Infant incubator with air curtain

An infant incubator comprising:

• a base section having an infant support adapted to underlie and support an infant,
• a hood mounted to said base section and having a front wall, a top wall and a rear wall, and lateral side walls, said hood comprising interior and exterior walls in said front, top and rear walls in close proximity thereto forming a continuous flow path for gas through said hood and around the sides of the infant, said hood having said rear wall pivotally mounted to said base section for opening and closing said hood to access the infant contained therein,
• an access door in said front wall of said hood, said access door having interior and exterior walls in close proximity thereto forming a path for gas through said access door and being pivotally mounted to said base section to an open position affording access to the infant and a closed position wherein said access door comprises a part of said flow path;
• heating, air moving and ducting means in said base section for forcing heated air to said flow path in said front wall of said hood including through said access door when said door is in its closed position, said heated air thereafter passing through said top wall and said rear wall of said hood, said heating, air moving and ducting means inducing said heated air from said flow path in said rear wall to said base section.
• said access door being pivotally mounted such that when in its open position it is removed from the flow path of heated air from said base section such that said heated air is forced across the opening normally occupied by said door in its closed position to form an air curtain and said heated air from the air curtain thereafter is induced into the flow path within said hood to pass through said walls of said hood.

An infant incubator comprising:

• a base section having an infant support surface adapted to underlie and support an infant, heating and ducting means in said base section, said heating and ducting means having an outlet in the front thereof for delivering heated air and an inlet in the rear thereof for receiving air, said heating and ducting means further including a blower means to force heated air from said outlet at a positive pressure and for inducing air from said inlet,
• a hood mounted to said base section, said hood having a pair of closely spaced walls forming a flow path for heated air within said walls between said outlet and said inlet,
• hinge means at the rear of said hood hingedly connecting the rear of said hood to said base section, such that said hood can be moved between an open and a closed position,
• said hood having an access door in the front of said hood hingedly connected to said base section about a pivot point displaced from said outlet, and having an open and a closed position, said access door comprising a pair of closely spaced walls forming a flow path for air therebetween, said access door in its closed position forming a part of said flow path for air passing from said outlet to said inlet, and in its open position moving clear of said outlet in said base section such that heated air from said outlet passes at a positive pressure across the area occupied by said access door when closed and is induced into said flow path formed by said hood and between said closely spaced walls of said hood to pass to said inlet.