Active breathing system
11805824 · 2023-11-07
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
F24F1/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
A62B17/006
HUMAN NECESSITIES
F24F2221/38
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
A62B17/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Abstract
An active breathing system is for an aseptic overalls arranged to be worn by a user. The system includes an aeration device and a surrounding air inlet, and aseptic overalls for a cleanroom. The aeration device includes a first longitudinal hollow body arranged to receive a ventilator connected to an energy source, an air suctioning tube in fluidic communication with the longitudinal hollow body, and the surrounding air outlet in fluidic communication with the longitudinal hollow body, and arranged to direct surrounding air upwards. The aeration device has an air inlet on the aseptic overalls and arranged to enable passage of the surrounding air on the outside of the aseptic overalls in an inner portion of the aseptic overalls.
Claims
1. An active breathing system for an aseptic overalls arranged to be worn by a user comprising: an aeration device to enable orientation of surrounding air of a cleanroom external to said aseptic overalls in an inner portion of said aseptic overalls, said aeration device being arranged to be located inside said aseptic overalls and comprises: a first longitudinal hollow body arranged to receive a ventilator which is arranged to be connected to an energy source, a surrounding air suctioning tube in fluidic communication with said longitudinal hollow body, a surrounding air outlet in fluidic communication with said longitudinal hollow body, and arranged to direct the surrounding air upwards, an air inlet arranged to be situated on said aseptic overalls and arranged to enable passage of the surrounding air on the outside of said aseptic overalls in said inner portion of said aseptic overalls, the air inlet comprising a first air suctioning interface comprising a main wall arranged outside of said aseptic overalls, from which extends a lateral tube, arranged to extend through the aseptic overalls to an inside of said aseptic overalls and to be reversibly connected to said surrounding air suctioning tube, said main wall having at least one orifice equipped with a filtering membrane, arranged to enable passage of the surrounding air external to said aseptic overalls, in said lateral tube in a direction of the inside of said aseptic overalls, by sequential passage in said surrounding air suctioning tube, in said first longitudinal hollow body and through said surrounding air outlet, said air inlet supplying said surrounding air suctioning tube of said aeration device.
2. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one means for directing the surrounding air, wherein said surrounding air outlet is connected to a first end of said at least one means for directing the surrounding air in an under head cross-section of said overalls.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one means for directing the surrounding air comprises a tube connected at a first end to said surrounding air outlet, wherein said tube is a flexible tube, by a connector.
4. The system according to claim 3, wherein a second end of said at least one means for directing the surrounding air is arranged to be connected to a second interface present on an underclothing.
5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising an underclothing comprising at least one pushbutton, wherein said at least one means for directing the surrounding air is fixed to the underclothing in a shoulder area, using an additional material part arranged so as to form a loop maintaining an end of said at least one means for directing surrounding air against the underclothing, said loop or said additional material part being attached to the underclothing, by the at least one pushbutton.
6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising an underclothing comprising at least one pushbutton, wherein said at least one means for directing the surrounding air is fixed to the underclothing in a shoulder area, using an additional material part arranged so as to form a loop maintaining an end of said at least one means for directing surrounding air against the underclothing, said loop of said additional material part being attached to the underclothing, by the at least one pushbutton.
7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an underclothing comprising at least one pushbutton.
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein a second interface is either fixed by said at least one pushbutton,. or said second interface is sewn on the underclothing and comprises a second hollow body equipped with a collar equipped with a peripheral groove for fixing to a material part of the underclothing, the second hollow body is capable of housing a sewing of the material part of the underclothing to said second interface if sewn on, said second hollow body being equipped with an orifice for connecting to a second end of said at least one means for directing the surrounding air, and at least one air outlet.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said aseptic overalls comprises an outer face provided to be in contact with a surrounding environment and an inner face arranged to be in contact with said user, a first leg cross-section and a second leg cross-section, an opening comprising a closer in a crotch area, along each first and second leg cross-sections, a first sleeve and a second sleeve and a body portion to which are connected the first and second sleeves by a linked end, the first and second leg cross-sections being connected to the body cross-section by a linked end, said body portion comprising a head passage cross-section.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said aseptic overalls further comprises at least one first grasping means, in contact with the inner face in the body portion.
11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising said aseptic overalls which is equipped with said first air suctioning interface, said first interface comprising a peripheral recess to house a sewing of the overalls to said first interface.
12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first longitudinal hollow body has an open proximal end, said open proximal end being adjacent to said ventilator, and a closed distal end, said closed distal end being adjacent to said energy source.
