PERSONAL RESPIRATORY PROTECTION DEVICE

Abstract

A device is designed in the form of glasses with a frame (10) having a frontal portion (20), temporal portions (30) abutting the frontal portion on two sides, and temples (40) attached to the temporal portions. Each temporal portion (30) comprises an intake fan (31) with an air filter (50) and a discharge air duct (60), wherein nozzles (63) of the two air ducts (60) are oriented towards one another, providing the formation of substantially counter-directed streams of clean air directly under the nostrils of a user, with the result that a region of high pressure is formed, keeping non-purified ambient air from entering the nostrils.

Claims

1. A personal respiratory system protection device made in the form of glasses with a frame having a frontal portion, temporal portions abutting the frontal portion on both sides and temples attached to the temporal portions, wherein each temporal portion comprises an intake fan with an air filter and a discharge air duct, wherein the air duct is made in such a way that it outgoes from the temporal portion of the frame and extends at the bottom of the frontal portion, so that nozzles of both air ducts are oriented towards one another, providing the formation of substantially counter-directed streams of air directly under the nostrils of a user, when the device is in use.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a double-suction fan serves as the fan, wherein air intakes of the fan are located on the opposite lateral sides of the temporal portion of the frame.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the air filter is made of electret material.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the air filter is made of activated carbon material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the air filter is made as a multilayer structure, wherein at least one layer of the said multi-layer structure is made of electret material or activated carbon material.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a battery placed in the temporal portion of the frame serves as a power supply source for the fan.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a battery placed in the temple serves as a power supply source for the fan.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein an autonomous portable battery provided with wire-based connection to the fan serves as a power supply source for the fan.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the air duct portion extending at the bottom part of the frontal portion of the frame is located inside the frontal portion of the frame.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet light-emitting diode installed downstream of the air stream produced by the fan.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein rotary dampers are installed inside the air ducts at the nozzle outlets with the aim to adjust the direction of the said counter-directed streams of air.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the temples are attached to the corresponding temporal portion of the frame by means of hinged joints.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is made so that it is possible to install interchangeable lenses in the frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIGS. 1-3 show an embodiment of a respiratory protection device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a general view of the device; FIG. 2 shows a side view (without an outer side wall of the temporal portion of the frame); and FIG. 3 shows a rear view.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the orientation relative to the user's nose of the ducts of the device presented in FIGS. 1-3, when the device is in use.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows the formation of counter-directed streams of air under the user's nostrils, when the device is in use according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION EMBODIMENTS

[0026] A personal respiratory protection device according to the present invention (an example of which is shown in FIGS. 1-3) is made in the form of glasses, the frame 10 of which comprises a frontal portion 20 with rims 21 for lenses and nose piece 22, as well as temporal portions 30 abutting the frontal portion 20 on both sides and temples 40 attached to temporal portions 30 by means of hinged joint.

[0027] Each temporal portion 30 is hollow and accommodates intake fan 31, rechargeable power supply source—battery 32 and controller 33 controlling the operation of fan 31 and charging process of battery 32. Connector 34 is provided for charging the battery 32 (e.g. connector of micro-USB type). A disposable current source can be also used as battery 32. All these components can be seen in FIG. 2, in which the right temporal portion 30 of frame 10 is shown without outer sidewall. Double-suction fan 31 characterized by flat configuration with double side inlets 35 and end outlet 36 is used in this embodiment. Due to its flat configuration, the fan is located in the central plane of temporal portion 30 of frame 10. For example, fan ND35B00-17J17 (manufactured by Delta Electronics, Inc.,) can be used as fan 31. It is characterized by the following technical specification: dimensions 30×30×4.5 mm, power consumption 0.5 W, capacity 0.5 l/s.

[0028] Air intakes are provided in the side walls of temporal portion 30 of frame 10 opposite inlets 35 of fan 31 (see FIG. 1): air intake 37 on the outside and air intake 38 on the inside of temporal portion 30 of frame 10. Air filter 50 (shown in FIG. 2 separately) is placed between each air intake 37 (38) and corresponding inlet 35 of fan 31. Depending on particular device design and assembling technique for the device as a whole, air filter 50 can be secured, for example, to the inner surface of the side wall of temporal portion 30, overlapping air intake 37 (38) on the inner side or to the side surface of fan 31, overlapping its inlet 35. In terms of design, air filter 50 may have, for example, a rigid frame in the form of flat frame 51, inside which filtering medium layer 52 is fixed.

[0029] Air filter 50 can be made of materials, which are commonly used for similar purposes,—namely, non-woven materials based on glass or polymer fibers (such as filtering materials of Sure Fit brand produced by Air Filters Inc.). Preferably, electret materials,—such as Technostat PLUS TS100PLUS-15 manufactured by Hollingsworth & Vose Company, possessing high dust-collecting properties and low resistance to air flow can be used as source material for filter 50. Besides, filter 50 can be made of activated carbon material,—such as Flexzorb® manufactured by Calgon Carbon Corp., possessing high sorption capacity to retain particles characterized by undesirable odor. Air filter 50 may have several layers, including layers of the said electret material or activated carbon material.

[0030] The device also comprises discharge air duct 60, inlet end 61 of which is connected to outlet 36 of fan 31. Discharge duct 60 is made as a curved conduit outgoing from temporal portion 30 of frame 10 and extending at the bottom part of frontal portion 20 of frame 10 in such a way that its distal end 62 with nozzle 63 is oriented substantially normally to the symmetry plane of frame 10 (this plane passes through nose piece 22). Discharge duct 60 outgoing from the opposite temporal portion 30 of frame 10 is made similarly.

[0031] With such embodiment, nozzles 63 of both air ducts 60 (conditionally on the left and right in FIG. 3) turn out to be oriented opposite to one another, thus proving a possibility of forming (when the device is in use) substantially counter-directed streams of filtered air directly under the user's nostrils,—as shown in FIG. 4. When the said air streams collide (as indicated by arrows in FIG. 5), a high pressure area 70 is formed, which prevents non-cleaned outside air from getting into user's nostrils. As a result, the user substantially inhales the air cleaned by filters 50 and supplied by fans 31 through air ducts 60.

[0032] Additionally, rotary dampers (not shown in the Figs.) can be installed at the outlet of nozzles 63 of air ducts 60, by means of which it will be possible to adjust the direction of air stream outgoing from nozzles 63 within prescribed limits. This will allow user to direct counter-directed air streams to a desired area under user's nostrils, taking into account anatomical specific features of a particular user.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, a power supply source for fan 31 and controller 33 (namely, battery 32) is located in temporal part 30 of frame 20. In other embodiments of the device, the power supply source can be also located in temple 40. Besides, other embodiments of the device may comprise a portable battery carried separately from frame 10 (e.g., on user's neck, belt, chest pocket). In this case this battery will be wired to fan 31 and controller 33 via plug-in connector 34.

[0034] Other embodiments of the present invention may involve, for example, provision of air duct 60 inside frontal portion 20 of frame 10, i.e., practically, as an integral part.

[0035] Further, for the purpose of disinfection of air inhaled by the user, the device may be additionally equipped with an ultraviolet light-emitting diode installed downstream of air stream generated by fan 31, for example, directly inside air duct 60.

[0036] Besides, frontal portion 20 of frame 10 can be made so that it becomes possible to install interchangeable lenses in rims 21 (e.g., darkened, colored, or dioptric lenses), which will widen the scope of device application.