Safety device for occupants of a road vehicle for the supply of oxygen

Abstract: The invention relates to a safety device for occupants of road or water vehicles. There are emergency situations in which the occupants cannot leave the vehicle, for example when it has hit the water and has flooded completely or partially, or when the interior of the vehicle is filled with smoke and combustion gasses and the occupants are at risk of drowning or suffocating. The invention is characterized in that said device offers the occupants of the vehicle the possibility to administer themselves of oxygen in an easy way during emergency situations, or any other moment and at the same time breathe in as little as possible, smoke and combustion gasses possibly present.

Description: Safety breathing device for occupants of a road vehicle, comprising a compressed air cylinder (1) which is operably (2,3,4) connected tot one or more breathing masks (5), which operable connection comprises a triggering mechanism that controls the flow of breathing gas to the masks (5) under emergency conditions. A portable safety devise of this type is known from US-A-5.162.006. This is a personal safety jacket, carrying an air bag that is filled with air from a cylinder that holds enough air for two minutes breathing. The triggering takes place when the vehicle collides with another vehicle and/or obstacle and/or by jerking the head of the wearer violently forward. This jacket is bulky and will not be worn at all times by the owner. Furthermore the supply of oxygen is limited and usually insufficient for longer periods. There are emergency situations in which occupants are not able to leave the vehicle, for example when it has hit water and has been filled with water partially or completely, or when the interior of the vehicle is filled with smoke and combustion gasses and said occupants are in danger of drowning or to suffocating. The object of the invention is to provide a safety device, which suppresses, respectively removes these emergency situations. According to the invention, this object of the invention is reached as a result of above mentioned device, which gives the occupants of the vehicle the possibility to supply themselves rather easily with oxygen and at the same time to breath in as little as possible present smoke and combustion gasses during emergency situations or at any other moment. According to the invention, the device activates after a signal of, for example a humidity sensor or a smoke or combustion gasses sensor and is of vital importance in such a situation, because it can supply the occupants with oxygen during a certain time, so that life saving services have more time to liberate them from the vehicle or boat. The device can also be applied, however, in the international cargo transport by road, during which the trucks or lorries have to cross over mountain passes at high altitudes. In such a situation the occupants of a truck or lorry can use the device at any time they like, according to the present invention, in compensation of the negative consequences of the lower oxygen percentage in the air at such altitudes. The negative consequences of altitude sickness on your driving capabilities, and therefore the amount of accidents, can be limited. The American patent application US 4.905.684 describes a device, in which lockers with facial masks are present in a building, with which a number of users, in case of fire and smoke generation in the building, can breath filtered outside air through a distribution device in each locker. From a Netherlands application NL-8800905 furthermore a portable smoke of gas remover is known, which is in particular used during welding activities. The known advise is hanging in front of the breast of the user and detects welding light by means of a built in sensor, after which the device removes the welding smoke from the breathing zone of the user by blowing air in front of his face. Also from the medical and aviation world devices are known to administer oxygen, fresh air or anaesthetic gasses. Also there are known compressed air masks, which for example are used by the fire brigade, and facial (gas) masks with filter equipment for filtering out smoke and hazardous combustion gasses. These devices are rather bulky, difficult to mount, and not suitable for simple use by non-schooled users in a limited space, such as for instance the interior of a private motor car. Unfortunately the present size of private or cargo transport is responsible for the chances of accidents, in which the occupants may get jammed into a car-interior filled with water or smoke, to be great. Therefore the present invention has the object to provide a device, which doesn't have the above mentioned negative consequences, and which is suited in case of usage in the vehicle to supply the occupants of oxygen at an easy way during emergency situations, or at any other moment. Because of this the chance of survival of the occupants during accidents increases extensively and can even prevent accidents due to sickness of heights, by using the device according to the invention. For clarity of the subscription we are starting the next that the device according to the invention is placed in a private motor car. This doesn't imply a restraint