13. The system according to claim 1, said first longitudinal hollow body having an outer wall and an inner wall, said outer wall being equipped with fixing means arranged for reversibly fixing of said longitudinal hollow body at the level of the hips of said user, said fixing means comprising a slider arranged for fixing to a belt of said user, provided on the underclothing when the belt is present.
14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said outer wall of said first longitudinal hollow body is equipped with a switch arranged to activate or stop said ventilator, said switch is a mechanical or electronic switch of which actuation is carried out by the connection of said air inlet to said surrounding air suctioning tube, or a pushbutton.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first air suctioning interface is reversibly connected to said first longitudinal hollow body of said aeration device by a connecting element by a forced interlocking or by crimping.
16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said main wall of said first air suctioning interface is equipped with grasping means extending transversally with respect to said main wall.
17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first air suctioning interface is made of thermoplastic polyurethane and/or of nitrile group-based rubber.
Description
(1) Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge from the detailed description given below, in a non-limiting manner, and by making reference to the appended drawings.
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(17) In the figures, identical or similar elements have the same references.
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(19) As indicated above, this aeration device 1 makes it possible to orient the surrounding air of a cleanroom in an internal portion of aseptic overalls 24, preferably upwards. The latter being arranged to be worn by a user.
(20) The system comprises an aeration device 1 formed of a first longitudinal hollow body 4 which has an outer wall 5 and an inner wall 6 (not visible). The first longitudinal hollow body 4 has a closed distal end 15 and an open proximal end for the outlet of surrounding air 11 which directs air upwards. The outer wall 5 is equipped with a fixing means 7 which is arranged to be fixed reversibly to a user, more specifically to the hips of a user. The fixing means 7 is, for example, a slider arranged to be fixed to the belt of a user, for example, to the belt of the underclothing of a user. Possibly, the underclothing further comprises an elastic belt situated in one single tunnel. The single tunnel comprises at least one opening arranged to give access to the elastic belt, preferably to make it possible for the fixing of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 to the elastic belt of the underclothing.
(21) The aeration device 1 further comprises a surrounding air suctioning tube 8 in fluidic communication with the inside of the first longitudinal hollow body 4.
(22) The inner wall 6 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 forms a space wherein is housed a ventilator 9 (not visible) and an energy source arranged to be connected and to supply the ventilator 9.
(23) The first longitudinal hollow body 4 can also be equipped with a connector 16 at the level of the open proximal end for the output of surrounding air 11 arranged to facilitate and optimise the insertion of a means for directing 17 the surrounding air (not visible).
(24) The system also comprises a first air suctioning interface 2A which comprises a main wall 2B which has at least one orifice 3, possibly a plurality of orifices, preferably equipped with a filtering membrane, to make it possible for the passage of the surrounding air of a cleanroom inside the aseptic overalls 24, more specifically to an internal portion of the overalls 24. A grasping means 13 which extends transversally with respect to the main wall 2B of the first air suctioning interface 2A. This grasping means 13 makes it possible to have a grip facilitating the grasping of the first air suctioning interface 2A which is located outside of the overalls 24, for example to carry out a forced interlocking with the aeration device 1 which is located inside the overalls 24 or to disconnect the device at the moment of undressing.
(25) The first air suctioning interface 2A comprises a lateral tube 8′ (not visible) present on the secondary wall, opposite the main wall 2B. The lateral tube 8′ is arranged to extend through the aseptic overalls 24 to the inside of it and to be connected to the surrounding air suctioning tube 8 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 of the aeration device 1. In the representation of
(26) The surrounding air therefore passes through the orifice(s) 3, under the action of the suctioning created by the rotational movement of the turbine of the ventilator 9 thanks to the geometry of the blades, passes through the lateral tube 8′ and the surrounding air suctioning tube 8. The surrounding air is thus brought into the first longitudinal hollow body 4 and emerged, oriented, pushed by the rotation of the turbine of the ventilator 9 through the open proximal end of the outlet of surrounding air 11 of the aeration device 1.
(27) The first air suctioning interface 2A can also comprise a connecting element 10 making it possible to reversibly connect said first air suctioning interface 2A to the aeration device 1, preferably this connection is made by a forced interlocking, preferably by abutment or by crimping.
(28) Preferably, said connecting element 10 is circular arc-shaped and moulds the shape of said recess 12 of said first longitudinal hollow body 4.
(29) Preferably, the distance between the free ends of said circular arc when idle is slightly less than the distance separating the two points with which the two free ends must, in the fixing position, be in contact. In this manner, in the fixing position, a tension is ensured by said connection element 10 to said aeration device 1 which holds the latter in place.
