Patent Publication Number: US-5836303-A

Title: Respirator apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF USE 
     The present invention relates to a respirator apparatus for use in extreme climates, either cold or hot, that moderates the air temperature inhaled by the wearer, and more particularly, a respirator apparatus having a mask and an opening for a screen-like material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Numerous respirator mask designs have been proposed for skiers, as well as for others, either other sportsmen or people at risk for developing respiratory problems when exposed to extreme cold temperatures for extended periods of time, such as the elderly: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,691 (Eberling) discloses a respiratory mask retained by a strap on the face of the wearer. The mask includes a heat exchanger for inhaling and exhaling air, and for recovering humidity from the exhaled air. A continuous strip of wire netting helically wound, enabling air to flow through the mask in a radial manner comprises the heat exchanger. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,192 (Eberling) discloses another breathing mask retained by a strap onto the face of the wearer. The heat exchanger portion and the mask portion are made of a biodegradable cellulose material such as short-fibre, high yield hardwood cellulose, such as eucalyptus CTMP fibres or native aspen CTMP pulp. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,299 (Langman) discloses yet another respiratory mask for cold environments retained by a strap on the face of the wearer. The opening is covered with a thermally conductive stainless steel mesh or steel wool material, and the mask is made from a closed cell foam. 
     The wearer is at risk from all air that enters his or her lungs that does not pass through the mesh of the mask, which serves as either a heat exchanger or a filter. The larger the gaps between the mask and the face of the wearer, the greater the risk. 
     Since the facial contours of individual wearers differ dramatically, what is needed is a mask having contours that closely resemble the contours of the individual wearer, ensuring that the gaps between the mask and the wearer are minimized. 
     What is needed is a mask configuration that will not only provide increased comfort and protection to the wearer in cold weather applications, but will also be useful in extreme hot temperatures, as well as other applications where masks are needed, such as surgical masks, dust and paint filters masks, and the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus of the present invention comprises a mask with a passage and a mesh material disposed across the passage, and covers the mouth and nose of a wearer during engagement. The mesh material is larger than the passage. The mask preferably includes at least two layers of material that are fused together in a molding process about the mesh material. 
     The mask is preferably made of a cross-linked polyethylene material that is flexible, resilient, impervious to liquids, and a good insulator. The cross-linked polyethylene material may be formed to fit the individual facial contours of the wearer by heating the mask. 
     A lip preferably matches the general contours of the cheek and nose-bridge structure of the wearer, and provides a seal during engagement. The lip is disposed across the cheek and nose-bridge portion of the mask. The lip, is particularly useful in extreme temperature applications, as it blocks moist air that is exhaled and reduces such moisture from escaping and fogging the goggles or glasses of the wearer. 
     The mask also preferably includes means to secure the mask in place relative to the face, with either an elastic strap, a balaclava hood, or the like. 
     For a more complete understanding of the respiratory apparatus of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which the presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example. As the invention may be embodied in many forms without departing from spirit of essential characteristics thereof, it is expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Throughout the description, like reference numbers refer to the same component throughout the several views. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the respirator apparatus of the present invention, the respirator apparatus being retained within a balaclava hood; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the respirator apparatus of FIG. 1 being retained within the balaclava hood that is disengaged and disposed about the neck of the wearer; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the respirator apparatus of the present invention, the respirator mask being retained by a strap about the face of the wearer; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the respirator apparatus of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 3 without any means for engagement relative to the wearer; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the respirator apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of the respirator apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the respiratory apparatus of the present invention, taken along lines 7--7 of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional end view of the mask portion of the present invention, taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses the respirator apparatus  10! of the present invention within a balaclava hood that covers the mouth and nose of a wearer during engagement, and FIG. 2 discloses the respiratory apparatus  10! during disengagement. 
     Since one primary application of the respiratory apparatus  10! of the present invention is to enable moderation of the temperature of air to be inhaled, the first part of the following description will describe the respiratory apparatus  10! with respect to extreme temperature applications. 
     The respirator apparatus  10! comprises a mask  20! having an opening  22! therein and a mesh  28! covering the opening  22!. The top portion  32! of the mask  20! engages with the bridge of the nose and the cheekbones of the wearer, and the bottom portion  34! engages with the chin of the wearer. As shown in FIG. 4, the top portion  32! is broader than the bottom portion  34!. The mask  20! protrudes outwardly at the nose and mouth area, and protrudes inwardly at the top portion  32! that engages with the bridge of the nose, and the bottom portion  34! that engages with the chin of the wearer. The opening  22! is preferable centered within the mask  20!, fitting near the nose and mouth of the wearer (see FIG. 3). 
