MXPA00010309A - Respirator headpiece and release mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A quick release mechanism and headpiece for use with a respirator. The quick release mechanism uses an over center latch pivotly attached to a yoke to control the tension in a pair of upper tension cords. In the latched position the upper tension cords traverse the yoke and together with a pair of lower tension cords support and seal the respirator mask agaisnt the face of the wearer. In the unlatched position the upper tension cords loosely support the mask below the chin of the wearer in a parked position. The upper and lower tension cords are attached to a circular shaped headpiece having a crown piece fitting to the top of the head of the wearer and a base portion fitting to the back of the head of the wearer. The headpiece is advantageously comprised of multiple layers wherein the outer layer is comprised of a rigid material and the inner layer is comprised of a compliant material. The rigid layer provides necessary structure to headpiece and the inner layer provides compliance and comfort to the head of the wearer.

Description

BREATING HELMET AND LI MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE I NVENC ION Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to respirators and, in particular, to a novel helmet and mask release mechanism.

Previous Technique Respirators are used by people subjected to unsafe or harmful environments. A common type of respirator is the half-mask respirator composed of a cup-type mask supported by a fork attached to two bands of elastic straps. A group of strips, the upper group, is designed to rest on a user's crown. The seg undo g rupo, the lower one, is designed to wrap the back of the user's neck. The upper gum is generally attached to an enlarged flexible strip, commonly known as a support, which is thinned on, or supports, the crown of the head. The upper strip is generally tightly joined between the mask portion and the support through a buckle having an adjustment mechanism such as a D-shaped ring for tightening the strip against the head. A D-shaped ring, as is well known in the industry, generally requires a user to use both hands to manipulate the D-shaped ring to adjust the length of the strip during placement or doffing which always tests be a challenge for the user. The lower strip generally includes a fastening element including a hook and slot arrangement and further includes an adjustment mechanism such as a D-shaped ring. A user typically places (sets) the respirator by holding the lower straps at the back of the neck and then lifting the support over the top of the crown, while simultaneously guiding the mask and the fork portion or face piece, to its place on the face. The strips are then manipulated through the D-shaped rings and adjusted until a good fit is achieved and a successful face seal check is made. Removal, or doffing, of the respirator is performed opposite to the placement operation, where the lower strips are untied and the support is removed from the head while the facial piece is removed from the user's face. In the course of an average day, a worker who requires the use of a respirator can place and move the respirator up to 20 times. The current technique's respirator placement procedures, including verification and face seal adjustment, are viewed by many users as complex and annoying. In some cases, users forget the placement procedure when it is perceived that the task they are going to perform could take less time than the placement procedure. The placement procedure is also complicated by other protective equipment, such as protective goggles, lenses, earmuffs, hats and hard hats that need to be removed in order to place or move the respirator. The changing of current respirators is seen by many users as an equally annoying task. In order to remove the respirator, even for short periods, the lower strip must be untied and the support lifted out of the head as described above. A temporary, or tension, removal of the respirator is performed by sliding the support from the back of the head and allowing the facepiece to fall in front of the user, where the respirator is supported by the lower strap around the wearer's neck. Both the complete doffing and the stoppage of the respirator are further hampered by the inclusion of a safety equipment as stated above. Although the respirator is in the stopping position, the loop typically rubs around the user's neck causing irritation and discomfort. In some prior art respirators, the loop rubs or rubs the wearer's neck in the molted position since the facepiece, the upper strips, support and lower strips all move with the head of the user although the neck remains fixed. This rubbing causes similar discomfort to the user especially when the user's work requires a frequent collateral movement or up and down. Attempts have been made in the prior art to combine the crown strip and the neck strap to eliminate the problem of rubbing. In most attempts, the neck strips and the crown strips lack a sufficient structure to avoid the combination of crushing on the ear of the user. Another problem with the attempts of the prior art in combining the strips is the ability to place the strips on the top of the user's head far enough to prevent them from falling while simultaneously interfering with the peripheral vision of the user is avoided. Another problem with the prior art respirators is that the strips, usually rectangular in cross section, are twisted and difficult to adjust using the D-shaped rings. Another problem with the prior art respirators is that the strip joints, as well as the mechanisms of attachment and release, cause point loads on the facepiece making them uncomfortable for the user.