Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SEPARABLY ASSEMBLED FILTERING RESPIRATOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a filtering respirator, and more particularly
to a
filtering respirator including an exhalation valve, components of which are
separably
assembled to a main body and a nonwoven fabric lining of the respirator,
allowing
easy detachment of the nonwoven fabric lining from the main body for the
purpose of
replacement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To avoid inhaling pollutants in the air, people working in highly contaminated
or
polluted environments must wear a filtering respirator or face mask.
Currently,
there are many different filtering respirators and face masks available in the
market.
These filtering respirators or face masks can be generally divided into two
categories
according to the structure of an exhalation valve and a main body thereof.
The first type of the currently available filtering respirators or face masks
includes
integrally formed exhalation valve and main body, such as the exhalation valve
and
the filtering face mask disclosed in US Patent No. 5325892. A main
disadvantage of
the filtering face mask disclosed in US5325892 is that the filtering face mask
is not
repeatedly usable because the exhalation valve is integrally formed with a
main body
of the filtering face mask. In other words, the exhalation valve and the main
body
of the used filtering face mask must be discarded at the same time to
therefore cause
more problems in environmental protection and increase the consumers' burden.
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The second type of the currently available filtering respirators or face masks
includes
separable exhalation valve, filtering piece, and mask main body, such as the
replaceable filter respirator disclosed in US Patent No. 4630604.
While the
replaceable filter respirator disclosed in US Patent No. 4630604 includes a
layer of
replaceable filter material as well as reusable exhalation valve and
respirator main
body, it disadvantageously includes a main body made of a non-breathable
material
with relatively poor softness, such as a rubber material.
Such rubber-made
respirator main body fails to fitly contact with the user's face and does not
absorb
sweat, and is therefore less comfortable for wearing.
The replaceable filter
respirator disclosed in US Patent No. 4630604 also includes complicated
components
and accordingly requires increased manufacturing cost.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a filtering respirator with
separable
parts, so as to overcome the disadvantages in the prior art respirators or
face masks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a filtering respirator
that
allows easy replacement of a face covering portion of the filtering respirator
while a
main body and an exhalation valve of the filtering respirator are repeatedly
usable to
meet ecological and economical requirements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a filtering respirator
that
includes separably assembled components and has a lining made of a breathable
nonwoven fabric that is soft and comfortable in touch and can more fitly
contact with
a wearer's face.
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= To achieve the above and other objects, the filtering respirator
according to the
present invention includes a main body, a nonwoven fabric lining, and an
exhalation
valve.
The main body includes a forward protruded grid-like member defining a space
therein, and an outward bent first edge portion of a predetermined length
formed
along a periphery of the grid-like member.
Two pairs of strap holes are
symmetrically provided on two opposite ends of the first edge portion, so that
two
elastic straps may be separately extended through the two pairs of strap holes
to serve
as two ear loops or head straps. The forward protruded grid-like member is
provided at a front central position with a first central opening.
The nonwoven fabric lining includes a forward protruded face covering portion
made
of a nonwoven fabric material with a predetermined thickness and having a
configuration corresponding to that of the main body, and an outward bent
second
edge portion of a predetermined length formed along a periphery of the face
covering
portion. The face covering portion of the nonwoven fabric lining is provided
at a
front central position with a second central opening. To assemble the nonwoven
fabric lining to the main body, the face covering portion is laid over an
inner side of
the grid-like member, such that the second central opening on the face
covering
portion is aligned with the first central opening on the grid-like member and
the
second edge portion of the nonwoven fabric lining is correspondingly attached
to the
first edge portion of the main body.
The exhalation valve is assembled from a front seat, a diaphragm, a middle
seat, and
a rear seat.
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The front seat includes a forward protruded head portion internally defining a
rearward opened inner space, a hollow central post rearward projected from an
inner
side of the head portion, a plurality of vents spaced along a side wall of the
head
portion, an outward bent first flange portion having a predetermined thickness
and
extended around a rear rim of the head portion, and a forward tapered inner
wall
surface formed in the front seat between the head portion and the first flange
portion.
The diaphragm is a thin disc made of a rubber material, and is provided at a
center
with a pin hole.
