Patent Application
20220161064
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The disclosure relates to air supply devices and more particularly pertains to a new air supply device for supplying filtered breathing air.
The prior art relates to air supply devices including a mask that has an integrated air filtering device. The prior art discloses a mask that has a biological filter integrated therein. The prior art discloses an air filtering device that is wearable on a user's clothing and a mask that can be worn on a user's face.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a filtration unit that can be worn on a user's clothing. The filtration unit including a plurality of filters each is integrated therein and each of the filters is filter air that is pumped by the filtration unit. A mask is provided that can be worn on the user's face. A mask air hose is fluidly coupled to the mask and the mask air hose receives air from the filtration unit thereby facilitating the user to breathe the filtered air when the mask is worn. A nose air hose can be fluidly coupled to the filtration unit thereby facilitating the user to breathe the filtered air when the nose air hose is positioned in the user's nose.
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
A clip 32 is coupled to the back side 28 of the outer wall 22 of the housing 20 and the clip 32 comprises a member 34 that is biased against the back side 28. The member 34 can be extended behind a waist 36 of the user's clothing 13 for mounting the housing 20 to the user's clothing 13. The plurality of filters 18 includes an intake filter 40 is removably positionable in the recess 30 and the intake filter 40 is comprised of an air permeable material to filter air urged inwardly through the intake 14. A cover 42 is removably attachable to the first lateral side 24 of the housing 20 such that the cover 42 retains the intake filter 40 in the recess 30. The cover 42 has a plurality of openings 44 each extending therethrough to pass air therethrough.
The plurality of filters 18 includes a filtration element 46 is positioned within the housing 20 and the filtration element 46 has an inlet 48 and an outlet 50. The inlet 48 is in fluid communication with the intake 14 to facilitate air to enter the filtration element 46. The filtration element 46 comprises an air permeable material to filter air passing through the filtration element 46. The filtration element 46 has a divider 52 positioned therein to define a first portion 54 of the filtration element 46 and a second portion 56 of the filtration element 46. Moreover, the divider 52 has an air hole 58 extending therethrough to pass air between the first portion 54 and the second portion 56. The filtration element 46 may comprise a HEPA filter or other type of filter that is capable of filtering not only particulates but also bacteria and viruses.
The filtration unit 12 includes a pump 60 that is positioned within the housing 20 and the pump 60 has an inlet port 62 and an outlet port 64. The pump 60 urges air inwardly through the inlet port 62 and outwardly through the outlet port 64 when the pump 60 is turned on. The inlet port 62 is fluidly coupled to the outlet 50 of the filtration element 46 such that the inlet port 62 is in fluid communication with the intake 14. In this way the pump 60 draws air through the filtration element 46 when the pump 60 is turned on. The outlet port 64 is fluidly coupled to the exhaust 16 such that the pump 60 urges filtered air outwardly through the exhaust 16. The pump 60 may comprise an electric air pump 60 or the like.
The filtration unit 12 includes a pressure sensor 66 that is coupled to the outlet port 64. The pressure sensor 66 is in fluid communication with the outlet port 64 to sense pressure of the filtered air urged outwardly through the outlet port 64. The pressure sensor 66 is electrically coupled to the pump 60 and the pressure sensor 66 turns the pump 60 off when the pressure sensor 66 senses air pressure that is below a pre-determined threshold pressure. In this way the pressure sensor 66 alerts the user to an air flow restriction.
The filtration unit 12 includes a power button 68 and the power button 68 is movably coupled to the housing 20. The power button 68 is electrically coupled to the pump 60 and the power button 68 turns the pump 60 on and off. The filtration unit 12 includes a power supply 70 that is positioned in the housing 20 and the power supply 70 is electrically coupled to the power button 68. The power supply 70 comprises at least one rechargeable battery 72 that is positioned in the housing 20 and the at least one rechargeable battery 72 is electrically coupled to the pump 60. The power supply 70 includes a charge port 74 that is integrated into the outer wall 22 of the housing 20 and the charge port 74 can be electrically coupled to a power source 76. The charge port 74 is electrically coupled to the at least one rechargeable battery 72 for charging the at least one rechargeable battery 72. The power source 76 comprises a power cord 78 that has a first plug 80 that engages the charge port 74 and a second plug 82 that engages a female electrical outlet 84.
A mask 85 is provided and the mask 85 can be worn on the user's face 86. The mask 85 has an exhaust valve 88 integrated therein to facilitate the user to exhale through the exhaust valve 88 when the mask 85 is worn. Additionally, the exhaust valve 88 inhibits air from being inhaled therethrough when mask 85 is worn. The mask 85 includes a pair of straps 90 that is each coupled thereto and each of the straps 90 can be worn around the user's head 92.
A mask air hose 94 is provided and the mask air hose 94 is fluidly coupled to the mask 85. The mask air hose 94 is positionable in fluid communication with the exhaust 16 of the filtration unit 12 to receive the filtered air from the filtration unit 12. The mask air hose 94 has a pair of outlets 96 and each of the outlets 96 extends through opposite sides of the mask 85. In this way each of the outlets 96 can direct the filtered air toward the user's mouth 98 when the mask 85 is worn. The mask air hose 94 has an input 100 that is fluidly coupled thereto.
A nose air hose 102 is provided and the nose air hose 102 is positionable in fluid communication with the exhaust 16 of the filtration unit 12 to receive the filtered air from the filtration unit 12. The nose air hose 102 has a pair of nasal ports 104 that is each fluidly coupled thereto and each of nasal ports 104 can be inserted into a respective one of the user's nostrils 106. In this way the nasal ports 104 can deliver the filtered air into the user's nostrils 106 for breathing. Additionally, the nose air hose 102 has an input 108 that is fluidly coupled thereto.
A supply hose 110 is provided and the supply hose 110 is fluidly attachable between the exhaust 16 of the filtration unit 12 and either the input 100 on the mask air hose 94 or the input 108 on the nose air hose 102. In this way the supply hose 110 can deliver the filtered air to either the mask air hose 94 or the nose air hose 102. The supply hose 110 has a first end 112 and a second end 114, and the first end 112 engages the exhaust 16 on the filtration unit 12. The second end 114 engages either the input 100 on the mask air hose 94 or the input 108 on the nose air hose 102.
In use, the first end of the supply hose 110 is fluidly coupled to the exhaust 16 of the filtration unit 12. The user wears either the mask 85 or the nose air hose 102 and the second end of the supply hose 110 is fluidly coupled to either the input on the mask air hose 94 or the input on the nose air hose 102, depending on which the user has chosen to wear. The power button 68 is depressed to turn on the pump 60 and the pump 60 begins to pump air to the supply hose 110. In this way filtered air is supplied to the user for breathing. Additionally, the filtration element 46 and the input filter inhibit the user from inhaling particulates or bacteria and viruses.
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.
