EP3151924B1

EP3151924B1 - A foldable respirator helmet

Info

Publication number: EP3151924B1
Application number: EP15733475.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philip Doniert Samuel MUTTON; David Edward RICHARDS; Jacob BOAST; Samuel Liewhelin Ghazaros; Rachel Emily TOMLINSON; Mark James SUMMERS; Suzanne Helen PELFREY
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date: 2014-06-04
Filing date: 2015-06-03
Publication date: 2020-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2035-06-03
Also published as: GB201409908D0; EP3151924A1; WO2015185884A1

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a respirator, in particular a respirator having packed and deployed configurations.

Background to the Invention

Respirators are considered to be wearable devices which aim to remove pollutants from ambient air, to render the air more breathable to a wearer of the respirator.
Respirators typically comprise one or more air filters, through which ambient air is drawn and subsequently supplied to an oronasal (mouth/nose) region of the wearer.
One of the problems with known respirators, such as full-face respirators, is that they are often heavy and/or bulky, making them undesirable for persons to carry around with them.
Another problem with known respirators is that they are often difficult to put on if the wearer is wearing a helmet, and sometimes necessitate the removal of the helmet. This leaves the head of the wearer vulnerable, and increases the time required for the wearer to put on the respirator.
Furthermore, known respirators impose a physiological and psychological burden on the wearer and can add significant extra weight to be carried on the wearer's head during use.
US5411017 discloses a compact and easy-to-use protective enclosure having normally open opposite ends and an identical elastic collar surrounding each end. The enclosure is sized to extend between the head and neck of the wearer and provide a self-contained supply of air from which to breathe when it is desirable to isolate the eyes, nose and ears of the wearer from a hostile environment. The first end of the enclosure is closed against the wearer's neck by the elastic collar surrounding the first end, and the opposite end of the enclosure is closed against the wearer's head by the elastic collar surrounding the opposite end.
It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide an improved respirator.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a respirator as specified in claim 1 of the appended claims. The respirator has a neck portion for encircling around a neck of a wearer and a helmet portion for encircling around a helmet of the wearer. The respirator extends between the neck and helmet portions so as to fully enclose a head of the wearer when the respirator is deployed, and the respirator is packable into a packed configuration by moving the helmet portion down the head to meet the neck portion at the neck, or by moving the neck portion up the head to meet the helmet portion at the helmet.
Accordingly, there is provided a lightweight respirator which can easily be packed away at the helmet or the neck when not required, and which is always ready for rapid deployment if the need arises. The respirator is unlikely to be lost by the wearer, since it is stored at the helmet or the neck of the wearer. The respirator may be configured to allow packing of the respirator at both the helmet and the neck, so that the wearer can exercise their own preference as to whether the respirator is packed at the helmet or the neck. Or, the respirator may be specifically designed as a pull-up respirator which is only packed at the neck, or a pull-down respirator which is only packed at the helmet. Packing at the neck has the advantage that the weight of the respirator is taken off the head when the respirator is packed, making carrying of the respirator less fatiguing.
The respirator fully encloses the head of the wearer when it is deployed, to help prevent any pollutants from reaching the wearer. Preferably, the helmet portion seals against the helmet, around the full circumference of the helmet, to prevent any pollutants from reaching the wearer. Accordingly, the respirator may be deployed without the wearer needing to remove their helmet to put on the respirator. Clearly, the requirement for the helmet portion to encircle around the helmet does not require that the helmet portion and helmet are perfectly circular, and other generally circular shapes such as elliptical and ovalar shapes are also contemplated. Accordingly, the full circumference of the helmet may be a complete circuit around the outside of the helmet even if the circuit does not form a perfect circle.
Preferably, the helmet is a rigid and/or armoured helmet which may provide protection from impacts. However, helmet is not intended to be limiting and may be any protective headwear.
The respirator comprises a middle portion that extends between the neck and helmet portions, and the middle portion may be impermeable to ambient air to help prevent pollutants from reaching the wearer.
