Abstract:
A breathing mask has a mask body, a mounting bracket and a universal connecting tube. The mask body has a first universal socket bracket having a first spherical recess. The mounting bracket is mounted on the mask body and has a second universal socket bracket having a second spherical recess. The universal connecting tube is mounted universally pivotally in the mask body and has a ball joint mounted universally rotatably in the first and second spherical recesses. The universally rotating ball joint allows a breathing tube connected to the universal connecting tube to pivot to any orientations and prevents the breathing tube from over bending.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a mask, and more particularly to a breathing mask that is connected to a breathing tube and allows the breathing tube to rotate universally such that the breathing tube is able to pivot to a proper orientation preventing itself from over bending and obstructing the air or oxygen conveyance and even pulling the mask to result in leakage no matter what position a patient is located relative to a breathing apparatus. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A breathing mask is worn on a patient&#39;s head and allows the patient to connect to a breathing apparatus and breathe through the breathing apparatus. A conventional breathing mask has a mask body and a headband. The mask body is mounted adjacent to the patient&#39;s nose and has two nostril tubes mounted on the mask body and press-contacting and slightly extending into the patient&#39;s nostrils. Furthermore, the mask body is able to engage a breathing tube that is connected to a breathing apparatus such that the oxygen is conveyed into the patient&#39;s nasal cavity. The headband is attached to the patient&#39;s head to ensure that the mask body is fastened securely on the patient&#39;s nose. 
         [0005]    However, the mask body mounted on the breathing tube by a general mounting manner does not allow the breathing tube to rotate relative to the mask body. When a relative position of the patient to the breathing apparatus is changed, the breathing tube bends in different directions. An excessive bending extent of the breathing tube narrows an internal passage thereof and negatively affects the oxygen conveyance therein. The over bent breathing tube even inadvertently separates from the breathing apparatus or mask body and leads to interrupt the related therapy or endanger the patient&#39;s life. 
         [0006]    To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a breathing mask to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The main objective of the invention is to provide a breathing mask that is connected to a breathing tube and allows the breathing tube to rotate universally such that the breathing tube is able to pivot to a proper orientation preventing itself from over bending and obstructing the air or oxygen conveyance and even pulling the mask to result in leakage no matter what position a patient is located relative to a breathing apparatus. 
         [0008]    A breathing mask in accordance with the present invention has a mask body, a mounting bracket and a universal connecting tube. The mask body has a first universal socket bracket having a first spherical recess. The mounting bracket is mounted on the mask body and has a second universal socket bracket having a second spherical recess. The universal connecting tube is mounted universally pivotally in the mask body and has a ball joint mounted universally rotatably in the first and second spherical recesses. The universally rotating ball joint allows a breathing tube connected to the universal connecting tube to pivot to any orientations and prevents the breathing tube from over bending. 
         [0009]    Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a breathing mask in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is another exploded perspective view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional top view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an operational cross sectional top view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional side view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an operational cross sectional side view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 1  with two side bands; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is an operational side view of the breathing mask in  FIG. 9  worn on a human head; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of a side band of the breathing mask in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  10 , a breathing mask  1  is connected to a breathing tube  97  and comprises a mask body  10 , a mounting bracket  20 , a universal connecting tube  30 , a connection bracket  40 , two side bands  90  and a rear band  95 . 
         [0022]    With further reference to  FIG. 4 , the mask body  10  has a frame  11  and a first universal socket bracket  15 . 
         [0023]    The frame  11  has two side ends and a through hole  12  defined through the frame  11 . 
         [0024]    With further reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first universal socket bracket  15  is mounted securely in the through hole  12  and has a rear end, a mounting hole  16  and a first spherical recess  17 . The mounting hole  16  is defined through the first universal socket bracket  15  and has an inner surface. The first spherical recess  17  is annular and is defined in the inner surface of the mounting hole  16 . 
         [0025]    With further reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the mounting bracket  20  is mounted securely on the mask body  10  and has a second universal socket bracket  21  and an assembling member  22 . 
         [0026]    The second universal socket bracket  21  is hollow and tubular and has a rear end, a fastening hole  26  and a second spherical recess  27 . The fastening hole  26  is defined through the second universal socket bracket  21  and has an inner surface. The second spherical recess  27  is annular, is defined in the inner surface of the fastening hole  26  and combines the first spherical recess  17  to form a universal socket. 
         [0027]    The assembling member  22  is formed on and protrudes backward from the second universal socket bracket  21 . 
