Patent ID: 8485190

Claim:
A facial seal adapted to be coupled to a mask shell, the facial seal comprising: a mask shell attaching portion adapted to be coupled to a mask shell, the mask shell attaching portion having a first exterior surface structured to be exposed to the ambient environment surrounding the facial seal; a patient portion adapted to contact a face of a human user or be disposed proximate to a face of a user responsive to the facial seal being donned by such a user, and wherein the patient portion is distal from the mask shell attaching portion, the patient portion having a second exterior surface structured to: (i) contact the face of the human user responsive to the facial seal being donned by the user, and (ii) be exposed to the ambient environment surrounding the facial seal when the facial seal is not donned by the user; and a wall portion extending between the mask shell attaching portion and the patient portion structurally supporting the patient portion relative to the mask shell attaching portion and defining a cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of such a user's nose, the wall portion having a third exterior surface structured to be exposed to the ambient environment surrounding the facial seal, wherein the mask shell attaching portion, the patient portion, and the wall portion, including the first exterior surface, the second exterior surface and the third exterior surface, are all part of a single, unitary solid structure formed from a pliable material such that the unitary solid structure recoils back to substantially its original shape when not stressed and wherein the entirety of the mask shell attaching portion, the patient portion, and the wall portion, including the first exterior surface, the second exterior surface and the third exterior surface, has a resiliency defined as a Shore 00 durometer of less than about 10.