Portable breathing device

A portable breathing device is disclosed comprising an upper conduit section having an opening in one end to communicate with at least the user's oral passages and a breathing aperture in the other end and a lower flexible and inflatable respiratory gas container section for receiving and containing ambient respiratory gases. The respiratory gas container section has an upper opening communicating with the breathing aperture of the upper section and a lower opening relatively larger than the upper opening for communicating with ambient respiratory gases to thereby permit the user to entrap a volume of ambient respiratory gases within the respiratory gas container section. A seal device is provided for releasably sealing the lower opening of the respiratory gas container section to ensure containment of the entrapped volume of ambient respiratory gases. In the preferred embodiment the upper conduit section is provided with a facial mask adapted to enclose the oral and nasal passages of the user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to portable breathing or respiratory devices 
and more particularly to a portable autonomous breathing device which 
enables the user to entrap a volume of ambient respirator gas and to 
breath the entrapped air while in an atmosphere of irrespirable or 
poisonous gases. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Devices for the administration of oxygen and other gases to an individual 
under various circumstances are manifold. Exemplary of such prior art 
devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Patent Nos.: 
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968,306 Wunderlich August 23, 1910 
1,203,391 O'Donnell October 31, 1916 
2,260,701 Boothby et al 
October 28, 1941 
2,329,289 Morehouse September 14, 1943 
2,336,979 Boothby et al 
December 14, 1943 
2,488,261 Bedini November 15, 1949 
2,944,546 Ziherl et al July 12, 1960 
3,045,672 Croasdaile July 24, 1962 
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In still other prior art patents there are disclosed various portable 
respirators and inhalers. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 642,057 to Uysdal 
et al of Jan. 23, 1900 there is disclosed a fireman's portable respirator 
which is particularly directed to an agent disposed within the breathing 
bag for absorbing carbonic acid exhaled by the user. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,449,047 to Johnson of Mar. 26, 1923 there is disclosed a 
pocket inhalation apparatus which comprises a casing which contains a 
removable miniature high pressure cylinder bottle for containing a gas and 
communicating with a series of expansion chambers and an outlet for the 
gas. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,671 to Updegraft of July 24, 1962 there is 
disclosed a portable inhaler which includes a metal cartridge adapted to 
retain a supply of gas under high compression. 
While such prior art devices provide improvement in the areas intended, 
there still exists a great need for a portable breathing device which 
provides a temporary source of respiratory gas to the user while in an 
atmosphere of irrespirable or poisonous gases. 
Accordingly, a principle desirable object of the present invention is to 
provide a novel portable autonomous breathing device which provides a 
temporary source of respiratory gas. 
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide a portable 
breathing device which enables the user to employ ambient on site 
breathable air or respiratory gases for use in an environment of 
non-breathable or poisonous gases adjacent the site. 
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a 
temporary inhalation device of compact form when not in use and which is 
inexpensive to manufacture. 
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a 
portable breathing device which provides in combination a structure having 
an upper breathing section and an associated lower respiratory gas 
container section which provides means for containing a volume of ambient 
respirator gases to provide a temporary supply of respiratory gases to the 
user when in an atmosphere of irrespirable or poisonous gases. 
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide a temporary 
breathing device of compact form which can be easily stored at the site of 
need and which provides for a container of respiratory gas at 
substantially ambient pressure. 
Other desirable objects and advantages of the present invention will in 
part appear hereinafter and will in part become apparent after 
consideration of the specification with reference to the drawings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention there is disclosed a portable 
autonomous breathing device which comprises an upper section having an 
opening or aperture in one end to communicate with the user's nasal and 
oral passages and a breathing opening or aperture in the other end 
associated with a lower flexible and inflatable respiratory gas container 
section for receiving and containing ambient respiratory gases. In a 
preferred embodiment, the respiratory gas container section has an upper 
opening or aperture communicating with the breathing opening of the upper 
section and a lower opening or aperture relatively larger than the upper 
opening for communicating with ambient respiratory gases to thereby permit 
the user to manually entrap a volume of ambient respiratory gases within 
the respiratory gas container section. The lower opening of the 
respiratory gas container section is provided with sealing means to ensure 
containment of the entrapped volume of ambient respiratory gases. A 
conduit or tubular means is disposed between the upper section and the 
respiratory gas container section to permit passage of gases therebetween. 
In one embodiment of the invention a one-way check valve means is disposed 
in the conduit to permit respiratory gases to flow from the lower gas 
container section to the upper mask section during inhalation of the user. 
