BREATHABLE MASK

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mask for water activities, particularly a mask for snorkeling that allows the user to breathe through the nose and/or the mouth.

Descriptions of the Related Art

Most of the snorkeling equipment used in current snorkeling activities has a mask body that covers the eyes and nose and is provided with a separate breathing tube. However, humans are more accustomed to breathing through the nose for inhalation and exhalation. When using such a snorkel mask, the user is forced to breathe through only the breathing tube through the mouth and cannot breathe through the nose at all, which does not comply with the user's natural breathing habits. Furthermore, the mask body and the breathing tube are separate components and the connection therebetween is not strong enough because that connection is just weakly made by the head strap and the middle portion of the breathing tube. When the breathing tube is subjected to strong water flow during use, the user must contain the mouthpiece harder in the mouth to stabilize the shaking breathing tube, which not only causes soreness in the mouth muscle but also consumes the user's energy and greatly reduces the enjoyment of snorkeling.

Based on the above shortcomings, some manufacturers have tried to replace the above snorkel masks with full-face snorkel masks (FFSMs). The FFSMs are mainly composed of the mask body and a breathing tube mounted on the top of the mask body. The breathing tube is in fluid communication with the interior of the mask body. The mask body covers the user's eyes and nose, or eyes, nose and mouth.

However, in this design, both inhalation and exhalation are conducted through the breathing tube, and their airflows are often not separated. As a result, during the breathing, clean air and dirty air tend to be rapidly mixed inside the mask body, thereby causing the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the mask body to rise sharply. In this situation, users are likely to experience unconscious oxygen deprivation in a short period of time, resulting in significant danger. In addition, in the case that the mask body of the FFSM only covers the user's eyes and nose, the user's mouth is exposed to contact the water, and the user will inevitably close his/her mouth tightly to prevent accidental water ingestion. This causes a certain level of insecurity for the user. Moreover, users accustomed to snorkeling with a mouthpiece contained in their mouth may feel uncomfortable due to the lack of mouthpiece support. In the case that the mask body of the FFSM is a full-lens type covering the user's eyes, nose and mouth, the interior exhalation space of the mouth and nose is too large, and the pressure to force the water out of the drain valve is often insufficient. As a result, the user must exhale more heavily to drain the accumulated water and therefore must inhale more heavily in the next breathing cycle, which is detrimental to the maintenance of the snorkeler's physical strength.

In view of this, the industry is striving to design a snorkeling equipment that can solve some or all of the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a breathable mask that covers the user's eyes and nose, allowing the user's nose to breathe freely in the mask body and separating the airflow of inhaled fresh air from that of the exhaled dirty air so that the concentration of carbon dioxide within the mask body does not increase. In addition, a multi-channel connector is arranged to extend outwards below the mask body. One of the channels of the multi-channel connector is connected with the lower chamber of the mask body covering the nose. Another one of the channels of the multi-channel connector is provided with a drain valve where water leaking in the mask body is accumulated, which channel keeps the water away from the nostrils, and the accumulated water can be discharged through the drain valve. Yet a further one of the channels of the multi-channel connector is connected with a mouthpiece, for the user's mouth to contain, thereby improving the stability of wearing the breathable mask and allowing the user to inhale and exhale through the mouth as well, in addition to through the nose. In addition, the limited internal volume of the multi-channel connector, along with it being isolated from the lower chamber covering the nose, helps to increase the pressure of exhalation when users exhale heavily through the mouth. This is beneficial for discharging the accumulated water easily, and the accumulated water is less likely to splash back into the lower chamber and enter the nostrils.

