US20230075248A1

US20230075248A1 - Harness for wearable respiratory device

Info

Publication number: US20230075248A1
Application number: US17/873,665
Authority: US
Inventors: Udi E. Meirav
Original assignee: Calibre Biometrics Inc
Current assignee: Calibre Biometrics Inc
Priority date: 2021-08-13
Filing date: 2022-07-26
Publication date: 2023-03-09

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a system configured to support a mask worn on a human head, such as over the human's mouth. The system may comprise a strap having two ends. The strap is adapted to affix to the mask at the ends, and to surround the sides of the head. A headband is adapted to rest approximately over the crown of the head, and comprises one or more features adapted to support the strap on its path around the head so that the strap rests above the human's ears.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/233,095, entitled “Harness For Wearable Respiratory Device,” filed Aug. 13, 2021, bearing Attorney Docket No. V0340.70006US00, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems, methods and devices for monitoring, measuring, controlling or influencing human breath.

BACKGROUND

Numerous therapeutic, palliative, protective or diagnostic applications require the use of breathing masks that are worn by a person and cover the mouth, and often the nose as well. Such masks generally require a mechanism to secure them to the user's face, such as one or more straps or a harness configured to wrap around the head, the neck or the ears of the user.
Some of the simplest protective masks only rely on straps that attach to the ears, but these are generally not sufficiently secure or comfortable for most applications. This is particularly true when the mask is heavier or requires a tight seal and is compounded when the user requires mobility for work or physical activity while wearing the mask. An illustrative case is that of devices that utilize sensor equipped breathing masks to track respiratory and metabolic measurements, for example during athletic training, as described in US-2021-0085247-A1 and in incorporated as reference.
Such masks generally depend on a harness structure of some kind to secure the breathing mask. Examples of such harness structures can be found in various products from manufacturers such as protective masks from 3M (St. Paul, Minn.) and sleep-apnea CPAP systems from Philips Respironics (Murrysville, Pa.).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically depict a representative harness;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a representative system configured to support a mask on a human head, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically depicts a representative system configured to support a mask on a human head, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Assignee has appreciated that while the exemplary harness structures referenced above are typically functionally adequate, they present several disadvantages in terms of complexity, difficulty of adjustment, and how they are worn and removed. Some embodiments of the invention address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict arrangements where a single strap (100) is used as a strap supporting a breathing mask (110). The strap can be made of any suitable material including but not limited to fabric, rubber, webbing or any elastic composites. The strap attaches to the mask by threading through a slot or wrapping around a suitable appendage, and its length or tension can be adjusted. In some embodiments the adjustment utilizes a sliding clip or a Velcro® type attachment of the folded part of the strap. Any other means of attaching the strap to the mask can be used, including snaps, magnets, buttons, clips.
A single band of elastic webbing would appear to be the simplest and most cost-effective solution for a strap, but in and of itself does not represent a suitable solution for all masks. The challenge with using a single band is that its path around the back of the head is not necessarily stable in the required position (as in FIG. 1A), and it could slip downwards towards the neck (as in FIG. 1B), above or below the inion of the skull (150). This can happen unintentionally as a lower point can provide a shorter path for the strap than higher points in the back of the head. If the strap is set at a lower point in the back of the head, its tension may not provide sufficient upward pull, and the mask may not be held securely—especially under motion.
FIG. 2 shows schematically a representative embodiment of the invention where this problem is addressed with an additional element. The solution does not require structural modifications the strap itself, such as bifurcations, seams, multiple segments of straps, or adjustable connections or attachments, thus simplifying design and production. In this embodiment it is still a single band (200) that wraps around the head, but it is supported at two points along its path around the head—one on each side of the head above the ear—by a separate piece of material that is essentially a headband (220) with its apex (221) right over the crown of the head and sloping down both sides of the head towards the ears. Near each of the two tips (230) of the headband are slots (235) and the strap is threaded though these slots. The strap wraps around the head and naturally settles to the nearest point (240)— which in some cases will be below the inion (250)— thus creating an angle in the stretched strap as it threads through the slots (235).
The headband can be made of any suitable material including but not limited to plastic, metal or fabric, as well as padding for comfort. In some embodiments the headband is made of materials that is stiffer and less elastic than the strap, to improve the stability of the combination. This is a further advantage of the separate headband in that it allows a material selection with different properties than the strap.
The result is that the strap naturally creates an upward pull on the mask towards the tips of the headband, while proceeding at an angle from that point towards the back of the head. This is a very stable configuration for several reasons. First, the strap can settle on a shorter or more stable path around the back of the head where neither the tension in the strap not gravity are likely to cause it to slip up or down, even when the user is moving vigorously or perspiring. Secondly the strap is pulling the headband itself downward and securing its position relative to the head thereby making it less likely to move as well. All this is achieved while providing an upward and backward pull on the mask itself, which is the required force vector to secure the mask in its intended position.
The structures at the tips of the headband can be designed in any suitable fashion that can securely support the strap at its intended position. In some embodiments more than one slot is configured on each side, so that the strap is threaded through a sequence of slots. Such an embodiment is depicted schematically in FIG. 3A. This design can introduce several advantages. Among the advantages of doing this is that the strap trajectory bends at multiple points creating a sequence of bends in the strap, each of these having a smaller deflection angle than the case of a single bend, which can help minimize strain and bunching up of the strap. In some embodiments the multiple slots are not parallel but rather set at angles relative to each other to further improve the distribution of strain and minimize distortion, while also helping orient the strap towards its preferred orientation.
Another advantage of having multiple slots is that in this configuration that strap stabilizes the orientation of the headband. In some embodiments the elasticity of the strap can generate a restoring torque when the headband is tilted forward or backward, tending to return it to its upright orientation.
A similar result, in terms of the stabilizing torque and distributed strain can be achieved with other structures at the tip of the headband. In one embodiment the strap passes through a tunnel segment or along a shelf that are fixed to the headband near its tips. The tunnel or shelf can be curved, similarly to the multiple-slot configuration, to distribute the stain and possibly improve the stability. An example of such an embodiment is shown schematically in FIG. 3B.
The strap and the headband, separately, can each be further configured with a wider or softer pad to improve comfort. Such pads can be located in the vicinity of pressure points, including but not limited to the crown of the head for the headband or the back of the head for the strap.
Example embodiments of the methods and components of the current subject matter have been described herein. These example embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. Other embodiments are possible and are covered by the current subject matter. Such embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the current subject matter should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for supporting a mask on a human head, comprising a strap and a headband, where:

