Respirator with phase change material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273333-B2
Application number	US-201514852986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A respirator includes a frame, a filter layer, and a face seal member. The frame has an outer side and an inner side. The frame defines an opening therethrough. The filter layer is mounted to the outer side of the frame and covers the opening of the frame. The filter layer is configured to prohibit permeation of aerosol, gas, and/or vapor contaminants therethrough. The face seal member is mounted to the inner side of the frame. The face seal member includes a seal contact area configured to engage a facial surface of a wearer. The face seal member incorporates a phase change material therein. The phase change material is configured to provide localized cooling by absorbing heat emitted by the wearer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A respirator comprising:
a phase change material;
a frame having an outer side and an enclosed inner side, the frame defining an opening therethrough, the frame being at least partially convex such that the outer side bulges outward, the frame incorporating the phase change material, the phase change material incorporated in the frame configured to absorb heat from air exhaled by a wearer into the respirator;
a filter layer having an exterior side and an interior side opposite the exterior side, the filter layer being directly mounted to the outer side of the frame, the interior side of the filter layer covering the opening of the frame, the filter layer configured to prohibit permeation of aerosol contaminants therethrough, the filter layer incorporating the phase change material therein, the phase change material being integrated with the filter layer, the phase change material integrated with the filter layer configured to absorb heat from air exhaled by the wearer into the respirator;
and a face seal member mounted directly to the inner side of the frame, the face seal member including a seal contact area configured to engage a facial surface of the wearer, the face seal member being composed of a primary material of at least one of silicone, polyisoprene, halo-butyl, a thermoplastic elastomer, and a closed-cell polyurethane foam, the face seal member being co-molded with the phase change material, the phase change material that is co-molded with the face seal member being configured to provide localized cooling by absorbing heat emitted by skin of the wearer.

2. The respirator of claim 1 , further comprising a harness assembly including one or more straps configured to removably mount the respirator to a head of the wearer.

3. The respirator of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the straps or a harness cradle of the harness assembly incorporates the phase change material therein to provide localized cooling to the head of the wearer by absorbing heat emitted from the head.

4. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material of the face seal member is at least one of encapsulated by the primary material of the face seal member or microencapsulated in a polymer coating prior to being incorporated into the primary material.

5. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is configured to melt at a temperature between 30° C. and 40° C.

6. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is incorporated into the seal contact area of the face seal member and is configured to absorb heat to provide cooling to the facial surface that engages the seal contact area.

7. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein a cavity is formed between the filter layer and the face seal member, the phase change material incorporated into the face seal member proximate to the cavity such that the phase change material is configured to absorb heat from air within the cavity to provide cooling of air inside the respirator.

8. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is at least one of a paraffin, a fatty acid, or a salt hydrate.

9. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein a phase change of the phase change material is configured to occur at a temperature that is proximate to at least one of an exhalation air temperature of the wearer or a body temperature of the wearer.

10. The respirator of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the phase change material is configured to melt upon absorbing heat emitted by the wearer, and in low ambient temperatures the melted phase change material is configured to solidify and release heat to provide heating for the wearer.

11. A respirator comprising:
a phase change material;
a frame having an outer side and an enclosed inner side, the frame defining an opening therethrough, the frame being at least partially convex such that the outer side bulges outward, the frame incorporating the phase change material, the phase change material incorporated in the frame configured to absorb heat from air exhaled by a wearer into the respirator;
a filter layer having an exterior side and an interior side opposite the exterior side, the filter layer being directly mounted to the outer side of the frame, the interior side of the filter layer covering the opening of the frame, the filter layer configured to prohibit permeation of aerosol contaminants therethrough, the filter layer including the phase change material; and
a face seal member mounted to the inner side of the frame, the face seal member including a seal contact area configured to engage a facial surface of the wearer, the frame defining a cavity between the filter layer and the face seal member, the phase change material being comolded with the face seal member and integrated with the filter layer and causing the filter layer to be configured to absorb heat from air exhaled by the wearer within the cavity to provide cooling of air inside the respirator.

Assignees

• Scott Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sabolis Alyssa Whitney
• Parham Michael
• Quiring Amy Elizabeth
• Voss Ethan David
• Seppälä Antti
• Roberts Gareth
• Wilson Graham Peter
• Baker Troy Alan
• Tucker Carl Escort

Classifications

• A62B18/02

  Masks (gas-masks for animals A62B18/06; masks for welders A61F9/06) · CPC title

• A62B17/04

  Hoods · CPC title

• A62B9/003 Primary

  Means for influencing the temperature or humidity of the breathing gas · CPC title

• A62B23/025

  the filter having substantially the shape of a mask (surgical face masks A41D13/11) · CPC title

• A62B17/005

  Active or passive body temperature control · CPC title