Abstract:
Systems for supplying emergency oxygen or other gases to persons are addressed. The systems may include pod assemblies mounted on fixed-position masts between or adjacent passenger seats or pop-up modules installed within upper portions of seat backs. The pod assemblies and pop-up modules additionally may include other passenger-service equipment. Also optionally included in the systems are modular central gas supplies and alternative oxygen mask designs for passengers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/518,499 filed on Nov. 7, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to systems for supplying gases and more particularly, but not exclusively, to systems furnishing oxygen in emergencies to passengers onboard vehicles such as, but not limited to, commercial aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,609,166 to Brennan and 5,154,374 to Beroth, incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference, disclose emergency oxygen-supply systems for aircraft. Included in the systems are oxygen-generating canisters located beneath seat cushions of commercial aircraft seats and oxygen masks positioned within the backs of the seats. Because the masks are positioned within seat backs, access to them is available only from the rears of the seats, so that the masks are intended for use only by passengers sitting in a row behind the seats in which the oxygen-generating canisters are located. 
     Detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,018 to Schumacher, et al. is an alternative oxygen-supply system for use in passenger cabins of aircraft. One version of the system includes a hollow, tubular bail associated with each passenger seat and at least partly framing its backrest. Incorporated in the bail is a head section containing, among other things, both an oxygen mask and an oxygen generator. Unlike the systems of the Brennan and Beroth patents, however, that of the Schumacher &#39;018 patent is designed so that the oxygen mask resident in a particular head section is accessible to the passenger sitting in the associated seat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,415 to Schumacher, et al. discusses cabin seats having passenger service units constructed as columns and arranged as “seat complementing components.” According to the Schumacher &#39;415 patent, such a component is defined to mean “a separate service component independent of the seat but fully capable of cooperating with the respective passenger seat for the passenger&#39;s comfort.” See Schumacher &#39;415, col. 2, 11. 55-58. Each component cooperates with a single seat to house, in a head section also functioning as a privacy shield, “essential passenger comfort and service elements such as a reading lamp, a loudspeaker or headphone jacks and an oxygen mask.” See id., col. 4, 11. 39-41 (numerals omitted). An oxygen generator is disposed within a lower section of the component below an armrest. 
     Whereas some embodiments of the columnar components of the Schumacher &#39;415 patent provide mask access to the passenger seated in the seat associated with the component, other versions provide oxygen masks to passengers seated in a row behind the associated seats. Yet other embodiments of the Schumacher &#39;415 patent incorporate oxygen masks and generators within arm rests of passenger seats. The contents of the Shumacher patents are incorporated in their entireties herein as well by this reference. 
     Generally, however, emergency passenger oxygen systems are located in passenger service units placed in overhead modules of commercial aircraft. Because so positioned, the service units must be configured to conform to spacing (pitch) between seat rows and the number of seats in a row so that each passenger has ready access to an oxygen mask when deployed for emergency use. This required matching of service units and seating arrangements complicates the design of seating configurations within a vehicle and makes modification of existing designs time consuming. 
     Further, because the service units are placed in overhead modules, lower cabin ceilings inevitably result from their use. These lower ceilings impede passenger ingress to and egress from respective seats and reduce the amount of headroom and storage space available to transiting passengers. As a consequence, at least some aircraft builders believe customer satisfaction is impacted negatively when overhead passenger service units are used. 
     Aircraft builders also have expressed interest in thinner seat designs. They thus may be reluctant to deploy some of the systems described above, in which oxygen-related equipment is incorporated into a seat back. Placing the equipment in the seat back additionally may be problematic for structural certification reasons and because of potential accessibility problems depending on whether, and if so how, the seat is reclined. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides, among other things, alternative pod assemblies associated with passenger seats. The assemblies, which need not bear one-to-one correspondence with seats, may include both oxygen-supplying and other equipment used or available for use by passengers. Non-limiting examples of such equipment include in-flight entertainment controls and equipment, telephones, seatbelt annuciators, reading lights, flight attendant call controls, and seat-movement controls. The assemblies additionally optionally may contain devices sensing whether a passenger is present or absent from a particular seat and, conceivably, means for communicating verbally with flight attendants, other cabin crew, or other passengers. 
