Mask apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11998769-B2
Application number	US-202117230206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2021
Priority date	Jun 5, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

A mask apparatus includes: a mask body including an air duct disposed at a front surface of the mask body, a fan module disposed at the front surface of the mask body to correspond to a suction hole of the air duct, and configured to suction external air to supply the suctioned air to the air duct, and a mask body cover that is coupled to the front surface of the mask body and that covers the fan module and the air duct. An air passage through which air suctioned by the fan module flows is provided in the air duct, and an embossed portion is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the air duct that is configured to be in contact with the air flowing through the air passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mask apparatus comprising:
a mask body including an air duct disposed at a front surface of the mask body;
a seal disposed at a rear surface of the mask body and defining a breathing space that is in communication with an outlet of the air duct and that is configured to accommodate a part of user's face;
a fan module disposed at the front surface of the mask body to correspond to a suction hole of the air duct and configured to suction external air to supply the suctioned air to the air duct; and
a mask body cover that is coupled to the front surface of the mask body and that covers the fan module and the air duct,
wherein an air passage through which air suctioned by the fan module flows is provided in the air duct,
wherein an embossed portion is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the air duct that is configured to be in contact with the air flowing through the air passage,
wherein the air duct comprises:
a front surface portion including an upper end, a lower end, an inner side end, and an outer side end defined as an edge of an opposite side of the inner side end, and
a rear surface portion defined at an opposite side of the front surface portion, wherein the air duct further comprises:
one or more division portions protruding from a rear surface of the front surface portion, extending in a flow direction of the air flowing through the air passage, and disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a direction crossing the flow direction of the air,

wherein the one or more division portions are configured to divide an area of the embossed portion into a plurality of passages,
wherein the front surface portion of the air duct comprises:
a curved portion extending by a predetermined length from the outer side end in a central direction of the mask body, and
a flat portion extending from an end of the curved portion up to the inner side end of the front surface portion of the air duct, and

wherein the embossed portion is disposed on a rear surface of the flat portion.

2. The mask apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air duct further comprises:
a top surface portion connecting the front surface of the mask body to the upper end of the front surface portion;
a bottom surface portion connecting the front surface of the mask body to the lower end of the front surface portion; and
a side surface portion connecting the front surface of the mask body to the outer side end of the front surface portion,
wherein the inner side end of the front surface portion is connected to the front surface of the mask body.

3. The mask apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rear surface portion is a cutoff portion in which a portion of the rear surface of the mask body is cut, and
wherein at least a portion of the rear surface portion is an outlet of the air duct.

4. The mask apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a sealing bracket configured to couple an inner edge of the seal to a rear surface of the mask body,
wherein the sealing bracket includes a bracket insertion portion configured to shield a portion of the cutoff portion and defining the air passage, and
wherein the outlet of the air duct is (i) a remaining portion of the rear surface of the mask body that is not the cutoff portion and (ii) shielded by the bracket insertion portion.

5. The mask apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the suction hole is defined in the side surface portion of the air duct, and
wherein a side end of the fan module, in which an outlet of the fan module is provided, is inserted into the suction hole.

6. The mask apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the embossed portion extends by a length corresponding to a distance from the upper end of the front surface portion to a lower end of the front surface portion.

7. The mask apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the embossed portion includes (i) a plurality of recesses recessed by a predetermined depth from the rear surface of the flat portion or (ii) a plurality of protrusions protruding by a predetermined length from the rear surface of the flat portion.

8. The mask apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of recesses or the plurality of protrusions are disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a flow direction of the air flowing through the air passage.

9. The mask apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the embossed portion includes (i) a plurality of recesses recessed by a predetermined depth from the rear surface of the flat portion and (ii) a plurality of protrusions protruding by a predetermined length from the rear surface of the flat portion,
wherein each of the plurality of recesses and each of the plurality of protrusions are alternately disposed in a flow direction of the air flowing through the air passage.

10. The mask apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the depth of each of the plurality of recesses and the protruding length of each of the plurality of protrusions range from 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

11. The mask apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protrusions is a rounded shape or a polygonal shape.

12. The mask apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the depth of each of the plurality of recesses or the protruding length of each of the plurality of protrusions ranges from 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

13. The mask apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of recesses or each of the plurality of protrusions is a rounded shape or a polygonal shape.

14. The mask apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more division portions include a bracket coupling groove configured to mount the bracket insertion portion and disposed to be recessed or stepped on edges of the one or more division portions.

15. The mask apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter configured to filter the air suctioned by the fan module,
a filter mounting portion configured to accommodate the filter, disposed at the mask body cover, and defining an air suction hole configured to communicate with a fan inlet of the fan module.

16. The mask apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising a filter cover coupled to the filter mounting portion to limit an exposure of the filter.

17. A mask apparatus comprising:
a mask body including an air duct disposed at a front surface of the mask body;
a seal disposed at a rear surface of the mask body and defining a breathing space that is in communication with an outlet of the air duct and that is configured to accommodate a part of user's face;
a sealing bracket configured to couple an inner edge of the seal to the rear surface of the mask body;
a fan module disposed at the front surface of the mask body to correspond to a suction hole of the air duct and configured to suction external air to supply the suctioned air to the air duct; and
a mask body cover that is coupled to the front surface of the mask body and that covers the fan module and the air duct,
wherein an air passage through which air suctioned by the fan module flows is provided in the air duct,
wherein an embossed portion is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the air duct that is configured to be in contact with the air flowing through the air passage,
wherein the air duct comprises:
a front surface portion including an upper end, a lower end, an inner side end, and an outer side end defined as an edge of an opposite side of the inner side end, and
a rear surface portion

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Taejun
• Park Jeongtaek
• Kim Hojung
• Choi Seokho
• Lee Keonwang
• CHOI Chiyoung

Classifications

• A62B18/006 Primary

  with pumps for forced ventilation (A62B18/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A62B18/02

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

• A62B23/02

  for respirators · CPC title

• A62B18/025 Primary

  Halfmasks (A62B23/02 takes precedence; surgical face masks A41D13/11) · CPC title

• A62B7/10

  with filter elements · CPC title