DE202020102410U1 - Respirator - Google Patents

Abstract

Respiratory protection mask (1) for use in the medical and non-medical field with a mask (10) having a filter insert (5), the filter insert (5) housing an air-permeable filter (50), characterized in that the filter (50) consists of a porous plastic substrate is provided and the mask (10), the filter insert (5) and the filter (50) are designed such that the filter (50) can be replaced.

Description

The invention relates to a respirator mask for use in the medical and non-medical field, which has in particular dust, pollen, bacteria and virus filter properties.

State of the art

In the German utility model DE 20 2010 002 043 U1 A face mask for the filtration and purification of air and defense against viruses and bacteria is proposed, in which an air-permeable foam filter effective against viruses and bacteria and against odors is applied to a dust filter with holding strands. In addition, a comprehensive overview of other well-known respiratory masks can be found in the introductory part of the utility model.

A disadvantage of conventional respiratory masks is, in particular, that their filter material becomes moist due to the exhaled air and thus optimal growth conditions for filtered and other bacteria can occur, which considerably limits the useful life of the masks and prevents multiple use.

task

The object of the invention is to provide a respirator mask suitable for multiple use for use in the medical and non-medical field.

solution

This object is achieved by the invention with the features of the independent claim. Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims and / or mentioned in the description below. The wording of all claims is hereby incorporated by reference into the content of this description. The inventions also encompass all reasonable and in particular all mentioned combinations of independent and / or dependent claims.

At this point it should be said that the terms protective mask and respiratory mask, as well as plastic substrate and substrate, as well as frame and filter insert are used synonymously here and in the entire context of the application.

The invention particularly relates to a respirator mask for use in the medical and non-medical field with a mask having a filter insert, the filter insert housing an air-permeable filter. The filter is particularly advantageously provided from a porous plastic substrate, the mask, the filter insert and the filter being suitably designed in such a way that the filter can be replaced.

A filter provided from a porous plastic substrate can be produced economically in a simple manner, has desirable filter properties for filtering in particular dust, pollen, bacteria and viruses for medical and non-medical applications and is particularly simple after use, in particular without tools exchangeable by hand.

For this purpose, a porous plastic substrate that is particularly suitable for providing the filter can in particular advantageously be formed from sintered polyurethane or polyethylene or a suitable recyclable bioplastic, such as sugar, starch or cellulose, etc., the antibacterial properties of the plastic substrate being achieved by an antibacterial agent such as silver Zinc, etc. can be added.

In particular, plastics based on sugars, lactates, sucrose, glucose or dextrose or mixtures thereof or synthetically produced derivatives can be used in a suitable manner to provide the porous plastic.

For the formation of the porous plastic substrate with particularly effective filter properties, the plastic substrate can be designed with a suitable porosity with a pore size in the range from 5 to 120 μm. The filter can suitably have an areal extension of 4 to 50 cm ² and a layer thickness of 1 to 10 mm. For a particularly efficient manufacture of the filter, the filter can be essentially square.

In particular, a porous plastic substrate with the above properties enables an advantageous permeability of the protective mask of air in the range of 60 to 200 liters at 3 mbar air pressure / per minute for an effective, reliable and, at the same time, desirable long-lasting operation of the protective mask with a filter. The filter can advantageously be designed in such a way that the mask remains functional for 20 to 30 days without changing the filter during its daily use, in particular under conditions comparable to the prevailing air quality in an average European city center.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the filter insert can advantageously be provided by means of a frame accommodating the filter. The The frame is suitably designed in such a way that it has a first and second frame element, the edge of the filter being held sandwiched between the first and second frame elements. The first and second frame elements can in this case be designed to be able to be assembled to form a form that interacts with one another. The first and second frame elements of the assembled frame can also interact with the filter in a form-fitting and airtight manner, the frame giving the filter, which is made of porous material and thus unstable, a desirable stability.

Such a frame can be provided in a simple and inexpensive manner from a suitable plastic by means of, for example, injection molding. For the assembly of the frame described above and for the safe accommodation of the filter and for the simple replacement of the filter, the first and second frame elements can, for example, be designed such that they can be locked or unlocked together. In this embodiment of the invention, only the filter can be replaced, a new filter being insertable into the frame having a first and a second composite frame element by means of locking the frame elements. For a desirable tightness of the frame, a suitable sealing element can be provided between the frame elements and / or the edge of the filter. It is clear that a suitable frame is designed to correspond to the contour of the edge of the filter and, accordingly, can also be essentially square.