Moreover, based on the above design, the present invention further provides two symmetrical exhaust tubes on both sides of the multi-channel connector and directly communicates with the multi-channel connector. The two exhaust tubes form at least part of the exhaust passage of the breathable mask so that dirty air exhaled by the user can be discharged to the outside through the two exhaust tubes, thereby improving the reliability of the exhaust. In one implementation, the two exhaust tubes are completely independent of the breathing tube and are assembled on the two outer sides of the mask body so that the breathing tube does not need to provide space for the exhaust conduit (meaning that the diameter of the breathing tube can be reduced or the volume of the air intake provided by the internal intake conduit can be increased), which can further reduce manufacturing and assembly costs and improve intake efficiency.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention discloses a breathable mask, including a breathing tube having an upper end portion and a lower end portion opposite to the upper end portion, in which the breathing tube is formed with an intake conduit inside, the upper end portion is capable of preventing outer water from flowing in underwater and allowing fresh air inhaled by a user to enter therethrough and flow along the intake conduit to the lower end portion; and a body connected to the lower end portion of the breathing tube, in which the body has an interior being in fluid communication with the breathing tube. The body includes a main frame; a lens embedded within the main frame; and a waterproof skirt having a front portion being embedded with the main frame and the lens and a rear portion being configured to suitably fit a face of a user. The waterproof skirt has a partition dividing the interior of the body into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. When the user wears the breathable mask through a fastening device, the partition rests above a nose of the user, and eyes and the nose of the user are accommodated in the upper chamber and the lower chamber, respectively. The body further includes: a multi-channel connector having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end being in fluid communication with the lower chamber, the lower end being provided with a drain valve; an intake passage formed between the lower end portion of the breathing tube and the lower chamber and provided with an intake one-way valve for the inhaled air unidirectionally flowing through the intake passage and entering the lower chamber; an exhaust passage arranged upward along a periphery of the body to allow dirty air exhaled from the user to unidirectionally flow outward through the exhaust passage. The exhaust passage comprises an exhaust tube which has a bottom portion being coupled to an outer side of the multi-channel connector and communicating with the multi-channel connector.

In an aspect, the breathing tube further is formed with an exhaust conduit inside which is independent of the intake conduit, and the exhaust passage further includes an exhaust tunnel formed between the exhaust conduit and the exhaust tube so that the dirty air exhaled by the user is capable of being discharged outwards from the multi-channel connector through the exhaust tube, the exhaust tunnel and exhaust conduit in sequence; The exhaust tunnel extending along the periphery of the body is jointly defined by the waterproof skirt and an inner surface of the lens. The exhaust tube has a top portion communicating with the exhaust tunnel.

In an example, the intake one-way valve is disposed on the partition, and the intake passage is defined by the upper chamber and the intake one-way valve.

In an example, the body further includes a bottom exhaust one-way valve being disposed in a region where the exhaust tube is coupled with the multi-channel connector, and the exhaust passage is defined by the bottom exhaust one-way valve, the exhaust tube and the exhaust tunnel.

In an example, the exhaust tube extends upward along the periphery of the body and an outer side of the breathing tube.

In another aspect, the body further includes a top exhaust one-way valve disposed on a top portion of the exhaust tube, and the intake one-way valve is disposed on the partition. wherein the intake passage is defined by the upper chamber and the intake one-way valve, and the exhaust passage is defined by the top exhaust one-way valve and the exhaust tube.

In an example, the body further includes a bottom exhaust one-way valve being disposed in a region where the exhaust tube is coupled with the multi-channel connector, wherein the exhaust passage is defined by the top exhaust one-way valve, the exhaust tube and the bottom exhaust one-way valve.

In an example, the breathable mask further includes a fastener sustaining the exhaust tube along the breathing tube.

In any of the above aspects, the multi-channel connector has a nose connecting portion, a mouth connecting portion and a drain portion in fluid communication with one another, the nose connecting portion is in fluid communication with the lower chamber, the mouth connecting portion is provided with a mouthpiece to be contained in the mouth of the user, and the drain portion is provided with the drain valve for draining water accumulated within the body.

In any of the above aspects, the body further includes a nose-mouth one-way valve disposed in a region where the nose connecting portion is in fluid communication with the lower chamber, whereby only allowing fluid to unidirectionally flow from the lower chamber to enter the nose connecting portion through the nose-mouth one-way valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front schematic view of the breathable mask according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a rear exploded view of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a rear perspective view after being taken along line 1C-1C of FIG. 1A, showing the intake airflow of fresh air when the user inhales.

FIG. 1D is a front perspective view of FIG. 1C, showing the exhaust airflow of dirty air when the user exhales.

FIG. 2A is a front schematic view of the breathable mask according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a rear exploded view of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a rear perspective view after being taken along line 2C-2C of FIG. 2A, showing the intake airflow of fresh air when the user inhales.

