US3766844A — Protective system for contaminated atmosphere

Claim 1

Independent Claim 176 words

A system to provide protection in a contaminated atmosphere area comprising: a protective shelter means; a portable protective entrance means adapted to be connected to the shelter means, said entrance means having a top and bottom and flexible, foldable sidewalls and adapted to contain all entrance structure members and to be closed into a suitcase-like container with the structure members therein for transport from place to place; a gas-particulate filter unit adapted to be connected to the shelter and entrance means to purify contaminated air for supply of pure air to the shelter and entrance means; conduit means adapted to connect the gas-particulate filter unit to the shelter and entrance means, a power distribution unit to supply electrical power to all electrical components of the system; a pressure sensing network adapted to sense and control the pressure differential between ambient and the shelter means and the entrance means and to transmit an electrical signal to activate a plurality of sliding-plate valves, and a plurality of sliding-plate valves adapted to control the air flow through the system.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 176 words

A system to provide protection in a contaminated atmosphere area comprising: a protective shelter means; a portable protective entrance means adapted to be connected to the shelter means, said entrance means having a top and bottom and flexible, foldable sidewalls and adapted to contain all entrance structure members and to be closed into a suitcase-like container with the structure members therein for transport from place to place; a gas-particulate filter unit adapted to be connected to the shelter and entrance means to purify contaminated air for supply of pure air to the shelter and entrance means; conduit means adapted to connect the gas-particulate filter unit to the shelter and entrance means, a power distribution unit to supply electrical power to all electrical components of the system; a pressure sensing network adapted to sense and control the pressure differential between ambient and the shelter means and the entrance means and to transmit an electrical signal to activate a plurality of sliding-plate valves, and a plurality of sliding-plate valves adapted to control the air flow through the system.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 213 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the entrance means structure members comprise a pair of support members adapted to be erected between said top and bottom; a door frame means adapted to be erected between the top and bottom opposite to the support members; a pair of brace means adapted to be erected between the midpoint of the support members and the bottom; means adapted to permit the support members, the door frame means, and the brace means to be folded for storage in the bottom; locking means adapted to maintain the support members, the door frame means, and the brace means in the erected position; a door adapted to be erected on the door frame means to provide an airtight seal for the entrance means, means adapted to permit the door to be folded for storage in the said bottom; means adapted to maintain the door in an erected mode; an opening defining means in the said top to permit a sliding-plate valve to be superimposed thereon; and wherein said side walls comprise a butyl coated cloth fixedly and sealingly attached to the top, bottom, support members, and door frame means and adapted to be folded and stored in the bottom, and sealing means to prevent contaminated air leakage into the entrance.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 166 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the gas-particulate filter unit comprises a mount means, a housing means, an air inlet means integral with one end of the housing means, an air outlet means integral with a side of the housing means adapted to have a sliding-plate valve superimposed thereon, dust exhaust means integral with the air inlet means, dust collector means integral with an end of the air inlet means and within the housing means, fan means integral with the dust collector means at the end opposite to the air inlet means and within the housing means, gas filter means adjacent to the housing inner wall, particulate filter means nested within the gas filter means and surrounding the dust collector means and the fan means, a plenum chamber means located between the inner wall of the housing means and the outeR wall of the gas filter means, and access cover means to retain the gas filter means and the particulate filter means within the filter unit.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 47 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the particulate filter means comprises a course material backing media to support a high efficiency filtering material, said particulate filter means having an airflow resistance of 2.0 inches wg at 200 cfm and 99.97 percent collection efficiency on 0.3 micron particles.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the gas filter means contains activated impregnated charcoal and has an airflow resistance of 4.0 inches wg at 200 cfm.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the power distribution unit is a 28 volt direct current source.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the power distribution unit is a 208 volt alternating current, 60Hz, three phase source having a 60Hz transformer/rectifier system in combination therewith to convert the alternating source current to 28 volts direct current.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the power distribution unit is a 208 volt alternating current, 400Hz, three phase source having a 400Hz transformer/rectifier system in combination therewith to convert the alternating source current to 28 volts direct current.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 173 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the sliding-plate valves comprise a housing means; a pair of ports within the housing means; a pair of rail means fixedly mounted to the housing means adjacent to the ports to permit travel of a door means therebetween; a door means to travel between the rail means to open and close the ports; a gear rack fixedly mounted on the door means on the side thereof opposite to the ports; a motor means fixedly mounted within the housing means above the horizontal plane of the door means and adjacent thereto; a spur gear integral with the motor means adapted to engage the gear rack and activate the door means upon receipt of an electrical signal by the motor means from the pressure sensing network; a pair of limit stop switches fixedly mounted on a side of the housing, one switch being located adjacent to each end of the housing means; and a leaf spring fixedly mounted on each end of the housing means adjacent to the switches.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 59 words

