Deformable Membrane Respiratory Hood for Airtight Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft pilots and crew members require respiratory equipment that is both practical and comfortable, especially at high altitudes or in environments with contaminated or smoky air, where existing solutions often compromise on usability and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A protective equipment with a deformable membrane and hood configuration, featuring an adaptive central orifice that can change from a large to a small aperture state, providing airtight sealing around the neck, along with a fabric collar for enhanced comfort and hygiene, and optional features like a rigid visor, extendible canopy, and gas conduits for oxygen supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a deformable membrane with adaptive central orifice is used, then airtight sealing around the neck is achieved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is designed to be deformable rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically adapt its shape and size to seal around the user's neck. The central orifice can change from a large aperture state during donning to a small aperture state during use, providing airtight sealing without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane's physical parameters (shape, size, aperture) are designed to change automatically based on the donning process. The adaptive central orifice transitions between large and small states as the membrane deforms during installation and use, achieving reliable sealing through parameter transformation rather than complex mechanical controls.
2Ease of operation
If the central orifice is made large for easy installation, then ease of operation is improved, but airtight sealing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane transitions dynamically between two states: a large aperture state during installation that allows easy head passage, and a small aperture state during use that provides airtight sealing. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is pre-configured with an adaptive central orifice that automatically transforms from large to small aperture as the donning process progresses. This preliminary design ensures that the membrane naturally transitions to the sealed state after installation, eliminating the need for separate sealing actions.
3Ease of operation
If a fabric collar is added for comfort and hygiene, then user comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric collar is merged with the deformable membrane structure, combining the comfort benefits of fabric with the sealing functionality of the membrane. This integration allows the collar to be part of the overall sealing mechanism rather than a separate component, minimizing additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric collar serves multiple functions: it provides user comfort through soft contact with the skin, maintains hygiene by being replaceable, and contributes to the overall sealing structure. This multi-functionality justifies the addition while maximizing the value of the added complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The equipment effectively isolates the user's head from contaminated air, ensuring comfort and hygiene while allowing easy installation and use, with airtight sealing and adjustable aperture for various head sizes, and providing autonomy through oxygen supply for extended use.
Implementation Method 1
a base member (2;102) with a deformable membrane (3) which comprises a central orifice (OC) with an adaptive size, configured to selectively circumvent in a substantially airtight manner the neck (NN) of the user (U)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~8
Figure 4~12
AI summary
A protection equipment comprising a base member (2;102) with a deformable membrane (3) which comprises a central orifice (OC) with an adaptive size, configured to selectively circumvent in a substantially airtight manner the neck of the user (U), a hood (104) coupled in a substantially airtight manner the base member, whereby a substantially closed volume (CV) is provided, the closed volume being delimited by the deformable membrane, the base member, the neck and the hood, and an aperture control device (6) to change the central orifice (OC) of the deformable membrane from a large aperture state to a small aperture state.