Claims
- 1. An apparatus for removing moisture from a water resistant or waterproof exposure suit which has a neck opening and at least one of wrist openings and feet openings between an interior and an exterior of the suit, the apparatus comprising:a blower for blowing drying air in a stream at an elevated pressure; conduit means connected to said blower and configured to pass through one of said openings into said interior, to discharge said drying air stream into the interior of said suit; flow-limiting means insertable into at least one of said wrist openings and foot openings; whereby said air stream is directed into the interior to absorb said moisture, be humidified thereby and to be discharged from openings including at least one of the wrist openings, and a neck opening.
- 2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising heating means to heat said air stream.
- 3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said heater has a heating capacity enabling heating said air stream to a temperature of between about 90 degrees F. and about 140 degrees F.
- 4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, further comprising means for activating and deactivating said heater.
- 5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said exposure suit comprises one of a diving dry suit, a diving wet suit, a fire fighting suit, a temperature insulating suit, a hazardous material cleanup suit, a clean suit and a sterility suit.
- 6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conduit means is configured to pass through said neck opening.
- 7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said neck opening has a neck seal, and further comprising a primary insert attachable to said conduit means and to said neck seal to maintain elevated pressure in said interior.
- 8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means comprises an insert plugging one of said wrist opening and said foot opening, said insert having an orifice therethrough having a size configured to discharge a controlled flowrate of humidified air from the suit interior to the atmosphere.
- 9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising means for adjusting the flowrate between a lower value and an upper value.
- 10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said lower value of flowrate is substantially zero.
- 11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means is generally conical for plugging a variety of sizes of one of said wrist openings and foot openings.
- 12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means is stepped, each step comprising a surface for plugging a size of one of said wrist openings and foot openings.
- 13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a semi-rigid ring for clamping one of a wrist seal and a foot seal to said flow-limiting means.
- 14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said suit has mechanical attachment means for attaching at least one of hand portions and foot portions to the suit, and wherein said flow-limiting means has mechanical locking means for attachment to said mechanical attachment means.
- 15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising pressure measuring means attached to said flow-limiting means and having a visible indicator to indicate pressure in the suit interior.
- 16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means limit airflow therethrough to maintain said interior at an elevated pressure which inflates and smooths the exposure suit to a pressure below a damage-causing pressure.
- 17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means limit airflow therethrough to maintain said interior at an elevated pressure of about 0.02 psig to about 1 psig (about 0.5 inches to about 27 inches water).
- 18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flow-limiting means limit airflow therethrough to maintain said interior at an elevated pressure which inflates and smooths the exposure suit to a pressure below a damage-causing pressure.
- 19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for activating and deactivating said blower.
- 20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conduit means comprises two conduits, each conduit configured to be inserted into a leg portion of said suit for introducing drying air to said foot portions.
- 21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conduits comprise one of rigid and semi-rigid members.
- 22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conduits comprise shape-retaining bendable tubes.
- 23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conduits comprise plastic membranes flattenable and rollable into cylinders.
- 24. A portable drying apparatus for drying an exposure suit having an interior and an exterior comprising a torso portion, arm portions, leg portions, foot portions, neck opening an wrist openings, said apparatus comprising:an electric blower for compressing a drying stream of air; a primary insert for plugging said neck opening of an exposure suit; two conduits attachable to said primary insert and extendable into leg portions of said suit; at least one conduit opening passing through said primary insert for attachment of conduits thereto; an inflation opening passing through said primary insert for enhanced airflow to said interior; means for directing airflow from said blower to said primary insert; and means for controlling airflow from said blower to alternately flow through one of said inflation opening and said conduit opening.
- 25. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, further comprising a heater for heating said drying air.
- 26. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, further comprising wrist inserts for plugging said wrist openings, and secondary wrist inserts having orifices therethrough for discharge of air from said interior.
- 27. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein said conduits comprise one of rigid and semi-rigid members.
- 28. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein said conduits comprise shape-retaining bendable tubes.
- 29. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein said conduits comprise plastic membranes flattenable and rollable into cylinders.
- 30. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein said means for controlling airflow comprises a valve including a pair of mating rotatable members, one member having an inflation orifice and at least one conduit orifice and the other member having an orifice configured to be movable between said inflation orifice and said at least one conduit orifice.
- 31. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 24, further comprising a carrying case for containing all elements of said drying apparatus.
- 32. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 31, wherein said carrying case includes means for attaching said conduits thereto and holding said conduits at an upward angle for mounting of said suit thereon.
- 33. A portable drying apparatus for drying an exposure suit, comprising:a carrying case; air pressurization means in said case, comprising; a first plenum communicating with the atmosphere for providing input air; a centrifugal blower mounted on said first plenum and configured to draw air therefrom a motor for driving said blower; a second plenum for accepting compressed air from said blower; tube means for passage of compressed air from said second plenum to an exposure suit; and means for relieving excess pressure of compressed air from said apparatus to prevent overpressurization of said exposure suit.
- 34. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 33, wherein said means for relieving excess pressure comprises a relief valve to discharge excess air and prevent overpressurization of said exposure suit.
- 35. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 33, further comprising noise-making means indicative of said discharge of excess air.
- 36. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 35, wherein said noise-making means comprises one of a whistle and chatter caused by movement of said excess air.
- 37. A portable drying apparatus in accordance with claim 33, further comprising a heater mounted in one of said plenums to heat said drying air.
- 38. An apparatus for drying an exposure suit having an exterior and an interior and a neck opening and at least one of wrist openings and foot openings between said interior and said exterior, said apparatus comprising:a blower for compressing air to an elevated pressure; an electrical heater in communication with said blower for heating the compressed air; conduit means having: a first end in communication with said blower; and a second end insertable through said neck opening; a primary insert sealingly attached to said conduit means and configured to be sealingly inserted within said neck opening; at least one secondary insert having a flow-restricting opening therethrough, said secondary insert sealingly insertable within at least one of said wrist openings and said foot openings to control discharge of humid air from said interior and form elevated pressure therein; and electrical means for operating said blower and heater for discharging warm air from said second end of conduit means into said interior.
- 39. An apparatus in accordance with claim 38, wherein a said secondary flow-restricting insert is attachedly inserted in each of said at least one of wrist openings and foot openings to limit the total flow of humid air from said interior and maintain said pressure therein.
- 40. An apparatus in accordance with claim 38, wherein said conduit means comprises:a pair of conduits, each of said pair configured to terminate in one of said foot portion and hand portion for discharging warm air therein.
- 41. An apparatus in accordance with claim 38, further comprising:means for recovering said discharged humid air; means for removing humidity therefrom; and means for introducing said dehumidified recovered air to said blower.
- 42. An apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said means for removing moisture comprises means for cooling, condensing and discharging moisture therefrom.
- 43. An apparatus in accordance with claim 35, further comprising means for injecting a chemical agent into said air stream.
- 44. An apparatus in accordance with claim 43, wherein said chemical agent is a gas comprising at least one of an antifungal agent, antibacterial agent, inert gas and ozone.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of Provisional application Ser. No. 60/210,915, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3912835 |
Dec 1989 |
DE |
468212 |
Jan 1992 |
EP |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/210915 |
Jun 2000 |
US |