The middle portion may be formed of various types of lightweight and flexible materials, for example fabrics, textiles, or thin plastics. Preferably, the middle portion is sufficiently flexible to be repeatedly collapsed and re-opened for packing and deploying of the respirator. The helmet portion may be formed of a suitable elasticised material, for example butyl rubber to help grip and form a tight seal around the helmet.
Alternatively, the helmet portion may be configured to cooperate with a helmet for example by providing locking and/or locating means which can cooperate with an equivalent fixture on a helmet.
The respirator comprises a shoulder portion connected to the neck portion for resting upon the shoulders of the wearer, to help support the weight of the respirator when it has been packed down to the neck portion. The shoulder portion may be permanently connected or detachably connected for example by means of a zip.
The neck portion comprises one half of an attachment device and the shoulder portion comprises another half of the attachment device. Then, the middle portion and the helmet portion may be packed between the neck portion and the shoulder portion and secured there between by attaching the two halves of the attachment device together. For example, the two halves of the attachment device may be the two halves of a zip, or the two halves of a hook-and-loop fastener.
Advantageously the neck portion may comprise a neck seal. Preferably the neck seal comprises an elastic material which enables the neck seal to be stretched, for example during donning of the respirator. In use the neck seal may contract to form a seal around the neck of a wearer. The shoulder portion may further comprise an engaging portion for holding an elastic neck seal open when packed. The use of the engaging portion improves the comfort of the respirator because the neck seal is held away from the neck of the user when the respirator is packed and is being worn. The engaging portion may comprise any fixing suitable for maintaining the neck seal in tension for example hook(s), Velcro fastener(s), zip fastener(s). In a preferred embodiment, the engaging portion may comprise an element with a lip, preferably an annular or part annular element with a lip. The element should be sufficiently rigid to maintain the neck seal in tension when the neck seal is stretched over the lip of the element.
The respirator may be formed as an integral part of a shirt or jacket for the wearer, for example the neck portion and/or shoulder portion could be formed as a collar of the shirt or jacket.
Preferably, the respirator comprises a flexible visor within the middle portion, to enable the wearer to see out through the flexible visor. The flexibility of the visor helps facilitate the packing of the respirator. Preferably, the visor is sufficiently flexible for the visor to collapse in upon itself during the packing of the respirator.
The respirator may comprise an elastic strip attached to the middle portion to tension the middle portion around the head of the wearer. The tensioning of the middle portion around the head of the wearer helps minimise the volume enclosed by the middle portion and exclude ambient air caught between the middle portion and the head during the deployment of the respirator, to minimise any dead air space between the middle portion and the head. Alternatively, the respirator may comprise an adjustable strip (such as, for example, a fabric strip) attached to the middle portion to tension the middle portion around the head of the wearer. The adjustable strip maybe secured by any suitable means, for example a Velcro fastener, sliding fastener or a buckle.
The elastic or adjustable strip may comprise an air channel, which air channel may be connected to an air filter. In a preferred arrangement, an adjustable strip comprises an air channel and an air filter which is attached to the adjustable strip so that the position of the air filter can be adjusted by means of the adjustable strip. In this way, when the respirator is in use, the air filter can be positioned by means of the adjustable strip to a convenient position e.g. adjacent the wearer's cheek(s) or ear(s), or at the back of the person's head, and after use the air filter can be alternatively located for ease of packing.
Advantageously, the respirator may, comprise an oronasal mask that is attached to the middle portion and formed of a different material to the middle portion. The oronasal mask helps to position the respirator correctly relative to the wearer's head, and is formed of a different, preferably more rigid, material than the middle portion to provide a cavity bridging between the nose and the mouth at the oronasal region of the wearer, via which the wearer can breathe.
Furthermore, the oronasal mask may be located inside of the middle portion to provide a barrier that separates the airflow to/from the wearer's mouth away from the remainder of the volume between the middle portion and the head. Accordingly, the oronasal mask may present an additional barrier to any pollutants that manage to pass through the middle portion.
