# US 7,607,434 B2 · Self-donning supplemental oxygen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,434 B2 - Document ID: US7607434B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/196,604 - Filed: 2005-08-03 - Published: 2007-03-29 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-03 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Trevor M. Laib; Bradley J. Mitchell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607434B2 ## CPC - A62B 17/04: Hoods - A62B 7/14: for high-altitude aircraft - A62B 18/00: Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes {or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort}(A62B17/00 takes precedence; anaesthetic masks A61M16/06) - A62B 25/005: {for high altitude} - A62B: DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING (valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; life-saving devices, apparatus or methods specially adapted for use in water B63C9/00; divers' equipment B63C11/00; specially adopted for use with aircraft, e.g. parachutes, ejector seats, {B64D17/00, B64D25/10}; rescue devices peculiar to mining E21F11/00) ## Abstract A supplemental oxygen system and method is set forth for providing oxygen to an occupant of a pressurized aircraft. A flexible hood may be adapted to be stowed in a small volume when the flexible hood is deflated and may be further adapted to cover at least a portion of the head of the occupant and to provide a flow of oxygen to the occupant when the flexible hood is inflated. A source of oxygen may be adapted to rapidly inflate and deploy the flexible hood. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system to protect a head of a person from a hazardous or undesirable ambient condition, comprising: a flexible hood adapted to be stowed in a small volume when the flexible hood is deflated and adapted to automatically cover at least a portion of the head of the person and to provide a safe environment to the person when the flexible hood is inflated; a sensor in fluid communication with the atmosphere in the vicinity of the flexible hood; a mechanism operatively connected to the sensor, and adapted to deploy the flexible hood when activated by the sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the person protected is an occupant on a pressurized aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the hazardous condition is loss of pressurization. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is designed to detect a loss of pressure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the safe environment within the hood is provided by a flow of at least one of oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, filtered air, and sterilized air. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible hood is made from a transparent material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible hood includes inflatable tubes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a radio headset, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the radio headset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a shoulder harness, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the shoulder harness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including at least one of a seat and a headrest, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within a portion of the at least one seat and headrest. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a bed, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within a portion of the bed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is triggered by smoke or by other hazardous or undesirable ambient conditions. ### Claim 13 A method of providing oxygen to an occupant of a pressurized aircraft, comprising: providing a flexible hood deflated and stowed in a small volume; sensing pressure of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the flexible hood using a pressure sensor; and automatically inflating and deploying the flexible hood to cover at least a portion of a head of the occupant and to automatically provide a flow of the oxygen to the occupant when the pressure sensor detects a condition for which inflating and deploying the flexible hood is desirable. ### Claim 14 A system to protect at least a head of a person from a hazardous or undesirable ambient condition, comprising: a flexible, inflatable surface adapted to be stowed in a small volume when the flexible surface is deflated and adapted to cover at least a portion of a head of a person and to provide a safe environment to a person when the flexible surface is inflated; and a mechanism adapted to automatically deploy the flexible surface from a deflated state stowed in the small volume to an inflated state covering at least a portion of a head of a person. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the system further includes a sensor in communication with the atmosphere. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein the mechanism is operatively connected to the sensor, and the sensor is adapted to deploy the flexible surface when the sensor detects at least one of a loss of pressure, smoke, or other undesirable ambient conditions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible, inflatable Surface comprises at least one of a hood and a mask. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible, inflatable surface comprises at least one of a curtain and a tent. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible, inflatable surface when deflated is stowed in a small volume of at least one of a headset, a radio headset, a harness, a shoulder harness, a seat-belt, and a chest-pack. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible, inflatable surface when deflated is stowed in a small volume of at least one of a bunk, a bed, and a container. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the mechanism is manually-donned. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the person protected is an occupant on a pressurized aircraft and the hazardous condition is at least one of loss of pressurization and fire. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the safe environment within the flexible surface is provided by a flow of at least one of oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, filtered air, and sterilized air. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the surface is adapted to cover an entire body of a person when deployed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the surface is made from a transparent material. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible surface includes inflatable tubes. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the person protected is an occupant on a pressurized aircraft, the hazardous condition is loss of pressurization, the sensor is designed to detect a loss of pressure, the safe environment within the hood is provided by a flow of at least one of oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, filtered air, and sterilized air, the flexible hood is made from a transparent material, and the flexible hood includes inflatable tubes. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27 wherein the flexible hood when deflated is stowed in a small volume of at least one of a bunk, a bed, and a container. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including at least one of: (1) a headset, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the headset; (2) a radio headset, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the radio headset; (3) a harness, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the harness; (4) a shoulder harness, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the shoulder harness; (5) a seat-belt, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the seat-belt; and (6) a chest-pack, wherein the flexible hood is adapted to be stowed within the chest-pack. ### Claim 30 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the providing step comprises providing the flexible hood deflated and stowed in the small volume of at least one of a headset, a radio headset, a harness, a shoulder harness, a seat-belt, and a chest-pack. ### Claim 31 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the providing step comprises providing the flexible hood deflated and stowed in the small volume of at least one of a seat and a headrest. ### Claim 32 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the flexible, inflatable surface when deflated is stowed in a small volume of at least one of a seat and a headrest.