Electronic closed loop servomechanism and electronic scuba regulator therefor

A method of controlling gas delivered through a demand regulator to a receiver in a breathing gas system comprising the steps of:

• sensing pneumatic demand in said regulator;
• converting said sensed demand to an electrical signal;
• converting said electrical signal to a digital word address;
• controlling delivery of gas to said receiver by said digital word address;
• and preventing runaway gas blast instability which would otherwise occur due to the response lag between the gas delivery and electronic response steps of the method, comprising the further steps of electronically tapping said digital word address as it controls gas delivery, converting said electronic tapping to an additional digital word address, and differencing said digital word address and said additional digital word address to create an output digital word to further regulate the said delivery of gas to said receiver.

A breathing gas system having a primary regulator and valve means for delivery of gas to at least one additional regulator which comprises breathing gas delivery means adapted to be connected to a recipient, said primary regulator including:

• means electronically sensing a datum input and converting said datum input into an electrical output signal;
• electronic processing means for converting said electrical signal into a first digital word address;
• electronic driver means for opening and closing said valve means to deliver gas at ambient plus a predetermined pressure to said additional regulator and controlled by said first digital word address;
• and means for preventing runaway gas blast instability which would otherwise occur due to the response lag between the pneumatic and electronic components of the system, comprising electronic feedback means tapped into said electronic driver means for sensing the electronic driver means output and converting it into a second digital word address and logic means for interpreting said first and second digital word addresses and creating an output to further control said electronic driver means and thus said valve means to provide gas at ambient plus a predetermined pressure in response to said datum input and driver means delivery.

A method of controlling gas delivered through a primary regulator to an additional regulator in a breathing gas system comprising the steps of:

• applying a datum input control in said regulator;
• converting said datum input to an electrical signal;
• converting said electrical signal to a digital word address;
• controlling delivery of gas from the regulator by said digital word address;
• and preventing runaway gas blast instability which would otherwise occur due to the response lag between the gas delivery and electronic response steps of the method, comprising the further steps of electronically tapping said digital word address as it controls gas delivery, converting said electronic tapping to an additional digital word address, and differencing said digital word address and said additional word address to create an output digital word to further regulate the said delivery of gas from said primary regulator.