Preferably, the oronasal mask is formed of materials sufficiently flexible for the oronasal mask to collapse in upon itself during the packing of the respirator, for example the oronasal mask may be formed of a material such as neoprene to provide a comfortable fit against the wearer's face while having sufficient rigidity not to collapse against the wearer's mouth/nose when the wearer breathes inwardly. The oronasal mask may comprise one or more hinged and/or creased portions. Preferably the oronasal mask is configured such that it collapses in upon itself following one or more fold-lines along the lateral axis of the head.
The respirator may comprise an exhale valve mounted through the oronasal mask, which opens to allow air to exit into the ambient environment when the wearer exhales. In the case where the oronasal mask is inside of the middle portion, the exhale valve may pass through both the oronasal mask and the middle portion. The exhale valve is typically a non-return valve so that it blocks any air from flowing through the exhale valve into the oronasal mask. The use of an exhale valve means that moist air exhaled by the wearer does not need to exit through the air filters that it passed through on its way into the respirator, helping to maintain the effectiveness of the air filters. Furthermore, positioning the exhale valve at the oronasal mask means that the length of the air pathway between the wearer's oronasal region and the ambient environment for exhaled air is minimised, reducing the effort required for the wearer to exhale.
The respirator comprises one or more air filters for filtering ambient air prior to it reaching the oronasal region of the wearer. Preferably, the respirator is a passive respirator, and so air is drawn through the air filters by the wearer breathing in and creating a lower pressure than atmospheric pressure within the respirator. This differs from active respirators which require a power source to actively pump air through air filters and into the respirator. Passive respirators clearly do not require such a power source or pump and are therefore lighter and more packable.
Advantageously, the respirator may comprise an air channel that passes along the middle portion, the air channel extending from an air outlet at an oronasal region of the respirator to an air inlet remote from the oronasal region. Therefore, the air filter can be placed away from the oronasal region of the wearer, enabling better weight distribution of the respirator over the wearer. For example, the air inlet may be connected to an air filter mounted on the neck portion of the respirator, to take the weight of the air filters off the wearer's head. Alternatively, the air filter(s) may be mounted on the middle portion adjacent the wearer's cheek(s) or ear(s), or at the back of the person's head. It will be appreciated that such locations are closer to the axis of the wearer's spine than the oronasal region of the respirator, and therefore generate a lower moment about the wearer's spine when air filters are located at them, compared to air filters located at the oronasal region of the respirator, thereby reducing fatigue of the wearer and making the respirator more pleasant to wear. The air outlet of the channel may extend into the oronasal mask, if implemented, for supplying air to the wearer to breathe.
Advantageously, the air channel may be formed by two layers of material that are impermeable to ambient air, so that the air channel can easily be incorporated within the respirator. For example, at least one of the two layers of material may be the material forming the middle portion, such that only one additional layer of material attached to the middle portion is required to form at least part of the length of the air channel. The air channel is preferably flexible such that it can be folded and/or collapsed and/or scrunched down to a smaller size, to facilitate packing of the respirator down to a small size.
The air filter may be formed of a filter material, for example an air-permeable material impregnated with activated carbon, and the filter material may adjoin an outer one of the two layers of material so that the air channel inlet is beneath the filter material. Spacers may also be provided between the filter material and an inner one of the two layers of material to help airflow enter through substantially the full area of the filter material.
Advantageously, the filter material may comprise ballistic protective materials such as Aramid or UHMWPE (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) fibres so that the air filter(s) protects against fragmentation. For example, the air filter(s) may provide at least a protection level of a V50 of 380 m/s against a 1.1 gram (17 Grain) untumbled chisel nosed fragment simulating projectile (FSP) as specified in STANAG 2910 edition 2.
It has been recognised that flexible air channels which can be folded and/or collapsed and/or scrunched, as required for the respirator to be packed down to a small size, have a tendency to collapse in on themselves during use when a negative air pressure relative to atmospheric air pressure is applied to them by the action of the wearer breathing in. Such collapse during use reduces the rate at which air can be drawn through the air channel, making breathing more difficult for the user, and the collapse may even close the air channel completely.