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(31) In this representation, as can be seen, the system according to the invention comprises, on the one hand, the aeration device 1 is formed of the first longitudinal hollow body 4, which comprises an outer wall 5 equipped with the fixing means 7, and an inner wall 6, and on the other hand, the first air suctioning interface 2A comprising a main wall 2B equipped with the grasping means 13 and on the secondary wall opposite the main wall 2B, the means for connecting 10 the first air suctioning interface 2A to the aeration device 1.
(32) Furthermore, this representation illustrates more specifically the aeration device 1 as a top view, the space formed by the inner wall 6 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 is provided to house the ventilator 9 making it possible for the outlet of the air at the level of the open proximal end of the outlet of surrounding air 11, said air entering beforehand in the aeration device 1 through at least one orifice 3 of the first air suctioning interface 2A situated outside of the overalls 24 and through the passage, through a channel formed by respectively the lateral tube 8′ of the first air suctioning interface 2A and the surrounding air suctioning tube 8 of the aeration device 1. The proximal end of the outlet of surrounding air 11 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 can possible be extended by a connector 16 making it possible to facilitate the connection of a means for directing 17 the surrounding air (not visible).
(33) The ventilator used according to the invention comprises a turbine equipped with blades rotating about an axis arranged to suction air through said surrounding air suctioning tube 8 and to make it exit through said proximal end of the outlet of surrounding air 11 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4. The turbine rotates by activation of a switch, for example a mechanical or electronic switch and receives energy from the energy source to which it is connected, preferably the first longitudinal hollow body 4 has a central longitudinal axis which is aligned to the axis of rotation of said turbine. Preferably, the ventilator is activated by the connection of the surrounding air suctioning tube 8 and the lateral tube 8′ of the first air suctioning interface 2A.
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(35) In this representation, it shows the inner wall 6 forming a space provided to house the ventilator 9 and to make it possible for the outlet of air at the level of the open proximal end of the outlet of surrounding air 11. This, the ventilator makes it possible to orient the air coming from the air suctioning tube 8 outside of said first longitudinal hollow body 4 in the direction of the internal portion of the overalls 24, upwards.
(36) The outer wall 5 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 is equipped with the fixing means 7 and with the air suctioning tube 8. More specifically, said outer wall 5 comprises a recess 12 arranged to receive the connecting element 10 of the first air suctioning interface 2A by a forced interlocking, for example by abutment or by crimping, more specifically the connecting element 10 is, for example, a clip which is fixed around the first longitudinal hollow body 4 or also in a circular arc shape which enters by forced interlocking in abutment against the recess 12 of said first longitudinal hollow body 4 of the aeration device 1.
(37) Preferably, said connecting element 10 is a circular arc shape and moulds the shape of said recess 12 of said first longitudinal hollow body 4.
(38) Preferably, the distance between the free ends of said circular arc when idle is slightly less than the distance separating the two points with which the two free ends must, in the fixing position, be in contact. In this manner, in the fixing position, a tension is ensured by said connecting element 10 to said aeration device 1 which holds the latter in place.
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(40) This
(41) In a preferred embodiment, the first longitudinal hollow body 4 is separated by a transversal, two-portion wall. The first portion, on the side of the proximal end 11 is arranged to preferably house the turbine of the ventilator 9 while the second portion, on the side of the distal end 15 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 is provided to house the energy source and the motor. The motor actuates an axis of rotation of the turbine, which extends through the transversal wall. Seals not impeding or hardly rotating the axis ensure the sealing between the first and the second portion of the first longitudinal hollow body 4.
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(43) Furthermore, the outer wall 5 of the first longitudinal hollow body 4 of the aeration device 1 is equipped with a switch 28, preferably a mechanical switch, for example a pushbutton arranged to activate and/or deactivate the ventilator 9.
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(45) In this representation, the first longitudinal hollow body 4 of the aeration device 1 is equipped with a switch 28, a fixing means 7 and a connector 16 such as presented above. The first air suctioning interface 2A is equipped with a grasping means 13 extending transversally to the main wall 2B, furthermore, said main wall 2B comprises two series of at least one orifice 3 of the outlet of surrounding air, said two series being positioned on either side of the grasping means 13 in the longitudinal direction.
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(47) More specifically, a first end of the means for directing 17 the surrounding air is connected to the aeration device 1 by means of the connector 16, the second end of the means for directing 17 the surrounding air is connected to the second interface 20 formed of the two complementary parts 18, 19 which each comprises a collar 21 equipped with a peripheral groove 21A intended to house a sewing of the underclothing to said two complementary parts 18, 19 on either side of an underclothing in order to form the second interface 20. The second interface 20 comprises a first hollow body 18 as well as an air inlet orifice 30 and an air outlet orifice 31 (not illustrated). The second interface 20 also comprises a second hollow body 19 complementary to the first hollow body 18 and comprises the same orifices 30 and 31.
