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jordan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krizmanich, George H.
• Application Number:
  US04/750,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 2/2,2.1,2.1A,6,3,81 128/2.06,2.05,2.1,283,1.01,142,2.95,285,1A
• US Class Current: 2/2.14
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 6/00 Space suits

Abstract

Disclosed is a pressure suit for high altitude flights and particularly space missions. The suit is designed for astronauts in the Apollo Space Program and may be worn both inside and outside a space vehicle, as well as on the lunar surface. It comprises an integrated assembly of inner comfort liner, intermediate pressure garment, and outer thermal protective garment with removable helmet and gloves. The pressure garment comprises an inner convoluted sealing bladder and outer fabric restraint to which are attached a plurality of cable restraint assemblies. It provides versitility in combination with improved sealing and increased mobility for internal pressures suitable for life support in the near vacuum of outer space.

Claims

1. A space suit for high altitude and space environments comprising a pressure garment having an inner sealing bladder and an outer restraint convering, a pair of like gas inlet connectors on said pressure garment connected together in substantially direct fluid connunication with each other for selective use of either or simultaneous use of both inlet connectors for passing life supporting gas into said suit, a pair of like gas outlet connectors on said pressure garment connected together in substantially direct fluid communication with each other for selective use of either or simultaneous use of both outlet connectors for passing gas as exhaust out of said suit, an electrical connector on said pressure garment for connection of communications and bio-instrumentation to the interior of the pressure garment, and a self-sealing biomedical injection patch on said pressure garment.

2. A space suit for astronauts comprising in combination:

a conformal pressure garment having an inner sealing bladder and an outer restraint layer, and outer thermal insulating garment over said pressure garment, said pressure and thermal garments of said suit having torso and limb covering portions adapted to cover an astronaut'"'"''"'"'s entire body except for hands and head, a transparent plastic helmet coupled to the neck of said garments, and a pair of pressure gloves rotatably coupled to the sleeves of said garments, said pressure garment including convoluted joints positioned in said torso and limb covering portions to provide ease of mobility when said pressure garment is worn, restraint cables secured to said pressure garment adjacent at least some of said convolutes to prevent elongation of said convolutes under internal gas pressure, a pair of like connected together gas inlet connectors on the chest of said pressure garment for passage into said suit of a life support gas, a pair of like connected together gas outlet connectors on the chest of said pressure garment for passage oUt of said suit of gas as exhaust, electrical and cooling liquid connectors on said pressure garment and a self-sealing biomedical injection patch in said pressure garment.

3. A space suit according to claim 2 including a fecal containment system, a bio-medical belt, and a urine collection transfer assembly within said pressure garment.

4. A space suit according to claim 2 including a liquid cooling garment having cooling liquid inlet and outlet manifolds, flexible cooling liquid tubing passing through said liquid cooling garment and connecting said inlet and outlet manifolds, and a connector on said pressure garment for passing liquid to said liquid cooling garment.

5. A suit according to claim 2 wherein said gloves comprise a bladder and an outer restraint fingerless glove, said bladder having individual fingers and thumb.

6. A suit according to claim 2 including boot portions and having removable thermal insulating gloves and overshoes received over the said pressure gloves and boot portions of said suit.

7. A space suit according to claim 2 wherein each of said helmet, pressure gloves, neck and sleeves contain a metal ring, such rings respectively adapted for matingly coupling together said helmet with said neck and said pressure gloves with said sleeves.

8. A space suit for atronauts comprising an undergarment adapted to cover the astronaut'"'"''"'"'s entire body except for this head, an inner comfort liner, and outer thermal garment, and an intermediate pressure garment comprising an inner rubberized bladder and an outer fabric restraint layer, said comfort liner, pressure garment and thermal garment being integrally joined and adapted to conform to the astronaut'"'"''"'"'s body, flexible joint portions in said suit adapted to fit over at least some of the locations of the astronaut'"'"''"'"'s joints when the suit is worn, sleeve portions in said suit, a pair of removable pressure gloves secured to the said sleeve portions, a removable plastic helmet secured to the neck portion of said suit, a pair of inlet gas connectors operatively positioned in said suit for supplying gas under pressure into the interior of said suit, a pair of outlet connectors operatively positioned in said suit for removing said gas therefrom as exhaust, a flexible hose system secured to the interior of said pressure garment and operatively connected to said inlet gas connectors and to said outlet connectors for directing pressurized gas over the interior of said suit, a conduit system in said suit communicating with said hose system for passing some of said gas directly to the front of said helmet, a communications carrier within said helmet, an electrical connector on said suit, an electrical harness in said suit coupling said electrical connector to said communications carrier, convolutes at the joint portions, restraint cables secured to said pressure garment adjacent at least some of said convolutes to prevent elongation of said ocnvolutes under internal pressure, and means on said suit for attaching to it a portable life support module.

9. A space suit according to claim 8 including a block and tackle assembly secured to the front of said suit for assisting the astronaut in bending.

10. A space suit according to claim 8 including a cable restraint assembly secured to said pressure garment and passing through the crotch of said suit so as to resist the expansion thereof.

11. A space suit according to claim 8 wherein said thermal garment comprises severl layers of insulation and a metallized fabric outer layer, said thermal garment including a removable chest cover for covering said inlet and outlet connectors provided in said pressure garment.