According to a further embodiment, the filter insert can be designed to be exchangeable together with the filter. The filter insert can in this case be made in a suitable manner from polyurethane or a bioplastic, and the filter insert can also be treated during its manufacture such that, unlike the filter, it has no porosity. The filter insert of this embodiment can suitably be formed in one piece with the filter and in particular be injection molded around the edge of the filter, which likewise gives the unstable, porous material of the filter a desirable stability.

The mask is advantageously provided from an FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved skin-compatible plastic. Like the above frame, the mask can also be injection molded, and the mask can also be printed. The mask suitably has an inside and an edge section for airtight contact with the face of a user and also a central area with a central recess for accommodating the filter insert. For easy fitting and comfortable wearing of the mask, tabs for at least one retaining strap are provided on the edge section of the mask, which strap is suitably designed to be elastic.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the edge section and the central region of the mask can advantageously each have a first and second predetermined flexibility and thickness, the central region spaced apart from the face of the user being able to suitably have increased rigidity compared to the edge section. The increased stiffness of the central section can be provided by means of a comparatively higher density and / or thickness.

The central recess provided for holding the filter insert is suitably designed in a positive and non-positive manner with the filter insert provided by means of the frame in such a way that the frame is held airtight in the recess and the function on the central area of the mask with the predetermined second flexibility exerts a tenter and in particular seals the edge of the filter against the ambient air.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the edge section and the central region of the mask can also have essentially the same flexibility and thickness, which can vary in selected sections as in the above embodiment, which is described below.

For a particularly pleasant and desirably airtight interaction of the edge section of the mask with the face of a user, the edge section is essentially designed as a jacket of a truncated cone. In this case, the inside of the jacket is provided in a suitable manner for receiving a face of a user and can accordingly have suitable contours. The central region of the mask, which houses the filter insert and which is spaced from the face when the mask is worn, is suitably provided on the top of the truncated cone. A suitable truncated cone can in particular have an opening angle in the range from 30 ° to 50 °.

In order to prevent an increased deposition of condensed water in the mask, the mask can also have suitable internal flocking, for example made of cotton.

The mask can advantageously have at least one recess for accommodating a valve. The valve can be suitably such be designed so that it allows air permeability in a first direction, namely from the inside of the mask to the outside, and prevents air permeability in the opposite direction to the first direction. The valve can be a suitable check valve with an opening pressure, in particular in the range from 0.5 to 3 mbar.

The provision of a projecting check valve is particularly advantageous since the exhaled air is not released through the filter to the outside and this measure effectively protects the filter from disadvantageous moisture and thus promotes a desirable service life of the filter mentioned above. A breathing mask provided with such a check valve is only intended for intensive care physicians or research institutions. The above valves also serve to ensure compliance with the standards EN 149 and EN 14683. Without such projecting valves, mask leakage may occur when exhaling, and the mask may be lifted from its intended seat on a face. With the provision of such valves, corresponding compliance with the relevant standards FFP2 / FFP3 is therefore ensured.

In addition to at least one such check valve, at least one further recess for receiving a further valve or with a suitable removable closure for supplying oxygen into the interior of the mask can also be provided on the mask. A respirator mask designed in this way is particularly suitable for medical applications.

A suitable recess for the various valves mentioned above can advantageously be designed to be sleeve-like with the valves. For a secure fit of the valves, the mask in the area of such a recess can have a suitable rigidity with a corresponding thickness and / or density. This also applies to the mask in the area of a recess for a tab for fastening a retaining strap.

The invention further relates to a system comprising a container and a breathing mask described above, the container being designed to accommodate and store the breathing mask. The container is advantageously made of a transparent plastic, so that the respirator mask stored in the container is visible from the outside, the mask being able to have a predetermined coloring. In this way, appropriately designed masks can have a coding for different intended applications. For example, protective masks with and without the projecting check valves with correspondingly differing useful lives can thus be easily and precisely selected for an intended application.

Further details and features emerge from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment, in particular also in conjunction with the subclaims. The respective features can be implemented individually or in combination with one another. The possibilities for solving the problem are not limited to the exemplary embodiment. For example, range specifications always include all - not mentioned - intermediate values and all conceivable subintervals.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung der Außenseite einer Atemschutzmaske nach einer Ausführung der Erfindung;
• 2 die Atemschutzmaske von 1 bestimmungsgemäß auf einem Gesicht getragen;
• 3 eine perspektivische Explosionsdarstellung der Atemschutzmaske von 1;
• 4 eine Explosionsdarstellung der Atemschutzmaske von 1 aus einer weiteren Perspektive; und
• 5 ein System aus einer Atemschutzmaske und einem für die Atemschutzmaske vorgesehenen Behälter.