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The disadvantages and deficiencies described above and others more of the prior art are overcome or mitigated by the respirator helmet and the rapid release mechanism of the present invention. The quick release mechanism uses a central lock pivotally attached to a fork to control the tension in a pair of higher tension cords. In the locked position, the upper tension cords pass through the fork and together with a pair of lower tension cords support and seal the respirator mask against the wearer's face. In the unlocked position, the upper tension ropes loosely support the mask below the wearer's beard in a stopped position. The upper and lower tension ropes are attached to a circular shaped helmet having a crown piece fitted to the upper part of the user's head and a base portion adjusted to the back of the user's head. The helmet advantageously is composed of multiple layers, wherein the outer layer is composed of a rigid material and the inner layer is composed of a pleasant material. The rigid layer provides the necessary structure to the helmet and the inner layer provides condescension and comfort to the user's head. The aspects and advantages discussed above and others of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, where like elements are similarly enumerated in the various figures: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a respirator according to the present invention showing the locked position; Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of a quick release mechanism; Figure 3 is a perspective illustration of a user placing a respirator of the present invention; Figure 4 is a left side view of a respirator of the present invention showing the closing movement; Figure 5 is a perspective illustration of a respirator showing the actuation of the quick release mechanism; Figure 6 is a perspective illustration of a respirator of the present invention in a stopped position; Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of a respirator according to the present invention showing a helmet; Figure 8 is a plan view of the inner surface of a helmet; Figure 9 is a plan view of the external surface of the hull of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the hull of Figure 8 along lines 10-10; Figure 11 is a perspective illustration of a helmet of an alternative embodiment; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of the hull of the Figure 11 in a pre-assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, a respirator 1 incorporates a quick release mechanism 2 in a face support system, or fork 3. The facepiece 4 is supported by the fork 3 to fix the mask portion 5 against the face of a user and includes filters 6 placed on the opposite sides. The eyelet 3 joins the faceplate 4 in a form of removable snap-fit against a button-type post (not shown) similar to that of the prior art respirators. With the filters 6 disposed within cartridge openings 12. Referring to Figure 2, the quick release mechanism 2 consists of a central cam lock 7 pivotally attached to the fork 3 through hinge pins 8 disposed within the hinge. 9 and further includes a relief cut 13 for adapting an exhalation valve 15, while in the locked position. The hinge 9 serves as the pivot point of the closure 7, whereby the closure is allowed to rotate outwards in the direction indicated by arrow 10 to unlock the respirator and inwards in the direction indicated by arrow 11 to lock the respirator as will be explained in detail later. The hinge pin arrangement 8 and hinge 9 described herein is assembled in a quick fit form allowing the quick and easy assembly of the facepiece 4 of the present invention. As best shown in Figure 3, the respirator 1 is placed with the closure 7 of the quick release mechanism in an upward and unlocked position by a base portion 30 held by the user of the helmet 28 with one hand and the facepiece 4 with the other hand. The helmet 28 is guided over the top of the head, wherein the base portion 30 is positioned around the back of the head and the crown portion 32 is positioned near the top of the head. Simultaneously, the mask portion 5 of the facepiece 4 is guided against the mouth and nose area of the user. As best shown in Figure 1, the closure 7 of the quick release mechanism is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 11 towards the locked position by tightening the upper cords 20, 22 and biasing the faceplate 4 against the user's face . The upper ropes 20, 22 are attached to the helmet 28 and run through guide holes 34, 36 in the fork 4 and further pass through the closing holes 38, 40 (Figure 5) in the closure 7. The tension of the respirator 1 is achieved by pulling the ends 42, 44 of the upper cords 20, 22, while the closure 7 is in the locked position. The upper ropes 22, 23 are joined with the guide holes 34, 36 and the closing holes 38, 40, while the locked position maintaining the tension in the upper ropes and deflecting the facepiece against the user's face. The off-center locking feature of the quick release mechanism 2 is best shown in Figure 4, where, as described above, the respirator 1 is supported and deflected