Change Over Station and Method

摘要

A change over station (COS) for persons in a hazardous environment includes a steel housing having only a single entrance door, a chamber, and an air lock portion. The COS includes a first elongate seat disposed in the chamber and a plurality of compressed air cylinders disposed in the seat. The COS includes plumbing connected to the air cylinders formed of gas lines and valves and an exhaust muffler including first, second and third air paths that provide air into the chamber. The third air path is door activated when the door is opened by a door activated switch. The COS includes a storage portion disposed in the housing having supplies, including water and SCSRs or SCBAs. A method for providing a protected environment to miners from a mine environment in a mine.

主权项

1. A change over station (COS) for persons in a hazardous environment comprising:
a steel housing having only a single door, a chamber, and an entrance portion, the door opening to the air lock portion, the air lock portion connected to the chamber; a first elongate seat disposed in the chamber; a plurality of compressed gas cylinders disposed in the seat; plumbing connected to the gas cylinders formed of gas lines and valves and an exhaust muffler, including a first gas path through the lines that provides a continuous flow or gas into the chamber through the muffler at a rate of greater than 4 cfm when the plumbing is in an on state, a second gas path through the lines that provides a continuous flow of gas into the chamber through the muffler at a rate of less than 1.5 cfm when the plumbing is in a standby state, and a third gas path through the lines which is door activated when the door is opened by a door activated switch which provides additional gas flow as long as the door is open at a rate of greater than 4 cfm into the chamber through the muffler; a valve control panel through which the plumbing extends and which is disposed on the outside of the housing which controls whether the plumbing is in the on state or the standby state; and a storage portion disposed in the housing having supplies, including water and SCSRs or SCBAs.