Carbon dioxide scrubber and gas regenerator unit for a closed circuit rebreathing apparatus

摘要

A compact, light and highly efficient gas regenerator unit for a positive pressure closed circuit rebreathing apparatus having an improved carbon dioxide scrubber contained within an annular frame to the lower open portion of which a spring loaded flexible diaphragm is sealingly connected around its periphery and across the upper portion of which a cover plate is releasably attachable with the interior of the unit within the frame being divided by a transversely extending partition into a gas conditioning chamber, in which the CO.sub. 2 of the wearer's expelled breath gases are removed by passing through chemicals compressively retained in the canister of a scrubber extending across the span of the gas conditioning chamber, and a variable volume gas chamber above diaphragm from which the reconditioned gases that have been enriched with a predetermined amount of oxygen are again inhaled. A valving arrangement operated by movement of the spring loaded diaphragm will maintain a positive pressure within the system and add additional oxygen to the variable volume chamber when excess oxygen is being consumed by the wearer or vent excess gases from the chamber when oxygen consumption decreases. An anti-anoxia valve prevents the wearer from breathing into the unit until oxygen is being released into the unit. The design of the reconditioning gas chambers and passages, including the CO. sub.2 scrubber, establishes a uniform flow of breathing gases through the scrubber and the unit with a minimum pressure drop.