Improved rotational waist pad for self contained breathing apparatus harnesses

Technical field of improved rotary lumbar pad for self-contained breathing apparatus

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of self-contained respirators, and more particularly relates to a rotary lumbar pad assembly used in self-contained respirators.

Background technique

[0002] Self-contained breathing apparatus ("SCBA") are usually worn by individuals when performing actions in hazardous environments (such as when extinguishing fires and in other environments filled with smoke or gas) to provide the wearer with breathability air. Traditional SCBA usually includes a mask, pressurized gas cylinder and hose. The mask covers the nose, mouth and eyes of the wearer and includes a lens for observing the outside world. Air is supplied to the mask from a gas cylinder via a hose. The gas cylinder is fastened to the wearer's body by the fixture.

[0003] A typical SCBA harness includes a waist belt and a shoulder strap, which allow a gas cylinder and associated hoses, regulators, etc., to be worn in the form of a backpack. Certain pressurized gas cylinders can have a weight of thirty pounds or more (where even more weight is added to associated equipment such as regulators, hoses, etc.). This weight can cause a typical SCBA harness to be uncomfortable during long-term use. Moreover, such equipment cannot be rotated or adjusted in other ways to accommodate the wearer's normal body movements. This can cause further discomfort.

[0004] In addition, a typical SCBA harness cannot adjust the gravity applied to the waist region of the wearer. This unadjustable force can lead to premature fatigue of the wearer.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an SCBA harness design that helps to automatically rotate the lower part of the harness during use to match the wearer's normal lower body movement. This design should adjust the gravity applied to the wearer, should protect the waist area of the wearer, and should improve work efficiency. The design should also be simple so that the harness can be used comfortably and conveniently.

Summary of the invention

[0006] A rotary lumbar pad assembly used in a self-contained respirator is disclosed. In some embodiments, the waist pad assembly includes a waist belt portion for fastening the associated SCBA to the waist of the user. The lumbar pad assembly includes a plurality of internally engaged elements that enable the lumbar pad assembly to rotate relative to the harness during use. This rotation enables the harness to be rotated as needed according to the movement of the user, and at the same time enables the lumbar pad assembly to remain stationary relative to the waist and back of the user. The plurality of internally engaged elements are configured to allow a predetermined range of rotation between the lumbar pad assembly and the harness. In one embodiment, the lumbar pad assembly can rotate about 60 degrees relative to the harness. A plurality of internally engaged elements can be enclosed in the cushion to make the user feel comfortable. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

[0007] Disclosed is a self-contained respirator device, the self-contained respirator device includes a back plate and a waist pad portion, the waist pad portion includes a pad portion, a rotating plate and an outer fixed cover. The pad part can be fixed to the rotating plate. The rotating plate may be arranged between the back plate and the outer fixed cover. The outer fixing cover may have a protrusion that engages with an opening in the back plate to axially fix the outer fixing cover, the rotation plate and the cushion part to the back while allowing the rotation plate and the pad part to rotate relative to the back plate. board.

[0008] Disclosed is a self-contained breathing apparatus, the self-contained breathing apparatus comprising: a back plate for joining a gas cylinder; a pair of shoulder straps connected to the back plate; and a waist belt part connected to the back plate ; And the waist pad part connected to the waistband part. The waist pad part may include an external fixing cover and a pad part fixed to the rotating plate. The rotating plate can be arranged between the back plate and the outer fixed cover

between. The outer fixing cover may include protrusions arranged in openings in the back plate. The protrusion can axially fix the outer fixing cover, the rotating plate and the cushion part to the back plate while enabling the rotation plate and the cushion part to rotate relative to the back plate.

[0009] A lumbar pad assembly for use with a self-contained breathing apparatus is disclosed. The waist pad assembly includes a waist pad portion, which includes a pad portion, a rotating plate, and an outer fixed cover. The rotating plate can be fixed to the pad part. The rotating plate can be arranged between the back plate of the self-contained breathing apparatus and the outer fixed cover. The outer fixing cover may include protrusions arranged in openings in the back plate. The protrusions can axially fix the outer fixing cover, the rotating plate, and the pad portion to the back plate while rotating the rotating plate and the pad portion relative to the back plate.