against the user's face by the upper tension cords 20, 22 and the lower tension strings 24, 26 attached to the helmet 28 fixed on the top and back of the user's head. The hinge 9 allows the closure 7 to rotate outwards in the direction of the arrow 10 from the face, and in a downward opposite direction indicated by the arrow 11 pulling the ends 42, 44 of the upper cords 20, 22 and increasing the tension in the strings. In the positioning operation, the closure 7 is moved in the direction of the arrow 11 and the upper ropes 20, 22 move with it from the position designated "A" (unlocked) to the locked position shown in figure a through intermediate positions designated as "B" and "C". As the closure 7 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 11, the upper cords 20, 22 slide through the guide holes 34, 36 and cross a line running through the center of the hinge axis 10. from the guide holes 34, 36 shown in the "C" position. After the closure 7 passes further in the direction of the arrow 11, the quick release mechanism is positioned as a cam over the locked position through tension in the cords 20, 22, where the tension in the cords deflects the closure 7 upwardly below the area of the beard of the facepiece 4. The cords 20, 22 run through the guides 34, 36, which are integral with the fork 3 as described above. When the closure 7 is in the locked position under the user's beard, the cords 20, 22 support the faceplate 4 and deflect it towards the wearer's face. The doffing of the respirator 1 is best shown with reference to Figure 5, where it is shown that the closure 7 is unlocked by a user by rotating the closure around the hinge 9 in the direction indicated by the arrow 1 0. As the Closure 7 is rotated by a user from the locked position towards the position indicated as "C" in Figure 4, the upper cords 20, 22 pass through a line extending from the hinge 9 and the quick release mechanism 2 it is placed as a cam on the position not partially locked by tension in the cords and partly by the weight of the respirator. As described and shown herein, the quick release mechanism 2 is operated simply by applying pressure with the thumb against the closure 7 and causing the closure to move in the direction of the arrow 10. In addition, the respirator 1 according to the present invention can be moved without the removal of another safety head gear such as, for example, protective lenses 46. The respirator 1 of the present invention provides a convenient and comfortable stopping position as best is shown in Figure 6. Once the respirator 1 is moved as described above, the ends 42, 44 of the upper cords 20, 22 move very close to the user's face and the effective length of the upper cords is Increased and the faceplate 4 falls from the user's face in the direction indicated by the arrow 48. In one embodiment, the length of the strings 20, 22 in the guide holes 34, 36 and their attachment to the helmet 28 is increased by 10.16 cm from the locked position to the unlocked position. The respirator 1 is effectively stopped without removal of the helmet 28 from the neck or from the top of the head. Placement of the respirator 1 from the "stopped" position requires that the facepiece 4 be raised towards the position on the face, while the cam lock 7 is released downward in the direction of the arrow 1 preferably with the use only one hand. In a preferred embodiment, the upper cord 20, 22 is composed of an elastic cord having a substantially circular cross section having the flexibility to track the trajectory from the helmet 28 through the fork 3 towards the closure 7 both in the locked position as the unlocked. The elastic strips of the prior art, as described above, having a rectangular cross-section are limited to the following geodetic trajectory and are not very suitable for this application. In addition, the elastic strips, although usable with the present invention, tend to twist and may not properly join within the guide holes 34, 36 and closing holes 38, 40. The lower tension strings 24, 26 are preferably composed of flat elastic strips as will be described in more detail later. As shown in Figure 1, the upper cords 20, 22 support and seal the faceplate 4 against the user's face by extending the tension load on the cords through the fork 3 and the mask portion 5. The extension of the loads, as described, create an airtight, yet comfortable fit, and seal the mask portion 5 against the wearer's face. Furthermore, it is preferred that the mask portion 5 be composed of an elastic material, such as liquid silicone, rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer, and that the fork 3 and the closure 7 be composed of a somewhat structural material such as polypropylene. A preferred method for connecting the lower strips 24, 26 to the fork 3 is shown with reference to Figures 4 and 7. In the embodiment shown, the fork 3 includes a pair of slots 23, 25 forming a sliding mechanism by inertia 27 through which the lower strips 24, 26 pass. The length of the lower strips 24, 26 does not require frequent adjustment, but rather can be adjusted through the inertial slide mechanism 27. The strips 24, 26 are first passed through the slot 23 placed on any side of the fork 3 and then passes through the slot 35, as shown. When the end 29 is pulled by the user, the facepiece 4 is pulled more strongly towards the user's face. The strips 24, 26 are loosened by pulling the fork 3 close to the groove 25. In another embodiment, the strips 24, 26 