US4352353A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Protective clothing
Assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
•
Filing: 1980-01-31
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Granted: 1982-10-05
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Expires: 2000-01-31
Abstract
Abstract A respirator comprising a hood and visor adapted to protect a wearer against an undesirable substance and so closely to fit and envelop the wearer's head as to be susceptible of being worn underneath a helmet, the visor being formed to accommodate an oronasal mask and the respirator having purge gas supply means for maintaining a positive pressure within the respirator and for washing over the visor in visual regions thereof as well as breathing gas supply means.
Inventors
- 👤 Colin B. Bolton
- 👤 Alan J. Miles
- 👤 Robert E. Simpson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 23:46
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64D; B64D10/00; A; A62; A62B; A62B18/00; A62B18/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A respirator for wearing beneath a protective helmet and for protection against an undesirable substance in a local atmosphere and comprising a hood with a neck aperture and made of a flexible material, a visor, said hood and said visor both being made of material impervious to the undesirable substance and attached one to another in a manner impervious to the undesirable substance to form a respirator assembly adapted to envelop and fit closely the head of a wearer, said visor having a transparent visual portion for covering the visual field of a wearer and a breathing mask carrying portion recessed to accommodate and carry a breathing mask, a breathing mask carried by said visor mask carrying portion, means mounted on said visor for supplying purge gas to the interior of said respirator, means for directing purge gas onto said transparent visual portion, means for permitting egress of purge gas, and seal means around the neck aperture for preventing atmosphere exterior thereto reaching the interior of said respirator assembly via a neck aperture thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
A respirator for wearing beneath a protective helmet and for protection against an undesirable substance in a local atmosphere and comprising a hood with a neck aperture and made of a flexible material, a visor, said hood and said visor both being made of material impervious to the undesirable substance and attached one to another in a manner impervious to the undesirable substance to form a respirator assembly adapted to envelop and fit closely the head of a wearer, said visor having a transparent visual portion for covering the visual field of a wearer and a breathing mask carrying portion recessed to accommodate and carry a breathing mask, a breathing mask carried by said visor mask carrying portion, means mounted on said visor for supplying purge gas to the interior of said respirator, means for directing purge gas onto said transparent visual portion, means for permitting egress of purge gas, and seal means around the neck aperture for preventing atmosphere exterior thereto reaching the interior of said respirator assembly via a neck aperture thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the hood is made of butyl rubber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the hood is made of neoprene.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the hood is made of a neoprene and butyl composite.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the hood material is 0.2-0.4 mm thick.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means for preventing ingress of atmosphere by the neck aperture thereof comprises an inwardly directed rubber flange.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a skirt for overlying the wearer's shoulders.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having bellows means below the neck aperture thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a padding strip attached inside the respirator approximate the hood/visor junction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 9 and wherein said padding strip is formed of plastics foam material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having pressure difference attenuating means communicating between ear regions and face regions thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 11 and wherein said pressure difference attenuating means comprises at least one tube perforated in a said ear region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 12 and wherein said at least one tube has a bore of 0.5-1.00 mm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 12 and wherein said hood material is formed with at least one channel bedding said at least one tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having mask retention means for retaining said breathing mask to the face of a wearer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and adapted to be worn beneath and within a protective helmet and wherein said mask retention means comprises tension means operable between the respirator and the helmet.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the visor constitutes a faceplate for covering substantially the whole of a wearer's face.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the visor is substantially rigid in structure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said visor is formed of a polycarbonate material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said visor is formed of a material 1.5-2.0 mm thick.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said visor visual portion is coated with an abrasion resistant compound.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 19 and wherein said visor visual portion is coated with an abrasion resistant compound.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 21 and wherein said compound comprises silicone.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said visor visual portion is shaped as part of a sphere.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 24 and wherein said visor visual portion is shaped as part of a sphere with a radius of 100 mm.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the visor other than said visual portion is rendered opaque.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 26 and wherein the visor other than said visual portion is painted matt black.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said breathing mask is an oro-nasal mask.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said breathing mask has a breathing air inlet 30 penetrating said visor that said visor constitutes an attachment point for a flexible breathing air supply hose.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said breathing mask has a breathing air inlet incorporating a non-return valve arranged to prevent egress of gas thereby.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 30 and wherein said non-return valve has an ice guard.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said breathing mask has a breathing air outlet having an inlet pressure compensated non-return valve arranged to prevent ingress of gas thereby.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 32 and wherein said breathing air outlet has a secondary non-return valve in series with and outward of said inlet pressure compensated non-return valve.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said breathing mask has a breathing air outlet terminating in a snout for retaining a small volume of exhalate in order to insulate said outlet from a cold environment.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
16 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 34 and wherein said snout is carried on said visor.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 34 and wherein said snout is arranged to vent toward the wearer's neck.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
23 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the means for supplying purge gas is mounted on said visor mask carrying portion.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
23 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means for directing purge gas onto said visor visual portion comprises a diffuser.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
28 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means for directing purge gas onto said visor visual portion comprises a deflector mounted on said breathing mask.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
47 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means permitting egress of purge gas is mounted on said visor at a location remote from said purge gas supply means whereby the sweeping of the whole of said visor visual portion by purge gas is encouraged.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
55 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said means permitting egress of purge gas comprises a non-return valve biassed closed and arranged to maintain within the hood cavity a purge gas pressure greater than the pressure outside the respirator but less than that at which breathing air is supplied to the breathing mask.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 41 and wherein said means permitting egress of purge gas has a manual override facility operative to close over said non-return valve.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
27 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 42 and wherein said manual override facility has spring means operative to permit said valve to open at a predetermined pressure.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a microphone mounted on said visor and arranged to detect wearer's speech.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
13 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a nose occlusion facility.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
14 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a liquid nutrient intake facility.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
17 words
A respirator as claimed in claim 1 and having a corrective lens mount facility on said visor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-10-04 | 1986-04-05 | 1986-10-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-10-04 | 1990-04-05 | 1990-10-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-10-04 | 1994-04-05 | 1994-10-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |