US 4,049,164 AGranted

Back frame

AssigneeA-T-O Inc.

InventorsJohn L. Sullivan, Veronica A. Knauber, James E. Nelson

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Abstract

An improved back frame for supporting a tank of compressed breathing air in a life support breathing system wherein the back frame includes a harness for securing the frame to a user's back. The improvement resides in part in the provision of inclined lateral edge rails on the frame which are spaced outwardly from the user's back at the upper portion thereof and are oriented to incline or extend inwardly toward the user's back at the lower portion thereof. A retaining strap is slidably connected at each of its ends to the upper portion of a correspondingly associated edge rail. In this manner the strap may be slid along the rails to adjust the retention force imparted to a tank of compressed air mounted thereunderneath. In addition, the retaining strap includes at one end a stepped bracket connector for altering the nominal length of the strap while a toggle latch is provided at the opposite end thereof for loosening and tightening the strap with respect to a mounted air tank.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An improved back frame for use in a life support breathing system supplying regulated breathing air to a user thereof wherein said system includes a tank of compressed breathing air supported on the back of a user by said back frame, a face mask and regulated air hose means, said latter means being intermediately disposed in fluid connection with said tank of compressed breathing air and said face mask, said improved back frame comprising:

a body portion adapted for placement on the back of a user and harness means for so securing said body portion thereon, and a retaining strap operable to releasably retain said tank of compressed air on the side of said back frame body portion outward of the user's back, each of the ends of said retaining strap being secured to a corresponding lateral edge of said body portion so as to at least partially encircle and engage said tank, at least one of said lateral edges of said body portion being inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tank with the correspondingly associated end of said strap being slidable therealong so as to adjust the retention force applied to said tank by said strap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.