Air Warming Device to Facilitate Breathing

This invention relates to the field of devices for the health and comfort of persons who have difficulty breathing cold air when temperatures fall below freezing or whose health would be jeopardized by breathing cold air at such temperatures.

Many persons who have had heart attacks, or heart bypass operations, and who suffer from other health problems cannot breath cold air at temperatures much below freezing without jeopardizing their health and suffering extreme discomfort. The result is that they must remain indoors most of the time when outside temperatures are below the freezing point. If temperatures become extremely low, such persons have difficulty in venturing outdoors at all. However, if a device were available to warm the outside air which the person could wear as part of his wearing apparel, it would be a relatively simple matter to put such a device on along with warm clothing when they get ready to go outside. If a device of this kind were available which could warm outside air by making use of the user's own body heat, then electrical, mechanical, or chemical means would not be needed to accomplish the heating function. The present invention solves these problems by providing a convenient device which can simply be strapped to the user's chest and the breathing mask placed over the wearer's nose. The cold outside air is then drawn into the warming chamber to provide a supply of warmed air for the user to breathe.

It is an object of the invention to provide an air warming device to facilitate breathing in which the air is warmed by the user's own body heat.

It is an object of the invention to provide an air warming device to facilitate breathing which does not require electrical, mechanical, or chemical means to accomplish the warming function.

It is an object of the invention to provide an air warming device to facilitate breathing which can be worn by the user under his outer clothing comprising an air warming chamber having a plurality of cells connected to a breathing mask.

It is an object of the invention to provide an air warming device to facilitate breathing which comprises a warming chamber having a plurality of cells, the warming chamber having a relatively large surface area and a relatively shallow depth, the cells which comrpise the warming chamber having relatively large inlet ports and relatively small outlet ports, a first manifold communicating with the inlet ports and a second manifold in communication with the outlet ports of the cells, a single inlet port of said first manifold to admit outside air therein and a single outlet port of said second manifold for discharge of warmed air into a breathing tube connected thereto, said breathing tube being connected to a breathing mask which may be placed over the nose of the user.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a man wearing an air warming device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view from the rear of an air warming device in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the elongated exhaust manifold for use in this invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the elongated intake manifold for use in this invention.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view from the front of a breathing mask for use in this invention.

FIG. 9 is an elevation view from the rear of a breathing mask for use in this invention.

FIG. 10 is an elevation view from the side of a breathing mask for use in this invention.

An air warming device to facilitate breathing in accordance with this invention includes a warming chamber designated by the reference number 1. The warming chamber 1 includes a plurality of elongated cells 2 made of flexible thin wall material which may be rubber or any of the varieties of flexible thin wall plastic materials. The elongated cells 2 are placed in side-by-side relationship to form the warming chamber which thereby has a relatively broad surface area of its inwardly facing wall 3 which will be adjacent to the body of the user when in place and of its outwardly facing wall 4 which faces outwardly in the opposite direction. The depth of the warming chamber is relatively shallow and defined by the side edge walls 5 of the elongated cells 2 which lie at each outer side edge of the warming chamber 1.

By way of example, each of the elongated cells 2 may comprise an elongated rectangular block approximately twelve inches in length and three-fourths of an inch in depth or being three-fourths of an inch square in its cross-sectional dimension. Twelve of these elongated cells 2 can be placed in side-by-side relationship to form a warming chamber 1 which is approximately nine inches wide by twelve inches in length, or nine inches in the horizontal dimension and twelve inches in the vertical dimension when the device is worn by a user to provide a warming chamber which is twelve inches wide in the horizontal dimension, sixteen of the elongated cells 2 may be provided to make up the warming chamber 1. The dimensions of the elongated cells 2 may, of course, be varied as can the number of such elongated cells which make up the warming chamber 1, depending on such things as the size of the person who will be using the device, the degree to which the air is to be warmed and the like.

Each of the elongated cells 2 is substantially square in cross-section having flexible thin wall material bounding a corresponding elongated cavity therein. Each of the elongated cells 2 includes an upper end wall 6 and a lower end wall 7. A relatively smaller discharge opening 8 is formed in the upper end wall 6 of each of the elongated cells 2 and a relatively larger intake opening 9 is formed in the lower end wall 7 of each of the elongated cells 2. The purpose is to provide greater access for cold air from the outside to enter the warming chamber 1 and to provide relatively restricted discharge of air from the warming chamber 1, thereby retaining a quantity of air within the warming chamber to be warmed before it is withdrawn through the discharge openings.

An elongated intake manifold 10 is provided for communication with the intake openings 9 of each of the elongated cells 2 and an elongated exhaust manifold 11 is provided for communication with the discharge openings 8 of the elongated cells 2. The intake manifold 10 and exhaust manifold 11 have substantially the same cross-sectional dimension as the elongated cells 2. The length of each of the manifolds is substantially the same as the width or horizontal dimension of the warming chamber whereby the manifolds extend completely across the upper and lower end walls of the warming chamber to which they are respectively secured. Each manifold includes a chamber 12 bounded by peripheral side walls 13, 14 and 15 which may also be of flexible thin wall material. The chamber 12 of each manifold 10 and 11 is also bounded by end walls 16 and 17 of the same material. Each chamber 12 opens to a completely opened wall 18, the open wall 18 of the intake manifold 10 being in communication with the intake openings 9 of the elongated cells 2 and the open wall 18 of the exhaust manifold 11 being in communication with the discharge openings 8 of the elongated cells 2. An intake port 19 of relatively small dimension is formed in the peripheral side wall 14 of the intake manifold 10 to admit air from the outside into the intake manifold 10 whereupon the air from the outside is distributed to the relatively large intake openings 9 of the elongated cells 2. When the elongated cells 2 are filled with air from the outside, the air is warmed by the body heat of the wearer, the inwardly facing wall 3 of the warming chamber being placed against the chest 20 of the user.