Therefore, spacers may be provided within the air channel to help keep the two layers of material spaced apart from one another when a negative air pressure relative to atmospheric air pressure is present within the air channel. The spacers may for example take the form of bristles or ribs extending between the two layers of material, so as to space the two layers of material apart from one another whilst allowing air to flow around the bristles or ribs. For example, in the case of ribs, each rib may have a length of less than a width of the air channel so the rib does not block the air channel, and/or each rib may be angled towards or in line with a lengthwise direction along the air channel and have a thickness of less than the width of the air channel.
To assist in packing the respirator, the spacers are preferably sufficiently flexible for the two layers of materials to collapse towards one another during packing, by an average distance of more than 25% of an un-collapsed distance between the two layers of material when the air channel is in its normal, un-collapsed state. More preferably, the spacers are sufficiently flexible for the two layers of material to collapse by more than 50% of the un-collapsed distance, still more preferably by more than 75% of the un-collapsed distance. The collapse may be more easily achieved when the spacers are formed of bristles rather than ribs, since bristles typically have a lower cross-sectional area than ribs, and so are typically more bendable. Bristles are generally considered to be thin and flexible members extending between the two layers of material at the interior of the air channel.
The larger the air channel, the more easily the wearer will be able to breathe through the air channel, and the greater the desire becomes to be able to collapse the two layers of material towards one another for packing. The desire to collapse the two layers of material towards one another for packing becomes greater when the air channel is larger, since the more space that the air channel takes up, the more reduction in size can be achieved if the two layers of material are collapsed towards one another.
The two layers of material may for example be fabrics or textiles or thin layers of plastics so that the two layers of material can easily be packed, and may comprise coatings to help make the two layers of material impermeable to ambient air.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs 1a and 1b show front and side diagrams of a person wearing a respirator according to a first embodiment of the invention, the respirator being in a packed configuration;
Figs 2a and 2b show front and side diagrams of a person wearing the respirator of Figs 1a and 1b, the respirator being in a deployed configuration;
Fig. 3a shows a view of a portion of the respirator of Figs 1a and 1b, the view taken from inside of the respirator;
Figs 3b and 3c show cross-sectional and plan diagrams of an air channel forming part of the respirator of Figs 1a and 1b;
Figs 3d and 3e show plan diagrams of alternate air channels suitable for use in the respirator of Figs 1a and 1b;
Figs 4a and 4b show front and side diagrams of a person wearing a respirator according to a second embodiment of the invention, the respirator being in a packed configuration; and
Figs 5a and 5b show front and side diagrams of a person wearing the respirator of Figs 4a and 4b, the respirator being in a deployed configuration.

The drawings are purely illustrative and are not to scale. Same or similar reference signs denote same or similar features.

Detailed Description

A first embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of Figs 1a - 2b, which show a person 1 wearing a helmet 5 and a respirator 10. The helmet 5 has a rim 6 defining the lowermost edge around the helmet. Figs 1a and 1b show front and side diagrams of the respirator 10 in a packed configuration encircling around the neck of the person 1.
A shoulder portion 12 of the respirator is visible as an outer surface of the respirator, extending around the neck of the person in Figs 1a and 1b. The packed respirator has a doughnut like shape with a central aperture for the neck of the person. The shoulder portion 12 has uppermost 12a and lowermost 12b rims, is permanently connected to a neck portion 14 at the lowermost rim 12b, and is temporarily connected to the neck portion 14 at the uppermost rim 12a by a zip 15. The neck portion 14 also extends around the neck of the person 1, and the neck portion 14 forms an inner surface of the respirator that is closest to the person's neck, defining the aperture of the doughnut shape. The zip 15 retains the remainder of the respirator between the shoulder portion 12 and the neck portion 14, keeping the respirator in the packed configuration.
