Apparatus and method for supplying oxygen to passengers on board aircraft

A method for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having a source of a-c electrical power thereon comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a housing containing an air separation device and self-contained compressed air supply means comprising a compressor operatively connected to said air separation device and a brushless d-c motor for driving said compressor, said housing having a shape and size allowing it to be positioned under a seat in the aircraft;
• b) providing four-way valve means of the slide type for connecting said compressed air supply means to said air separation device in a controlled manner, pilot valve means operatively associated with said four-way valve means, and timing and control means connected in controlling relation to said four-way valve means;
• c) placing said housing in a position of use under a seat in the aircraft;
• d) introducing air from within the cabin of the aircraft to said supply means;
• e) converting the a-c voltage and current on the aircraft to d-c voltage and current for operating said motor;
• f) utilizing said d-c voltage and current for operating said motor also for operating said timing and control means;
• e) operating said timing and control means to cause said pilot valve means to provide an initial pressure in said air separation device for operating said four-way valve means a predetermined time thereafter;
• and
• h) operating said air separation device to provide output oxygen.

A portable machine for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having an a-c electrical power source thereon, said machine comprising:

• a) a housing having a shape and size allowing it to be positioned under a seat on the aircraft;
• b) an air separation device in said housing for separating oxygen from the air inside the aircraft;
• c) self-contained compressed air supply means in said housing and comprising a compressor operatively connected to said air separation device and a brushless d-c motor for driving said compressor;
• and
• d) circuit means for connecting said d-c motor to said aircraft a-c electrical power source, said circuit means including means for converting the a-c voltage and current on said aircraft to d-c voltage and current for operating said motor.

A portable machine for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having a source of electrical power thereon, said machine comprising:

• a) a housing having a base for resting on the floor of the aircraft, a top spaced from said base, a pair of solid side walls, a solid front wall and a solid rear wall, the distance between said base and top wall allowing said housing to fit under a seat in the aircraft;
• b) an air separation device in said housing for separating oxygen from the air inside the aircraft, said device having a longitudinal axis and being disposed with the longitudinal axis thereof substantially parallel to the plane of said base;
• c) self-contained compressed air supply means in said housing and operatively connected to said air separation device;
• d) means for supplying electrical power to said self-contained compressed air supply means from said source of electrical power on the aircraft;
• and
• e) means to cool said machine including said air separation device and said self-contained air supply means and comprising air inlet means on said solid front wall of said housing and air outlet means on said solid rear wall of said housing and on at least one of said solid side walls of said housing so that cooling air flowing through said housing from said inlet has alternate paths to either of said outlet means to maintain cooling of said machine in the event that one of said outlet means becomes blocked.

A portable machine for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having a source of electrical power thereon, said machine comprising:

• a) a housing having a shape and size allowing it to be positioned under a seat on the aircraft;
• b) a PSA unit including a pair of beds of molecular sieve material in said housing;
• c) self-contained compressed air supply means in said housing;
• d) four-way valve means of the slide type for connecting said compressed air supply means to said pair of beds in a controlled manner;
• e) pilot valve means operatively associated with said four-way valve means;
• f) timing and control means connected in controlling relation to said four-way valve means and to said pilot valve means for operating said pilot valve means to provide an initial pressure in said PSA unit for operating said four-way valve means a predetermined time delay thereafter;
• and
• g) means for supplying electrical power to said self-contained compressed air supply means and to said timing and control means from said source of electrical power on the aircraft.

A portable machine for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having a source of electrical power thereon, said machine comprising:

• a) a housing having a shape and size allowing it to be positioned under a seat on the aircraft;
• b) a PSA unit including at least one bed of molecular sieve material in said housing;
• c) self-contained compressed air supply means in said housing and operatively connected to said at least one bed;
• d) means for supplying electrical power to said self-contained compressed air supply means from said source of electrical power on the aircraft;
• e) outlet means operatively connected to said at least one bed from which said supply of oxygen is available;
• and
• f) manually operated flow rate selector means connected to said outlet means for enabling a user of the machine to selectively control the rate of output oxygen flow, said flow rate selector means having a plurality of discrete settings for delivering oxygen at medically prescribed rates which the user of the machine can select according to his needs while seated in the aircraft.

A portable machine for on-board supply of oxygen in an aircraft having a source of electrical power thereon, said machine comprising:

• a) a housing having a shape and size allowing it to be positioned under a seat on the aircraft;
• b) an air separation device in said housing for separating oxygen from the air inside the aircraft;
• c) self-contained compressed air supply means in said housing and operatively connected to said air separation device;
• d) means for supplying electrical power to said self-contained compressed air supply means from said source of electrical power on the aircraft;
• e) intake resonator means operatively associated with said self-contained compressed air supply means;
• and
• f) muffler means operatively associated with said intake resonator means for reducing the level of noise generated to a value acceptable for airline use.