Greg J Muller, 381638 Beachcomber Ln, Houston, TX 77062

2016022, Aug 11, 2016

Feb 5, 2015

14/614924

- Frederica DE, US
David Allen Graziosi - League City TX, US
Greg Jason Muller - Houston TX, US
Janet G. Ferl - Milton DE, US

B64G 6/00

A novel Adjustable Pressure Suit Torso manufactured from a combination of rigid metal or composite components and flexible textile and membrane materials has been developed. It offers many advantages over primarily soft or rigid approaches to the construction of torso components used in pressure suits such as space suits or high-altitude flight suits. The Adjustable Pressure Suit Torso comprises a series of rigid rings as openings for the limbs and head to extend into from the torso, rigid brackets that are fixed between the rigid ring components, and flexible materials that span the area between the rings to act as a pressure vessel. The brackets have specific sizes and can be easily exchanged to resize the torso to fit a wide range of users. The loading imparted on the pressure suit from operation or pressurization is reacted by the rigid components. The structure can be made to be lightweight and safe from catastrophic depressurization from punctures or tears because the flexible materials are not highly stressed. The technology can be used on a wide variety of pressure suit configurations including those that are joined at the waist, or enter through a hatch on the back, and can be applied to the upper and or lower torso areas of the body. The primary advantages of the Adjustable Pressure Suit Torso over conventional rigid or soft torsos used in pressure suits include improved fit which improved mobility and performance of the wearer, a reduced number of sizes required to fit a large population which reduces logistical burden, lower cost to design and produce, improved safety, improves long-term wearer health by reducing shoulder injuries form donning/doffing and operation, reduced mass, and reduced life-cycle cost.