CN216777765U

CN216777765U - Gauze mask

Info

Publication number: CN216777765U
Application number: CN202120459897.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张璇; 张伟; 陈伟忠; 空涛; 顾伟; 罗忠池
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2021-03-03
Filing date: 2021-03-03
Publication date: 2022-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-03
Also published as: WO2022184531A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a mask. This gauze mask includes: a first side adapted to contact a wearer's face and a second side opposite the first side; a filter disposed between the first side and the second side and including a first filtering portion and a second filtering portion, wherein the first filtering portion and the second filtering portion are made of different materials such that the first filtering portion is capable of filtering out smaller particles than the second filtering portion; and at least one of an active inlet unit and an outlet unit connected to the filter, the active inlet unit being arranged to direct air from the second side of the mask to the first side of the mask via the first filtering portion, the outlet unit being arranged to direct air from the first side of the mask to the second side of the mask via the second filtering portion. Compared with a conventional mask with an exhalation valve, the mask according to the present disclosure can effectively protect people around a wearer while ensuring the breathing comfort of the wearer.

Description

Gauze mask

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a mask and, more particularly, to a mask having a filter including different filtering portions.

Background

Masks are a sanitary item that is typically worn in the mouth and nose area for filtering air entering the mouth and nose. Wearing the mask reduces the amount of air pollutants and pathogens inhaled by the wearer. However, one of the major drawbacks of wearing conventional masks is poor breathing comfort due to the resistance of the filter material and the heat, moisture and higher CO in the mask cavity₂Concentration of the active ingredient. To improve breathing comfort, a one-way valve, known as an exhalation valve, may be added to reduce exhalation resistance. In addition, so-called active masks are also on the market. The active mask further promotes the air exchange inside and outside the mask through the matching of the fan and the exhalation valve, thereby improving the breathing comfort of a wearer.

However, such masks with exhalation valves are disadvantageous in terms of protecting the people around the wearer of the mask, especially during an epidemic situation. The reason is that: with such masks having an exhalation valve, the gas exhaled by the wearer is expelled from the exhalation valve into the ambient environment outside the mask without being filtered, and therefore there may be a risk of transmission of pathogens when the wearer carries them himself. This limits the use of masks with exhalation valves during an epidemic.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mask to at least partially address the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems with the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mask, including: a first side adapted to contact a wearer's face and a second side opposite the first side; a filter disposed between the first side and the second side and including a first filtering portion and a second filtering portion, wherein the first filtering portion and the second filtering portion are made of different materials such that the first filtering portion is capable of filtering out smaller particles than the second filtering portion; and at least one of an active inlet unit and an outlet unit connected to the filter, the active inlet unit being arranged to direct air from the second side of the mask to the first side of the mask via the first filtering portion, the outlet unit being arranged to direct air from the first side of the mask to the second side of the mask via the second filtering portion.

In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, by the combination of the filter including the filtering portion made of two different materials and the active air inlet unit and/or the air outlet unit, the mask according to the present disclosure may filter not only gas inhaled by a wearer but also gas exhaled by the wearer. In other words, the gas exhaled by the wearer is exhausted to the ambient environment outside the mask after being filtered, so that pathogens that may be present in the exhaled gas can be effectively filtered out. Meanwhile, the active air inlet unit and/or the air outlet unit can improve the breathing comfort of the wearer. Therefore, the mask according to the present disclosure can effectively protect people around the wearer while ensuring the breathing comfort of the wearer, as compared to a conventional mask having an exhalation valve.

In one embodiment, the unit filter resistance of the second filter portion is lower than the unit filter resistance of the first filter portion. In such embodiments, because the unit filter resistance of the second filter portion for filtering gas exhaled by the wearer is low, the exhalation resistance is relatively reduced, thereby improving the breathing comfort of the wearer.

In one embodiment, the active intake unit at least partially covers the first filtering portion and does not cover the second filtering portion. In such an embodiment, this arrangement of the active air intake unit ensures that air outside the mask is guided to the inside of the mask only via the first filtering portion, thereby ensuring a good filtering effect on the air inhaled by the wearer, and thus effectively protecting the mask wearer.

