CN110772724A

CN110772724A - Filter mask device

Info

Publication number: CN110772724A
Application number: CN201910690741.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 阿德尔·阿里格
Original assignee: Elberiska Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Elberiska Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-07-30
Filing date: 2019-07-29
Publication date: 2020-02-11
Also published as: GB2575985B; GB2575985A; GB201812391D0

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a filter mask device for covering mouth and nose when being worn. The filtering mask device comprises a shell provided with a wind feeding wheel and an air outlet valve; the filter layer which is arranged on the mask shell and is flexibly disassembled and filled with air filter paper has the shape and the outline consistent with those of the mask shell; the face fit assembly between the mask shell and the face of the wearer has elastic high fit when in use; the inner space between the face of the wearer and the inner layer of the mask is limited by the filtering mask device, the inner space between the mask shell and the air filter paper and the outer space separated by the outermost layer of the mask and the inner space of the mask are used, the air supply wheel is arranged at the rear part of the air filter paper, the air is supplied through the air filter paper, the air outlet valve is opened when the air pressure of the inner space of the mask is larger than the air pressure of the outer space of the mask, the exhaled air of the inner space of the mask is discharged, the air pressure of the inner space of the mask is lower than the air pressure of the outer space of the mask, the.

Description

Filter mask device

Technical Field

The present invention relates broadly to the field of mask assembly innovation and device design, with the particular focus of the innovative design being to facilitate filtration of air contaminants that come into contact during breathing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a filter mask that is placed on the face (covering the nose and mouth) of a wearer during use, and to a blower wheel and mask assembly designed specifically to optimize the effectiveness of the filter mask.

Background

Today the global problem of increasing air pollution has become a prime threat to the health of many large urban public. The use and efficacy of air contaminant filter masks is well known in some countries and regions. However, in addition to professional workers like builders, painters, carpenters, etc., who may be hard to request the use of masks, filter masks have not gained wide popularity among general consumers (e.g., students or office workers who walk or bike on weekdays), even in heavily air-polluted cities and areas.

Whether disposable or reusable, the existing air pollution protective mask has many technical defects in design, such as poor fit with the face and many leakage points; the comfort of the part attached to the face is poor; the user has to expend effort to breathe through the air filter paper of the mask, etc. In addition, during use, the space within existing filter masks can generate a high degree of moist heat, thereby causing discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, the amount of carbon dioxide (mostly from the exhaled air of the wearer) in the mask may cause temporary dizziness if it exceeds the tidal volume of the wearer's breath.

Although individual filter masks have incorporated motorized fans into their products to help wearers breathe more easily through the masks, these masks are typically bulky in design and use wind wheels that produce more noise and vibration. The weight and power consumption of these fans is not suitable for portable devices such as filter masks.

Most of the prior air filtering masks are designed for the working requirements of professionals, particularly the type with heavier air supply wheels and power supply components. The document WO 2016/150214 developed a blower to help the wearer inhale through an air filter paper in response to this problem, but the inventors did not specify that the power supply part for supplying power to the blower is designed inside the mask or needs to be carried by the wearer. In addition, the great centrifugal fan of comparison document WO 2016/149591 has utilized, and is different from the condition that the person of wearing in the scene of general gauze mask permeates air filter paper with self vital capacity and inhales, and this kind is placed the fan in the lower part of gauze mask cover body, and the design behind the fan is placed in to air filter paper makes a large amount of air can utilize the kinetic energy that the fan produced effectively to be filtered. WO 2017/065853 discloses a design using two wind wheels placed on both sides of the mask, which are specially designed for the filtering mask of this disclosure and have high power consumption, so that a person wearing the filtering mask of this disclosure needs to additionally carry a portable power source and connect with the mask using a power cord.

The main defects of the existing filter mask for covering the mouth and nose of a wearer are as follows: the mask has the advantages of severe discomfort feeling to a wearer in the using process (the exhaled hot air cannot be effectively exhausted, so that the glasses generate fog, more inconvenience is caused to the wearer wearing the glasses), poor fitting property with the face, trace left on the face after use, difficulty in breathing (the wearer needs to breathe harder due to the fact that air filter paper generates stronger resistance to inhalation), and the like.

In this case, the core problem to be solved is to design a blower wheel that is capable of helping the wearer overcome the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the mask (typically between 7 mm (or 0.3 inch) and 12 mm (or 0.5 inch) of water pressure caused by the medium and high density air filter paper within a limited size, power consumption and noise level, and at the same time, continuously and stably supplying the wearer with the required volume of air (about 6 liters per minute at rest, about 28 liters per minute at light or medium exercise such as cycling).

The technology adopts a new design of the filter mask device to ensure the comfort when the filter mask device is worn in a mouth and nose covering mode, and a new wind sending wheel developed for the filter mask device.

