WO2012127204A2

WO2012127204A2 - Breathing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2012127204A2
Application number: PCT/GB2012/050415
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Masters; James Farnaby; David Cheesman; Paul Townsend; Gordon Wrigley
Original assignee: Draeger Safety Uk Limited
Priority date: 2011-03-18
Filing date: 2012-02-23
Publication date: 2012-09-27
Also published as: GB2489050A; WO2012127204A3; GB201104625D0

Abstract

Breathing apparatus comprises a housing (6) accommodating cylinders (8) of a pressurised breathable gas. In use, the housing (6) is carried on the back of a user, and gas from the cylinders (8) is supplied to the user, for example by way of a hood, through a tube (42). An auxiliary storage unit (24), comprising an auxiliary cylinder (28), is detachably fitted to the housing (6) at a docking location (14). The auxiliary storage unit (24) has an end cap (30) which accommodates a pressure reducing valve, a pressure gauge (50) and a shut off valve (48). The auxiliary storage unit (24) can readily be detached from the docking location (14) for use by the wearer of the breathing apparatus, or by another person. The auxiliary storage unit (24), when fitted at the docking location (14), forms an integrated unit with the housing (6).

Description

BREATHING APPARATUS

This invention relates to breathing apparatus, and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with self contained breathing apparatus for use by fire and other emergency service personnel when operating in an environment where smoke and other toxic materials are present.

Smoke inhalation is a major cause of injury and death to individuals trapped in a fire. Fire service personnel are typically equipped with breathing apparatus when entering a burning building. There may be an urgent need to provide a breathable gas, such as air, to a person to be rescued before they can be removed to safety. It is known, for this purpose, for self contained breathing apparatus to make provision for 'buddy-breathing', for example by way of an auxiliary demand valve which enables a second person to breath from the same gas supply tank as the principal user of that tank. For example, a person being rescued may be provided with a mask or hood with a pneumatic connection to the rescuer's air source. A similar practice can be adopted if a firefighter is to supply air to a fellow firefighter, whose air supply is exhausted, or whose breathing apparatus develops a fault.

A problem with such practices is that, if two people are breathing from the same source, the source will be depleted rapidly. In some circumstances, the source may be depleted before the rescuer can deliver the rescued person to safety. Also, the operational effectiveness of a firefighter will be reduced if they must necessarily remain connected by the breathing apparatus to another firefighter or to a person being rescued. It is known for self contained breathing apparatus to include a 'pony' cylinder which is mounted on a main cylinder of the apparatus. An example of a pony cylinder is disclosed in US5579967. A problem with pony cylinders is that replacement of a main cylinder requires detachment of the pony cylinder and its reattachment to the replacement main cylinder. This can be inconvenient. Furthermore, firefighters often operate in cramped surroundings, and the additional bulk of a pony cylinder provides a snagging risk and could severely restrict a firefighter's access to confined areas.

According to the present invention there is provided breathing apparatus comprising a support frame for mounting on the body of a user, the support frame being provided with at least one main container of pressurised breathable gas and supply means for supplying the breathable gas from the container to the airways of the user, the support frame having a docking location which carries an auxiliary storage unit comprising an auxiliary container of pressurised breathable gas which is isolated from the or each main container and from the supply mains.

Because the auxiliary storage unit is mounted directly on the support frame, it is not necessary for it to be removed to gain access to the main container or containers. Also, it can be removed from the support frame independently of the main container, and so can provide an independent gas supply to a fellow firefighter or to a person being rescued.

The auxiliary storage unit may be elongate, and the docking means may comprise a recess in which one end of the auxiliary storage unit is located, the other end of the auxiliary storage unit engaging the support frame by means of a latch. The latch may be of any suitable form, but in one embodiment it is a magnetic latch, comprising a permanent magnet on one of the auxiliary storage unit and the support frame, and a magnetic material on the other.

The auxiliary storage unit may comprise an auxiliary housing accommodating an auxiliary container of the breathable gas. The auxiliary housing may include an end cap provided with flow control means for the auxiliary container. The flow control means may comprise a shut- off valve, a regulating valve and/or a pressure gauge. A coupling means of the auxiliary container may project from the end cap for connection to the supply means, or to supply means of another breathing apparatus.

The auxiliary storage unit may be provided with a carrying strap, so that it can be carried conveniently independently of the support frame after it has been detached for use independently of the main container of the breathing apparatus.

The support frame may comprise a main housing accommodating the or each main container. The main housing may have an end cover accommodating an end region of the or each main container, and, where the auxiliary storage unit comprises an end cap, the end cap and the end cover may engage one another to form an integrated profile. By 'integrated profile' is meant that the end cap and the cover have conforming outer profiles so that, when the auxiliary storage unit is docked at the docking location, the end cap and the end cover have the appearance of a single unit. Where a latch is provided between the auxiliary storage unit and the support frame, the latch my comprise latch elements which are disposed respectively on the end cover and the end cap.

