EP1177017B1 - Quick-donning protective head equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a protective breathing equipment comprising a respirator provided with a regulator designed to be connected to a source of breathing mixture under pressure and a harness having at least an extensible strap whereof the ends are connected to the respirator and comprising an element temporarily inflatable with the pressurised breathing mixture to extend the strap until it reaches a sufficient dimension to enable the user to engage the harness on his head and capable of being emptied to enable the strap, to press the respirator against his face. A flexible envelope covering the head is tightly fixed to the single strap or to the upper strap of the harness and fixed to the respirator; it is transparent at least in the portion opposite the eyes when the equipment is worn.

Description

The invention relates to head protection equipment comprising a breathing mask, a harness allowing rapid placement on the face and means for protecting the eyes against fumes.

We already know ( EP-A-0288391 ) quick-protective protective equipment, particularly intended for technical cabin crew of passenger-carrying appliances, of the type having a breathing mask fitted with a regulator intended to be connected to a source of pressurized respiratory gas (generally oxygen) and a harness having at least one extensible strap whose ends are connected to the mask and which has an element that is temporarily inflatable by the pressurized gas to lengthen the strap to a size sufficient to allow the user engage the harness on the head and drain to allow the strap to tighten, apply the mask to the face and hold it in place. The equipment described as an example in the document EP-A-0288391 allows the pressure in the inflatable element to be set so as to give it an intermediate value between the complete emptying pressure and the complete inflation pressure and to reduce the discomfort created by the permanent wearing of the mask under the flight conditions where this port is required. The document FR-A-2,778,575 substitutes a mechanical adjustment to the setting of the pressure. The documents EP-A-0 628 325 and US-A-5,623,923 provide automatic adjustment.

To also ensure the protection of the eyes against aggressive agents and in particular smoke, without using a hood having a neck seal, it has been proposed to supplement the equipment defined above by a transparent visor, internally ventilated from a respiratory regulator. This visor can be fixed permanently to the mask, as in the equipment marketed under the mark "MAGIC" by the applicant (US Des. 304 384) or detachable for easy storage ( US-A-5,630,412 ). In both cases, pressurized breathing gas supply ports from the regulator to the visor are provided to sweep the visor and prevent fogging.

Another solution to facilitate storage is to use a flexible and foldable visor. Visor-type equipment of this kind, intended for the US Air Force, has been marketed from 1976 by the company Scott Aviation, under the reference MBU-2 / P. They include an oro-nasal mask welded to a flexible visor made of transparent polyurethane, equipped with a waterproof seal on the face. Due to the presence of a face seal, folding the equipment to store in a box is delicate and inconvenient; long-term storage can damage the seal.

The present invention aims in particular to provide head protection equipment, enveloping the mouth of the respiratory tract and eyes, providing comfort equivalent to that of existing equipment, easily stored and providing adequate protection against smoke and gas irritating the eyes . For this, it uses the fact that a perfect seal is not necessary, because the ventilation due to the overpressure of the respiratory gas is sufficient to chase smoke and irritating gases.

The invention therefore proposes equipment of the kind defined above, characterized by a flexible envelope intended to cover the head, sealingly attached to a sheath limiting the elongation of the single strap or the upper strap of the harness. and attached to the mask, said envelope being transparent at least in a portion which is in front of the eyes when the equipment is in place on the head.

Such a constitution makes it possible not to equip the envelope of the visor face seal which is essential in prior equipment, seal whose flexibility is insufficient to allow a convenient folding convenient equipment for storage.

The tightness of the connection between the envelope on the one hand, the mask and the strap on the other hand, can be made complete; there is usually a gap between the face and the envelope in a border area, at the rear of the seal of the mask. But this gap can be made very small by an appropriate arrangement of the straps, as will be seen later. In this case, the leakage to the environment of pressurized respiratory gas from the regulator through the mask is sufficient to drive out the fumes or irritating gases that would tend to penetrate to the eyes.

The waterproof connection or substantially sealed between the envelope and the extensible strap can be achieved by winding the edge of the envelope on the outer sheath inextensible commonly provided to limit the elongation of the strap. The connection between the envelope and the inextensible sheath of the strap can in particular be made by sewing or gluing.

The edge of the envelope will be of sufficient length not to hinder the elongation of the strap for the establishment of the equipment. This edge will crease when deflating the strap. Experience shows that the contraction of the strap during deflation occurs mainly in the rear part, so without causing any risk of bending affecting the visor. It will often be advantageous to give the portion of the envelope close to the mask increased stiffness relative to the rear part of the envelope to prevent the formation of folds in the front part.