The system of claim 1 having a control panel in combination therewith, the panel comprising an electrical terminal board means; an electrical connector means; a main electrical power switch; an audible alarm means; an alarm means switch; an hour meter; a holding coil means; an indicator light means; a plurality of circuit breaker means; and an electrical filter means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 68 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the pressure sensing network comprises a pressure transducer means, a first electrical connector means to connect the transducer means to an electrical circuit means, an electrical circuit means to receive imput from the transducer means and to transmit an electrical signal to operate the sliding-plate valves, and a second electrical connector means to connect the electrical circuit means to the sliding-plate valves.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system of claim 11 wherein the electrical circuit means comprises a plurality of capacitor means, a plurality of diode means, a plurality of resistor means, a plurality of transistor means, and a plurality of operational amplifier means.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 241 words

A method of providing protection in a contaminated atmosphere area comprising the steps of: erecting a protective shelter, with an access way; providing a collapsed suitcase shaped entrance means having a top and bottom encasing joined folded support members and folded coated cloth walls connecting said top and bottom and the support members, said entrance means also having folded door and frame means and associated folded coated cloth covering said door; unfolding the support members and door frame thereby moving the said top and bottom away from each other to erected position while contemporaneously unfolding the associated said cloth and securing saId support members and door frame in the unfolded erected position; connecting the erected entrance means to the shelter at said access way in sealing engagement to prevent the entrance of contaminated air therein; connecting electrical component means of the shelter and the entrance to a power distribution unit, activating the power distribution unit, passing contaminated air through a gas-particulate filter unit to purify the air for supply to the shelter and the entrance, monitoring the pressure within the shelter and the entrance to control the airflow therein; transmitting the monitored pressure to an electrical circuit means to convert the pressure to an electrical signal to activate sliding-plate valves; transmitting an electrical signal from the electrical circuit means to the sliding-plate valves to activate the valves, and activating the valves to control the airflow through the shelter and the entrance.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 241 words

A method of providing protection in a contaminated atmosphere area comprising the steps of: erecting a protective shelter, with an access way; providing a collapsed suitcase shaped entrance means having a top and bottom encasing joined folded support members and folded coated cloth walls connecting said top and bottom and the support members, said entrance means also having folded door and frame means and associated folded coated cloth covering said door; unfolding the support members and door frame thereby moving the said top and bottom away from each other to erected position while contemporaneously unfolding the associated said cloth and securing saId support members and door frame in the unfolded erected position; connecting the erected entrance means to the shelter at said access way in sealing engagement to prevent the entrance of contaminated air therein; connecting electrical component means of the shelter and the entrance to a power distribution unit, activating the power distribution unit, passing contaminated air through a gas-particulate filter unit to purify the air for supply to the shelter and the entrance, monitoring the pressure within the shelter and the entrance to control the airflow therein; transmitting the monitored pressure to an electrical circuit means to convert the pressure to an electrical signal to activate sliding-plate valves; transmitting an electrical signal from the electrical circuit means to the sliding-plate valves to activate the valves, and activating the valves to control the airflow through the shelter and the entrance.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-10-22	1977-04-23	1977-10-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-10-22	1981-04-23	1981-10-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-10-22	1985-04-23	1985-10-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Protective system for contaminated atmosphere

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag