MXPA98004615A - Hypoxia protection device used in a hos atmosphere - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a protection device for hostile environment comprising: a face cover (12) provided with a flexible gasket around the eyes to protect them against smoke, sealing means on the periphery of the cover and a plug ( 30) for a filtered air supply, an oronasal mask (14) placed in the bedspread, fixed to it, and equipped with a regulator for the demand (16) whose intake is provided with a plug (18) to an oxygen supply source and whose escape is joined directly to the atmosphere through the cover, the inspiratory and expiration paths being separated in the regulator by means of a casings (20,22), and means to place and keep in place the cover on the head of a cover

Description

DEVICE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST HYPOXIA. USE IT IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT The present invention relates to the protection devices against hypoxia and fumes, comprises an oronasal mask provided with a regulator according to the demand, and may be completed by protective goggles against smoke, intended to be fed from an oxygen source and to dilute the oxygen with the air taken from the environment when the ambient pressure does not need a pure oxygen feed. To ensure the protection of the crew members of an aircraft provided with such a device against assaults by nuclear, bacteriological or chemical (NBC) contamination, it has been proposed to complete that device with a cowl around the head and neck, intended to have a substantially hermetic connection to the mask. This solution is not fully satisfactory. In case of threat of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, the personnel must equip themselves, from the beginning of a mission that presents a risk of aggression of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, with a cowl, that in the best of cases, does not It presents more than flimsy and very uncomfortable openings, while the use of a respiratory mask is not necessary, for example at low altitude. On the other hand, protection devices used on land or at low altitude are known, comprising a face cover that surrounds the eyes and is provided with means for putting it in place and retaining it on the face and comprising an oronasal mask provided with a breathing gas inlet plug (usually filtered air supplied by a fan) and an expiration valve that flows into the atmosphere through the face shield. Such a device does not provide, by itself, sufficient protection against the aggressions of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, to which the pilots of aircraft and especially of helicopters and transport aircraft are exposed. The present invention is directed to providing a device for protection against hypoxia and fumes that can be used either alone when there is no risk of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, either in combination with a cowl that, unless carried alone (for example, during low-altitude flight periods) it is much less uncomfortable than the usual cogullas. To this end, the invention proposes a device having: a face cover provided with a flexible connection around the eyes to protect them against fumes, sealing means at its periphery, and a pluggable connection for a filtered air supply. a gold-nasal mask placed on the face cover, fixed to it and equipped with a regulator for the demand where the intake is provided with a connection to an oxygen supply source and where the exhaust is directly linked to the atmosphere through the covers face by means of an exhaust valve, the inspiratory and expiration paths in the regulator are separated by means of crankcases. and means to place and hold in place covers face. Such a device can be constituted from a regulator for the classical demand, which can be supplied by means of an oxygen reserve, from which the core is conserved, and from a mask proper, equipped with a facial union. The inspiration part of the regulator, inside the crankcase that delimits the inspiratory path, will be generally linked to the internal ventilation means of the face cover, allowing to ventilate the volume around the head. Although such a device is used for missions where there is no threat of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, the face cover can be equipped with means to put it in place and hold it over the head consisting of an inflatable harness and a block that can be connected to the front face of the cover. The arrangement of the device can then be carried out in a conventional manner. The harness can be provided so that it can be used by personnel provided with a helmet or not provided with a helmet, in a manner similar to that described in document FR-A-2 710 272 or US-A-5 488 948. A variant embodiment is only applied when the risk of hypoxia and smoke is only considered if the pilot carries a helmet, you can fix an arc on the helmet, with the help of bayonets that are used classically to hook a mask. In this case, the arch is provided in order to be able to receive the cover face tightly. The pilot's face is then exposed to the environment, except for the respiratory tract and the area surrounding the eyes, protected by flexible joints. The harness is not necessary in this case. When, on the other hand, there is a risk of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, the personnel puts on a cowl before the beginning of the mission. This cowl classically comprises a part that surrounds the head provided with a neck joint and a part forming a breastplate that extends it over the flight uniform. Unlike the usual cogs, this one, which is intended to be used with a device of the genre described above may comprise a larger opening that releases the mouth, nose and eyes. Carrying a cowl like that does not show the degree of discomfort found in the usual cogullas. A hermetic enclosure must be formed around the head of the personnel when there is a threat of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination. The device to be described allows various solutions to be adopted to constitute this hermetic enclosure. The protection against nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination is ensured especially by placing the head of the pilot in volume superpressure. One solution is to equip the cowl with an arch, of the kind described in patent application FR No. 97 05566, the arch itself being fixed by the bayonets that are hooked in the receptacles of the helmet. In this case, the face cover can be provided to be fixed on the arch, by the means described in this patent application. The inspiration route of the demand regulator is linked to the internal ventilation means of the cover, which may be constituted by two ramps that open into the interior of the cover. The mask can be supplied with filtered air when there is no need for oxygen enrichment. This filtered air supply is carried out under a slight overpressure, so that it allows the sweep of the cowl and / or the helmet as well as to put the pressure in the head room.

The above characteristics, as well as others, will be better appreciated on reading the following description of particular modes of embodiment, provided by way of non-limiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevated view with separate parts, showing a possible constitution of a device, such as that used under conditions that do not involve a threat of nuclear contamination , bacteriological or chemical. Figure 2 is an internal view of the cover, in perspective. Figure 3 is a raised view similar to Figure 1, showing the device in place on a helmet arch. Figure 4 shows a possible way of using the device for a crew member who does not wear a helmet, under conditions of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination. Figure 5 shows a cowl provided with an arc, usable under the conditions of use shown in figures 4 and 6. Figure 6, similar to figure 4, shows a way of using the device on a helmet, in conditions of contamination nuclear, bacteriological or chemical. The device shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a cover 12 containing an oronasal mask 14 with a face junction 15. The cover 12 has one or more expiration valves 32, a funnel 30 connected to a flexible air supply duct, provided with a non-return valve 33, and optionally a beverage feeding funnel 33, symmetrically positioned to the valve 32 with respect to the vertical mid-plane of the face cover. The face cover also comprises a flexible connection designed to ensure airtightness resting on an arch, as will be seen later. The cover has a visor or transparent glasses 19 surrounded by a flexible connection designed to rest on the face and to delimit around the eyes a protective enclosure. The oronasal mask 14 is carried by the cover face 12. It is equipped with a demand regulator 16 where the intake is provided with a connection 18 to an oxygen supply source and whose exhaust is directly connected to the atmosphere through the cover through the expiration valve 32. The inspiratory and expiration paths in the regulator 16 are separated by the respective cases 20 and 22. The inspiration part of the regulator, inside the crankcase that delimits the inspiration path, is linked generally to the means of internal ventilation of the cover, which opens into a ramp 24 for ventilation of the head (figure 2). The front surface of the face cover shown in Figure 1 is intended to receive an inflatable harness 26 for quick fitting, provided with a block connectable to the front surface of the face cover. The device can be used with a harness like this for missions where there is no threat of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination. The harness can be provided to be usable by personnel provided with a helmet. The sealing connection can then be applied to an arch 28 of the kind described in application FR 97 05556. This arch, if provided, can be fixed removably on the hull by lateral bayonets. The harness can also be disassembled or omitted. The cover can also be provided with fixing means in three points on an arc such as those described in document FR-A-97 05 566, cooperating with the receptacles 40 that equip the arc, or be provided with bayonets in the case of where there is no arch. In all cases, it is not necessary to plug the funnel 30 into a filtered air supply under these conditions of use, the eventual dilution is made from the ambient air.

When there is, on the contrary, a risk of nuclear, bacteriological or chemical contamination, the person puts on a cowl before the beginning of the mission, and plugs the funnel 30 into a filtered air supply. If the mission does not require wearing a helmet, it can be foreseen that the face cover is plugged directly into an arch fixed permanently to the cowl. Figures 4 and 5 show a cowl of this type 42 provided with an evacuation valve 44 and an arch 28. The arch, fixed in a hermetic manner to the cowl, delimits an opening of large dimensions, which is favorable from the point of view of comfort. The arc 28 shown also carries three receptacles for receiving the face cover, and side zippers 46 for mounting on a helmet. When the person to be protected must wear a helmet 50 (figure 6), which is the case of the pilots, the bow of the cowl is connected to the helmet with the help of the zips 46 that are hooked in the receptacles 56 The face cover is not fixed to the bow more than when necessary, by means of connection to the receptacles 40. It is possible to remove the helmet, when it is not necessary, by simply releasing the zippers 46. The filtered air feed means can classically comprise a fan 52 provided with intake filters 54, which supplies the necessary expense for breathing and for putting the cowl into superpressure. The fan can feed one or several expensive covers. The fan branches over the on-board network or feeds autonomously.

Claims (8)

1. A protective device for hostile environment comprising: a face cover (12) provided with a flexible seal around the eyes to protect them from smoke, sealing means at the periphery of the cover and a plug (30) obturable for a feeding filtered air, an oronasal mask (14) placed on the cover, fixed to it, and equipped with a regulator for the demand (16) whose intake is provided with a plug (18) to an oxygen supply source and whose exhaust it is attached directly to the atmosphere through the cover, the inspiratory and expiration paths being separated in the regulator by means of a casings (20, 22); and means for placing and holding in place the cover on the head of a wearer. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inspiratory path of the regulator is linked to the internal ventilation means of the cover, comprising ramps (24) that open into the cover. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises a cowl (42) that wraps around the head, comprising an opening that releases the mouth, nose and eyes, intended to hermetically receive the sealing means of the cover. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cowl is equipped with an arch (28) around the opening, intended to receive the sealing means of the face cover and provided with receptacles belonging to the means for placing and maintaining its place the cover. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said arch is provided with removable fixing means for the receptacles (56) provided on a helmet. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover is provided with an inflatable retention harness on the head of a carrier fixed to the cover by means of a removable block. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises a bow provided with means for fixing the cover and fixing means on a helmet, the arc being designed to receive the cover in a position such that the mask and the seal Flexible are applied against the face. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the means for feeding filtered air under pressure comprising a fan (52) and the filters (54).