A portable inhalator device including a length of flexible tubing; a frictional engaging area on the outer surface of a first end of the tubing; and a second engaging area on the inner surface of the second end of the tubing, for releasably gripping the first end of the tubing and sealingly engaging therewith to form a closed loop.

A heat exchange unit is carried on the back of a free swimming diver and includes small tanks of propane and oxygen and a mixing chamber into which the two gases are fed and mixed. The gaseous mixture is then fed through a burner nozzle and burned to heat the atmosphere in a heat exchange chamber. The chamber includes a first coil therethrough in which air from the main oxygen tank is circulated and heated on its way to the diver's mask. A second coil through the heat exchange chamber carries water or other heating fluid from the diver's suit which is heated and returned.

A lightweight face mask for heating surrounding air to be inhaled by a user includes a thin cup-shaped inner shell and an outer shell spaced from and surrounding the inner shell, the inner and outer shells defining a preheating chamber therebetween through which air passes in a counter-current flow pattern before entering a user breathing space inside the inner shell. The mask may include an electric heating element and battery power supply for additionally heating air entering the user breathing space.

A cold weather breathing device and method. Exhaled air warmed by the lungs of a user is flowed into contact with a heat exchange medium to heat the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange medium is positioned in a hollow body adjacent the chest and under cold weather outer clothing of the user. Upon inhaling, cold outside air is contacted with the heat exchange medium so that the inhaled air is heated by the heat exchange medium.

This describes an emergency breathing device for a person buried in snow. Snow contains considerable air. The person inhales through a mouthpiece connected via tubing and a one-way valve to an inhalation chamber. The surface of the inhalation chamber is covered by an inhalation membrane permeable to air but not to snow. The snow-contacting surface of the inhalation membrane is sufficiently large to pass, under normal respiratory pressure gradients, enough air from the snow for normal inhalation. The buried person exhales through the same mouthpiece, which separately connects via tubes and a one-way valve to an exhalation chamber. The exhalation chamber is covered by an exhalation membrane permeable to air but not to snow. The snow-contacting surface of the exhalation membrane is sufficiently large to pass, under normal respiratory pressure gradients, the exhaled air from the exhalation chamber to the snow. The user wears the device on an outer garment, activating it simply by placing the mouthpiece in the mouth. The inhalation and exhalation chambers are located sufficiently far apart on the garment to minimize mixing of previously exhaled air with air for inhalation. The light weight and mechanical simplicity of the device make it easy for a skier to carry, wear, and use.