in utilization: the invention can be used in a analogous way in other vehicles, for example trucks. The device according to the invention relates to a safety device in a vehicle, which is characterized by the fact that mentioned device comprises a number of masks and operates with oxygen as breathing gas and is fixedly installed in the vehicle; and that the triggering mechanism comprises a number of electronic sensors, that signal emergency conditions to a electronically controlled gas distributor (6) so that the flow of oxygen from the cylinder to the individual masks (5) can be started. According to a first preferred embodiment the sensors are able to detect a sudden increase of pressure at the outside of the vehicle due to submerging of the vehicle, in a body of water. In a second preferred embodiment the sensors are able to detect a sudden increase of smoke and combustion gasses in the interior of the vehicle. An other preferred embodiment provides that the device according to the invention contains at least the following parts: An oxygen container, for example an universal oxygen cylinder (gas tank), which is attached to the car with commercially available fasteners and according to the valid safety regulations; An electronic operated gas distributor with an inlet which is, directly linked to the oxygen carrier by means of a commercially available mechanical clutch, or indirectly to a hose, and with two or more outlets, which are equipped with electrically operated gas valves, which can be opened and closed by electric operation signals, so that in case of an opened valve, oxygen can flow out of the mentioned oxygen container through the gas distributor to the relevant outlet; One of more oxygen tubes of fire proof material, attached at the one side to an outlet of mentioned gas distributor through a valid hose coupling, and equipped at the other side with an universal connector, on which a hose can be attached; Facial masks suitable for the supply of oxygen through the mouth and the nose, which can be connected to an universal connector of mentioned oxygen tube(s) in the interior of the vehicle by commercially available equipment, whereby the masks can be easily placed on the face and are well attached, so that water and possible present smoke and combustion gasses can be kept outside the mask as much as possible. An electronically operated device, which is at least suitable to provide operation signals to mentioned electronically operated gas distributor, so that the supply of oxygen to the connected facial masks can be opened or closed. The oxygen tube mentioned above between the gas distributor and the connector for the facial masks are being executed double by preference, so that enough redundancy can be achieved, so that an user can connect his facial mask to another tube, when one of the tubes is damaged, or can share a mask, which is still working with an other occupant of the vehicle. Furthermore the oxygen tubes are preferably hidden behind the interior lining of the car. The oxygen container and the gas distributor can be preferably placed for example in a compartment, which is accessible through the trunk of the car. The facial masks and the connectors of the oxygen tubes should be attached to the interior of the car in an esthetical way, but the connectors and the masks should be remain easily accessible at the same time, even when chassis and body of the car are being dislocated by for example an accident. Preferably there are switch devices present in the interior of the car, which makes it possible that an occupant individually activates the supply of oxygen to his facial mask, whereas the supply of oxygen stays closed to possibly present other facial masks. In an embodiment of the device according to the present invention, the interior and/or the outside of the car is equipped with sensors, which make it possible to signal situations, which makes the supply of oxygen to the occupants desirable, like a too low oxygen percentage in the air or the presence of water, smoke or combustion gasses in the interior. In such a case the formerly mentioned electric controlling device transmits a signal to the gas distributor, which further opens the oxygen supply to all attached masks. The contemporary cars are mostly standard equipped with an extensive electronic system with sensors, for example, for controlling the operating condition of the engine or for detection of a collision, in order to activate an airbag in time. Said switching devices and sensors of the device according to the invention and mentioned electronic device for controlling the gas distributor is able to be integrated easily in the present electronic (computer)system in the car. In an other embodiment of the device according to the invention the operating condition of the oxygen system according to the invention and possible measuring values of the sensors, for example the oxygen percentage of the air in the car-interior, are being presented to the occupants of the car, for example through a display in the dashboard. When the oxygen supply for all the masks is opened, for example in reference to the measuring values of the sensors, this can be for example indicated by a light and/or audio signal. The different parts of the device according to the