This technology focuses on using a unique filter mask device design to significantly improve comfort of wear, allowing general consumers of non-specialized professionals in contaminated areas to more easily breathe through the mask (whether at rest or during moderate exercise) while effectively exhausting exhaled air from the mask interior space.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a filter mask assembly comprised of a unique face engaging component and an "easy breathe" active air supply wheel disposed below the air filter paper. The mask device has strong versatility and is suitable for low-cost and efficient manufacturing.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the art provides a device designed for use with a filter mask of the type that covers the nose and mouth when worn, the device comprising:

(a) a mask shell for placing a wind supply wheel and an air outlet valve;

(b) a removable and replaceable air filter paper fixed on the mask shell, wherein the shape of the air filter paper is consistent with that of the mask shell and separates the mask shell from the air which is not filtered outside;

(c) a face engaging member disposed between the wearer's face and said mask shell, said face engaging member being resiliently engageable with the wearer's face when said mask assembly is in use;

the filtration mask assembly provided by the present invention defines an interior space between the wearer's face and the mask interior, a medial interior space between the mask shell and the air filter paper, and an exterior space separated from the mask interior space by the mask outermost layer. The air supply wheel is arranged behind the air filter paper and supplies air to the interior of the mask through the air filter paper. When a wearer exhales, the air pressure in the internal space of the mask is larger than that in the external space, and the air outlet valve is automatically opened, so that exhaled air is effectively discharged from the internal space of the mask to the external space. When a wearer inhales, the air pressure in the internal space of the mask is smaller than that in the external space, and the air outlet valve keeps a closed state, so that unfiltered air is prevented from entering the internal space of the mask.

The second aspect of the invention is a wind delivery wheel developed for this filtering mask device. The air supply wheel is provided with a fan shell with an air inlet and an air outlet which are coaxially opposite, wherein the air supply wheel generates pressurization from the air inlet to the air outlet to offset the pressure difference inside and outside the mask generated by the air filter paper.

A third aspect of the present invention is the filter housing assembly incorporating the blower wheel described above in association with the first aspect.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method of assembling a filter mask assembly, the method comprising:

(a) providing a mask shell;

(b) a detachable air supply wheel, an air outlet valve and at least one power supply part for supplying power to the fan are arranged;

(c) providing an air filter paper; and are

(d) The air filter paper is flexibly fixed on the mask shell in a buckling mode.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a method of providing a conformable filter mask assembly for wearers of differing facial structures, the method further comprising at least two face-engaging elements, a first face-engaging element designed based on a first set of facial characteristic information and a second face-engaging element designed based on a second set of facial characteristic information.

The filtering facemask assembly of the present invention provides a versatile modular mask assembly. The components (the face attaching component, the mask shell, the air feeder, the air filter paper, the air outlet valve, the power supply and the like) are fixed together in a buckling mode, and are easy to detach and replace.

In addition, the reverse pressure difference generated by the 'easy breathing' electric wind sending wheel in the filter mask device reduces the pressure generated by the wearer (whether at rest or when riding a bicycle) to the lung when breathing through the air filter paper. The design of the air supply wheel can keep low-level rotating speed and noise while achieving the effect, and further improves the comfort of a wearer in use.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a high perspective (side and front) view of a filter mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a high perspective (side and front) view of a wind rotor according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 a-3 c are front high perspective views of a face-engaging component of a filter mask assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4a is a front high perspective view of an outlet valve in a filter mask according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view of an outlet valve (see FIG. 4a) disposed on a mask shell according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a layout view example of an integrated circuit board in the filter mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a plan view of a command button on the mask shell of the filter mask assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a plan view of a fastening band attached to both sides of a mask shell of a filtering mask assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention provides a filter mask assembly designed to be placed over the nose and mouth of a wearer during use. The filtering mask device comprises a mask shell with a wind supply wheel and an air outlet valve; the filter layer which is arranged on the mask shell and is flexibly disassembled and filled with air filter paper has the shape and the outline consistent with those of the mask shell in order to achieve the complete sealing with the external environment, and the mask shell and the facial joint component between the mask shell and the face of a wearer achieve the high joint performance with elasticity when the wearer uses the mask shell. This filtering mask device has prescribed a limit to the inner space between the wearer's face and this mask inner layer, the middle inner space between the aforementioned mask shell and the aforementioned air filter paper, and the outer space partitioned by this mask outermost layer and this mask inner space.

The air supply wheel is arranged behind the air filter paper, and air is supplied to the internal space of the mask through the air filter paper. The blower wheel further blows air around the wearer's mouth to relieve discomfort caused by hot and humid exhalations. The air supply wheel is arranged at the rear side of the air filter paper, so that the air supply wheel is effectively prevented from being polluted by particle pollutants pumped into the air.

The placement of the blower wheel at the rear side of the air filter paper can effectively assist the wearer in breathing by offsetting the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the mask caused by the air filter paper. The supply wheel provides 0.33 liters of air flow per second (equivalent to about 20 liters per minute) to support the wearer's breathing while the wearer is stationary. The supply wheel provides 0.8 liters of air flow per second (equivalent to about 50 liters per minute) to support the wearer's breath while the wearer is using the bicycle.

The air outlet valve of the filtering mask is suitable for being opened when the air pressure of the internal space of the mask is larger than the air pressure of the external space of the mask, and the damp and hot air in the internal space of the mask is fully discharged. The air outlet valve port provides a discharge channel for discharging the internal expiration to the outside of the mask (or the external environment), and simultaneously prevents the expiration from entering the interior of the filtering mask again through the filtering layer.

The air outlet valve is also suitable for keeping sealing when the air pressure in the inner space of the filter mask is lower than the external air pressure, so that the wearer is prevented from inhaling any air which is not filtered by the air filter paper.