are placed within a common D-shaped ring (not shown), which is attached directly to the 3. The operation of the helmet 28 is best described with reference to Figure 7, where it is shown that the base portion 30 is positioned above the user's neck and the crown portion 32 is placed on top of the user's head With the crown portion 32 and the base portion 30 integrally connected with the side portions 50, 52, the hull 28 forms a continuous ring, which rests on the top of the head and wraps the back of the head towards, preferably not in contact with the body. As will be explained later, the hull mode 28 shown in Fig. 7 is composed of a piece strip that is tightly clamped together on the crown portion 32 to form the described continuous ring. Since the entire helmet 28 moves with the wearer's head, and the respirator 1, there is no irritation of the back of the neck or the back of the head as with the prior art respirators. In accordance with the present invention, the connection of the upper ropes 20, 22 and the lower ropes 24, 26 to the hull 28 can be achieved in a variety of ways and shown through an example in Figure 7 as rivets. of plastic 54 stamped by a known process such as ultrasonic welding. The details of one embodiment of the helmet 28 are best shown with reference to Figures 8 and 9, where it is shown that the helmet comprises an individual strip 60. The base portion is placed between the lower-rope connecting loops 62. , 64 and the side portions 50, 52. The side portions 50, 52 are toothed between the top rope attachment holes 66, 68 and the lower rope tie loops 62, 64 to allow relief around the ears of the rope. a user to be used with other safety equipment, such as protective ear muffs. As described hereinbefore, the lower strips 24, 26 can be joined through loop 62, 64 by any suitable method such as stitching, bonding, binding, or linking, through a conventional D-shaped ring (not shown) a went to the loops 62, 67. The inner portion of the helmet 28, the side that is intended to be in contact with the head of a user, is shown in Figure 8 and includes a fastened cloth fastener patch 70, the one releasably secured to the attached cloth fastener patch 72 on the outer surface of the helmet, as shown in Fig. 9. The position of the patch 70, 72 can be reversed as is known without departing from the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the hooked cloth fastener patch 70 and the hooked cloth fastener patch 72 are made of Velero® material and allow the helmet 28 to be releasably adjustable to a user's head to accommodate a wide variety of sizes. The patches 70, 72 are attached, sewn, or otherwise glued to the strip 60 of the helmet through methods known in the art. Following with reference to Figure 8, the hull 28 includes relief channels 74, 76, which run from the periphery of the strip 60 to the upper cord binding loops 66, 68. The channels 74, 76 prevent the cords from 20, 22 (Figure 7) are compressed against the user's face through the strip 60. The strip 60 is shown in an embodiment of Figure 10 as being constructed from two materials, preferably comprising an outer layer of plastic rigid 78 and an internal layer of compressible foam 80. In a specific embodiment, outer layer 78 is composed of a rigid plastic, such as polyethylene polypropylene, and inner layer 80 is composed of an elastomeric foam having a density of approximately 64.07- 128.15 grams per liter. The two layers 78, 80 are joined together through a compression molding process, either with or without the use of a bonding agent or adhesive. The outer layer 78 provides the helmet 28 with sufficient stiffness to prevent crushing of the ear portions 50, 42, and the inner layer 80 provides condescension and comfort against the wearer's head. As best shown in Figures 8 and 10, the inner portion of the strip 60 includes composite pads of raised sections 82. The raised sections 82 are preferably molded into the inner layer 80 of the strip 60 during the compression molding process and represent areas of lower compressive strength. The raised portions 82 provide a smoother contact area and thus more comfortable against a user's head. The raised portions further provide the strip 60 with the directional flexibility necessary to form the strip in the ring-shaped hull 28 as shown in Figure 7. In a particular embodiment, the pads 82 have a height of 0.1016 cm and each layer has a height of 0.1016 cm before compression. It is within the scope of the present invention that the outer layer 78 of the strip 60 includes integrally molded design features such as patterns 84 and logo type indications 86. Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, an alternative embodiment of the helmet is shown. 28 including cuts 88 in both the inner layer 80 and the outer layer 78 of the strip 60. The cuts 88 in each layer align with each other and form passages through the strip 60 and serve to provide ventilation and flexibility to the strip . The size adjustment is incorporated in the helmet 38 through a locking tab 90 disposed on the inner layer 80 and intercutting the cuts 88 on the fitting end 92 of the strip 60. The locking tongue 90 is releasably fastened inside. of the plurality of cooperation slots formed by the cuts 88, which when combined with the closing tab 24 allow the aforementioned size adjustability. Although the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present invention has been described only by way of illustration and not limitation.

