Filter cartridge holder with fit-check device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11219788-B2
Application number	US-201615777472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A cartridge holder for a respirator, the cartridge holder including a fit-check device with a sealing platen that can be actuated between a first, unsealed position and a second, sealed position in which at least a portion of the sealing platen contacts a major surface of a disposable filter cartridge within the cartridge holder so as to prevent airflow through the disposable filter cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge holder that is configured to be fluidically connected to a mask body of a respirator and that is configured to securely hold a disposable filter cartridge within the cartridge holder, the cartridge holder including:
a fit-check device comprising a sealing platen that is operatively connected to an actuator by which a user of the respirator can manually actuate the sealing platen back and forth between:
a first, unsealed position in which airflow is permitted through a disposable filter cartridge that is held within the cartridge holder; and,
a second, sealed position in which a rear surface of at least a portion of an air-impermeable area of the sealing platen directly contacts at least a perimeter of a first air-permeable area of a major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge; or, in which a front surface of at least a portion of an air-impermeable area of the sealing platen directly contacts at least a perimeter of a second air-permeable area of a major rear surface of the disposable filter cartridge,
so as to seal the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge or to seal the second air-permeable area of the major rear surface of the disposable filter cartridge, to prevent airflow through the disposable filter cartridge;

and wherein the cartridge holder comprises a shroud that provides a major front face of the cartridge holder and a base that provides a major rear face of the cartridge holder; and, wherein the shroud is movable relative to the base between a first, open position in which a disposable filter cartridge can be installed into the holder, and a second, closed position in which the shroud and the base securely hold an installed disposable filter cartridge within the cartridge holder.

2. The cartridge holder of claim 1 , wherein when the sealing platen is in the second, sealed position, a rear surface of at least a portion of an air-impermeable area of the sealing platen directly contacts at least a perimeter of a first air-permeable area of a major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge so as to seal the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge so as to prevent flow of unfiltered air into the disposable filter cartridge.

3. The cartridge holder of claim 2 wherein the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge comprises a plurality of through-holes, wherein the air-impermeable area of the sealing platen is a continuously imperforate area, and wherein when the sealing platen is in the second, sealed position, all of the through-holes of the plurality of through-holes of the first major surface of the disposable filter cartridge are individually occluded by local areas of the continuously imperforate area of the sealing platen.

4. The cartridge holder of claim 3 wherein a first end of the sealing platen is pivotally connected to the cartridge holder by a pivotal connection and wherein the sealing platen is movable between a first, unsealed position in which at least a second end of the sealing platen that is distal to the pivotal connection is spaced forwardly away from the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge, and a second, sealed position in which a rear surface of at least the second end of the sealing platen is in direct contact with a portion of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge.

5. The cartridge holder of claim 2 wherein:
the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge comprises a plurality of through-holes that are arranged in a pattern;
the air-impermeable area of the sealing platen is a discontinuous air-impermeable area that is interrupted by through-holes that are arranged in a pattern that, when the sealing platen is in a first, unsealed position, at least partially overlaps the through-holes of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge;
at least a substantial portion of a rear surface of the sealing platen is in overlapping relation with, and is in contact with, at least a substantial portion of the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge; and,
the sealing platen is slidably movable relative to the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge in a direction that is at least substantially parallel to the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge, between a first, unsealed position in which at least some portion of at least some of the through-holes of the sealing platen at least partially overlap at least some of the through-holes of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge so as to allow flow of unfiltered air into the disposable filter cartridge, and a second, sealed position in which no portion of any of the through-holes of the sealing platen overlap any portion of any of the through-holes of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge, in which second, sealed position all of the through-holes of the plurality of through-holes of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge are individually occluded by local areas of the discontinuous air-impermeable area of the sealing platen.

6. The cartridge holder of claim 2 wherein the air-impermeable area of the sealing platen is a continuously imperforate area and wherein the sealing platen comprises a sealing flange that extends completely around a perimeter of the continuously imperforate air-impermeable area of the sealing platen and that extends generally rearward therefrom and that has a rearward surface; and, wherein when the sealing platen is in the second, sealed position the entirety of the rearward surface of the sealing flange is in direct contact with the perimeter of the first air-permeable area of the major front surface of the disposable filter cartridge.

7. The cartridge holder of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a major front surface of the sealing platen, which major front surface can be manually pushed rearward to actuate the sealing platen at least into the second, sealed position.

8. The cartridge holder of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a movable handle that can be moved to actuate the sealing platen at least into the second, sealed position.

9. The cartridge holder of claim 2 , wherein the sealing platen and/or the actuator is biased toward the first, unsealed position so that the sealing platen will return from the second, sealed position to the first, unsealed position unless continued manual actuation pressure on the actuator is maintained by a user.

10. The cartridge holder of claim 2 , wherein the sealing platen, once actuated by a first manual actuation step into the second, sealed position, will remain in the second, sealed position without continued manual actuation pressure on the actuator by a user, and wherein a second manual actuation step is necessary in order to actuate the sealing platen from the second, sealed position to the first, unsealed position.

11. The cartridge holder of claim 1 wherein the shroud comprises a first complementary mating feature, and wherein the base comprises a second complementary mating feature that is complementary to the first complementary mating feature of the shroud, and wherein the first and second complementary mating features collectively provide a latch that, when the shroud is in the second, closed position, holds the shroud in the closed position and causes the shroud and base to exert a compressive force against the first and second major surfaces of the disposable filter cartridge so as to securely hold the disposable filter cartridge withi

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Dwyer Gary E
• Legare Pierre

Classifications

• A62B27/00

  Methods or devices for testing respiratory or breathing apparatus {for high altitudes}(apparatus for testing gastightness in general G01M) · CPC title

• A62B19/00 Primary

  Cartridges with absorbing substances for respiratory apparatus {(carbon dioxide absorbing devices A61M16/22)} · CPC title

• A62B7/10

  with filter elements · CPC title

• A62B9/02

  Valves {(non-return valves mounted in breathing masks or helmets A62B18/10)} · CPC title

• A62B23/02 Primary

  for respirators · CPC title