Respirator tab

A personal respiratory protection device comprising:

• an upper panel,
• a central panel,
• a lower panel,
• a respirator external surface, and
• a respirator internal surface,
• the central panel being separated from each of the upper and lower panels by an upper bond and a lower bond, respectively, such that the personal respiratory protection device is capable of being folded flat for storage along the first and second bond and opened to form a cup-shaped air chamber over a nose and mouth of a wearer when in use, wherein:
• the central panel comprises a curvilinear lower peripheral edge that is coexistent with the lower bond between the central panel and the lower panel such that the curvilinear lower peripheral edge comprises an axis of rotation between the lower panel and the central panel, and
• the lower panel comprises a lower outer periphery;
• wherein the lower panel has a graspable tab attached to an interior portion of a lower panel external surface at a point of attachment whereby the graspable tab is attached inwardly of the lower outer periphery and the lower bond such that the point of attachment is closer to the axis of rotation than if the graspable tab were positioned on the lower outer periphery of the lower panel, wherein the graspable tab faces away from the nose and mouth of the wearer on the respirator external surface when the personal respiratory protection device is on a face of the wearer,
• wherein attachment of the graspable tab on the interior portion of the lower panel external surface enables the graspable tab to be graspable in use without making contact with the respirator internal surface and to apply an opening force to the interior portion to pivot the lower panel about the axis of rotation of the lower peripheral edge of the central panel and to cause a middle portion of the lower panel to open wide to form an air chamber which closely matches the face of the wearer.