Patent Grant
11219789
The discussion below relates generally to systems and methods of preventing unintentional activation of a regulator for an emergency breathing device.
Emergency air supply devices are used to assist crew members or passengers in making an emergency egress from a submerged aircraft. The emergency breathing device has a very limited amount of air. Accidental or unnecessary activations of the device can deplete the air supply and render the device useless during an emergency.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to apparatuses and methods for protecting the purge button of a second stage regulator of an emergency breathing device (EBD) to prevent accidental purging in a simple, reliable, and effective manner. In one embodiment, a regulator cover device is a single-piece hard member that protects both the mouthpiece and the purge button of the second stage regulator, eliminating the need for a separate mouthpiece cover. Protecting this purge button prevents the wearer of the flight vest from accidentally or inadvertently bleeding down the EBD bottle during routine flight operations and rendering it unusable in an actual underwater entrapment or egress emergency.
An aspect is directed to a cover device for a regulator which has a purge button and a mouthpiece connected to the regulator. The cover device comprises a body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a base extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, a proximal end wall, a proximal top, two side walls spaced from one another in a width direction on two sides of the body and connected to the base, the proximal top, and the proximal end wall, and a distal top connected to the proximal top and being at a greater height than the proximal top relative to the base and being narrower in width than the proximal top. The base in the proximal portion, the proximal end wall, the proximal top, and the two side walls define a hollow interior of the body in the proximal portion. The two side walls each include an internal enlarged portion at a location between the proximal portion and the distal portion to form a narrowed region of the hollow interior in the width direction providing a narrowed access to the hollow interior. The proximal portion is sized to receive the mouthpiece into the hollow interior. The narrowed region of the hollow interior between the internal enlarged portions of the two side walls presents a friction fit for the mouthpiece entering and exiting the hollow interior of the proximal portion. The base in the distal portion is configured to support the regulator. The distal top extends from the proximal top with a sufficient length and having a sufficient width to cover the purge button of the regulator when the mouthpiece is inserted into the hollow interior of the proximal portion of the body, while exposing a portion of the regulator surrounding the purge button.
Another aspect is directed to a cover device for a regulator which has a purge button and a mouthpiece connected to the regulator. The cover device comprises a body which includes: a mouthpiece housing to receive the mouthpiece through an access opening which presents a friction fit to squeeze the mouthpiece passing therethrough in a squeezed state to enter and exit a hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing, the hollow interior being configured to store the mouthpiece in a relaxed state; a regulator support connected to the mouthpiece housing to support a bottom surface of the regulator when the mouthpiece is inserted into the hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing; and a button cover connected to the mouthpiece housing to cover the purge button on a top surface of the regulator when the mouthpiece is inserted into the hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing, while exposing a portion of the top surface of the regulator surrounding the purge button.
Another aspect is directed to a method for covering a regulator which has a purge button and a mouthpiece connected to the regulator, using a cover device which includes a body having a mouthpiece housing to receive the mouthpiece through an access opening which presents a friction fit to squeeze the mouthpiece passing therethrough in a squeezed state to enter and exit a hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing, the hollow interior being configured to store the mouthpiece in a relaxed state; a regulator support connected to the mouthpiece housing to support a bottom surface of the regulator when the mouthpiece is inserted into the hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing; and a button cover connected to the mouthpiece housing. The method comprises: inserting the mouthpiece into the hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing of the body by squeezing the mouthpiece from an open state to a collapsed state via a friction fit through the access opening to the hollow interior and allowing the mouthpiece to expand to the open state in the hollow interior of the mouthpiece housing; and supporting the regulator with the regulator support and covering the purge button on a top surface of the regulator with the button cover which extends from the mouthpiece housing with a sufficient length and has a sufficient width to cover the purge button of the regulator.
Other features and aspects of various embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description which discloses, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, examples that explain features in accordance with embodiments. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims.
The attached drawings help explain the embodiments described below.
Overview
In a procedure to test the SEA device 100, a subjective breathing test is performed to ensure the second stage is operating properly by (i) fully depressing the purge button 130 to ensure an adequate volume of air passes through the second stage to clear out any water; and (ii) inhaling slowly but deeply from the mouthpiece 110. A properly serviced and adjusted regulator should deliver air upon deep inhalation without excessive inhalation effort, free-flow or fluttering of the second stage diaphragm disposed below the purge button 130.
