A mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask, which comprises a sleeve tube partially or entirely made of a transparent material. An oxygen inlet tube is provided on one side of the sleeve tube, and an oxygen outlet tube is provided on the other side. The sleeve tube has an inner cavity. A flow indicating block is provided on the side of the inner cavity near the oxygen inlet tube, and an adjusting device is provided on the side near the oxygen outlet tube. A spring is provided between the flow indicating block and the adjusting device. The flow indicating block can slide along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube. During operation, oxygen enters the inner cavity from the oxygen inlet tube, then passes through the gap between the side of the flow indicating block and the inner cavity wall of the sleeve tube, flows through the adjusting device and then flows out from the oxygen outlet tube. The user can judge the oxygen pressure and air flow conditions during oxygen supply by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube. The present invention adopts a pure mechanical structure, which is simple, reliable, convenient for assembly and connection, small in size, light in weight, convenient for maintenance and repair, and has an intuitive flow display, and is particularly suitable for use in the mask oxygen supply pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of aviation equipment, and particularly relates to a flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask. Background Art

[0002] During flight operations, pilots need to wear special aviation oxygen supply masks. In order to facilitate pilots to observe the oxygen supply status of the aviation oxygen supply masks at any time, a flow indicator needs to be set on the oxygen supply pipeline; the existing flow indicators for aviation oxygen supply masks can only display whether oxygen is supplied to the oxygen supply pipeline, and it is impossible to directly understand whether the oxygen supply flow meets the index requirements during the oxygen supply process. The commonly used electronic flow indicators with readings on the market are too large in volume or weight, which will have an obvious impact on pilots wearing and using the masks.

[0003] For example, in the invention patent named "A Mechanical Oxygen Supply Flow Indicator for Aviation Oxygen Masks" (authorization announcement number CN103359289B) applied by our company in 2013, a mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for aviation oxygen masks is disclosed, which includes an inner sleeve tube, an outer sleeve tube, a spring, a red piston block, a green piston block, an oxygen supply inlet pipe, and an oxygen supply outlet pipe. The inner sleeve tube is a transparent tube, and a label is provided on the outer side surface of the middle part thereof. The oxygen supply inlet pipe is in interference fit with the inner sleeve tube, and the oxygen supply outlet pipe is in interference fit with the outer sleeve tube. This invention can directly understand the oxygen supply status of the aviation oxygen mask only through the visual inspection of the pilot, providing guarantee for safe operation, safe use, and safety protection. However, with the increasing requirements for modern flight control, such a flow indicator that can only display whether oxygen is supplied has been difficult to meet the needs.

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to propose a flow indicator that can display the flow rate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanical flow indicator that can quantify the oxygen supply flow rate, has an intuitive effect, and is convenient and small.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention discloses a mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask, which includes a sleeve tube made of part or all transparent materials. An oxygen inlet tube is provided on one side of the sleeve tube, and an oxygen outlet tube is provided on the other side. The sleeve tube has an inner cavity. A flow indicating block is provided on the side near the oxygen inlet tube in the inner cavity, and an adjusting device is provided on the side near the oxygen outlet tube. A spring is provided between the flow indicating block and the adjusting device; the flow indicating block can slide along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube. During operation, oxygen enters the inner cavity from the oxygen inlet tube, then passes through the gap between the side surface of the flow indicating block and the inner cavity wall of the sleeve tube, flows through the adjusting device, and then flows out from the oxygen outlet tube. The user judges the oxygen pressure and air flow conditions during oxygen supply by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube.

[0007] Preferably, the adjusting device is threadedly connected to the inner wall or the inner cavity wall of the oxygen inlet pipe. By rotating the adjusting device, the adjusting device moves along the inner cavity of the sleeve pipe to change the degree of compression on the spring, so as to adjust the elastic force exerted by the spring on the flow indicating block, in order to meet the index requirements for gas flow display under oxygen source interfaces with different pressures.

[0008] Preferably, the adjusting device is hollow to allow air flow through, and a cross-shaped notch for facilitating tool adjustment is provided at one end of the adjusting device near the oxygen outlet pipe.

[0009] Preferably, the side of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet pipe is spherical.

[0010] Preferably, the flow indicating block is spherical.

[0011] Preferably, the flow indicating block is connected to the spring.

[0012] Preferably, on the surface of the side of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet pipe, linear or curved oxygen flow channels are evenly arranged in a radial pattern. The oxygen flow channels are formed by grooves or two raised stripes (the part in between). The oxygen flow channels are offset relative to the great circle line of the spherical surface. When oxygen flows through the flow indicating block, vortices are generated under the guidance of the oxygen flow channels, and further drive the flow indicating block to deflect along the axis. The faster the air flow, the greater the deflection angle of the flow indicating block. When the air flow is stable, the deflection angle of the flow indicating block also tends to be stable.

[0013] Preferably, the surface of the flow indicating block has two or more colors arranged around the axis of the flow indicating block.

[0014] Preferably, the sleeve pipe is composed of a first sleeve pipe with an oxygen inlet pipe and a second sleeve pipe with an oxygen outlet pipe. Among them, at least the second sleeve pipe is made of a transparent material.

[0015] Preferably, a scale is provided on the outer surface of the second sleeve pipe, and the scale gradually increases from the side of the oxygen inlet pipe to the side of the oxygen outlet pipe; the oxygen pressure and air flow conditions during oxygen supply are judged by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube.

[0016] The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask of the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0017] 1. It adopts a pure mechanical structure, which is simple and reliable, convenient for assembly and connection, small in size and light in weight, and is suitable for connecting to the mask oxygen supply pipeline;

[0018] 2. When the oxygen source is connected during flight, the flow rate can be read directly to check the oxygen supply performance, which is intuitive and convenient, and there is no need to use a complex and expensive electronic flow indicator that requires regular maintenance for detection;

[0019] 3. It is convenient for maintenance and repair. When the flow rate does not meet the requirements, a tool can be used to penetrate into the flow indicator upper cover seat, and the flow regulator can be turned to adjust the flow rate so that it meets the usage requirements.

[0020] 4. The oxygen flow rate is quantified by scales, and the flow velocity of oxygen is visually represented by the deflection of the flow indicator block, providing two ways for the pilot to observe the oxygen flow rate and enabling adaptation to more application environments. Moreover, the setting of the oxygen flow channel can better stabilize the air flow, reduce the fluctuation of the flow indicator block in the up-and-down or left-and-right directions during air supply, reduce friction or collision with the inner cavity wall, and extend the service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask.

[0022] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 The schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the A-A direction of the mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for the aviation oxygen mask in

[0023] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 The internal structure schematic diagram (hiding the second sleeve tube) of the mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for the aviation oxygen mask in

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the oxygen flow channel distribution on the surface of the flow indicator block near the oxygen inlet pipe.

[0025] The reference numerals in the figure are: sleeve tube 1, first sleeve tube 101, second sleeve tube 102, scale 103, oxygen inlet pipe 2, oxygen outlet pipe 3, inner cavity 4, adjusting device 5, single-notch 501, air flow channel 502, spring 6, flow indicator block 7, oxygen flow channel 701. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The following further describes the present invention in detail through embodiments so that those skilled in the art can implement it with reference to the description in the specification.

[0027] It should be understood that the terms such as "having", "comprising" and "including" used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or their combinations.

[0028] As Figures 1 - 2As shown in the figure, a mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask includes a sleeve tube 1 made of part or all transparent materials. An oxygen inlet tube 2 is provided on one side of the sleeve tube, and an oxygen outlet tube 3 is provided on the other side. The sleeve tube has an inner cavity 4. A flow indicating block 7 is provided on the side near the oxygen inlet tube in the inner cavity, and an adjusting device 5 is provided on the side near the oxygen outlet tube. A spring 6 is provided between the flow indicating block and the adjusting device; the flow indicating block can slide along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube. During operation, oxygen enters the inner cavity from the oxygen inlet tube, then passes through the gap between the side of the flow indicating block and the inner cavity wall of the sleeve tube, flows through the adjusting device, and then flows out from the oxygen outlet tube. The user can judge the oxygen pressure and air flow conditions during oxygen supply by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube.

[0029] The adjusting device is threadedly connected to the inner wall or the inner cavity wall of the oxygen inlet tube. By rotating the adjusting device, the adjusting device moves along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube to change the degree of compression on the spring, so as to adjust the elastic force exerted by the spring on the flow indicating block to meet the index requirements for gas flow display under oxygen source interfaces with different pressures.

[0030] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, the adjusting device is hollow (a gas flow channel 502 is provided in the middle) for the gas flow to pass through, and a slotted screwdriver notch 501 for convenient tool adjustment is provided at one end of the adjusting device near the oxygen outlet tube. After replacing the interface or the gas source pressure, a screwdriver can be inserted from the side of the oxygen outlet tube to make corresponding adjustments to the adjusting device, so that the scale display on the sleeve tube is more accurate.

[0031] The side of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet tube is spherical, and the other side can be columnar, tubular spherical, etc. In this embodiment, the flow indicating block is a sphere.

