The disclosed technology regards a re-usable elastomeric respirator and ventilator with filter inserts and ports for delivering oxygen and liquids.
Traditional half-face respirators utilize an exhalation valve allowing for a wearer's exhalation to pass through the valve, bypassing the filter, to the environment, thereby passing potentially contagious aerosol from the wearer into the environment. Similarly, ventilators do not filter a wearer's exhalation to protect the surrounding environment from contagious aerosol.
The respirator of the disclosed technology filters air drawn from the environment on inhalation, and filters air exhaled by a wearer into the environment, protecting both the wearer and individuals in the immediate environment from contagious aerosol. The respirator of the disclosed technology further includes ports for the provision of oxygen and/or liquids to the wearer.
The disclosed technology provides a reusable, elastomeric respirator and ventilator, with filter inserts. Generally, the reusable respirator includes a mask body having a pliant facial interface on the interior of the mask body, and two apertures centrally positioned on the front face of the mask body. Two interchangeable plugs or ports are provided to be received within and seal the apertures, deliver oxygen into the mask, or deliver liquids to a wearer of the mask. On opposing sides of the mask body are air filter housings which support an air filter, each air filter housing including a base support structure affixed to the mask body and a top securing structure removably secured to the base support structure. One or more straps are affixed to the mask body to secure the mask body about a wearer's head.
The disclosed technology further provides a reusable elastomeric respirator including a mask body having a pliant facial interface on the interior of the body, and two apertures centrally positioned on the front face of the mask body. Two plugs or ports are included to seal the apertures, deliver oxygen into the mask, or deliver liquids to a wearer of the mask. The plugs or ports include a hollow stem with an interior collar, a ring and a face, all secured circumferentially about the exterior of the stem. Air filter housings are secured to opposing sides of the mask body and support an air filter, each air filter housing including a base support structure affixed to the mask body and a top securing structure removably secured to the base support structure. The base support structures each includes an underframe and an upperframe with aligned apertures, wherein edges of an aperture of the mask body are secured between perimeter, adjoining surfaces of the underframe and the upperframe. The upperframe further has a solid surface about its perimeter, with a plurality of internal support structures extending up from the solid surface to support the air filter a distance above the solid surface, without significantly impeding airflow through the air filter. One or more straps are secured to eyelets extending from an end of each of the top securing structures to secure the mask body about a wearer's head.
These and other advantages of the present disclosure are more fully demonstrated in the illustrations and detailed descriptions. Various embodiments may take on other modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as described in the illustrations above. Accordingly, this disclosure is not to be limited to the above described illustrations, but rather by the limitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalents thereof provided.
Features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood these drawings depict only certain embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and, therefore, are not to be considered limiting of its scope; the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings. An apparatus, system or method according to some of the described embodiments can have several aspects, no single one of which necessarily is solely responsible for the desirable attributes of the apparatus, system or method. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description” one will understand how illustrated features serve to explain certain principles of the present disclosure.
As shown in the embodiments of the drawings hereinabove described and provided with this disclosure, the disclosed technology provides a reusable elastomeric respirator 1 also usable as a ventilator, and further capable of delivering liquids to a wearer. Generally, as shown in
The pliant facial interface 12 on the interior of the mask body forms a leak free seal between the mask body and the wearer's face, over the nose and mouth. The pliant facial interface may be secured to the mask body, or may be integral with the mask body as shown in
As shown in particular in
Referring to
The depth d of the hollow stem 131 along its length between the interior collar 132 and the ring 134, is about the same as the length of the apertures 11 as lengthened by the collars 11A, so that the surface of the mask body at the apertures is in contact with and supports the stem when positioned therewithin. The interior collar 132 has a radius larger than the aperture so that it retains the plug within the aperture, but not so large that it cannot be easily positioned within the aperture and removed therefrom. The ring 134 also has a radius greater than the aperture to seal the apertures closed. When secured within the aperture, the interior collar 132 of the plug rests on the upper surface of the collar 11A (see, e.g.,
Likewise, as shown in
As shown in
Referring back to
The upperframe has a solid surface 216 about its perimeter, the solid surface supporting a plurality of internal support structures 217 to support the air filter about ¼″ to ½″ above the solid surface, thereby facilitating the flow of air through the entire filter. Further, the upperframe has a collar 218 about its a top perimeter. The collar may have a depth of between ¼ and ¾ of the depth of the upperframe. The upperframe of the base support structure may include a foam gasket 219 affixed to the top surface of the collar 218, thereby facilitating compression of the edges of the filter to the filter housing, ensuring a secure fit. See
As shown in
Alternatively, a hinge may be incorporated into one side of both the base support structure and the top securing structure, with a clip or other securing means on the opposing side, to removably secure the top securing structure to the base support structure.
As shown in
By these configurations of the filter housing and the various components thereof, the air filter may be easily inserted, removed and replaced.
The base support structure underframe and upperframe of the filter housing may be made from rigid materials such as polycarbonate, which may be transparent to allow assemblers to see the placement of the air filter. The applicant has used Lotte Infino SC 122 clear polycarbonate prime 20MF purchased from Texco Resinm Distribution Co. Alternatively, they may be made from more flexible materials which are also suitable for the top securing structure, such as, for example, a Generic Prime Homopolymer Polypropylene 12MF resin purchased from Texco Resin Distribution Co.
As shown in
As shown in
To secure the head strap to the filter housings, fastener means are provided to receive a respective distal end of each of the material straps 163. In the embodiment shown in
A neck strap as shown in
Replaceable air filters 2F, such as N95 filters, are sized to fit within the filter housing, and can be placed and replaced therein when the top securing structure is removed from the base securing structure.
As hereinabove described, when assembled and secured to a wearer, the mask of the disclosed technology filters the wearer's inhalation and exhalation without the use of an exhalation valve, providing protection to both the wearer and individuals in the immediate vicinity of the wearer.
While this invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment are interchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from a depicted embodiment can be included with other depicted embodiments in any combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments. With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. Thus, while the present disclosure has described certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63194415 | May 2021 | US |