Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SAFETY PILLOW FOR PREVENTING SMOKE INHALATION
One of the major causes of death and
injury during fires is smoke inhalation. Thus,
there is a dire need for the inexpensive safety
device embodying our present invention taki.ng the
5 form of a small, portable, air permeable pillow-
like covering for the nose and mouth.
. It includes a porous container of soft,
flexible, oil absorbent material, e.g., a fabric,
which envelops a dust free quantity of loose,
10 relatively small bodies chosen from a synthetic
plastic.
The bodies are lightly coated with an
oily substance that is neither highly volitile nor
readily combustible. The coating substance is
- 15 selected from any one of the many vegetable oils,
animal fats and petroleum which have a moderate
viscosity and stickiness. In preferred forms, the
coating substance comprises a mineral oil exhibit-
ing long shelf life.and resisting any tendency to
20 wick onto the porous, fabric container.
In one embodiment of the invention, the
bodies which are lightly coated within the porous
container are comprised of small, polystyrene
beads of a particular size range which enables the
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1 mask to readily conform to the contour of the face
while providing sufficient surface area for con-
tact with the contaminated air flowing through the
bag during use. The lightweight nature of the
beads causes the same to shift slightly by means
of the air flowing through the container ~o more
readily conform to the users face while presenting
a maxi~um of oil-coated surface area for absorp-
tion of particulates, carbon monoxide as well as
other toxic gases. Provision of a mixture of
size ranges of these beads enables the bodies to
- shift to form a tightly packed configuration
without undue restriction of the air passing
therethrough in order that the wearer does not
experience difficulty in inhaling sufficient
quantities of oxygen.
Unexpectedly, it has been found that
mineral oil of a certain viscosity when mixed with
small bodies comprised of polystyrene will evenly
coat the same and not tend to dissipate or other-
wise run off from the bodies. When coated, the
polystyrene bodies have a consistency somewhat
like cottage cheese but yet are sufficiently
lightweight and freely shiftable within the con-
tainer to conform to the face and provide suffic-
ient surface area for the passing contaminated air
with a minimum of: pressure drop, so that the
wearer under normal use should not experience
undue pressure resistance to breathing while
escaping from the smoke or fire.
Therefore, the device is light in weight
and adapted to be placed in use easily and quickly
should the need arise. Sufficient air flows
through the bag and its filler during natural
breathing without substantial risk of asphyxiation
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1 inasmuch as intake of smoke into the lungs is
adequately eliminated.
An elastic headband is provided to
maintain the device in place, and a strong, imper-
meable case therefor retains excess oil drainage.
The case has a closure which can be easily and
rapidly opened during emergencies.
Our attention has been called to the
following V.S. Patent Nos.:
443,191 Illing Dec. 23, 1890
533,854 Loeb Feb. 5, 1895
695,403 Longden Mar. 11, 1902
904,287 Warham Nov. 17, 1908
2,261,362 Gill Nov. 4, 1941
2,708,932 Pipher May 24, 1955
152,865,466 Frohmader Dec. 23, 1958
3,107,986 Plaut, et al. Oct. 22, 1963
3,284,361 Rocchini Nov. 8, 1966
3,807,i44 Graybill Apr. 30, 1974
We are also aware of Austria No. 231,281.
The instant invention relates to the
"Smoke Inhalation Safety Devicen of U.S. Patent
No. 4,402,317, issued to Roy E. Martin on Septem-
ber 6, 1983.
Brief Description of the Drawing
Figure l-is a perspective view of a
- smoke inhalation safety device made in accordance
with our present invention shown in place over the
mouth and nose of the user;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged, elevational view
of the back of the device shown within a storage
case;
Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the
device removed from its case;
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Fig~ 4 is an edge view thereof; and
Fig. S is a fragmentary, cross-sectlonal
view thereof still further enlarged,
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
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A pillow-like, metal free, protective
device 10 may be of any desired si.ze and shape
although one having about a 10" by 10" peripheral
dimension with approximately a 4" maximum thick-
ness has ~een found to be quite satisfactory for
the contemplated use thereof as hereinbelow to be
fully explained.
The device 10 includes a container 12
which may be made from an oil absorptive cloth
such as to be flexible, sufficiently permeable for
flow of air therethrough and have a soft, smooth,
delicate outer surface to thereby conform to the
shape of the face and not be irritating to the
skin when placed over the nose and mouth as shown
.
:in Fig~ 1, The container 12 is fully closed as by
:: ~ : marglnal stitching~14 along its periphery except
at a line of foId 16. The pores;`or interstices of
the:cloth for the container are desirably not more
than 1/64" in size. ~ ~
:~ ~ 25 A filling 18 of relatively small, dis-
cret:e bodies 20 is loose:ly enveloped in the con-
tainer 12, care b~ing.taken~ to: eliminate as much
as possible any~.substantial amount of dust and
other fine~or pulverized:particles. It is desir-
able ~that the ~odies 20 be in the nature of a
multitude of individual, loose, thermoplastic
elements of conical:or ovoid:al shape, but prefer-
ably spherical or of comparable round or roundish,
ball-shaped configurations. To this end, we
contemplate t~e use of polystyrene beads readily
ava~ilable on the open~market.