     As, purportedly, with the components of the Schumacher &#39;415 patent, the present pod assemblies avoid any need for locating any passenger service equipment overhead. However, unlike the components of the Schumacher &#39;415 patent, the pod assemblies may be positioned between seats or otherwise not be connected to any seat backs. Accordingly, the pod assemblies need not necessarily move (and thus need not suffer move-related damage) when a seat back is reclined. Similarly, a single pod assembly positioned between two seats may provide passenger-service equipment for both adjacent seats. 
     Various embodiments of the pod assemblies are mounted on masts forming structural elements of sets of seats. Oxygen masks present in the pods may deploy via a hinged or other door or hatch therein. If desired, moreover, the pod assemblies may incorporate service doors to facilitate maintenance and replacement of equipment contained within. Pod assemblies additionally may function as head rests (particularly for sides of passenger heads), although preferably passengers will be unable to rest heads on any mask-deployment doors. 
     Pod assemblies with fixed positions also provide constant reference points for passengers. Stated differently, regardless of how a seat back is reclined, the oxygen mask for the corresponding occupant will deploy to the same location, allowing the occupant always to know where the mask will be when deployed. Similarly, mask deployment may always occur in view of the passenger, again regardless of how his or her seat is reclined. 
     Some versions of the invention incorporate oxygen-generating materials within the pod-mounting masts. In these configurations, conventional lanyard firing mechanisms may be used to commence oxygen generation. Those skilled in the art will, of course, recognize that other mechanisms may be employed instead. 
     Alternatively, oxygen generating apparatus may be centralized within the aircraft or other vehicle. If the apparatus is centralized, lengths of gas-supply tubing may be included within the masts to connect, directly or indirectly, individual oxygen masks to the central supply. Preferably, the tubing terminates at quick-connect fittings at the junction between a seat and the cabin floor, where they may be connected to the central supply. Yet alternatively, chemical or other oxygen generators may be deployed throughout the aircraft cabin rather than centralized. In some embodiments of the invention consistent with this approach, generators may be placed under seats, preferably adjacent the cabin floor, and connected to the tubing in the mast (or within or alongside seat frames) using the same quick-connect fittings (or otherwise). When the gas generators are remote from the masks, an electrical firing mechanism may be used to commence oxygen flow when a mask is activated by a passenger for use. 
     Discussed herein also are versions of the invention omitting some or all of the pod assemblies (or omitting some of their functionality) in favor of seat mounted oxygen-supply equipment. Unlike the systems of the Brennan and Beroth patents, in which oxygen masks deploy rearward from rears of seat backs, these embodiments utilize pop-up modules in the upper sections of the seats. When needed to be deployed, the masks become accessible through popping-up of the modules, after which they fall forward, toward the occupants of their corresponding seats. Hence, in these embodiments, a mask within a seat is presented to the seat occupant (as opposed to the occupant of a seat in a succeeding row) and deploys toward the occupant with assistance of gravity. 
     Additional aspects of the invention include innovative central gas-supply systems. Particularly useful for extended-range operations of twin-engine aircraft (ETOPS), these systems may be used to provide oxygen to passengers for extended periods of time (potentially sixty minutes or more). Included in the systems are multiple oxygen bottles placed in racks enclosed in dedicated compartments shaped to conform with cargo luggage compartment standards. Configuring the systems in this manner makes them modular and capable of being inserted into or removed from cargo bays rather than placed along the fuselage of an aircraft, as conventional oxygen-canister racks are. The modular compartments additionally may include connectors allowing rapid and easy connections to gas-transit tubing and electrical harnesses. 
