Fan-supported gas mask and breathing equipment with adjustable fan output

• US 5,413,097 A
• Filed: 01/22/1993
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Inventors: Riggert, Eckhard, Lonneker-Lammers, Torsten, Birenheide, Torsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Asher, Kimberly L.
• Application Number:
  US08/007,483
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.24, 128/201.25, 128/202.22, 128/202.27, 128/204.18, 128/205.12, 128/205.23, 128/205.25, 128/205.27, 128/205.28 , 128/205.29, 128/206.12, 128/206.17
• US Class Current: 128/206.17
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/006 with pumps for forced ventilation A62B18/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/10 with filter elements

Abstract

A fan-supported gas mask and breathing equipment with a fan unit with adjustable delivery output such that the delivery output of the fan and detection sensor will be automatically adjusted to the necessary filter property, depending on the type of the filter insert used. To achieve this, the filter connection (10) and the filter insert (16) are provided with a marking, which characterizes the filter property (particle filter or gas filter), on the one hand, and, on the other hand, actuates electric contacts for setting the necessary fan output and, if desired, for actuating a detection sensor.

Claims

1. Breathing equipment, comprising:

a protective mask including a filtered air connection;

an electrically driven fan with adjustable driving power, said fan being positioned in a fan housing, said fan being connected to said protective mask via said filtered air connection;

a filter connection associated with said fan housing for attaching a filter insert with different filter properties, said fan housing including a connection identification means, positioned adjacent said filter connection for receiving filter property information;

a filter insert including filter identification means for providing filter property information, said filter identification means being forced into engagement with said connection identification means upon attaching said filter insert to said filter connection;

at least one electric contact being actuated by said connection identification means upon engagement with said filter identification means to adjust delivery output of said electrically driven fan to the filter property assigned to the attached filter insert;

sensor identification means including an information source element on said filter insert and an information receiving element on said fan housing adjacent said filter connection, said sensor identification means receiving information as to harmful material to be sensed for activating a detection sensor, which is sensitive to the harmful material retained by the filter for the filter insert introduced.

2. Breathing equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

said filter identification means is arranged in a circumferential area of said filter insert, said filter insert including a filter adapter provided for attachment to said filter connection, said filter adapter including means for receiving a screw-type filter.

3. Breathing equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

said filter identification means comprises a pin having a geometric shape, said information source element comprising a pin having a geometric shape which is different from said filter identification means pin.

4. Breathing equipment according to claim 1, wherein:

said filter insert includes an end face facing said fan housing at said filter connection, said end face carrying a gas type coding which is brought into functional connection with a decoder provided on said fan housing adjacent said filter connection, said gas type coding and said decoder forming a further part of said sensor identification means.

5. Breathing equipment according to claim 4, wherein:

said gas type coding is formed of a predeterminable number of concentric reflection strips, said decoder being formed of a plurality of light emitter/light detector elements.

6. Breathing equipment, comprising:

a protective mask including a filtered air connection;

an electrically driven fan with adjustable driving power, said fan being positioned in a fan housing, said fan being connected to said protective mask via said filtered air connection;

a filter connection associated with said housing for attaching a filter insert with different filter properties, said fan housing including a connection identification means, positioned adjacent said filter connection for receiving filter property information;

a filter insert including filter identification means for providing filter property information, said filter identification means being forced into engagement with said connection identification means upon attaching said filter insert to said filter connection;

at least one electric contact being actuated by said connection identification means upon engagement with said filter identification means to adjust delivery output of said electrically driven fan to the filter property assigned to the attached filter insert;

a pressure channel formed in said fan housing at said filter connection;

a pressure sensor connected to said pressure channel for sensing the pressure at said pressure connection and sensor identification means including an information source element on said filter insert and an information receiving element on said fan housing adjacent said filter connection, said sensor identification means receiving information as to harmful material to be sensed for activating a detection sensor, which is sensitive to the harmful material retained by the filter for the filter insert introduced.

7. Breathing equipment according to claim 6, wherein:

said filter identification means is arranged in a circumferential area of said filter insert, said filter insert including a filter adapter provided for attachment to said filter connection, said filter adapter including means for receiving a screw-type filter.

8. Breathing equipment according to claim 6, wherein:

said filter identification means comprises a pin having a geometric shape, said information source element comprising a pin having a geometric shape which is different from said filter identification means pin.

9. Breathing equipment according to claim 6, wherein:

said filter insert includes an end face facing said fan housing at said filter connection, said end face carrying a gas type coding which is brought into functional connection with a decoder provided on said fan housing adjacent said filter connection, said gas type coding and said decoder forming a further part of said sensor identification means.

10. Breathing equipment according to claim 9, wherein:

said gas type coding is formed of a predeterminable number of concentric reflection strips, said decoder being formed of a plurality of light emitter/light detector elements.