In embodiments in which the auxiliary storage unit is elongated, the or each container may also be elongate, the main and auxiliary containers being disposed parallel to each other. Where there are two or more of the main containers, the length-wise axis of the main and auxiliary containers may lie generally in a common plane. The common plane may be curved in order to conform to the back of a wearer of the breathing apparatus.

The present invention also provides breathing apparatus comprising a support frame for mounting on the body of a user, the support frame being provided with at least one main container of pressurised breathable gas and supply means for supplying the breathable gas from the container to the airways of the user, the support frame having a docking location for receiving an auxiliary storage unit in order to form a breathing apparatus as defined above.

For a better understand of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic rear view of breathing apparatus with an auxiliary storage unit fitted;

Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows the auxiliary storage unit detached;

Figure 3 is a top view of the breathing apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, carried by a user;

Figure 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the breathing apparatus with the auxiliary storage unit detached;

Figure 6 is a view from the top of the breathing apparatus of Figures 4 and 5; Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 6, but shows the auxiliary storage unit attached; and Figure 8 shows the auxiliary storage unit of Figures 4 to 7. In this specification, reference such as rear, top and bottom relate to the breathing apparatus when worn by an upright user.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the breathing apparatus comprises a back plate 2 (shown only schematically in Figure 3 but in more detail in Figures 5 and 6) which is provided with straps 4 (not shown in Figure 3) to enable it to be fitted to a firefighter F in the manner of a backpack.

The support frame 2 is provided with a main housing 6 which, as shown in Figure 3, accommodates three containers, in the form of cylinders 8, containing a breathable gas such as air under pressure. The housing 6 has upper and lower end covers 10, 12.

The support frame 2, including the housing 6, defines a docking location 14 which is constituted principally by an end face 16 of the housing 6, a locating cup 18, an end face 20 of the upper end cover 10, and a retaining band 22 secured to the housing 6 at the end face 16.

The breathing apparatus also comprises an auxiliary storage unit 24 which can be fitted to, and withdrawn from, the docking location 14. The auxiliary storage unit 24 comprises an elongate housing 26 which holds an auxiliary container 28 of a pressurised breathable gas. Like the main containers 8, the auxiliary container 28 is in the form of an elongate cylinder.

The auxiliary housing 26 has, at its upper end, an end cap 30 and, at its lower end, a projecting spigot 32 which fits within a locating recess 34 (Figures 5 and 6) in the base of the locating cup 18.

The breathing apparatus is shown in greater detail in Figures 4 to 7.

The housing 6 comprises a cover panel 36 which encloses the cylinders 8 at the rear. The cover panel 36 is of a lightweight flexible material and includes stiffening ribs 38 and grooves 40. The housing 6 thus provides a relatively smooth contour and, because the cylinders 8 are distributed side-by-side across the housing 6, has a relatively slim, snag-free profile. As can be seen from Figures 6 and 7, the housing 6 is curved to conform to the back of the wearer and consequently the longitudinal axes A of the cylinders 8 lie in a common curved plane X. In order to provide further conformity to the back of a user, the cylinders 8 may have flexible necked regions, as disclosed in US7124908.

The upper end cover 10 is curved, as seen from above (Figures 6 and 7) to conform to the profile of the housing 6 and terminates at the end face 20, which is flat. The lower end cover 12 accommodates a manifold (not shown) by which the cylinders 8 are connected, by appropriate pressure regulators and a shut-off valve, to supply tubes which extend to a mask or hood (not shown) to be worn by the user, or to an auxiliary demand valve. A pressure gauge 44 and a cylinder refill connecter 46 are also provided on the lower end cover 12. The upper and lower end covers 10, 12 are relatively rigid components which may be formed as mouldings of a plastics material.

The end cap 30 of the auxiliary storage unit 24 encloses the upper end of the auxiliary housing 26 and accommodates a shut-off valve controlled by a knob 48, a pressure regulator (not shown) and a pressure gauge 50. An outlet connector 51 projects from a flat end wall 54 of the end cap 30. Like the upper and lower end covers 10, 12, the end cap 30 is a relatively rigid component which may be formed as a moulding of a plastics material.