Description of the drawings

[0010] By way of example, specific embodiments of the disclosed device will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings;

[0011] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a self-contained breathing apparatus;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a view of the self-contained breathing apparatus of FIG. 1 installed on the disclosed harness;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a view showing the wearer's side of the disclosed harness, which includes an exemplary rotation mechanism;

[0014] FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the disclosed rotating pad assembly, wherein the cover is opened to show the rotating assembly;

[0015] FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the disclosed rotating pad assembly and fixture structure;

[0016] FIG. 6 is an inverted exploded isometric view of the disclosed rotating pad assembly and fixture structure shown in FIG. 5;

[0017] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the back plate portion of the disclosed harness;

[0018] FIGS. 8A-8F show multiple views of the outer fixed cover of the disclosed rotating pad assembly;

[0019] FIGS. 9A and 9B show the stages of internal joining between the outer fixing cover and the back plate;

[0020] FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the rotating plate of the disclosed rotating pad assembly;

[0021] FIG. 11 is a view showing the rotation interaction between the rotating plate and the harness back plate; and

[0022] FIGS. 12A-12D show multiple views of the inner cover of the disclosed rotating pad assembly.

Detailed ways

[0023] The disclosed fixture design is a rotating feature incorporated into an SCBA fixture that carries the entire

The SCBA component also provides self-adjusting rotation of the component with the wearer's normal body movement.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a self-contained breathing apparatus ("SCBA") 10 carried by firefighters, other emergency service workers, etc. The SCBA 10 includes a gas cylinder 20, one or more pressure reducers 22 or regulators 24, a mask 26, and a hose assembly 30. The gas cylinder 20 is a pressurized bottle or canister that provides a supply of breathing air to the wearer. In one embodiment, the tank 20 may be a tank of the type that initially maintains air at a pressure condition of approximately 316.4 kg/cm 2 (4,500 PSIG). The gas cylinder 20 may include a conventional outlet valve 21 and a pressure gauge (not shown). The gas cylinder 20, the outlet valve 21, the pressure reducer 22 or the regulator 24 and other facilities can be loaded on the user's back using the equipment 32 (Figure 2), and the mask 26 can be placed on the user's face in a conventional manner , So that the mask covers the user's mouth, nose, or both mouth and nose. The hose assembly 30 is arranged to extend comfortably between the pressure reducer 22 and the mask 26 without interfering with the natural movement of the user.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows the SCBA of FIG. 1 installed on an exemplary harness 32. The harness 32 may include a back plate 34 (see FIG. 3 ), a waist belt portion 36 and a pair of shoulder belts 38. One end of the gas cylinder 20 may be connected to the lower end of the back plate 34 adjacent to the outlet valve 21. The main body part of the gas cylinder 20 may be connected to the upper end of the back plate 34 via a strap 40. Strip 40 can

To loosen (ie, to mount the gas cylinder on the fixture) and tighten (ie, to secure the gas cylinder to the fixture during use) via a clamping mechanism (not shown). In this way, the user can wear the gas cylinder 20 in a manner similar to a backpack.

[0026] Referring now to FIGS. 3-11, the disclosed rotary lumbar pad feature will be described in more detail. As noted, this feature enables the waist pad 42 and the waist belt portion 36 of the harness 32 to rotate relative to the back plate 34. This degree of freedom of rotation allows the waist pad 42 and the waist belt portion 36 to remain substantially stationary relative to the wearer's waist, while the rest of the harness 32 and the back plate 34 rotate with the wearer's upper body.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a view of the wearer's side of the harness 32, which includes a back panel 34, a waist belt portion 36, a waist pad portion 42, a shoulder belt 38, a mask 26, and a hose assembly 30. The gas cylinder 20 is not shown in the view.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the back panel 34, the waist pad portion 42, and the waist belt portion 36 in a partially disassembled state. As can be seen, the waist pad portion 42 may include a pad portion 44 and a mechanism engaging portion 46 that are connected together by a connecting member 48. The connecting member 48 enables the cushion portion 44 to be turned up to expose the rotating mechanism 50. During use, the cushion portion 44 folds down to cover the rotation mechanism 50. Any of a variety of fastening techniques, such as hook and loop fasteners (ie, Velcro), snaps, buttons, etc., can be used to fasten the cushion portion 44 in the closed or covered position. In the illustrated embodiment, corresponding pairs of Velcro straps 52A. 52B are used to fasten the pad portion 44.

