U.S. patent number 3,683,951 [Application Number 05/146,405] was granted by the patent office on 1972-08-15 for periodic gas generator.
Invention is credited to Georges Beaumont.
United States Patent |
3,683,951 |
Beaumont |
August 15, 1972 |
PERIODIC GAS GENERATOR
Abstract
This periodic gas generator adapted for use notably as a
volumetric respirator is designed for supplying gas during a
fraction 1/n of the periodic time of operation of the generator,
notably one-third of this time corresponding to the inspiration
time period, the other two thirds enabling the user to expire the
previously breathed gas, this invention permitting this cycle to
take place irrespective of the generator frequency and also of the
volume of gas delivered thereby.
Inventors: |
Beaumont; Georges (Paris 8e,
FR) |
Family
ID: |
22517213 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/146,405 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
858085 |
Sep 15, 1969 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/819;
128/204.24; 128/DIG.10 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
16/00 (20130101); Y10S 128/10 (20130101); Y10T
137/2147 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
16/00 (20060101); F15c 001/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/81.5
;128/145.6,145.7 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Scott; Samuel
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No.
858,085, entitled: "PERIODIC GAS GENERATOR", filed on Sept. 15th,
1969, now abandoned.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A periodic gas generator adapted to deliver a gas during a
fraction 1/n of the time corresponding to its period of operation
for use notably as a volumetric respirator, which comprises a
source of high-pressure gas, a power relay connected to said
high-pressure source, an outlet conduit connected to said relay
delivering high-pressure gas during a time 1/n, a source of
low-pressure gas, a pneumatic oscillator monitored by said
low-pressure source and having its outlet supplied with gas n times
per period, a monostable pneumatic amplifier monitored by the
low-pressure source, which comprises two outlets, of which the
first outlet or "inoperative" outlet is connected to the
atmosphere, and two control inlets connected to the oscillator
outlet, a delay action device connected between a control inlet of
said amplifier and the oscillator output, n bistable pneumatic
amplifiers monitored by said low-pressure source and having each
first and second control inlets and first and second outlets,
conduit means connecting the second outlet of said monostable
amplifier to the first control inlets of said n bistable
amplifiers, said conduit means having lengths decreasing from the
first to the nth bistable amplifier, the first outlet of each one
of the (n-2) bistable amplifiers being connected to the atmosphere,
the first outlet of the (n-1) th bistable amplifiers being
connected to the power relay, the first outlet of the nth bistable
amplifier being connected to the second control inlet of the first
bistable amplifier, the second outlet of each one of the (n-1)
first bistable amplifiers being connected to the second control
inlet of the following bistable amplifier, the second outlet of the
nth bistable amplifier being connected to the atmosphere.
2. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 1, which comprises
conduit means having fixed throttling means inserted along their
paths, said conduit means being connected on the one hand to the
high-pressure source and on the other to the pneumatic oscillator,
to the monostable pneumatic amplifier and to said n bistable
amplifiers.
3. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 1, comprising means
disposed between said high-pressure gas outlet of said power relay
and the outlet conduit delivering the high-pressure gas, adapted to
adjust the volume of gas delivered thereby.
4. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 1, comprising means
responsive to said high-pressure gas delivered through said outlet
conduit and adapted to measure and display the pressure of the gas
delivered by the generator.
5. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 1, adapted to be
operated as a volumetric respirator, which comprises three bistable
amplifiers of the fluidic logic type, and economizer supplied with
high-pressure gas via said outlet conduit, and a respiratory mask
connected to said economizer.
6. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 1, comprising a
pneumatic oscillator comprising an inlet supplied with gas from
said low-pressure source, and two outlets disposed symmetrically in
relation to said inlet, the first outlet being connected to a
constant-volume chamber, and the second outlet supplied n times per
period being connected to the two control inlets of said monostable
pneumatic amplifier.
7. Periodic gas generator as set forth in claim 6, which comprises
means for modifying the constant volume of said chamber before the
generator operation.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to periodic gas generators intended
for use notably as a volumetric respirator.
Various types of apparatus are already known, for use either as
artificial respiration apparatus or as relaxation apparatus, these
apparatus being currently referred to the former as a respirator
and the latter as a relaxer. Relaxers for example as described and
illustrated in the U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,217,727, 3,472,225 and
3,494,357 are adapted to deliver a certain amount of gas on the
user's demand, during the breathing in cycle. These relaxers
frequently incorporate a pneumatic oscillator and are thus
controlled by the user himself; therefore, they cannot be used for
reanimation purposes since they do not reproduce periodically the
respiratory cycle.
