Respiratory equipment

#This invention relates generally to respiratory equipment and more particularly to housings adapted to facilitate rapid donning of respiratory masks, typically (but not exclusively) by aircraft crewmembers.

#U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,045 to Bertheau, et al., incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, discloses an exemplary respiratory mask and an associated box or housing. As noted in the Bertheau patent: “As the cruising altitude of passenger and business airplanes increases, it becomes more and more difficult to protect the crew members against a sudden depressurization.” See Bertheau, col. 1, 11. 16-18. Consequently, harnesses for respiratory masks have been developed which may be stored in a box in close proximity to the seat and may be grasped by the user with one hand and donned in a time as short as some seconds. However, if depressurization occurs at a very high altitude, lack of oxygen due to exposure to vacuum during some seconds may be sufficient for causing a delayed temporary loss of consciousness after which it will be too late for the pilot to resume aircraft control.

#See id., 11. 37-44.

#FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of exemplary respiratory equipment including a full-face respiratory mask and a housing or container therefor.

#FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the equipment of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the mask removed from the housing (as, for example, for use).

#FIGS. 1-3 detail equipment 10 of the present invention. Equipment 10 includes housing 14 and mask 18, the latter of which is of the full-face variety. Depicted in FIGS. 1-2 are portions of oxygen regulator 22 and (inflatable) harness 26 together with regulator supply hose 30. Such components may be similar to the regulator, harness, and supply hose of the Bertheau patent, for example, or to the corresponding components identified in the McDonald patent. They need not be so limited, however, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous other regulation equipment, harnesses or straps (whether inflatable or not), and hoses or tubes may be satisfactorily employed.

#Additionally illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 are tabs or paddles 34, described as “ears” in the Bertheau patent. These paddles 34, when depressed, actuate a control valve permitting pressurized respiratory gas to inflate harness 26. Paddles 34 further typically constitute the means by which a user grasps mask 18 to remove it from housing 14.

#As detailed in FIGS. 1-3, housing 14 may comprise container 38 and bag 42. Container 38 and bag 42 typically are connected in some manner to form a single unit. Screws, bolts, or any other suitable fasteners may be used to attached the two together.