In another embodiment an additional one-way check valve means is provided 
in the conduit to permit exhalation gases to pass from the user to the 
respiratory gas container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1-3 there is 
illustrated generally at 10 a portable breathing device in accordance with 
the present invention. The breathing apparatus 10 comprises two main 
sections, namely an upper breathing conduit section 12 and a lower 
respiratory gas container section 14 associated with section 12. Section 
12 is preferably tubular in configuration and is open at its upper end to 
communicate with the oral breathing passages of the user. The upper end of 
conduit section 12 is preferably provided with a flange 16 defining a 
first or upper aperture or opening 17 as best seen in FIG. 2 to form a 
mouth piece member to enable the user to hold the breathing section 
securely in position in the user's mouth. The upper breathing section 12 
is preferably formed of a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride 
extruded in tubular form and of sufficient thickness to ensure that the 
tube remains open and is not easily collapsed. In the embodiment 
illustrated, the upper section 12 is provided with a face mask member 18 
which can also be formed of a thin sheet of transparent plastic material 
such as polyvinyl chloride which can be heat sealed to the breathing 
section 12 at area 20. The mask member is provided with nose clamp means 
22 secured to the inner side of the mask 18 by a suitable attaching means 
23 such as adhesives, mating members such as "VELCRO" strips, double 
backed adhesive tapes and the like well known to those skilled in the art. 
The mask member 18 is applied to the face so that the mouth piece flange 
16 is inserted into the mouth and the nose clamp applied to the user's 
nose. The mask is held in position (similar to that shown in FIG. 5) by a 
suitable head strap 24 which may be elastic or plastic straps secured 
together by means such as mating VELCRO strips described above. 
The lower respiratory gas container section 14 is preferably formed of 
lightweight relatively thin, flexible unitary sheet of gas and fluid 
impervious plastic material such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride 
described above. The respiratory gas container 14 is preferably shaped at 
its upper end 26 to conform to the flanged end 28 defining a second or 
lower aperture or opening 19 as best seen in FIG. 2 of section 12 and is 
attached thereto at area 30 of section 12 by suitable means such as heat 
sealing or adhesives to form an air tight seal. The other end of the 
respiratory container 14 is provided with an opening 32 which is 
substantially larger than the upper opening 28 and is defined by the edge 
34. The plastic material of edge 34 is preferably turned outwardly and 
sealed such as by heat-sealing along the edge shown by the line 36 to form 
an internal channel 38 to receive draw string members 40 and 42 which 
secure, close and seal the openings 32 (as shown by the dotted lines of 
FIG. 1) to ensure containment of an entrapped volume of ambient 
respiratory gases as described hereinafter with respect to operation of 
the portable respirator device of the present invention. 
Mounted in the breathing section member 12 is a suitable valve means 44 
such as a one-way check valve having a disk 46 which normally seats upon a 
valve seat 48 and opens into the mouth piece area 20 and the mask 18 when 
the user inhales thereby causing the disk 46 to swing open on its hinge 
49. A similar one-way check valve 50 is mounted in the wall of section 12 
between the mouth piece flange 16 and valve 44 and comprises a disk 52, 
seat 54 and hinge 56. The disk 52 normally opens to the ambient atmosphere 
when pressure caused by the user's exhalation contacts the disk. Similarly 
the user's exhalation pressure causes disk 46 of valve 44 to close thereby 
preventing exhaled gases from entering the lower respiratory gas container 
section 14. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a modified embodiment 
of the portable respiratory device of the present invention shown 
generally at 58. In this embodiment the face mask 60 is constructed to 
cover the oral and nasal (oronasal) passages of the user's face as best 
seen in FIG. 5. Additionally in this embodiment the respiratory device 58 
is a unitary structure of the face mask section 60 attached to the upper 
portion of intermediate conduit member 64 which contains check valves 44 
and 50 and the respiratory gas container 62 which is attached to the lower 
portion of the conduit member 64 and is formed of a plastic material such 
as polyvinyl chloride as described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 
except that the exhaled gases of the user are directed through one-way 
check valve 50 into the respirator gas container 62 to mix with and dilute 
the entrapped respiratory gases contained therein. As mentioned, in this 
embodiment of the invention, the exhalation gases which are conducted into 
the respiratory gas container through check valve 50 serve to dilute the 
entrapped respiratory gases and thereby extends the useful time of the 
breathing device for a given volume of entrapped respiratory gases which 
are inhaled by the user through one-way check valve 44. As illustrated in 
FIGS. 4 and 5 and the valves 44 and 50 are mounted adjacent to each other 
in the same plane within the conduit section 64. 
