Breakaway coupling assembly

Claim 1

LIFE SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO A USER COMPRISING AN ELASTIC TUBULAR SECTION, MEANS FOR CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID SECTION TO A FLUID SUPPLY LINE, A DISCONNECT COUPLING ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SECTION AND HAVING A RELEASABLE LATCHING MEANS ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A USER, A FLEXIBLE COUPLING MEANS BEING ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID CONNECTING MEANS AND AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID RELEASABLE LATCHING MEANS, SAID FLEXIBLE COUPLING BEING LONGER THAN THE UNSTRETCHED LENGTH OF SAID ELASTIC SECTION AND HAVING SUBSTANTIAL SLACK WHEN SAID SECTION IS IN ITS NORMAL UNSTRETCHED CONDITION, SAID SECTION BEING CAPABLE OF ELASTIC ELONGATION BETWEEN ITS UNSTRETCHED LENGTH AND A PREDETERMINED GREATER LENGTH WITHOUT RELEASING SAID LATCHING MEANS, THEREBY ACCOMMODATING NORMAL FORCES ON SAID APPARATUS, AND SAID FLEXIBLE COUPLING MEANS ACCOMMODATING ELASTIC ELONGATION OF SAID TUBULAR SECTION TO SAID PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND BEING OPERABLE TO ACTUATE SAID RELEASABLE LATCHING MEANS ONLY UPON ELONGATION OF SAID TUBULAR SECTION BEYOND SAID PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND THEREBY DISCONNECT A USER IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED ABNORMAL FORCE ON SAID APPARATUS.