the strap comprises an elastic material, including but not limited to fabric, rubber or webbing that is configured to surround the sides and back of the head while attaching on its two ends to the mask and securing it against the face;

the headband is shaped like an arch and configured to rest approximately over the crown of the head while conforming to both sides of the head;

the headband is further configured with features at both of its tips that can attach to or support the strap, and

the headband and the strap are separate pieces

so that when the mask is worn by a user, the strap is attached to the mask and forms a path around the head, where the strap is supported along its path around the head and above the ears by the features at the tips of the headband, thereby pulling the strap slightly upward without the strap resting on the user's ears.

2. The system of claim 1, where the support of the headband creates a bend in the strap and results in a slight upward pull on the mask while the strap pulls the headband downwards.

3. The system of claim 1, where the headband comprises a plastic polymer or a composite material with greater stiffness than the strap.

4. The system of claim 1, where the strap is supported at more than one point at each end of the headband.

5. The system of claim 1, where the supporting feature in the headband is comprises at least one slot that the strap can be threaded through.

6. A system for measuring, assisting or managing breath when it is worn on a person, comprising a mask and a harness,

the mask configured to circumscribe an area of the person's face that includes at least one of the mouth and the nostrils

the harness comprising a main strap and a separate supporting headband, where

the strap comprises a continuous band of fabric, rubber, webbing or elastic composite that is configured to surround the sides and back of the head while attaching to the mask on each of its two ends and pulling the mask against the face;

the headband is configured to rest approximately over the crown of the head with its and extend along sides of the head to a point that is near the ears,

the headband and the strap are separate pieces of material