Air filter components, filter cartridges, and respirators

Abstract

The present application relates to an air filter component, a filter cartridge, and a respiratory mask. The air filter component is made from a sheet including a filter section including a first wave portion and a second wave portion, and a peripheral section integrally formed with the filter section as a substantially flat boundary surrounding the filter section. The first wave portion and the second wave portion are on both sides of the peripheral section, and the maximum distance between the first wave portion and the upper surface of the peripheral section is a first distance, and the maximum distance between the second wave portion and the lower surface of the peripheral section is a second distance. The first sheet layer of the sheet is on the outer surface side of the air filter component, and the second sheet layer of the sheet is on the inner surface side of the air filter component, and the fiber diameter of the first sheet layer is larger than the fiber diameter of any one of the other layers of the sheet, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance. The air filter component, the filter cartridge, and the respiratory mask including the air filter component according to the present disclosure can improve the filter performance and improve the safety and comfort when worn.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of safety protection, and in particular to an air filter component, a filter cartridge having an air filter component, and a respirator having a filter cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] The material in this section merely provides background information related to the present application and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] As a safety protection device, respirator masks are widely used to provide safety protection to the wearer in various toxic and harmful environments, prevent the wearer from being harmed by toxic gases or toxic substances, such as steam, dust, and bacteria, and allow the wearer to inhale clean air. The respirator mainly includes a respirator body and one or more filter cartridges attached to the respirator body, and an air filter component is attached to the filter cartridge. Ambient air is filtered by the air filter component in the filter cartridge to remove contaminants in the ambient air (e.g., dust aerosols, fog droplets, bacteria, etc.), and the resulting clean air flows into the respirator body for the wearer to inhale.

[0004] The performance of a respirator (e.g., protection performance, aerosol filling performance, etc.) depends largely on the performance of the attached filter cartridge, and more specifically, on the performance of the air filter component attached to the filter cartridge. In order to improve the wearing performance of the air filter component, the filter part of the air filter component is made into a corrugated or pleated shape to increase the filter area. In conventional air filter components, in order to maintain the shape of the filter part of the air filter component, it is common to use an adhesive in the manufacturing process of the air filter component. However, in this manufacturing process, the adhesive used may generate toxic substances, thereby affecting the safety of the wearer. In addition, in order to improve the protective performance of the air filter component, materials with smaller fiber diameters are usually used to manufacture the air filter component, which causes a large pressure drop when air flows through the air filter component while the user is inhaling, resulting in insufficient breathability and thus affecting wearing comfort.

[0005] It is therefore desirable to improve the wearing comfort and safety of respiratory masks while maintaining the protective performance of the respiratory mask. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the breathability, wearing comfort, and safety of air filter components while ensuring the protective and wearing performance of the air filter components.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides an air filter component made from a sheet including at least a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer laminated together. The air filter component includes a filter portion including a first wave portion and a second wave portion, and a peripheral portion integrally formed with the filter portion as a substantially flat boundary surrounding the filter portion. The first wave portion and the second wave portion are on both sides of the peripheral portion in the thickness direction of the air filter component, and a maximum distance between the first wave portion and an upper surface of the peripheral portion in the thickness direction is a first distance, and a maximum distance between the second wave portion and a lower surface of the peripheral portion in the thickness direction is a second distance. The first sheet layer is on the outer surface side of the air filter component, and the second sheet layer is on the inner surface side of the air filter component, and the fiber diameter of the first sheet layer is larger than the fiber diameter of any one of the other layers of the sheet, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

[0008] The first wave portion includes a number of first protrusions equally spaced apart from one another in a first direction, the number of first protrusions extending transversely to the first direction, and both ends of each first protrusion extending to the periphery. The second wave portion includes a number of second protrusions equally spaced apart from one another in the first direction, the number of second protrusions extending transversely to the first direction, and both ends of each second protrusion extending to the periphery.

[0009] In one embodiment, the second protrusions are staggered with the first protrusions.

[0010] In one embodiment, the periphery is formed to include a number of first sections equally spaced from one another in a first direction, where an upper surface of the first sections forms an upper surface of the periphery and where each first protrusion extends into a corresponding first section, a number of second sections equally spaced from one another in the first direction, where a lower surface of the second sections forms an lower surface of the periphery and where each second protrusion extends into a corresponding second section, and a number of third sections between the number of first sections and the number of second sections and connecting the first sections and the second sections.

[0011] In the first direction, the length of the first section is less than the length of the second section.

[0012] The air filter component is folded so that the multiple second sections are arranged in an arc.

[0013] The perimeter is formed by one or more of the following methods: heat welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, vibration welding, and infrared welding.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sheet further comprises one or more intermediate sheet layers between the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

[0015] The fiber diameter of the one or more intermediate sheet layers is between the fiber diameter of the first sheet layer and the fiber diameter of the second sheet layer.

[0016] In one embodiment, the ratio of the first distance to the second distance is less than or equal to 0.25.

[0017] In one embodiment, the air filter component has a thickness of 15 mm and the first distance is no greater than 3 mm.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a filter cartridge comprising a housing, the filter cartridge further comprising an air filter component according to the present application, the air filter component being attached to the housing.

[0019] In one embodiment, the air filter component is attached to the housing via a support member, with the periphery of the air filter component being coupled to a peripheral wall of the support member.

[0020] In one embodiment, a peripheral wall of the support member is provided with a number of arcuate portions, and the air filter component is attached to the support member such that each first lobe of the first corrugation corresponds to a corresponding arcuate portion.

[0021] In one embodiment, the air filter component is mounted such that a second corrugation of the air filter component is spaced from the bottom wall of the housing.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the present application, a respirator is provided, the respirator including a respirator body and further including a filter cartridge according to the present application.

[0023] In the present application, the filter portion of the air filter component is integrally formed with the peripheral portion, and the first sheet layer with a large fiber diameter is located on the outer surface side, and the second sheet layer with a small fiber diameter is located on the inner surface side. The filter portion is corrugated, and the shape of the filter portion is maintained by the peripheral portion, and the peripheral portion is formed above the central surface of the filter portion, which can improve the wearing performance of the air filter component, reduce the pressure drop of the air flowing through the air filter component, and improve the breathability of the air filter component. As a result, it is possible to improve the filtration performance of the air filter component, the filter cartridge equipped with the air filter component, and the respiratory mask, while improving the wearing comfort. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which like features or components are designated with like reference numerals and in which the drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a respiratory mask according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an air filter component of the respiratory mask shown in FIG. 1 according to the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the manufacture of the air filter component shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but with the air filter component bent. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the filter cartridge shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] Installation of the air filter components onto the support member. [Figure 8A] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of air filter components having weld surfaces in different locations. [Figure 8B] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of air filter components having weld surfaces in different locations. [Figure 8C] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of air filter components having weld surfaces in different locations. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows the results of a first test on an air filter component. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows the results of a first test on an air filter component. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 shows the results of a first test on an air filter component. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 shows the results of a second test on the air filter component. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows the results of a second test on the air filter component. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 shows the results of a second test on the air filter component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present application and its application or use. It should be understood that like reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts and features throughout all the drawings. The drawings are merely illustrative of the concepts and principles of the embodiments of the present application and do not necessarily depict specific dimensions and scales of the various embodiments of the present application. Certain parts in certain drawings may be exaggerated to show relevant details or structures of the various embodiments of the present application.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation terms related to "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner" and "outer" used herein are described according to the positional relationships of "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner" and "outer" in the figures shown in the accompanying drawings. In practical applications, the positional relationships of "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner" and "outer" used herein may be defined according to the actual situation. These relationships may be reversed.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a respiratory mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the respiratory mask 1 includes a respiratory mask body 30 and a filter cartridge 50. The filter cartridge 50 is attached to the respiratory mask body 30 through a mounting interface 30a on the respiratory mask body 30 and communicates with the interior of the respiratory mask body 30 through the mounting interface 30a, so that a wearer can inhale the clean air filtered by the filter cartridge 50 through the mounting interface 30a. The respiratory mask 1 can be worn on a user's head through a belt 40. When a user wears the respiratory mask 1, the respiratory mask body 30 covers at least the nose and mouth area of ​​the wearer, and the filter cartridge 50 is located at a position to the side or in front of the wearer's nose and mouth. The filter cartridge 50 includes a housing 20 and an air filter component 10 attached to the housing 20.

[0029] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the air filter component 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the air filter component 10 includes a peripheral portion 100 and a filter portion 130 integrally formed therewith. The peripheral portion 100 is formed as a substantially flat boundary surrounding the filter portion 130. The filter portion 130 protrudes from both sides of the peripheral portion 100 in the thickness direction of the air filter component 10 (z direction in Fig. 2).

[0030] The filter portion 130 includes a first wave portion 131 and a second wave portion 132, and the first wave portion 131 and the second wave portion 132 are located on both sides of the peripheral portion 100 in the thickness direction of the air filter component 10. When the respiratory mask 1 equipped with the air filter component 10 is worn on the head of a user, the first wave portion 131 is located on the outer surface side of the peripheral portion 100 (i.e., the side facing the external environment, i.e., the air inflow side), and the second wave portion 132 is located on the inner surface side of the peripheral portion 100 (i.e., the side facing the wearer, i.e., the clean air outflow side). In FIG. 2, the first wave portion 131 is located on the upper side of the peripheral portion 100, and the second wave portion 132 is located on the lower side of the peripheral portion 100.

[0031] The first wave portion 131 includes a number of first protrusions 131a arranged at equal intervals from each other in a first direction (x direction in FIG. 2) of the air filter component 10. The number of first protrusions 131a are arranged at equal intervals from each other along the first direction and extend along a second direction (y direction in FIG. 2) intersecting the first direction, and both ends of each first protrusion 131a extend to the peripheral portion 100. The second wave portion 132 includes a number of second protrusions 132a arranged at equal intervals from each other along the first direction. The number of second protrusions 132a are arranged at equal intervals from each other along the first direction (x direction in FIG. 2) and extend along a second direction (y direction in FIG. 2) intersecting the first direction, and both ends of each second protrusion 132a extend to the peripheral portion 100. In one embodiment, the multiple first protrusions 131a and the multiple second protrusions 132a are arranged alternately with each other in the first direction. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments according to the present application, the first protrusions 131a and the second protrusions 132a may be aligned with each other.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the manufacture of an air filter component 10. The air filter component 10 may be made of a sheet M. The sheet M may have a multi-layer structure formed of many fiber layers with different fiber diameters. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the longitudinal length of the sheet M is determined according to the size of the air filter component 10 to be manufactured, and the sheet M of a predetermined length is folded along its longitudinal direction (x direction in FIG. 3) to form a corrugated shape. Next, a first boundary line A1 and a second boundary line A2 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sheet M are defined according to the size of the filter portion 130 of the air filter component 10. The first boundary line A1 and the second boundary line A2 divide the region between the first longitudinal end M1 and the second longitudinal end M2 of the sheet M into a first portion M3 outside the first boundary line A1, a second portion M4 outside the second boundary line A2, and a third portion M5 between the first portion M3 and the second portion M4. The third portion M5 corresponds to the filter portion 130 of the air filter component 10, and the first longitudinal end M1, the second longitudinal end M2, the first portion M3, and the second portion M4 correspond to the peripheral portion 100 of the air filter component 10.

[0033] Next, the first longitudinal end M1, the second longitudinal end M2, the first portion M3, and the second portion M4 of the sheet M are heat-pressed or ultrasonically welded to the welding surface H1 to melt and bond the bonding fibers of these portions into a substantially flat boundary having a closed contour that can surround the third portion M5 and maintain the corrugated shape of the third portion M5. As shown in FIG. 3, the welding surface H1 is located above the mid-plane H0 of the corrugations of the sheet M. The mid-plane H0 of the corrugations of the sheet M is a plane located at the mid-height of the total height of the corrugations of the sheet M. The welding surface H1 and the first longitudinal end M1 intersect at a line P1, and the welding surface H1 and the second longitudinal end M2 intersect at a line P2. This forms the air filter component 10 shown in FIG. 2. The boundary formed by the first longitudinal end M1, the second longitudinal end M2, the first portion M3, and the second portion M4 constitutes the periphery 100 of the air filter component 10, and the third portion M5 forms the filter portion 130 of the air filter component 10. The portion of the third portion M5 located above the welding plane H1 forms the first wave portion 131 of the filter portion 130, and the portion of the third portion M5 located below the welding plane H1 forms the second wave portion 132 of the filter portion 130.

[0034] The corrugated shape of the filter portion 130 of the air filter component 10 is maintained by the peripheral portion 100 without the use of additional adhesive, thereby avoiding toxicity due to the use of adhesive. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the air filter component 10 can be reduced, and the use safety of the air filter component 10 can be improved.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the air filter component 10 taken along section line A-A' of FIG. 2, illustrating the structure of a periphery 100 of the air filter component 10. As shown in FIG.

[0036] The sheet M used in the manufacture of the air filter component 10 has a multi-layer structure made of multiple fiber layers with different fiber diameters and includes at least a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer superimposed on each other, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer being made of different materials. In addition, the sheet M may further include one or more intermediate sheet layers sandwiched between the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

[0037] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the sheet M includes a first sheet layer 111a, a second sheet layer 111c, and an intermediate sheet layer 111b sandwiched between the first sheet layer 111a and the second sheet layer 111c. The first sheet layer 111a is made of a thick fiber material having a larger fiber diameter, and the second sheet layer 111c is made of a thin fiber material having a smaller fiber diameter. The fiber diameter of the intermediate sheet layer 111b is between the fiber diameter of the first sheet layer 111a and the fiber diameter of the second sheet layer 111c. In general, a sheet layer with a larger fiber diameter has a better aerosol filling performance, and a sheet layer with a smaller fiber diameter has a better filtration performance. Thus, the sheet layer with a smaller fiber diameter determines the filter performance of the air filter component 10, and the sheet layer with a larger fiber diameter determines the aerosol filling performance of the air filter component 10. In one example, the fiber diameter of the first sheet layer 111a is 20 micrometers, and the fiber diameter of the second sheet layer 111c is 8.5 micrometers. In the air filter component 10 made from the sheet M, the first sheet layer 111a is located on the outer surface side (i.e., the side facing the external environment) of the air filter component 10, and the second sheet layer 111c is located on the inner surface side (i.e., the side facing the wearer) of the air filter component 10. Each sheet layer of the sheet M is electrostatically charged to effectively capture aerosols in the air. As shown by the arrow K1 in FIG. 4, the air to be filtered flows into the air filter component 10 from the first sheet layer 111a, and the clean air filtered by the air filter component 10 flows into the wearer's nose and mouth area from the second sheet layer 111c.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the peripheral portion 100 includes a number of first sections 121, a number of second sections 122, and a number of third sections 123 connecting the first sections 121 and the second sections 122. The number of first sections 121 are spaced apart from each other by a distance d2, and correspond to the number of first protrusions 131a of the first wave portion 131, respectively. The number of first sections 121 are all flat sections, and the upper surfaces of the number of first sections 121 form the upper surface of the peripheral portion 100. The number of first protrusions 131a are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other by a distance d1 along a first direction (x direction in FIG. 4), and extend along a second direction (y direction in FIG. 4) intersecting the first direction, and both ends of each first protrusion 131a extend to the corresponding first section 121 of the peripheral portion 100, respectively. The multiple second sections 122 are spaced apart from each other by a distance d3 and correspond to the multiple second protrusions 132a of the second wave portion 132, respectively. The multiple second sections 122 are flat sections, and the lower surfaces of the second sections 122 form the lower surface of the peripheral portion 100. The multiple second protrusions 132a are spaced apart from each other along a first direction (x direction in FIG. 4) and extend in a second direction (y direction in FIG. 4) intersecting the first direction, and both ends of each second protrusion 132a extend to the corresponding second section 122 of the peripheral portion 100, respectively. The length of the first section 121 in the first direction (x direction in FIG. 4) is shorter than the length of the second section 122.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, in the thickness direction of the air filter component 10, the maximum distance between the upper surface of the peripheral portion 100 and the first corrugation 131 (i.e., the maximum distance between the upper surface of the first section 121 and the top of the first protrusion 131a) is the first distance L1, and the maximum distance between the lower surface of the peripheral portion 100 and the second corrugation 132 (i.e., the maximum distance between the lower surface of the second section 122 and the bottom of the second protrusion 132a) is the second distance L2. Since the welding plane H1 is located above the intermediate plane H0, the first distance L1 is smaller than the second distance L2. Preferably, the ratio of the first distance L1 to the second distance L2 is 0.25 or less. In one example, the thickness of the air filter component 10 (the sum of the first distance L1, the second distance L2, and the thickness of the peripheral portion 100) is 15 mm, and the first distance L1 is 3 mm or less.

