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US 12,667,687 B2Granted
Directional lock for interface headgear arrangement
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorsJeroen Hammer, Vitaly Kapelevich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A directional lock or a headgear or interface assembly comprising one or more directional locks that include a catch arrangement for initiating or assisting in movement of a lock member of the direction lock. In some configurations, the catch arrangement assists movement of the lock member in only a portion of a range of travel of the lock member. In some configurations, the directional lock has a housing and a sleeve and the catch arrangement has a catch arm carried by the sleeve. The catch arm includes a catch end that contacts the lock member, which can be a lock washer in some configurations.
Claims19
A directional lock for regulating a size adjustment of a respiratory interface assembly, comprising:
- a housing comprising a filament aperture, and defining an interior space;
- at least one roller positioned within the interior space and rotatable relative to the housing;
- a filament configured to contact and interact with the at least one roller and move through the filament aperture and relative to the housing in an extension direction and a retraction direction, wherein the filament is biased for movement in the retraction direction;
- wherein the at least one roller is configured to:
- move relative to the housing to an extension position in response to movement of the filament in the extension direction;
- and
- move relative to the housing to a retraction position in response to movement of the filament in the retraction direction;
- wherein, in the extension position, the at least one roller is engaged with a portion of the housing to prevent rotation of the at least one roller and increase frictional contact between the at least one roller and the filament relative to the retraction position to restrict movement of the filament in the extension direction;
- wherein, in the retraction position, the at least one roller is disengaged from the portion of the housing to permit rotation of the at least one roller and reduce frictional contact between the at least one roller and the filament relative to the extension position to allow movement of the filament in the retraction direction at a lower force than movement in the extension direction.
6 more elements
A respiratory interface system, comprising:
- an interface assembly configured to be positioned on a head of a user and deliver a flow of breathing gases to airways of the user, the interface assembly having a first portion and a second portion that are configured to move relative to one another in an increasing direction to increase a size of the interface assembly and a decreasing direction to decrease the size of the interface assembly;
- at least one directional lock that permits the first portion and the second portion to move in the increasing direction and the decreasing direction, the at least one directional lock comprising:
- a housing configured to be carried by the first portion of the interface assembly, the housing comprising a filament aperture, and defining an interior space;
- at least one roller positioned within the interior space and rotatable relative to the housing;
- a filament configured to be carried by the second portion of the interface assembly, the filament configured to contact and interact with the at least one roller and move through the filament aperture and relative to the housing in an extension direction in response to movement of the first portion and the second portion in the increasing direction and move through the filament aperture and relative to the housing in a retraction direction in response to movement of the first portion and the second portion in the decreasing direction;
- wherein the at least one roller is configured to move relative to the housing to an extension position in response to movement of the filament in the extension direction, and move relative to the housing to a retraction position in response to movement of the filament in the retraction direction;
- wherein, in the extension position, the at least one roller is engaged with a portion of the housing to prevent rotation of the at least one roller and provide a resistance force to movement of the filament in the extension direction in response to frictional contact between the at least one roller and the filament;
- a biasing element that produces a biasing force tending to move the first portion and the second portion relative to one another in the decreasing direction;
- wherein in response to a force applied to the interface assembly tending to move the first portion and the second portion relative to one another in the increasing direction and move the filament in the extension direction:
- the first portion and the second portion move relative to one another in the decreasing direction if the force is below the biasing force of the biasing element;
- the first portion and the second portion do not move relative to one another if the force is above the biasing force and below a threshold force that is a sum of the biasing force and the resistance force;
- and
- the first portion and the second portion move relative to one another in the increasing direction if the force is above the threshold force.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.