It is advisable not to press the second stage purge button 130 repeatedly when the SEA device 100 is pressurized during pre-flight inspection. Unnecessary purging of the SEA device 100 will deplete air from the cylinder 150, which will then have to be topped off by maintenance personnel. While industry standards protect the mouthpiece 110 using the mouthpiece cover 210, they do not protect the purge button 130 from accidental purging.
A number of examples or embodiments of the present invention are described, and it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a variety of ways. The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of ways to make and use the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the teachings and disclosures herein can be combined or rearranged with other portions of this disclosure along with the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.
In this embodiment, the proximal portion has a proximal end wall 310, two side walls 315, a base or bottom 320 which extends from the proximal portion to the distal portion, and a proximal top 330. The two side walls 315 are spaced from one another in a width direction on two sides of the body. The side walls 315 are connected to the base 320, the proximal top 330, and the proximal end wall 310. In the distal portion, a distal top 340 is spaced above the base 320. The two side walls 315 may extend from the proximal end wall 310 along the proximal portion of the body in a distal direction toward the distal portion of the body. The side walls 315 end at an intersection between the proximal portion and the distal portion, at side wall cut-outs or side cut-outs 350 which may be curved concave in shape and disposed between the base 320 and the proximal top 330. As such, the side cut-outs 350 are located between the end of the distal top (button cover) 340 and the proximal end of the regulator support (the base 320 between the proximal portion and the distal portion). The proximal portion provides a hollow interior, which is defined by the base 320, proximal end wall 310, side walls 315, and proximal top 330 and which has an access opening 356 between the proximal portion and the distal portion. In contrast, the distal portion has open sides between the base 320 and the distal top 340.
The distal top 340 may be at a greater height than the proximal top 330 relative to the base 320 and have a narrower width than the proximal top 330. The distal top 340 may be narrower in width than the base 320 in the distal portion (i.e., regulator support) and is shorter in length than the base 320 in the distal portion in the distal direction extending from the proximal portion (i.e., mouthpiece housing) of the body away from the proximal end wall 310. In one example, the base 320 in the distal portion (i.e., regulator support) has a proximal end connected to the base 320 in the proximal portion (i.e., mouthpiece housing) below the access opening 356 (integrally as a continuous base or at a connection between separate base portions). The regulator support has a distal end which may generally match the bottom surface of the regulator 120 in width. The distal top 340 has a proximal end connected to the proximal top 330 above the access opening 356 and narrows in width from the proximal end to a distal end. The distal top 340 may generally match the purge button 130 in width to cover the purge button 130 while exposing portions of the regulator 120 on a distal side which is distal of the purge button 130 and on two sides of the purge button 130 between the proximal end and the distal end of the distal top 340.
The distal top 340 may have a convex shaped distal end that may be semicircular in shape generally matching the shape of the purge button 130. When the mouthpiece 110 is inserted into the hollow interior of the proximal portion or mouthpiece housing, the distal top 340 serves as a button cover for the purge button 130 to prevent accidental activation thereof. The base 320 in the distal portion serves as a regulator support connected to the mouthpiece housing for supporting a bottom surface of the regulator 120. It may be spaced from the distal top 340 by a distance which is approximately equal to a height of the regulator 120 between the bottom surface of the regulator and a top surface of the regulator which includes the purge button 130. The distance may be slight larger than the height of the regulator 120 (e.g., larger by about 10%, or about 5%, or about 2%). In this way, the regulator 120 is constrained to keep the purge button covered by the distal top (i.e., button cover) 340.
A proximal slot 360 extends along the height direction at the proximal end wall 310. As best seen in
At a location between the proximal portion and the distal portion, internal enlarged portions 610 of the two side walls 315 create a narrowing of the hollow interior in the width direction to form a narrowed access opening 356 to the hollow interior in the proximal portion. The narrowing of the hollow interior presents a friction fit for the mouthpiece 110 entering and exiting the hollow interior of the proximal portion. For instance, the mouthpiece 110 may be squeezed from an open state or relaxed state to a squeezed state or collapsed state as it is friction fitted through the neck region between the internal enlarged portions 610 of the side walls 315 and then is allowed to reopen or expand on either side of the neck region. The hollow interior in the proximal portion (i.e., mouthpiece housing) is sized to receive and store the mouthpiece in the reopened, relaxed state.