Claims (42)

1 .- A rapid release mechanism for use with a respirator that has a face mask, said quick release mechanism comprising: a fork attached to the face mask of the respirator; and a closure attached to the fork.

2. A quick release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the closure is pivotally attached to the fork at a first end of the closure.

3. A quick release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fork includes at least one opening, and wherein the face mask includes at least one filter disposed within the opening.

4. A quick release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the respirator includes a helmet, the quick release mechanism further comprising: a pair of guide holes placed in the fork; a pair of closing holes placed in the closure at a second end thereof; and a pair of cords attached to the hull, the cords arranged inside the guide holes and the closing holes.

5. A quick release mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the cords are composed of an elastic material having a substantially round cross section.

6. A quick release mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the closure is pivoted from an unlocked position to a locked position, and where a tension force is produced on the cords in the locked position by deflecting the mask against the face of a user.

7. A quick release mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the respirator includes a helmet, the quick release mechanism further comprising: a pair of attachment points placed on the fork; and a pair of strips attached to the helmet, the strips arranged at the points of attachment.

8. A quick-release mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the attachment points each comprise an inertial sliding mechanism comprising a pair of slots.

9. A quick release mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the mechanisms of sliding by inertia comprise a D-shaped ring attached to the fork.

10. A quick release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fork is composed of a rigid plastic material.

11. A quick release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the closure is composed of a rigid plastic material.

12. - A helmet for use with a respirator to be worn on the head of a wearer, said helmet comprising a strip forming a substantially continuous ring shape having a crown portion fitting over an upper portion of the head and a base portion fitting on a back portion of the head.

13. A helmet according to claim 1, wherein the strip comprises a length having a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end and the second end are releasably connectable with each other to vary the length the strip's shape forming the continuous ring configuration.

14. A helmet according to claim 13, wherein the strip includes an inner surface and an outer surface and a hooked fastener patch is disposed either on the first end or on the second end, and in addition on either the surface Inner or outer surface and a bonded fastener patch is disposed on the end and on the surface opposite the hooked fastener patch and cooperates with the hook fastener patch to releasably attach the ends in an overlapping shape.

15. A helmet according to claim 1, wherein the strip includes a plurality of slots and wherein a hook is attached to either the first end or the second end and the hook cooperates with at least one of the slots. to releasably join the ends in an overlapping shape.

16. A helmet according to claim 12, wherein the strip comprises at least one inner layer and one outer layer, wherein the inner layer is composed of an elastic material and the outer layer is composed of a rigid material.

17. A helmet according to claim 16, wherein the elastic material is composed of an elastomeric foam having a density of about 64.07 grams per liter to about 128.15 grams per liter.

18. A helmet according to claim 16, wherein the rigid material is composed of a plastic.

19. A helmet according to claim 16, wherein the elastic layer includes a plurality of raised portions distributed along the length of the strip.