In one embodiment, the air outlet cell completely covers the second filtering portion. In such an embodiment, the arrangement of the air outlet unit ensures that air inside the mask can be guided to the outside of the mask via the second filtering portion, so that people around the wearer can be effectively protected.

In one embodiment, the first filter portion is adapted to filter out PM2.5 particles and the second filter portion is adapted to filter out spray. In such an embodiment, PM2.5 particles in the air inhaled by the wearer may be filtered out by the first filter portion, and droplets in the air exhaled by the wearer, which may carry pathogens, may be filtered out by the second filter portion. Therefore, the mask can protect not only the wearer but also people around the wearer.

In one embodiment, the active intake unit comprises an intake fan or an intake pump. In such embodiments, air exchange between the inside of the mask and the outside of the mask is facilitated by an intake fan or an intake pump, thereby improving breathing comfort.

In one embodiment, the air outlet unit includes a passive air outlet unit, or an active air outlet unit, or a combination of the passive air outlet unit and the active air outlet unit. In such embodiments, breathing comfort is improved by utilizing different air outlet cells or combinations thereof to reduce exhalation resistance and/or facilitate air exchange between the inside of the mask and the outside of the mask.

In one embodiment, the passive outlet unit comprises an exhalation valve. In such embodiments, the exhalation valve may reduce exhalation resistance, thereby improving breathing comfort.

In one embodiment, the active air output unit comprises an exhaust fan or an exhaust pump. In such embodiments, the exhaust fan or pump may facilitate air exchange between the inside of the mask and the outside of the mask, thereby improving breathing comfort.

In one embodiment, the mask further comprises a mask frame connected to the filter, the mask frame adapted to fit over the face of the wearer. In such an embodiment, by arranging the mask frame, the mask can be better attached to the face of the wearer, so that the airtightness and comfort of the mask are improved.

The summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. The summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more readily understood through the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which:

fig. 1 shows an exploded schematic view of a mask according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows the mask shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled state;

fig. 3 shows an exploded schematic view of a mask according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and is

Fig. 4 shows the mask shown in fig. 3 in an assembled state.

Detailed Description

The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and further implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It should be noted that where feasible, similar or identical reference numerals may be used in the figures and that similar or identical reference numerals may indicate similar or identical functions. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the utility model described herein.

The term "including" and variations thereof as used herein is intended to be open-ended, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "or" means "and/or" unless specifically stated otherwise. The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one exemplary embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one exemplary embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object.

As described above, it is important for a conventional mask with a breathing valve to protect people around a wearer in an epidemic situation. Furthermore, it is also desirable to ensure the breathing comfort of the wearer while protecting the people around the wearer of the mask. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various embodiments to solve the above-described problems. The principles of the present disclosure will be described in detail below in connection with exemplary embodiments with reference to fig. 1-4.

It should be noted that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are primarily intended to illustrate the manner in which a filter comprising a filtering portion made of two different materials cooperates with an active inlet cell and/or outlet cell, and therefore other conventional components and structures of the mask will not be shown and described in detail.

Fig. 1 shows an exploded schematic view of a mask according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Generally, the mask includes a first side adapted to contact the face of a wearer and a second side opposite the first side. For simplicity, in the context of the present disclosure, the first side of the mask may also be referred to as the inside of the mask and the second side of the mask may also be referred to as the outside of the mask. The mask shown in fig. 1 further comprises a filter 1 and an active intake unit 21. Specifically, the filter 1 is disposed between the inside and outside of the mask.

The principles of the present disclosure are based on the following recognition by the inventors: for the filtration of air entering the inside of the mask from the outside of the mask (i.e., during the inhalation phase), the filter should be able to effectively filter particles having various diameters, including: large particles (e.g., pollen, dust, etc.), tiny particles (e.g., PM10, PM2.5, etc.), and ultrafine particles (e.g., PM0.1, viruses, etc.); in contrast, for filtering air discharged from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask (i.e., during the exhalation phase), since relatively large particles may carry pathogens, the filter only needs to be able to effectively filter relatively large particles (e.g., droplets, etc.).

In view of the different requirements of the filter performance of the inhalation phase and the exhalation phase, the filter 1 according to the present disclosure is designed to comprise a first filter portion 11 and a second filter portion 12, wherein the first filter portion 11 and the second filter portion 12 are made of different materials, such that the first filter portion 11 is able to filter out smaller particles than the second filter portion 12.

