Diving helmet,input air noise silencer

Abstract

Abstract A COMPACT APPARATUS FOR REDUCING GAS OR AIR FLOW NOISE PRODUCED AS A GAS PASSES FROM AN EXTERNAL HOSE TO THE INTERIOR OF A DIVING HELMET IS PROVIDED TO MINIMIZE THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO DIVER''S HEARING AND TO ENABLE MORE RELIABLE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE SURFACE. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A METALLIC TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CORRESPONDINGLY ORIENTED PARALLEL SLOTS BEING ATTACHED TO A COUPLER UNIT JOINING THE APPARATUS TO AN EXTERNAL HOSE. GAS FLOWING THROUGH THE HOSE PASSES THROUGH A FIRST SINTERED METAL WALL, INTO A DIFFUSION CHAMBER, THROUGH ANOTHER SINTERED METAL WALL, AND OUT THROUGH THE SLOTS. THE GAS FLOW VELOCITY IS THUSLY REDUCED AND THE GAS IS PASSES TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HELMET WITHOUT THE NOISE USUALLY ATTENDANT SUCH A TRANSFER. THE SLOTTED TUBE IS ORIENTED TO DIRECT THE GAS FLOW ANGULARLY ONTO A FACEPLATE TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF A DRIVER''S FOGGING THE FACEPLATE AND FURTHER SERVES TO KEEP THE GAS FLOW FROM DIRECTLY IMPINGING ON AN INTERNAL WALL OF THE HELMET TO PREVENT AIR FLOW NOISE AT THIS POINT. THE DISPERSION OF AIR FLOW THROUGH THE SINTERED METAL FILTER WALL TAKEN WITH THE MIXING ACTION IN THE DIFFUSION CHAMBER AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE PARALLEL SLOTS ENSURES GAS FLOW NOISE REDUCTION USING AN APPARATUS ONLY SLIGHTLY LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN A SHORT LENGTH OF AIR HOSE.

Inventors

• 👤 John A Beagles
• 👤 William H Armstrong

Bibliographic Details