20. A helmet according to claim 19, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined in a compression molding process, and wherein the portions raised in this way are compression molded.

21. A helmet according to claim 16, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined together through a third layer placed between them.

22. A helmet according to claim 12, further comprising a lateral portion positioned on opposite sides of the ring between the crown portion and the base portion, each side portion being fixed around the ear on the head.

23. A helmet according to claim 22, wherein the helmet further comprises a top rope joining hole placed between each of the side portions and the crown portion.

24. A helmet according to claim 23, wherein the hull further comprises a relief channel disposed within the strip from each of the upper cord joining holes towards a periphery of the strip.

25. A helmet according to claim 22, wherein the helmet further comprises a tie loop lower placed between each of the side portions and the base portion.

26.- A respirator that will be used on the head of a user, the respirator having a portion of a face mask to be sealed against the user's face and cartridge type fibers mounted on opposite sides of the mask, the respirator comprises: a hairpin attached to the face mask, the fork having a pair of openings fixed on the filters, a hinge disposed on a front portion of the fork and a pair of guide holes placed in the fork; a closure pivotally attached to the hinge, the closure pivoting between an unlocked position and a locked position, and having a pair of closure holes positioned at an opposite end of the joint; a hull forming a substantially continuous ring configuration having a crown portion fixed on an upper portion of the head, a base portion being fixed on a rear portion of the head, a lateral portion positioned on opposite sides of the ring between the portion of the head crown and base portion, a top rope joining hole placed between each of the side portions and the crown portion and a tie strip connecting loop between each of the side portions and the base portion; a pair of upper ropes attached to the hull in the upper joining holes and passing through the guide holes and the closing holes; and a pair of lower strips disposed between the lower strip loops and a pair of tie-down points placed on a lower portion of the fork.

27. A respirator according to claim 26, wherein the cords are composed of an elastic material having a substantially round cross section.

28. A respirator according to claim 26, wherein a tension force is produced in the cords in the closed position by diverting the facial mask against the face of a user and sealing the facial mask to the face, in this manner.

29. A respirator according to claim 26, wherein the junction points, each comprising a mechanism of sliding by inertia comprising a pair of grooves.

30. A respirator according to claim 28, wherein the mechanisms of sliding by inertia comprise a D-shaped ring attached to the fork.

31. - A respirator according to claim 26, wherein the fork is composed of a rigid plastic material.

32. A respirator according to claim 26, wherein the closure is composed of a rigid plastic material.

33.- A respirator according to claim 26, wherein the hull comprises a strip having a length, a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end and the second end can be releasably joined to each other for vary the length of the strip forming the continuous ring configuration.

34. A respirator according to claim 33, wherein the strip includes an internal surface and an external surface and a hooked fastener passage is disposed either on the first end or on the second end, and further on the internal surface or the outer surface and a linked fastener patch is disposed on the end and on the surface opposite the hooked fastener patch and cooperates with the fastener patch engaged to releasably join the ends in an overlapping shape.

35.- A respirator according to claim 34, wherein the strip includes a plurality of slots, and wherein a hook is attached to either the first end or the second end and the hook cooperates with at least one of the slots. to releasably join the ends in an overlapping shape.

36.- A respirator according to claim 33, wherein the strip comprises at least one inner layer and one outer layer, wherein the inner layer is composed of an elastic material and the outer layer is composed of the rigid material.

37.- A respirator according to claim 36, wherein the elastic material is composed of an elastomeric foam having a density of about 64.07 grams per liter to about 128.15 grams per liter.

38.- A respirator according to claim 36, wherein the rigid material is composed of a plastic.

39. A respirator according to claim 36, wherein the elastic layer includes a plurality of raised portions distributed along the length of the strip.

40. A respirator according to claim 39, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined in a compression molding process, and wherein the raised portions are compression molded, in this manner.

41. A respirator according to claim 36, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined together by a third layer placed between them.

42. A respirator according to claim 36, wherein the hull further comprises a relief channel disposed within the inner layer for each of the upper cord binding girders at the periphery of a strip.