The middle seat includes a forward protruded front sleeve portion and a
backward
protruded rear sleeve portion, which have identical inner diameter; a radially
outward
extended second flange portion having a predetermined thickness and located
between the front and the rear sleeve portion; a rubber cover molded on an
outer side
of the second flange portion; a forward tapered outer wall surface formed
around the
front sleeve portion; a plurality of spaced ribs radially extended in the
front sleeve
portion between an inner wall surface of the front sleeve portion and a pin
holder
formed at a center of the front sleeve portion; a pin fitted in the pin holder
to forward
project therefrom; and a plurality of screw threads formed around an outer
surface of
the rear sleeve portion.
The rear seat includes a rearward protruded and internally threaded sleeve
portion
adapted to screw to the screw threads on the outer surface of the rear sleeve
portion
of the middle seat, and an outward bent third flange portion having a
predetermined
thickness and located around a front end of the internally threaded sleeve
portion.
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With the above arrangements, the front seat of the exhalation valve cooperates
with
the middle seat and the rear seat of the exhalation valve to removably hold
the main
body and the nonwoven fabric lining between them, allowing the filtering
respirator
to be disassembled and assembled again at any time to facilitate easy
replacement of
the nonwoven fabric lining without the need of discarding the main body and
the
exhalation valve.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to
achieve the
above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following
detailed
description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a filtering respirator according to
a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 2 and 3 are assembled rear and front perspective views, respectively, of
the
filtering respirator of the present invention shown in Fig. 1;
Figs. 4 and 5 are exploded rear and front perspective views, respectively, of
an
exhalation valve for the filtering respirator of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the filtering respirator of the
present
invention;
Fig. 7 is an assembled view of Fig. 6 with a diaphragm of the exhalation valve
in an
opened position; and
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Fig. 8 is an assembled view of Fig. 6 with the diaphragm of the exhalation
valve in a
closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to Figs. 1 through 6. A filtering respirator according to a
preferred
embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 1, a nonwoven fabric
lining 2, and an exhalation valve 3.
The main body 1 includes a forward protruded grid-like member 11 defining a
space
therein, and an outward bent first edge portion 12 of a predetermined length
formed
along a periphery of the grid-like member 11. Two pairs of strap holes 13, 14
are
symmetrically provided on two opposite ends of the first edge portion 12, so
that two
elastic straps 15, 16 may be separately extended through the two pairs of
strap holes
13, 14 to serve as two ear loops or head straps. The forward protruded grid-
like
member 11 is provided at a front central position with a first central opening
17.
The nonwoven fabric lining 2 includes a forward protruded face covering
portion 21
made of a nonwoven fabric material with a predetermined thickness and having a
configuration corresponding to that of the main body 1, and an outward bent
second
edge portion 22 of a predetermined length formed along a periphery of the face
covering portion 21. The face covering portion 21 of the nonwoven fabric
lining 2
is provided at a front central position with a second central opening 23
identical to
the first central opening 17 in size. To assemble the nonwoven fabric lining 2
to the
main body 1, the face covering portion 21 is laid over an inner side of the
grid-like
member 11, such that the second central opening 23 on the face covering
portion 21
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is aligned with the first central opening 17 on the grid-like member 11 and
the second
edge portion 22 of the nonwoven fabric lining 2 is correspondingly attached to
the
first edge portion 12 of the main body 1.
As can be clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the exhalation valve 3 is assembled
from a
front seat 31, a diaphragm 32, a middle seat 33, and a rear seat 34.
The front seat 31 includes a forward protruded head portion 311 internally
defining a
rearward opened inner space, a hollow central post 312 rearward projected from
an
inner side of the head portion 311, a plurality of vents 313 spaced along a
side wall
of the head portion 311, an outward bent first flange portion 314 having a
predetermined thickness and extended around a rear rim of the head portion
311, and
a forward tapered inner wall surface 315 formed in the front seat 31 between
the head
portion 311 and the first flange portion 314.
The diaphragm 32 is a thin disc made of a rubber material, and is provided at
a center
with a pin hole 321.