         [0028]    The universal connecting tube  30  is mounted universally pivotally in the mask body  10  and the mounting bracket  20 , protrudes forward from the mask body  10  and has a front end, a rear end, a channel  300  and a ball joint  31 . The channel  300  is defined through the universal connecting tube  30 . The ball joint  31  is formed on the rear end of the universal connecting tube  30 , is mounted universally rotatably in the universal socket formed from the first and second spherical recesses  17 ,  27  for 360 degrees rotation and has an outer surface  310 . The outer surface  310  of the ball joint  31  is spherical so as to smoothly contact and rotate relative to the first and second spherical recesses  17 ,  27 . The ball joint  31  is capable of fluently rotating for 360 degrees due to the limitation made by the first and second spherical recesses  17 ,  27  instead of being displaced. Furthermore, the universal connecting tube  30  may he made of resilient material such as plastic or rubber such that the universal connecting tube  30  may be press-fitted into or detached from the universal socket from the combined first and second spherical recesses  17 ,  27  through the front of the mask body  10 . Therefore, the universal connecting tube  30  may be quickly attached to or detached from the front of the mask body  10 . Alternatively, the aforementioned components are fabricated according to a different step order of assembling the universal connecting tube  30  on the mask body  10  and then combining the mounting bracket  20  to the mask body  10 . 
         [0029]    The connection bracket  40  is mounted on the assembling member  22  of the mounting bracket  20  opposite to the mask body  10  and may be inserted into a patient&#39;s nostrils. 
         [0030]    With further reference to  FIGS. 9 and 11 , the side bands  90  are connected pivotally and respectively to side ends of the frame  11 . Each side band  90  is a dual-layer structure and has a fabric layer  91  and a glue layer  92 . The glue layer  92  may be a polyester polyurethane layer  92  and is formed on the fabric layer  91  by hot-pressing processes. The fabric layer  91  is soft and makes the user feel comfortable when the side bands are fastened on the user&#39;s head. The polyester polyurethane layer  92  has excellent flexibility and supportive strength to allow the side band  90  to intimately fit the patient&#39;s face and provide comfort. 
         [0031]    The rear band  95  is attached between the side bands  90 . 
         [0032]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with further reference to  FIG. 4 , the mask body  10  has multiple buckling members  18  formed on and protruding backward from the rear end of the first universal socket bracket  15 . Each buckling member  18  has a buckling hole  180  defined through the buckling member  18 . The mounting bracket  20  has multiple hooks  28  and multiple releasing pulls  29 . The hooks  28  may be resilient. The hooks  28  are formed on and protrude back from the rear end of the second universal socket bracket  21 , correspond to the buckling members  18  and detachably hook respectively in the buckling holes  180  of the buckling members  18 . The releasing pulls  29  are U-shaped, formed on the rear end of the second universal socket bracket  21 , and correspond to the hooks  28 . Each releasing pull  29  has two ends connected to one of the hooks  28  such that the releasing pull  29  and the hook  28  cooperatively form a ring-shaped configuration. Furthermore, each releasing pull  29  extends transversely inward and is inclined backward. Pulling the releasing pulls  29  by fingers disengages the hooks  28  from the buckling holes  180  of the buckling members  18 . Therefore, the mounting bracket  20  may be quickly attached to or detached from the mask body  10  for quick assembly and disassembly purposes. 
         [0033]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with further reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the assembling member  22  of the mounting bracket  20  is annular and has a radial flange  221 , an axial flange  222  and an annular assembling slot  25 . The radial flange  221  is formed on and protrudes radially outward from the second universal socket bracket  21 . The axial flange  222  is formed on and protrudes axially backward from the radial flange  221 . The annular assembling slot  25  is defined between the axial flange  222  and an outer surface of the second universal socket bracket  21 . The connection bracket  40  has a hollow sleeve  41 , a hollow body  42  and two hollow nostril insertions  43 . The sleeve  41  is mounted detachably in the annular assembling slot  25  of the assembling member  22  and has a rear end. The body  42  is formed on the rear end of the sleeve  41  and communicates with the sleeve  41  and has a rear end. The nostril insertions  43  are formed on the rear end of the body  42  and communicate with the body  42  and each nostril insertion  43  has an air outlet hole defined through the nostril insertion  43 . 
         [0034]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting bracket  20  has multiple assembling holes  223  defined in the axial flange  222  of the assembling member  22 . The connection bracket  40  has multiple assembling hooks  413  formed on an outer surface of the sleeve  41  and mounted detachably and respectively in the assembling holes  223  of the mounting bracket  20 . 
         [0035]    The present invention has the following advantages.
   1. The universal connecting tube  30  pivots agilely relative to the mask body  10  for 360 degrees through a combination of the universal socket formed from the first and second spherical recesses  17 ,  27  and the ball joint  31 . When a patient wears the breathing mask  1  with the universal connecting tube  30  connected to the breathing tube  97  linked to a breathing apparatus, the universal connecting tube  30  is capable of pivoting to an orientation allowing the breathing tube  97  to extend smoothly to prevent the breathing tube  97  from excessively bending and lowering the fluency of the air conveyance therein no matter what the patient&#39;s position is relative to the breathing apparatus.   2. The mounting bracket  20  is quickly attached to or detached from the mask body  10  through the buckling holes  180  of the buckling members  18  and the releasing pulls  29  for quick assembly and disassembly purposes.   3. The fabric layer  91  of the side band  90  is soft and makes the user feel comfortable when the side bands are fastened on the user&#39;s head. The polyester polyurethane layer  92  has excellent flexibility and supportive strength to allow the side band  90  to intimately fit the patient&#39;s face and provide comfort.   
 
         [0039]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.