Respiratory equipment for aircraft with an inflatable harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962566-B2
Application number	US-201113883578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A respiratory equipment ( 1 ) comprising: a respiratory mask ( 10 ) adapted to be applied in a use position around a nose and a mouth to a user, an inflatable harness ( 20 ), a gas supply tube ( 2 ) connected to the respiratory mask at a downstream end ( 2 b ), a storage element ( 30 ) comprising a housing ( 32 ) adapted to store the respiratory mask ( 10 ) in a storage position, and a retaining device ( 40 ) including a leash ( 46 ) and a releasably holding portion ( 42, 44 ) connected to the leash ( 46 ), the leash having a connecting portion ( 47 ) connected to the harness ( 20 ) and a securing portion ( 45 ) connected to the storage element ( 30 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A respiratory equipment for aircraft comprising:
a. a respiratory mask adapted to be applied in a use position around a nose and a mouth to a user,
b. an inflatable harness to be connected to a source of pressurised gas, adapted to maintain the respiratory mask on the user, and comprising a retained portion,
c. a gas supply tube connected to the respiratory mask at a downstream end for supplying the respiratory mask with breathable gas,
d. a storage element comprising a housing adapted to store the respiratory mask in a storage position, the respiratory mask being away from the storage element in the use position,
e. a securing element secured to the storage element, and
f. a retaining device connecting the harness to the storage element and comprising a leash and at least one releasably holding element connected to the leash, the leash and the at least one releasably holding element cooperating to releasably connect the retained portion of the harness to the securing element.

2. The respiratory equipment according to claim 1 wherein a connecting portion of the leash is connected to the retained portion of the harness through the at least one releasably holding portion.

3. The respiratory equipment according to the claim 2 wherein the at least one releasably holding portion is releasably connected to the retained portion of the harness in the storage position and is automatically released from the harness in the use position of the respiratory mask.

4. The respiratory equipment according to claim 3 wherein:
the harness has an inflatable tube and a non-inflatable spacer connected to the inflatable tube, and
the at least one releasably holding portion is releasably retained to the non-inflatable spacer, the retained portion of the harness being part of the non-inflatable spacer.

5. The respiratory equipment according to claim 4 wherein the non-inflatable spacer is resiliently deformable.

6. The respiratory equipment according to claim 4 wherein:
the harness comprises two inflatable tubes,
each inflatable tube has two ends connected to the respiratory mask and forms a harness loop intended to surround the head of the user in use position, and
the spacer has two ends respectively connected to said two inflatable tubes away from the ends of said inflatable tubes.

7. The respiratory equipment according to claim 6 wherein:
the gas supply tube is flexible and extends between an upstream end and the downstream end,
the at least one releasably holding portion is connected to the gas supply tube at an intermediate position away from the first and second ends of said gas supply tube, and
the gas supply tube constitutes the leash between the first and the intermediate position.

8. A respiratory equipment for aircraft comprising:
a respiratory mask adapted to be applied in a use position around a nose and a mouth to a user,
an inflatable harness to be connected to a source of pressurised gas and adapted to maintain the respiratory mask on the user,
a gas supply tube connected to the respiratory mask at a downstream end for supplying the respiratory mask with breathable gas,
a storage element comprising a housing adapted to store the respiratory mask in a storage position, the respiratory mask being away from the storage element in the use position,
wherein the respiratory equipment further comprises a retaining device, the retaining device comprising a leash and at least one releasably holding portion connected to the leash, the leash having a connecting portion connected to a retained portion of the harness and a securing portion connected to a securing element secured to the storage element in the storage position, and
wherein the at least one releasably holding portion has a retaining hole receiving the retained portion of the harness in the storage position and the at least one releasably holding portion further has a restricted opening for inserting the retained portion of the harness in the retaining hole said restricted opening having a width narrower than the width of the retained portion.

9. The respiratory equipment according to claim 8 wherein the at least one releasably holding portion is resiliently deformable.

10. The respiratory equipment according to claim 9 wherein the at least one releasably holding portion has an “Ω” shape in cross section.

11. The respiratory equipment according to claim 1 wherein the retaining device comprises two releasably holding portions releasably connected to two retained portions of the harness in the storage position.

12. The respiratory equipment according to claim 1 wherein the harness is connected to the gas supply tube through a valve for selectively inflating and deflating the harness.

13. The respiratory equipment according to claim 1 further comprising an eye protective shield adapted to be applied around a user's eyes.

14. Respiratory equipment for use in aircraft, comprising:
a. a respiratory mask configured in use to be applied around a nose and a mouth of a user;
b. a harness configured in use (i) to be connected to a source of inflation gas and (ii) to maintain the respiratory mask around the nose and mouth of the user;
c. a gas supply tube connected to the respiratory mask and configured in use to supply breathable gas to the respiratory mask;
d. a storage element comprising (i) an anchoring element and (ii) a housing configured (A) to store the respiratory mask in a storage position and (B) to be away from the respiratory mask when the respiratory mask is in use by the user; and
e. means for connecting at least a portion of the harness to the anchoring element when the respiratory mask is in the storage position, such connecting means configured to release the harness from the anchoring element for use of the respiratory mask by the user.

15. The respiratory equipment according to claim 14 in which the connecting means comprises:
a. a flexible leash having first and second end portions;
b. means for securing the first end portion to the anchoring element; and
c. means for releasably connecting the second end portion to the harness.

16. The respiratory equipment according to claim 15 in which each of the gas supply tube and the flexible leash has a length, the length of the gas supply tube being greater than the length of the flexible leash.

Assignees

• Gredat Simon
• Grospretre Patrick
• Schmidt Guillaume
• Zodiac Aerotechnics

Inventors

• Gredat Simon
• Grospretre Patrick
• Schmidt Guillaume

Classifications

• A62B18/084 Primary

  Means for fastening gas-masks to heads or helmets · CPC title

• A62B7/02

  with compressed oxygen or air · CPC title

• A62B25/00

  Devices for storing {or holding or carrying} respiratory or breathing apparatus · CPC title

• A62B18/02

  Masks (gas-masks for animals A62B18/06; masks for welders A61F9/06) · CPC title

• B64D10/00

  Flight suits · CPC title