CN114159706A

CN114159706A - Respirator that can monitor and indicate the useful life of a filter element

Info

Publication number: CN114159706A
Application number: CN202210061283.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 易洪江
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-01-19
Filing date: 2022-01-19
Publication date: 2022-03-11

Abstract

The invention discloses a respirator capable of monitoring and indicating the service life of a filter element, which comprises: the mask includes a mask body, a headband, and at least one filter cartridge that monitors and indicates the useful life of a filter element, the filter cartridge including a filter cartridge base, a monitoring and indicating module, a filter element, and a filter cartridge cover. Wherein, the monitoring and indicating module can monitor the air pressure, VOC and Cl in real time₂、H₂S、SO₂、HCl、NH₃And concentration of one or more gases in NO, and performing a light and vibration alarm when relevant parameters exceed a set threshold value, indicating that the filter element has reached useThe service life of the filter element reminds a user to replace the filter element with a new one in time. In the respirator, the monitoring and indicating module is arranged on the filter cartridge base and can be repeatedly used together with the filter cartridge base, and a user only needs to replace a filter element with the expired service life, so that the service life of the filter element can be indicated in real time, and the use cost of protective articles can be reduced.

Description

Respirator that can monitor and indicate the useful life of a filter element

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a respirator, and in particular to a respirator that can monitor and indicate the useful life of a filter element.

Background

Many work environments may expose workers to contaminated air. In a corresponding work environment, a respirator (breathing protective equipment) may be used by a worker to help reduce exposure risks. Often, the user is unable to ascertain the current performance and status of the respirator and if the spent canister is not replaced in time, there may be physical harm caused by prolonged inhalation of toxic and harmful gases/vapors that exceed the limits. Users who use the particle-resistant filter/dirt tray, if they do not change the filter/dirt tray with excessive resistance in time, may also be fatigued or impaired by cardiopulmonary function due to wearing a respirator with excessive resistance for a long time. Therefore, timely replacement of the respirator canister and the filter cotton/dust filter cartridge is very important to the safety and health of the personnel.

It is also critical for the work unit to develop a reasonable replacement plan for the respirator canister. Typically, prior to planning a respirator canister replacement, a sampling analysis of potentially toxic and harmful gas or vapor contaminants at the workplace is required to determine the average concentration level in the air. After the contaminants and their concentrations are clarified, the canister replacement cycle is determined according to the service life estimation software of the respirator manufacturer. However, the actual contaminant level in the workplace is not stable and constant, the actual contact time is difficult to determine, and the performance of the poison filtering box is also affected by environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. The replacement cycle of the canister estimated by experience or software is difficult to reflect the service life of the canister really and effectively, and is difficult to ensure that the canister is replaced when the service life reaches.

Therefore, in order to monitor the Service Life of the canister and remind the user to replace the canister in time, it is very important to introduce an End-of-Service-Life Indicator (ESLI) to the respirator. ESLI is divided into two broad categories, passive and active. A typical passive ESLI is a colorimetric type failure indicator. Coating a chemical indicator on test paper or a film, and then placing the test paper or the film on the inner side of a transparent window on the side wall of a toxin filtering box; when the adsorption layer of the poison filtering box is close to saturation or is penetrated by pollutants, the chemical indicator reacts with the pollutants to obviously change the color of the test paper or the film, and a user can timely replace the poison filtering box after observing the test paper or the film through the transparent window. Passive ESLI is less operable: 1) the observation is not easy to be carried out in a workplace with dark light; 2) the user is required to observe at any time, but the observation cannot be directly performed from the visual angle of the user, so that the concentration degree and the working efficiency of the user are interfered; 3) the available types are very few and can only meet the requirements of part of workplaces.

Active ESLI utilizes a sensor to monitor the presence of contaminants and prompts the user to replace the canister when the canister adsorbent layer is nearly saturated or penetrated by the contaminants. Active ESLI is generally classified into 3 types: 1) the sensor and the warning device are arranged in the full-face respirator mask, and the full-face respirator mask has the defects that the sensor and the warning device occupy the breathing space of a user and cannot be used for a half-face respirator; 2) the sensor is arranged in the toxin filtering box and is externally connected with a monitoring and warning device to influence wearing and operation; 3) the sensor and the warning device are arranged in the toxin filtering box, are usually used for emergency response occasions, are disposable, have extremely high cost and are not suitable for application in industrial places.

In locations where it is desirable to reduce the risk of particulate exposure, respirators require the use of a particulate-protected filter cotton or dust box. However, as the usage time of the filter/dust cartridge increases, the accumulation of particulate matter will greatly increase the resistance of the filter/dust cartridge, thereby increasing the difficulty of inhalation by the user. In fact, the employment unit often does not have a clear filter-changing condition and schedule, but simply determines whether the filter needs to be changed or not through the user's experience, or forcibly limits the replacement cycle, with the result that the filter may be wasted due to frequent filter changes, or the filter/dust box may not be changed for a long time, causing excessive load to the user or damage to his cardiopulmonary function.

