Patent
Electronic breathing mixture control
| العنوان: | Electronic breathing mixture control |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 4,236,546 |
| تاريخ النشر: | December 02, 1980 |
| Appl. No: | 05/953,510 |
| Application Filed: | October 23, 1978 |
| مستخلص: | An electronic breathing mixture control system which senses and controls oxygen component partial pressure of an underwater breathing mixture. Three oxygen sensors disposed within a mix chamber generate voltages proportional to the oxygen partial pressure in the mixture. These voltages are processed and compared with reference voltages using digital logic circuitry. The resulting processed signals control two light emitting diodes warning the user of improper oxygen partial pressure and in addition control a switch that actuates an oxygen valve which either restricts oxygen flow to the mix chamber or allows more oxygen to flow therein. |
| Inventors: | Manley, Claude E. (LaPlata, MD); Pennella, John J. (Pomfret, MD); Deaton, Donald J. (Rison, MD); Crandall, Alan L. (Indian Head, MD); Hersey, James P. (Bryans Road, MD) |
| Assignees: | The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy (Washington, DC) |
| Claim: | What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is |
| Claim: | 1. An electronic breathing mixture control system comprising |
| Claim: | a first gas source; |
| Claim: | a gas mix chamber containing a multiple gas mixture including said first gas; |
| Claim: | multiple gas sensors disposed within said gas mixture chamber wherein said gas sensors are responsive to said first gas; |
| Claim: | amplifiers coupled to each of said first gas sensors for producing signals proportional to the partial pressure of said first gas within said gas mix chamber; |
| Claim: | comparator means coupled to said amplifiers for determining whether said amplified sensor signals fall within predetermined ranges corresponding to ranges of partial pressure of said first gas; |
| Claim: | first logic means coupled to said comparator means for producing a first set of logic signals, wherein a selected one of said first logic signals is generated whenever a predetermined number of said amplified sensor signals simultaneously fall within a selected one of said ranges; |
| Claim: | second logic means coupled to said comparator means for producing a second logic signal whenever any one of said amplified sensor signals falls within a range different from that of any one of said other amplified sensor signals by more than a selected number of ranges; |
| Claim: | third logic means coupled to said first and said second logic means for producing a third set of logic signals wherein said third set of logic signals is responsive to selected combinations of said first and said second sets of logic signals, thereby determining whether a valid logic condition exists and, if so, which of said predetermined ranges of partial pressure of said first gas is present in said gas mix chamber; |
| Claim: | indicator means coupled to said third logic means for indicating the status thereof; and |
| Claim: | valve means coupled to said third logic means for allowing communication between said first gas source and said gas mix chamber, whereby said valve means is opened and closed responsive to whether said first gas partial pressure is less than or greater than a predetermined level. |
| Claim: | 2. The system of claim 1, further including |
| Claim: | voltage sensor means coupled to said second logic means for producing a signal whenever the system voltage falls below a predetermined level. |
| Claim: | 3. The system of claim 2 wherein three gas sensors are disposed within said gas mix chamber. |
| Claim: | 4. The system of claim 3 having N predetermined ranges wherein said comparator means comprises |
| Claim: | N sets of comparators, each corresponding to one of said predetermined ranges, wherein each of said sets of comparators comprises |
| Claim: | three differential amplifiers each having two inputs and an output wherein said first input is coupled to one of said gas sensor amplifiers and said second input is coupled to a reference voltage, said reference voltage being proportional to one limit of a predetermined range of first gas partial pressures, and wherein an inverter is coupled to each of said outputs of said differential amplifiers when a particular set of said comparators is configured to determine a lower limit of said predetermined range. |
| Claim: | 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said first logic means comprises |
| Claim: | N sets of first logic gates wherein one set of said first logic gates is coupled to each of said sets of comparators, and wherein each of said sets of first logic gates comprises |
| Claim: | three AND gates each having two inputs and an output wherein said inputs of each AND gate are coupled to two of said three differential amplifiers, and |
| Claim: | an OR gate having three inputs and an output wherein each of said OR gate inputs is coupled to said output of one of said AND gates, and wherein said OR gate output is one logic signal in said first set of logic signals. |
| Claim: | 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said second logic means comprises |
| Claim: | N-1 sets of second logic gates wherein each of said sets of second logic gates is coupled to two of said sets of comparators corresponding to two adjacent predetermined ranges, and wherein each of said sets of second logic gates comprises |
| Claim: | a first OR gate having three inputs and an output wherein each of said inputs is coupled to said output of one of said differential amplifiers in one set of said comparators; |
| Claim: | a second OR gate having three inputs and an output wherein each of said second OR gate inputs is coupled to said output of one of said differential amplifiers in the other set of said comparators; and |
| Claim: | an AND gate having two inputs and an output wherein one of said AND gate inputs is coupled to said output of said first OR gate and said other AND gate input is coupled to said output of said second OR gate; and |
| Claim: | a combining OR gate having N inputs and an output wherein each of said first N-1 inputs is coupled to one of said outputs of said second logic means AND gates and said Nth input is coupled to said voltage sensor means, said output of said combining OR gate being said second logic signal. |
| Claim: | 7. The system of claim 6 wherein said third logic means includes a logic error detector comprising |
| Claim: | N error detector AND gates corresponding to N sets of first logic gates, each of said error detector AND gates having two inputs and an output wherein said inputs are coupled to two of said first logic OR gate outputs, and wherein said output of one of said first logic OR gates is coupled to an error detector inverter to provide a logic signal output to open said valve means whenever said first gas partial pressure is less than a predetermined level; and |
| Claim: | an error detector OR gate having N inputs and an output wherein said inputs are coupled to each of said N error detector AND gate outputs, said output of said error detector OR gate being a logic error signal indicating an impermissible condition in said first logic means. |
| Claim: | 8. The system of claim 7 wherein said valve means comprises |
| Claim: | a first NOR gate having two inputs and an output wherein said first input of said first NOR gate is coupled to said output of said logic error detector OR gate and said second input of said first NOR gate is coupled to said output of one of said first logic OR gates responsive to said predetermined level of first gas partial pressure; |
| Claim: | a second NOR gate having two inputs and an output wherein said first input of said second NOR gate is coupled to said output of said logic error detector OR gate and said second input of said second NOR gate is coupled to said output of said error detector inverter; |
| Claim: | a first transistor switch having an input and an output wherein said input is coupled to said output of said first NOR gate; |
| Claim: | a second transistor switch having an input and an output wherein said input is coupled to said output of said second NOR gate; and |
| Claim: | a valve having an OPEN control input and a CLOSE control input wherein said OPEN control input is coupled to said output of said first transistor switch and said CLOSE control input is coupled to said output of said second transistor switch, thereby opening said valve whenever said first gas partial pressure is below said predetermined level and closing said valve whenever said first gas partial pressure is above said predetermined level. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 137/88; 137/93; 12820/422 |
| Patent References Cited: | 3556098 January 1971 Kanwisher 3593735 July 1971 Reiher 3675649 July 1972 Basham et al. 3727626 April 1973 Kanwisher et al. 3794059 February 1974 Burt, Jr. 3805590 April 1974 Ringwall et al. 3957043 May 1976 Shelby 3973562 August 1976 Jansson 4016876 April 1977 Martin et al. 4056098 November 1977 Michel et al. |
| Primary Examiner: | Cline, William R. |
| Assistant Examiner: | Spiegel, H. Jay |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Sciascia, R. S. Branning, A. L. Lashmit, D. A. |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.04236546 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |