MASK INCLUDING INTEGRATED SOUND CONDUCTION FOR ALERT NOTIFICATION IN HIGH-NOISE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20150090257A1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Larsen, Christopher Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/202.22
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/08 Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices eye-pieces for protective goggles A61F9/02; composition of materials for the windows or other transparent parts A62D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 9/006 Indicators or warning devices, e.g. of low pressure, contamination

Abstract

A human wearable mask includes a skirt for directly contacting a human wearer and a sound conduction component on the skirt. The sound conduction component can provide an alert notification within high-noise environments while allowing ambient sounds to be heard over the conduction speakers. The sound conduction component may be used to reproduce audio for firefighters and other users who need radio communications.

Claims

1. A human wearable mask comprising:

a skirt for contacting a skull bone of a human wearer, the skirt including;

a sound conductive vibration element in contact with the skirt, wherein the sound conductive vibration element is positioned in contact with the skirt to conduct sound to the skull bone.

2. The human wearable mask of claim 1, further including a vibration conductive material in contact with the skirt to conduct vibrations from the sound conductive vibration element to the skull bone.

3. The human wearable mask of claim 1, further including a transducer to convert an electronic signal into a vibration signal.

4. The human wearable mask of claim 3, further including a wired connector communicatively coupled to the transducer to receive the electronic signal.

5. The human wearable mask of claim 3, further including a wireless receiver communicatively coupled to the transducer to receive the electronic signal.

6. The human wearable mask of claim 3, wherein the electronic signal indicates a level of breathable air remaining within a self contained breathing apparatus.

7. The human wearable mask of claim 3, wherein the electronic signal indicates a remaining duration of a respiratory protection service life.

8. The human wearable mask of claim 7, further including service life processing circuitry to determine the remaining duration of a respiratory protection service life.

9. The human wearable mask of claim 8, wherein the service life processing circuitry generates the electronic signal to indicate the remaining duration of a respiratory protection service life.

10. The human wearable mask of claim 9, further including a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the service life processing circuitry to transmit the electronic signal.

11. The human wearable mask of claim 1, wherein the human wearable mask is an air-purifying respirator.

12. The human wearable mask of claim 1, wherein the human wearable mask is a self-contained breathing apparatus mask.

13. The human wearable mask of claim 1, wherein the skirt is molded using silicone, and wherein the sound conductive vibration element is molded within the skirt.

14. The human wearable mask of claim 1, wherein the skull bone is the jawbone, the cheekbone, or the forehead.

15. An air purifying respirator comprising:

at least one air purifying cartridge;

an end of service life indicator to detect a cartridge end of service life and generate an electronic alert signal;

a transducer communicatively coupled to the end of service life indicator to convert the electronic alert signal into a vibration signal;

a skirt for contacting a skull bone of a human wearer; and

a sound conductive vibration element communicatively coupled to the transducer and in contact with the skirt, wherein the sound conductive vibration element converts the vibration signal into an audible vibration, and wherein the vibration element is arranged to conduct the audible vibration to the skull bone.

16. The alert notification mask of claim 15, wherein the sound conductive vibration element is molded within the skirt.

17. A method comprising:

obtaining an electrical signal representative of information to be communicated to a wearer of a mask;

converting the electrical signal to sound conductive vibrations; and

transferring the sound conductive vibrations to a skull bone of the wearer of the mask such that the information is audibly provided to the user via the vibrations of the skull bone.

18. The method of claim 17, further including determining a remaining duration of a respiratory protection service life.

19. The method of claim 18, further including generating the electronic signal to indicate the duration of a respiratory protection service life.

20. The method of claim 17, further including displaying a visual representation of the electronic signal.