Once the person 1 determines, or is informed, that the ambient air is no longer safe to breathe, the person 1 unpacks the respirator 10 into a deployed configuration for use. Figs 2a and 2b show front and side diagrams of the respirator 10 once it has been moved into the deployed configuration, by opening the zip 15 and pulling the respirator upwardly over the head of the person 1 to cover the rim 6 of the helmet 5. As seen in Figs 2a and 2b, the shoulder portion 12 is collapsed downwardly towards the shoulders of the person once the zip 15 is undone, and one half 15a of the zip 15 remains visible. The shoulder portion 12 may be configured to interface with other clothing being worn by the person, for example the shoulder portion 12 may be tucked underneath a collar of a jacket being worn by the person, or the shoulder portion 12 may even be part of the jacket/shirt if the respirator is formed as an integral part of the shirt/jacket.
A middle portion 16 of the respirator is connected to the neck portion 14, and the middle portion 16 is connected to a helmet portion 18 of the respirator. The middle portion 16 partially covers over the face and the back of the head of the person 1, and the helmet portion 18 of the respirator seals around the rim 6 of the helmet 5, keeping the middle portion 16 in position. The other half of the zip 15 is not visible in Figs 2a and 2b since it is covered over by the middle portion 16 of the respirator.
The middle portion 16 has an aperture at the front of the face, which is fully filled by a flexible visor 30 to allow the person 1 to see out of the respirator. An oronasal mask 40 is positioned inside of the middle portion 16, to cover over the mouth and the nose of the person, and the very top of the oronasal mask 40 is visible in Figs 2a and 2b through the flexible visor 30.
The middle portion 16 has an elastic strip 23 connected to the middle portion 16 in the region of the oronasal mask 40, and the elastic strip 23 passes from the region of the oronasal mask 40 right around the sides and the back of the head of the person 1 to help secure the oronasal mask 40 in place around the mouth and the nose of the person, and to hold the middle portion 16 against the head of the person.
In this embodiment, the flexible visor 30 is made of a flexible and transparent plastics material, and the oronasal mask 40 is made of neoprene. The middle portion 16 is made of a nylon material which has been coated with a plastics based coating to make it substantially impermeable to ambient air. However, other types of materials could alternatively be used.
The oronasal mask 40 comprises two exhale valves 24, which pass through two apertures in the middle portion 16 and in the elastic strip 23, to allow the person to breath outwardly through the exhale valves. The exhale valves 24 are one-way valves, allowing air to exit the oronasal mask 40 but not to enter it. Suitable valves will be apparent to the skilled person, in this embodiment the valve comprises a flap which moves to close the valve when the air pressure outside the oronasal mask is higher than the air pressure inside the oronasal mask.
The respirator further comprises two air filters 20 which are mounted on the neck portion 14 of the respirator. The air filters 20 each comprise layers of Aramid fibres impregnated with activated carbon, for filtering ambient air that is sucked in through the air filters 20 by the action of the person 1 breathing inwardly. Specifically, the air filters 20 are connected to air inlets of air channels 21, and air outlets of air channels 21 lead into the oronasal mask 40. The air filters 20 could be replaced by other types of air filter in alternative embodiments, for example depending on the types of pollutants that the respirator is intended to protect against.
Each air channel 21 is formed by the middle portion 16 and a strip of air channel material which is attached to an inside surface of the middle portion 16 between the air filters 20 and the oronasal mask 40. The strip of air channel material is attached to the middle portion 16 along longitudinal edges of the strip, and spaced apart from the middle portion 16 along a central axis of the strip by bristles extending from the strip towards the middle portion 16. The bristles help separate the strip and the middle portion 16 apart from one another so the air channel remains open, even as the person 1 breathes inwardly, lowering the air pressure within the air channel 21.
The action of the person breathing inwardly sucks ambient air in through the air filters 20, along the air channels 21, into the oronasal mask 40, and into the person's mouth and/or nose. When the person breathes outwardly, the air exits the oronasal mask 40 via the exhale valves 24, since there is less resistance to air passage through the exhale valves 24 than back along the air channels 21 and through the filters 20.
