A SYSTEM HAVING A BATTERY POWERED BLOWER UNIT FOR A POWERED AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR AND AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED ACCESSORY

Abstract

A system which is composed of a blower unit for a powered air purifying respirator and an electrically powered accessory. The blower unit has a blower device and a battery for powering the blower device. And the accessory is equipped with a power connector. The blower unit provides a power outlet for connection with the power connector. The power connector has a plug. Furthermore the power connector has an unplug lever for retracting the plug for unplugging. The unplug lever and the plug are connected by a pivot joint that forms a pivot axis. The unplug lever forms a handle arm and a counter arm that extend away from the pivot joint in opposite directions.

Claims

1. A system comprising a blower unit for a powered air purifying respirator, and an electrically powered accessory, wherein the blower unit comprises a blower device and a battery for powering the blower device, wherein the accessory has a power connector, and wherein the blower unit comprises a power outlet for connection with the power connector, the power connector comprising a plug and further an unplug lever for retracting the plug for unplugging, the unplug lever and the plug being connected by a pivot joint forming a pivot axis, wherein the unplug lever forms a handle arm and a counter arm extending away from the pivot joint in opposite directions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises at least one electrical contact.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the power connector further comprising at least one electrical wire that is electrically connected to the electrical contact, wherein the electrical wire forms a loop around the pivot axis.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electrical wire extends through the handle arm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the handle arm has a first length in a dimension radially of the pivot axis and the counter arm has a second length in a dimension radially of the pivot axis, and wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the unplug lever extends straight.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plug is pivotable to a position in which the plug extends in a direction transverse to the unplug lever.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the blower unit has a body facing side which is a side that faces the body of a wearer who wears the blower unit, wherein the power outlet extends into the body facing side, and wherein—in a situation in which the power connector is plugged into the power outlet—the unplug counter arm bears flat on the body facing side.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the power outlet is provided by the battery.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the battery has a housing that forms at least a portion of the body facing side, and wherein the power outlet extends into the housing.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the battery is removably connectable to the blower device by plugging in a dimension transverse to a direction in which the body facing side faces.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessory is a headlamp.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the blower unit, in particular the blower device, is belt-mounted.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the blower device comprises a fan, a filter and an air outlet for connection of an air hose of a respirator face piece.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the respirator face piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) worn by a wearer according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a PAPR according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a blower unit of a PAPR according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective detail view of a blower unit of a PAPR according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector at one stage of use according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector at another stage of use a according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) 1 as it can be used with the invention. The PAPR 1 is worn by a wearer 100. The PAPR 1 has a battery powered blower unit 10 and a respirator face piece 20 in the form of helmet 21 that has a face shield 22. The blower unit 10 has an air outlet 11 connected to one end of an air hose 23. The other end of the air hose 23 is connected to an air inlet 24 of the respirator face piece 20.

[0030] The blower unit 10 is belt-mounted. Thus the blower unit 10 can be conveniently worn on the back of a wearer and can be retained at the wearer by a belt 12. Therefore the blower unit 10 can be worn by a wearer fixedly and hands-free.

[0031] In the example of FIG. 1 the face shield 22 is clear. Therefore the respirator face piece 20 shown may be used under normal light conditions. However, the respirator face piece 20 may be used in an atmosphere which contains substances that, without the respirator face piece 20 would be harmful for the health of the wearer, for example an atmosphere containing dust or fume.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a respirator face piece 20 in the form of a welding helmet 21. The welding helmet 21 is connected (via an air hose 23) to a battery powered blower unit 10 that is technically identical to the battery powered blower unit 10 of FIG. 1. The respirator face piece 20 shown in FIG. 2 and the battery powered blower unit 10 in combination form a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) 1.