[0029] Because the pad portion 44 will be in contact with the wearer's waist and back during use, it may include padding as needed to enhance comfort. In one embodiment, the pad part is made of plywood, fabric and sponge sewn together.

[0030] The arrow "A" shows that the rotation mechanism 50 provides a degree of freedom of rotation of the lumbar pad portion 42 relative to the back plate 34. As will be described in more detail later, the rotation between the lumbar pad portion 42 and the back plate 34 can be set within a limited range so that the back plate 34 (and the attached gas cylinder 20) will not be relative to The lumbar pad portion 42 rotates excessively.

[0031] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the arrangement of elements that contribute to the disclosed rotary lumbar pad feature. As can be seen, the back plate 34 is sandwiched between the inner cover 54, the rotating plate 56 and the outer fixed cover 58. For the sake of clarity, the pad portion 44 is not shown in these drawings. However, it should be understood that when assembled for use, the rotating plate 56 is fixed to the mechanism engaging portion 46 of the lumbar pad portion 42 (see FIG. 4). In some embodiments, the rotating plate 56 is sewn into the structural joint 46, although other fixing techniques such as lamination may also be used.

[0032] As will be described in more detail later, the outer fixed cover 58 includes a protrusion 60 that extends through an opening 62 in the rotating plate 56 and engages the back plate 34 to connect the outer fixed cover 58 and The rotating plate 56 is axially fixed to the back plate 34. When the components are fixed to each other in an axial relationship, this connection allows the rotating plate 56 to rotate relative to the back plate 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow "A" in FIG. 4.

[0033] The inner cover 54 includes one or more connecting members 63 that enable the inner cover to be snapped into engagement with the outer fixed cover 58. The inner cover 54 provides a smooth finished surface for the gas cylinder joint side of the back plate 34_o

[0034] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the lower portion of the back plate 34 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A number of functional aspects of the back plate 34 can be seen, including the central opening 64, the first rotary key 66A and the second rotary key 66B, and the lock key 68.

[0035] The central opening 64 in the back plate 34 is circular and has a first flat side portion 70A and a second flat side portion 70Bo. The size of the flat side portion 70A. 70B is adapted to allow the protrusion 60 of the cover 58 to be externally fixed. It travels through the opening 64 and then locks against the flat side portions 70A, 70B when the outer fixing cover 58 is rotated.

[0036] As can be seen in FIGS. 8A-8F, the protrusion 60 of the outer fixing cover 58 has a first flat side 72A and a second flat side 72B, the first flat side 72A and the first flat side 72A The two flat sides 72B correspond to the center of the back plate 34

The flat side portions 70A, 70B of the opening 64. The protrusion 60 also has a pair of lips 74A.74B, and the lips 74A.74B are defined by the rounded portion 76A.76B of the protrusion 60. During assembly, the protrusion 60 of the outer fixing cover 58 can be aligned with the central opening 64 in the back plate 34, so that the corresponding flat side portion 72A.72B of the outer fixing cover 58 is aligned with the flat side portion 70A.70B of the central opening. quasi. So aligned, the protrusion 60 can be pressed through the central opening 64 until the lips 74A. 74B travel through the opening. This position is shown in Figure 9A.

[0037] Then, the outer fixing cover 58 can be rotated so that the lips 74A.74B are locked behind the flat side portion 70A.70B of the central opening 64. The inner engagement of the lip 74A. 74B and the flat side portion 70A. 70B thereby locks the outer fixing cover 58 to the back plate 34. This locked position is shown in Figure 9B.

[0038] In order to keep the lips 74A. 74B locked to the flat side portion 70A. 70B of the central opening 64, the locking key 68 of the back plate 34 may be received in the locking recess 78 formed in the protrusion 60 One of the rounded parts 76A.76B. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking recess 78 is formed in the second rounded portion 76B of the protrusion 60. As should be appreciated, this locking recess 78 prevents excessive rotation of the outer fixing cover 58 relative to the back plate 34, thereby ensuring that the outer fixing cover 58 remains locked to the back plate 34.