The first filter portion 11 may be made of one or more of the following materials: meltblown nonwovens, nanofiber membranes, and the like. The second filter portion 12 may be made of one or more of the following materials: electrostatic cotton, etc. It should be understood that the above materials are merely exemplary materials of manufacture for the first filter portion 11 and the second filter portion 12, and that any other suitable materials may be used for the first filter portion 11 and the second filter portion 12, provided that the first filter portion 11 is capable of filtering out smaller particles than the second filter portion 12, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

In the present disclosure, the first filtering portion 11 is intended to be mainly used for filtering air entering the inside of the mask from the outside of the mask, and the second filtering portion 12 is intended to be used for filtering air discharged from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the first filtering portion 11 may also be used to filter air that is discharged from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask. In other words, in some embodiments, air may also be directed from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask via the first filter portion 11.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the area of the first filter portion 11 of the filter 1 is much smaller than the area of the second filter portion 12. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the area of the first filtering portion 11 is much larger than the area of the second filtering portion 12. In further embodiments, the area ratios of the first filter portion 11 and the second filter portion 12 may also be in other relationships. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the first filter portion 11 of the filter 1 is surrounded by the second filter portion 12. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the second filter portion 12 of the filter 1 is surrounded by the first filter portion 11. In further embodiments, the first filter portion 11 and the second filter portion 12 may also have other positional relationships, such as being arranged side-by-side. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

Fig. 2 shows the mask shown in fig. 1 in an assembled state. Here, the active air intake unit 21 is connected with the filter 1, and the active air intake unit 21 is disposed to completely cover the first filtering portion 11, so that the active air intake unit 21 can guide air from the outside of the mask to the inside of the mask via the first filtering portion 11, whereby particles having various different diameters in the air can be effectively filtered. The active air intake unit 21 also promotes air exchange between the outside and the inside of the mask, and improves the breathing comfort of the wearer. Therefore, the mask according to the present disclosure can effectively protect people around the wearer while ensuring the breathing comfort of the wearer, as compared to a conventional mask having an exhalation valve.

In a further embodiment, the active air intake unit 21 may also be arranged to partially cover the first filtering portion 11 and not the second filtering portion 12, such that the active air intake unit 21 is able to direct air from outside the mask to inside the mask via the first filtering portion 11 and not the second filtering portion 12. Although not shown and described in detail, it is within the ability of those skilled in the art to make it possible to guide air from the outside of the mask to the inside of the mask via the first filtering portion 11 by appropriately arranging the active air intake unit 21 in other ways, and is intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term "active air intake unit" should be understood as any suitable device capable of actively guiding air from the outside of the mask to the inside of the mask. Examples of active intake units include intake fans, intake pumps, and other devices having similar functions.

It should be noted that although only one active intake unit 21 is shown in the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, embodiments having multiple active intake units 21 are possible and intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

In the embodiment of fig. 2, since the resistance of the second filtering portion 12 is lower than the force required to overcome the pressure generated by the active intake unit 21, air flows to the outside of the mask via the second filtering portion 12 during the exhalation phase. Accordingly, the gas exhaled by the wearer, which may carry pathogens, is filtered by the second filter portion 12, so that it is possible to effectively protect people around the mask wearer.

In a preferred embodiment, the unit filter resistance of the second filter portion 12 is lower than the unit filter resistance of the first filter portion 11. This results in a relative reduction in exhalation resistance, which improves breathing comfort.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, fig. 3 shows an exploded schematic view of a mask according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 4 shows the mask shown in fig. 3 in an assembled state. In this embodiment, the mask includes a filter 1 and an air outlet unit 22. The air outlet cell 22 is connected to the filter 1 and is arranged to completely cover the second filtering portion 12 so that the air outlet cell 22 can guide air from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask via the second filtering portion 12. Although not shown and described in detail, it is within the ability of those skilled in the art to make it possible to guide air from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask via the second filtering portion 12 by appropriately arranging the air outlet cell 22 in other ways, and is intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term "outlet cell" should be understood as any suitable device capable of guiding air from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask. The air outlet unit may include a passive air outlet unit, or an active air outlet unit, or a combination of the passive air outlet unit and the active air outlet unit. The term "passive air outlet unit" should be understood as any suitable device capable of unidirectionally guiding air from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask under the influence of external forces. Examples of passive exhalation units include exhalation valves and other devices that function similarly. The term "active air outlet cell" should be understood as any suitable device capable of actively guiding air from the inside of the mask to the outside of the mask. Examples of passive air egress units include exhaust fans or exhaust pumps and other devices with similar functionality.