In an alternative embodiment, the envelope is not limited to a simple cap. It extends downward from the single strap or upper strap to provide additional protection. In the case of a harness with two straps, the tubular part of the envelope below the upper strap can be free relative to the lower strap or attached to its sheath. In the first case it is sufficient that the envelope passes outside the lower strap so that it, when inflated, deploys the lower part and facilitates the installation of the equipment on the head. When, however, protection is sought as complete as possible, it is advantageous to place the lower part of the envelope inside the lower strap.

The envelope may have various constitutions, depending in particular on the user for whom the equipment is intended and the optical qualities required for the transparent part.

In a particularly simple solution, the envelope is in one piece made of a transparent material, such as polyurethane; a portion of which constitutes a visor. To avoid wrinkling in the visor area, this area may be thickened to be less flexible than the rest.

The visor can be of one piece or made up of portholes separated by a thinner part facilitating the folding for storage.

Such a constitution of the envelope, which forms a cap covering the head, has the advantage of being particularly simple and provide a very wide field of view. The optical qualities that can be obtained are generally insufficient for a pilot. On the other hand, this solution can be adopted for civil or military aircraft crew members, for whom a slight reduction in the accuracy of vision is tolerable, as well as for ground uses.

In another embodiment, the envelope has a composite structure. The non-transparent portion is a flexible, impermeable or very low permeable fabric, preferably non-flammable and resistant to high temperatures. In particular use the fabric sold under the brand NOMEX, coated to increase its tightness to contaminants. The transparent part is constituted by a flexible visor in one piece or in two portholes, in polyurethane or in another material which can be either rigid when a high optical quality is necessary, or slightly flexible, fixed in both cases so waterproof to the fabric.

This embodiment has the additional interest that the envelope is a cap protecting the scalp against thermal effects and possibly also protecting the neck and shoulders when the envelope has a lower portion extending below the upper strap .

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the usual box for storing the head equipment is replaced by a flexible bag which can be provided to receive both a pneumatic harness mask quick set up a mask comprising a smoke protection envelope.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective montrant l'aspect extérieur d'un exemple d'équipement de protection suivant l'invention, en place sur la tête ;
• la figure 2 est un schéma en élévation de l'équipement de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique en coupe horizontale et à grande échelle montrant les jonctions entre les composants de l'équipement de la figure 1 et leur appui sur la tête ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en élévation montrant un autre mode de réalisation ;
• les figures 5 et 6 , similaires à la figure 4, montrent des variantes de réalisation ;
• la figure 7 est un schéma montrant un sac de stockage en coupe et un équipement en place dans le sac, l'élément annulaire étant dégonflé.

The above and other characteristics will appear better on reading the following description of particular embodiments given as non-limiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an example of protective equipment according to the invention, in place on the head;
• Figure 2 is an elevational diagram of the equipment of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a schematic view in horizontal section and on a large scale showing the junctions between the components of the equipment of Figure 1 and their support on the head;
• Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing another embodiment;
• Figures 5 and 6, similar to Figure 4, show alternative embodiments;
• Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a cup storage bag and equipment in place in the bag, the annular member being deflated.

The emergency breathing equipment shown in Figure 1 in the state where it is when the harness is placed on the head, can be regarded as having a mask 10 and a harness 11. The mask shown has a face-cover oro -Nasal provided at the back with a seal with the face, which can be constituted by a thin internal fold. The face cover is attached to a demand regulator 13 and to a rigid connection block 12. The connection block is provided with a connection connection with a flexible conduit 17 intended to be connected to a source of respiratory gas under pressure (oxygen in general). The harness shown has two straps 16a and 16b each consisting of an inner tube of a material allowing the tube to elongate, contained in a substantially inextensible sheath limiting the elongation of the tube. According to the intended use, the regulator 13 will be with or without dilution by air sucked into the cabin, with possibility of overpressure and undiluted respiratory gas supply in case of decompression at high altitude and / or presence of smoke .

The regulator is connected to the supply line 17 via the connection block 12. The block carries manually inflated means for inflating the straps 16, consisting, for example, of a tap designed to be actuated by manual pinching of two ears. 18 carried by the connection block 12 and one of which is tilting.

The faucet is constituted so as to place an internal volume of the connection block 12 and the straps 16 in communication with the atmosphere when it is free, which then allows the straps to retract and to apply the mask against the face . When the valve is actuated, it admits on the contrary pressurized gas from the supply line 17 in the interior volume, which causes an elongation straps sufficient to allow rapid implementation.