[0033] The welding helmet 21 in the example comprises an automatic darkening filter. Such an automatic darkening filter is preferably based on one or more liquid crystal cells that can be electrically switched between a dark-state and a light-transmission-state, as described above.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows the blower unit 10 in more detail. As described, the blower unit 10 may be used with various types of respirator face pieces as for example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0035] The blower unit 10 has a blower device 13 that in the example has a blower housing 14, a filter cartridge 15 and an optional cover 16. The blower housing 14 includes an electrically powered fan (not visible) and an air channel that extends between in an air inlet 17a and an outlet 17b. An air hose (23 in FIG. 2) may be installed to the blower device 13 via the air outlet 17b. An air inlet 17b is covered by the filter cartridge 15 so that air sucked into the blower housing 14 is forced to flow through the filter cartridge 15. Thereby any potentially harmful particles and/or droplets from dust or fumes are retained within the filter cartridge 15 so that the blower device 10 provides clean air to the wearer.

[0036] The cover 16 is optional and in the example covers an air entry side of the filter cartridge 15. Thus the filter cartridge 15 is protected against mechanical impacts while the cover 16 permits air to pass through via a perforation 16a.

[0037] The blower unit 10 further has a battery 18 which is electrically connected to the blower device 13 for powering the fan.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 4 the blower unit 10 comprises a power outlet 19. In the example a power connector 30 of an electrically powered accessory, for example a headlamp (not shown), is plugged into the power outlet 19. The blower unit 10 in particular has a body facing side 10a. The body facing side 10a is that side of the blower unit 10 that faces the body of a wearer who wears the blower unit 10. The power outlet 19 is arranged on (or within) the body facing side 10a. Therefore the power connector 30 is arranged between the body of the wearer and the blower unit 10, when the blower unit 10 is worn by the wearer. Thus, the power connector 30 is prevented from unplugging during use of the PAPR. This is because the power connector 30 is enclosed between the wearer and the blower unit and therefore cannot move for unplugging. On the other hand, once the blower unit is put off by the wearer the power connector 30 can be easily unplugged.

[0039] In the example the body facing side 10a is partially provided by the blower device 13, in particular by the blower housing 14, and partially by the battery 18. However, in other examples the body facing side may be entirely provided by the blower device 13, in particular by the blower housing 14, or—alternatively—by the battery 18.

[0040] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the power connector 30 in more detail. The power connector 30 comprises a plug 31 and an unplug lever 32. The unplug lever 32 and the plug 31 are pivotally connected with each other. A pivot axis 33 is formed by the pivotal connection between the plug 31 and the unplug lever 32. The unplug lever 32 is formed of a handle arm 32a and a counter arm 32b. The handle arm 32a extends from the pivot axis 33 to a first free end 32c of the handle arm 32a, and the counter arm 32b extends from the pivot axis 33 to an opposite second free end 32d. In the example the unplug lever 32 extends straight along a longitudinal axis A. Further, the unplug lever 32 is flat in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A. FIG. 5 shows the power connector 30 plugged into the power outlet 19 of the blower unit.

[0041] In the example the power outlet 19 is formed within the battery 18. In the situation in which the power connector 30 is fully plugged into the power outlet 19 the unplug lever 32 abuts (or nearly abuts) the body facing side 10a (in the example a partial surface of the battery 18) over its entire length. In other words, in this situation the unplug lever 32 is arranged parallel to the body facing side 10a.

[0042] For unplugging the power connector 30, the handle arm 32a of the unplug lever 32 can be pulled away from the body facing side 10a so that the unplug lever 32—rotating about the pivot axis 33—causes the counter arm 32b to be pressed against the body facing side 10a.

[0043] This is illustrated in FIG. 6. As a consequence the plug 31 is pulled away from the power outlet 19 and thus is finally unplugged from the power out let 19. Due to the greater length of the handle arm 32a in relation to the shorter length of the counter arm 32b, an unplugging force F2 exerted on the plug 31 for unplugging is greater than a pulling force F1 exerted to the handle arm 32a. Therefore the handle arm 32a allows the plug 31 to be retracted at a minimized pulling force F1.

[0044] The power connector 30 further comprises one or more electrical contacts 34 which are electrically connected to a wire 35 of a cable set of an electrically powered accessory (not shown). The wire 35 is arranged within the handle arm 32a and is looped around the pivot axis 33. The loop of the wire extends over at least 360 degrees. Thus the wire is prevented from breaking in consequence of pivoting the unplug lever 32 and the plug 31 relative to each other.