Patent ID: 7523754

Claim:
A cushion for a respiratory mask assembly that delivers breathable gas to a patient, the cushion comprising: a non-face contacting portion structured to be connected to a frame; a face-contacting portion structured to engage the patient's face; and an intermediate portion that interconnects the non-face contacting portion and the face-contacting portion, the intermediate portion including a gusset portion structured to apply a first component of force to the patient's face through the face-contacting portion, the intermediate portion extending radially outwardly a distance away from the non-face-contacting and face-contacting portions to provide additional footprint area outside a contact line of the cushion; and a spring structure coupled with the face-contacting portion, the spring structure being configured to apply a second component of force to the patient's face through the face-contacting portion, wherein the first and second components of force to be applied by the gusset portion and spring structure, respectively, determine a contact force to be applied to the patient's face through the face-contacting portion.