FIG. 2D is a front perspective view of FIG. 2C, showing the exhaust airflow of dirty air when the user exhales.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

It shall be appreciated that the following description of the embodiments is only to explain the contents of the present invention, but not to limit the invention as claimed. Elements not directly related to the present invention, such as the head strap that secures the mask to the user's head, are omitted from the description, and the dimensions as depicted for all elements in the drawings are just for easy understanding and do not intend to limit their actual scales.

The breathable mask of the present invention mainly has a multi-channel connector extending outward from the bottom of the mask body that covers the eyes and nose of the user. One of the channels of the multi-channel connector is connected with the lower chamber of the mask body covering the nose. Another one of the channels of the multi-channel connector is provided with a drain valve. Yet a further one of the channels of the multi-channel connector is connected with a mouthpiece for being contained by the user's mouth. Moreover, the multi-channel connector, preferably, further provides two symmetrical exhaust tubes on the two sides thereof, respectively, and such two symmetrical exhaust tubes directly communicate with the multi-channel connector. The two exhaust tubes form at least part of the exhaust passage of the breathable mask so that dirty air exhaled by the user can be discharged to the outside through the two exhaust tubes, thereby improving the reliability of the exhaust. The contents of the present invention will be illustrated through the following two different embodiments.

The first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1A-1D. FIG. 1A is a front schematic view of a breathable mask 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a rear exploded view of the breathable mask 1. The breathable mask 1 mainly includes a breathing tube 11 and a body 13. In addition, FIG. 1C depicts a rear view of the breathable mask 1, and FIG. 1D depicts a front view of the breathable mask 1, both showing transverse cross-sections of the breathing tube 11.

The breathing tube 11 has an upper end portion 11a and a lower end portion 11b opposite to the upper end portion 11a. The breathing tube 11 further has an interior which is longitudinally partitioned into an intake conduit 112 and two exhaust conduits 114. Depending on various implementations, it is an option that only one single exhaust conduit is formed inside the breathing tube, and the intake conduit and the exhaust conduit may be longitudinally partitioned in a left-right arrangement or a front-to-rear arrangement. The upper end portion 11a has an air inlet 102 so that when the user inhales, fresh air can enter therethrough and flow along the intake conduit 112 to the lower end portion 11b.

Preferably, the breathing tube of the present invention is a dry-top breathing tube in which the upper end portion can exchange air with the outside above the water surface and can block the air exchange with the outside under the water surface (i.e., the breathing tube 11 as shown in FIG. 1A). However, in practice, the breathing tube is not limited to its form, nor is it limited to its relative position to the body.

The body 13 is connected with the lower end portion 11b of the breathing tube 11 so that the interior of the body 13 is in fluid communication with the breathing tube 11. The body 13 mainly includes a main frame 13a, a lens 13b, a waterproof skirt 13c and a multi-channel connector 13d. The lens 13b is embedded within the main frame 13a. The lens 13b is not limited to a single lens connected to the left and right. Two independent lenses arranged on the left and right are also feasible.

The waterproof skirt 13c has a front portion 13cf being embedded with the main frame 13a and the lens 13b, and a rear portion 13cr being configured to suitably fit the face of the user. The waterproof skirt 13c has a partition 13c1. The partition 13c1 is provided to divide the interior of the body 13 into an upper chamber 202 and a lower chamber 204. When the user wears the breathable mask 1 through a fastening device (e.g., an elastic head strap, not shown), the partition 13c1 rests above a nose of the user, and eyes and the nose of the user are suitably accommodated in the upper chamber 202 and the lower chamber 204, respectively. In practice, the region the waterproof skirt 13c covering the nose may be made of soft material so that the user can pinch the nose for performing the function of equalizing onto the nose (such as an operation called “Frensel Equalization”).

