Respirator mask for positive pressure respirator equipment

• US 4,905,683 A
• Filed: 07/10/1987
• Issued: 03/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Inventors: Cronjaeger, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reichle, K. M.
• Application Number:
  US07/073,909
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.23, 128/206.24, 128/202.72, 128/201.75, 73/40, 73/40.7, 73/40.5 R, 73/49.2, 73/49.8, 73/52, 12/201.28, 12/204.26, 12/205.12, 12/205.13, 12/205.17, 12/205.25, 12/ 206.12, 12/207.12
• US Class Current: 128/202.22
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/02 Masks gas-masks for animals A62B18/06; masks for welders A61F9/06

Abstract

A respirator mask for positive pressure respirator equipment comprises several peripheral seal edges around the face of the mask wearer. It must be assured that in case of possible leaks of the seal edges no respiratory gas, in particular respiratory gas with increased oxygen concentration, escapes into the open. To check that there are no leaks of respiratory gas past the seal edges, one of the sealing cavities defined by the seal edges in the mask is connected to a connecting line. This cavity defines a control chamber. A flow indicating device is connected to the connecting line and is placed so that it is visible to the wearer. A valve is positioned in a part of the mask bounding the interior of the control chamber. The valve can be actuated to permit the flow of gas, for example exhaled gas, into the control chamber and out through the connecting line and flow indicating device. The wearer can determine what a normal flow value should be and, if the flow observed on the flow indicating device falls below this value, it is assumed that a leak has developed.

Claims

1. A respirator mask comprising:

a half mask having an interior engageable over the nose and mouth of a wearer and having a peripheral resilient seal edge engageable on the wearer'"'"'s face and a respiratory air connecting piece leading out of the said half mask, said connecting piece communicating with said half mask interior;

an outer full mask body over said half mask, said outer full mask body being sealed with the connecting piece, said outer full mask body having an outer peripheral seal edge resiliently engageable around and sealable about the wearer'"'"'s face and an inner seal edge engageable around and sealable with the wearer'"'"'s face, said full mask body having a front wall with a viewing window through which the wearer can see when wearing the respirator mask, said full mask body defining a first chamber between said full mask body outer peripheral seal edge and said full mask body inner seal edge and said full mask body cooperating with said half mask to define a second chamber between said full mask body inner seal edge and said half mask seal edge;

a connecting line having one end connected into one of said first chamber and said second chamber and discharging into the ambient, said connecting line extending out of said full mask body and past said viewing window, said connecting line also having a discharge end spaced away from said viewing window for the discharge into the ambient;

a flow indicator in said connecting line adjacent said viewing window for indicating a flow which can be seen by the wearer when wearing the respirator mask; and

, valve means for opening and closing communication between said respiratory air connecting piece and said one of said first chamber and said second chamber so that respiratory air may pass into said one of said first chamber and said second chamber and through said connecting line to influence said flow indicator.

2. A respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein said connecting piece also leads into and communicates with the outer full mask body, said one of said chambers is said second chamber, said valve means includes an opening providing communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, a flap is disposed in said half mask, a valve member covers said opening and is connected to said flap and said flap is moveable by inhalation and exhalation to selectively open and close the communication between said second chamber and said first chamber.

3. A respirator mask according to claim 1 further including a breathing bag connected to said connection piece located adjacent the discharge end of said connecting line.

4. A respiratory mask according to claim 1 further including lever means pivotally mounted on said full mask body for actuating said valve means.

5. A respirator mask comprising:

a half mask having an interior engageable over the nose and mouth of a wearer and having a peripheral resilient seal edge engageable on the wearer'"'"'s face and a respiratory air connecting piece leading out of the said half mask, said connecting piece communicating with said half mask interior;

an outer full mask body over said half mask, said outer full mask body being sealed with the connecting piece, said outer full mask body having an outer peripheral seal edge resiliently engageable around and sealable about the wearer'"'"'s face and an inner seal edge engageable around and sealable with the wearer'"'"'s face, said full mask body having a front wall with a viewing window through which the wearer can see when wearing the respirator mask, said full mask body defining a first chamber between said full mask body outer peripheral seal edge and said full mask body inner seal edge and said full mask body cooperating with said half mask to define a second chamber between said full mask body inner seal edge and said half mask seal edge;

a connecting line having one end connected into said second chamber and discharging into the ambient, said connecting line extending out of said full mask body and past said viewing window, said connecting line also having a discharge end spaced away from said viewing window for the discharge into the ambient;

a flow indicator in said connecting line adjacent said viewing window for indicating a flow which can be seen by the wearer when wearing the respirator mask; and

, valve means for opening and closing communication between said half mask interior and the second chamber so that respiratory air may pass into said second chamber and through said connecting line to influence said flow indicator.

6. A respirator mask comprising:

a half mask having an interior engageable over the nose and mouth of a wearer and having a peripheral resilient seal edge engageable on the wearer'"'"'s face and a respiratory air connecting piece leading out of the said half mask, said connecting piece communicating with said half mask interior;

an outer full mask body over said half mask, said outer full mask body being sealed with the connecting piece, said outer full mask body having an outer peripheral seal edge resiliently engageable around and sealable about the wearer'"'"'s face and an inner seal edge engageable around and sealable with the wearer'"'"'s face, said full mask body having a front wall with a viewing window through which the wearer can see when wearing the respirator mask, said full mask body defining a first chamber between said full mask body outer peripheral seal edge and said full mask body inner seal edge and said full mask body cooperating with said half mask to define a second chamber between said full mask body inner seal edge and said half mask seal edge, said connecting piece also communicating with said second chamber;

a connecting line having one end connected to said first chamber and discharging into the ambient, said connecting line extending out of said full mask body and past said viewing window, said connecting line also having a discharge end spaced away from said viewing window for the discharge into the ambient;

a flow indicator in said connecting line adjacent said viewing window for indicating a flow which can be seen by the wearer when wearing the respirator mask; and

, valve means for opening and clsoing communication between said second chamber and first chamber so that respiratory air may pass into said first chamber and through said connecting line to influence said flow indicator.

7. A respirator mask comprising:

a half mask having an interior engageable over the nose and mouth of a wearer and having a peripheral resilient seal edge engageable on the wearer'"'"'s face; and

outer full mask body positioned about said half mask having an outer peripheral seal edge resiliently engageable around and sealable about the wearer'"'"'s face, said full mask body having a front wall with a viewing window through which the wearer can see when wearing the respirator mask;

a respirator air connecting piece sealed with respect to said outer full mask body and communicating with said masks'"'"' interiors;

at least one chamber positioned between said seal edge of said half mask and said outer peripheral seal edge of said full mask body;

a connecting line having one end connecting into said at least one chamber and also having a discharge end discharging into the ambient, said connecting line also extending outside of said full mask body and past said viewing window;

a flow indicator in said connecting line adjacent said viewing window for indicating a flow which can be seen by the wearer through the viewing window of the respirator mask; and

, valve means connected to said at least one chamber for opening and closing communication between said at least one chamber and said respiratory air connecting piece.