Demand regulator having adjustable air flow
AssigneeHarsco Technologies LLC
InventorDennis H. Sattelberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A demand regulator for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus has a housing and a cover forming a breathing chamber with a mouthpiece. A diaphragm on the chamber is movable with changes in pressure due to user inhalation demand. An inlet valve coupleable to a supply of pressurized air is responsive to the position of the diaphragm. At least one manually adjustable fin can be retracted or positioned across the air flow path through the chamber, for setting the extent of venturi effects tending to displace the diaphragm and open the valve to free flow in the absence of inhalation demand. The venturi adjustment mechanism has a sealed rotatable arm with a radially extending end in sliding engagement with the fin, and preferably the fin has two resilient strips that are spaced apart by a dimple.
Claims18
A demand regulator for use with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, said regulator comprising:
- a housing having a housing wall with an inner surface;
- a mating cover assembled to said housing to form an interior recess;
- a flexible diaphragm extending across said interior recess to define a breathing chamber;
- a mouthpiece tube disposed in fluid communication between said breathing chamber and a breathing port;
- an inlet valve connected to a supply of pressurized air and having at least one orifice for discharging a stream of air into said breathing chamber and in proximity to said breathing port;
- at least one fin projecting into said breathing chamber;
- and,
- a venturi adjustment mechanism adjustable from the exterior of said regulator and comprising a rotatable arm having a portion disposed in sliding engagement with said at least one fin such that when said portion of said arm is rotated into sliding engagement with said at least one fin, said at least one fin is biased from a first position wherein substantially all of said at least one fin is located within said breathing chamber to a second position wherein a substantial portion of said at least one fin is located within said mouthpiece tube.
A demand regulator for a breathing apparatus, comprising:
- a housing defining a breathing chamber with a diaphragm and a mouthpiece, the diaphragm being movable as a function of differences between ambient pressure and pressure in the breathing chamber;
- an inlet valve coupleable to a supply of pressurized air, the inlet valve being responsive to the diaphragm for permitting air flow from the supply of pressurized air to the mouthpiece when the ambient pressure exceeds the pressure in the breathing chamber;
- a venturi adjustment mechanism comprising at least one fin extendable into the housing and a movable arm bearing against said at least one fin, the arm adjustably setting a position of said at least one fin across the air flow for influencing venturi effects on the diaphragm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.