The multi-channel connector 13d has an upper end 13d1 and a lower end 13d2. The upper end 13d1 is coupled to the waterproof skirt 13c and in fluid communication with the lower chamber 204. The multi-channel connector 13d and the waterproof skirt 13c may be integrally formed or formed as separate components as long as they have considerable watertightness after being assembled together. In addition, the body 13 may further include a drain valve 13f, which is disposed at the lower end 13d2 of the multi-channel connector 13d. Because the internal volume of the multi-channel connector 13d is small enough, the pressure generated, when the user exhale heavily through the mouth, is enough to allow the accumulated water in the mask body 13 to be discharged more easily through the drain valve 13f.

The body 13 further includes an intake passage and an exhaust passage. The intake passage is formed between the lower end portion 11b of the breathing tube 11 and the lower chamber 204, and is preferably provided with two intake one-way valves 13e which are symmetrically provided on the partition 13c1 to allow the inhaled air to unidirectionally pass through the intake passage and enter the lower chamber 204. In this aspect, the intake passage is defined by the upper chamber 202 and the intake one-way valves 13e. When the user inhales through the nose, fresh air enters the upper chamber 202 from the intake conduit 112 of the breathing tube 11, then enters the lower chamber 204 through the intake one-way valves 13e, and is supplied to the user's nose for inhalation. The intake path can be referred to by the airflow shown in the solid line of FIG. 1C. It should be noted that the intake one-way valves 13e are provided to allow the shunting of the intake and exhaust to be more complete so that the dirty air exhaled by the user will not flow back from the lower chamber 204 to the upper chamber 202, thereby ensuring that the lens 13b positioned relative to the upper chamber 202 does not fog up. However, the intake one-way valves 13e are optional.

On the other hand, the exhaust passage mainly includes the two exhaust conduits 13g and the two exhaust tunnels 132 which are arranged between the two exhaust conduits 114 and the two exhaust tubes 13g, respectively. The two exhaust tubes 13g are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of body 13. A top portion 13gt of the exhaust tube 13g on each side communicates with the exhaust tunnel 132 on their respective side. A bottom portion 13gb of the exhaust tube 13g on each side is coupled to an outer side of the multi-channel connector 13d and communicates with the multi-channel connector 13d. Each exhaust tunnel 132 extending along the periphery of the body 13 may be jointly defined by the waterproof skirt 13c and an inner surface of the lens 13b. In this way, the dirty air exhaled by the user can unidirectionally pass upward from the multi-channel connector 13d along a periphery of the body 13, specifically run through the exhaust tube 13g and the exhaust tunnel 132 in sequence and is discharged outwards through the exhaust conduit 114. The exhaust path can be referred to by the airflow shown in the dotted line of FIG. 1D.

Similarly, depending on various implementations, the exhaust passage may also include only a single exhaust tube and a single exhaust tunnel; that is, the number and arrangement of the exhaust tubes and exhaust tunnels are not limited to the aspect shown in FIGS. 1A-1D.

The multi-channel connector 13d has a nose connecting portion 13dn, a mouth connecting portion 13dm and a drain portion 13dw that are in fluid communication with one another. The nose connecting portion 13dn is in fluid communication with the lower chamber 204. The nose connecting portion 13dn may have flexibility, allowing it to be bent or deformed, making the breathable mask 1 more adaptable to various face shapes when worn by users. In addition, the body 13 may further include a nose-mouth one-way valve 13i disposed in a region where the nose connecting portion 13dn is in fluid communication with the lower chamber 204 (e.g., it may be disposed in the region above the nose connecting portion 13dn), whereby only allowing fluid to unidirectionally flow from the lower chamber 204 to enter the nose connecting portion 13dn through the nose-mouth one-way valve 13i to prevent the exhaled dirty air from flowing back to the lower chamber 204. The nose-mouth one-way valve 13i is not limited to being disposed above the nose connecting portion 13dn and any positions in which the nose-mouth one-way valve 13i is disposed to prevent the fluid in the nose connecting portion 13dnfrom flowing back to the lower chamber 204 are all feasible. Similarly, the arrangement of the nose-mouth one-way valve 13i is optional.

Furthermore, the mouth connecting portion 13dm is provided with a mouthpiece 13dp for the user's mouth to contain. When snorkeling, the mouthpiece 13dp is capable of being contained by the user's mouth, thereby improving the stability of wearing the breathable mask and allowing the user to inhale and exhale through the mouth as well in addition to through the nose. For example, when the user inhales from the mouth, fresh air will pass through the nose-mouth one-way valve 13i from the lower chamber 204, enter the multi-channel connector 13d, and then pass through the mouth connecting portion 13dm to be supplied to the user's mouth through the mouthpiece 13dp.