Known respirators, such as the one described and illustrated in the
U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,207, which reproduce artificially this
respiratory cycle, consist of fluidic logic devices incorporating
mechanical elements. However, these respirators are objectionable
on account of many inconveniences, notably, inter alia, the
difficulty of preserving the fluid-tightness of the gas circuit
means incorporating mechanical elements, and also the necessity for
the user to inhale also the gas controlling these elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the periodic gas generator according to the
present invention to deliver a gas during one fraction 1/ n of the
time corresponding to its period of operation. More particularly,
when considering the specific case of the application of the
generator to a volumetric respirator, this fraction may be
one-third, i.e. corresponding to the breathing-in period, and
during the two other thirds the user can expire the previously
breathed gas.
It is another object of this invention to permit this cycle
irrespective of the generator frequency and also of the volumetric
amount of gas delivered by the apparatus.
It is a third object of the periodic gas generator according to
this invention to supply these various pneumatic elements with
control air that is not mixed with the air delivered by the
apparatus to the user. This feature is particularly advantageous in
case the generator is operated as a volumetric respirator.
A fourth object of the present invention consists in providing a
generator wherein the circuits for the control gas and the output
or user's gas are perfectly tight, by using only static pneumatic
component elements.
Furthermore, the present invention provides means whereby the
aforesaid 1/ n fraction of the periodic gas generator can be
modified at will by adding or removing a single type of pneumatic
elements to or from the assembly, namely bistable amplifiers. Thus,
generators delivering a gas during one time fraction corresponding
to one/half, one/third, one/fourth etc.. of its period, may be
contemplated, according to the specific use for which it is
intended.
The novel generator according to this invention comprises the
combination of two separate sections supplied with high pressure
and low pressure, and both connected to a common power relay. This
power relay connected to the high-pressure source and to an output
conduit delivering the gas is controlled during one fraction of the
time period by a pneumatic clock or timer comprising a pneumatic
oscillator, a monostable pneumatic amplifier and a plurality of
bistable pneumatic amplifiers. These monostable and bistable
amplifiers are known in the art as "fluidic logic devices" and
their mode of operation is usually referred to as "wall attachment"
or "coanda effect".
These amplifiers incorporated in the periodic gas generator
according to the present invention are insensitive to vibration,
shocks, ionizing radiations, electromagnetic fields, high
temperatures and moisture. Thus, the generator according to this
invention can operate without any maintenance and in any position
and at all latitudes. In the case of a respirator, the apparatus
according to this invention may be used on board ambulances for
emergency operations and interventions, on emergency or rescue
boats, on aircrafts or in submarine caissons. It is light in
weight, of reduced dimensions and very simple to operate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A clearer understanding of this invention may be had from the
following description concerning an exemplary form of embodiment
thereof given by way of illustration and illustrated in the
attached diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a known type of "wall attachment
effect" bistable amplifier operating in a predetermined
position;
FIG. 2 shows the same bistable amplifier in case of a change of
position;
FIG. 3 illustrates the alternating oscillator;
FIG. 4 illustrates the monostable amplifier;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the pneumatic power relay;
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the mounting of the various
component elements of a generator adapted to deliver gas during
one/third of its operating time;
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the opening
and closing positions of the five pneumatic elements of FIG. 6,
namely the oscillator, the monostable amplifier and first, second
and third bistable amplifiers;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the generator according to this
invention;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the generator of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 6, the amplifier comprises a gas source 1,
to be referred to hereinafter as the high-pressure source, which it
connected via a conduit 2 to a power relay 3 to be described in
detail presently. As it emerges from the output end 4 of power
relay 3 the gas flows through a micrometric valve 5 controlled by
means of button 6 permitting of adjusting the high-pressure gas
output delivered by the outlet conduit 7 during a fraction equal to
1/ n of the time corresponding to the period of operation of the
generator. If this generator is operated as a volumetric
respirator, the outlet conduit 7 is connected as conventional to
known elements such as an economizer 8 connected in turn to a valve
to which the respiratory mask may be fitted. An auxiliary device
for reading the output pressure of the gas delivered by the conduit
7 may consist for example of a valve 9 and a pressure gage 10. The
valve input is connected to the aforesaid economizer 8 and a
control button 11 is provided so that by simply depressing it it is
possible to read intermittently the value of the delivered gas
pressure on the gage dial.
