GB2538298A

GB2538298A - Protective respiratory equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2538298A
Application number: GB1508342.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Case Christopher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-05-15
Filing date: 2015-05-15
Publication date: 2016-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-15
Also published as: WO2016185187A1; GB2538298B; GB201508342D0

Abstract

A protective respiratory device (10, Fig 1) (for example a mask for preventing a user from inhaling fine airborne particles) comprises a laminated main body portion (14, Fig 1) comprising: a support web layer 20, 22, a filter layer 24 (e.g. an N95, N99, FFP1, FFP2 or FFP3 filter) and means for forming a seal, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of a wearer (12, Fig 1). The main body portion comprises a tube of resiliently deformable material and the means for forming a seal comprises a resiliently deformable spacer 18 (e.g. a strip of foam, silicone rubber or neoprene) interposed, in use, between the interior of the main body portion 20 and the face of the wearer. The body may be formed from a filter material or have a filter medium receiving compartment.

Description

Title: Protective respiratory equipment

Description:

This invention relates to protective respiratory equipment, and in particular, but without limitation to, a device to protect a user from inhaling airborne particles.

Fine airborne particles and vapours/gases can be harmful to health in a working environment and the inhalation of dangerous particles can lead to chronic and/or acute disease, such as coughing and spluttering to more serious illnesses, such as emphysema and cancer.

Airborne particle and vapour/gas inhalation is of particular concern in the construction, medical, pest control and manufacturing industries, to name but a few. For each situation/environment, different levels of protection may be required. As such, occupational health and safety regulators, promote or mandate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is adapted for different situations.

In the majority of industrial settings, particularly in construction, filtering face pieces (FFPs), also known as "dust masks", "face masks" and "respirators" (hereinafter for the sake of brevity "respirators") are often used, which can be worn when needed, and disposed of after use.

Broadly speaking, commercially available FFPs offer protection in three classes against aqueous oily aerosols, smoke, and fine particles, namely: FFP1, which protects the worker from larger non-fibrogenic dust particles, with a 4-fold assigned protection factor (AFP); FFP2, which protects the worker from finer particles of dust, as well as smoke and aerosols, with a 10-fold AFP; and FFP3, which protects the worker from toxic dusts, smoke, aerosols, radioactive substances and viral pathogens, with a 20-fold AFP.

There are many known protective respiratory devices that utilise such filters and are commonplace in industry. Published patent applications CN203943113 and MX2014002745 describe examples of known respiratory devices that may be used to protect a worker from harmful airborne particles.

Although FFPs have been shown to effectively protect workers from airborne particles, they are unable to protect from harmful gasses or vapours. As such, in certain situations, it may be necessary for the worker to use a so-called "N95" or "N99" respirator, which offers protection from vapours, gasses and airborne particles with a greater than 95% or 99% efficiency, respectively, for particles greater than 0.lmicrons.

A common concern with known protective respiratory devices, with regard to both FFPs and N95s, is the integrity of the seal between the face of the worker and the face piece, which is of particular importance when exposed to fibrogenic particles or harmful gases. If the seal is interrupted around the nose and/or mouth, particles may be able to enter the face piece, thus exposing the worker to potentially harmful particles or gasses.

A further problem associated with most commercially available protective respiratory devices is that they are not re-usable and must be disposed of after each use, which can be uneconomic.

Disposable respiratory devices have varying duty cycles that depend on a number of factors, such as environmental conditions. For example, when working in a particularly dusty environment, the face piece may need to changed several times per day, reducing the productivity of the worker.

On the other hand, re-usable protective respiratory devices do not necessarily solve any of the above problems because they have a tendency to become contaminated when not in use. Thus, when a worker puts a reusable face piece on for a second or third time, he/she may be exposed to contamination collected inside the face piece. In addition, the retaining means, e.g. the elasticated straps that hold the face piece in position, may become loose, thus leading to the possibility of a degraded seal between the face piece and the face of the worker.

Another problem associated with known protective respiratory devices is that, in most cases, they are not readily available to the worker in the case of an emergency or an unexpected exposure.