In addition, the body 13 may further include a bottom exhaust one-way valve 13h being disposed in a region where each exhaust tube 13g is coupled with the multi-channel connector 13d to prevent the dirty air residing in the exhaust passage from flowing back to the multi-channel connector 13d to pollute the inhaled fresh air in the next breathing cycle. In this aspect, the exhaust passage is defined by the bottom exhaust one-way valves 13h, the exhaust tubes 13g and the exhaust tunnels 132. The bottom exhaust one-way valve 13h is preferably disposed in the region where the exhaust tube 13g and the multi-channel connector 13d are coupled, but not limited thereto, and any positions in which the bottom exhaust one-way valve 13h is disposed to prevent the dirty air in the exhaust passage from flowing back to the multi-channel connector 13d are all feasible. Similarly, the arrangement of the bottom exhaust one-way valve 13h is optional, anyway.

The drain portion 13dw is provided with a drain valve 13f for draining water accumulated within the body 13. Because the internal volume of the multi-channel connector 13d is limited and is isolated from the lower chamber 204 covering the nose, such an arrangement can increase the pressure, when users exhale heavily through the mouth, for draining the accumulated water easily.

Furthermore, when the user exhales through the nose, part of the dirty air will first pass through the nose-mouth one-way valve 13i, enter the multi-channel connector 13d, pass through the bottom exhaust one-way valves 13h to enter the exhaust tubes 13g, run upward through the exhaust tunnels 132 to enter the exhaust conduits 114 of the breathing tube 11 and then be discharged to the outside. Furthermore, part of the dirty air can pass downward through the drain valve 13f of the drain portion 13dw, and is discharged outwards to the outside along with water accumulated within the multi-channel connector 13d.

Similarly, when the user exhales from the mouth, part of the dirty air will enter the multi-channel connector 13d, pass through the bottom exhaust one-way valves 13h to enter the exhaust tubes 13g, run upward through the exhaust tunnels 132 to enter the exhaust conduits 114 of the breathing tube 11 and then be discharged to the outside. Likewise, part of the dirty air passes downward through the drain valve 13f of the drain portion 13dw, and is discharged outwards to the outside along with water accumulated within the multi-channel connector 13d.

In alternative embodiments, the multi-channel connector 13d may not have the mouth connecting portion 13dm. That is, the multi-channel connector 13d becomes a two-way connector to make the lower chamber 204 and the exhaust tubes 13g communicate with each other to allow the dirty air exhaled by the user's nose to pass through the exhaust tubes 13g and the exhaust tunnel 132, and then be discharged to the outside through the exhaust conduit 114 of the breathing tube 11. When the user exhales heavily through the nose, to some extents, the dirty air can be discharged through the drain valve 13f of the drain portion 13dw along with the water drainage. In an alternative, it is also feasible that the drain portion 13dw can be bifurcated into two channels. In summary, the number of channels of the multi-channel connectors 13d should not be limited. It can be designed and adjusted according to different needs, such as lightweight, manufacturing cost, addition, or reduction of functions, etc.

The second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2A-2D. FIG. 2A is a schematic view of a breathable mask 3 of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a rear exploded view of the breathable mask 3. The breathable mask 3 mainly includes a breathing tube 31 and a body 33. In addition, FIG. 2C depicts a rear view of the breathable mask 3, and

FIG. 2D depicts a front view of the breathable mask 3, both showing transverse cross-sections of the breathing tube 31. 1

The breathing tube 31 has an upper end portion 31a and a lower end portion 31b opposite to the upper end portion 31a. In this embodiment, the breathing tube 31 is just required to be formed with only one intake conduit 112 inside. The upper end portion 31a has an air inlet 302 for fresh air inhaled by a user to enter therethrough and flow along the intake conduit 312 to the lower end portion 31b.

