Pressure regulating valve for use in continuous positive airway pressure devices

A mask for the delivery of continuous positive airway pressure to a patient comprising:

• a mask, the mask being connectable to a source of positive airway pressure;
• a valve disposed in the mask for controllably releasing gas therefrom to produce a substantially constant pressure inside the mask, the valve comprising:
• a valve body, the valve body having a first exhaust flowpath and second exhaust flowpath;
• a floating valve seat disposed in the valve body and moveable between first and second positions;
• a moveable spring-biased piston releasably engaged with the floating valve seat;
• and
• wherein when the floating valve seat is in the first position, the moveable spring-biased piston is disengaged from valve seat and gas travels through the first exhaust flowpath venting to the atmosphere, and wherein when the floating valve seat is in the second position, the moveable spring-biased piston in engaged with the valve seat and gas travels through the second exhaust flowpath venting to the atmosphere.

A valve for maintaining a substantially constant pressure inside a mask used with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, the valve comprising:

• a body having a first exhaust flowpath and a second exhaust flowpath;
• a valve seat disposed in the body and moveable between a first position and a second position depending on the pressure inside the mask;
• and
• wherein gas travels out the first exhaust flowpath venting to the atmosphere when the valve seat is in the first position and travels out the second exhaust flowpath venting to the atmosphere when the valve seat is in the second position.