This invention relates to face masks and respirators and, more particularly to a face mask or respirator with a noseform and a method to prevent inhaling and exhaling harmful air borne substances, to prevent a spreading of contagious air borne substances, to improve breathing and to prevent a fogging of eyeglasses.
Face masks and respirators are worn by medical and industrial workers to prevent inhaling and exhaling harmful air borne substances, such as, paints, solvents, dust particles, toxic fumes, smoke, bacteria and fungal spores. They are also worn to prevent spread of colds and air borne infections by covering the nose and mouth. They include filter elements, such as cotton gauze, fiberglass and fibrous paper filters that allow air to pass freely but prevent undesirable substances from passing through and prevent the spread of harmful bacteria at locations such as operating rooms. They also prevent individuals with diseases from infecting others.
Many include a thin metal band, which is shaped by a user to conform to the shape of the user's face. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,578,007, 2,752,916, 3,220,409, 3,971,369, 4,796,621, 5,803,075, and 5,561,863 are exemplary of respirators and masks in the prior art.
One shortcoming of current respirators and face masks is that they restrict the flow of air through mouths and noses because of inhaling and the pressure of respirators and masks against the mouth and nose. This can cause respiratory discomfort, particularly in persons with medical conditions such as asthma, heart and lung ailments as well as healthy individuals under stress, in elevated temperatures and congested conditions, especially during prolonged surgery in operating rooms.
Nasal dilators have been developed to prevent nasal passages from contracting because the alae of the nose draw in during breathing, thereby reducing the amount of air entering a nose. The principle of these dilators is to attach resilient members at the sides of noses, which tend to open and spread nose tissues. By way of example, flat resilient bands are used which take on arcuate shapes when adhesively applied to sides of noses, thereby tending to restore themselves to initial shapes and preventing narrowing of nares. Although these dilators are intended to prevent nasal passage contractions, they are not intended to open nasal passages beyond their normal conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,075 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,456 show masks with nasal dilators that pull on soft tissue at the sides of a nose to prevent the alae from contracting while inhaling.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,173, which is incorporated herein by reference, a noseform is disclosed which shortens and opens an airway by sliding the dorsal and lateral nasal skin upward to shorten and open nasal passages. The noseform of my U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,173 uses an entirely different principle than any other dilators.
The primary object of the present invention is to promote a more comfortable and efficient air exchange in face masks and respirators by incorporating noseforms of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,173. The noseform can be supplied as part of a mask or respirator or attached to a mask or respirator by a person with a usual method of joining, such as adhesion, heat bonding or sewing. One of the benefits of the invention is that the combined mask and noseform is effective with healthy as well as physically impaired persons suffering ailments such as nasal obstructions, asthma, and impaired heart and lungs. Another benefit is that it improves the comfort and reduces the fatigue of surgeons, nurses, and other medical persons in operating rooms. It also prevents fogging of glasses and it is relatively low in cost.
In employing the teaching of the present invention, a plurality of alternate constructions can be provided to achieve the desired results and capabilities. In this disclosure, some alternate constructions are discussed. However, these embodiments are intended as examples, and should not be considered as limiting the scope of my invention.
Further objects, benefits and characterizing features of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description and drawings which illustrate and describe the invention. The best mode which is contemplated in practicing the invention together with the manner of using the invention are disclosed and the property in which exclusive rights are claimed is set forth in each of a series of numbered claims at the conclusion of the detailed description.
The invention will be better understood and further objects, characterizing features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly with reference to the diagrammatic drawings illustrating a presently preferred specific embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example only.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in
In
With reference to
A second embodiment is an assembly by a person with the adhesive 12 or Velcro® (not shown) on the outer surface of the noseform 11 to an upper portion of the front or rear surface of the mask 15 before the mask is mounted on the person. A third embodiment which is similar to the second embodiment is an assembly by a person with the adhesive 12 or Velcro®) (not shown) on the outer surface of the noseform 11 to an upper portion of the front or rear surface of the mask 15 after the noseform 11 is first mounted on the person. In each of the above embodiments as shown in
Referring to
While my invention has been described in terms of a preferred and alternate embodiment, it should be apparent that after having the benefit of my disclosure other embodiments can be constructed by a person skilled in the art with obvious changes such as changes in shape, substitutions of materials, inversions of elements, and substitutions and deletions of elements without departing from the spirit thereof.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3695265 | Brevik | Oct 1972 | A |
3835848 | Berner | Sep 1974 | A |
5243708 | Vanuch | Sep 1993 | A |
5669377 | Fenn | Sep 1997 | A |
5727544 | Miura | Mar 1998 | A |
5976173 | Berke | Nov 1999 | A |
6080179 | Gould | Jun 2000 | A |
6092521 | Miura | Jul 2000 | A |
6419687 | Berke | Jul 2002 | B1 |