Mask apparatus with filtered rear fan inlet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453872-B2
Application number	US-202217583699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2022
Priority date	Jul 19, 2021
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A mask apparatus includes: a mask body including a rear body and a front body coupled to a front surface of the rear body and providing an inlet and an outlet, a face guard coupled to the rear body, accommodating a user's face, and defining a respiration space, and an air cleaning module purifying air introduced into the inlet and supplying the purified air to the respiration space. A portion of the rear body protrudes toward the front body and defines an accommodate portion. The air cleaning module includes: a fan module disposed at the accommodation portion and defining an opening, a flow guide covering the opening, a filter disposed at a rear surface of the flow guide, and a filter housing covering a rear surface of the filter. The flow guide defines a communication hole guiding air passing through the filter to an inside of the fan module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mask apparatus comprising:
a mask body providing an inlet and an outlet and including a rear body and a front body, the front body being coupled to a front surface of the rear body;
a face guard that is coupled to a rear surface of the rear body, that is configured to accommodate a portion of user's face, and that defines a respiration space at an inner side thereof; and
an air cleaning module that is mounted on the rear body, that is configured to purify air introduced into the inlet of the mask body, and that is configured to supply the purified air to the respiration space,
wherein a portion of the rear body protrudes toward the front body and defines an accommodate portion configured to accommodate the air cleaning module,
wherein the air cleaning module includes:
a fan module that is disposed at the accommodation portion and that defines an opening at a rear surface,
a flow guide covering the opening at the rear surface of the fan module,
a filter that is disposed at a rear surface of the flow guide, and

a filter housing that is coupled to the rear body and that covers a rear surface of the filter, and
wherein the flow guide defines a communication hole that is configured to guide air passing through the filter to an inside of the fan module,
wherein the accommodation portion includes:
a fastening surface extending forward from a side end portion of the rear body,
a seating surface that extends from an end portion of the fastening surface in a central direction of the rear body and that is configured to accommodate a front surface of the fan module,
an air guide surface connecting an end portion of the seating surface to the front surface of the rear body,
an upper surface connecting upper ends of the fastening surface, the seating surface, and the air guide surface to the front surface of the rear body, and
a lower surface connecting lower ends of the fastening surface, the seating surface, and the air guide surface to the front surface of the rear body,

wherein the flow guide includes:
a mount plate that defines the communication hole and that has a first side end portion in contact with the fastening surface,
a duct flange that extends from a second side end portion of the mount plate,
a rear flange extending from an end portion of the duct flange in a direction crossing the duct flange,
an upper flange extending along an upper end of the mount plate and an upper end of the duct flange, and
a lower flange extending along a lower end of the mount plate and a lower end of the duct flange, and

wherein the rear flange defines a portion of the rear surface of the rear body.

2. The mask apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper flange is in contact with an upper surface of the accommodation portion, and the lower flange is in contact with a lower surface of the accommodation portion.

3. The mask apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the upper flange includes:
a mount upper flange extending along the upper end of the mount plate, and
a duct upper flange extending along the upper end of the duct flange, and

wherein the lower flange includes:
a mount lower flange extending along the lower end of the mount plate, and
a duct lower flange extending along the lower end of the duct flange.

4. The mask apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a mounting guide that protrudes from any one of the flow guide or the accommodation portion and that extends by a predetermined length so that the flow guide is slidably coupled to the accommodation portion; and
a guide recess extending from the other one of the flow guide or the accommodation portion so that the mounting guide is slidably inserted therein based on the flow guide being mounted in the accommodation portion.

5. The mask apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mounting guide includes:
a first mounting guide provided at any one of the duct upper flange or the upper surface of the accommodation portion, and
a second mounting guide provided at any one of the duct lower flange or the lower surface of the accommodation portion, and
wherein the guide recess includes:
a first guide recess provided at the other one of the duct upper flange or the upper surface of the accommodation portion, and
a second guide recess provided at the other one of the duct lower flange or the lower surface of the accommodation portion.

6. The mask apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mounting guide extends in a direction from the rear surface of the mask body to a front surface of the rear body.

7. The mask apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a fixed guide spaced apart from the mounting guide, and
a fixed recess that is spaced apart from the guide recess and that is configured to accommodate the fixed guide therein.

8. The mask apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the air guide surface, the upper surface and the lower surface of the accommodation portion, and the duct flange define an air duct,
an entrance of the air duct is in fluid communication with an outlet of the fan module, and
an exit of the air duct is in fluid communication with the outlet of the mask body.

9. The mask apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the filter housing includes:
a filter cover covering the rear surface of the filter, and
a filter frame extending from a front surface of the filter cover and surrounding a side surface of the filter, and
wherein the inlet of the mask body is provided at the filter cover.

10. The mask apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the inlet and the outlet of the mask body are partitioned by the rear flange of the flow guide.

11. The mask apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more fastening bosses protruding by a predetermined length from an edge of a front surface of the mount plate,
wherein a fastening member is inserted into the one or more fastening bosses through an opening defined at the accommodation portion.

12. The mask apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the fan module includes:
a fan housing including:
a base having a front surface in contact with the seating surface of the accommodate portion and a rear surface on which a motor seating portion is provided, and
a shroud extending to be rounded along an edge of the rear surface of the base, and

a fan that is mounted on the rear surface of the base and that is accommodated in an internal space of the shroud,
wherein the fan includes:
a motor coupled to the motor seating portion,
a hub of which a center of a front surface is connected to a rotational shaft of the motor, and
a plurality of blades provided at a rear surface of the hub in a radial direction and arranged in a circumferential direction of the hub.

13. The mask apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the hub has a flow change surface curved with a predetermined curvature toward an edge from a center of the fan to guide air intaken toward the rotational shaft in a radial direction of the fan, and
a center of the curvature of the flow change surface and a center of curvature of the air guide surface of the accommodation portion are positioned on a rear side of the rear body.

14. The mask apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
one or more fan fixing bosses protruding by a predetermined length from the edge of the front surface of the mount plate,
wherein the one or more fan fixing bosses are inserted into a boss through-hole defined at a corner of the base.

15. The mask apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the front surface of the mount plate provides a fan support rib extending along an end portion of the shroud, and
the one or more fastening bosses and the one or more fan

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Yongmin
• An Dongkwon
• Mun Yeongcheol
• Kim Dongeun
• Ahn Sejeong

Classifications

• A62B18/003

  having means for creating a fresh air curtain · CPC title

• A41D13/11

  Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres (eye-masks A61F9/04 {; hoods affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents A62B17/04}) · CPC title

• F04D29/626

  Mounting or removal of fans · CPC title

• F04D29/281

  for fans or blowers · CPC title

• F04D29/4226

  Fan casings · CPC title