Abstract
The invention relates to a respirator carrier frame 1 comprising a central frame portion 2, two wing portions 3 extending on opposing sides from the central frame portion 2, as well as at least one hinge 4 between the central frame portion 2 and each of the two opposing wing portions 3.
Claims
1. A respirator carrier frame comprising: a central frame portion; two wing portions extending on opposing sides from the central frame portion at least one hinge between the central frame portion and each of the two opposing wing portions.
2. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein the central frame portion is of essentially rectangular shape.
3. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein the central frame portion comprises comprise an outer frame structure.
4. The respirator carrier frame claim 1, wherein the central frame portion comprises an inner stiffening structure.
5. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein each of the hinges between the central frame portion and the wing portions comprises at least one arm (6) extending from the outer frame structure of the central frame portion.
6. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein each of the hinges between the central frame portion and the wing portions allows a translational and a rotational movement of the wing portions relative to the central frame portion.
7. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein each wing portion comprises two crossbars extending from the central frame portion towards an outer bar connecting the two crossbars.
8. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein the two crossbars of the wing portions comprise a through-hole to establish a hinge connection at the end of the crossbars that faces the central frame portion facing end.
9. The respirator carrier frame claim 1, wherein each wing portion provides an additional hinge for folding the wing portion in itself.
10. The respirator carrier frame according to claim 1, wherein the respirator carrier frame comprises means for attaching an attachment for a filtering structure.
11. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein the respirator carrier frame comprises headbands or electronic components.
12. The respirator carrier frame of claim 1, wherein the size and the shape of the central frame portion is adapted to receive an outer housing of an exhalation valve through a snap fit connection.
13. A kit of parts for a respirator system comprising a respirator carrier frame of claim and at least one disposable filtering structure.
Description
[0032] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following Figures exemplifying particular embodiments of the invention:
[0033] FIG. 1 is a front view of a filtering structure with an exhalation valve;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a front view of the filtering structure of FIG. 1 with a respirator carrier frame according to the invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic, three-dimensional view of a filtering structure with an exhalation valve and a respirator carrier frame according to the invention;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a front view of a respirator carrier frame according to the invention;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a hinge of the respirator carrier frame of FIG. 4 with an elongated through-hole;
[0038] FIG. 6A to C is a series of top views of a filtering structure with a respirator carrier frame, wherein the wing portions of the respirator carrier frame are shown in different positions relative to the central frame portion;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a partial top view of a respirator carrier frame showing a wing portion with an additional hinge;
[0040] FIG. 8A to D is a series of views showing another embodiment of a respirator carrier frame in an unfolded stage as well as in different folded stages;
[0041] FIG. 9A to C is a series of schematical, three-dimensional views of a respirator carrier frame in an unfolded stage as well as in different folded stages, wherein the wing portion of the respirator carrier frame comprise an additional hinge and
[0042] FIG. 10A and B is a series of views showing another embodiment of a respirator carrier frame with a headband in an unfolded and a folded stage.
[0043] Herein below various embodiments of the present invention are described and shown in the drawings wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numbers.
[0044] In FIG. 1 a front view of a filtering structure 10 can be seen. The filtering structure 10 is a flat folded three-part filtering structure 10. FIG. 1 shows the elliptically shaped front part of it. The narrower sides of the filtering structure are usually used to attach a headband with which the filtering structure can be fixed to a wearer's head. The two additional parts of the three-part filtering structure 10 are in the view of FIG. 1 positioned behind the front part and each attached to the front part along a connection line 13, each connection line extending along the upper and the lower edges of the front part of the filtering structure 10.
[0045] The filtering structure 10 of FIG. 1 also provides an exhalation valve 11. The exhalation valve 11 may in use be operatively connected to an interior gas space of the respirator body, which is built by the filtering structure and a wearer's face. An exhalation valve is a known means in the area of respirator systems, that helps to release a worker's hot, humid exhaled breath quickly out of the interior gas space and therefore increases the wearing comfort of the respirator body. It also closes during inhalation and prevents particles from entering the interior gas space. One example for such an exhalation valve is the 3M™ Cool Flow™ valve, commercially available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. in the United States of America. In the shown embodiment, the exhalation valve 11 is positioned in the middle of the front part of the filtering structure 10. It is also possible to position the exhalation valve 11 in other areas of the filtering structure.
[0046] In FIG. 2 the same filtering structure 10 as in FIG. 1 is shown. The filtering structure 10 is attached to a respirator carrier frame 1 according to the invention. The respirator carrier frame 1 according to the invention comprise a central frame portion 2. The central frame portion 2 is essentially rectangular with a rectangular outer frame structure 5 as well as an inner stiffening structure in the form of two straight, essentially parallel stiffening bars 16 extending in a horizontal manner from one side of the outer frame structure 5 to the other side of the outer frame structure 5. The two inner stiffening bars 16 are arranged such that they—together with the vertical bars of the rectangular outer frame structure 5—provide a receiving area for the exhalation valve 11 of the filtering structure 10. The inner stiffening structure 16 as well as the outer frame structure 5 may be designed such that they provide a snap fit connection towards the housing of the exhalation valve 11 of the filtering structure 10 and therewith provide a first attachment means at the respirator carrier frame 1 for the filtering structure 10.
[0047] The central frame portion 2 further provides for hinges 4 two directed towards a first wing portion 3 and two directed towards a second opposing wing portion 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the hinges 4 provide two parallel arms 6 that extend from the outer frame structure 5 and that are spaced apart from each other such as to receive a hinge portion of the wing portion 3. The two parallel arms 6 provide a through-hole as will be described in more detail further below.