A preferred embodiment is shown schematically in the figures. The same reference numerals in the individual figures denote the same or functionally identical or corresponding in terms of their functions elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, the figures do not show all the reference numerals. In detail shows:

• 1 a schematic representation of the outside of a respirator according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 2nd the respirator from 1 intended to be worn on a face;
• 3rd a perspective exploded view of the respirator from 1 ;
• 4th an exploded view of the respirator from 1 from a wider perspective; and
• 5 a system consisting of a respirator and a container provided for the respirator.

1 shows a schematic representation of the outside of a respirator 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, and 2nd shows the respirator 1 intended to be worn on a face.

The respirator 1 is for use in the medical and non-medical field with a filter insert 5 having mask 10th made of a skin-compatible FDA-approved plastic. The filter insert 5 houses an air-permeable filter 50 , which is provided from a porous plastic substrate. The mask 10th , the filter insert 5 and the filter 50 are designed such that the filter 50 is interchangeable. The filter insert 5 houses the filter 50 . The porous plastic substrate of the filter 50 is made of sintered polyurethane or a Bioplastic provided and, as mentioned at the beginning, has desirable filter properties.

The mask 10th has a central area 12 in which the filter insert 5 sits. The central area 12 is from an edge section 11 the mask 10th surround. On the edge of the central area 12 adjacent to the edge section 11 are two check valves described above 4th provided an air permeability in a first direction, namely from the inside of the mask worn 10th to the outside, and prevent air permeability in the opposite direction to the first direction.

Adjacent to a contour of the edge section which is suitably designed for airtight contact with the face are in each case two tabs lying opposite one another laterally 13 for attaching at least one tether 3rd provided, which is suitably elastic. When executing 2nd are two corresponding straps 3rd provided, which are each also designed as tabs and when wearing the mask 10th interact with one ear of the user. The mask 10th is designed and arranged so that it covers a large part of the nose, cheeks and chin of the face and the filter insert 5 spaced from the face from the nostrils and mouth.

3rd shows an exploded perspective view of the respirator 1 from 1 looking at the outside of the mask 10th , and 4th shows an exploded view of the respirator 1 from 1 from a further perspective with a view of the inside of the mask facing the face when worn 10th .

The filter insert 5 is of a frame 5 formed from a suitable plastic, which is a first 51 and second 52 Has frame element. The first 51 and second 52 Frame elements are form-fittingly designed to correspond to one another in such a way that they can be locked and unlocked with one another. The first 51 and second 52 Frame elements are also positively corresponding to an edge of the square filter 50 with areal extension that the filter 50 with its edge sandwiched between the first 51 and second 52 Frame element of the composite frame 5 is kept airtight. The frame 5 exercises on the filter 50 the function of a clamping frame, which corresponds to the essentially square filter insert 5 is also essentially square.

The central area 12 the mask 10th is opposite the edge section, which is essentially designed as a jacket of a truncated cone 11 corresponding to the filter insert 5 and the flat filter 50 appropriately flattened. In the central area 12 is the central recess 15 formed such that the mask 10th with their central area 12 positive and non-positive with the filter insert 5 corresponds and the outer edge of the filter insert 5 with the edge of the recess 15 can be locked airtight and unlocked. The recess 15 has a predetermined dimension that is selected such that the frame 5 especially on the central area 12 the flexible mask 10th performs the function of a stenter and in particular the edge of the filter 50 seals against the ambient air.

Especially from the central area 12 spaced edge of the edge section which is essentially designed as a jacket of a truncated cone 11 the mask 10th also has a contour corresponding to the essential contour of a face. The tabs 13 are for a suitable attachment of a strap 3rd in on the edge section 11 provided surveys. The valves 4th are positive and non-positive at the edge of the central area 12 adjacent to the edge section 11 trained recesses 14 educated. For a secure seat of the valves, this is in particular that of a recess 14 adjacent area of the edge section 11 sleeve-shaped. The sleeve-like area can also have a suitable rigidity for this.

The edge section which is essentially in the form of a truncated cone 11 , the inside of which is intended to be taken up and to make contact with a face of a user, has suitable contours for this. At the top of the truncated cone is the central flattened area 12 intended. The edge section 11 is still corresponding to a truncated cone with an opening angle α trained in the range of 30 ° to 50 °.