The filtering mask shell can be composed of a main frame and an internal bottom frame flexibly fixed on the main frame. The filtering respirator shell can also be composed of only one main frame. In either of these two aforementioned filter mask shell frame configurations, the filter mask shell itself may be further adapted for flexible securement to the filter layer and the facial attachment assembly.

The face engaging component of the present invention comprises a rim portion, a front wall facing the oronasal opening of the wearer, and a bridge portion connecting the rim portion and the front wall. When the wearer presses the filter mask against the face, the bridge portion of the face engaging member is elastically deformed to engage the filter mask with the face of the wearer. In one embodiment of the invention, when the wearer presses the filter mask against their face, the bridge portion resiliently closes, flattening the edge portion to conform to the face. This method ensures that the edges of the face engaging assembly adhere tightly to the wearer's face, particularly in the area around the bridge of the nose above where the difficulty of engagement is greatest and leaks are likely to occur.

In an alternative embodiment, the face-engaging component of the filter mask is flexibly secured to the mask shell. The method ensures that the face attachment assembly can be flexibly replaced, particularly when multiple wearers with different facial features need to use the same mask.

The face fit assembly is made of a resilient soft material. An advantage of using a soft material is that the face engaging component can conform well to the contours of the wearer's face, particularly around the nose and mouth. The elastic characteristics of the soft material enable the face fit assembly to be suitable for different wearers with different face shapes and different facial characteristics.

The face-engaging component is made of either a thermoplastic elastomer or an elastomer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the face-engaging component may be a thermoplastic elastomer such as a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer or a polycarbonate material, for example, a medical grade polymeric material. The soft material and elasticity of the polycarbonate material enable the face fitting component not to leave marks on the skin of a wearer easily, and meanwhile, the polycarbonate material has the characteristics of low sensitization, alkali resistance, acid resistance and non-flammability. The thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer or polycarbonate material has the characteristics of high temperature resistance and outstanding weather resistance. In one embodiment of the present invention, the face-engaging component may be made of an elastomeric material, such as silicone. Alternatively, the face engaging component may be a thermosetting liquid silicone rubber.

The mask shell of the mask is provided with at least one energy supply component for supplying energy to the air supply wheel. The mask shell includes at least one internal chamber adapted to carry at least one removable energy supply assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the internal chamber(s) are located on the sides of the shell of the mask. In another embodiment of the present invention, the mask shell has an inner chamber on each side for holding a detachable power supply module. The two energy supply assemblies on the two sides of the mask shell in the scheme ensure that the weight of the mask device shell is symmetrically distributed. The energy is supplied to the two sides of the mask shell, and the obstruction to the visual field of the wearer is avoided.

At least one of the energy supply components of the device comprises at least one rechargeable energy supply. In one embodiment of the invention, the rechargeable energy supply in the device is a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium battery. The lithium battery can avoid the phenomenon that the mask shell is overheated due to the use of the wind delivery wheel.

The mask shell also comprises a charging point, such as a USB charging socket capable of charging at least one energy supply component. In one embodiment of the present invention, the USB charging jack may be placed on the bottom side of the mask shell for ease of use by the wearer.

The wind delivery wheel in the mask is connected with at least one energy supply component through a circuit. At least one of the power supply assemblies is adapted to provide direct current to the blower wheel. In one embodiment of the invention, the blower wheel is provided with 5V dc. Alternatively, depending on the type and size of the wind impeller, the impeller may be supplied with 10V or more dc power. At least one rechargeable battery can be a 3.7V battery (lithium battery standard), and when the rechargeable batteries are connected for use, the two batteries can provide 5V voltage higher than that required by the air supply wheel. If the air supply wheel needs 10V voltage, three batteries are needed to be connected in series to supply the air supply wheel.

When the battery is fixed in an inner chamber of the mask shell, the battery can be exposed by pushing two sides of the face attaching component away. The battery is a rechargeable battery, and one proposal adopts 14500(AA) or 10440(AAA) lithium battery. These lithium batteries are easily accessed and replaced and have a high standard of safety and performance due to their high temperature resistance, resistance to core overvoltage, and resistance to overcharge. In one embodiment of the present invention, the mask shell contains two batteries, which can provide more than two hours of power for all of the functions of the filter mask to be used simultaneously.

The blower wheel in the filter mask comprises a fan casing. The fan shell is provided with an air inlet facing the air filter paper and communicated with the middle space between the filter layer and the mask shell, and an air outlet coaxially opposite to the air inlet and communicated with the inner space of the mask device. The air supply wheel is pressurized from the air inlet to the air outlet to counteract the pressure reduction generated by the filter layer. Thus, the use of a blower wheel can help the wearer overcome the low pressure differential created by a high density air filter, between 7 mm (or 0.3 inch) and 12 mm (or 0.5 inch) high water pressure. Thus, this blower wheel needs to provide 0.3 liters per second (28 liters per minute for a wearer using a bicycle) of filtered air to the wearer in a stationary state.

The inner diameter of the fan shell of the air supply wheel is gradually increased from the air inlet to the air outlet, and the air inlet to the air outlet generates pressurization, so that the pressure reduction caused by air filter paper is counteracted. Therefore, the filtered air flows from the air inlet to the air outlet rapidly, and the pressure reduction generated by the air filter paper is counteracted. In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner diameter of the fan housing gradually increases from a first inner diameter at the air inlet end of the fan housing to a second longer inner diameter at the air outlet end of the fan housing.

