Respiratory equipment with comfort adjustment

• US 5,623,923 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Aerotechnics
• Original Assignee: Intertechnique SA (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Thomas, Philippe, Bertheau, Fernand
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US08/471,221
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.22, 128/201.23, 128/201.24, 128/206.26, 128/207.11, 128/206.24, 128/206.27, 2/9, 2/6.1, 2/6.2, 2/413, 2/422, 2/424
• US Class Current: 128/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/084 Means for fastening gas-masks to heads or helmets

Abstract

A respiratory mask adapted to be fit against the face of a user is provided with a demand regulator connectable to a pressurized respiratory gas source. An extensible harness, having end portions connected to said mask, includes an inflatable element. A manually actuatable valve delivers pressurized respiratory gas from the source to the inflatable element to extend the harness when actuated and reduces the pressure in said inflatable element to retract said harness and to cause the mask to engage the face of the wearer when released. A sensor delivers an information representative of a force with which said mask engages the face to a valve for automatic control of exhaust of pressurized gas to atmosphere and admission of pressurized gas from the source, upon release of the manually actuatable valve to adjust the reduced pressure and to maintain the force at a value which is lower than the force exerted when the inflatable element is at an ambient pressure.

Claims

1. Head respiratory equipment comprising:

a respiratory mask adapted to be fit against the face of a user and provided with a demand regulator with air dilution, connectable to a pressurized respiratory gas source;

an extensible harness having end portions connected to said mask and including an element 16 inflatable by the respiratory gas for being stretched up to a sufficient size for enabling the user to don it over the head,

manually controlled means for delivering said pressurized respiratory gas from said source into the inflatable element for stretching it and to allow the pressure to decrease in said element for enabling the harness to contact the head and forcibly apply the mask onto the face of the user, and

pressure control means for automatically admitting pressurized gas into a compound of the harness, from the respiratory gas source, and for exhausting pressurized gas from said compound to atmosphere, comprising;

a housing securely connected to said mask, formed with a bore;

a plunger slidably received in said bore and secured to said end portions; and

comfort mask selection means comprising a valve member manually movable between a comfort position where it is apt to communicate a first passage opening into said bore with atmosphere and it communicates a second passage opening into said bore at a distance from said first passage with an inlet connectable to said source and another position where it is apt to communicate said first and second passages simultaneously to atmosphere;

wherein said plunger is formed with a third passage opning into said resilient element and is arranged to separate said third passage from said first and second passages when in a mid-position in said bore, to communicate said third passage and said first passage when said plunger is moved along said bore from said mid-position in a predetermined direction past a predetermined position and for communicating said second and third passages when said plunger is moved in an opposite direction past another predetermined position.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein said resilient element includes an inner tube of resilient material accomodated in a non-stretchable sheath, said resilient element having a resiliency which tends to move said plunger in said predetermined direction.

3. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein said valve member of said comfort mask selection means is movable in and along a bore toward said comfort position by a finger-actuatable lever against a pressure force exerted by said respiratory gas from said source.

4. Equipment according to claim 3, having:

a further passage opening into said bore and having a same longitudinal position as an opening of said first passage into said bore,

an additional bore having an end opening to atmosphere and an opposite end communicating with said inlet,

said further passage communicating with an intermediate point of said additional bore, and

a second valve member slidably received in said additional bore, movable by a second finger-actuated lever against a pressure force due to said respiratory gas, from a position in which it communicates said further passage with atmosphere into a position where it communicates said further passage with said inlet.