Once the person 1 determines, or is informed, that the ambient air is safe to breathe again, the person pulls the helmet portion 18 downwardly off the rim 6 of the helmet, collapses the middle portion 16 and helmet portion 18 downwardly between the neck portion 14 and shoulder portion 12, and closes the zip 15 to return the respirator to the packed configuration shown in Figs 1a and 1b.
The details of the oronasal mask 40 and air channel 21 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figs 3a - 3c. Fig. 3a shows a view taken from an inside of the respirator 10, of a portion 8 of the respirator when the respirator has been deployed. The portion 8 shows the oronasal mask 40 attached to an inside of the middle portion 16, with the air channels 21 leading away from the oronasal mask 40 and towards the air filters. An upper portion of the elastic strip 23 is visible through the visor 30. The exhaust valves 24 are also visible.
The oronasal mask 40 is adhered to the inside of the middle portion 16 by an adhesive, although could alternatively be attached by other methods, for example stitching. Two regions 41 of the oronasal mask remain spaced apart from the middle portion 16, and are demarked from the remainder of the oronasal mask 40 by the dotted lines 42. These two regions 41 are where the two air channels 21 connect to the oronasel mask, and each air channel 21 has an air outlet 22 formed by an aperture through the oronasel mask at one of the regions 41.
Each air channel 21 is formed by a strip of material 54 that is attached to the middle portion 16 along longitudinal edges 52 of the strip 54. The longitudinal edges 52 define the edges of the air channel, and first and second layers of material that define the air channel therebetween are constituted by the strip 54 and the middle portion 16. The middle portion 16 is connected to the oronasal mask at the air outlet 22, along the line 42 and along one side of the aperture forming the air outlet 22. The strip 54 is also connected to the oronasal mask at the air outlet 22, around the remainder of the aperture forming the air outlet 22.
The strip 54 is made of a nylon material which has been coated with a plastics based coating to make it substantially impermeable to ambient air, similar to the middle portion 16. Therefore, air is constrained within the air channel 21 and can flow along it without leaking out. Clearly, other types of air-impermeable material could alternatively be used for the strip 54.
The schematic diagram of Fig. 3b shows a cross-section of the air channel 21, taken along line A-A marked on Fig. 3a. The cross-section shows that the middle portion 16 forms a base of the air channel, and that the strip 54 forms sides 56 and a top 58 of the air channel. The strip 54 is connected to the middle portion 16 along the longitudinal edges 52. So that the strip 54 does not collapse towards the base of the air channel and restrict airflow therethrough as the person breathes inwardly, the air channel 21 further comprises a plurality of bristles 60 which are attached to the top 58 of the strip 54 and extend towards the base of the air channel. The bristles 60 are spacers which space the strip 54 apart from the middle portion 16 so that air can pass through the air channel 21, and which resist the collapse of the air channel.
The bristles are for example flexible plastic shafts, which are first adhered to the strip 54, and then adhered to the middle portion 16 when the strip 54 is attached to the middle portion 16 along the longitudinal edges 52. The flexibility of the bristles 60 allows the air channel 21 to compress down to a smaller size when sufficient pressure is applied during the packing of the respirator.
A length portion Ln of the air channel 21 is indicated in Fig. 3a, and a view of this length portion taken when looking in the direction DV marked in Fig. 3b is shown in Fig. 3c. The sides 56 of the air channel that are formed by strip 54 can be seen either side of the top 56 of the air channel 58. The bristles 60 beneath the top 58 of the air channel are also shown.
