Diving mask with pressure-balancing means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043357-B2
Application number	US-202017431469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

Diving mask including a snorkel with a valve, the valve including a valve orifice configured to allow fluid circulation between an outside of the snorkel and an inside of the snorkel, and a valve closure member, which can move between an open position in which the valve orifice is open and a closed position in which the valve orifice is closed by the valve closure member, wherein the mask includes a balancing means for limiting a pressure difference between the internal pressure of the mask and the external pressure, the balancing means being configured to allow fluid circulation between the outside of the mask and the inside of the mask when the mask is used by a user and when the closure member is in the closed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A diving mask comprising a snorkel with a valve, the valve including:
a valve orifice configured to allow fluid circulation between an outside of the snorkel and an inside of the snorkel, and
a valve closure configured to move between an open position, in which the valve orifice is open, and a closed position, in which the valve orifice is closed by the valve closure,
wherein the mask includes a balancing means for limiting a pressure difference between an internal pressure of the mask and an external pressure on the mask, the balancing means being configured to allow fluid circulation from an outside of the mask to an inside of the mask when the mask is used by a user and when the valve closure is in the closed position.

2. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing means is mounted on the valve closure.

3. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the valve includes a valve body in which the valve orifice is provided, and wherein the balancing means is mounted on the valve body.

4. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the snorkel includes a wall delimiting the inside of the snorkel relative to the outside of the snorkel, and wherein the balancing means is mounted on the wall of the snorkel.

5. The mask according to claim 4 , wherein the snorkel includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, and the balancing means is mounted on the wall of the distal portion of the snorkel.

6. The mask according to claim 1 , including a body delimiting the inside of the mask relative to the outside of the mask, and wherein the balancing means is mounted on the body of the mask.

7. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing means has a shape configured to allow fluid circulation through the balancing means only when the pressure difference is greater than a determined value.

8. The mask according to claim 7 , wherein the determined pressure difference value for which the balancing means is configured to allow circulation of a liquid between the outside of the mask and the inside of the mask, is greater than the determined pressure difference value for which the balancing means is configured to allow air circulation between the outside of the mask and the inside of the mask.

9. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing means includes a valve element configured to allow fluid circulation through the balancing means only when the pressure difference is greater than a determined value.

10. The mask according to claim 9 , wherein the valve element is a flexible membrane.

11. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the balancing means comprises a through channel.

12. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an area of the valve orifice to an area of the balancing means is greater than 1.

13. The mask according to claim 12 , wherein the ratio is between 10 and 100,000.

14. The mask according to claim 12 , wherein the ratio is between 100 and 10,000.

15. The mask according to claim 1 , including a body delimiting the inside of the mask relative to the outside, the body comprising:
a frame configured to surrounding the user's face,
a visor surrounded by the frame,
a flexible skirt fixed to the frame, the skirt including a partition delimiting an upper chamber for vision and a lower chamber for breathing, the partition being arranged to bear above a nose of the user such that a mouth of the user and the nose of the user are located in the lower chamber, the partition including at least one passage arranged to allow circulation of inhaled air directed from the upper chamber to the lower chamber during a phase of inhalation of the user,
wherein the frame comprises at least a first duct for exhaled air, said first duct having an upper end opening inside the snorkel, and a lower end fluidly communicating with the lower chamber.

16. The mask according to claim 15 , wherein the snorkel has an inhaled air intake channel and at least a first exhaled air exhaust channel, said snorkel being an extension of an upper portion of the frame, the inhaled air intake channel opening into the upper chamber while the first exhaled air exhaust channel communicates with the lower chamber, and wherein the first duct of the frame has an upper end opening into the exhaled air exhaust channel.

17. A snorkel for a diving mask comprising a valve including:
a valve orifice configured to allow fluid circulation between an outside of the snorkel and an inside of the snorkel, and
a valve closure configured to move between an open position in which the valve orifice is open and a closed position in which the valve orifice is closed by the valve closure,
wherein the snorkel includes a balancing means for limiting a pressure difference between an internal pressure of the snorkel and an external pressure on the snorkel, the balancing means being configured to allow fluid circulation from the outside of the snorkel to the inside of the snorkel when the snorkel is a part of a diving mask used by a user and when the valve closure is in the closed position.

18. A diving mask comprising a snorkel with a valve, the valve including:
a valve orifice configured to allow fluid circulation between an outside of the snorkel and an inside of the snorkel, and
a valve closure configured to move between an open position, in which the valve orifice is open, and a closed position, in which the valve orifice is closed by the valve closure,
wherein the mask limits a pressure difference between an internal pressure of the mask and an external pressure on the mask, the mask being configured to allow fluid circulation from an outside of the mask to an inside of the mask when the mask is used by a user and when the valve closure is in the closed position.

19. The mask according to claim 18 , wherein the diving mask includes a valve element configured to allow fluid circulation through a balancing means only when a pressure difference is greater than a determined value.

20. The mask according to claim 19 , wherein the valve element is a flexible membrane.

Assignees

• Decathlon Sa

Inventors

• Le Gall Jean-René
• Loret Erwan
• Ramault Carla
• Fournet Olivier

Classifications

• B63C11/16 Primary

  with air supply by suction from diver, e.g. snorkels · CPC title