[0032] Furthermore, as Figure 4As shown, the flow indicating block is connected to the spring. The adjusting device abuts against the spring but is not fixedly connected. The spring can be limited to move only in the length direction of the inner cavity by setting a guide groove on the inner cavity wall. In this way, when the air flow stops, the spring can reset the deflected flow indicating block. On the surface of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet pipe, linear or curved oxygen flow channels 701 are uniformly arranged in a radial manner. The oxygen flow channels are composed of grooves or two raised stripes. The oxygen flow channels are offset relative to the great circle line of the spherical surface (the great circle line is the intersection line of the plane passing through the center of the sphere and the spherical surface). When the oxygen flows through the flow indicating block, a vortex is generated under the guidance of the oxygen flow channels, and further drives the flow indicating block to deflect along the axis. The faster the air flow, the larger the deflection angle of the flow indicating block. When the air flow is stable, the deflection angle of the flow indicating block also tends to be stable. It should be noted that when the surface of the flow indicating block abuts against one end of the oxygen inlet pipe, it forms a blockage to the oxygen inlet pipe, which can play a certain anti-backflow effect. This can be utilized in practical applications: for example, when other valves on the pipeline have problems, the flow indicating block can play a certain role in preventing gas backflow. To enhance the blocking effect of the flow indicating block on the oxygen inlet pipe, a sealing ring can be provided at the port of the oxygen inlet pipe near the flow indicating block. For the flow indicating block provided with oxygen flow channels, the oxygen flow channels may not be provided in the middle part corresponding to the oxygen inlet pipe in the oxygen flow channel area.

[0033] Furthermore, the surface of the flow indicating block has two or more colors arranged around the axis of the flow indicating block. The flow indicating block with multiple colors can more clearly and intuitively show the size of the deflection angle of the flow indicating block, so that it can be more easily observed by the pilot; in addition, the flow indicating block can also be made of fluorescent material or coated with a fluorescent coating on the surface. In this way, when the aircraft is briefly in a low-light environment, the pilot can still easily observe the flow indicating block and distinguish the colors, so as to judge the deflection angle of the flow indicating block.

[0034] Furthermore, as Figures 1 - 2 shown, the sleeve tube is composed of a first sleeve tube 101 with an oxygen inlet pipe and a second sleeve tube 102 with an oxygen outlet pipe. At least the second sleeve tube is made of a transparent material. A scale 103 is provided on the outer surface of the second sleeve tube, and the scale gradually increases from the oxygen inlet pipe side to the oxygen outlet pipe side (the size of the air flow and the distance that the flow indicating block moves towards the oxygen outlet pipe side can be regarded as positively correlated); the oxygen pressure and the air flow condition during oxygen supply are judged by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, it is not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. It can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the field, other modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the equivalent scope, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the embodiments shown and described here.

Claims

1. A mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask, characterized in that: It includes a sleeve tube partially or entirely made of a transparent material. An oxygen inlet tube is provided on one side of the sleeve tube, and an oxygen outlet tube is provided on the other side. The sleeve tube has an inner cavity. A flow indicating block is provided on the side near the oxygen inlet tube in the inner cavity, and an adjusting device is provided on the side near the oxygen outlet tube. A spring is provided between the flow indicating block and the adjusting device. The flow indicating block can slide along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube. During operation, oxygen enters the inner cavity from the oxygen inlet tube, then passes through the gap between the side of the flow indicating block and the inner cavity wall of the sleeve tube, flows through the adjusting device, and then flows out from the oxygen outlet tube. The user can judge the oxygen pressure and gas flow conditions during oxygen supply by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube. On the surface of the side of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet tube, linear or curved oxygen flow channels are evenly arranged radially. The oxygen flow channels are formed by grooves or two raised stripes. The side of the flow indicating block near the oxygen inlet tube is spherical, and the oxygen flow channels are offset relative to the great circle line of the sphere. When oxygen flows through the flow indicating block, a vortex is generated under the guidance of the oxygen flow channels, and further drives the flow indicating block to deflect along the axis. The faster the air flow, the greater the deflection angle of the flow indicating block. When the air flow is stable, the deflection angle of the flow indicating block also tends to be stable.

2. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 1, wherein: The adjusting device is threadedly connected to the inner wall of the oxygen inlet tube or the inner cavity wall. By rotating the adjusting device, the adjusting device moves along the inner cavity of the sleeve tube to change the degree of compression on the spring, so as to adjust the elastic force exerted by the spring on the flow indicating block to meet the index requirements of gas flow display under oxygen source interfaces with different pressures.

3. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjusting device is hollow for air flow to pass through, and a slotted screwdriver notch for convenient adjustment by tools is provided at one end of the adjusting device near the oxygen outlet tube.

4. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow indicating block is a sphere.

5. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow indicating block is connected to the spring.

6. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the flow indicating block has two or more colors arranged around the axis of the flow indicating block.

7. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sleeve tube is composed of a first sleeve tube with an oxygen inlet tube and a second sleeve tube with an oxygen outlet tube. Among them, at least the second sleeve tube is made of a transparent material.

8. The mechanical oxygen supply flow indicator for an aviation oxygen mask according to claim 7, characterized in that: A scale is provided on the outer surface of the second sleeve tube, and the scale gradually increases from the side of the oxygen inlet tube to the side of the oxygen outlet tube. The oxygen pressure and gas flow conditions during oxygen supply are judged by observing the position of the flow indicating block in the inner tube.

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