Patent Application
20230173310
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The disclosure relates to adapter devices and more particularly pertains to a new adapter device for inhibiting a face mask from touching a user’s face when the face mask is being worn. The device includes a cylinder which has a nose recess integrated into the cylinder. The nose recess accommodates a user’s nose when the cylinder is positioned beneath a face mask when the face mask is being worn. The device includes a cushion that extends around the cylinder and which abuts the user’s face when the cylinder is positioned beneath the face mask to enhance comfort for the user.
The prior art relates to adapter devices including a respirator face mask that includes a pair of removable filtering canisters. The prior art discloses a face mask that includes an exhaust filter for removing odor from a user’s exhaled breath during hunting. The prior art discloses a face mask that includes an inhalation adapter that can be fluidly attached to a medication container. The prior art discloses a face mask which has an exhalation valve that is integrated into the face mask for passing exhaled air through the exhalation valve.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cylinder that is comprised of a rigid material. The cylinder is positionable beneath a face mask when the face mask is being worn. In this way the cylinder inhibits the face mask from touching a user’s face when the face mask is being worn. A cushion is coupled to the cylinder and the cushion abuts the user’s face when the cylinder is positioned between the face mask and the user’s face. Furthermore, the cushion is comprised of a resiliently compressible material to enhance comfort for the user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The cylinder 12 has a front edge 18, a back edge 20 and an outer wall 22 extending between the front edge 18 and the back edge 20. The outer wall 22 tapers inwardly between the back edge 20 and the front edge 18 such that the front edge 18 defines an opening 24 which has a diameter that is less than a diameter of an opening 26 defined by the back edge 20. The back edge 20 has a curved portion 28 extending toward the front edge 18 and the curved portion 28 defines a nose recess 30 to accommodate the user’s nose 32 when the cylinder 12 is worn beneath the face mask 14 such that the back edge 20 surrounding the user’s nose 32 and mouth 34. Additionally, the front edge 18 abuts a rear side 36 of the face mask 14 when the face mask 14 is worn. The back edge 20 has a chin portion 38 which curves toward the front edge 18 and the chin portion 38 is positioned on an opposite side of the cylinder 12 with respect to the nose recess 30. Moreover, the chin portion 38 accommodates the user’s chin 40 when the cylinder 12 is worn beneath the face mask 14.
A cushion 42 is coupled to the cylinder 12 and the cushion 42 abuts the user’s face 16 when the cylinder 12 is positioned between the face mask 14 and the user’s face 16. The cushion 42 is comprised of a resiliently compressible material to enhance comfort for the user. Additionally, the cushion 42 is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit air from passing between the cushion 42 and the user’s face 16 when the user breathes. The cushion 42 has a coupled edge 44, a free edge 46 and an exterior wall 48 extending between the coupled edge 44 and the free edge 46. Additionally, the exterior wall 48 flares outwardly between the coupled edge 44 and the free edge 46. An adhesive, such as adhesive tape, putty or other type of non toxic adhesive can be applied to the cushion 42 to enhance fitment to the user’s face 16.
The coupled edge 44 is coupled to the back edge 20 of the cylinder 12 and the coupled edge 44 extends around a substantial circumference of the back edge 20. The free edge 46 has a chin portion 50 which curves toward the coupled edge 44. The chin portion 50 of the free edge 46 is aligned with the chin portion 38 of the back edge 20 of the cylinder 12 such that the chin portion 50 of the free edge 46 conforms to the user’s chin 40 when the cylinder 12 is worn beneath the face mask 14. The free edge 46 joins the coupled edge 44 at opposing sides of the nose recess 30 defined by the curved portion 28 of the back edge 20 of the cylinder 12. In this way the cushion 42 terminates on each of the opposing sides of the nose recess 30 to accommodate the user’s nose 32 when the cylinder 12 is worn beneath the face mask 14.
In an alternative embodiment 52 as is most clearly shown in
In alternative embodiment 58 as is most clearly shown in
Continuing in the alternative embodiment 58 as depicted in
In an alternative embodiment 68 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the cylinder 12 is worn beneath the face mask 14 when the user is wearing the face mask 14. The cylinder 12 is oriented such that the user’s nose 32 is positioned in the nose recess 30 and the user’s chin 40 is positioned in the chin portion 38. In this way the cylinder 12 inhibits the face mask 14 from contacting the user’s nose 32 and mouth 34 when the face mask 14 is being worn. Additionally, the cushion 42 inhibits air from passing between the user’s face 16 and the cushion 42 when the user breathes. In this way the cylinder 12 ensures that the air that the user breathes passes through the face mask 14 such that the face mask 14 filters the air being breathed with maximum efficiency.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