The body 33 is connected with the lower end portion 31b of the breathing tube 31 so that the interior of the body 33 is in fluid communication with the breathing tube 31. The body 33 mainly includes a main frame 33a, a lens 33b, a waterproof skirt 33c and a multi-channel connector 33d. The lens 33b is embedded within the main frame 33a. The lens 33b is not limited to a single lens connected to the left and right. Two independent lenses on the left and right are also feasible.

The waterproof skirt 33c has a front portion 33cf being embedded with the main frame 33a and the lens 33b, and a rear portion 33cr being configured to suitably fit the face of the user. The waterproof skirt 33c has a partition 33c1. The partition 33c1 is provided to divide the interior of the body 33 into an upper chamber 402 and a lower chamber 404. When the user wears the breathable mask 3 through a fastening device (e.g., an elastic head strap, not shown), the partition 33c1 rests above a nose of the user, and eyes and the nose of the user are suitably accommodated in the upper chamber 402 and the lower chamber 404, respectively. In practice, the region the waterproof skirt 33c covering the nose may be made of soft material so that the user can pinch the nose for performing the function of equalizing onto the nose (such as an operation called “Frensel Equalization”).

The multi-channel connector 33d has an upper end 33d1 and a lower end 33d2. The upper end 33d1 is coupled to the waterproof skirt 33c and in fluid communication with the lower chamber 404. The multi-channel connector 33d and the waterproof skirt 33c may be integrally formed or formed as separate components as long as they have considerable watertightness after being assembled together. In addition, the body 33 may further include a drain valve 33f, which is disposed at the lower end 33d2 of the multi-channel connector 33d. Because the internal volume of the multi-channel connector 33d is small enough, the pressure generated when the user exhales heavily through the mouth is enough to allow the accumulated water in the mask body 33 to be discharged more easily through the drain valve 33f.

The body 33 further includes an intake passage and an exhaust passage. The intake passage is formed between the lower end portion 31b of the breathing tube 31 and the lower chamber 404, and is preferably provided with two intake one-way valve 33e which are symmetrically provided on the partition 33c1 to allow the inhaled air to unidirectionally pass through the intake passage and enter the lower chamber 404. In this aspect, the intake passage is defined by the upper chamber 402 and the intake one-way valve 33e. When the user inhales through the nose, fresh air enters the upper chamber 402 from the intake conduit 312 of the breathing tube 31, enters the lower chamber 404 through the intake one-way valve 33e, and is supplied to the user's nose for inhalation. The intake path can be referred to by the airflow shown in the solid line of FIG. 2C. It should be noted that the intake one-way valves 33e are provided to allow the shunting of the intake and exhaust to be more complete so that the dirty air exhaled by the user will not flow back from the lower chamber 404 to the upper chamber 402, thereby ensuring that the lens 33b positioned relative to the upper chamber 402 does not fog up. However, the intake one-way valves 33e are optional.

Different from the breathable mask 1 of the first embodiment, the exhaust passage of the breathable mask 3 of this embodiment is mainly composed of two exhaust tubes 33g. The exhaust tubes 33g are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the body 33, extending upward along the periphery of the body 33 and the outer sides of the breathing tube 31. The breathable mask 3 can be equipped with any form of fasteners to sustain the exhaust tubes 33g along the breathing tube 31. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the exhaust tubes 33g can be sustained on the outer sides of the breathing tube 31 by a fastener 37 (e.g., symmetrical snaps).

In addition, it can be further noted from FIG. 2A that a portion of each exhaust tube 33g extending from the periphery of the body 33 can also be sustained by the main frame 33a so that the exhaust tubes 33g can be well assembled on both sides of the body 33. Therefore, the fastener 37 is only used to further provide an external connection between the exhaust tubes 33g and the breathing tube 31 to make the exhaust tubes 33g more stable and to avoid discomfort to the user due to the shaking by the water flow during snorkeling. However, the fastener 37 is optional, and it does not have to be disposed in the position as shown in the FIG. 2A, and other positions are also feasible.