In such situations, the worker may have to retreat from the situation to locate and fit the face piece, and may be at risk from particulate inhalation whilst he or she does so.

A need therefore exists for an alternative and/or an improved protective respiratory device, which addresses or overcomes one or more of the above problems and/or for an alternative type of protective respiratory device.

Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the appendent claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a protective respiratory device comprising: a main body portion comprising a filter; and means for forming a seal, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of a wearer, wherein the main body portion comprises a tube of resiliently deformable material, and wherein the means for forming a seal comprises a resiliently deformable spacer interposed, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of the wearer.

Suitably, the tubular main body portion is shaped and dimensioned to correspond to the shape and/or configuration of the neck, chin and face of a wearer, that is to say, having a diameter that permits the main body portion to be worn loosely around the neck of a wearer, and snugly over the face of the wearer. By manufacturing the main body portion from a resiliently deformable material, these criteria can be met by the appropriate selection of dimensions and elasticity of the material from which the main body portion is manufactured.

The protective respiratory device comprises a filter. In certain embodiments of the invention, the material from which the main body portion is manufactured may provide air filtering properties, however, in other situations, a supplementary filter may be required, as explained in greater detail below.

By providing a resiliently deformable spacer for forming a seal between the interior of the main body portion and the face of the wearer, the main body portion does not need to conform precisely with the shape of the wearer's face: the resiliently deformable spacer may fill any gaps between the interior of the main body portion and the wearer's face.

Suitably, the spacer extends all the way around the interior of the main body portion, and this potentially provides the advantage (in combination with the fact that the main body portion is tubular) of the protective respiratory device not needing to be precisely aligned (as is the case with many known devices) with features of the wearer's face. In other words, a protective respiratory device in accordance with the invention can be used in any orientation: there is no "front" or "back".

The protective respiratory device comprises of a body portion, preferably made of a hypoallergenic and/or non-irritant material, such as cotton, which, in use, wraps around the worker's head, at least partially covers his/her face. Suitably, the material is stretchable to ensure a comfortable and secure fit, and preferably, the material is washable to enable it to be cleaned and reused.

In one embodiment, the body portion is at least partially manufactured comprises from Elastane RTM material, which can be more stretchable than some other elasticated materials. The increases elasticity of Elastane RTM can provide a more comfortable fit, and a greater range of extension.

Alternatively, the body portion can be at least partially manufactured from neoprene, which advantageously can provide a more durable and/or water-resistant construction, which may be advantageous in certain situations. For example, when dealing with vapours, a resilient, water-resistant material, such as neoprene, may provide a more effective barrier against such vapours.

In certain embodiments, an edge strip of the main body portion may be manufactured from an elastomeric material, such as silicone or neoprene, which may prevent or inhibit beads of sweat from the user's face from running down and being absorbed by the main body portion.

The protective respiratory device is suitably adjustable. In one embodiment, the body portion is adjustable by way of a draw-string type device, which when tightened, allows for the device to be securely positioned, and when loosened allows the device to be rotated, moved or removed.

S

The protective respiratory device comprises a filter, which is suitably adapted to prevent or inhibit the passage particles and/or vapours through the main body portion, therefore performing a filtering function. This arrangement suitably provides the worker with safe air to breathe.

The filter can be of any suitable type, such as those described previously.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter extends all the way around the main body portion, which means that the respiratory device can be worn in any orientation. Further, by providing a filter that extends all the way around the main body portion, the effective surface area of the filter is increased, thereby reducing drag on inhalation, and thus fatigue that can sometimes occur when the worker's breathing is restricted or impaired by a respirator. Further, by providing a 360° filter, the protective respiratory device can be rotated in-situ, which means that if a part of the device becomes dirty or contaminated in use, the worker can simply rotate the device in-situ, without having to remove, exchange and re-fit the device, as is the case with conventional respirators. In other words, if the device becomes dirty or ineffective, the worker can simply rotate it on its axis and continue as normal, without the need to remove the respirator.

A further advantage of the resiliently deformable spacer is that it can separate the main body portion from the user's face, thus forming a plenum, void or cavity between the interior of the main body portion and the user's skin. This may improve comfort because the main body portion could be less likely to absorb sweat or moisture from the skin. However, and this may be particularly relevant where more than one resiliently deformable spacer is provided, the formation of a plenum space between the interior of the main body portion and the user's face may form air channels that enable air to be drawn in and/or expired through a much larger surface area of the main body portion. This could improve the efficiency of the respirator and/or improve comfort and/or reduce the drag on inhalation.

Suitably, the filter is removable and/or interchangeable. Such a configuration usefully enables the user to change the filter if it becomes dirty or contaminated, or to interchange the filter for one of a different type.

In one embodiment of the invention, the main body portion comprises a filter-receiving compartment. The filter-receiving compartment may comprise a pocket on the interior or exterior surface of the main body portion, into which a web of filter material can be inserted. The filter-receiving compartment, where provided, suitably comprises a closure flap for retaining the filter web in position thereby protecting it against damage from the exterior and/ or interior of the device.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the main body portion additionally comprises one or more grip portions, which, in use, positively retain the device in position. This can be accomplished by providing ergonomically-shaped components, such as a nose-bridge element, or elasticated strips.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the resiliently deformable spacer comprises a continuous foam strip extending around the interior surface of the main body portion, preferably at, or close to, an intended upper edge of the main body portion. The resiliently deformable spacer can thus fill any gaps, for example, between the interior surface of the main body portion and the regions of the face to either side of the user's nose, thereby forming an effective seal between the user's face and the respiratory device.

Suitably, the resiliently deformable spacer is manufactured from memory foam, or any other resiliently compressible material, which, when in use, can conform to the shape of the worker's face. Such a configuration can provide a more comfortable fit (because the main body portion is not in direct contact with the face); a more secure fit (because rotation of the main body portion is inhibited by the spacer); and an improved seal (because any gaps between the main body portion and the user's face are closed-off).

In certain embodiments of the invention, the resiliently deformable spacer is formed from an undulating strip of material, such as memory foam. The provision of undulations may in certain cases, improve the fit/comfort/seal because large facial features, such as the bridge of a the user's nose, can be placed at one of the "valleys" of the undulations, with "ridges" on either side better filling the larger gaps between the cheeks and the interior of the main body portion.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the resiliently deformable spacer is discontinuous, for example, being made up of a series of spaced-apart pieces of foam arranged in a line extending around the interior surface of the main body portion. Such a configuration may afford some of the advantages of the undulating spacer, but with reduced material usage. In this case, the user may be able to, say, position his/her nose in the space between two spacer elements to form an effective seal on either side of the nose between the cheeks and the interior of the main body portion.

The resiliently deformable spacer or spacers can be manufactured from any suitable material, such as: open-cell foamed polymer, closed-cell foamed polymer, silicone rubber, neoprene, etc. Embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 1A are front and side views of a protective respiratory device in accordance with the invention, in use; Figures 2 and 2A are front and side views of the protective respiratory device of Figure 1 in a stowed position; Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the construction of the main body portion of the protective respiratory device of Figures 1 and 2; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are plan views from above showing the fit of the protective respiratory device of Figures 1 to 4; and Figures 8, 9 and 10 are plan views from above showing the fit of an alternative embodiment of a protective respiratory device in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a protective respiratory device 10 in accordance with the invention is shown, in use, on a worker 12. The protective respiratory device 10 comprises a tubular main body portion 14 that extends through 360° around the lower part of the face of the worker 12, covering his/her mouth and nose. Specifically, the protective respiratory device 10 shown in Figure 1 demonstrates how the device 10 can be worn in use, that is to say, with the main body portion 14 covering the mouth and at least partially covering the nose, with the device's upper edge 16 lying at, or close to, the base of the eye socket; and the lower edge 26 extending under the chin. In Figure 2, the same device 10 is shown, but this time pulled-down and worn loosely around the neck of the worker 12. The protective respiratory device 10 can be moved between its in-use and stowed positions (as shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively) simply by pulling up or down on the upper edge 16 of the device. The protective respiratory device 10 can also be rotated about an axis 11 corresponding to the neck of the worker, and worn in any position.

