Oxygen system for parachuting
AssigneeC2M Design OCD Limited
InventorAndrew TATAREK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oxygen system supplies either 100% oxygen to a demand valve in a or pulses of oxygen to the mask. Switching is automatic during a parachute descent. The system includes a valve manifold that is responsive to ambient pressure such that at low pressures it is configured to deliver gas from either an oxygen cylinder or an aircraft supply line to the mask demand valve and at higher pressures it is configured to deliver gas from the cylinder to a pulse gas delivery system. The mask also includes an inhalation valve that is closed if oxygen is supplied to the demand valve. Otherwise, the inhalation valve opens to allow ambient air to be drawn in and the pulse gas delivery system delivers a pulse of oxygen in response to the onset of inhalation.
Claims22
A supplementary oxygen system for variable-altitude use, the system comprising:
- a valve manifold that is connectable via a regulator to a pressure vessel containing compressed oxygen, the valve manifold having first and second outputs and an output selection valve;
- a pulse gas delivery system in fluid communication with the second output and that is activatable to deliver a pulse of gas of predetermined duration;
- wherein
- the output selection valve is switchable between a first position in which gas flowing through the manifold is directed to the first output and a second position in which gas flowing through the manifold is directed to the second output and to the pulse gas delivery system.
A valve manifold for directing gas flow therethrough from either one of a pair of input ports to either one of a pair of output ports, with one possible flow connection being suppressed, the manifold comprising:
- an input selection valve with output to a link passageway and an output selection valve with input from the link passageway, wherein
- the input and output selection valves include respective spool pistons with narrowed regions configured to run in respective bores that each include a series of spool seals between respective pairs of which are located openings which, in the input selection port lead to a first input port and to the link passageway and, in the output selection port, to the first output port, the link passageway and the second output port;
- and a sealable second input port is located in the bore of the input selection valve outside the seals proximal to the link passageway;
- the input spool piston is moveable by means of gas pressure at the second input port and between a first position in which the narrowed region is positioned at a central seal such that the first input port is in fluid communication with the link passageway and a second position in which the narrowed region is positioned at a seal intermediate the second input port and link passageway, thereby providing fluid communication therebetween;
- and
- the output spool piston is moveable by means of a switching mechanism that is responsive to atmospheric pressure and between a first position in which the narrowed region is positioned at a seal located intermediate the first output port and the link passageway and a second position in which the narrowed region is positioned at a seal located intermediate the link passageway and the second output port;
- and wherein
- the manifold includes an inhibitor mechanism that is actuated by attachment of an external connector to the second input port to prevent the output selection valve from being switchable to its second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.