Patent ID: 7469699

Claim:
A filter and blower unit for a powered air purifying respirator, comprising: a thin profile blower unit having a filter engagement feature; a replaceable thin profile filter having a blower unit engagement feature and a plurality of filter elements; and a first one of the plurality of filter elements has a thin profile in a first element profile direction and a first element axis perpendicular to the first element profile direction, wherein a second one of the plurality of filter elements has a thin profile in a second element profile direction and a second element axis perpendicular to the second element profile direction, the first one of the plurality of filter elements being abuttably disposed to the second one of the plurality of filter elements such that the first element axis and the second element axis form an oblique angle and such that the abutting first one and second one of the plurality of filter elements together maintain a combined thin profile, wherein the first one and second one of the plurality of filter elements allow a flow path thereacross, the flow path including a path portion in the first element thin profile direction and a path portion in the second element thin profile direction; wherein the filter is slidably engageable with the blower.