The protective respiratory device 10 comprises a main body portion 14 manufactured from a filter material. Its upper and lower edges are formed by elasticated strips 16, 26, which help to secure the device 10 in-situ. Although not easily visible in the drawings, the main body portion 14 of the protective respiratory device 10 has a part-conical shape with a wider upper portion at the top, and a narrower lower portion at the bottom, which helps the device 10 to conform better to the shape of the wearer's head and neck, in use.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, it can be seen that the main body portion 14 is formed as a three-ply structure comprising inner 20 and outer 22 webs of elasticated cotton or Elastane RTM material, with a filter web 24 sandwiched between them. The three plies 20, 22, 24 of the main body portion 14 are united by elasticated web strips 16, 26 that wrap around the edges of the plies 20, 22, 24, and which are secured by stitch lines 28. The three-ply structure so formed can be cut to length, and its ends folded together and overlapped, as shown in Figure 4, to form a tube. A further stitch line 30 is then used to form a tubular structure.

A resiliently deformable spacer strip 18, manufactured from a closed-cell polymer foam, is adhered to the interior surface 20 of the main body portion 14. The spacer strip 18 has an undulating profile, as shall be described below.

Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, the function of the resiliently deformable spacer 18 previously described is shown. In Figure 5, the resiliently deformable spacer 18 is formed as a continuous strip affixed to the interior surface 20 of the main body portion 14 of the protective respiratory device 10. The spacer 18 comprises a series of evenly-spaced ridges 40 and valleys 320, 322. As can be seen from Figure 6, a user can place the bridge of his/her nose 13 into one of the valleys 320 and when the device 10 is positioned thus, it can be released, as shown in Figure 6, whereupon the elasticity of the main body portion 14 exerts a hoop stress 36 causing the three-ply structure 20, 22, 24 to conform to the shape of the wearer's face.

One might expect the valleys 322, located on either side of the central valley 320 in which the user's nose 13 is positioned, to leave a small gap between the protective respiratory device 10 and the user's cheeks. However, this is not the case because the gap to be filled in this region is much smaller, and so the ridges 40 located outwardly of those valleys 320 tend to deform circumferentially inwardly 38 towards the nose 13, thereby providing more material to fill the gaps.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in which the resiliently deformable spacer 18 is made up of a number of discrete, spaced apart foam pieces 180. The function of the resiliently deformable spacer 180 is nevertheless substantially the same as described above inasmuch as the user can place his/her nose 13 into one of the spaces 184 between the pieces 184, and release the main body portion 12 so that the protective respiratory device 10 fits against and around his/her neck.

Again, one might expect the gaps 184 interposed between the foam pieces 182 to leave a small gap between the protective respiratory device 10 and the user's cheeks. However, this is not the case because the gap to be filled in this region is much smaller, and so the pieces 182 located outwardly of gaps 184 tend to deform circumferentially inwardly 38, as shown in Figure 9, towards the nose 13, thereby providing more material to fill the gaps, as can be seen in Figure 10.

Ideally, the width of the gaps 184 between the foam pieces 180 is about the width of the bridge of the user's nose 13, typically between 10mm and 20mm.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments, which are merely exemplary of the invention. For example, the shapes, configurations and materials described are illustrative, rather than limiting. Further, although the invention has been described having only one resiliently deformable spacer, this need not necessarily be the case: several vertically spaced-apart spacers may be provided to ensure a better seal or a better fit.