[0048] And finally, the respirator carrier frame 1 comprises two wing portions 3, each wing portion comprising two crossbars 7 extending from the hinge 4 at the central frame portion 2 towards an outer bar 8. The two crossbars 7 are curved such that the whole respirator carrier frame 1 follows the elliptical shape of the filtering structure 10. The outer bar 8 may for example be used to hold the outer edges of the filtering structure 10, second attachment means for the filtering structure (not shown in FIG. 2) or for attaching a head band (also not shown in FIG. 2).
[0049] In FIG. 3 a schematic three-dimensional view of a filtering structure 10 with an exhalation valve 11 and a respirator carrier frame 1 according to the invention can be seen. The respirator carrier frame 1 comprises a central frame portion 2 with an essentially rectangular outer frame structure 5 and two inner stiffening bars 16 as inner stiffening structure. The respirator carrier frame 1 further comprises two opposing wing portions 3 extending on opposing sides from the central frame portion 2. The hinges 4 between the central frame portion 2 and the two opposing wing portions are not shown in this schematical view. The respirator carrier frame 1 further comprises headbands 12 that are fixed to the outer bars 8 of the wing portions 3.
[0050] In the schematic three-dimensional view of FIG. 3 the filtering structure 10 is shown in an unfolded cup-like stage. The front part of the filtering structure 10 extends essentially behind the respirator carrier frame 1. The upper part extends away from the front part of the filtering structure 10 towards a nose of a wearer to build the cup-like stage. The lower part of the filtering structure 10 is not shown in FIG. 3. The respirator carrier frame 1 is also shown in an unfolded stage. The frame 1 in its unfolded stage supports the shape of the filtering structure 10, especially of the front part of it, and stabilizes it shape.
[0051] In FIG. 4 a front view of a respirator carrier frame 1 according to the invention can be seen without any filtering structure 10. It provides the same elements that have been described with reference to FIG. 2 already.
[0052] In FIG. 5 a detailed view of a hinge 4 of the respirator carrier frame 1 of FIG. 4 is shown. The hinge 4 shown in this figure. provides an elongated through-hole 9 in the two parallel, spaced apart arms 6 (the upper arm 6 is shown in this drawing) of the hinge 4 extending from the central frame portion 2. The hinge 4 further provides a pivot 14 extending through the through-hole 9. The crossbar 7 of the wing portion 3 also provides a through-hole (not shown in FIG. 5), which is circular and not elongated. A hinge 4 with an elongated through-hole 9 at least on one side of the arms building the hinge provides the advantage that the wing portions 3 can be moved in a rotational way and in a translational way relative to the central frame portion 2. This kind of movement provides the advantage of a much more flexible moving relationship between the central frame portion 2 and the wing portions 3, which allows for much more positions that the wing portions 3 can be put in relative to the central frame portion 2. This means, that the respirator carrier frame 1 allows stabilizing and supporting a high number of different shapes of a filtering structure 10.
[0053] Please note that the pivot in all drawings of this application is shown with a spherical head. This is just for illustrative purposes to clearly indicate the pivot. In practise the pivot may be much shorter and would not provide a spherical head.
[0054] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C show three different positions the wing portions 3 can be put in relative to the central frame portion 2. In all three figures the respirator carrier frame 1 is shown with a filtering structure 10.
[0055] In FIG. 7 a wing portion 3 of a respirator carrier frame 1 is shown connected to a central frame portion 2 via a hinge 4. The hinge 4 is exactly the same hinge as described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The wing portion 3 differs from the wing portions 3 described before in that it provides an additional hinge 15. The hinge 15 is positioned approximately in the middle of the wing portion 3. The hinge 15 may also be positioned at other positions of the wing portion 3 (not shown). An additional hinge 13 in the middle of the wing portion 3 provides more flexibility in folding the respirator carrier frame 1 into a space saving position. It also provides the advantage of being more flexible regarding providing the correct shape to the filtering structure 10.
[0056] The additional hinge 15 may be designed in a very simple way, by providing the two arms of the divided crossbar 7 with a circular through-hole as well as with a pivot. Such an embodiment can be seen in FIG. 7. It is of course also possible to provide the additional hinge with more elements in order to make it more stable and in order to add additional movement possibilities beyond the rotational movement possibility. The pivot may
[0057] In FIG. 8A to FIG. 8D another embodiment of a respirator carrier frame 1 can be seen. The embodiment differs from the embodiments described before in that the shape is less elliptical, since the bars of the respirator carrier frame 1 are not curved. It also differs in that the hinges 4 only comprise one arm from the central frame portion 2 and not two arms. The series of views shows how the respirator carrier frame 1 can be brought from an unfolded stage as shown in FIG. 8A to a folded stage as shown in FIG. 8C and D. First one of the wing portions 3 is folded such that it lies on the central frame portion 2 and then the second, opposing wing portion 3 is folded such that it lies on central frame portion 2 and the first wing portion 3. Looking at FIG. 8D it is shown how space saving the folded stage of the respirator carrier frame 1 can be.
[0058] FIG. 9A to C is a series of schematical, three dimensional views of a respirator carrier frame 1 with wing portions 3 with an additional hinge (the hinges themselves are not shown in FIG. 9, only the possibilities of folding). The series of views illustrates how a respirator carrier frame 1 according to this embodiment can be folded and stored in a very space saving manner.
[0059] FIG. 10A to B is a series of views showing another embodiment of a respirator carrier frame 1 with a head band 12 in an unfolded and in a folded stage. Here again it can be seen, how space saving the folded stage is for storing a respirator with a respirator carrier frame according to the invention.