The proximal slot 360 leads to and exposes a proximal column 620 at the proximal end wall 310. The proximal column 620 is spaced from the access opening 356 and spaced from the proximal end wall 310. It extends from the base 320 to a proximal column top 630. A proximal column hole 640 is provided through a length of the proximal column 620 between the base 320 at the bottom of the proximal column 620 and the proximal column top 630. The proximal column hole 640 is disposed at a height below the proximal top 330 relative to the base 320 and is in communication with the proximal slot 360. In one embodiment, the proximal slot 360 is cut out of portions of the proximal end wall 310 and the proximal top 330 (i.e., cut into the hollow interior) to expose the proximal column hole 640 at the proximal column top 630. An attachment line such as a zip tie or wrap tie can be inserted through the proximal slot 360 and the proximal column hole 640. The two ends of the attachment line can then be used (e.g., tied together) to attach the regulator cover device 300 to an object or garment such as a flight vest.
The regulator cover device 300 is configured to cover both the mouthpiece 110 and the purge button 130 on the second stage regulator 120, thereby eliminating the need for the mouthpiece cover 210 of
The regulator 120 is disposed in the distal portion of the body of the regulator cover device 300 between the base 320 and the distal top 340. The distal top 340 does not entirely cover the regulator 120 but only needs to be sufficiently wide and long to cover the purge button 130 on the regulator 120 to prevent accidental pressing or activation of the purge button 130. In one example, the distal top 340 extends from the proximal top 330 with a sufficient length and has a sufficient width to cover the purge button 130 of the regulator 120 when the mouthpiece 110 is inserted into the hollow interior of the proximal portion of the body, while exposing a portion of the regulator 120 surrounding the purge button 130.
The side wall cut-outs 350 allow the fingers of the user or wearer of the vest or harness to grab or contact the regulator 120 (exposed by the side wall cut-outs 350) and pull the regulator 120 and the mouthpiece 110 out of the regulator cover device 300 by overcoming the friction fit of the mouthpiece 110 at the access opening 356 to the mouthpiece housing, between the distal portion and the proximal portion of the regulator cover device 300. Only one hand of the user is required to detach the mouthpiece 110 and regulator 120 from the regulator cover device 300. The user can do so by tactilely feeling the regulator 120 exposed by the side wall cut-outs 350 with fingers of the hand without the need to visually see the regulator 120.
An additional feature involves the use of a readiness line or tamper line 1240 that ties the hose connection 135 (or the hose 140 near the hose connection 135) to the vest 1210 after the SEA device 100 is tested, checked, and ready for use. It is configured and tied in a way that the regulator 120 cannot be detached from the regulator cover device 300 without breaking or removing the tamper line 1240. For instance, the tamper line 1240 is tied tightly so that the regulator 120 cannot be detached from the regulator cover device 300 without breaking or removing the tamper line 1240. The tamper line 1240 is strong enough to avoid accidental breakage by a small force but is sufficiently weak that it breaks upon being stretched while the regulator 120 is being detached from the regulator cover device 300. A tamper line 1240 that has not been broken or removed can indicate that the SEA device 100 is checked and ready for use to prevent unnecessary purging that uses up the air stored in the cylinder 150. A tamper line 1240 that is intact can also indicate that the SEA device 100 has not been subjected to tampering.
The inventive concepts taught by way of the examples discussed above are amenable to modification, rearrangement, and embodiment in several ways. For example, this invention may be applicable in other environments not involving a flight vest. The shapes of the various parts of the regulator cover device may be modified while maintaining their functional aspects. Accordingly, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
An interpretation under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) is desired only where this description and/or the claims use specific terminology historically recognized to invoke the benefit of interpretation, such as “means,” and the structure corresponding to a recited function, to include the equivalents thereof, as permitted to the fullest extent of the law and this written description, may include the disclosure, the accompanying claims, and the drawings, as they would be understood by one of skill in the art.
To the extent the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features or methodological steps, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claimed subject matter. To the extent headings are used, they are provided for the convenience of the reader and are not be taken as limiting or restricting the systems, techniques, approaches, methods, or devices to those appearing in any section. Rather, the teachings and disclosures herein can be combined or rearranged with other portions of this disclosure and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. It is intended that this disclosure encompass and include such variation.
The indication of any elements or steps as “optional” does not indicate that all other or any other elements or steps are mandatory. The claims define the invention and form part of the specification. Limitations from the written description are not to be read into the claims.
The application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/110,157, filed on Nov. 5, 2020, entitled REGULATOR COVER FOR FLIGHT VEST, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention was made by employees of the United States Department of Homeland Security in the performance of their official duties. The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63110157 | Nov 2020 | US |