The blower wheel includes a fan rotor. In one embodiment of the invention, the fan rotor is adapted to generate a boost pressure of 0.25 to 1.5 litres per second at a flow rate of between 0.25 and 1.5 litres per second. The fan rotor has a rpm of 4000 to 7000 revolutions. In another embodiment of the present invention, the fan rotor has a speed of 6000 rpm, with 5700 rpm being the optimum. The lower fan speed ensures that fan noise, vibration and power consumption are within acceptable ranges.

The fan rotor includes a motor enclosed in a fan housing. This structure reduces the overall volume of the blower wheel. The motor incorporates a reverse-connect protection design and a protection design to avoid stall conditions caused by the motor becoming stuck. The fan rotor further comprises fan blades. The shape of flabellum and supply air wheel shell accessible several optimization processes reduce the volume and the weight of supply air wheel, reduce power consumption and fan speed, reduce vibration and noise, and then improve the comfortable experience of wearer.

In another embodiment of the invention, the blower wheel may comprise a vortex pump assembly.

The air supply wheel also comprises at least one protective net arranged in front of the air inlet and/or the air outlet. In one embodiment of the present invention, the protection net is a protective fence. The protective net (or grille) can prevent the rotor blade from being damaged by foreign objects. With sufficiently small aperture sizes, this protective net (or grille) eliminates the risk of damaging the wearer's fingers when the blower wheel is in operation.

The wind wheel is a mixed flow wind wheel. The mixed-flow wind wheel has small volume and high pressure, and can output a large amount of unidirectional airflow. In another embodiment of the invention, the wind rotor is a centrifugal or axial fan. In one embodiment, the blower wheel includes a photocatalytic subassembly that completely removes volatile organic compounds from the filtered air before it enters the interior of the mask assembly.

The diameter of the casing of the air supply wheel is less than 60 mm, and the thickness of the casing of the air supply wheel is less than 20 mm. In one embodiment, the blower wheel housing has a diameter of 57 mm and a thickness of 15 mm.

The mask shell of the filtering mask device comprises at least one sensor for measuring the density of pollutants in the internal space and/or the external space of the mask. In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one sensor assembly comprises at least one air sensor assembly for measuring contaminants such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Specifically, the units for measuring contaminants are parts per million.

In another embodiment of the invention, the at least one air sensor assembly comprises an optical gas detector, such as an Infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (VR) gas detector. These aforementioned calibrators are reliable and have high resistance to degradation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the mask shell comprises a measuring chamber made of metal barrier and containing an optical sensor and a light source. The light source may be an infrared light source or a Light Emitting Diode (LED) light source.

In use, the light source illuminates the air entering the measurement chamber with a plurality of wavelengths, the absorption of each gas in the measurement chamber air exhibiting a specific absorption wavelength. The optical calibrator measures the amount of absorption, correlated to the density of the different gases within the measurement chamber.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the at least one air sensor assembly may comprise other sensing technologies, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) or electrochemical sensors.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the filtering face mask device includes two sensor elements, one of which may be placed in the interior space of the face mask to measure the density of contaminants in the filtered air and the other of which may be placed outside the face mask device to measure the ambient air pollution. This dual sensor assembly design can provide the wearer with intuitive data of the mask air filtration effect by comparing the quality of the filtered air and the ambient air. This data may further assist the wearer in deciding whether to stay in the geographic location in which they are located.

The data (e.g., gaseous pollutant index, temperature or GPS position data) collected by the at least one sensor assembly is time stamped and encrypted by a microprocessor flexibly mounted within the housing of the respirator assembly. In one embodiment of the invention, the encrypted data may be transmitted to the application software on a terminal via bluetooth technology. The encrypted data may be stored in a decentralized database, such as an interplanetary file system (IPFS), and the encrypted data signature may be broadcast to a stream blockchain. By this design, this encrypted data can be monetized in a data-dispersed market.

The housing of the filter mask assembly may further include at least one integrated circuit board. The integrated circuit board(s) may be flexibly secured to either or both sides of the outer shell of the filter mask assembly. In one embodiment of the invention, the integrated circuit board(s) is/are sandwiched within the mask shell and wirelessly connected to the various components. The total area of the semi-flexible integrated circuit board(s) may be up to 6000 square millimeters in order to contain all the necessary electronic functions.

The integrated circuit board(s) may include a microprocessor and various electronic components controlled thereby. A non-exhaustive list of electronic components includes, but is not limited to: the system comprises an air sensor assembly, a global positioning system circuit, an acceleration sensor, a lamp, an audio system comprising a microphone, a receiver and a loudspeaker, an air supply wheel and a connecting module required by matching with a terminal. In another embodiment of the invention, the connection module comprises a bluetooth module or a Near Field Communication (NFC) module for transmitting data and sound.

The terminal may run an application that collects and reports the measurement data of the sensor assembly. In an embodiment of the invention, the terminal is a smart phone and comprises a bluetooth function which can be connected with the smart filter mask in a matching way, so that a wearer can safely talk or listen to music when using the filter mask.

This audio system ensures a high level of safety for the wearer. The person of wearing accessible should embed the speaker and converse, need not to take off filter mask. To allow sound to diffuse, the speaker assembly is placed on the integrated circuit board on the opening side of the mask. The microphone may use bone conduction technology to communicate sound through the skull to the inner ear. In this case, the wearer's ears are not obstructed by the headset, thereby enabling the wearer to be alerted to sudden hazards in the surrounding environment, especially in busy urban areas.

