Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Gas produced by electrolysis or chemical reaction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2001-07-31
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Gas produced by electrolysis or chemical reaction
C128S200240, C128S202250, C128S205210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267114
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in an oxygen generating device, and more particularly to a disposable oxygen generator which is easy to carry and handle and can be suitably used for supplying oxygen in life-threatening emergencies such as a fire and other various accidents or when climbing a mountain or playing a sport.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, there has been known an oxygen generator capable of generating oxygen by decomposing peroxide or an adduct of sodium carbonate peroxide used as an oxygen generating agent with catalysts or oxygen in the presence of water. (e.g. Japanese U.M. Appln. Public Disclosures SHO 64-7236(A) and HEI 4-40650(A) and Japanese Patent Appln. Pub. Disclosure HEI 1-17620(A))
Also, a portable oxygen generator formed by a small steel can filled with compressed oxygen, which is also “oxygen can”, has been on the market. Thus, every conventional oxygen generator is generally made by a rigid cylindrical can container of plastic or steel. Accordingly, even though the conventional oxygen generators of this type must be made for the purpose of carrying convenience, they are bulky and heavy, and thus, inconvenient to carry about.
The steel can container of the conventional portable oxygen generator can contain only several liters of oxygen at the most. Thus, when a large quantity of oxygen is required, a number of oxygen generators must be prepared and carried. As a result, the whole of the oxygen generators of a required number becomes unduly large, cumbersome and very expensive. Furthermore, the conventional portable oxygen generator entailed a disadvantage such that it is restricted in usage because, for instance, ICAO and IATA prohibit passengers on an airplane from carrying such a resultantly cumbersome oxygen generator into the airplane.
There has been a great need for a handy oxygen generator made serviceably compact for carrying convenience and capable of immediately supplying oxygen particularly in life-threatening emergencies such as a fire and other various accidents or when climbing a mountain or playing a sport.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe and handy oxygen generator made lightweight and compact for carrying and storing convenience, which can generate oxygen with a simple operation as plenty as need be.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable oxygen generator serviceable enough for various purposes of not only giving oxygen to, for example, a sufferer who meets with an accident such as a fire and suffers from oxygen starvation or a patient who has a fit attributable to cardiopulmonary malfunctions or shows other symptoms, to save the patient's life, but also supplying oxygen for a climber, sports player, heavy worker or the like.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a safe, handy oxygen generator capable of effectively evolving oxygen even in a state of violent vibration or its inverted posture, which is allowed to be carried in an airplane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the objects described above according to the present invention, there is provided a handy oxygen generator comprising a sealed container having an oxygen discharge nozzle, and an oxygen generating agent for generating oxygen by reacting with water introduced into the sealed container.
The oxygen generated by the reaction between the water introduced into the sealed container and the oxygen generating agent contained in the sealed container can be discharged out of the sealed container through the oxygen discharge nozzle according to demand.
The water to react with the oxygen generating agent to bring forth the required oxygen may be introduced from the outside of the sealed container into the container. In this case, the sealed container of the oxygen generator may be formed of an inner reaction bag and an outer sealing bag in a double-ply construction. In this double-ply sealed container, it is desirable to dispose the oxygen discharge nozzle on the outer sealing bag, and have the inner reaction bag made of a flexible sheet material or membrane having not only watertightness and water repellent, but also gas permeability, so as to allow only oxygen to pass therethrough. In addition, the container is provided with a water introducing tube penetrating the outer and inner bags so as to open at its one end on the outside of the outer sealing bag and at the other end on the inside of the inner reaction bag. Through the water introducing tube, the water can be introduced into the gas-permeable inner reaction bag. The water introducing tube is ordinarily kept covered with removable closing means such as a lid or cap, and opened when introducing the water into the inner reaction bag. Since the oxygen generator made of the flexible inner and outer bags as noted above can fold up into a small size, it is very convenient to carry about.
Upon introducing the water into the inner reaction bag having gas permeability through the water introducing tube to evolve oxygen as the result of making the oxygen generating agent contained in the inner reaction bag react with the water introduced into the inner reaction bag, the water introducing tube is closed with the closing means to fill the inner reaction bag with the oxygen thus produced, consequently to allow the oxygen produced in the gas-permeable inner reaction bag to pass through the gas-permeable inner reaction bag. The oxygen produced in the gas-permeable inner reaction bag is allowed to pass through the gas-permeable inner reaction bag, but prevented from passing through the outer sealing bag. Although the oxygen passes through the gas-permeable inner reaction bag, the water and the oxygen generating agent contained in the inner reaction bag are prevented from flowing out through the gas-permeable inner reaction bag having watertightness. As a result, the oxygen is entrapped in a space between the gas-permeable inner reaction bag and the outer sealing bag, and then, flows out of the space between the inner and outer bags through the oxygen discharge nozzle to be placed into service for oxygen inhalation or the like.
The inner reaction bag is made of a flexible sheet having both watertightness and gas permeability, such as a membrane of polypropylene plastic or fluorine plastic, or by laminating such a watertight, gas-permeable sheet or membrane with reinforcing fibrous or unwoven fabric material.
As the oxygen generating agent to generate oxygen by reacting with water, there may be used an adduct of sodium carbonate peroxide or urea peroxide, or solid peroxide such as of sodium perborate. The oxygen generating efficiency of the oxygen generating agent can be increased by adding thereto a reaction accelerator such as a catalyst of manganese dioxide or rare metal, and catalase enzyme.
The water may be previously contained in the sealed container of the oxygen generator along with the oxygen generating agent so that the oxygen generating agent can be made to react with the water as needed. In this case, the sealed container may be divided into a water chamber and an agent chamber by a partition means capable of being easily broken by a relatively small pressure force imparted externally, so that the water and the oxygen generating agent are isolated from each other in the container when kept unused and come in contact with each other by breaking the partition means by the pressure force imparted externally to the sealed container from outside in use. By mixing the water and the oxygen generating agent in the sealed container, the oxygen generating agent is made to react with the water to produce the required oxygen. The oxygen discharge nozzle on the sealed container, from which is emitted the oxygen evolved as the result of making the oxygen generating agent react with the water, may be stuffed with a breathing member having both watertightness and gas permeability. The watertight and gas-permeable breathing member placed within the oxygen discharge nozzle can prevent lea
Hoshiko Inc.
Ruhl Dennis
Srivastava Virendra K
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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