Protective hood and oral-nasal mask

• US 5,115,804 A
• Filed: 08/01/1988
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Astronics DME LLC (Astronics Corporation), Elscint Limited (Elbit Imaging Limited), Elscint Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DME Company LLC (Milacron Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Brookman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Application Number:
  US07/226,624
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.26, 128/201.25, 128/202.27, 128/205.12, 128/205.28, 128/201.22, 128/201.23
• US Class Current: 128/201.22
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 17/04 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/025 Halfmasks A62B23/02 takes precedence; surgical face masks A41D13/11

Abstract

The instant invention is a respiratory system for use on aircraft or similar compartments to temporarily prevent asphxiation and suffocation due to the presence of smoke, toxic gases and/or noxious gases resulting from aircraft fire or similar such. The respiratory system consists of a small dropout package containing a protective hood for deployment to enclose the head of the passenger to improve the passenger'"'"'s vision in the smoke, a protective breathing mask for enclosing the mouth and nose of the passenger in order to provide breathable air and a dual air supply system. The respiratory system provides a connection to a fresh, breathable air supply from the aircraft'"'"'s emergency air source and provides a chemical air purifier preferably including a wet scrubbing system for purifing cabin air of contaminants to supply additional breathable air. The respiratory system is disengageable from the aircraft'"'"'s emergency air source for evacuation.

Claims

1. A respiratory system for a user, said system being a generally passive unit, not requiring a generated source of pure oxygen, to directly meet respiratory requirements, comprising:

protective hood means constructed and arranged to cover and enclose the user'"'"'s head and neck area,

said hood means fabricated of a non-flammable, gas impermeable material, said hood means including at least one viewing means made of generally rigid, transparent material located substantially in front of the user'"'"'s eyes for providing a user wearing said hood means over the user'"'"'s head with visibility outside said hood means,

whereby the user'"'"'s eyes are protected from the effects of irritant gases and soot disposition resulting form toxic fire or the like, and whereby the user may see in a smoke filled atmosphere;

an oral-nasal mask means for a user, connected to said protective hood means,

said oral-nasal mask means for covering at least one of the user'"'"'s air intake means,

said mask means fabricated of semi-flexible material and constructed and arranged to conform to the contours of the user'"'"'s mouth and nose region to form a relatively tight seal around the user'"'"'s air intake means,

whereby the user is protected from suffocation, asphyxiation, or other injury due to smoke or toxic gas inhalation, or aircraft rapid decompression;

means for holding said mask means in position on the user'"'"'s face;

a chemical air purifier means for converting atmospheric air filled with hot smoke, noxious gas and other gases into temperate, breathable air;

said air purifier means being separate from, and independent of, said hood means, said air purifier means for constantly filtering said atmospheric air without the necessity of, or requirement for, said hood means, said air purifier means including an oxidation catalyst media, acid neutralizing media, and filtration media;

means for transporting atmospheric air to said air purifier means; and

means for connecting said mask means to said air purifier means, whereby clean air from said purifier means is transported to said mask means to be breathed by the user of said respiratory system.

2. A resiratory system as described in claim 1, wherein:

said hood includes flexible material to allow said hood means to be folded into a compact hood package removably connected to said mask means.

3. A respiratory system as described in claim 2 wherein:

said mask means having connecting means for attaching said hood package in a collapsed position to said mask means and having additional connecting means for attaching said air purifier in a collapsed position to said mask means, said hood means and said air purifier means in a collapsed position connected to said mask means for providing a compact package needing little storage space, said air purifier includes a wet chemical air purifier.

4. A respiratory system as described in claim 3 wherein:

said mask means including a cup shaped concave surface,

said air purifier means attaches in said concave surface, for providing an improvised cover for said mask means such that said mask means is kept substantially clean prior to contact with the user'"'"'s air intake means.

5. A respiration system as described in claim 1, wherein:

said hood means and said chemical air purifier of said respiration system is assembled from a collapsed position into a useable position in airplanes and aircraft to provided visibility for evacuating an airplane or aircraft and to provided breathable air for evacuating an airplane or aircraft in the event of a crash.

6. A respiratory system as described in claim 1 further comprising means for connecting said air purifier means to a source of breathable, pressurized oxygen.

7. A respiration system as described in claim 6, wherein:

said source of breathable oxygen is said airplane or aircraft'"'"'s emergency oxygen supply.

8. A respiratory system as described in claim 6 wherein said means for connecting said air purifier means to a source of breathable, pressurized oxygen further comprises means for disconnecting said air tube from said source of breathable, pressurized oxygen.

9. A respiratory system as described in claim 1 wherein said means for transporting atmospheric air to said air purifier means comprises:

a tube having a first and second end, said first end operably connected to said air purifier means whereby air within said tube may move into said air purifier means; and

an atmospheric inlet, operably connected to said second end of said tube, having means for allowing the flow of ambient atmospheric air into said tube.

10. A respiratory system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

means for connecting said air purifier means to a source of breathable, pressurized oxygen;

a tube having a first and a second end, said first end operably connected to said air purifier means, whereby air within said tube may move into said air purifier means; and

an atmospheric inlet, operably connected to said second end of said tube, having means for allowing the flow of ambient atmospheric air into said tube.

11. A respiration system as described in claim 10, wherein:

said respiration system includes a standard aircraft overhead oxygen mask compartment, and

said hook means, said mask means, said means for holding said mask means in position, said air purifier means, said means for connecting said air purifier means to a source of breathable, pressurized oxygen, said tube, and said atmospheric inlet are collapsibly stored in said standard aircraft overhead oxygen mask compartment, replacing the present means of aircraft decompression protection;

the common gold cup.