Disclosure of Invention

To address the above problems, the present invention provides a respirator that includes a monitoring and indicator module, an active ESLI. The monitoring and indicating module can monitor VOC and Cl at the rear end of the filter element in real time₂、H₂S、SO₂、HCl、NH₃And the concentration of one or more gases in NO, and the air pressure at the rear end of the filter element can be monitored in real time, so that the service life of the anti-virus filter element can be indicated, and the service life of the anti-particulate filter cotton or the dust filter box can be indicated according to the air pressure difference at the rear end of the filter element during breathing. In the respirator of the present invention, the monitoring and indicator module is disposed on the cartridge base,can be used repeatedly with the filter cartridge base together, the user only need change the filter element that life expires, not only can indicate the life of filter element in real time, can also help reducing the use cost of protective articles.

The invention discloses a respirator capable of monitoring and indicating the service life of a filter element, which comprises: a mask body, a headband, and at least one filter cartridge that monitors and indicates the useful life of the filter element; the mask body is a self-absorption filter type close-fitting respirator mask body; the cartridge includes a cartridge base, a monitoring and indicator module, a filter element, and a cartridge cover.

The mask body can be a half mask body or a full mask body.

One side of the filter box base is provided with an interface connected with the mask body, and the other side of the filter box base is provided with a cavity for installing the monitoring and indicating module and the filter element and connecting the filter box cover.

The air pressure sensor in the monitoring and indicating module can monitor the air pressure filtered by the filtering element in real time, and is used for monitoring the resistance of the filtering element during breathing and calculating the wearing time of the respirator.

The monitoring and indicating module, wherein the gas sensor is one or two of a solid electrolyte electrochemical sensor and a low-power consumption MEMS metal oxide semiconductor sensor, and can monitor VOC and Cl filtered by the filtering element in real time₂、H₂S、SO₂、HCl、NH₃And concentration of one or more toxic gases in NO.

And the monitoring and indicating module is characterized in that a micro-motion light touch switch or a film pressure sensor can sense whether the filter cartridge is provided with the filter element or not.

The monitoring and indicating module and the wireless transmission module can transmit the filtered toxic gas concentration, the resistance of the filter element, the wearing time of the respirator, the accumulated use time of the filter element and other parameters to a corresponding terminal or a monitoring platform.

The monitoring and indicating module, wherein the indicator comprises one or two of an LED and a micro vibration motor, can provide light and vibration alarm signals, and can also indicate the working state and the residual capacity.

The filter element can be a particle-proof or poison-proof filter element, and can also be a combination of the particle-proof and poison-proof filter elements.

The filter box cover can be an independent fixing fastener or a fixing fastener integrated on the filter element.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the construction of the respirator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a filter cartridge of the respirator of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the construction of the filter cartridge of the respirator of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the air pressure sensor monitoring the resistance of the filter element and calculating the wear time in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a gas sensor monitoring canister life failure indication in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

The invention is further described with reference to the following figures and specific embodiments.

A respirator (shown in fig. 1) that can monitor and indicate the useful life of a filter element, comprising: a mask body, headgear, and at least one filter cartridge that monitors and indicates the useful life of the filter element.

The mask body of the respirator is a self-suction filter type close fitting respirator mask body, which can be a half-mask body or a full-face mask body.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a filter cartridge of the respirator of the present invention. One end of the filter box is a connector 21 connected with the mask body, two sides of the filter box are respectively provided with 1 LED indicator window 22, and the other side surface of the filter box is provided with a sealable power supply and data transmission port 23.

The cartridge structure described in the respirator of the present invention (as shown in fig. 3) is suitable for use in a cartridge or canister. The monitoring and indicator module 32 is placed in the cartridge base 31, behind the filter element 33. The filter element 33, which is a replaceable element, is secured and sealed perimetrically in the cartridge base 31 by the cartridge cover 34 prior to the monitoring and indicator module 32. The filter element 33 may be a poison or particulate filter element or a combination of poison and particulate filter elements.

The monitoring and indication module 32 is a circuit module with monitoring and indication functions, and includes: the system comprises a built-in rechargeable battery, a data acquisition and processing unit, a power supply and data transmission port, an air pressure sensor, one or more solid electrolyte electrochemical sensors or low-power consumption MEMS metal oxide sensors, a micro-touch switch or a film pressure sensor, a wireless transmission module, an LED indicator, a micro-vibration motor and other auxiliary components.

