BREATHING MASK

• US 20080066761A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ventec Life Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invacare Corporation
• Inventors: Delgado, Christopher H., Curran, Neal J., Hodos, Valentine A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/206.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0638 in the form of a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/065 in the form of a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0655 in the form of a linear or curvilinear slide
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Breathing mask assemblies that include adjustable forehead supports are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a forehead support is adjustably coupled to a central or main body of the breathing mask. A clamp is configured to lock the position of the forehead support relative to the central body and to lock forehead support at multiple different positions. In one exemplary embodiment, the forehead support may be locked at any position along a path of travel between a first position and a second position.

Claims

1. A breathing mask assembly comprising:

a breathing mask;

a forehead support coupled to the breathing mask such that the forehead support is moveable with respect to the breathing mask along a path of travel from a first position to a second position;

a clamp coupled to the breathing mask and the forehead support, wherein the clamp is configured to allow the position of the forehead support to be locked at any position along the path of travel between the first position and the second position.

2. The breathing mask of claim 1 wherein the breathing mask comprises a central body comprising an inlet aperture for receiving a delivered gas and being configured to deliver gas for breathing by a user, and a central body slide surface coupled to the central body, wherein the forehead support comprises a forehead support slide surface slideably coupled to the central body slide surface such that the path of travel is defined by the slide surfaces, wherein the clamp is coupled to the central body slide surface and the forehead support slide surface.

3. The breathing mask of claim 1 wherein the central body slide surface is integral with the central body.

4. The breathing mask of claim 1 wherein the forehead support slide surface is integral with the forehead support.

5. The breathing mask of claim 1 wherein the path of travel is curved.

6. The breathing mask of claim 1 wherein the clamp comprises a cam member coupled to the central body.

7. The breathing mask of claim 6 wherein the cam member is pivotally coupled to the central body and engages a member that defines the forehead support slide surface when the clamp is locked and disengages the member that defines the forehead support slide surface when the clamp is unlocked.

8. A breathing mask comprising:

a central body comprising an inlet aperture for receiving a delivered gas and being configured to deliver the gas for breathing by a user;

a forehead support;

a coupling means for coupling the forehead support and the central body slide such that the forehead support is moveable along a path of travel between first and second positions relative to the central body and allows the forehead support to be locked at any position between the first and second positions.

9. The breathing mask of claim 8 wherein the path of travel is curved.

10. The breathing mask of claim 8 wherein the coupling means comprises a cam member coupled to the central body.

11. A method of adjusting a forehead support of a breathing mask comprising:

sliding a forehead support of the breathing mask along a path of travel with respect to a central body of the breathing mask;

clamping the forehead support to the central body at a position along the path of travel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the forehead support may be slid between a fully extended position and a second position and may be clamped at any position between the fully extended position and the fully retracted position.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the path of travel is curved.

14. A breathing mask comprising:

a central body comprising an inlet aperture for receiving a delivered gas and being configured to deliver the gas for breathing by a user, the central body including at least one cam member mount arm with a notch disposed in the arm;

a central body slide surface coupled to the central body;

a forehead support;

a forehead support slide surface coupled to the forehead support and slideably coupled to the central body slide surface such that the forehead support is moveable along a path of travel defined by the slide surfaces;

a cam member that includes at least one shaft portion rotatably disposed in said notch of the cam member mount arm, a handle portion connected to the shaft portion, and a cam portion connected to the shaft portion, wherein rotation of the handle portion rotates the cam portion between a first position where the cam portion engages the forehead support slide surface to clamp the forehead support slide surface and the central body slide surface together and a second position where the cam portion is disengaged from the forehead support slide surface to allow the forehead support to be moved along said path of travel with respect to the central body.

15. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the central body slide surface is integral with the central body.

16. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the forehead support slide surface is integral with the forehead support.

17. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the path of travel is curved.

18. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the central body including a pair of cam member mount arms that each include a notch.

19. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the central body including a pair of cam member mount arms that each include a notch and the cam member includes a pair of shaft portions disposed in the notches of the pair of mount arms.

20. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the forehead support includes a stop that engages a surface of the central body to limit movement forehead support along the path of travel.

21. The breathing mask of claim 14 wherein the stop is formed on a tongue that is configured to be flexed to allow the stop to disengage from the central body.

22. A method of assembling a forehead support with a breathing mask central body comprising:

placing at least one shaft portion of a cam member in at least one notch of the central body;

inserting a forehead support slide portion into a slide chamber of the breathing mask central body;

moving a handle portion of the cam member to an unlocked position;

sliding the forehead support slide portion in the central body slide chamber to adjust a position of the forehead support with respect to the breathing mask central body;

moving the handle portion of the cam member to a locked position to fix the position of the forehead support with respect to the breathing mask central body.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein moving the handle portion of the cam member to an unlocked position comprises rotating the handle portion of the cam member to the unlocked position.