Abstract: Military personnel may use the personal hydration system in environments containing nuclear, biological and chemical agents. This system includes a bladder, a neck, a cap having an outlet port and a hose with a connector. The bladder has no sharp or small radius internal corners and may be tuned inside out through an oversized fill port to ensure complete cleaning. The cap is sealed by a primary seal, wherein a thicker portion of the bladder is trapped between the cap and the neck, and a secondary seal, wherein seals are squeezed between the neck and the bladder's interior. The cap includes an outlet port, thereby decreasing the possible exposure sites. The connector is adapted so that it may attach itself to various other equipment, such as gas masks or mouthpieces. A user wearing thick gloves will be capable of operating the entire system, including the cap and the connectors.

Abstract: The composite sealing element of the invention includes an elastomeric sealing lip portion and a base portion, chemically bonded to the sealing lip comprised of an elastomer reinforced with discrete dispersed fibers oriented in a preferential manner, and the sealing lip and base portions being chemically bonded together such as by covulcanization to form an integral sealing element resistant to delamination. The method involved forming a fiber loaded sheet in which the fibers are oriented generally unidirectionally, plying up the sheet to form the base portion of the sealing element, and molding the finished article under heat and pressure.

Abstract: The composite sealing element of the invention includes an elastomeric sealing lip portion and a base portion, chemically bonded to the sealing lip comprised of an elastomer reinforced with discrete dispersed fibers oriented in a preferential manner, and the sealing lip and base portions being chemically bonded together such as by covulcanization to form an integral sealing element resistant to delamination. The method involved forming a fiber loaded sheet in which the fibers are oriented generally unidirectionally, plying up the sheet to form the base portion of the sealing element, and molding the finished article under heat and pressure.