Claims

Claims: 1. A protective respiratory device comprising: a main body portion comprising a filter; and means for forming a seal, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of a wearer, wherein the main body portion comprises a tube of resiliently deformable material, and wherein the means for forming a seal comprises a resiliently deformable spacer interposed, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of the wearer.
2. The protective respiratory device of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises any one or more of the group comprising: an N95 filter; an N99 filter; an FFP1 filter; and FFP2 filter; and an FFP3 filter.
3. The protective respiratory device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the filter extends all the way around the main body portion.
4. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion is at least partially manufactured from a filter material.
5. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion comprises a laminated structure comprising a support web layer and a filter web layer.
6. The protective respiratory device of claim 5, wherein the laminated structure comprises an outer support web layer, an inner support web layer and a web of filter medium interposed between the inner and outer support web layers.
7. The protective respiratory device of claim 6, wherein the layers are united by elasticated web strips that wrap around the edges of the layers, and which are secured by lines of stitching.
8. The protective respiratory device of any of claims 5 to 7, wherein laminated structure is cut to length and formed into the tube by overlapping and stitching the ends of the cut laminated structure to one another.
9. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion further comprises a filter medium receiving compartment.
10. The protective respiratory device of claim 9, further comprising a web of filter medium within the filter medium receiving compartment.
11. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently deformable spacer comprises a strip adhered to an interior surface of the main body portion.
12. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the spacer strip comprises an undulating profile.
13. The protective respiratory device of any claim 11, wherein the spacer strip comprises a plurality of discrete, spaced apart resiliently deformable spacer portions.
14. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently deformable spacer extends all the way around the interior of the main body portion.
15. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of vertically spaced-apart resiliently deformable spacers.
16. The protective respiratory device of claim any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently deformable spacer is manufactured from any one or more of the group comprising: memory foam; open-cell polymer foam; closed-cell polymer foam; silicone rubber; and neoprene.
17. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the tubular main body portion is shaped and dimensioned to correspond to the shape and/or configuration of the neck, chin and face of a wearer, that is to say, having a diameter that permits the main body portion to be worn loosely around the neck of a wearer, or snugly over the face of the wearer.
18. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion has a part-conical shape comprising, in use, a relatively wider upper portion, and a relatively narrower lower portion.
19. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the dimensions of the main body portion are adjustable.
20. The protective respiratory device of claim 19, wherein the body portion comprises a draw-string type device, which when tightened, allows for the device to be securely positioned, and when loosened allows the device to be rotated, moved or removed.
21. A protective respiratory device substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows.Claims: 1. A protective respiratory device comprising: a main body portion comprising a laminated structure; and means for forming a seal, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of a wearer, wherein the laminated structure comprises a filter web layer and a support web layer, and wherein the means for forming a seal comprises a resiliently deformable spacer interposed, in use, between the interior of the main body portion and the face of the wearer.2. The protective respiratory device of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises any one or more of the group comprising: an N95 filter; an N99 filter; an FFP1 filter; and FFP2 filter; and an FFP3 filter.(r) 3. The protective respiratory device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the filter extends all the way around the main body portion.O4. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion is at least partially manufactured from a filter material.CD 5. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the laminated structure comprises an outer support web layer, an inner support web layer and a web of filter medium interposed between the inner and outer support web layers.6. The protective respiratory device of claim 5, wherein the layers are united by elasticated web strips that wrap around the edges of the layers, and which are secured by lines of stitching.7. The protective respiratory device of any of claims 5 and 6, wherein laminated structure is cut to length and formed into the tube by overlapping and stitching the ends of the cut laminated structure to one another.8. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion further comprises a filter medium receiving compartment.9. The protective respiratory device of claim 8, further comprising a web of filter medium within the filter medium receiving compartment.10. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently deformable spacer comprises a strip adhered to an interior surface of the main body portion.11. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the spacer strip comprises an undulating profile.12. The protective respiratory device of any claim 10, wherein the spacer strip comprises a plurality of discrete, spaced apart resiliently deformable spacer portions.13. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently deformable spacer extends all the way around the interior of the main body portion.14. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of vertically (r) spaced-apart resiliently deformable spacers.15. The protective respiratory device of claim any preceding claim, wherein the resiliently Odeformable spacer is manufactured from any one or more of the group comprising: memory C\I foam; open-cell polymer foam; closed-cell polymer foam; silicone rubber; and neoprene.CD 16. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the main body portion has a part-conical shape comprising, in use, a relatively wider upper portion, and a relatively narrower lower portion.17. The protective respiratory device of any preceding claim, wherein the dimensions of the main body portion are adjustable.18. The protective respiratory device of claim 17, wherein the body portion comprises a drawstring type device, which when tightened, allows for the device to be securely positioned, and when loosened allows the device to be rotated, moved or removed.19. A protective respiratory device substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.