CIRCUIT FOR SUPPLYING A RESPIRATORY GAS TO AN AIRCRAFT PASSENGER FROM A PRESSURIZED SOURCE COMPRISING A PRESSURE REGULATING UNIT
The present invention relates to a circuit for supplying a respiratory gas to an aircraft passenger comprising a pressurized source of the respiratory gas, a respiratory mask for the aircraft passenger, and a supply line coupled between the pressurized source and the respiratory mask for supplying the respiratory gas from the pressurized source to the respiratory mask. In order to reduce the weight of the circuit, the pressurized source comprises a pressure regulating unit coupling the pressurized source to the supply line, wherein the pressure regulating unit comprises a valve body being movable from a sealing position to a regulating position range and a motor unit for regulating the pressure of the respiratory gas supplied to the supply line by moving the valve body within the regulating position range, wherein, when the valve body is in the sealing position, the pressurized source is sealed, and, when the valve body is in the regulating position range, the pressurized source is adapted for supplying the respiratory gas to the supply line.
1 . A circuit for supplying a respiratory gas to an aircraft passenger, comprising:
a pressurized source of the respiratory gas,
a respiratory mask for the aircraft passenger, and
a supply line coupled between the pressurized source and the respiratory mask for supplying the respiratory gas from the pressurized source to the respiratory mask,
wherein the pressurized source comprises a pressure regulating unit coupling the pressurized source to the supply line,
wherein the pressure regulating unit comprises a valve body being movable from a sealing position to a regulating position range and a motor unit for regulating the pressure of the respiratory gas supplied to the supply line by moving the valve body within the regulating position range, wherein,
when the valve body is in the sealing position, the pressurized source is sealed, and,
when the valve body is in the regulating position range, the pressurized source is adapted for supplying the respiratory gas to the supply line.
2 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating unit further comprises a spring element holding the valve body in the sealing position.
3 . The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the spring element is further adapted to move the valve body from the regulating position range to the sealing position.
4 . The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the motor unit is adapted to move the valve body in a direction opposite to the direction of force, which is applied to the valve body by the spring element.
5 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the motor unit comprises a piezo actuator.
6 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating unit comprises a pressure regulating chamber and a high pressure chamber, wherein the pressure regulating chamber and the high pressure chamber are connected by an opening, which is sealed when the valve body is in the sealing position and which is open when the valve body is in the regulating position range.
7 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the spring element is comprised in the high pressure chamber and causes the valve body to seal the opening.
8 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure chamber comprises a fill pressure gauge for determining the pressure of the respiratory gas within the pressurized source.
9 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating chamber comprises a temperature sensor for determining the temperature within the pressure regulating chamber.
10 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating chamber comprises a regulator pressure sensor for determining the pressure within the pressure regulating chamber.
11 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit further comprises an altitude pressure sensor for determining the pressure within the cabin.
12 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit further comprises a control unit coupled to the regulator pressure sensor, to the temperature sensor and to the altitude pressure sensor, wherein the control unit is adapted for controlling the motor unit on basis of the determined pressures and temperature determined by the regulator pressure sensor, the temperature sensor and the altitude pressure sensor.
13 . The circuit of claim 12 , wherein the control unit comprises a memory for storing a correlation between a predefined pressure within the pressure regulating chamber and a predefined temperature within the pressure regulating chamber and/or a predefined pressure within the cabin.
14 . The circuit of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is adapted for causing the motor unit to move the valve body within the regulating position range until the determined pressure within the pressure regulating chamber matches a predefined pressure within the pressure regulating chamber.
15 . A pressurized source of a respiratory gas for being used in a circuit for supplying the respiratory gas to an aircraft passenger, comprising:
a pressure regulating unit for coupling the pressurized source to a supply line for supplying the respiratory gas from the pressurized source to a respiratory mask of an aircraft passenger,
wherein the pressure regulating unit comprises a valve body being movable from a sealing position to a regulating position range and a motor unit for regulating the pressure of the respiratory gas supplied to the supply line by moving the valve body within the regulating position range, wherein,
when the valve body is in the sealing position, the pressurized source is sealed, and,
when the valve body is in the regulating position range, the pressurized source is adapted for supplying the respiratory gas to the supply line.