The middle seat 33 includes a forward protruded front sleeve portion 331 and a
backward protruded rear sleeve portion 332, which have identical inner
diameter; a
radially outward extended second flange portion 333 having a predetermined
thickness and located between the front and the rear sleeve portion 331, 332;
a rubber
cover 334 molded on an outer side of the second flange portion 333; a forward
tapered outer wall surface 335 formed around the front sleeve portion 331; a
plurality
of spaced ribs 338 radially extended in the front sleeve portion 331 between
an inner
wall surface 339 of the front sleeve portion 331 and a pin holder 336 formed
at a
center of the front sleeve portion 331; a pin 337 fitted in the pin holder 336
to
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forward project therefrom; and a plurality of screw threads 330 formed around
an
outer surface of the rear sleeve portion 332.
The rear seat 34 includes a rearward protruded and internally threaded sleeve
portion
341 adapted to screw to the screw threads 330 on the outer surface of the rear
sleeve
portion 332 of the middle seat 33, and an outward bent third flange portion
342
having a predetermined thickness and located around a front end of the
internally
threaded sleeve portion 341.
As can be seen in Figs. 1 to 6, to assemble the filtering respirator of the
present
invention, first spread the face covering portion 21 of the nonwoven fabric
lining 2
on the inner side of the grid-like member 11 of the main body 1, such that the
second
central opening 23 at the front end of the face covering portion 21 of the
nonwoven
fabric lining 2 is aligned with the first central opening 17 at the front end
of the
grid-like member 11 of the main body 1, and the second edge portion 22 of the
nonwoven fabric lining 2 is correspondingly attached to the first edge portion
12 of
the main body 1. Then, put the front seat 31 of the exhalation valve 3 in
front of the
main body 1 with the first flange portion 314 of the front seat 31 located
around the
aligned first and second central openings 17, 23 on the main body 1 and the
lining 2,
respectively. Thereafter, sequentially put the diaphragm 32 and the middle
seat 33
of the exhalation valve 3 in the face covering portion 21 of the nonwoven
fabric
lining 2 to locate them in the aligned first and second central openings 17
and 23,
such that the centered pin hole 321 on the diaphragm 32 is fitted around the
pin
holder 336 on the middle seat 33. Then, apply a forward force to push the
forward
tapered outer wall surface 335 on the front sleeve portion 331 of the middle
seat 33
into the forward tapered inner wall surface 315 in the front seat 31 between
the head
portion 311 and the first flange portion 314, so that the front sleeve portion
331 of
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the middle seat 33 with the diaphragm 32 fitted around the pin holder 336 is
tightly
fitted in the front seat 31 to unite with the latter, and the pin 337 is
received in the
hollow central post 312 in the head portion 311 of the front seat 31. Finally,
fully
tighten the internally threaded sleeve portion 341 of the rear seat 34 to the
screw
threads 330 on the outer surface of the rear sleeve portion 332 of the middle
seat 33,
so that the exhalation valve 3, the main body 1, and the nonwoven fabric
lining 2 are
joined together to form the filtering respirator of the present invention. On
the other
hand, the rear seat 34 of the exhalation valve 3 can be loosened and separated
from
the middle seat 33 at any time, and the contact surfaces between the front
seat 31 and
the middle seat 33, that is, the forward tapered inner wall surface 315 in the
front seat
31 and the forward tapered outer wall surface 335 on the outer side of the
front
sleeve portion 331 of the middle seat 33, can be pulled apart from each other,
allowing the exhalation valve 3, the main body 1, and the nonwoven fabric
lining 2 to
be quickly separated from one another. At this point, a new nonwoven fabric
lining
2 can be used to replace the old one, and the exhalation valve 3, the main
body 1 and
the new nonwoven fabric lining 2 can be assembled again for use.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the assembled filtering respirator of the present invention
in use.
As shown, when a user wearing the filtering respirator of the present
invention
exhales, the diaphragm 32 of the exhalation valve 3 is pushed forward by the
air
breathed out, allowing the air to flow out of the respirator via the vents 313
on the
side wall of the front seat 31 of the exhalation valve 3. On the other hand,
when the
user inhales, the diaphragm 32 is sucked backward to close the respirator.
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