[0039] Referring again to FIG. 7, the realization/limiting rotation feature of the lumbar pad portion 42 will be described in more detail. As previously pointed out, the back plate 34 may include a first rotary key 66A and a second rotary key 66B, the first rotary key 66A and the second rotary key 66B are arranged on the back plate facing the rotary plate 56 when assembled. On the side (see Figures 5 and 6) o the rotary key 66A.66B includes a discontinuous protrusion configured to be received in the recessed portion 80A.80B of the rotary plate 56 during operation (see Figure 10). As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the recesses 80A. 80B in the rotating plate 56 enable the rotating plate (and the waist pad portion 42) to rotate relative to the back plate 34 by a predetermined amount. As pointed out, it is important to limit the relative rotation between the components, because although it is desirable to enable the lumbar pad portion 42 to rotate relative to the back plate 34, it is also desirable not to allow the back plate 34 (and the attached air The bottle 20) is excessively rotated with respect to the waist pad portion 42. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the recesses 80A. 80B each form a pair of stop surfaces 82A. 82B, which are on the rotating plate 56 relative to the back plate 34 (or vice versa) When rotated by a maximum desired amount, the first rotary key 66A and the first rotary key 66B abut. In the illustrated embodiment, this maximum rotation is approximately 60 degrees (angle α as shown in Figure 11). therefore, The arrangement shown allows the waist pad portion 42 and the waist belt portion 36 to rotate approximately 60 degrees in either direction relative to the rest of the back plate 34 and harness 32. It should be appreciated that the device is not limited in this regard, and therefore it is also possible to use a rotation range greater than or less than 60 degrees.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the first rotary key 66A and the second rotary key 66B are arranged to be diametrically opposed. However, it should be appreciated that these keys can be located in any of a variety of positions relative to each other. In addition, more or fewer rotary keys can be set. In addition, only by changing the geometric structure of the recesses 80A. 80B formed in the rotating plate 56 can provide different ranges of rotational movement. As suggested, any of a variety of rotation ranges can be provided in this way.

[0041] FIG. 12 shows the inner cover 54 in more detail. As previously pointed out, the inner cover provides a smooth processing surface for the cylinder joint side of the back plate 34. The inner cover 54 may include one or more connecting members 63 that enable the cover to be snapped into engagement with the protrusion 60 of the outer fixing cover 58. In the illustrated embodiment, these connectors 63 are snap connectors that have barbs that engage the lower surface of the flat area 72A.72B of the outer fixing cover protrusion 60. It should be appreciated that the connector can be any desired fixing device, including screws or other fasteners. Alternatively, a suitable adhesive may be used to glue the inner cover 54 in a suitable position.

[0042] The inner cover 54 may be provided with one or more centering protrusions 84 that are positioned to ensure the connection

Properly align (on the inner cover) with the flat area 72A.72B (on the outer fixed cover 58). In the illustrated embodiment, these centering protrusions 84 are positioned on the inner cover 54 so that they are aligned with the opposite ends of the locking recess 78 of the outer fixing cover 58.

[0043] The inner cover 54 may also be provided with a weakened area 86 to enable the cover to be broken in order to disassemble the device for repair and/or replacement of one or more components. As shown, this weakened area 86 is a section of reduced thickness, which is arranged to traverse the diameter of the cover on the inner surface of the cover.

[0044] With such an arrangement, the disclosed design enables the waist pad portion 42 and the connected waist belt portion 36 to rotate relative to the back plate 34 of the harness 32 to provide the wearer with a more comfortable range of motion. This means that the wearer can twist or bend his/her upper body without changing the position of the waist pad portion 42 or the waist belt portion 36 on their waist. This enables the device to more closely match the wearer's normal body movements during use. This design thus adjusts the gravity applied to the wearer's lower body, protects the wearer's waist area and improves work efficiency.

[0045] Based on the foregoing information, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present invention has a wide range of practicality and applications. Without departing from the essence or scope of the present invention, through the present invention and the foregoing description, the present invention has multiple embodiments and changes, as well as multiple variants and modifications, in addition to those specifically described herein. The scheme and the equivalent arrangement scheme will be obvious or reasonably implied. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the present disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary for the present invention, and is only intended to provide a comprehensiveness of the present invention. And the disclosure that can be achieved. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed as limiting the present invention or excluding other embodiments, changes, variants, modifications or equivalent arrangements in other ways; the present invention is only limited by the appended claims and their equivalents. Although specific terms are used herein, the specific terms are only used in a general and descriptive sense and are not used to limit them.