     Finally, aspects of the present invention may include novel oxygen masks themselves. Because the pod assemblies and pop-up modules of the invention may provide limited space in which to house oxygen masks, the masks advantageously may be redesigned to reduce the space required for their storage. In some embodiments, the masks may have portions (particularly the cups) made of material with memory. Consequently, these masks may be compressed for storage but, when deployed, may return to their original forms. Alternative embodiments may provide cups (made of paper or other material) with a metal spring, spire, or other device designed to cause the cups to expand to appropriate shape upon deployment. Alternatively or additionally, either or both of the supply tubing or the bags associated with the masks may be made accordion-style so as to facilitate their storage in smaller volumes, and if optimized oxygen flow (RFCU) is physiologically possible, further reduction in bag size may result. 
     It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide systems for supplying emergency oxygen or other gases to passengers within a vehicle. 
     It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the invention to provide assemblies associated with passenger seats. 
     It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the invention to provide such assemblies with pods in which passenger-service equipment such as, but not limited to, oxygen masks may be contained. 
     It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide fixed-position masts on which pods may be mounted, so that passenger-service equipment may be equally available to passengers regardless of the orientation of their associated seats. 
     It further is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide modular gas-supply systems for vehicles such as aircraft. 
     It is yet another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide gas-supply systems designed to conform with standard aircraft luggage compartments. 
     It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide alternative passenger oxygen masks reducing the amount of space required for their storage. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remainder of the text and the drawings of this application. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front elevational view of exemplary seats illustrating aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a side elevational view of a seat of  FIG. 1A  illustrated in both an upright and, in phantom lines, a reclined position. 
         FIG. 2A  is a front elevational view of portions of the seats of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevational view of a seat portion of  FIG. 2A  illustrated in both an upright and, in phantom lines, a reclined position. 
         FIG. 3A  is a front elevational view of a portion of an alternative seat illustrating aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side elevational view of the portion of the seat of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of part of another exemplary seat of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an exemplary modular central gas-supply system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a view of an exemplary emergency oxygen mask of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of an alternative exemplary emergency oxygen mask of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Depicted in  FIGS. 1A-B  and  2 A-B are portions of seat cluster  10  consistent with aspects of the present invention. As shown in these figures, cluster  10  comprises seats  14  (denoted  14 A and  14 B), each designed for a single human occupant. However, those skilled in the relevant field understand that cluster  10  may contain fewer or more seats  14  than the two illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 . 
     Each of seats  14 A and  14 B may include components common to seats presently in use in vehicles (particularly commercial aircraft). Referring to seat  14 A, for example, it may include seat back  18 A, seat bottom  22 A, and optionally at least one arm rest  26 A. Also detailed in  FIGS. 1-2  for seat  14 A are head rest  30 A, (rearwardly-extending) tray table  32 A, and leg assembly  34 A designed for attachment to floor F of an aircraft or other cabin. Similarly, seat  14 B may include some or all of seat back  18 B, seat bottom  22 B, arm rest  26 B, head rest  30 B, a tray table (not shown), and leg assembly  34 B (only portions of which are shown). Moreover, if cluster  10  comprises more than one seat  14 , then some optional components such as (but not limited to) arm rest  26 C may be shared among seats  14 . 
       FIGS. 1-2  additionally depict pod assembly  38  and mast  42 , aspects of the present invention. Mast  42  is shown positioned between seats  14 A and  14 B; in this configuration, it may if desired be considered to be common, or shared, by the seats  14 A-B. Although mast  42  may be connected to either or both of seat backs  18 A and  18 B, it preferably is connected to neither, so that its position remains fixed regardless of whether seat backs  18 A and  18 B are reclined or upright (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 1B and 2B ). Likewise, mast  42  may be connected to other portions of seats  14 A and  14 B or, alternatively, connected directly to floor F. 