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1 When the bodies 20 are comprised of
generally spherical polystyrene beads, good re-
sults have been observed when the diameter of the
beads is within the range of 0.01 inch to 0O50
inch. Better results, however, have been observed
when the diameter of the spherical polyst~rene
bodies 20 is within the range of 0.02 inch to 0.25
inch. Best results have been obtained when the
diameter of the spherical polystyrene bodies 20 is
within the range of 0.0313 inch to 0.125 inch. In
one test, very good results were observed when a
mixture of size ranges was employed, which com-
prised three parts by volume of generally spheri-
cal polystyrene beads having a diameter of 0.0625
inch to 0.125 inch and one part by volume of
generally spherical polystyrene beads having a
diameter of 0.0313 inch to 0.0625 inch.
To preclude drying of the bodies 20 and
to maintain dust (if any) within the container 12,
2 they are coated with a substance which has an oily
consistency. The oil should be agreeable to the
senses and devoid of an unpleasant odor. To be
avoided is the use of oils which might be irritat-
ing to the nostrils, throat, mouth and skin.
Moreover, spr~ying of the oil onto the bodies 20
in avoidance of an excess is preferred to satura-
tion. The oiled bodies 20 should then be well
drained before filling into the porous bag-like
container 12. Therefore, the oily substance to be
used is preferably oils which are moderately
viscous and sticky.
Preferably, the oily substance coating
the bodies 20 is comprised of a white mineral oil
having a viscosity ranging from 60 to 1,000 at 100
degrees Fahrenheit. Good results have been ob-
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1 tained using mineral oil sold under the brandnameTUFFLO, no. 6056, by Atlantic Richfield Company,
which has a viscosity of 475 at 100 degrees Fahr-
enheit. This particular mineral oil exhibits long
shelf life and does not wick onto the container 12
when the latter is compri~ed of a polyester mater-
ial. Mor`eover, such a mineral oil will not become
rancid as will vegetable oils after a period of
time.
While the device 10 may be held by hand
in the position shown in Fig. 1, both hands are
freed by use of an elastic headband 22 having its
ends secured to the container 12 by the stitching
14.
When not in use, the device 10 may be
stored in an oil impermeable case 24 made, for
instance, from plastic and having a releasable
closure 26 along one marginal edge. Snap-in types
of tongue and groove closures 26, readily avail-
able on the open market, ~are quite satisfactory.
Operation
It is to be suggested that one or more
of the devices 10 be kept readily accessible in
every household wherever fire is likely to origi-
nate or spread, as in the basement, in the kitchen
and adjacent each bedstead. Each hotel room,
office, store and other public establishment might
well provide the devices 10 as a precaution and
safety meàsure. Any tendency for oil to leak
beyond the container 12 might soil contents of
travel bags were it not for the case 24, it cer-
tainly being one important recommendation that
protection away from the home be kept in mind by
owners of our devices 10.
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1 When needed, the device 10 is simply
held in place or worn in the manner shown by Fi~.
1. The user breathes quite naturally until able
to exit the smoke filled atmosphere, all the while
in freedom of inhalation of the smoke through the
container 12 and the filling 18.
Use of the preferred size ranges set
forth here inabove for the bodies 20 when the
latter are comprised of polystyrene beads has
proved to be highly efficient means for filtering
contaminates from a smoke filled environment when
the device 10 is placed over the wearers face. In
particular, the lightweight nature of polystyrene
bodies of these preferred size ranges enables the
beads to readily shift when the device 10 is
initially placed in use, and thereafter remain
relatively stationary for the remainder of the
period of use. The particular size ranges, and
specifically the disclosed 3-to-1 mixture size
ranges ~or the polystyrene beads 20 causes the
latter to readily and easily become tightly packed
into a configuration which maximizes the surface
area of the oiled bodies 20 to the air passing
through the device 10 without unduly restricting
the flow of air at pressures that are normally
present in use and at arr flow volumes normally
experienced by the -device 10 when placed against
the human face. The preferred, disclosed size
ranges of the bodies 20 also has been found to
0 reduce any tendency of the air to bypass the oiled
surfaces and arrive at the wearer's face without
sufficient filtering. Furthermore, it has been
found that the polystyrene beads of the preferred
size ranges set forth above along with the coating
substance of mineral oil effectively filter carbon
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monoxide from the air passing through the device
10 and increase the likelihood that the wearer
will safely escape from the smoke filled atmos-
phere, since carbon monoxide is highly toxic in
such environments.
Additionally, when the container 12 is
filled wi'th mineral oil coated bodies 20 comprised
of polystyrene beads of the preferred size ranges
disclosed above, wherein approximately 170 to 200
cubic inches of oiled beads are placed within the
container 12, the device 10 weighs no more than 4
ounces and can be readily held in place by the
elastic headband 22. Noteworthy also is the fact
that a parent can place one side of the device
against his or her face and carry a small child in
such a position that the child's face is pressed
against the other side of the device 10, such that
both the parent and child can breathe through the
device 10 as each side of the latter individually
conforms to both the face of the child and of the
parent, providing effe~tive, economical protection
for more than one individual dur'ing a smoke emer-
gency situation.
In one conducted test of the invention,
using bodies 20 of the prefered 3-to-1 size mix-
ture, 91 to 98 of -the particulate matter was
removed by the device 10 at air flow rates approx-
imating the human breathing rate, wherein the
contaminated air was generated by combusting a
mixture of wood, fabric, carpeting scrapes and
synthetic resinous material to simulate a residen-
tial or commercial fire. In the same text, carbonmonoxide removal ranged from 58 to 76%, values
much higher than expected.
