Communication apparatus for use in hazardous environments

Claim 1

Communication apparatus for use in a hazardous environment such as one characterized by the presence of smoke and/or noxious gas, said apparatus comprising: a standard-issue firefighter's face mask covering the eyes, nose and mouth of the user, said mask including a frame holding a transparent viewing shield and further including a peripheral resilient seal on said frame bearing against the face of the user to seal against the entrance of said smoke and gas to the respiratory system of the user, a standard-issue firefighter's helmet, said helmet being entirely separate from said face mask, a standard-issue firefighter's air supply including a tube connected to said mask for providing breathable air to the user through said mask, said mask further including an air inlet opening positioned adjacent to the mouth of the user, a relatively low power transmitter positioned entirely inside said mask adjacent said air inlet for transmitting a short range signal carrying a communication from the user, said transmitter including a microphone and an enclosure holding said microphone and other components of said transmitter, a relatively high powered standard-issue firefighter's transceiver carried on the person of the user, said transceiver being responsive to the operation of switch means to shift from a receiving mode to a transmitting mode, said transceiver transmitting on a different frequency than the frequency on which said low power transmitter transmits; a receiver carried on the person of the user tuned to receive the signal of said low power transmitter and providing an audio output; a voice activated switch means also carried on the person of the user and which is responsive to said receiver providing said audio output for providing a switching output to switch said transceiver from said receiving mode to said transmitting mode; and means interconnecting said switch means and said transceiver for providing said audio output and said switching output to said transceiver whereby the user is enabled to communicate with remote receivers tuned to the transmitting frequency of said transceiver without compromising the integrity of the face mask as by running wires through the viewing shield or interrupting the seal due to passage of wires between the seal and the face of the user.