Headgear with directional adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12521511-B2
Application number	US-202017774380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 14, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

This disclosure provides a directional adjustment unit for a headgear for a respiratory mask. The directional adjustment unit provides an increased resistance to extension of one or more straps of the headgear when the headgear is under tensile forces, as compared to a lower resistance to retraction of the one or more headgear straps. The directional adjustment unit comprises a movable frictional engagement member comprising an aperture, wherein the aperture is arranged to receive a filament of a strap of the headgear therethrough, wherein the frictional engagement member in a first configuration provides a disengaged or pre-activated configuration with respect to the filament, and in a second configuration provides an engaged configuration with respect to the filament. Features are provided which improve the operation of such a directional adjustment unit. These features include features to help resist bending of the filament inside the directional adjustment unit, features to vary frictional engagement between the frictional engagement member and the filament, and features to reduce sticking of the frictional engagement member in a given position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A directional adjustment unit for a headgear for a respiratory mask, comprising:
a movable frictional engagement member, the movable frictional engagement member having an aperture forming a cavity extending through the movable frictional engagement member, wherein the aperture is arranged to receive a filament of a strap of the headgear therethrough such that the filament follows a filament path through the directional adjustment unit, wherein the movable frictional engagement member in a first configuration provides a disengaged configuration with respect to the filament, and in a second configuration provides an engaged configuration with respect to the filament; the directional adjustment unit further comprising at least one filament guide configured to guide the filament as it passes through the directional adjustment unit, the at least one filament guide being configured to engage the filament to restrain the filament against bending of the filament in the directional adjustment unit at a location in which the at least one filament guide engages the filament; wherein the movable frictional engagement member is mounted on the directional adjustment unit such that the movable frictional engagement member can move relative to the directional adjustment unit along a predetermined elongate path which extends in a direction orthogonal to the filament path, when the movable frictional engagement member moves from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration; and wherein the movable frictional engagement member is configured to move rotationally from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration.

2 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filament guide comprises a plurality of filament guides.

3 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 2 , wherein the movable frictional engagement member is located between a pair of the plurality of filament guides.

4 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of filament guides is in a fixed position relative to a housing of the directional adjustment unit and comprises an opening through which the filament passes, wherein a center of the opening of each of the plurality of filament guides are aligned along a single axis.

5 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 1 , wherein the movable frictional engagement member comprises a first movable frictional engagement member, further comprising at least a second movable frictional engagement member such that the directional adjustment unit comprises at least two movable frictional engagement members.

6 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 5 , wherein the at least one filament guide is fixed relative to a housing of the directional adjustment unit and provided at a position intermediate the at least two movable frictional engagement members.

7 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 5 , wherein each of the at least two movable frictional engagement members is movable around a respective pivot axis and wherein the first configuration comprises a first pivoted configuration, and the second configuration comprises a second pivoted configuration.

8 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 7 , wherein each pivot axis is movable with respect to the directional adjustment unit along the predetermined elongate path in the direction orthogonal to the filament path.

9 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 8 , wherein each pivot axis is movable independently of each other.

10 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 8 , wherein the directional adjustment unit comprises a base, wherein each pivot axis is movable toward and away from the base of the directional adjustment unit, wherein the base is located opposite the pivot axis of each of the at least two movable frictional engagement members relative to the filament, and wherein the direction orthogonal to the filament path extends through the base.

11 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 1 , wherein the directional adjustment unit comprises a mounting slot, the mounting slot comprising a retaining space for movably retaining a follower to movably retain the movable frictional engagement member on or in the directional adjustment unit.

12 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 11 , wherein the movable frictional engagement member has a base member, the aperture being spaced from the base member, wherein the base member comprises the follower.

13 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 12 , wherein the movable frictional engagement member comprises a first movable frictional engagement member, further comprising at least a second movable frictional engagement member such that the directional adjustment unit comprises at least two movable frictional engagement members, wherein the directional adjustment unit comprises at least two mounting slots, each mounting slot having a retaining space for movably retaining a respective part of the base member of one of the at least two movable frictional engagement members.

14 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 12 , wherein the mounting slot has at least one narrower section to resist the base member from moving past the at least one narrower section.

15 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 11 , wherein the mounting slot is sized so as to allow translational movement of the follower within the mounting slot along a predetermined path, whilst being retained.

16 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 11 , wherein the mounting slot is elongate when the directional adjustment unit is viewed from a side perspective.

17 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 16 , wherein the mounting slot extends in a substantially vertical direction, when the directional adjustment unit is viewed from a side perspective.

18 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 11 , wherein the mounting slot is sized so as to allow the follower to pivot around its pivot axis within the mounting slot.

19 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 1 , wherein the movable frictional engagement member is mounted in the directional adjustment unit for both:
a. pivotal movement relative to the directional adjustment unit about a pivot axis; and b. translational movement relative to the directional adjustment unit in a direction orthogonal to the pivot axis, along the predetermined elongate path extending away from the pivot axis, when the directional adjustment unit is viewed along the pivot axis.

20 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined elongate path is defined by an elongate mounting slot in one of the movable frictional engagement member and a housing of the directional adjustment unit, and a follower on the other of the movable frictional engagement member and the housing of the directional adjustment unit, the follower being received in the elongate mounting slot.

21 . The directional adjustment unit of claim 20 , wherein when the movable frictional engagement member is in the disengaged configuration with respect to the filament, the filament can move through the directional adjustment unit with a first resistance to that movement between the filament and the movable frictional engagement member, and wherein when the movable frictional engagement member is in the engaged configuration with respect to the filament, the filament can move through the directional adjustment unit with a second resistance to that movement between the filament an

Assignees

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Kapelevich Vitaly
• Sims Christopher Gareth
• Felix David Monroy
• Murphy Blair Raymund Dadson
• Slight Matthew Robert Geoff
• Shah Vidhi Jayeshkumar
• Manikkam Kavyn

Classifications

• F16G11/101

  deforming the cable by moving a part of the fastener · CPC title

• F16G11/105

  Clamps holding in one direction only · CPC title

• A61M2205/0222

  Materials for reducing friction · CPC title

• A61M2205/0238

  the material being a coating or protective layer · CPC title

• A61M2205/0216

  Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking · CPC title