The filter mask assembly may further include a command button. This command button may be located on the outside of the mask shell. Since the command button is not visible to the wearer when using the filter mask, the command button follows an intuitive design so that the wearer does not need to remove the mask to operate the button. The command button is ergonomically designed with the tactile feel and surface design of the keys to provide the wearer with sufficient non-visual information to operate the command button with accuracy and ease. In one embodiment of the present invention, this command button includes 5 keys (button assembly). These key surfaces may contain different raised designs to aid in wearer differentiation by fingertip tactile sensation. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, one of the keys may contain a rounded square convex design and the other key may contain a convex circular design. The keys may be spaced sufficiently to provide additional tactile information to the wearer to more accurately operate the various command buttons.

In another embodiment of the invention, each or several buttons may be supplemented with different sound effects based on tactile differentiation. This sound effect may be communicated by the audio system to better inform the wearer of the function being activated.

The functions of this command button include, but are not limited to: enabling the wearer to open and close the smart mask device; pairing with a smart phone through Bluetooth; connecting or hanging up the incoming call; the volume is adjusted. For security reasons, some functions will be activated or deactivated by the connected terminal, e.g. outgoing calls, play/pause/stop music, voice commands, etc.

The air outlet valve of the filtering mask device is a one-way valve. The air outlet valve is opened when the air pressure in the mask device is larger than the air pressure of the surrounding environment, and an exhaust channel is provided for the exhaled air. Therefore, the exhaled air does not return to the mask through the filter layer. The air outlet valve remains closed (level) when the wearer inhales (the air pressure inside the mask is less than the ambient air pressure), preventing the wearer from inhaling any unfiltered air.

The air outlet valve comprises a valve body for blocking an air outlet hole on the mask shell and at least one fork head which is protruded outwards from the valve body and used for flexibly fixing the air outlet valve on the mask shell. The simple structure of the air outlet valve is convenient to disassemble and replace.

The flexible fixing device of the air outlet valve comprises a rotary fixing device. Thus, the exhalation valve can be quickly returned to the closed position at the end of the breathing cycle. In one embodiment of the invention, the valve body can be round or rectangular, and the valve body in any shape is fixed on the mask shell through a fork. The opening and closing of the air outlet valve can be realized by pivoting a circular or rectangular valve body around the fork head so as to expose (or shield) the air outlet hole on the mask shell.

The filter layer of the filter mask device comprises at least one layer of filter paper. In this embodiment, the filter layer is a multi-layer filter paper that blocks particulate contaminants between PM2.5 and PM10 or smaller, and absorbs gaseous contaminants. The filter layer can further adopt different filter materials according to the air pollution degree, pollutant composition and the like of the working and living environment of the wearer so as to achieve air filtration with different pertinence.

In one embodiment of the invention, the filter layer meets any one of the quality standards EN143P1, P2, P3 or NIOSH N95, N99, N100.

The filter layer is flexibly fixed on the mask shell. In order to achieve complete sealing with the external environment, the shape and outline of the filter layer are consistent with those of the mask shell. The design of the filter layer component maximizes the surface of the filter layer to reach the maximum possibility of the filter surface, further improves the breathing comfort level and inhibits the accumulation of damp and hot air in the mask. In one embodiment of the invention, the filter layer may be replaced by pulling it downward. The filter mask assembly is reusable, and the filter layer assembly is consumable (can be easily replaced when saturated with contaminants).

The filter layer is separated from the air inlet end of the casing of the air supply wheel by a proper distance to prevent the filter layer from blocking the air supply wheel.

At least one layer of filter paper contains activated carbon or other filter material that is resistant to gaseous contaminants.

The filtering mask device adopts a modular assembly mode, and the mask shell, the filter layer, the air supply wheel and the air outlet valve are flexibly fixed together by a buckle mode to form the mask device.

The filtering mask assembly further includes a strap that supports the entire mask assembly around the neck and secures the mask assembly to the wearer's head (instead of being secured behind the ears and being uncomfortable). The buckle belt comprises a group of hooks fixed on the protruding round bodies at the tail ends of the two sides of the mask shell. This buckle strap design enables the wearer to secure and release the buckle strap from the cheek side, which is easier, faster and more comfortable than a buckle strap design placed at the back of the head.

The hanging buckle belt is made of nylon material with wear resistance. In an alternative embodiment, the strap can be made of a hemp or flax fiber material. These materials have the advantage of being non-allergenic compared to nylon or other rayon.

The buckle belt comprises a buckle which can be fixed at the middle point of the buckle belt. The hanging buckle is used for adjusting the length of the buckle belt and simultaneously provides a symmetrical supporting force for a wearer from the back of the head. In one embodiment of the invention, the head-engaging side of the clasp is provided with a cotton pad to prevent discomfort to the wearer from the hook material itself.

The invention further provides a wind feeding wheel for the filtering mask device. The air supply wheel comprises an air supply wheel shell with an air inlet and an air outlet which are coaxially opposite, and the air supply wheel generates pressure increase from the air inlet to the air outlet to offset the pressure reduction generated by the filter layer.

The inner diameter of the fan shell of the air supply wheel is gradually increased from the air inlet to the air outlet, and the pressure increase from the air inlet to the air outlet, which can offset the pressure reduction caused by the air filter paper, is generated.

