The present invention relates to a respiratory protection mask with a face mask part and, associated with the latter, an air disinfection device comprising a housing exhibiting an input communicating with the surrounding, and further an output communicating with the internal area of the face mask part and whose internal area is designed as an air irradiation chamber provided with at least one LED light source emitting UV light.
A respiratory protection mask of this kind is known from WO 2017/014102 A1. Arrangements of this kind serve as prophylaxis against smear and droplet infection. In the known arrangement the LED light source is embedded in a firm part of the housing rendering manufacture of the housing as well as assembly difficult. As a consequence of the arrangement of the LED light source being integrated in the housing, the latter cannot be accessed from the outside, thus rendering maintenance and cleaning difficult. Cleaning the housing, which becomes necessary from time to time, is also difficult. The known arrangement has thus proved to be not sufficiently simple and user-friendly.
On the basis of the foregoing it is the object of the present invention to improve a respiratory protection mask as described initially above in such a way that the disadvantages of the known arrangement are avoided and a simple manufacture and assembly as well as a high user-friendliness is achieved.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved in that the LED light source is arranged on a slide which is detachably receivable in an associated frame provided on the housing side and open towards the air irradiation chamber.
These measures according to the invention advantageously result in a structural separation of the arrangement of the LED light source from the housing and thus provide for simple manufacture of the housing as well as simple assembly and easy access to the LED light source. By actuating the slide the LED light source received thereon can easily be inserted in the housing and/or withdrawn from the latter thus ensuring easy maintenance and cleaning of the LED light source as well as the housing. The latter may simply be designed as a plastics part which for cleaning purposes may be cleaned in a dish washer or a washing machine after the slide has been removed. The same applies to the face mask part which preferably consists of textile material. The slide together with the LED light source can be handled separately during cleaning, so that a correspondingly careful handling of the LED light source will be ensured.
Advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the main-claim measures will be evident from the sub-claims.
Expediently, the slide may be detachably attachable to the frame by means of an associated snap-on device and exhibit a manually actuatable unlocking element attached to the latter. These measures ensure reliable handling of the slide and simultaneously ensure a reliable hold of the slide in the housing and thus a high degree of trouble-free operation.
In order to further increase operational safety, a push button may be associated with the LED light source which is actuated only when the slide is entirely inserted.
A further expedient measure may consist in the that the housing is fitted with a region in the shape of a cylinder section and an appendage adjoining its jacket in the fashion of a secant, comprising the frame with the input and the output of the air irradiation chamber being associated with the mutually opposite end faces of the housing. These measures result in a compact, clear-cut design of the housing.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment the housing may be of angle-shaped design. This design results in a comparably large bipartite internal area, so that provision may be made for two slides positioned at an angle towards each other. In addition, the housing may be designed in a way to accommodate the symmetry of the face.
Expediently, the frame may be designed as a recess of the appendage associated with the slide comprising guide surfaces, adapted to the configuration of the slide, exhibiting a clear internal configuration, intersected with the air irradiation chamber, with the LED light source, when the slide is inserted, being placed in a region of the slide reaching the region of the recess intersected with the air irradiation chamber. These measures result in simple operation of the slide when the slide is inserted. These measures result in simple operation of the slide.
Expediently, the housing may have two mutually attachable halves, each of them comprising a housing end face. This ensures easy manufacture of the housing as a casting, preferably an injection-moulded part consisting of plastics.
A further, particularly preferable measure may consist in that associated with the input and output of the housing are mutually spaced parallel slats which are tilted towards the housing axis. This ensures that UV radiation which is dangerous for the human eyes and skin cannot issue from the housing and affect the face of the wearer of the respiratory protection mask or the environment. These measures thus favour the use of a LED light source emitting particularly short-wave aggressive UV light which possesses a particularly good germ-killing effect.
Expediently, provision may be made for a LED light source as UVC light with a wave length in the range of 250 nm to 260 nm, in particular of UVC LED emitting 254 nm with a forward voltage of a ≥5 V as well as a radiation power of a ≥100 mW at the current intensity resulting from the corresponding forward voltage and a large radiation angle in the region of 120°.
In order to increase the effect of the LED light source, the internal surface of the light irradiation chamber may be covered with a reflecting metal coating. In the case of a plastics housing a further advantage of the metal coating consists in screening the plastics surface against UV and/or UVC radiation, so that the plastics material is protected against a fast ageing process caused by the said radiation.
As material used for the mirrors provision may be made in an advantageous way for silver compounds having an anti-bacterial effect.
A further, advantageous measure of the main-claim measures may consist in that the slide in the region of a bulge provided in the rear section of the slide in insert direction comprises an electrically conducting bushing connected to each of the LED light sources received on the said slide, such bushing being connectable to a portable energy source via a plug-in cable. These measures permit a mobile use of the respiratory protection mask according to the present invention and thus ensure a high degree of user-friendliness.
A particularly preferable further development may consist in a filter device arranged ahead of the air irradiation device, which removes the particles contained in the air sucked in from outside. Expediently, to facilitate cleaning, the filter device may comprise a filter body consisting of an aerogel and acting together with ejection springs and a security rotary lever.
Advantageously, the LED light source may be arranged in such a manner that its light also shines on the filter. Thus, the breathing air as well as the filter material are simultaneously and continually disinfected.
A further advantageous measure may consist in a cooling device being associated with the LED light source, which comprises a cooling body expediently provided on the slide and communicating with the surrounding. In addition or alternatively hereto provision may be made for the warmth of the LED light source to be used for drying the filter.