[0040] According to the above-mentioned arrangement of the air filter component 10, the first sheet layer 111a having a larger fiber diameter is arranged on the outer surface side (air inflow side), the second sheet layer 111c having a smaller fiber diameter is arranged on the inner surface side (clean air outflow side), the corrugated shape of the filter part 130 is maintained by the peripheral part 100 without using additional adhesive, the peripheral part 100 is formed to be located above the middle plane H0, and the first distance L1 is smaller than the second distance L2, which can improve the mounting performance of the air filter component 10, reduce the pressure drop of the air flowing through the air filter component 10, and improve the breathability of the air filter component 10. As a result, it is possible to improve the filter performance and mounting performance of the air filter component 10 while improving comfort and safety when worn.

[0041] The air filter component 10 is flexible and bendable and may be folded to conform to the shape of a filter cartridge in which the air filter component 10 is to be installed. Figure 5 shows the folded air filter component 10. The air filter component 10 is folded such that the distance d1 between adjacent first lobes 131a of the first corrugations 131 is increased, the distance d2 between adjacent first sections 121 of the periphery 100 is increased, and the second sections 122 of the periphery 100 are arranged in an arc and the distance d3 between adjacent second sections 122 is decreased. In the example shown in Figure 5, adjacent second sections 122 are connected to each other to form an arc shape.

[0042] FIG. 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a filter cartridge 50 to which an air filter component 10 is attached. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 20 of the filter cartridge 50 includes a lower housing 21 and an upper housing 22 that are hinged to each other, and the upper housing 22 can rotate relative to the lower housing 21 about a hinge line h to open and close the housing 20. The lower housing 21 includes a bottom wall 211 and a peripheral wall 212 that surrounds the bottom wall 211. The bottom wall 211 is provided with a through hole 21a and a mounting portion 21b that surrounds the through hole 21a. The mounting portion 21b may be attached to the mounting interface 30a (see FIG. 1) on the respiratory mask body 30 of the respiratory mask 1 in order to attach the filter cartridge 50 to the respiratory mask body 30. A boss portion 2121 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 212, and a locking protrusion 21c is provided on the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 212. The upper surface of the upper housing 22 is provided with a number of vent holes 221, through which the ambient air enters the filter cartridge and is filtered by the air filter component 10. The peripheral wall of the upper housing 22 is provided with a locking recess 22a that can be engaged with the locking protrusion 21c on the outer periphery. When the air filter component 10 is attached to the lower housing 21 at a predetermined position, the upper housing 22 rotates toward the lower housing 21 around the hinge line h, and the locking protrusion 21c of the lower housing 21 fits into the locking recess 22a of the upper housing 22, thereby locking the air filter component 10 in the housing 20. Preferably, when the air filter component 10 is attached to the housing 20 of the filter cartridge 50, the second wave portion 132 of the air filter component 10 is spaced from the bottom wall 211 of the lower housing 21 so that the clean air filtered by the air filter component 10 flows through the through hole 21a of the lower housing 21 into the inside of the respiratory mask body 30, facilitating the wearer's inhalation. In one embodiment, the second corrugation 132 of the air filter component 10 is spaced 2.5 mm from the bottom wall 211 of the lower housing 21 .

