Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Including body or head supported means covering user's scalp
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-05-08
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Including body or head supported means covering user's scalp
C128S202190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227198
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an underwater breathing apparatus wherein the breathing gas flow is controlled by directional valves and the exhalation gas is again inhaled after removal of the carbon dioxide.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An underwater breathing apparatus of the above kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,116. The known breathing apparatus includes an inhalation bag, an exhalation bag and a buoyancy bag which are all attached to the torso of a diver by individual belts. An inhalation tube leads from the inhalation bag and an exhalation tube leads from the exhalation bag to a diver mask which is provided with directional valves for controlling the breathing gas flow. The two breathing bags are connected to each other via a carbon dioxide absorber which serves to remove the carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas. An oxygen bottle is disposed in a pocket below the breathing bags and is connected to the inhalation bag via a metering valve. A buoyancy bag is arranged below the two breathing bags and can be filled with oxygen as required in order to adjust the upward force in the water to a desired value.
In the known breathing apparatus, by the placement of the oxygen bottle in a pocket (which is configured as an extension of the breathing bags) and the attachment of the buoyancy bag below the breathing bags and the oxygen bottle, the expansion of the buoyancy bag as well as the expansion of the breathing bags are all hindered by the attachment belts. Accordingly, the attachment belts, which are pulled tightly before a diving operation, must again be loosened after diving into the water so that the bags can expand unhindered. This affects the usability of the underwater apparatus. Furthermore, the known breathing apparatus is expensive to manufacture because the breathing bags and the buoyancy bag must be joined as separate components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to improve an underwater breathing apparatus of the kind referred to above so that it is easy to manufacture and so that a decoupling of the breathing gas conducting components and the attachment elements is achieved.
The underwater breathing apparatus of the invention is worn on the back of a diver. The apparatus includes: a support vest including an inner enclosure and a textile outer enclosure; the inner enclosure extending from the shoulders to the hips of the diver; the inner enclosure being formed from two panels made of elastomeric material and lying one atop the other and having a plurality of individual weld seams for subdividing the inner enclosure into an inhalation bag, an exhalation bag and a buoyancy bag; a mouthpiece; a first breathing tube connecting the inhalation bag to the mouthpiece; a second breathing tube connecting the exhalation bag to the mouthpiece; a carbon dioxide absorber arranged between the inhalation bag and the exhalation bag; a mixed-gas vessel connected at least to the inhalation bag; and, the textile outer enclosure including: a pocket for the mixed-gas vessel; a holder for the carbon dioxide absorber and belts for attaching the outer enclosure to the back of the diver.
The support vest has an inner enclosure, which includes, as a unit, the inhalation bag, the exhalation bag and the buoyancy bag and has the outer enclosure (made of a textile fabric) which contains all attachment belts and holders for the pressurized bottle and the carbon dioxide absorber. The advantage of the invention is seen in that this support vest conducts the force flow directly from the outer enclosure via the attachment belts to the back of the person carrying the apparatus.
The inner enclosure comprises two panels of an elastomer material one atop the other which are connected by individual weld seams and are subdivided by the weld seams into the inhalation bag, the exhalation bag and the buoyancy bag. The subdivision into the inhalation bag, the exhalation bag and the buoyancy bag is provided because of the geometry and the course of the weld seams.
In an advantageous manner, the inner enclosure is configured as an elastomer inner coating of the textile outer enclosure. The carrier vest can be especially easily manufactured as a so-called single-shell support vest in that two textile material panels coated with elastomer on one side are placed one against the other and are welded to each other. Nylon fabric having a polyurethane coating is especially suitable as a material for the support vest.
An advantageous configuration of the invention comprises a two-shell embodiment of the support vest. Here, the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure are configured as separate components with the inner enclosure being placed in the outer enclosure. This embodiment affords the advantage that the inner enclosure can unfold especially well under water because of the point mechanical coupling between the inner and outer enclosures.
An especially good use of space of the inner enclosure is achieved by a first weld seam running on the periphery of the elastomeric panels. The weld seams lying within the inner enclosure are purposefully configured as a second weld seam running along a connecting line between the inhalation bag and the exhalation bag and as a third weld seam and a fourth weld seam running from the second weld seam to the first weld seam.
An especially large volume for the inhalation bag and the exhalation bag results when the third weld seam and the fourth weld seam are curved to parabola-shaped legs running toward the first weld seam. The second weld seam is connected to the apex point of the two parabolic legs. The curvature of the third weld seam and the fourth weld seam in the region of the apex point can also be configured to have the shape of circular segments or have the shape of a polygon.
A fifth welding seam is advantageously provided in the buoyancy bag and is closed upon itself. With this fifth weld seam, a volume is separated from the buoyancy bag. The usable inner volume of the buoyancy bag can be changed by the geometry of the fifth weld seam.
In an advantageous manner, the inhalation bag and the exhalation bag as well as the parts of the outer enclosure disposed thereabove are configured as projections directed outwardly. The length of the projections is so dimensioned that they can be folded back in the direction toward the carbon dioxide absorber disposed in the outer enclosure. Insert connectors are located on the projections and can be connected to the carbon dioxide absorber so that a gas connection between the inhalation bag and the exhalation bag is established.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2456130 (1948-12-01), Lambertsen
patent: 2483116 (1949-09-01), Yarbrough
patent: 3080586 (1963-03-01), Steinke
patent: 3866253 (1975-02-01), Sinks et al.
patent: 3877425 (1975-04-01), O'Neill
patent: 3934581 (1976-01-01), O'Neill
patent: 4000534 (1977-01-01), Cerniway et al.
patent: 4752263 (1988-06-01), Pritchard et al.
patent: 4964404 (1990-10-01), Stone
patent: 5048517 (1991-09-01), Pasternack
patent: 5315988 (1994-05-01), Clarke et al.
patent: 5368020 (1994-11-01), Beux
patent: 5451121 (1995-09-01), Seligman
patent: 5804015 (1998-09-01), McCarter et al.
patent: 5887585 (1999-03-01), Dusenbery
patent: 6030147 (2000-02-01), Bowden
patent: 0782953 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 2708560 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 7-277276 (1995-10-01), None
Tillmann Jürgen
Wiegand Stephan
Drager Sicherheitstechnik GmbH
Mitchell Teena
Ottesen Walter
Ruhl Dennis
LandOfFree
Underwater breathing apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Underwater breathing apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Underwater breathing apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2555059