Although the spacers are bristles in this embodiment, the bristles may be replaced by other types of spacers in alternative embodiments, for example ribs. The schematic diagram of Fig. 3d shows the same view as Fig. 3c, but for an alternative embodiment in which the bristles 60 have been replaced by ribs 62. The ribs 62 are aligned lengthwise along the air channel to help minimise the resistance of the ribs to airflow. However, other types of ribs may be set at an angle to the air channel to help improve the ability of the ribs to hold the air channel open, for example the ribs 64 shown in Fig. 3e. Fig. 3e also shows the same view as Fig. 3c, but for an alternative embodiment where the bristles 60 have been replaced by the ribs 64.The ribs 62 or 64 may for example be formed of rubber that is adhered between the strip 54 and middle portion 16.
A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of Figs 4a - 5b, which show the person 1 wearing the helmet 5 and a respirator 110. Figs 4a and 4b show front and side diagrams of the respirator 110 in a packed configuration encircling around the helmet 5, just above the rim 6.
The packed respirator 110 has a doughnut like shape with a central aperture for the helmet 5 of the person. Once the person 1 determines, or is informed, that the ambient air is no longer safe to breathe, the person 1 unpacks the respirator 110 into a deployed configuration for use, by pulling the respirator 110 downwardly from the helmet and over their head. Figs 2a and 2b show front and side diagrams of the respirator 110 once it has been moved into the deployed configuration.
As seen in Figs 5a and 5b, the respirator 110 comprises a middle portion 116 which is connected between a neck portion 114 and a helmet portion 118, similar to the middle portion 16, neck portion 14 and helmet portion 18 of the first embodiment. The middle portion 116 partially covers over the face and the back of the head of the person 1, and the helmet portion 118 of the respirator seals around the rim 6 of the helmet 5, keeping the middle portion 116 in position.
A zip 115 is present at a front of the respirator 110, and extends upwardly through the neck portion 114 and into a lower part of the middle portion 118. The zip 115 is done up in the deployed configuration to help fasten the neck portion 114 around the neck, and is undone when the respirator is to be moved back to the packed configuration, to aid the neck portion 114 to be drawn upwardly over the person's head to the helmet portion 118. The zip 115 comprises a zipper 115c which is used to open and close the zip.
The middle portion 116 has an aperture at the front of the face, which is fully filled by a flexible visor 130 to allow the person 1 to see out of the respirator. An oronasal mask 140 fully fills another aperture in the middle portion 116, and covers over the mouth and the nose of the person 1.
The middle portion 116 has an elastic strip 123 overlying the middle portion and connected to the oronasal mask 140. The elastic strip 123 passes from one side of the oronasal mask 140, and right around the sides and the back of the head of the person 1 to the other side of the oronasal mask 140, to help secure the oronasal mask 140 in place around the mouth and the nose of the person.
Similarly to the first embodiment, the flexible visor 130 is made of a flexible and transparent plastics material, and the oronasal mask 140 is made of neoprene. The middle portion 116 is made of a nylon material which has been coated with a plastics based coating to make it substantially impermeable to ambient air. However, other types of materials could alternatively be used.
The oronasal mask 140 comprises two exhale valves 124 to allow the person 1 to breath outwardly through the exhale valves, similar to the exhale valves 24 of the first embodiment. Since the middle portion 116 and elastic strip 123 do not extend over the oronasel mask 140, but are instead connected to the edges of the oronasal mask 140, the exhale valves 24 do not pass through the middle portion 116 and elastic strip 123.
The respirator 110 further comprises two air filters 120, which are mounted in apertures through the elastic strip 123 of the respirator at either side of the person's face. The air filters 120 each comprise layers of Aramid fibres impregnated with activated carbon, for filtering ambient air that is sucked in through the air filters 120 by the action of the person 1 breathing inwardly. Specifically, the air filters 120 are connected to air inlets of air channels 121, and air outlets of air channels 121 lead into the oronasal mask 140. The air channels 121 run substantially parallel with the elastic strip 123 between the air filters 120 and the oronasal mask 140. The air filters 120 could be replaced by other types of air filter in alternative embodiments, for example depending on the types of pollutants that the respirator is intended to protect against.