The conduits 2 and 7 interconnected via the power relay 3 and
micrometric valve 5 constitute the high-pressure circuit of the gas
delivered by the apparatus. The intermittent operation of this
circuit, so that a gas be delivered during one fraction 1/ n of the
total time corresponding to its operating period, is monitored by a
low-pressure source controlling the power relay 3 with its control
inlet 12.
The necessary low-pressure source may consist of a secondary
source, but a preferred solution aiming essentially at reducing the
over-all dimensions of the apparatus consists in deriving one
fraction of the high-pressure gas from source 1 and to expand it to
the desired lower pressure. Thus, it is clear that throughout the
specification and claims herein the term "high-pressure" is only
relative to the low pressure of the gas used for monitoring the
power relay 3. In actual practice, the high-pressure gas from
source 1 is delivered at a relative pressure of about 40 to 45 psi,
and the low pressure will depend of course on the fraction 1/ n to
be obtained which may range from, say 4 to 7.5 psi.
The conduit 13 supplying high-pressure gas from source 1 comprises
branch sections 14, 15 and 16. Each branch section has inserted
therein a throttling device such as 17 adapted to deliver at its
outlet a gas at the desired low pressure. The three branch sections
are thus adapted to monitor the three different types of pneumatic
component elements of the generator timer for delivering gas
through the outlet conduit 7 during a fraction 1/ n of the time
corresponding to the period of operation or cycle of the
apparatus.
The various component elements of this pneumatic timer, for a given
fraction 1/ n, are a pneumatic oscillator 18, a monostable
amplifier 19 and n bistable pneumatic amplifiers, i.e., in the case
illustrated in FIG. 6, for n = 1/3, three bistable amplifiers 20,
21, and 22.
The alternating oscillators 18 comprises an inlet 23 supplied with
low pressure gas via branch line 16, and two outlets 24, 25
disposed symetrically in relation to said inlet. When the
oscillator 18 is supplied, via the inlet 23, the gas output is by
change through outlet 24 or outlet 25. If the gas emerges from
outlet 24, a vacuum is produced at 25, and vice-versa. The outlet
25 is connected via a conduit 26 to a delay-action device 27
comprising a chamber 28 of which the useful volume is adjustable by
means of a button 29. When the gas emerges from the oscillator via
outlet 24, the time necessary for producing a vacuum at the other
outlet 25 depends on the useful volume of chamber 28. When this
vacuum is obtained the gas jet is switched from 24 to 25, thus
filling the chamber 28. When a sufficient pressure prevails in this
chamber 28, the jet is switched again from outlet 25 to outlet 24
of oscillator 18. It is thus possible, by modifying the volume of
chamber 28 to adjust the oscillator frequency while obtaining, as
will be explained presently, a gas delivered during a fraction 1/ n
of the time corresponding to the period of operation of the
generator. The outlet 24 of oscillator 18 is supplied with
low-pressure gas n times per generator period.
The monostable amplifier 19 comprises an inlet 30 supplied with low
pressure gas via branch line 15, and a pair of outlets 31 and 32
disposed on the other side of said inlet 30. Furthermore, it
comprises two opposite control inlets 33 and 34. The gas is
normally delivered through outlet 31 and a predetermined signal,
for instance an overpressure at 33, will cause the gas to be
delivered through the other outlet 32. Under these conditions it is
only necessary to discontinue the signal applied to 33 or balance
this signal by a similar one applied to 34 for automatically
causing the gas jet to revert from outlet 32 to outlet 31. A first
control inlet 33 is connected via conduit 35 to the outlet 24 of
pneumatic oscillator 18. This conduit 35 comprises a branch line 36
having inserted therein a delay-action device 37. The branch line
36 is connected to the second control inlet 34. The function of
delay-action device 37 is to extend the response time, i.e. to
cause the gas flowing through conduit 35 to be directed towards the
first control inlet 33 before attaining the second control inlet
34. The outlet 31 of monostable amplifier is vented to the
atmosphere and the low pressure gas supplied to its inlet 30 is
diverted from outlet 31 to outlet 32 as a consequence of this
overpressure.
