Microphone signal attenuating apparatus for oxygen masks

A breathing mask comprising:

• a mask body configured for placement on a wearer's face and including structure defining an internal chamber in communication with the wearer's breathing passages;
• means for delivering a breathable gas to said chamber and for exhausting gas therefrom;
• a microphone coupled with said body for receiving sounds and for producing audio signals representative of said sounds, said microphone being subject to producing audio signals representative of sounds generated during inhalation by a wearer of the mask;
• and
• attenuation means for attenuating the production of said audio signals representative of said sounds generating during inhalation;
• said attenuation means including cover means for blocking the reception of sounds by said microphone, said cover means being shiftable between an open position allowing reception of sounds by said microphone and a closed position blocking reception sounds and biasing means for biasing said cover means toward said open position, there being means for shifting said cover means to said closed position during delivery of breathable gas to said chamber thereby attenuating the production of said audio signals representative of said sounds generated during inhalation.