The air pressure sensor in monitoring and indicating module 32 may monitor the air pressure filtered by the filter element in real time for monitoring the resistance of the filter element during breathing and calculating the wear time of the respirator. The gas sensor is one or two of a solid electrolyte electrochemical sensor and a low-power-consumption MEMS metal oxide semiconductor sensor, and can monitor VOC and Cl filtered by the filtering element in real time₂、H₂S、SO₂、HCl、NH₃And concentration of one or more toxic gases in NO. The micro-motion tact switch or the film pressure sensor can sense whether the filter cartridge is provided with the filter element or not. The wireless transmission module can transmit the filtered toxic gas concentration, the resistance of the filter element, the wearing time of the respirator, the accumulated use time of the filter element and other parameters to a corresponding terminal or a monitoring platform. The LED indicator and the micro vibration motor can provide light and vibration alarm signals and can also indicate the working state and the residual electric quantity.

The specific manner in which the respirator can monitor and indicate the useful life of the filter element is as follows:

as shown in FIG. 4, the air pressure sensor reading is stable before the respirator is worn by the user; when the user wears the respirator and starts to inhale, the air pressure sensor monitors that the air pressure at the rear end of the filter element starts to change greatly and periodically, and the time is recorded as the wearing time Ts of the respirator. After the user takes off the respirator, the reading of the air pressure sensor tends to be stable, and the reading is recorded as the moment Te when the respirator stops wearing. Recording the actual time of the use by the respirator: Te-Ts and record the cumulative time of use of the filter element.

Because the inhalation valve of the respirator is a one-way valve, the inhalation valve is closed when a user exhales, and the air pressure at the rear end of the filter element can be restored to the atmospheric pressure value; and when the air suction valve is opened during air suction, the front end and the rear end of the air suction valve generate pressure drop due to the resistance of the filter element. The peak-to-valley difference Δ P of the barometric pressure reading is the maximum resistance of the filter element in use. When Δ P reaches or exceeds a preset resistance threshold, the user will perceive a visible light or vibration warning signal provided by the respirator; meanwhile, the respirator can also transmit related data and alarm signals to a corresponding terminal or a monitoring platform.

The anti-poison filter element can completely remove the target gas or reduce the concentration of the target gas to an extremely low value C0 (shown in figure 5) during the use process so as to protect the health and safety of users. Along with the increase of the service time, the capacity of the anti-poison filter element for adsorbing and filtering the poisonous and harmful gas is gradually reduced, and the concentration of the poisonous and harmful gas penetrating through the anti-poison filter element is obviously increased at the stage close to the service life of the anti-poison filter element. When the penetration concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold value Ca, the user can sense visible light or a vibration alarm signal provided by the respirator; meanwhile, the respirator can also transmit relevant data including the service life Ta of the anti-virus filter element and an alarm signal to a corresponding terminal or a monitoring platform.

Without a wireless terminal or platform, the administrator or respirator user can export relevant data for recording and analysis through the power and data transfer port 23 of the cartridge.

The above-mentioned embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The embodiments and features thereof in the present application may be arbitrarily combined with each other without conflict. The technical scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and equivalents and modifications equivalent to the technical features of the technical claims are also within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A respirator that can monitor and indicate the useful life of a filter element, comprising: a mask body, a headband, and at least one filter cartridge that monitors and indicates the useful life of the filter element; the mask body is a self-absorption filter type close-fitting respirator mask body; the cartridge includes a cartridge base, a monitoring and indicator module, a filter element, and a cartridge cover.

2. The mask body according to claim 1, which may be a half-mask body or a full-mask body.

3. A filter cartridge base according to claim 1, having on one side an interface for connection to a mask body and on the other side a cavity for mounting the monitoring and indicator module and the filter element and for connection to a filter cartridge cover.

4. The monitoring and indicator module of claim 1, wherein the air pressure sensor can monitor air pressure through the rear end of the filter element in real time for calculating the resistance of the filter element and the wear time of the respirator.

5. The monitoring and indicator module of claim 1, wherein the gas sensor is one or both of a solid electrolyte electrochemical sensor and a low power MEMS metal oxide semiconductor sensor, and the VOC and Cl filtered by the filter element can be monitored in real time₂、H₂S、SO₂、HCl、NH₃And concentration of one or more gases in NO.

6. The monitoring and indicator module of claim 1, wherein the micro-motion tact switch or the membrane pressure sensor senses whether the cartridge is fitted with the filter element.

7. The monitoring and indicator module of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission module is capable of transmitting the filtered toxic gas concentration, the resistance of the filter element, the respirator wear time, and the cumulative filter element usage time to a corresponding terminal or monitoring platform.

8. The monitoring and indicating module of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises one or both of an LED and a micro-vibration motor, providing light, vibration alarm signals, and indicating operating status and remaining power.

9. The filter element of claim 1, which is a particulate or poison proof filter element, or a combination of particulate and poison proof filter elements.

10. A filter cartridge cover according to claim 1, which may be a separate fastening element or a fastening element integrated into the filter element.