The regulator can carry an aneroid capsule constituting an altimetry detector and automatically putting the straps in conjunction with the environment to cause maximum tightening in case of ambient depressurization.

The arrangement described so far is known. It can be supplemented by means 36 with manual control ( U.S. Patent No. 5,690,102 ) or automatic ( US-A-5,503,147 ) of residual pressure adjustment in the straps to reduce the discomfort of the permanent wearing of the mask. Another solution is to connect at least one of the branches of the hamais to the regulator on demand via a mechanical length adjustment member ( FR-A-2778575 ). The invention applies to all these constitutions.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the equipment also comprises a jacket 30 constituting a cup, made of transparent and flexible material, such as polyurethane, polyethylene or KAPTON, whose edge passes below the upper strap 16a is folded around it and is sealingly connected to the sheath limiting the extension of the strap. Notches in the edge deliver passage to the flexible bands 32 connecting from place to place the two straps. The tightness of the connection with the mask can be ensured by simply gluing a folded side strip 38 of the envelope, which tends to retain the portion of the cap which constitutes a visor in a position sufficiently spaced from the face. and the connection area with the glued strip can be preformed and have a thickness greater than that of the rest of the envelope so that the visor takes a specific shape when the equipment is in place on the head. The inside of the visor is ventilated by adding air from the regulator through not shown passages, which can be similar to those of the MAGIC mask described in US Pat. 304,384 or the patent US 5,630,412 .

As shown in Figure 3, it is difficult to avoid the presence of a gap 40 along the face between the seal or the folded edge of the mask on the one hand, the face on the other hand and the cap on the other hand again. But this gap can be of very small cross section if the straps are connected to the mask at the front of it, as shown in Figure 1. It can be closed by a flexible tongue attached to the mask or a flap. The pressurized breathing gas from inside the casing and escaping to the outside avoids the entry of polluting gas from the environment.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the envelope 30 extends down beyond the straps. It passes under the two straps and is glued at least to the upper strap. By also sticking to the lower strap, the latter forces the lower part to bloom when it inflates, which facilitates the establishment on the head.

The equipment according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that the envelope has a composite structure. The majority of the envelope 30 and in particular that which is attached to the sheath of the upper strap 16a is made of a fabric or film of a material that can be opaque, flexible, sealingly connectable to the sheath of the strap and advantageously having a high heat resistance. In particular, it is possible to use fabrics having an elasticity and / or flexibility facilitating the deformation required by the connection to a sheath that changes from a pleated state to a stretched state during use. It is also possible to use the NOMEX, which is often made of the sheaths of the straps.

In front of the eyes the envelope has a transparent portion 41 constituting a window in one or two parts flexible enough to allow storage in a classic transport aircraft box, but able to take a definite form when it is no longer constrained, in order to have good optical qualities. The envelope has a shape such that the window is in the immediate vicinity of the eyes when the strap is retracted, so as not to excessively reduce the peripheral vision.

The embodiment shown in Figure 6 differs from the previous in that the envelope extends below the upper strap 16a and passes around the lower strap to which it can be or not fixed. In this case the elongation of the lower strap for the implementation of the head equipment causes a development of the lower part of the envelope, facilitating the establishment on the head.

Setting up :

Outside the periods of use, the mask is stored, folded in a storage box, for example of the type described in the document US - A - 5,913,307 from where the connection block overflows. When the user wishes to put on the mask, he grasps the connection block 12, pulls the equipment out of the box and presses the ears 18. The inflow of breathing gas is then connected to the harness which extends until that the outer sheaths, initially folded, be stretched. The edge of the envelope 30 unfolds following the lengthening of the harness. The user can then place the mask on his face and the envelope on the head, until it rests on the scalp.

The user then releases the ears 18 to drain the straps. The mask 10 is applied to the face with maximum force. The edge of the envelope or an intermediate portion contracts at the same time as the strap 16a. The folds of the envelope appear mainly in the rear zone of the strap and are plated on the head by tightening the strap without appreciable adverse effect on the seal.

The seal is further improved when the envelope extends below the upper strap or, better still, the two straps.

Mask removal:

When the user wants to put the equipment back into its box, it fully inflates the harness by action on the ear 18. It can then remove all equipment. Once the mask is removed, the user releases the ear 18 so that the harness and the envelope become flexible and allow the manual folding, then the storage of the equipment in his box.

In the variant shown in Figure 7, the storage device is a flexible wall bag 50 whose edge defines a mask passage opening and is provided with an expandable annular member 42 whose elasticity tends to tighten. Means for admitting into the element of the compressed gas to lengthen it.

