US3540442A - Face mask microphone mounting - Google Patents

Description

O United States Patent [1 11 3,5 0,

72 Inventor Robert L. mew- 2,398,076 411946 Bulbulian ifs/146x Snyder, New York 2,931,356 4/1960 Schwarz.... 128/146 [21] Appl. No. 659,767 3,064,089 11/1962 Ward l28/14HUX 21 giled d g t-3:; FOREIGN PATENTS [45] atente ov. Assign" y mm m to Automatic 906,251 9/1962 Great Britain 128/146 sprinkler Corporation f A i Primary Examiner-Anton 0. Oechsle Cleveland, Ohio, Assistant Examiner-Thomas Zack a corporation f Oh Attorney Christel and Bean [54] FACE MASK MICROPHONE MOUNTING 4 in Figs. 8 8 ABSTRACT: A flexible, cup-shaped, ore-nasal face mask en- [52] US. 141, closing the nose and mouth of a wearer has a generally central 128N463 opening spaced from a wearer's mouth in registry with the A525 7/ 14 wearer's breathing path. An outer face mask having a trans- [50] Field of M 128/141, parent facepiece b i ll encloses the woman] mask An 14]", 146-7 inhalation-exhalation valve is secured in an opening through R I Cited the facepiece and communicates with the oro-nasal mask [56] through a flexible, bellowslike tube opening into the oro-nasal UNITED STATES PATENTS mask above the central opening and out of the direct 128/ 1 41.1 breathing path of a user.

2,326,650 8/ I943 Husted Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,442

INVFNT R. F0662"? Z. fCoZZowczy ZM i M ATTORNEYS.

. l FAcEMAsK MICROPHONEMOUNTING BACKGROUND OF THE lNVEN'llON SUMMARY OI THE INVENTION A primary. object of my invention is to provide a face mask microphone mounting arrangement wherein themicrophone is effectively shielded and isolated from soundsassociated with breathing.

It is also an object of myinvention to provide the foregoing in a relatively simple andinexpensive construction which can be removed, if desired, without defacing other parts of the mask.

Various other. novel features of construction and advantages inherent in the present invention are pointed out in the following detailed description of a typical embodiment thereof considered, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings depicting the samewherein like numerals represent like parts throughout various views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES alinement FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a face mask microphone mounting constructed in accordance with one form ofthe present invention;

' FIG. Zis a horizontalcrosssectional view thereof taken about on line 2-2 of FIG; 1;

LII

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view thereof, as

viewed from right to left in FIG. 1, and;

, FIG. 4- is a transverse sectional view thereof taken about on line 4-4 ofFIG. l.

There is shown in FIG; 1 a face mask 10 having an inhalation-exhalation valve 11, an oro-nasal mask 12 and a microphone housing 13; Face mask 10 includes a semirigid, transparent facepiece bubble 14' having an opening "15 in the lower front portion thereof cooperating with valve 11, to provide a passage forbreathing fluid to and from-the mask cavities formed by bubble l4 and ore-nasal mask [2: Bubble l4 canbe provided with the usual rubber seal about its inner periphery l6 and with straps holding mask 10 against the face,

7 the seal and straps not being shown as they can be conventional and form no part of the presentinvention.

I Inhalation-exhalation valve 11 comprises-a threaded inlet conduit 17 adapted'for connection to a flexible breathing hose, not shown, an outer guard member 18. a central housing 19, a gasket 20 for sealing against body 14 and a deflector member 21 having an axially. tapered inner peripheral portion 22. Valve 11 is fastened to bubble by a plurality of bolts 23, which extend through bore holes locatedv about the margin of opening 15. Valve 11 functions to transmit breathing fluid into mask 12 through a central opening 50 and exhalcd'air from mask 12 through opening 5l,'-the openings 50 and-51 being.

. 24 comprises a collar 2S.which is internally grooved as at 26 to receive and seal about the tapered'edge 22 of-deflector 21. Envelope 24 extends inwardly and laterally outward along top and side portions thereof as indicated at 27-and 28 respective-. ly and generally laterally outwardly along lower portions-as indicated at 29 to form a generally cup-shaped breathing cavity; The inner periphery 30 is shaped to substantially conform to the facial-contour about the nose..xm.outh and chin. ,To. this end, as best seen in FIGS, 2 and 3,.the top portion 27 of envelope 24'sharply peaks and is.recessed--a-t=3l toconfine the nose. The side and lower peripheries areadapted to follow the contour of the facial features which straddle-the 'mouth and chin. As se'enin FIG. 1, the. inner edge of envelope 24 is reversely turned onto itself about periphery-'30 to form an- -in'yyardly extending marginal feather seaLflZ. Seal 32 bears against:-.the facial features of a wearer which-project within .the cavity formed by envelope 24 and together withperiphera l portion 30 provide a comfortable seal about the'wearers nose and mouth. Breathing openings 33 are formed through the opposite side portions 28 of envelope 24 to provide free communication between the cavities formed by bubble 14 and mask 12.