invention are generally obtainable or manufactured easily. Thereby the necessary maintenance of the system could be take place for example with the periodic inspection of the car. The invention will be further elucidated referring to the enclosed figures, which are only meant for illustration and not for limiting the application area of the invention, whereby respectively: Figure 1 presents a perspective view, of a car in which the embodiment of the device according to the invention is applied; Figure 2 presents a plan view of the car from Figure 1, in which also a possible arrangement of the connections for the facial masks is shown.; Figure 3 presents a preferred embodiment of a facial mask that is a part of the device according to the invention. In the different figures similar parts are indicated with similar numerical references. In the embodiment of the device according to the invention which is shown in figure 1, the oxygen container (1) is for example placed in a compartment between the trunk and the interior of the car. The way of the fastening is not shown in the figures, but should comply at least to the standard safety rules. The oxygen container (1) is connected by a tube (2) with universal coupling to the electrically controlled gas distributor (3). The number of outlets (6) of this gas distributor is preferably at least equal to the number of persons that normally can be seated in the vehicle concerned (in general 4 or 5). From these outlets (6) oxygen tubes (4) lead to the connectors (5) of the facial masks in the interior of the car. In Figures 1 and 2 is assumed that the tubes (4) will be lead through a backside support of the roof. In the interior of the car the tubes are preferably disposed behind the cover of the interior. Figure 2 also shows, next to the parts of figure 1, a variant for arranging the connectors (5) for the facial masks. This arrangement causes the connectors to be near a suspension point of most safety belts and are thus easily to localize. The connected facial masks can be fastened in many esthetically attractive ways in the interior of the car for example behind an elastic flap or hood (not shown). However the masks should be easily available at all times, also when the chassis or body of the car is somewhat dislocated for example as a result of an accident. Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a facial mask that is part of the device according to the invention. The mask (7) should be placed over the mouth and nose and can be fastened with an elastic band (8) to the head. This mask has two unidirectional exhalation openings (9), through which only exhalation air can flow out, and an unidirectional inhalation opening through which only oxygen can flow into the masks. The oxygen is supplied through a tube (11) which can be fastened by means of an universal coupling (12) to a connector (5) which is present in the car. The earlier mentioned sensors, for detecting water are a low oxygen content are not shown in the drawing. The optimal placement of these sensors is namely dependent on the type of sensor and the construction of the vehicle.

Claims: Safety breathing device for occupants of a road vehicle, comprising a compressed air cylinder (1) which is operably (2,3,4) connected tot one or more breathing masks (5), which operable connection comprises a triggering mechanism that controls the flow of breathing gas to the masks (5) under emergency conditions, Characterised in that the safety breathing device comprises a number of masks and operates with oxygen as breathing gas and is fixedly installed in the vehicle; the triggering mechanism comprises a number of electronic sensors, that signal emergency conditions to an electronically controlled gas distributor (6) so that the flow of oxygen from the cylinder to the individual masks (5) can be started. Safety device according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensors are able to detect a sudden increase of pressure at the outside of the vehicle due to submerging of the vehicle in a body of water. Safety device according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensors are able to detect a sudden increase of smoke and combustion gasses in the interior of the vehicle Device according to claim 1 - 3, characterised in that there is switch equipment present in the interior of the vehicle, which makes it possible for occupants to activate the supply of oxygen to the facial masks (5) individually, whereby the supply of oxygen stays closed to other possibly present facial masks. Device according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that information concerning the operational situation of the oxygen supply is presented to the occupants of the vehicle through electronic of mechanical displays, or by means of light and/of audio signals. Device according to claim 2 of 3, characterised in that the measurement results of mentioned sensors are presented to the occupants of the vehicle through electric or mechanical displays, or by means of light- and/or audio signals.

Inventors: VAN DE WIEL JOHANNES ARNOLDUS, VAN DE WIEL, JOHANNES ARNOLDUS
Applicants: VAN DE WIEL JOHANNES ARNOLDUS, VAN DE WIEL, JOHANNES ARNOLDUS
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A62B33
IPC codes: B63C9, A62B7, A62B33