The n bistable amplifiers or like fluidic logic devices, in this
case amplifiers 20, 21 and 22 operating according to the so-called
coanda effect, are all identical and provided with an inlet such as
38 supplied separately with low pressure gas via sub-branch lines
such as 39 and branch line 14. The first amplifier 20 comprises two
outlets 40 and 41 disposed symetrically on either side of said
inlet 38, and two control inlets 42 and 43. The gas penetrating
through inlet 38 emerges at random 40 or 41, and a pneumatic
control signal is necessary, whether at 43 or at 42, for diverting
the low-pressure gas jet either towards 41 or towards 40. The
second bistable amplifier 21 is also provided with two outlets 44
and 45 and two control inlets 46 and 47. When no signal is
transmitted from a control inlet 42 or 43, the lower pressure gas
supplied to inlet 38 is constantly deflected towards the outlet
towards which it is being diverted. Similarly, the third amplifier
22 comprises two outlets 48 and 49 and two control inlets 50 and
51.
The second outlet 32 of monostable amplifier 19 is connected via
conduits of gradually decreasing lengths to a first control inlet
43, 47 and 51 of bistable amplifiers 20, 21, and 22, respectively.
The gas jet issuing from outlet 32 of monostable amplifier 19 is
logically distributed among the bistable amplifiers 20 to 22. The
high-pressure gas flows slowly in conduit 52 and the longer the
path to a first control inlet of said bistable amplifier, the
greater the delay brought in supplying the pneumatic control
signal. Therefore, this signal will be delivered preferentially to
bistable amplifier 20, then to amplifier 21 and eventually to
amplifier 22.
These three bistable amplifiers 20, 21 and 22 are so interconnected
that opening the last amplifier 22 will close the two preceding
ones. Thus, the first outlet 41 of bistable amplifier 20 is vented
to the atmosphere, and the first outlet 49 of bistable amplifier 22
is connected to the second control inlet 42 of bistable amplifier
20. The second outlets 40 and 44 of the first and second bistable
amplifiers 20 and 21 are connected to the second control inlets 46
and 50 respectively of the next adjacent bistable amplifiers 21 and
22.
The second outlet 48 of the last bistable amplifier 22 is vented to
the atmosphere.
The penultimate bistable amplifier 21 has its first outlet 45
connected to the control inlet 12 of power relay 3.
From the diagram of FIG. 6 illustrating more particularly a
respirator delivering gas during one-third of the periodic time,
i.e., during the breathing-in cycle, and delivering nothing during
the remaining two-thirds of said period, which is the expiration
time, it will be seen that this structure may easily constitute a
basis for any desired extrapolation, in order to deliver gas during
a fraction 1/ n of it periodic time. In this case, the various
connections between the n bistable pneumatic amplifiers connected
through conduits of gradually increasing lengths from the first one
to the n.sub.th one to the second outlet of the monostable
amplifier, may be obtained as follows:
The first outlet of each one of the (n-2) first bistable amplifiers
is vented to the atmosphere; the first outlet of the (n- 1).sub.th
bistable amplifier is connected to the power relay, and finally the
first outlet of the n.sub.th bistable amplifier is connected to the
second control inlet of the first bistable amplifier. The second
outlet of each one of the first (n-1).sub.th bistable amplifiers is
connected to the second control inlet of the next adjacent
amplifier, and the second outlet of the n.sub.th or last amplifier
is vented to the atmosphere.
The power relay 3 illustrated in FIG. 5 comprises a case 53
enclosing a diaphragm 54 disposed beneath the relay control orifice
12 connected to the first outlet 45 of bistable amplifier 21. A
round-headed piston 55 is resiliently urged upwards by a
compression spring 56 and disposed under the diaphragm 54. The
piston shank is provided with annular seals or packings 57 adapted,
by engaging corresponding opposite seats formed in the case 53, to
prevent the passage of air from conduit 2 to conduit 4 when the
piston 55 is held in its normal upper position by the spring 56.
When the low-pressure gas is delivered above the diaphragm 54
through orifice 12 the piston 55 is forced downwards so that the
aforesaid conduits 2 and 4 are interconnected through the passage
of case 53. Vent holes 58 are provided for draining any
low-pressure gas having passed from conduit 2 to the underside of
diaphragm 54 during the downwards movement of the piston.
A clearer understanding of the mode of operation of the volumetric
respirator of FIG. 6 may be had by referring to FIG. 7 showing the
relative positions of the gas jet towards one or the other of the
outlets of each element as a function of time. It is thus apparent
that the low-pressure gas can emerge from oscillator 18 via outlet
24 or 25, from monostable amplifier 19 via outlet 31 or 32
etc...