The blower wheel further includes a fan rotor. The fan rotor is adapted to generate a boost equivalent to a high water pressure of 5 to 18 mm at a flow rate of 0.25 to 1.5 litres per second. The fan rotor has a rpm of 4000 to 7000 revolutions. In one embodiment, the fan rotor has a rpm of 6000, which is 5700 rpm for optimum operation.

The wind wheel is a mixed flow wind wheel. In another embodiment, the wind rotor is a centrifugal or axial fan. In an alternative embodiment, the supply wheel comprises a regenerative pump assembly.

The present invention further provides a method of assembling a filter mask assembly, the method comprising:

(a) providing a mask shell;

(b) a detachable air supply wheel, an air outlet valve and at least one power supply for supplying energy to the fan are arranged;

(c) providing an air filter paper; and are

(d) The filter paper is flexibly fixed on the mask shell.

The present invention further provides a method of providing a suitable filter mask assembly for wearers of differing facial structures, comprising at least two face-engaging components designed according to the method: first face laminating subassembly and second face laminating subassembly: wherein the first facial fit component is designed based on a first set of facial feature information and at least the second facial fit component is designed based on a second set of facial feature information.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a filter mask assembly based on a design in which the filter mask shell is comprised of a main frame and an internal chassis. In fig. 1, the filtering mask device 10 includes a filter layer 11, a main frame 12, a blowing wheel 13, an inner frame 14, a face attachment member 15, and a buckle belt 16. The internal chassis 14 has two internal compartments 17 on either side for receiving a portable power supply (not visible). The main frame 12 has a main opening for supporting the wind rotor 13.

When assembled for use by a wearer, all components of the filter mask assembly 10 may be secured to one another without the use of screws, such as by snapping. The use of a design for snap-fit attachment of the components allows the filter mask assembly 10 to be easily removed. In addition, the integrated circuit board (PCB) (not visible) of the smart mask snaps onto the outside of the inner chassis 14, possibly requiring one to two screws to secure the weaker components of the integrated circuit board (PCB) to the inner chassis 14.

When the buckle belt is firmly fixed on the head of a wearer, all parts of the mask device are in place for the wearer to use. When the mask device is used, air is sucked through the filter layer, and airflow flows to the inner space of the mask device from the external environment through the filter layer easily through the wind delivery wheel. The filtered air is inhaled by the wearer in the interior space and the wearer's exhalation is vented to the ambient environment via the air outlet valve. The filter mask is activated by operating a command button, and the intelligent functions of the filter mask are also controlled by the command button by the wearer.

Fig. 2 shows a blower wheel 20 comprising a blower wheel housing 21 with an inlet opening 22 facing the filter layer 11 (see fig. 1), communicating with the space between the filter layer 11 and the main frame 12, and an outlet opening 25 (with several openings). The air outlet 25 and the air inlet 22 are coaxially opposite to each other and communicate with the inner space of the filter mask device. The wind rotor 20 further comprises a fan rotor 23 and a plurality of fan blades 24. The fan rotor 23 carries a motor (not visible). In this embodiment, the wind wheel 20 is a high pressure low noise mixed flow wind wheel that generates a large amount of unidirectional wind flow.

The inner diameter of the blower fan casing 21 is gradually increased from the inlet 22 to the outlet 25 to achieve a pressurization effect to offset the pressure drop caused by the air filter paper.

Referring to fig. 2, filtered air enters the blower wheel 20 through the intake opening 22 and is accelerated to a high rotational speed by the fan rotor 23 to generate a desired pressure at the periphery of the fan housing 21. This air enters the filter mask assembly 10 into the mask interior space in an axial manner through the outlet 25. The motor in the wind wheel is driven by a 3.7 volt dc supply and a current of up to 1000 milliamps to a speed of 5700 revolutions per minute.

A protective screen or grille (not visible) may be placed in front of the intake opening 22 and/or the outtake opening 25 to prevent foreign objects from damaging the fan rotor 23 and the fan blades 24. The protective mesh or grille is of a sufficiently small aperture size to avoid the risk of injury to the wearer's fingers when the fan is operating. The filter layer 11 (see fig. 1) is spaced from the air inlet end of the blower casing by a suitable distance to prevent the filter layer from blocking the blower wheel.

In use, the blower wheel 20 (see blower wheel 13 in fig. 1) assists the wearer's lungs to continuously or intermittently draw air into the mask interior space through filter layer 11. Thus, the suction force of blower wheel 20 effectively reduces or even completely eliminates the pulmonary power required to overcome the pressure drop created by the filter layer air resistance. In general, the blower wheel 20 is adapted to counteract a pressure drop of 5 mm to 18 mm water height, depending on the quality class of the filter layer 11.

The respiratory capacity of a typical adult male is about 0.5 liters. At rest, breaths per minute are about 12, equivalent to 6 liters per minute. Notably, the breathing cycle is typically asymmetric: inhalation at rest takes approximately 1.5 seconds, followed by exhalation over the same duration with a relatively low flow rate, followed by a pause interval. Thus, at rest, the blower wheel 20 needs to generate an airflow of 0.33 liters per second to support the wearer's breathing, approximately 20 liters per minute. When riding a bicycle, equivalent to doing a moderate exercise, an adult breathes approximately 56 times per minute, requiring 28 liters of air to breathe. Inspiration takes 0.6 seconds, followed by expiration and a much shorter pause interval relative to rest. In this case, the supply wheel 20 needs to generate an airflow of 0.8 liters per second to support the wearer's breathing (50 liters per minute).

