Half-face mask assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A half-face mask comprising:
- a hard shell provided with a U-shaped peripheral edge portion having spaced apart inner and outer legs and a bight portion which defines a channel open to the forward side;
an elastomeric face seal removably secured to said hard shell, the face seal including a U-shaped peripheral edge, a skirt, and face contacting portion, the U-shaped peripheral edge having inner and outer legs and a bight portion which defines a channel open to the rear side, the U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal being secured to the U-shaped peripheral edge of portion of the hard shell in interlocking relationship, the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal being received between the inner and the outer legs of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell, and the skirt having a portion parallel to said U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal and lying against a back portion of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell, the skirt extending from the face seal around the back of the bight portion and the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion, the skirt being in contact with the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell; and
head harness means secured to the hard shell for holding the hard shell and face seal onto the face of a wearer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved half-face mask assembly (10) which can be easily donned and doffed. The assembly includes a hard shell (12), a rubber-like face seal (14), a head harness assembly (16) and two harness anchors and adjusters (18). These parts can be readily assembled or disassembled. Face seals of differing sizes may be assembled to the hard shell. An improved seal is provided between a hard shell (12) and an associated rubber-like face seal (14). A two point head harness suspension system is typically provided althrough an optional neck strap assembly may be utilized with the half-face mask assembly. In addition, a novel one piece harness anchor and adjuster is disclosed.
315 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A half-face mask comprising:
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a hard shell provided with a U-shaped peripheral edge portion having spaced apart inner and outer legs and a bight portion which defines a channel open to the forward side; an elastomeric face seal removably secured to said hard shell, the face seal including a U-shaped peripheral edge, a skirt, and face contacting portion, the U-shaped peripheral edge having inner and outer legs and a bight portion which defines a channel open to the rear side, the U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal being secured to the U-shaped peripheral edge of portion of the hard shell in interlocking relationship, the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal being received between the inner and the outer legs of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell, and the skirt having a portion parallel to said U-shaped peripheral edge of the face seal and lying against a back portion of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell, the skirt extending from the face seal around the back of the bight portion and the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion, the skirt being in contact with the inner leg of the U-shaped peripheral edge portion of the hard shell; and head harness means secured to the hard shell for holding the hard shell and face seal onto the face of a wearer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A half-face mask comprising:
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a hard shell formed of a hard resilient material, the shell being provided with a pair of integral laterally spaced apart mounting sockets, each of which is provided with a generally fore-and-aft extending slot open at its forward end, each slot being defined by a base portion, a pair of spaced apart sides which extend outwardly from the base portion at approximately right angles, and pair of inturned spaced apart end portions; an elastomeric face seal removably secured to the periphery of said hard shell; and head harness means secured to said hard shell for holding the hard shell and face seal assembly onto the face of a wearer, said head harness means including a head harness assembly disposable about the head of a wearer, the head harness assembly including a pair of laterally spaced apart straps, and a pair of harness anchors and adjusters, each of which receives an end of one of the pair of laterally spaced apart straps, and each of said harness anchors further including a grooved stud engaging one of said laterally spaced apart mounting slots, the diameter of the stud being just slightly less than the diameter of the associated slot. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. The half-face mask assembly as set forth in 7 wherein each of the pair of harness anchors and adjusters includes a relatively thin planar portion of a hard resilient material such as nylon or the like, there being a generally rectangular U-shaped slot having a bight portion extending through the material to define a U-shaped border portion and a relatively movable generally rectangular central portion joined to the generally planar portion along one side only, an end of one of the laterally spaced straps passing through the bight portion of the U-shaped slot to cause the movable central portion to be resiliently shifted a slight amount out of the plane of the border portion, a manually engageable tab secured to one side of the movable central portion, which tab is capable of being engaged to pull the movable central portion further out of the plane of the border portion to permit free movement of the associated strap in either direction, and wherein the mounting stud is disposed on the end of the generally planar portion remote from the U-shaped slot.
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14. A half-face mask comprising:
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a hard shell provided with a pair of integral laterally spaced apart mounting portions; an elastomeric face seal removably secured to the periphery of said hard shell; a head harness assembly including a pair of laterally spaced apart straps; and a pair of harness anchors and adjusters secured to the laterally spaced apart mounting portions of the hard shell, each of said pair of harness anchors and adjusters receiving an end of one of said laterally spaced apart straps, each of said pair of harness anchors and adjusters including a relatively thin one piece molded planar portion of a hard resilient material such as nylon or the like, there being a generally rectangular U-shaped slot having a bight portion extending through the planar portion to define a U-shaped border portion and a relatively movable generally rectangular central portion joined to the generally planar portion along the one side only, the end of one of the laterally spaced apart straps passing through the bight portion of the U-shaped slot to cause the movable central portion to be resiliently shifted a slight amount out of the plane of the border portion, a manually engageable tab secured to one side of the movable central portion, which tab is capable of being engaged to pull the movable central portion further out of the plane of the border portion to permit free movement of the associated strap in either direction, and mounting means on the end of the generally planar portion remote from the bight portion of the U-shaped slot for securing the associated harness anchor and adjuster to one of said laterally spaced apart mounting portions of the hardshell. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A harness anchor and adjuster for use with a head harness assembly and a hard shell and face seal assembly;
- said harness anchor and adjuster comprising;
a relatively thin planar portion of hard resilient material such as nylon or the like, there being a generally rectangular U-shaped slot extending through the material to define a border portion and a relatively movable generally rectangular central portion joined to the border portion along one side only, the U-shaped slot having a bight portion; a manually engageable tab secured to one side of the movable central portion, which tab is capable of being manually engaged to pull the movable central portion out of the plane of the border portion; and a mounting stud on one end of the border portion remote from the bight portion of the U-shaped slot.
- said harness anchor and adjuster comprising;
Specification