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(49) In the embodiment illustrated in
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(52) Furthermore, the aeration device 1 can be alternatively placed in different places, for example at the level of the pelvis on the face portion of the user (
(53) The underclothing also comprises a top portion in the form of a T-shirt with short or long sleeves. The top portion comprises a first and a second sleeve cross-section 23E and 23F each connected to a torso cross-section 23G comprising the thorax cross-section 23H and the neck cross-section. The neck cross-section comprises a head passage orifice 23I. Each abovesaid cross-section can be formed or one single part or of several parts sewn together. Identically, several cross-sections can be formed of one single part or of several parts sewn together.
(54) The first longitudinal hollow body 4 of the aeration device 1 is equipped such as illustrated, with a fixing means 7, for example a slider, making it possible for the fixing to the belt of the underclothing of the user. A first end of the means for directing 17 the surrounding air is connected to the first longitudinal hollow body 4 by means of a connector 16. The means for directing 17 the surrounding air brings the surrounding air into a thorax area, preferably in an upper portion of the thorax area and in any case, below the head of the operator, under the face area. Subsequently, the second end of the mean for directing 17 the surrounding air is connected to the hollow body 18 of the second interface 20 which is sewn to said underclothing, preferably in a thorax area, in any case, in an under head area of the underclothing such that the surrounding air gets to the user in an area making it possible for an optimal breathing. The second interface 20 is therefore sewn in a thorax area of the underclothing. The underclothing comprises a series of surrounding air outlet orifices 32.
(55) As can be seen, depending on the underclothing comprising a fabric thickness or two fabric thicknesses, the passage of air will be slightly different. If the underclothing comprises a fabric thickness, the surrounding air passes through the tube 17, under the underclothing and emerges through the most direct path, that is through the series of born orifices 32 through the fabric thickness, at the level of the neck of the underclothing, as well as through the head passage orifice. If the underclothing comprises at least two fabric thicknesses in the neck cross-section of the underclothing, the surrounding air passes through the direction means 17 through the outer fabric thickness, and ends up between the two fabric thicknesses to emerge through the series of orifices 32. The at least two thicknesses being connected by the sewing of the head passage orifice; the air outlet through the head passage orifice is thus reduced. The air outlet orifices 32 are provided such that the airflow is comfortable for the user, i.e. that the surrounding air entering into the overalls 24 of the user must not drain the mucous membranes of the user during breathing and the air exchanges between the inside and outside of the overalls 24 do not disturb the air of the cleanroom and do not create any overpressure in the overalls.
(56) Alternatively, the means for directing 17 the surrounding air is situated in the back of the user.
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(59) The first air suctioning interface 2A can, alternatively, be positioned both on the left side and the right side of the aseptic overalls 24 and on the face portion, on the side or on the back portion of the aseptic overalls 24.
(60) As can be seen, in this embodiment, the overalls 24 comprises a hood connected to the head passage cross-section equipped with protective glasses, such as for example those described in EP3318144, EP3223916, and EP2823859. The hood is also equipped with a wall intended to cover the nose and the mouth made of a filtering material, letting gaseous molecules easily exit, but molecules of which the porosity retains the microorganisms likely to be expelled by the breathing of the operator.
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(63) Indeed, the hollow body 18 is integral with the underclothing 23, for example fixed at the level of the shoulder of the underclothing 23. The hollow body 18 can also be integral with the means for directing 17 the surrounding air. Finally, the hollow body 18 can be presented in the form of a diffuser of the outlet of surrounding air in an inner portion of the aseptic overalls 24, this diffuser being equipped with an air outlet orifice 31, comprising at least one series of air outlet orifices 32.
(64) Furthermore, the first air suctioning interface 2A is made of thermoplastic polyurethane and/or of nitrile group-based rubber, preferably made of butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer.
(65) It is well understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and, that various modifications can be applied to it, without moving away from the scope of the appended claims.
(66) For example, when the terms “orientation of the surrounding air of a cleanroom external to said aseptic overalls in an inner portion of said aseptic overalls” are used, this also means that the surrounding air of a cleanroom can be substituted by the breathable air coming from a compressed air cylinder, equipped for example with a pressure reducer, such as in situations where the air is contaminated.
(67) For example, when the term “underclothing” is used, by extension this means that said underclothing can be a sublayer of the overalls.
(68) For example, said air inlet means can be connected to the portable-type system for filtering the outside air, other than an aeration device.