When starting the generator, during the first filling 59 of chamber
28 through the first outlet 25 of oscillator 18, the low pressure
air emerging from monostable amplifier 19 flows via outlet 31 to
the atmosphere. The three bistable amplifiers are so interconnected
that the exit of air through outlets 40, 44 and 48 is maintained by
the same air as that acting through the control inlets 46 and 50.
When chamber 28 is drained for the first time at 60, with a slight
time-lag due to the signal transmission through conduit 35, the air
jet into the monostable amplifier 19 is diverted from outlet 31 to
outlet 32 as illustrated at 61 in the diagram. This air jet issuing
from 32 is delivered with a slight time-lag to the first control
inlet 43 of the first bistable amplifier 20, thus causing the
switching at 62 of the air jet in this bistable amplifier from its
outlet 40 to the other outlet 41 connected to the atmosphere. The
air jet from outlet 32 did not have sufficient time to flow through
conduit 52 to the control inlet 47 of bistable amplifier 21 for the
air flowing through branch line 36 reached before that time the
second control inlet 34 of the monostable amplifier for cancelling,
as shown diagrammatically at 63, the signal by causing the air jet
to be switched back from 32 to 31 in monostable amplifier 19.
During a second filling 64 of chamber 28, only the air jet from
bistable amplifier 20 has been switched from the first outlet 41 to
the second outlet 40. During the second discharge 65 the second
outlet 32 of the monostable amplifier is again supplied as shown at
66, thus causing the outlet 45 of bistable amplifier 21 to be
supplied with gas with a slight time-lag, as shown diagrammatically
at 67. Then the low-pressure gas is delivered to the control inlet
12 of power relay 3, thus enabling the high-pressure gas from
conduit 2 to flow through conduit 4 to the outlet conduit 7.
Another filling 68 and another draining 69 of chamber 28 causes as
in the case of bistable amplifiers 20 and 22 the gas jet to be
switched from outlet 48 to outlet 49 of amplifier 22, as shown
diagrammatically at 70 (FIG. 7). The low-pressure air emerging from
outlet 49 acts firstly upon the second control inlet 42 of bistable
amplifier 20, thus causing the switching (shown at 71) of the gas
jet from outlet 41 to outlet 40. Thus, outlet 40 is supplied with
gas and acts with a slight delay on the second control inlet 46 of
bistable amplifier 21 as shown at 72, so that the gas jet is
switched from outlet 45 to outlet 44. Subsequently, the control
inlet 12 of power relay 3 is no more supplied with gas, and the
passage of high-pressure gas from conduit 2 to conduit 4 is cut
off. The gas jet issuing from outlet 44 is then directed to the
second control inlet 50 of bistable amplifier 22 in order to
produce the switching shown at 73 of the gas jet from outlet 49 to
outlet 48, therefore, to the venting and draining step. Thus, a
time period P of the generator has been accomplished, during which
the gas was delivered only during a time period P through outlet
conduit 7. During this time, the outlet 24 of oscillator 18 was
supplied periodically n times, as shown at 60, 64 and 69. During
each supply of gas to the outlet 24 of oscillator 18, a single
bistable amplifier was controlled through the intermediary of the
monostable amplifier. Since the bistable amplifier connected to the
power relay 3 is set in its (n-1) position, it will be supplied
with gas during a time period corresponding to 1/ n of the period P
of operation of the generator, for the n.sub.th amplifier, when
open, will cause immediately, except for the unavoidable time-lag,
the closing of (n-1) amplifiers preceding it. It will be noted that
to simplify the diagram of FIG. 7 these delay time period of the
various signals from one element to another of the pneumatic clock
have been increased far beyond the normal proportions.
FIG. 8 and 9 illustrate on the other hand the extreme ease with
which the above-described generator can be transported. This
generator may be contained entirely in a relatively small cabinet
74 having disposed on one main panel the control buttons 6 and 29
and the windows 75 and 76 for adjusting the volume and fre-quency,
respectively, and also the control knob 11 for reading the pressure
gage 10. On one side panel of this cabinet are the plug device for
connecting the apparatus to the source 1 and the other plug means
77 and 79 for connecting the apparatus to the economizer 8.
It will readily occur to those conversant with the art that the
specific and typical form of embodiment shown and described herein
should not be construed as limiting the present invention since
various modifications and relative arrangements of parts may be
brought and contemplated therein without departing from the basic
principle of the invention as set forth in the attached claims.
* * * * *