Back to results
US 5,372,130 AGranted
Face mask assembly and method having a fan and replaceable filter
AssigneeDJS&T Limited Partnership
InventorsDonald J. Stern, James A. Tryon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A face mask assembly and method of use having a housing and a replaceable filter mounted in said housing. A fan means draws air into a plenum chamber defined by said housing and said filter for this air to pass into a facial breathing area. An outlet check valve is provided, and a primary filter through which air passes before entering said plenum chamber.
Claims39
A face mask assembly to be worn by a person over a facial breathing area of the person, said mask assembly comprising:
- a. a main housing;
- a filter having an inner surface and an outer surface, and being mounted to said housing so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the filter is positioned so that the inner surface of the filter defines with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said filter being arranged to have outside air pass through the outer surface and from the inner surface into said air breathing region to be inhaled;
- c. outlet check valve means communicating with said air breathing region to discharge exhaled air from said air breathing region, and to prevent outside air to pass through said check valve means into said air breathing region;
- d. said filter being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the filter encloses at least a substantial portion of the air breathing region to provide substantial isolation of said air breathing region from said assembly, except for said check valve means;
- e. said housing and the outer surface of said filter defining at least partially a plenum chamber from which air flows through said filter into said air breathing region;
- f. fan means arranged to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- and
- g. said valve means comprises a valve element means and a valve mounting structure, said valve mouting structure extending through said filter.
5 more elements
A face mask assembly to be worn by a person over a facial breathing area of the person, said mask assembly comprising:
- a. a main housing;
- b. an inner filter mounted to said housing so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the inner filter is positioned to define with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said inner filter being arranged to have outside air pass therethrough into said air breathing region to be inhaled;
- c. said inner filter being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the inner filter encloses at least a substantial portion of the air breathing region;
- d. said housing and said inner filter defining at least partially an intermediate plenum chamber from which air flows through said filter into said air breathing region;
- e. fan means arranged to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- f. an outer filter arranged to receive said ambient air which passes therethrough and into said plenum chamber;
- and
- g. outlet check valve means communicating with said air breathing region to discharge exhaled air from said air breathing region, and to prevent outside air to pass through said valve means into said air breathing region, said valve means comprising a valve element means and a valve mounting structure, said valve mounting structure extending through said inner filter.
5 more elements
A method to filter air for a person who is breathing the air, said method comprising:
- a. placing a replaceable filter in a main housing of a mask assembly in a manner so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter is positioned to define with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said filter being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the filter substantially encloses the air breathing region and isolates said air breathing region from said assembly;
- b. also positioning said filter in said housing to define at least partially with said housing a plenum chamber from which air can flow through said filter into said air breathing region;
- c. positioning fan means in said assembly and arranging said fan means to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- d. placing said mask assembly over the person's facial breathing area to cause the replaceable filter to substantially enclose the person's facial breathing area;
- e. operating said fan means to cause outside air to flow into said plenum chamber to pressurize said plenum chamber and cause the air to flow through the filter into the air breathing region;
- and
- f. providing outlet check valve means communicating with said air breathing region, and causing exhaled air to be discharged from said air breathing region through said valve means, and preventing outside air from passing through said valve means into said air breathing region, said method further comprising providing said valve means as a valve element means and a valve mounting structure, with said valve mounting structure engaging at least a portion of said filter so as to function to position said filter relative to said main housing to provide said plenum chamber.
4 more elements
A face mask assembly to be worn by a person over a facial breathing area at a facial surface of the person, said mask assembly comprising:
- a. a main housing;
- b. a replaceable filter having an inner surface and an outer surface and being removably mounted to said housing so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter is positioned so that the inner surface of the replaceable filter defines with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said replaceable filter being arranged to have outside air pass through the outer surface and from the inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breathing region to be inhales;
- c. said replaceable filter having a perimeter portion and being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter substantially encloses the air breathing region, with the perimeter portion of the replaceable filter being adjacent to the facial surface of the person, and isolates said air breathing region from portions of said assembly outside of said outer surface of the replaceable filter;
- d. said housing and the outer surface of said filter defining at least partially a plenum chamber which is separated from said air breathing region by said replaceable filter and from which air flows through said replaceable filter from said inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breathing region;
- e. fan means arranged to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- said perimeter portion of the replaceable filter extending adjacent to a nose area of the facial surface of the person downwardly along opposite sides of a mouth of the person and adjacent a chin portion of the person, said housing having a perimeter housing portion extending adjacent to the perimeter portion of the replaceable filter at the facial surface of the person, with the perimeter portion of the filter being, when the mask assembly is worn by the person, positioned between the housing perimeter portion and the facial surface of the person.
3 more elements
A face mask assembly to be worn by a person over a facial breathing area at a facial surface of the person, said mask assembly comprising:
- a. a main housing;
- b. a replaceable filter having an inner surface and an outer surface and being removably mounted to said housing so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter is positioned so that the inner surface of the replaceable filter defines with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said replaceable filter being arranged to have outside air pass through the outer surface and from the inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breathing region to be inhaled;
- c. said replaceable filter having a perimeter portion and being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter substantially encloses the air breathing region, with the perimeter portion of the replaceable filter being adjacent to the facial surface of the person, and isolates said air breathing region from portions of said assembly outside of said outer surface of the replaceable filter;
- d. said housing and the outer surface of said filter defining at least partially a plenum chamber which is separated from said air breathing region by said replaceable filter and from which air flows through said replaceable filter from said inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breath region;
- e. fan means arranged to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- f. outlet check valve means communicating with said air breathing region to discharge exhaled air from said air breathing region, and to prevent outside air from passing through said valve means into said air breathing region, said valve means comprising a valve element means and a valve mounting structure, said valve mounting structure engaging at least a portion of said replaceable filter so as to function to position said replaceable filter relative to said main housing to provide said plenum chamber.
3 more elements
A face mask assembly to be worn by a person over a facial breathing area at a facial surface of the person, said mask assembly comprising:
- a. a main housing;
- b. a replaceable filter having an inner surface and an outer surface and being removably mounted to said housing so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter is positioned so that the inner surface of the replaceable filter defines with the person's facial breathing area an air breathing region from which the person inhales air and into which the person exhales air, said replaceable filter being arranged to have outside air pass through the outer surface and from the inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breathing region to be inhaled;
- c. said replaceable filter having a perimeter portion and being arranged so that with the assembly being worn by the person, the replaceable filter substantially encloses the air breathing region, with the perimeter portion of the replaceable filter being adjacent to the facial surface of the person, and isolates said air breathing region from portions of said assembly outside of said outer surface of the replaceable filter;
- d. said housing and the outer surface of said filter defining at least partially a plenum chamber which is separated from said air breathing region by said replaceable filter and from which air flows through said replaceable filter from said inner surface of the replaceable filter into said air breathing region;
- e. fan means arranged to draw ambient air into said plenum chamber to flow through said filter;
- f. outlet check valve means which extends from said air breathing region through said replaceable filter to discharge exhaled air from said air breathing region to an outside location, and to prevent outside air to pass through said valve means into said air breathing region, said outlet check valve means being positioned so that with the assembly being worn by the person, said check valve means is postioned forwardly and adjacent to a nose and mouth portion of the person's facial breathing area.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.