5 shows a system from a respirator 1 and one for the respirator 1 provided container 6 . The container 6 is for the accommodation and storage of the respirator 1 suitably trained, the container 6 is formed from a transparent plastic. A breathing mask stored in the container 1 is visible from the outside, whereby the mask can have a predetermined coloring. The coloring can in particular be used to code the properties and correspondingly intended uses of the respiratory mask 1 be provided.

Numerous modifications and developments of the described exemplary embodiment can be implemented.

Reference symbol list

1

Respirator

10th

mask

11

Edge section

12

central area

13

Tab

14

Recess

15

central recess

3rd

Tether

4th

Valve

5

Filter insert, frame

50

filter

51, 52

Frame element

6

container

α

Opening angle

cited literature

cited patent literature

DE 20 2010 002 043 U1

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• DE 202010002043 U1 [0002, 0040]

Claims (15)

Respiratory protection mask (1) for use in the medical and non-medical field with a mask (10) having a filter insert (5), the filter insert (5) housing an air-permeable filter (50), characterized in that the filter (50) consists of a porous plastic substrate is provided and the mask (10), the filter insert (5) and the filter (50) are designed such that the filter (50) can be replaced. Respirator (1) Claim 1 , characterized in that the porous plastic substrate made of sintered polyurethane or polyethylene or a bioplastic is provided, wherein an antibacterial agent such as silver or zinc can be added to the plastic substrate to achieve antibacterial properties. Respirator (1) Claim 1 or 2nd , characterized in that the porous plastic substrate has a porosity with a pore size in the range of 5 to 120 microns. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 3rd , characterized in that the filter (50) has an areal extension of 4 to 50 cm ² and a layer thickness of 1 to 10 mm, wherein the filter (50) can be essentially square. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 4th , characterized in that the filter (50) is designed such that the filter (50) has a permeability of air in the range of 60 to 200 liters at 3 mbar air pressure / per minute. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the filter (50) and the mask (10) are designed such that the mask (10) is functional for 20 to 30 days in daily use without changing the filter (50). Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that the filter insert (5) is provided by means of a frame (5) accommodating the filter (50), the frame (5) having a first (51) and second (52) frame element and the edge of the filter (50 ) is held in a sandwich-like manner between the first (51) and second (52) frame element, and wherein the first (51) and second (52) frame element are designed such that they can be positively assembled to cooperate to form the frame (5), and the first (51) and second (52) frame element of the assembled frame (5) cooperate positively and airtight with the filter (50), the frame (5) giving the filter (50) a desirable stability. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that the filter insert (5) is provided from a suitable plastic. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that the filter insert (5) is designed to be exchangeable together with the filter (50), the filter insert (5) being made of polyurethane or a bioplastic, and the filter insert (5) being integral with the filter (50) can be trained. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that the mask (10) is provided from an FDA-approved skin-compatible plastic, and the mask (10) has an edge section (11) for airtight contact with the face of a user and the mask (10) has a central area (12) with a central recess (15) for accommodating the filter insert (5), tabs (13) for at least one retaining band (3) being provided on the edge section (11). Respirator (1) Claim 10 , characterized in that the edge section (11) has a first predetermined flexibility and thickness and the central region (12) has a second predetermined flexibility and thickness, wherein the central region (12) can have increased rigidity compared to the edge section (11) , and wherein the recess (15) is form-fitting and non-positively corresponding to the frame (5) in such a way that the frame (5) is held airtight in the recess (15) and thereby on the central region (12) of the mask ( 10) performs the function of a tenter and in particular seals the edge of the filter from the ambient air. Respirator (1) Claim 10 or 11 , characterized in that the edge section (11) is essentially designed as a jacket of a truncated cone, the inside of the jacket being provided for receiving a face of a user and having suitable contours and the central region (12) provided on the top of the truncated cone and the truncated cone can have an opening angle (a) in the range from 30 ° to 50 °. Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 10 to 12 characterized in that the mask (10) has an internal flocking to prevent an increased deposition of condensed water in the mask (10). Respirator mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 13 , characterized in that the mask (10) has at least one recess (14) for accommodating a valve (4), the valve (4) being designed such that it has air permeability in a first direction, namely from the interior of the mask (10) to the outside, and prevents air permeability in the opposite direction to the first direction, the valve (4) being a check valve with an opening pressure in the range from 0.5 to 3 mbar. System consisting of a container (6) and a breathing mask (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 14 , characterized in that the container (6) is suitable for accommodating and storing the respirator (1), the container (6) being made of a transparent plastic, so that the respirator (1) stored in the container (6) is visible from the outside, wherein the mask (10) can have a predetermined coloring, by means of which a coding of the application of the mask (10) is provided.

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