The annular element 42 may have a constitution similar to that of an inflatable harness strap, such as one described in the documents already mentioned. The annular element then generally comprises a tube made of an elastic material which is as tight as possible on which or in which is placed a flexible but substantially inextensible sheath whose length in the unfolded state defines the largest possible section of the opening .

The elasticity of the annular element 42 of such a device will advantageously be such that this element, when deflated, is applied against the nose of the mask 10 leaving only much smaller gaps than the flaps of a box.

The supply means of the annular element 42 may be combined with those which supply the harness. These supply means may for example comprise a three-way valve 44 which, at rest, connects the element to the atmosphere and which, when pulled on the mask to remove it from the bag, comes into a position where it feeds the annular element with compressed gas. For this, the valve can be controlled by a pallet 46 placed against the rigid bottom of the bag 50 and causing the arrival of the valve in the empty position when it is pushed by the mask or, conversely, provided to have two locking positions elastic and be pulled by the mask when it is removed from the bag.

The supply means may also comprise a valve which is brought into the supply position in response to a manual action on a button and returns to the emptying position to the atmosphere after a determined period.

Claims (11)

1. Breathing protection equipment that can be donned quickly on a user's head, comprising;

   - a breathing mask (10) fitted with a regulator (13) for connection (17) to a source of breathing gas under pressure,

   - a harness (11) having at least one extensible strap (16a, 16b) whose ends are connected to the mask (10) and which includes :

   - an element that can be inflated temporarily by admission of said gas under pressure in order to lengthen the strap (16a, 16b) to a size that is large enough to enable the user to put the harness (11) over his head, and that can then be exhausted so as to allow the strap (16a, 16b) to tighten, to press the mask (10) against the face of the user, and to hold it in place, and

   - a substantially inextensible outer sheath provided for limiting elongation of the strap (16a, 16b) and fixed to this mask,

   characterized by the fact that it further comprises :

   - a flexible cover (30) for covering the head, fixed in substantially leaktight manner to said sheath for limiting elongation of said extensible strap of the harness (11), and fixed to the mask (10), said cover (30) being transparent, at least in a portion thereof that lies in front of the eyes of the user when the equipment is being worn by this latter.
2. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said cover (30) is also fixed to said mask (10) in a substantially leaktight manner.
3. Equipment according to claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterized in that a portion of the cover (30) which is fixed to the sheath is of a length that is sufficient to avoid impeding lengthening of said strap (16a, 16b) to a sufficient value for the purpose of donning the equipment, and said portion of the cover (30) is designed to pucker when the strap (16a, 16b) deflates.
4. Equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that the cover (30) has an upper part forming a cap, a portion of the edge of which is fixed in a substantially leaktight manner along said sheath of the single or top extensible strap (16a) when the harness (11) has at least two straps (16a, 16b).
5. Equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, of which the harness (11) has two extensible straps, namely a top strap (16a) and a bottom strap (16b), characterized in that the cover (30) has an upper part forming a cap, for covering the user's head and which extends above the top strap (16a), and a tubular portion which extends beneath the top strap (16a), to which the tubular portion is fixed in a substantially leaktight manner, and passes either outside said bottom strap (16b) and is fixed or not to this latter so that the extension of this latter spreads out said tubular portion of the cover (30) and facilitates donning of the equipment on the head of the user, or else inside said bottom strap (16b) to which said tubular portion of the cover (30 is fixed to provide better protection.
6. Equipment according to any preceding claim,
   characterized in that the cover (30) comprises a single piece of transparent material, such as polyurethane, with a portion thereof constituting a visor.
7. Equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that the visor-forming portion is thicker and less flexible than the remainder of the cover (30) and is of constant thickness.
8. Equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that the vieor-forming portion forms two separate eyepieces (41) united by a thinner portion that folds to facilitate stowage.
9. Equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that the cover (30) is of composite structure, having a non-transparent portion of fabric that is substantially impermeable and that withstands high temperatures, and a transparent portion constituting a flexible visor, in one piece or in two eyepieces (41) that is fixed in leaktight manner to the fabric.
10. Equipment according to any preceding claim,
    characterized in that the cover (30) is made out of a not flammable material.
11. Equipment according to any preceding claim,
    characterized in that it includes an aneroid capsule constituting an altitude detector and automatically putting at least one extensible strap into communication with surrounding air in order to ensure maximum tightness in the event of the surroundings becoming depressurized.

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