Referring now to FIGS. and 7, there is illustrated a modified embodiment of 
the invention. As shown, the portable breathing device comprises a 
respiratory gas container section 66 having an opening 68 at one end and 
which serves as an inflatable gas reservoir. The respiratory gas container 
is preferably formed of fluid impervious plastic material as described 
hereinbefore. The edge 70 of the opening 68 is formed into a channel 72 to 
receive securing means such as draw string members 74 and 76 which 
releasably close, secure, and seal the opening 68 about the breathing 
conduit member 78 after the respiratory container section 66 has been 
filled with respiratory gases. The breathing conduit member 78 is attached 
to a portion of the inner surface 80 of gas container 66 by suitable 
attaching means 82 and 84 which may, for example, be mating "VELCRO" 
strips or suitable adhesive tapes and the like as is well known. The 
breathing conduit 78 is preferably formed of a tubular plastic material 
such as described with respect to breathing section 12 of FIG. 1 and is 
provided with a one-wa normally closed check valve 86 which is identical 
in construction to valve 44 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The upper end of the 
breathing conduit 78 is provided with a face mask 88 having a head strap 
90. The valve 86 remains open so long as the wearer of the mask is 
inhaling and taking in the gaseous supply from respiratory container 
section 66. However, when the wearer exhales, valve 86 is closed by the 
exhalation pressure, and the exhaled gases exit through one-way check 
valve 92 which is normally closed but is opened by the exhalation 
pressure. The valve 92 is identical in construction to valve 50 of FIG. 1. 
FIG. 7 shows the portable respiratory device of FIG. 6 in the inflated 
ready to use mode. 
When not in use the breathing device of the present invention can, for 
example, when in the folded form illustrated in FIG. 3, be stored in each 
office of an office building in sufficient quantities to serve the 
occupants of each office. To use the portable breathing device, in the 
event of an emergency such as fire and where it is necessary to cross an 
area of irrespirable or poisonous gases in order to escape to a safe area, 
the user unfolds the portable breathing device and with the end 32 of the 
respirator gas container 10 (FIG. 1) open fills the container with ambient 
breathable respiratory gases by suitable arm movement of the user 94 to 
inflate the respiratory container as shown in FIG. 8. The opening 32 is 
then sealed by means of sealing members 40 and 42 to thereby ensure 
containment of the entrapped gases. The face mask 18 and mouth piece 16 
are then positioned for use whereby the user has a supply of breathable 
respiratory gases while passing safely through the area of harmful ambient 
gases and smoke. 
The portable respiratory device illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is employed in 
the same manner as described above with respect to the embodiment set 
forth in FIGS. 1-3. 
One feature of the present invention is that the complete portable 
respiratory device of the present invention may be folded and stored in a 
small area or packaged in a small sized container such as a handbag or 
desk drawer. 
An important feature of the portable breathing apparatus of the present 
invention is that the gas pressure within the filled respiratory gas 
container is generally at a gas pressure which is equal to or slightly 
greater than the ambient atmospheric pressure and therefore is 
self-regulating i.e. the respiratory gases are withdrawn by inhalation 
i.e. "on demand" by the user rather than the continuous flow involved with 
high pressure containers and associated valves to control the flow as 
employed by the prior art devices. Additionally, since the respiratory gas 
container while in use is always at ambient atmospheric pressure, the 
possibility of exchange between ambient gases and respiratory gases 
contained within the gas container is substantially completely eliminated. 
The portable breathing apparatus of the present invention may be quickly 
and easily refilled from an ambient source of respiratory gases to provide 
an extended supply of respiratory gases. 
It is to be understood that modifications of the illustrated embodiments of 
the present invention can be made within the scope of the invention. For 
example, the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 7 can be employed without the 
facial masks 18 and 86. In such a modification the conduit sections 12 and 
78 are provided with only the valve means 44 and 86 respectively to 
thereby permit the user to orally inhale respiratory gases from the 
respiratory gas container and exhale to the ambient area through the 
user's nasal passages. Additionally, in a modified embodiment (not shown), 
the face mask can be adapted to cover the users eyes as well as the oral 
and nasal passages. 
It has been determined that a portable breathing device in accordance with 
the present invention having a 30 gallon respiratory container will 
provide a source of respiratory gases for between about 3 to 5 minutes. 
It is believed apparent that the portable breathing device of the present 
invention provides a temporary, reusable atonomous breathing device which 
is particularly suitable for emergency situations and which can be easily 
stored in various locations ready for instant use with a minimum of 
preparation, and which is highly economical to produce. 
While the invention has been described with respect to preferred 
embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes 
and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the 
invention herein involved in its broader aspects. Accordingly, it is 
intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in 
the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a 
limiting sense.