Breathing and acceleration protection apparatus for aircraft crew members

A breathing and acceleration protection apparatus for the crew of fighter aircraft, having a source of pressurized gas, anti-g regulator valve means having an input connected to said source and an output constructed to be connected to inflatable trouser pockets of a g-suit carried by a member of said crew, and a demand regulator arranged to deliver respiratory gas to said crew member, wherein said anti-g regulator valve means includes:

• a main valve having a movable member controlling communication between said source and said trouser pockets and limiting a control chamber connected to said source via a restricted passage, said movable member opening a communication between said source and pockets upon a decrease of the pressure in said control chamber,
• a pilot valve controlling the pressure in said control chamber responsive to the gas pressure in a relay chamber formed with an inlet continuously communicated with said pilot valve and with two outlets,
• double action valve means in said relay chamber for automatically communicating said inlet to that of said outlets in which the higher gas pressure prevails,
• acceleration responsive means connected to the first of said outlets, controlling communication between said outlet and a low pressure, and arranged to close said communication upon occurrence of an acceleration in a predetermined direction,
• and a line for communicating the second of said outlets to a respiratory gas circuit in said demand regulator, wherein a pressure in excess of the ambient atmosphere prevails under high altitude conditions.

A breathing and acceleration protection apparatus for the crew of fighter aircraft, having:

• a source of pressurized gas,
• anti-g regulator valve means having an input connected to said source and an output constructed to be connected to inflatable trouser pockets of a g-suit arranged to be carried by a member of said crew,
• and a demand regulator arranged to deliver respiratory gas to said crew member,
• wherein said anti-g regulator valve means include a pressure controlled main valve, an inertia body movable along a predetermined direction responsive to acceleration along said direction, a second valve controlled by said inertia body and associated with said main valve so that said main valve controls the pressure in said pockets as an increasing function of the acceleration sensed by said inertia body, and additional means responsive to the aircraft altitude and associated with said main valve so that said main valve sets a minimum pressure in said pockets at a value which increases with altitude.