Breathing equipment for aircrew
First Claim
1. A facemask incorporating breathing equipment for use with an aircrew flying helmet comprising a rigid outer shell and a flexible face-piece, said flexible face-piece having a periphery adapted to make a seal with a pilot'"'"'s face, the face-piece incorporating an inspiratory and expiratory valve and the outer shell having means for attaching said outer shell at a fixed distance from the helmet, and extendable means located between the rigid shell and the face-piece, said extendable means to selectively press the periphery of the face-piece towards the pilot'"'"'s face to improve the seal therewith and means automatically operable in response to gas at a pressure above that required for normal breathing to reconfigure the extendable means to press the periphery of the face-piece toward the pilot'"'"'s face.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A facemask incorporating breathing equipment for use with a flying helmet (2) comprises a rigid outer shell (4) in which a flexible face-piece (3) is housed whose periphery makes an airtight seal with the pilot'"'"'s face (1). The face-piece (3) includes an inhalatory valve (11) and an expiratory valve (9) and the rigid shell (4) is attached to the helmet (2) by a harness (5) which keeps the shell (4) at a fixed distance from the helmet (2). Inflatable means (15, 20) are provided between the shell (4) which are inflated to press the periphery (14) of the face-piece towards the pilot'"'"'s face when the pressure of breathable gas supplied to the interior of the mask and to said inflatable means increases above that required for normal breathing. Alternatively, the face-piece (3) can include extendable means in the form of a re-entrant section (30, 34, 35) or bellows section (36) which extends in a direction towards the pilot'"'"'s face when the pressure of the breathable gas supplied to the interior of the face-piece (3)increases above that required for normal breathing.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A facemask incorporating breathing equipment for use with an aircrew flying helmet comprising a rigid outer shell and a flexible face-piece, said flexible face-piece having a periphery adapted to make a seal with a pilot'"'"'s face, the face-piece incorporating an inspiratory and expiratory valve and the outer shell having means for attaching said outer shell at a fixed distance from the helmet, and extendable means located between the rigid shell and the face-piece, said extendable means to selectively press the periphery of the face-piece towards the pilot'"'"'s face to improve the seal therewith and means automatically operable in response to gas at a pressure above that required for normal breathing to reconfigure the extendable means to press the periphery of the face-piece toward the pilot'"'"'s face.
- 5. A facemask incorporating breathing equipment for use with an aircrew flying helmet comprising a rigid outer shell having a flexible face-piece received therein, said flexible face-piece having a periphery adapted to make a seal with a pilot'"'"'s face, the face-piece incorporating an inspiratory and expiratory valve and the outer shell having means for attaching said outer shell at a fixed distance from the helmet, the face-piece further including extendable means to selectively press the periphery of the face-piece towards the pilot'"'"'s face to improve the seal therewith and means automatically operable in response to gas at a pressure above that required for normal breathing to reconfigure the extendable means to press the periphery of the face-piece toward the pilot'"'"'s face.
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18. A breathing system for a pilot comprising a facemask, a regulator operatively connected to a pressurized breathable gas supply, the facemask comprising a rigid outer shell having a face-piece to cover a pilot'"'"'s nose and mouth, means for selectively connecting said shell to a flying helmet at a fixed distance therefrom, and extendable means for selectively moving the periphery of the mask toward a pilot'"'"'s face to selectively improve and relax the seal therewith, said extendable means automatically operable in response to gas supplied at a pressure above that required for normal breathing to reconfigure the extendable means to press the periphery of the face-piece toward the pilot'"'"'s face.
Specification