Emergency breathing apparatus

A portable emergency breathing apparatus having an inflatable air bladder and a mouth piece. The mouth piece has a valve means for allowing a user to release air stored within the inflatable air bladder to the user's mouth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Also, while this disclosure refers generally to “air,” said terminology is intended to not only include atmospheric air, but any other gas (oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) which a user may choose to utilize with the present invention. Referring initially to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. This figure shows this first embodiment of the invented portable emergency breathing apparatus 10 . This embodiment utilizes an inflatable air bladder or other air storage means 12 . In the preferred embodiment, this air bladder 12 comprises an elastic rubber bladder. However, other forms of air bladders 12 are also envisioned, including, but not limited to hard cased air bladders, and accordion shaped air bladders. It is preferred that this air bladder 12 further comprise at least one handle 14 for allowing a user to grasp the apparatus 10 . More than one handle ( 14 , 14 ′) may be present to allow for two handed operation, or to allow a second person to hold on to the bladder 12 . Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, a hand strap 38 or other means of attaching the bladder 12 to the user is shown. Other possible features include the use of a connection system for connecting multiple apparatuses together (for instance, in lashing them together on the surface). Referring again to FIG. 1 , the air bladder 12 can either be filled with a supply of air through an inlet means 20 , such as the needle connection shown, or through the mouthpiece or apparatus body 18 ′ which is connected to the outlet means 16 of the air bladder. While these two types of filling means are shown in the figures, it is understood that any method of inflating the air bladder 12 would also be intended to be included within this application. Air supply sources envisioned include, but are not limited to, portable compressed air cylinders, fixed air-line connections, and hand pumps. Storage locations of the apparatuses could either be in individual stored units, or stored in a central location, or even stored in a manner similar to drop down masks similar to the oxygen masks utilized by airlines. Preferably extending from the air bladder 12 is a neck or umbilical cord 48 extending to the outlet means 16 . Inclusion of this neck 48 has many purposes, including the ability for a rescuer to extend an attached mouthpiece 18 ′ through a small opening (such as a submerged car's window), thereby giving a trapped person access oxygen. Alternatively, this neck 48 could itself include the valve means utilized to release the air supply from the air bladder 12 to the mouthpiece 18 ′. The neck 48 attaches the outlet means 16 to a means for fluidly attaching 42 the air bladder 12 to the mouthpiece 18 ′. In the FIG. 1 embodiment, the means for fluidly attaching 42 comprises the stretching of the flexible outlet means 16 over the outside surface of the mouthpiece 18 at the mouthpiece's air storage opening end. Such attachment could further be done through use of at least one rib 44 (shown in FIG. 3 ) located on the outside surface 46 of the mouthpiece 18 . Additionally, a ring, band or other fitting could be used to hold the outlet means 16 upon the mouthpiece 18 . While this ribbed attachment means is shown in the drawings, it is expressly envisioned that other forms of attachment are also possible. Referring again to FIG. 1 , attaching to the air bladder 12 is the mouthpiece 18 ′. This mouthpiece 18 ′ fluidly connects the mouth of a user with the air supply contained within the bladder 12 . The mouthpiece 18 ′ preferably additionally has a manual valve means 22 for allowing the user to selectively release air stored in the air bladder 12 to the mouth of the user. The mouthpiece 18 ′ has a mouth opening 30 for cooperation with the user's mouth. In the preferred embodiment, the mouthpiece 18 ′ further comprises a vent channel 26 , preferably utilized in conjunction with a second valve means (described later), for allowing the user to exhale back though the mouthpiece 18 ′. Alternatively, the mouthpiece 18 ′ could comprise a mask means (not shown) for using the present invention on small children or infants. Referring now to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the portable emergency breathing apparatus 10 ′ has an air bladder or air storage means 12 extending through a neck 48 to a mouthpiece 18 . This embodiment further has a flashlight loop 40 for receiving a standard flashlight 4 . Additionally, this embodiment utilizes an adjustable hand strap means 38 for allowing the user to secure the apparatus 10 ′ to his/her wrist. Referring now to FIG. 3 , one embodiment of the mouthpiece 18 utilized with the present invention is shown. This embodiment (also shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5 B) is generally of two-halve construction, having a top half 52 and a bottom half 54 . The two halves, in use, are fixed together, preferably either through at least one fastening means. The mouthpiece 18 has a first end having an air storage opening 36 for fluid connection with the air bladder, and a second end having a mouth opening 30 for use with or in a user's mouth. Attachment of the air bladder to the first end of the mouthpiece 18 can be done through many different attachment means 42 . The preferred attachment means 42 of ribs 44 located on the outside surface 46 of the mouthpiece 18 are shown. In such a use, the air bladder, or extension thereof, would be stretched over said outside surface 46 , being held on said mouthpiece 18 via the ribs 44 (as generally shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 ). Alternatively, a clip or other locking device (not shown) could be utilized to hold the bladder on the outside surface 46 . The ribs 44 are preferred, but are not necessary, as a proper clip or locking device could lock the bladder on the mouthpiece without use of ribs or other raised features. Extending from at least one portion of the outside surface 46 of the mouthpiece is a lanyard attachment means 50 for allowing the mouthpiece to be attached to a wrist strap or lanyard (not shown). Also preferably extending from the outside surface 46 of the mouthpiece 18 is at least one manual valve means 22 for allowing a user to release air from the air bladder through the mouthpiece 18 and into the mouth of a user. Referring now to FIG. 4, a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is shown. This figure shows the mouthpiece 18 having a pair of air channels or passageways extending therethrough. First, an outlet channel 32 extends from the air storage opening 36 to the mouth opening 30 . Interposed in this outlet channel 32 is the first valve means 22 . A spring means or other means is utilized to keep this valve 22 closed by default. When the mouthpiece 18 is attached to an air source, such as the air bladder, air pressure is pressurized in the air storage opening 36 end of the outlet channel 32 . Upon opening the valve 22 , this pressure of air is allowed to flow to the mouth opening 30 end of the mouthpiece and into the mouth of a user. Upon closing the valve 22 , this pressure is not longer allowed to flow along that path. Second, an inlet channel 34 extends from the mouth opening 30 and back through to the air storage opening 36 . Interposed in this inlet channel 34 is a second valve means 24 . This valve means 24 can be any type of valve, but in the preferred embodiment is a spring activated check valve able be opened through air pressure supplied by the user, either through blowing into the inlet channel 34 via the mouth opening 30 or through other means. In such a manner, a user would be able to inflate the attached air bladder through blowing through the inlet channel 34 or by applying an air source to the inlet channel 34 at the mouth opening 30 . A second embodiment of the mouthpiece 18 ′ utilized with the present invention can be found in FIGS. 6 and 7 . This embodiment further has a vent 26 for allowing the user to exhale out of the device rather than back into the air bladder. Utilizing such a vent 26 would allow a user to exhale into the mouth opening 30 , through the inlet channel 34 , past the second valve means 24 , and out the vent channel 26 . While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims.