Unidirectional fluid valve
First Claim
1. A unidirectional fluid valve that comprises:
- a flexible flap having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being attached to a valve seat, the valve seat having an orifice and a seal ridge that has a concave curvature when viewed from a side elevation, the flexible flap making contact with the concave curvature of the seal ridge when a fluid is not passing through the orifice, the second portion of the flexible flap being free to be lifted from the seal ridge when a fluid is passing through the orifice, wherein the concave curvature of the seal ridge corresponds to a deformation curve exhibited by the second portion of the flexible flap when exposed to (i) a uniform force that acts along the length of the deformation curve normal thereto, (ii) a force acting in the direction of gravity having a magnitude equal to a mass of the second portion of the flexible flap multiplied by at least one gravitational unit of acceleration, or a combination of (i) and (ii).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exhalation valve 14 for a filtering face mask 10 has a flexible flap 24 that makes contact with a curved seal ridge 30 of a valve seat 26 when the valve 14 is in the closed position. The curvature of the seal ridge 30 corresponds to a deformation curve exhibited by the flexible flap 24 when secured as a cantilever at one end and exposed at its free portion to a uniform force and/or a force of at least the weight of the free portion of the flexible flap. A seal ridge curvature corresponding to a flexible flap exposed to uniform force allows the flexible flap 24 to exert a generally uniform pressure on the seal ridge to provide a good seal. A seal ridge curvature corresponding to a flexible flap exposed to a force of at least the weight of the flap'"'"'s free portion allows the flexible flap 24 to be held in an abutting relationship to the seal ridge 30 under any static orientation by a minimum amount of force, thereby providing a face mask 10 with an extraordinary low pressure drop during an exhalation.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A unidirectional fluid valve that comprises:
a flexible flap having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being attached to a valve seat, the valve seat having an orifice and a seal ridge that has a concave curvature when viewed from a side elevation, the flexible flap making contact with the concave curvature of the seal ridge when a fluid is not passing through the orifice, the second portion of the flexible flap being free to be lifted from the seal ridge when a fluid is passing through the orifice, wherein the concave curvature of the seal ridge corresponds to a deformation curve exhibited by the second portion of the flexible flap when exposed to (i) a uniform force that acts along the length of the deformation curve normal thereto, (ii) a force acting in the direction of gravity having a magnitude equal to a mass of the second portion of the flexible flap multiplied by at least one gravitational unit of acceleration, or a combination of (i) and (ii). - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- 2. The unidirectional fluid valve of claim 2, wherein the concave curvature corresponds to a deformation curve exhibited by the flexible flap when exposed to a uniform force that is not less than the mass of the second portion of the flexible flap multiplied by at least one gravitational unit of acceleration.
Specification