A bottom portion 33gb of the exhaust tube 33g on each side is coupled to an outer side of the multi-channel connector 33d and communicates with the multi-channel connector 33d. In addition, the body 33 further includes a top exhaust one-way valve 33h1 disposed on a top portion 33gt of each exhaust tube 33g. The top portion 33gt may have a seat 35 that also serves as a cover of each exhaust tube 33g and for securing the top exhaust one-way valve 33h1. In this aspect, the exhaust passage is defined by the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1 and the exhaust tubes 33g. In this way, the dirty air exhaled by the user can pass upward through the exhaust tubes 33g from the multi-channel connector 33d, and be directly discharged outwards through the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1. The exhaust path can be referred to by the airflow shown in the dotted line of FIG. 2D.

Compared with the breathing tube 11 of the first embodiment, the intake method of the breathing tube 31 in this embodiment is unchanged, and the breathing tube 31 is only responsible for the intake function and no longer for accommodating the exhaust mechanism.

In this way, the breathing tube 31 becomes a pure inhaling tube, and the intake airflow can naturally increase, or the breathing tube can be designed to be thinner than the conventional breathing tube, thereby making the entire breathable mask lighter.

Similarly, depending on various implementations, the exhaust passage may also include only a single exhaust tube; that is, the number and arrangement of the exhaust tubes are not limited to the aspect shown in FIGS. 2A-2D.

The multi-channel connector 33d has a nose connecting portion 33dn, a mouth connecting portion 33dm and a drain portion 33dw that are in fluid communication with one another. The nose connecting portion 33dn is in fluid communication with the lower chamber 404. The nose connecting portion 33dn may have flexibility, allowing it to be bent or deformed, making the breathable mask 3 more adaptable to various face shapes when worn by users. In addition, the body 33 may further include a nose-mouth one-way valve 33i disposed in a region where the nose connecting portion 33dn is in fluid communication with the lower chamber 404 (e.g., it may be disposed in the region above the nose connecting portion 33dn), whereby only allowing fluid to unidirectionally flow from the lower chamber 404 to enter the nose connecting portion 33dn through the nose-mouth one-way valve 33i to prevent the exhaled dirty air from flowing back to the lower chamber 404. The nose-mouth one-way valve 33i is not limited to being disposed above the nose connecting portion 33dn and any positions in which the nose-mouth one-way valve 33i is disposed to prevent the fluid in the nose connecting portion 33dnfrom flowing back to the lower chamber 404 are all feasible. Similarly, the arrangement of the nose-mouth one-way valve 33i is optional, anyway.

Furthermore, the mouth connecting portion 33dm is provided with a mouthpiece 33dp for the user's mouth to contain. When snorkeling, the mouthpiece 33dp is capable of being contained by the user's mouth, thereby improving the stability of wearing the breathable mask and allowing the user to inhale and exhale through the mouth as well in addition to through the nose. For example, when the user inhales from the mouth, fresh air will pass through the nose-mouth one-way valve 33i from the lower chamber 404, enter the multi-channel connector 33d, and then pass through the mouth connecting portion 33dm to be supplied to the user's mouth through the mouthpiece 33dp.

In addition, the body 33 may further include a bottom exhaust one-way valve 33h2 being disposed in a region where each exhaust tube 33g is coupled with the multi-channel connector 33d to prevent the dirty air residing in the exhaust passage from flowing back to the multi-channel connector 33d to pollute the inhaled fresh air in the next breathing cycle. In this aspect, the exhaust passage is defined by the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1, the exhaust tubes 33g and the bottom exhaust one-way valves 33h2. The bottom exhaust one-way valve 33h2 is preferably disposed in the region where the exhaust tube 33g and the multi-channel connector 33d are coupled, but not limited thereto, and any positions in which the bottom exhaust one-way valve 33h2 is disposed to prevent the dirty air in the exhaust passage from flowing back to the multi-channel connector 33d are all feasible. Likewise, the arrangement of the bottom exhaust one-way valve 33h2 is optional, anyway.

The drain portion 33dw is provided with a drain valve 33f for draining water accumulated within the body 33. Because the internal volume of the multi-channel connector 33d is limited and is isolated from the lower chamber 404 covering the nose, this can increase the pressure, when users exhale heavily through the mouth, for draining the accumulated water easily.