     Mounted or otherwise attached to mast  42  is pod assembly  38 . Pod assembly  38  may include door  46 , typically (although not necessarily) hinged to facilitate its remaining open when appropriate. Incorporated into pod assembly  38  may be various passenger-service equipment including (but not necessarily limited to) one or more emergency oxygen masks  50 . When emergency oxygen is required for the occupants of seats  14 A and  14 B, for example, door  46  opens—preferably automatically—and (at least) two such masks  50  are deployed. Alternatively, pod assembly  38  may contain two doors  46 , one for each occupant of seats  14 A and  14 B, with at least one mask  50  positioned behind each door  46 . Preferably, any doors  46  open to the front of the plane of upright seat backs  18 A and  18 B, so that masks  50  are immediately accessible to the occupants of seats  14 A and  14 B. In this configuration, a service door or hatch conceivably could be provided in the rear of pod assembly  38 . (If, however, pod assembly  38  is intended to provide masks  50  to occupants of seats behind seats  14 A and  14 B, any doors  46  advantageously may open to the rear of mast  42  and any service door present may open to the front or side of mast  42 .) 
     In a version of mast  42  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-B , one or more chemical oxygen generators  54  may be incorporated within the mast  42 . So doing reduces the amount of tubing needed to provide fluid connection between a generator  54  and corresponding masks  50 . Positioning generator  54  within mast  42  additionally reduces the possibility of a passenger inadvertently contacting the generator  54  and either being burned by heat generated by it or impeding its operation. 
       FIGS. 3A-3B  show module  58  installed in an upper section of seat back  18  of seat  14 . Module  58  may be used as an alternative to pod assembly  38  to supply an oxygen mask  50  to the occupant of seat  14 . When emergency oxygen is required, module  58  is designed to pop-up from within seat back  18 , releasing a mask  50  to the occupant of the seat  14 . Module  58  may include a door if desired, although no such door is necessary because of the (hidden) positioning of module  58  prior to use. As depicted in  FIG. 3B , mask  50  is designed to release forward of the plane of seat back  18  so as to be available to the occupant of seat  14 . Again, however, by reversing the release design, mask  50  could if desired be made available instead to an occupant of a seat behind seat  14 . 
       FIG. 4  details an alternative position for oxygen generator  54 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , generator  54  may be incorporated into leg assembly  34 , with tubing  62  connecting generator  54  to masks  50  either via mast  42  (if present) or along or within a frame of seat  14 . This positioning of generator  54  is particular useful if (1) pop-up module  58  is utilized and (2) seat-by-seat oxygen generation is desired. It may, however, necessitate use of some sort of heat shield to avoid, or reduce risk of, heat-related injuries to passengers. 
     Illustrated somewhat conceptually in  FIG. 5  is modular central gas-supply equipment  66 . Conventionally, oxygen bottles and associated equipment are installed in racks and held with multiple brackets alongside the fuselage of an aircraft. In this configuration additional design activity may be required to insulate and ventilate the racks satisfactorily. By contrast, cylinder racks  70  of equipment  66  may be enclosed in a compartment  74  shaped to (LD3) luggage compartment standards. Racks  70  additionally may integrate required distribution equipment (electrical flow control units and under-floor distribution conduits, for example). Thus, if a maker or operator of a particular aircraft desires centralized oxygen supply, equipment  66  may readily be installed within a cargo compartment. If central oxygen supply is unnecessary, equipment  66  either simply may not be installed, may be removed (if already installed), or may be disconnected from supply lines but not removed (if already installed). 
       FIG. 6  depicts possible modifications to mask assembly  78 , which includes mask  50 , to facilitate its storage in lesser space than is conventionally used. Fluid supply tubing  82  could, for example, have an accordion design (like many conventional telephone cords) so as to require decreased (linear) storage space. Bag  86  likewise could have an accordion, or pleated, design for the same reason. Alternatively or additionally, mask  50  could be modified to produce mask  50 A shown in  FIG. 7 , in which a wire or other spire  86  (or equivalent spring-like structure) is utilized to bias mask  50 A into its fully-extended position (illustrated in  FIG. 7 ) for use. When stowed, by contrast, mask  50 A may be compressed merely by overcoming the bias of spire  86 . 
     The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing exemplary embodiments and certain benefits of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to the illustrated and described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.