Compared to the design of the blower wheel 20 in fig. 2, the method also includes several modifications (or lifts) to the shape of the fan blades 24 and the blower wheel housing 21. These improvements have the advantage of reducing the volume and weight of the wind delivery wheel, reducing power consumption by enhancing aerodynamic efficiency, reducing wind speed, vibration and noise of the wind delivery wheel 20, and thus improving wearer comfort.

Figures 3a to 3c show a face-engaging component 30 comprising an edge portion 31 (best shown in figures 3a and 3c), a front wall 33 (figure 3b) facing the oronasal opening 34 of the wearer, and a bridge portion 32 (best shown in figures 3a and 3c) connecting the edge portion and the front wall. When the wearer uses the filtration mask assembly 10 and presses the mask against the wearer's face, the bridge portions 32 resiliently deform to provide a high degree of fit between the mask and the wearer's face. As shown in fig. 3c, when the wearer presses the mask against their face, the bridge portions 32 resiliently close, flattening the edge portions against the face.

When the fastening adjustment of the fastening strip 16 (see FIG. 1) is properly applied, the face fit assembly 30 provides the necessary compliance, particularly around the bridge of the nose above the leak point that causes many masks to fit less tightly. When the face-engaging assembly 30 is pressed against the wearer's face, the bridge portion 32 folds behind the front wall 33. The mouth rest 34 of the front wall 33 allows the air flow through the filter layer 11 assisted by the blower wheel 20 to reach the nose and mouth of the wearer (the inner space of the filter mask device). In one embodiment of the present invention, face-engaging assembly 20 is secured to frame 12 by snaps and can be easily replaced. A different set of face conforming assemblies 20 may be provided to accommodate different face sizes and facial configurations of different wearers.

Figures 4a and 4b show the outlet valve 40. The outlet valve 40 includes a valve body 41 for covering an outlet opening in the main frame 12 and two prong members 42 projecting outwardly from the valve body for flexibly sealing the outlet valve 40 to the main frame. The prong assembly 42 allows the outlet valve 40 to be retained on the frame 12 during use, while also allowing the wearer flexibility in replacing the outlet valve 40.

In use, the outlet valve 40 is opened when the pressure inside the mask assembly 10 is greater than the ambient pressure to provide a vent path for exhaled air and to prevent exhaled air from passing through the filter layer 11 back into the mask. This air outlet valve 40 remains closed (level) when the wearer inhales (the air pressure inside the mask is less than the ambient air pressure), preventing the wearer from inhaling any air that does not pass through the filter layer 11.

In one embodiment of the invention, the exhaled air is exhausted vertically downward, so the moist heat of the exhalation does not stay in the area of the wearer's face. The constant operation of the air supply wheel 20 (see fig. 2) generates a certain pressure in the internal space of the mask device 10, and the air outlet valve 40 has a specially designed thickness and rigidity in order to effectively discharge a large amount of exhaled air when the air pressure difference occurs.

Fig. 5 illustrates a layout of an integrated circuit board placed inside the filter mask assembly frame 12 and/or the internal chassis 14. In one embodiment of the invention, the integrated circuit board assembly is secured to the main frame 12 and/or the internal chassis 14 by snaps and wireless connections between the components. The total area of the semi-flexible integrated circuit board(s) may be up to 6000 square millimeters in order to contain all the necessary electronic functions.

The integrated circuit board includes a microprocessor and various electronic components. The microprocessor controls, for example, the air sensor assembly, the global positioning system circuit, the acceleration sensor, the lights, the audio system, the blower wheel 20, the connection modules required for pairing with the terminal. In an alternative embodiment, this connection module comprises a bluetooth module or a near field communication module for transmitting data and sound. The terminal may run an application that collects and reports the measurement data of the sensor assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is a smart phone, which has a bluetooth function that can be connected to the smart filter mask 10 in a pairing manner, so that the wearer can talk or listen to music while using the mask. This audio system ensures a high level of safety for the wearer. The wearer can talk through the built-in speaker without removing the filter mask.

Fig. 6 illustrates a command button 60 that may be disposed on a side generally outside of the frame 12. Since the command button 60 is not visible to the wearer when using the filter mask 10. This command button 60 follows an intuitive design so that the wearer does not need to remove the mask 10 to operate the button.

The command button 60 is designed ergonomically with the tactile feel and surface design of the buttons to provide the wearer with sufficient non-visual information to control the filter mask 10 accurately and effortlessly through the button. This command button 60 includes 5 keys (refer to fig. 6). In one embodiment of the present invention, the key surfaces may contain different raised designs to aid in the wearer's differentiation by fingertip tactile sensation. The key 61 has a rounded square convex design and the surface of the key 62 has 3 convex dots.

Keys

64 and 66 have a raised triangular design with a frosted surface design on the surface of the central key 65. The larger four keys each have a unique corner cut design 63 on one side that collectively indicates the command button area for the wearer.