Each air channel 121 is formed by the middle portion 16 and the elastic strip 123. The elastic strip 123 is attached to the middle portion 116 along longitudinal edges of the air channel 121, and is spaced apart from the middle portion 116 along a central axis of the air channel by spacers in the form of bristles extending from the elastic strip 123 towards the middle portion 116. The bristles help separate the elastic strip and the middle portion 116 apart from one another so the air channel remains open, even as the person 1 breathes inwardly, lowering the air pressure within the air channel 121. The air channel 121 is similar to the air channel 21 of the first embodiment, except for that the air channel strip 54 is replaced by part of the elastic strip 123.
Similarly to the first embodiment, the action of the person 1 breathing inwardly sucks ambient air in through the air filters 120, along the air channels 121, into the oronasal mask 140, and into the person's mouth and/or nose. When the person breathes outwardly, the air exits the oronasal mask 140 via the exhale valves 124, since there is less resistance to air passage through the exhale valves 124 than back along the air channels 121 and through the filters 120.
Once the person 1 determines, or is informed, that the ambient air is safe to breathe again, the person unzips the zip 115, and pulls the neck portion 114 upwardly over their head towards the helmet portion 118. An inside of the respirator middle portion 116 adjacent to the elastic strip 123 comprises one half of a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown in Figs). The neck portion 114 and lower part of the middle portion 116 are rolled upwardly to the helmet portion 118 until the half of the hook-and-loop fastener comes into contact with another half 119 of the hook-and-loop fastener, which is on the helmet portion 118. The halves of the hook-and-loop fastener engage one another and hold the respirator 110 in the packed configuration, with the neck portion and lower part of the middle portion 116 held in between the helmet portion 118 and an upper part of the middle portion 116 and flexible visor 130.
Various other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims will also be apparent to the skilled person.

Claims

A respirator having a neck portion (14) for encircling around a neck of a wearer and a helmet portion (18) for encircling around a helmet of the wearer, the respirator extending between the neck and helmet portions (14, 18) so as to fully enclose a head of the wearer when the respirator is deployed, wherein the respirator is packable into a packed configuration by moving the helmet portion (18) down the head to meet the neck portion (14) at the neck, or by moving the neck portion (14) up the head to meet the helmet portion (18) at the helmet, and wherein the respirator comprises a shoulder portion (12) connected to the neck portion (14) for resting upon the shoulders of the wearer and a middle portion (16) that extends between the neck and helmet portions (14, 18)
characterised in that the neck portion (14) comprises one half of an attachment device (15) and the shoulder portion (12) comprises another half of the attachment device (15), the middle portion (16) and the helmet portion (18) being packable between the neck portion (14) and the shoulder portion (12) and
securable therebetween by attaching the two halves of the attachment device (15) together.
The respirator of claim 1, further comprising a flexible visor within the middle portion.
The respirator of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an elastic strip attached to the middle portion to tension the middle portion around the head of the wearer.
The respirator of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the respirator comprises an oronasal mask that is attached to the middle portion and formed of a different material to the middle portion.
The respirator of claim 4, wherein the respirator comprises an exhale valve mounted through the oronasal mask and the middle portion.
The respirator of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the respirator comprises an air channel that passes along the middle portion, the air channel extending from an air outlet at an oronasal region of the respirator to an air inlet remote from the oronasal region.
The respirator of claim 6 when appended to claim 4, wherein the air outlet extends into the oronasal mask for supplying air to the wearer to breath.
The respirator of claim 6 or 7, wherein the air inlet is connected to an air filter mounted on the neck portion of the respirator.
The respirator of claim 6, 7, or 8, wherein the air channel is formed by two layers of material that are impermeable to ambient air, and wherein spacers inside of the air channel space the two layers of material apart from one another.
The respirator of claim 9, wherein the spacers are bristles or ribs which extend between the two layers of material at the inside of the air channel.
The respirator of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the middle portion is formed of a material that is impermeable to ambient air.
The respirator of claim 11 when appended to claim 10, wherein at least one of the two layers of material is the material forming the middle portion.