QUICK CONNECT PRESSURE REDUCER/CYLINDER VALVE FOR SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS

A quick pressure reducer and cylinder valve or use with an SCA includes a cylinder valve that connects to a pressure vessel, a pressure reduction assembly for reducing the pressure of breathing air provided by the pressure vessel, a probe, and an inlet/latch assembly. The probe includes a notch and a threadless probe tip, and the inlet/latch includes a corresponding, receptacle and one or mom latches adapted to fit into the notch to retain the probe in the receptacle. A pushbutton switch in the receptacle is triggered by insertion of the probe tip therein, thereby providing an electrical signal. Probes of different sizes may be used to correspond to different pressure capacities, and the inlet/latch assembly may be arranged either to permit the insertion of only probe size or may be arranged to accept both sizes but to function differently based on the size of the probe. The latches are inoperable except at or below a nominal pressure.