Mine refuge

A mine refuge for supplying breathable air to at least one person in a mine, the refuge comprising:

• a mine chamber defining an interior space for receiving at least one person therein,
• an oxygen supply;
• an air supply;
• a conduit operatively connected to the oxygen supply and to the air supply;
• a valve mechanism disposed in the conduit, said valve mechanism comprising a valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the oxygen supply and the air supply and first and second outlets for allowing oxygen and air to exit the valve;
• at least one mask operatively connected to the first outlet of the valve so that oxygen exiting the valve through the first outlet is delivered to a person in the chamber donning the mask, the second outlet being operatively connected to the interior space of the chamber so that oxygen exiting the valve is delivered to a person in the chamber not donning the mask;
• and
• wherein the valve includes a selector switch for operating the valve, said valve mechanism being operable in a plurality of different modes including a first mode in which both air and oxygen are directed into the interior space of the refuge chamber but not to the mask, a second mode in which air and oxygen are directed to the mask but not to the interior space of the chamber, and a third mode in which air and oxygen are directed to both the interior space of the chamber and the mask.

A mine refuge comprising

• an interior chamber for receiving at least one person therein, and
• a system for supplying breathable air to the at least one person in the chamber, said system comprising
• an oxygen supply,
• an air supply,
• a plurality of oxygen masks adapted to be donned by persons in the chamber for breathing oxygen from said oxygen supply,
• a valve mechanism comprising a valve having a selector switch for operating the valve, said valve mechanism being operable in a plurality of different modes including a first mode in which both air and oxygen are directed into the interior space of the refuge chamber but not to the masks, a second mode in which air and oxygen are directed to the masks but not to the interior space of the chamber, and a third mode in which air and oxygen are directed to both the interior space of the chamber and the masks.

A mine refuge for use in a mine, the refuge comprising:

• a chamber comprising an interior space sized and shaped for occupancy by at least one person;
• an air supply for supplying breathable air to the chamber;
• a plurality of air dispersion units communicating with said air supply for dispersing breathable air into said interior space;
• and
• at least one relief vent for venting noxious gas from said interior space,
• said air dispersion units being operable to disperse breathable air into said interior space in a manner which purges said noxious gas from the interior space via said at least one relief vent,
• wherein said air dispersion units are arranged around said interior space generally adjacent one end of the interior space, and wherein said at least one relief vent is located generally adjacent an opposite end of the interior space, the air dispersion units being arranged such that air released from the air dispersion units pushes, like a piston, said noxious air in bulk toward the opposite end of the interior space and through the at least one relief vent.