Furthermore, when the user exhales through the nose, part of the dirty air will first pass through the nose-mouth one-way valve 33i, enter the multi-channel connector 33d, pass through the bottom exhaust one-way valves 33h2 to enter the exhaust tubes 33g, and then run upward to be discharged to the outside directly through the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1. Furthermore, part of the dirty air can pass downward through the drain valve 33f of the drain portion 33dw, and be discharged outwards to the outside along with water accumulated within the multi-channel connector 33d.

Similarly, when the user exhales from the mouth, part of the dirty air will enter the multi-channel connector 33d, pass through the bottom exhaust one-way valves 33h2 to enter the exhaust tubes 33g, and then pass upward to be discharged to the outside directly through the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1. Likewise, part of the dirty air passes downward through the drain valve 33f of the drain portion 33dw, and be discharged outwards to the outside along with water accumulated within the multi-channel connector 33d.

In alternative embodiments, the multi-channel connector 33d may not have the mouth connecting portion 33dm. That is, the multi-channel connector 33d becomes a two-way connector to make the lower chamber 404 and the exhaust tubes 33g communicate with each other to allow the dirty air exhaled by the user's nose to pass through the exhaust tubes 33g and be discharged to the outside directly through the top exhaust one-way valves 33h1. When the user exhales heavily through the nose, to some extents, the dirty air can be discharged through the drain valve 33f of the drain portion 33dw along with the water drainage. In an alternative, it is also feasible that the drain portion 33dw can be bifurcated into two channels. In summary, the number of channels of the multi-channel connectors 33d should not be limited. It can be designed and adjusted according to different needs, such as lightweight, manufacturing cost, addition or reduction of functions, etc.

The various one-way valves mentioned above (i.e., the intake check valves, the exhaust one-way valves and the nose-mouth one-way valve) are not limited to any form, which can be mushroom-type (circular), pivot-type (often rectangle) or other types of valve devices, provided that it can provide one-way fluid communication.

In summary, the present invention provides a breathable mask that covers the user's eyes and nose, in which a multi-channel connector is provided below the mask body and communicates with the lower chamber of the mask body covering the nose. The multi-channel connector may be made of the same material as the waterproof skirt (e.g., silicone rubber). Therefore, the multi-channel connector and the waterproof skirt can be separate components, or they can be integrally formed into one piece. The arrangement of the multi-channel connector does not affect the original structure in which the main frame, the lens and the waterproof skirt tightly fit one another, and still can keep excellent watertightness.

Moreover, one of the channels of the multi-channel connector may be provided with a drain valve to accumulate water in the mask, keep the water away from the nostrils, and effectively discharge the accumulated water through the drain valve. Yet a further one of the channels of the multi-channel connector may be connected to a mouthpiece for the user's mouth to contain, thereby improving the stability of wearing the breathable mask and allowing the user to inhale and exhale through the mouth as well in addition to through the nose.

The multi-channel connector may provide two symmetrical exhaust tubes on the two sides thereof, respectively, and such two symmetrical exhaust tubes directly communicate with the multi-channel connector. The two exhaust tubes form at least part of the exhaust passage of the breathable mask so that dirty air exhaled by the user can be discharged to the outside through the two exhaust tubes, thereby improving the reliability of the exhaust. In one implementation, the two exhaust tubes are completely independent of the breathing tube and assembled on the two outer sides of the mask body. In this way, the breathing tube becomes a pure inhaling tube, which is only responsible for constituting an intake passage and no longer for providing an exhaust passage. Since there is no need to accommodate the exhaust mechanism, the breathing tube has an increased intake airflow, or can be designed to be thinner than the conventional breathing tube so that the overall weight of the breathable mask is lighter and the shape design of the top of the breathing tube can be more flexible and variable.

The above embodiments are used only to illustrate the implementations of the present invention and to explain its technical features, and are not used to limit its scope. Any modifications or equivalent arrangements that can be easily accomplished by those skilled in the art (e.g., the number of the intake passages, the number of the exhaust passages, etc.) are considered to fall within the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should be limited by the claims of the patent application. For example, the number of intake valves included in the intake passage, and the number of exhaust valves, exhaust tubes, and exhaust tunnels, etc. included in the exhaust passage should not be limited to just the quantity of “one” as set forth in the claims for the cause of clarity.

BREATHABLE MASK

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