The keys are designed with sufficient spacing to provide additional tactile information to the wearer to more accurately operate the command button. Furthermore, each or

several buttons

61, 62, 64, 65, 66 may be supplemented with different sound effects on the basis of tactile differentiation. These sound effects may be better informed to the wearer of the button he triggered by an audio system (not visible).

The functions of this command button 60 include, but are not limited to: enabling the wearer to turn the smart mask device on and off; pairing with a smart phone through Bluetooth; connecting or hanging up the incoming call; the volume is adjusted. For security reasons, some functions will be activated or deactivated by the connected terminal, e.g. outgoing calls, play/pause/stop music, voice commands, etc.

Fig. 7 shows a buckle 70 (see buckle 16 in fig. 1) around the neck to support and secure the entire mask assembly to the wearer's head, instead of being secured behind the ears, which is a design that is prone to discomfort. The buckle belt includes a set of hooks 71 fixed to the protruding circular bodies at the ends of both sides of the mask shell main frame 12 (refer to fig. 1). This buckle strap design enables the wearer to secure and release the buckle strap from the cheek side, which is easier, faster and more comfortable than a buckle-on-back design. The hook strip 72 connects the two hooks 71 and is made of a nylon material having abrasion resistance. Alternatively, the fastening strip 70 may be made of hemp or flax fiber material in the event that the wearer is allergic to nylon or rayon. The buckle strap includes a buckle 73 that is fixed to the middle of the buckle strap 70. The hanging buckle is used for adjusting the length of the buckle belt and simultaneously provides a symmetrical supporting force for a wearer from the back of the head. In one embodiment of the invention, the head-contacting side of the clasp 73 is provided with a cotton pad to prevent discomfort to the wearer from the hook 73 material itself.

Reference has been made to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be understood that various changes and modifications can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A filter mask device for covering the mouth and nose when worn, comprising:

(a) a mask shell for placing a wind feeding wheel and an air outlet valve;

(b) the air filter paper is detachably replaced and placed on the mask shell, and the shape of the air filter paper is consistent with that of the mask shell and separates the mask shell from the external unfiltered air;

(c) a face engaging member disposed between the wearer's face and said mask shell, said face engaging member being resiliently engageable with the wearer's face when the mask is in use;

the filtering mask device limits an inner space between the face of a wearer and an inner layer of the mask, a middle space between a shell of the mask and the air filter paper, and an outer space separated from the inner space of the mask by an outermost layer of the mask, and the air supply wheel is arranged behind the air filter paper and supplies air to the interior of the mask through the air filter paper; when a wearer exhales, the air pressure in the internal space of the mask is larger than that in the external space, and the air outlet valve is automatically opened to effectively discharge exhaled air from the internal space of the mask to the external space; when a wearer inhales, the air pressure in the internal space of the mask is smaller than that in the external space, so that the air outlet valve is kept in a closed state, and unfiltered air is prevented from entering the internal space of the mask.

2. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said face-engaging component is formed of a resilient, flexible material using thermoplastic elastomers and/or elastomers, and comprises a rim portion, a front wall facing the oronasal opening of the wearer, and a bridge portion connecting said rim portion and said front wall, wherein said bridge portion resiliently deforms to flatten said rim portion against the face until the mask is in high conformity with the wearer's face.

3. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said mask shell is comprised of a frame and a removable internal chassis secured to said frame.

4. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said mask shell further comprises at least one power source for powering said wind wheel and at least one internal chamber adapted to carry a rechargeable and removable power supply module, and a USB charging jack for recharging said power supply module.

5. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said blower wheel comprises a fan housing, said fan housing comprising at least one sensor for measuring the interior volume of the mask and/or at least one sensor for measuring the density of contaminants in the exterior volume.

6. The filtration mask assembly of claim 5 wherein said fan housing further comprises an inlet opening facing said air filter and communicating with the central space of said mask, and an outlet opening coaxially opposite said inlet opening and communicating with the interior space of said mask, a protective mesh being disposed in front of said inlet opening and/or said outlet opening.

7. The filter mask assembly of claim 6 wherein said fan housing has an inner diameter that increases from said inlet opening to said outlet opening to create a pressure increase from said inlet opening to said outlet opening that counteracts the pressure drop caused by said air filter paper.

8. The filtration mask assembly of claim 6 wherein said blower is a mixed flow blower having a shell diameter of less than 60 mm and a thickness of less than 20 mm.

9. The filter mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said blower wheel further comprises a fan rotor, said fan rotor rotating at a speed of 4000 to 7000 revolutions per minute to produce an air flow of 0.25 to 1.5 liters per second and thereby a pressurization of 5 to 18 mm water pressure height.

10. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said outlet valve is a one-way valve comprising a valve body and at least one prong for flexibly securing said outlet valve to said mask shell, said valve body for blocking an outlet opening in said mask shell, said prong projecting outwardly from said valve body.

11. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said filter layer comprises at least one filter paper for filtering particulate contaminants, said filter paper further comprising at least one activated carbon layer disposed thereon.

12. The filtration mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said filtration mask assembly is modular in assembly mode, said mask shell, said filter layer, said wind wheel and said outlet valve being flexibly secured together by snap-fit means to form said filtration mask assembly.

13. A method of providing a conformable filter mask assembly for wearers of differing facial structures comprising the face-engaging component of claim 1, and further comprising at least a first face-engaging component designed based on a first set of facial characteristic information and a second face-engaging component designed based on a second set of facial characteristic information.