Expediently, the bushing may be designed as an USB bushing which is connectable to a portable power bank via an USB cable, These measures permit a particularly long time of use.
Further advantageous embodiments and expedient further developments of the main-claim measures will be evident from the description of an example given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein
The respiratory protection mask 1 underlying
Accordingly, the air irradiation chamber of the housing 4 is arranged upstream of the internal area of the lace mask part 2. The air inhaled by the wearer passes through the air irradiation chamber 16 of the housing 4 before it reaches the internal area of the face mask part 2. The air reaching the internal area of the face mask part 2 may expediently be filtered for the purpose of removing solids. For this purpose, a suitable solid matter filter may be arranged in the region of the connecting piece 5 and/or the housing 4, preferably in the region of the output and/or input of the housing 4. Advantageously, the said filter may consist of an aerogel. In simple cases, however, it is also conceivable to do without such filters. In the case a filter is provided, it will advantageously continuously be disinfected.
The air passing through the air irradiation chamber 16 of the housing 4 will be irradiated with germ-killing UV light and thus disinfected and/or sterilized. The air inhaled by the wearer of the present face mask part 1 is thus sterile, and, if a filter is provided, also free from solid particles. To ensure permanent disinfection of a provided filter, it may also be illuminated with germ-killing UV light. In order to treat the air in the internal area of the housing 4 designed as air irradiation chamber 16 with UV light, so-called UVC light is used which may have a wave length in the range of 100 nm to 300 nm, preferably in the range of 250 nm to 260 nm, in particular of 254 nm. To generate the UV radiation for the treatment of the air, provision is made for at least one LED light source 6, preferably designed as UVC-LED, whose light may be radiated in the internal area of the housing 4.
In order to obtain a high degree of functional safety, the slide 7 may be equipped with a push button 22, indicated in
The slide 7 possesses, as is clearly illustrated in
As it will be evident from
The LED light source 6 of the slide 7 is placed in a region of the slide 7 reaching the recess of the appendage 14 forming the frame 8 intersected with the air irradiation chamber 16 when the slide 7 is inserted in the frame 8. The input and output of the housing 4 is associated with the mutually opposite end faces of the housing 4. Correspondingly, the two housing halves 4a, 4b comprise the input communicating with the environment or the output communicating with the internal area of the face mask part 2.
Since the UV radiation generated in the air irradiation chamber 16 may be dangerous for the human eye and skin, the said UV radiation will be screened towards the environment and the internal area of the face mask part 2. For this purpose, as is further illustrated in
In order to increase the UV radiation generated in the air irradiation chamber 16, the internal surface 18 of the air irradiation chamber 16 may be expediently covered with mirrors. For this purpose, the internal surface of the housing 4, which may be manufactured as a plastics part, may expediently be provided with a reflecting metal coating in the region of its internal surface and simultaneously be screened against the radiation in the air irradiation chamber 16 as well as protected against ageing. It would very well be conceivable that the entire housing 4 consists of a reflecting material. Expediently, to obtain the aforesaid reflecting properties, provision may be made for a material possessing anti-bacterial properties at the same time, such as for example silver or/and at least a silver compound.
Expediently, the UV light generated in the air radiation chamber 16 is short wave UVC light with a wave length ranging from 210 nm to 300 nm, preferably 250 nm to 260 nm, in particular 254 nm, with the latter being particularly aggressive and correspondently highly suitable for the intended purpose. Thus, the UV light source 6 is correspondingly designed as UVC LED emitting the said UVC light, with a forward voltage of a 5V as well as a radiation power of at least 100 mW at the at the current intensity resulting from the corresponding forward voltage may be provided, Expediently, the LED light source 6 is designed in such a manner that it has a large radiation angle of approx. 120°, so that the air irradiation chamber 16 is well illuminated and that, as previously mentioned, it also illuminates a possibly provided filter.
The LED light source 6 has to be supplied with electricity. For this purpose, the slide 7, in accordance with
The above-mentioned energy source 21 supplies direct current of a certain strength. To adjust the requirements of the LED light source 6 consuming current, the electric circuit, as is shown in
Expediently, the LED light source 6 in SMD design may be arranged on the slide 7. Correspondingly, the flap shaped tongue of the slide 7 practically acts as a circuit board wired with the bushing 19 on which the LED light source 6 may be openly arranged. The LED light source 6 comprises at least one LED. An arrangement with several LEDs is likewise conceivable.
The angle-shaped design of the housing 4 practically results in two housing legs adjoining each other at an angle, whereby each leg may be associated with a slide 7. Insofar as a LED light source is provided on each slide 7, an augmented number of existing LED light sources 6 is thus advantageously possible. It would of course likewise be conceivable, as is indicated in
As long as the cable 20 is plugged in, both the LED light source 6 and the rechargeable battery 35 are supplied with electric current, and the rechargeable battery 37 thus charged. As soon as the cable 20 is plugged off the rechargeable battery 35 takes over the electric current supply of the LED light source.
As previously mentioned, the disinfection device provided in the housing 4 may also comprise a filter 29, as is indicated in
The arrangement contained in the disinfection device for generating UV light may, as previously described, give off a considerable amount of heat. in order to avoid overheating, a cooling body may be associated with the UV light generating device received on the slide. For this purpose, as is indicated in
In addition or alternatively at least part of the warmth given off by the cooling device may be provided to dry the filter 29. For this purpose, provision may be made for airing channels in the housing 4, which are associated with the filter 29. The inlet openings provided in the region of the front ends 4a of the housing 4 may of course be associated with slats for light protection, not shown in detail in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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EP20020113.5 | Mar 2020 | EP | regional |