     The mesh  28! is disposed across the opening  22!. The opening  22! includes an air inlet  36! enabling the passage of inhaled air, and an air outlet  38! enabling the passage of exhaled air. The mesh  28! is preferably twenty-eight strands to the inch (&#34;28 by 28&#34;), 0.011 inch of stainless steel wire. The stainless steel material is preferred, since it is acid and corrosion resistant, washable and reusable, nontoxic (not lead), nonallergenic, and thermally conductive (see FIG. 7). 
     The screen acts as a heat exchanger, and some moisture from the exhaled air is retained within the respiratory apparatus  10! and reheats and hydrates the incoming air being inhaled. The number of mesh  28! layers, the size of the opening  22!, the size of the screen and the diameter of the screen wire, are variable to enable maximum heat transfer for specific applications while preventing the mesh  28! from frosting. For extreme temperature applications, either four or six layers of stainless steel are used, wherein for applications involving removing allergens from the air, two layers are used. 
     A lip  40! preferably extends across the top portion  32! of the mask  20!, across the cheek and the bridge of the nose of the wearer. The lip  40! generally closely matches the contour of the cheekbones and bridge of the nose, and provides a seal between the mask  20! and the eyes of the wearer. The lip  40! will prevent warm moist air of near body temperature from escaping to minimize the fogging of goggles or glasses of the wearer. 
     The mask  20! is made of a cross-linked polyethylene material that is preferably soft, light weight, flexible, impervious to fluids, a good insulator, and resilient. 
     The mask  20! comprises a soft inner shell layer  42! that is comfortable to the skin, and a denser outer shell layer  44! that provides support and rigidity (see FIG. 8). The mesh  28! is larger than the opening  22! in the mask  20! and is disposed between the two layers  42 and 44!. The material is sentinel microcell cross-linked polyethylene foam, and for extreme temperature applications, the outer layer has a density of 3.0 pounds per cubic foot and the inner layer has a density of 2.0 pounds per cubic foot, and a minimum thickness of 3.30 mm is recommended. 
     The mesh  28! is fused between and with the inner and outer layers  42 and 44! by using the patented molding process described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,110, the complete patent specification and drawings are incorporated by reference herein. The molding process ensures stability and bonding of the mesh  28! and the cross-linked polyethylene for rugged and inclement use. 
     The combination of the molding process and cross-linked polyethylene material enables the wearer to conform the mask  20! to the individual facial features, enabling a snug fit, so that the mask  20! conforms to the individual contours and bone structure of the face of the wearer, whereby essentially all air to be inhaled must enter through the mesh  40!, and essentially all exhaled air leaves through the mesh  40!. 
     To change the shape of the mask  20!, the wearer will heat the cross-linked polyethylene material in the general temperature range of from 120 to 150 degrees F., perhaps by using boiling water, and then press the mask  20! against his or her face. The cross-linked polyethylene material maintains this shape with memory. 
     The respiratory apparatus  10! of the present invention may further include means  46! to secure the mask  20! onto the face of the wearer. As shown in FIG. 4, the securing means comprise a pair of adhesive members  48!, such as Velcro type hook-and-loop type fasteners, disposed on either side of the opening  22!. The pair of pads  48! are attached by bar-tack stitching on either side of the mask allow for numerous methods of securing the mask  20!, and enable the mask  20! to be retained about the head of the wearer, by using an elastic strap, a balaclava hood, a neck gaiter, or a scarf. When the adhesive members  48! are stitched into the mask  20! near the top and on either side of the mesh  28! after the fusion process, the sandwiched layers of the respiratory apparatus  10! will be further stabilized. 
     Other potential applications for the respiratory apparatus  10! of the present invention include electrostatic materials to remove dust particles from the air, activated charcoal to remove unpleasant odors from the air, surgical masks to protect a physician from the anesthetic, and flame arrectors to protect the lungs of a fireman from flames. Simply by varying the mesh material or by inserting another mesh material between the stainless steel screen, the respiratory apparatus  10! may be used for a range of applications. 
     The mask  20! material meets or exceeds requirements as listed in UL94 Flammability Classification. 
     It is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations of the respiratory apparatus  10! of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the disclosure herein. It is intended that the metes and bounds of the present invention be determined by the appended claims rather than by the language of the above specification, and that all such alternatives, modifications, and variations which form a conjointly cooperative equivalent are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of these claims.