When the auxiliary storage unit 24 is fitted to the housing 6 by engagement with the docking location 14, the spigot 32 is located in the recess 34 in the locating cup 18, the flexible band 22 is opened to extend around the housing 26, and the flat end face 52 of the end cap 30 is placed against the flat end face 20 of the upper end cover 10. The retaining band may be a resilient strip which automatically curls around the auxiliary storage unit 24 when the unit 24 is docked, or may be a flexible strip which can be secured around the unit 24 by a quick release fastening arrangement, for example incorporating a hook and loop material such as Velcro^®. A suitable latch is provided to engage the end cap 30 with the upper end cover 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, this latch comprises magnetic elements 54 on the end faces 52 and 20, and cooperating recesses 56 provided with a suitable magnetic material. Consequently, when the auxiliary storage unit 24 is fitted to the housing 6, it is securely locked in place while remaining easily detachable simply by pulling the auxiliary storage unit 24 away from the housing 6, which breaks the magnetic connection created between the end faces 52, 20, and by releasing the retaining band 22. The auxiliary storage unit 24 can thus be detached very quickly in an emergency, without the requirement to undo any complex securing means. When the auxiliary storage unit 24 is fitted to the housing 6, the connector 51 is received in a cavity 58 in the end face 20 of the upper end cover 10, and so is protected against contamination until required for use. In alternative embodiments, the connector 51 may be positioned elsewhere than on the end face 52. For example, it may be positioned so as to project away from the housing 6, to the side or to the rear of the user, when the auxiliary storage unit is fitted to the docking location. Such positioning enables the connector 51 to be attached to other breathing equipment, for example a hood or mask worn by another person, without removing the auxiliary storage unit 51 from the docking location 14. Figure 8 shows the auxiliary storage unit 24 when separated from the remainder of the breathing apparatus. As shown in Figure 8, the auxiliary storage unit 24 has a strap 60 so that the unit, when in use to provide breathing gas in an emergency, can be carried easily, for example over the shoulder of the user. In use, a firefighter or other rescue worker carries the breathing apparatus on his or her back, as indicated in Figure 3, with the auxiliary storage unit 24 fitted to the housing 6. The firefighter wears a hood or mask supplied with gas from the main cylinders 8. In the event that breathing gas needs to be provided for another individual, either a person being rescued or another firefighter, the auxiliary storage unit 24 can be detached from the housing 6 and either connected, by way of the outlet connector 51 to a mask or hood of the other firefighter, or to a mask or hood supplied to a person being rescued. The person equipped with the auxiliary storage unit 24 thus has their own independent source of gas and so can make their way, or be carried, to safety. The end cap 30 accommodates all of the pneumatic circuits required for operation, including a first stage pressure reducer, the pressure gauge 50 and the shut-off valve 48, as well as the outlet connector 51 .

It will be appreciated from Figure 7 that the central axis B of the auxiliary cylinder 28 lies in the same curved plane X as the centre lines A of the main cylinders. Consequently, the breathing apparatus as a whole, and particularly the upper end cover 10 and the end cap 30, provide a smoothly integrated rear surface. The breathing apparatus thus lacks protruding features which could act as a snagging hazard, even when the auxiliary storage unit 24 is attached.

In some embodiments, the outlet connector 51 of the auxiliary storage unit 24, when docked, may be connected to the pneumatic circuit of the main cylinders 8, although isolated from that circuit, for example by a suitable valve. In the event that the gas supply in the main cylinders 8 becomes exhausted, the user can open the connection between the auxiliary cylinder 28 and the main pneumatic circuit of the apparatus, so that the wearer can continue to breathe using the gas supplied from the auxiliary cylinder 28.

Claims

Breathing apparatus comprising a support frame for mounting on the body of a user, the support frame being provided with at least one main container of pressurised breathable gas and supply means for supplying the breathable gas from the main container to the airways of the user, the support frame having a docking location which carries an auxiliary storage unit comprising an auxiliary container of

pressurised breathable gas which is isolated from the or each main container and from the supply means.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , in which the auxiliary storage unit is elongate.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which there are at least two of the main containers, the main containers being elongate and extending parallel to the auxiliary storage unit.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the lengthwise axes of the main and auxiliary containers lie generally in a common plane.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, in which there are at least two of the main containers, the main containers being elongate and extending parallel to the auxiliary storage unit.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the lengthwise axes of the main and auxiliary containers lie generally in a common plane.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, in which the docking location comprises a recess in which one end of the auxiliary storage unit is located, the other end of the auxiliary storage unit being engaged with the support frame by means of a latch.

8. Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the latch is a magnetic latch.

9. Breathing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the auxiliary storage unit comprises an auxiliary housing accommodating the auxiliary container.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the auxiliary housing includes end cap provided with flow control means for the auxiliary container.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the flow control means comprises any one or more of a shut-off valve, a pressure regulating valve and pressure gauge.

12. Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or 1 1 , in which coupling means of the auxiliary container projects from the end cap for connection to breathing equipment. 13. Breathing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the

auxiliary storage unit is provided with a carrying strap.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the support frame comprises a main housing accommodating the or each main container.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, in which the main housing has an end cover accommodating an end region of the or each main container.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, when appendant to any one of claims 9 to 1 1 , in which the end cap and the end cover engage one another to form an integrated profile.

Breathing apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16, when appendant to claim 6 or 7, in which the latch comprises latch elements mounted respectively on the end cover and the end cap.

18. Breathing apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the

accompanying drawings.

19. A breathing apparatus unit comprising a support frame for mounting on the body of a user, the support frame being provided with at least one main container of pressurised breathable gas and supply means for supplying the breathable gas from the container to the airways of the user, the support frame having a docking location for receiving an auxiliary storage unit to form breathing apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

20. An auxiliary storage unit for use in breathing apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 18, or for attachment to a breathing apparatus unit as claimed in claim 19.