Microphone housing 13 comprises a cylindrical body 36 preferably of rubber, having a closed outer end'37 and an inner end which is open and includes a collar"38. Collar38 is externally grooved at 39 for receiving the marginal portionsof bubble 14 defining an' opening 40 centered horizontally in bubble 14 immediately above opening 15. Housing 13 is'thus supported by and in sealing relation to bubble 14. A microphone indicated at 41 is retained in an'internal groove formed 'within cylindrical body 36 and located externally of 30' bubble 14. Any conventional microphone can be used.

In accordance with my invention, an opening 34 is formed through the top portion 27 of mask 12. A flexible conduit 42, of rubber or the like in corrugated, bellows form, extends from microphone housing 13 to mask 12. In the illustrated embodiment, conduit 42 is formedas an integral extension of housing 13, and terminates in an externally grooved end 43 which slips through opening 34 to engage mask 12 around opening 34.

It will be observed that opening 34 is located well above the I normal breathing path between valve 11 and the mouth and nose of a person wearing the mask. As a result, neither the sounds normally .associated'with' breathing nor the exhaled breath itself are transmitted directly to microphone 41. The latter is effectively shielded from such extraneous sounds by thetube 42 and by its'placemcnt and alinement'out of the breathing path.

At the same time, speech sounds will be transmitted to microphone 41. Indeed, the-confinement of speech sounds within the cavity of mask 12 and within conduit 42 enhances the transmission of such sounds to the microphone.

Therefore, significantly improved voice communication is made possible without material impairment of vision through the fa'cepiece. Microphone housing 13 and tube 42 are substantially immediately in front'of mask 12 when the mask 10 is in place against the face, and therefore do not materially interfere with vision. Conduit end 43 need not be bonded to mask 12, and conduit42 can be cut off adjacent collar 38 if mask 10 is to be used withou't oro-nasal mask 12 or for any other reason conduit 42is not wanted.

Accordingly, it is seen that my invention fully accomplishes its intended objects. While but a single embodiment has been disclosed in detail, that has been done by way of illustration .only.

Iclaim:

1. A face mask microphone-mounting comprising a flexible oro-nasal face mask adapted to enclose the nose and mouth of a user and defining a breathing cavity, an outer face mask body adapted for placement against a wearer's face, said oronasal face mask being located substantially within the confines of said outer mask body. said oro-nasal face maskhaving a first opening, breathing fluid conduit means communicating with said cavity through said outermask body and said first opening, said ore-nasal mask having a second opening separate and distinct from said first opening located above said first opening out of the breathing path toand from said first opening. a microphonc mounted on said outer mask body in spaced relation to said oro-nasal face mask, and tubular acoustical conduit means connecting said microphone to said cavity through said second opening.

2. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim 1 wherein said acoustical conduit means includes a flexible tubular member permitting relative movement between said ore-nasal mask and said outer mask body.

3. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim 2, wherein said tubular member is of corrugated form and fits through said second opening.

4. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim 1 wherein said breathing fluid conduit means includes an inhalation-exhalation valve.

5. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim I wherein said outer face mask body includes a semirigid transparent bubble. k

6. A face mask microphone mounting comprising a flexible oro-nasal face mask adapted to enclose the nose and mouth of a user anddefining a breathing cavity, an outerfacc mask body adapted for placement against a wearer's face, said oronasal face mask being located substantially within the confines of said outer mask body, said oro-nasal face mask having a acoustical conduit means passing through said upper bubble 4 first opening, breathing fluid conduit means communicating with said cavity through said outer mask body-and said first opening, said oro-nasal mask having a second opening located above said first opening out of the breathing path to and from said first opening, a microphone mounted on said outer mask body, and tubular acoustical conduit means connecting said microphone to said cavity through said second opening, wherein said outer face mask body'includes a semirigid transparent bubble and wherein said bubble has a pair of substantially vertically spaced openings, said breathing fluid conduit means including an inhalation-exhalation valve and-extending between said first opening of said-oro-nasal mask and the lower of said vertically spaced bubble openings, said tubular opening.

7. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim 6 wherein said acoustical conduit means includes a flexible, corrugated tubular member permitting relative movement between said oro-nasal mask and said outer mask body.

8. A face mask microphone mounting according to claim 7, wherein said first opening is insubstantial registry with the natural breathing path of a user. I 4

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