An outlet port 21 is formed in the peripheral side wall 14 of the exhaust manifold 11 to permit warmed air to leave the warming chamber 1 and be carried to a breathing mask 22 placed over the nose 23 of the user through a breathing tube 24 connected at one end to the outlet port 21 of the exhaust manifold 11 and at the other end to the breathing mask 22. When the user inhales, warmed air is drawn from the elongated cells 2 through the relatively smaller discharge openings 8 of the cells 2 through the open wall 18 of the exhaust manifold 11 into its chamber 12 and out through the outlet port 21, then through the breathing tube 24 to the breathing mask 22 where the warmed air is ultimately breathed in by the user.

A sheet of insulating material 25 is secured to the outwardly facing wall 4 of the warming chamber to protect the outwardly facing surface from the cold temperature of the outside and to retain the heat of the warmed air within the elongated cells as it is warmed by the body heat of the user. The sheet of insulating material 25 is large enough to also span the outwardly facing side walls of the manifolds 10 and 11. The sheet of insulating material 25 is preferably bonded directly to the outwardly facing wall of the warming chamber 1 and the outwardly facing walls of the respective intake manifold 10 and exhaust manifold 11. The intake manifold 10 is bonded or otherwise securely connected to the elongated cells 2 of the warming chamber 1 along its lower edge 26 and the exhaust manifold 11 is bonded or otherwise firmly secured along the upper edge 27 of the warming chamber 1. A pair of neck straps 28 are secured at spaced apart locations to the upper edge of the sheet of insulating material 25 which is bonded or otherwise secured to the air warming device. The neck straps 28 extend upwardly and around the back of the neck of the user where they may be tied or fastened to hold the warming chamber 1 in position against the chest 20 of the user. Two pairs of body straps 29 and 30 are secured at spaced apart locations along each opposite side edge 31 and 32 of the sheet of insulating material 25. The pairs of body straps are brought around the back of the user and tied or otherwise fastened behind the user's back to hold the warming chamber 1 close against the chest 20 of the user. The breathing mask 22 includes a peripheral wall 33 of transparent plastic material or other suitable material formed in general to fit over the nose 23 of the user. The breathing mask 22 includes an inlet port 34 connected to the one end of the breathing tube 24 to enable warmed air to enter the cavity 35 of the breathing mask when the user inhales. A pair of exhaust valves 36 are provided in the peripheral wall 33 of the breathing mask to enable air to escape from the cavity 35 of the breathing mask when the user exhales. The exhaust valves include a plurality of port holes 37 opening from the cavity 35 to the outside air. The port holes 37 are covered by flexible discs 38 of rubber or similar flexible material which bear against the port holes to prevent air from escaping from the cavity 35 while the user is inhaling. However, when the user exhales, air pressure from within the cavity 35 through the port holes 37 forces the flexible discs 38 away from the port holes 37 a sufficient distance to enable exhaled air of the user to escape. The breathing mask 22 is held in place over the nose 23 of the user by an elastic strap 39 which extends around the back of the head 40 of the user.

To use the air warming device in accordance with this invention the warming chamber 1 is placed against the chest 20 of the user with the intake manifold 10 facing downwardly and the exhaust manifold 11 facing upwardly, and the neck straps 28 are tied behind the neck of the user. The two pairs of body straps 29 and 30 are tied behind the back of the user to hold the warming chamber 1 securely in place against the chest of the user in order to transmit his body heat through the flexible thin wall of the cells 2 which make up the warming chamber to warm the air which is drawn into the cavity of the cells 2. The breathing mask 22 is placed over the nose 23 of the user with the elastic straps holding the breathing mask 22 in place. The breathing mask 22 is connected to the warming chamber 1 by the breathing tube 24 connected to exhaust manifold 11 which in turn communicates with the elongated cells 2 of the warming chamber 1. The user then puts outer clothing on over the air warming device before going outside. The cold outside air enters the intake manifold 10 through the intake port 19 which opens to the chamber 12 of the intake manifold 10. When the user inhales, warmed air within the elongated cells 2 flows into the exhaust manifold 11 through the breathing tube 24 and breathing mask 22, at the same time cold air is being drawn into the intake manifold 10 where it is distributed to the intake openings 9 at the lower ends of the elongated cells 2. The cold air enters the cavities of the elongated cells 2 through the relatively larger intake openings 9 where the cold air is then retained for a period of time while warmed air in the upper regions of the elongated cells is drawn through the relatively smaller discharge openings 8 into the exhaust manifold 11. The cold air is retained in the cavities of the elongated cells long enough to be warmed by the body heat of the user to a sufficient degree whereby the warmed air is no longer hazardous or harmful to the health of the user. After inhaling warmed air in this manner, the user then exhales and the exhaled air escapes through the port holes 37 of the exhaust valves 36 in the peripheral wall 33 of the breathing mask 22. This process may then be continually repeated for as long as the user desires to remain outdoors, a continuous supply of warmed air being provided as the user continues to inhale and exhale as described.