Unidirectional fluid valve
First Claim
1. A method of making a unidirectional fluid valve, which method comprises:
- (a) providing a valve seat that has an orifice circumscribed by a seal ridge, the seal ridge having a concave curvature when viewed from a side elevation, the concave curvature corresponding to a deformation curve demonstrated by a flexible flap that has a first portion secured to a surface at as a cantilever and has a second, non-secured portion 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 and having a magnitude equal to the 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); and
(b) attaching a first portion of the flexible flap to the valve seat such that (i) the flexible flap makes contact with the seal ridge when a fluid is not passing through the orifice, and (ii) the second portion of the attached flexible flap is free to be lifted from the seal ridge when a fluid is passing through the orifice.
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.
90 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of making a unidirectional fluid valve, which method comprises:
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(a) providing a valve seat that has an orifice circumscribed by a seal ridge, the seal ridge having a concave curvature when viewed from a side elevation, the concave curvature corresponding to a deformation curve demonstrated by a flexible flap that has a first portion secured to a surface at as a cantilever and has a second, non-secured portion 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 and having a magnitude equal to the 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); and (b) attaching a first portion of the flexible flap to the valve seat such that (i) the flexible flap makes contact with the seal ridge when a fluid is not passing through the orifice, and (ii) the second portion of the attached flexible flap is free to be lifted from the seal ridge when a fluid is passing through the orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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9. The method of claim 38, wherein the orifice is 3 to 4 cm2 in size.
Specification