It should be noted that although only one outlet cell 22 is shown in the embodiments of fig. 3 and 4, embodiments having multiple outlet cells 22 are possible and are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

In the embodiment of fig. 4, during the exhalation phase, the gas exhaled by the wearer is discharged to the outside of the mask through the second filtering portion 12 under the guidance of the air outlet unit 22. Accordingly, the gas exhaled by the wearer, which may carry pathogens, is filtered by the second filter portion 12, so that it is possible to effectively protect people around the mask wearer.

In the embodiment in which the outlet unit 22 includes the passive outlet unit, the air outside the mask is inhaled by the wearer through the first filtering portion 11 instead of the second filtering portion 12 during the inhalation phase due to the unidirectionality of the passive outlet unit, so that particles having various diameters in the air can be effectively filtered. In this way, the mask wearer can be effectively protected.

In the embodiment in which the outlet cell 22 includes an active outlet cell, since the resistance of the first filtering portion 11 is lower than the force required to overcome the pressure generated by the active outlet cell, the air outside the mask is inhaled by the wearer through the first filtering portion 11 instead of the second filtering portion 12 during the inhalation phase, so that particles having various diameters can be effectively filtered from the air. In this way, the mask wearer can be effectively protected.

In some embodiments, the mask further comprises a mask frame (not shown) connected to the filter 1 and adapted to fit over the face of the wearer. The mask frame may be made of a light, airtight and skin-friendly material, such as plastic, silicon, etc. Through setting up the gauze mask frame, can be so that the gauze mask can be better with the facial laminating of wearer to improve the seal and the travelling comfort of gauze mask.

Having described hereinabove a mask having only an active inlet cell 21 according to the present disclosure and a mask having only an outlet cell 22 according to the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the implementation of a mask having both an active inlet cell 21 and an outlet cell 22 is within the ability of those skilled in the art and is intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the above specific embodiments of the disclosure are merely illustrative of or explaining the principles of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Also, it is intended that the following claims cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true scope and purview of the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A mask, comprising:

a first side adapted to contact a wearer's face and a second side opposite the first side;

a filter (1) arranged between the first side and the second side and comprising a first filter part (11) and a second filter part (12), wherein the first filter part (11) and the second filter part (12) are made of different materials such that the first filter part (11) is capable of filtering out smaller particles than the second filter part (12); and

at least one of an active inlet unit (21) and an outlet unit (22), connected to the filter (1), the active inlet unit (21) being arranged to direct air from a second side of the mask to a first side of the mask via the first filtering portion (11), the outlet unit (22) being arranged to direct air from the first side of the mask to the second side of the mask via the second filtering portion (12).

2. Mask according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit filter resistance of said second filtering portion (12) is lower than the unit filter resistance of said first filtering portion (11).

3. Mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said active air intake unit (21) at least partially covers said first filtering portion (11) and does not cover said second filtering portion (12).

4. Mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said outlet cell (22) completely covers said second filtering portion (12).

5. Mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first filtering portion (11) is adapted to filter out PM2.5 particles and said second filtering portion (12) is adapted to filter out spray.

6. Mask according to claim 1, characterized in that the active intake unit (21) comprises an intake fan or an intake pump.

7. The mask of claim 1 wherein said outlet cells (22) comprise passive outlet cells, or active outlet cells, or a combination of passive and active outlet cells.

8. The mask of claim 7 wherein said passive exhalation unit includes an exhalation valve.

9. The mask of claim 7 or 8 wherein said active air output unit comprises an exhaust fan or an exhaust pump.

10. Mask according to any of claims 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8, characterized in that it further comprises a mask frame connected to said filter (1) for fitting on the face of the wearer.