Avalanche and hyothermia protective system

• US 6,000,395 A
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norma Brown
• Original Assignee: Norma Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Norma
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, TEENA KAY
• Application Number:
  US09/074,130
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.19, 128/202.15, 128/201.29, 128/201.28, 128/205.11, 128/205.26, 128/205.22, 128/205.23, 128/204.23, 128/206.21 , 128/204.15, 128/204.16, 128/204.17, 128/201.21, 128/202.12, 128/203.26, 128/203.27
• US Class Current: 128/202.19
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0051 Heated garments heated divers' suits B63C11/28
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/288 with means for attaching respirators or breathing masks
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 17/005 Active or passive body temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 33/00 Devices for allowing seemingly-dead persons to escape or draw attention; Breathing apparatus for accidentally buried persons
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/02 with compressed oxygen or air

Abstract

An avalanche and hypothermia protective system for detecting emergency situations and instances when a user is severely compromised by adverse atmospheric and climactic extremes, e.g. entombment by an avalanche or high altitude mountaineering, and providing relief for the detected emergency situation. The system includes a sensor housing to be worn on the head of the user including sensors for sensing certain conditions and generating a signal indicative of the conditions sensed. A backpack including a microprocessor therein is connected to the sensors for analyzing the generated signal to determine if an emergency situation exists. A device for relieving the emergency condition is connected to the microprocessor for providing relief to the user upon detection of an emergency condition and to provide support for preexisting conditions such as cold induced asthma. The sensors may sense at least one of skin temperature of the user, respiratory rate of the user, an amount of oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the user, snow weight impacting on the user and noise level. The backpack may store an oxygen supply tank and a chemical heat pack for use in automatically relieving the detected emergencies. The system also includes a signal transmitter for transmitting a distress signal upon detection of an emergency condition or upon manual activation by the user. A supply of drinking fluids may also be stored within the backpack for providing liquid refreshment to the user when desired.

Claims

1. Avalanche and hypothermia protective system for detecting an emergency situation affecting the user of the system and providing relief for the detected emergency situation, said system comprising:

a) a housing to be worn on the head of the user, said housing including at least one sensor therein for sensing a condition and generating a signal indicative of the sensed condition;

b) a backpack including a microprocessor therein connected to the at least one sensor for analyzing said signal generated by said at least one sensor and determining if an emergency situation exists; and

c) means for relieving said emergency condition connected to said microprocessor for providing relief to the user upon determination by said microprocessor that an emergency condition exists.

2. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor senses a skin temperature of the user and said system further comprises a vest including means for heating, whereby said means for relieving activates said means for heating upon determination by said microprocessor that an emergency condition exists.

3. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 2, wherein said means for heating includes a plurality of tubes extending through an area of the vest and said means for relieving includes a chemical heat pack for storing a heating fluid, wherein said heating fluid is caused to flow through said plurality of tubes to thereby warm the user upon a determination that an emergency condition exists by said microprocessor.

4. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 3, said system further comprises a pair of pants including means for heating, said means for heating said pants being connected to said means for heating said vest, whereby said means for relieving activates both said means for heating said pants and said means for heating said vest upon determination by said microprocessor that an emergency condition exists.

5. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 4, wherein said means for heating said pair of pants includes a plurality of tubes extending through an area of the pair of pants connected to said plurality of tubes extending through said area of said vest, wherein said heating fluid is caused to flow through said plurality of tubes extending through said vest and said plurality of tubes extending through said pair of pants to thereby warm the user upon determination that an emergency condition exists by said microprocessor.

6. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 5, said system further comprises a pair of socks including means for heating, said means for heating said socks being connected to said means for heating said pair of pants, whereby said means for relieving activates said means for heating said socks, said means for heating said pants and said means for heating said vest upon determination that an emergency condition exists by said microprocessor.

7. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 6, wherein said means for heating said pair of socks includes a plurality of tubes extending through an area of the pair of sock connected to said plurality of tubes extending through said area of said pair of pants, wherein said heating fluid is caused to flow through said plurality of tubes extending through said vest, said plurality of tubes extending through said pair of pants and said plurality of tubes extending through said pair of socks to thereby warm the user upon determination that an emergency condition exists by said microprocessor.

8. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a one piece body suit including means for heating, whereby said means for relieving activates said means for heating upon determination by said microprocessor that an emergency condition exists.

9. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor senses a respiration rate of the user and said means for relieving includes an oxygen supply for supplying oxygen to said user, whereby said oxygen supply means supplies oxygen to said user upon a determination by said microprocessor that an emergency condition exists.

10. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a connection tube secured to and extending through said housing for providing oxygen from said oxygen supply tank to a mouth and nose of the user.

11. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for relieving includes a locator signal transmitter connected to transmit a distress signal upon determination by said microprocessor of an emergency situation.

12. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for relieving includes an oxygen supply tank and said at least one sensor senses an oxygen level in the atmosphere surrounding the user, wherein said oxygen tank is controlled by said microprocessor to supply oxygen to the user upon a determination by said microprocessor that sensed oxygen level is below a predetermined amount.

13. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor senses a noise level for the area in which the user is present.

14. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a supply of a liquid refreshment positioned within said backpack, a tube extending between said supply and a mouth of the user and a manually controlled dispenser for activating said supply to deliver said liquid refreshment through said tube to the mouth of the user upon demand.

15. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors.

16. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 15, wherein said plurality of sensors include any combination of a skin temperature sensor, a respiration rate sensor, a snow weight sensor, an oxygen pressure sensor, a water sensor and a noise sensor.

17. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 16, wherein said means for relieving includes any combination of an oxygen supply, a chemical heat pack and a transmitter.

18. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a vest, pair of pants, and pair of socks, each including heating means connected to and controlled by said means for relieving for heating the body of the user upon a determination of an emergency situation by said microprocessor.

19. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a one piece body suit including heating means connected to and controlled by said means for relieving for heating the body of the user upon a determination of an emergency situation by said microprocessor.

20. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 18, wherein said microprocessor includes means for comparing said generated signal to a reference value and means for controlling said means for relieving upon determining an emergency situation exists.

21. The avalanche and hypothermia protective system as recited in claim 19, wherein said microprocessor includes means for comparing said generated signal to a reference value and means for controlling said means for relieving upon determining an emergency situation exists.