Patent ID: 7971590

Claim:
A cushion for a respiratory mask assembly that delivers breathable gas in a range of operating pressures to a patient, the cushion comprising: a non-face contacting portion adapted to contact a frame; a face-contacting or interacting portion adapted to form a contact seal with the patient's face in use and including a first footprint area on the patient's face; and a central portion that interconnects the non-face contacting portion and the face-contacting portion, the central portion being structured to automatically adjust a component of force applied to the patient's face through the face-contacting portion in accordance with operating pressure, while maintaining the contact seal throughout the range of operating pressures, the central cushion portion comprising a gusset portion and a ring-shaped reinforcement portion provided between the gusset portion and the face-contacting cushion portion, wherein the gusset portion includes a second footprint area on the patient's face, and wherein an inner edge of the second footprint area is located substantially adjacent an outer edge of the first footprint area, and an outer edge of the second footprint area is located radially inwardly of a line of contact between the non face-contacting cushion portion and the frame.