Air purifying respirator suspension

In combination with a respirator face mask for covering the mouth and nasal passages of the user and having a peripheral sealing portion of yieldable material for establishing a seal with the user's face, said mask having a centrally located air outlet passage, air inlet passage s disposed on either side of said centrally located air outlet passage and filter cartridges disposed in said air inlet passages, each cartridge extending from the sides of said face mask and containing a filter media for purification of air inhaled through the air inlet passages, a suspension system comprising:

• a crown support adapted for support on the head of the user and having first and second parts extended respectively over the top and the back of the head of the user, said first and second parts converging in junction portions at each side of the usre's head;
• an elastic strap extending from one of said junction portions to the other;
• and
• adjustable latch means for varying the length of said elastic strap between the junction portions and strap guide means fixedly secured relative to said face mask on opposite sides thereof, the strap being extended from the junction portion on one side of the user's head first through the strap guide means on one side of the face mask, then around the use's neck, next through the guide means on the other side of the face mask and then to the junction portion on the said other side of the user's head, the strap guide means and the juncture portions being relatively positioned for the application by said elastic strap means of a constant upwardly and rearwardly acting mask sealing pressure on the face of the user.

In combination with a respirator face mask for covering the mouth and nasal passages of the user and having a peripheral sealing portion for establishing a seal with the facial tissue of the user circular, said face mask having a centrally located air outlet passage, air inlet passages disposed on either side of said centrally located air outlet passage and symmetrical filter cartridges having an air delivery duct mounted in said air inlet passage, said air delivery duct being centered on a line bisecting the cartridge into upper and lower halves, each cartridge extending laterally outwardly from the face mask and containing a filter media for purification of air inhaled through the air inlet passages;

• a suspension system comprising:
• a pair of precurved crown strap members, a first of said pair of strap members being configured to extend over the top of the head of a user and the second being configured to extend around the back of the head of the user, each strap member being joined to the other by juncture pieces disposed at the sides of the head of the wearer;
• an elastic strap having a first end secured to a first one of said juncture pieces and a second end adapted to be secured to the second of said juncture pieces;
• guide means comprising upper and lower strap guide loops mounted on each said filter cartridge at points equidistantly disposed above and below the air inlet passages, the elastic strap being extended from the juncture piece on one side of the head of the user through the upper guide loop on the cartridge on the side of the user's head, around the front of the cartridge and back and through the lower guide loop on the same cartridge, then around the back of the user's neck and then through the lower guide loop of the other cartridge, around the front of the other cartridge and then back through the other upper guide loop;
• and
• a catch assembly on the second juncture member comprising an opening provided to receive said elastic strap, a catch flap configured to fill said opening and resiliently disposed to bear against the strap portion extending from the second guide loop of the second cartridge and passing through said opening, said catch flap being yieldable to allow movement of the strap in a direction causing a foreshortening of the strap portion disposed between the first and second juncture pieces and to restrict movement of the strap in the opposite direction.