[0043] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the air filter component 10 is attached to the housing 20 of the filter cartridge 50 via a support member 60. The support member 60 includes a peripheral wall 61 and a flange portion 62 extending widthwise outward from a lower end of the peripheral portion 61. The inner periphery of the peripheral wall 61 substantially corresponds to the boundary of the filter portion 130 of the air filter component 10. The support member 60 may be formed or attached to the air filter component 10 such that at least the first wave portion 131 of the air filter component 10 is located within the peripheral wall 61 of the support member 60. In one example, the upper surface of the peripheral portion 100 of the air filter component 10 is coupled to the peripheral wall 61 of the support member 60, for example, the lower end of the peripheral wall 61, so that the first wave portion 131 of the air filter component 10 is located within the peripheral wall 61. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a number of arc-shaped portions 611 are provided on each of two opposing side walls of the peripheral wall 61 of the support member 60. When the air filter component 10 and the support member 60 are mounted in place, as shown in FIG. 7, each of the first protrusions 131a of the first wave portion 131 of the air filter component 10 is aligned with the corresponding arc-shaped portion 611. When the air filter component 10 moves with the support member 60, the shape of the air filter component 10 can be maintained, and the distance between the adjacent first protrusions 131a can be kept constant, so that the performance of the air filter component 10 is stable. However, it should be noted that the arc-shaped portion 611 is optional. In other embodiments according to the present application, the peripheral wall 61 of the support member 60 may not include the above-mentioned arc-shaped portion 611. The flange portion 62 of the support member 60 may be attached to the boss portion 2121 of the lower housing 21.

[0044] It should be noted that in other embodiments according to the present application, the air filter component 10 may be attached directly to the housing 20 of the filter cartridge 50. The peripheral portion 100 of the air filter component 10 may rest on the boss portion 2121 of the lower housing 21 without the use of the support member 60.

[0045] The air filter components are tested as follows. In the test described below, a number of air filter components are tested for initial pressure drop (hereinafter abbreviated as Ini PD), maximum load penetration (hereinafter abbreviated as Max PEN), and quality factor (hereinafter abbreviated as QF). The Ini PD of an air filter component is the pressure difference caused by air flowing through the air filter component at a given flow rate. The Max PEN of an air filter component is the transmission rate of contaminants contained in air flowing through the air filter component at a given flow rate. The QF can be calculated from the Ini PD and Max PEN according to the following formula:

number

[0046] 8A-8C show schematic diagrams of air filter components with a welded surface H1 at different positions. FIG. 8A shows an air filter component with a high welded surface, where the welded surface H1 is located above the middle surface H0 of the air filter component, and the first distance L1 in the thickness direction between the first wave 131 and the periphery of the air filter component (i.e., the maximum distance in the thickness direction between the first wave 131 and the welded surface H1) is smaller than the second distance L2 in the thickness direction between the second wave 132 and the periphery of the air filter component (i.e., the maximum distance in the thickness direction between the second wave 132 and the welded surface H1). For the air filter component with a high welded surface, the first distance L1 is less than 3 mm when the thickness is 15 mm. Figure 8B shows an air filter component with a middle weld plane where the weld plane H1 is located at the mid-plane H0 of the air filter component and a first distance L1 between the first corrugations 131 and the periphery of the air filter component is equal to a second distance L2 between the second corrugations 132 and the periphery of the air filter component. Figure 8C shows an air filter component with a lower weld plane where the weld plane H1 is located below the mid-plane H0 of the air filter component and a first distance L1 between the first corrugations 131 and the periphery of the air filter component is greater than a second distance L2 between the second corrugations 132 and the periphery of the air filter component.

[0047] In the following tests, the tested air filter components had similar configurations and only differed in the location of the weld surface H1.

[0048] In the first test for the three air filter components shown in Figures 8A-8C, liquid aerosol DOP is used as the contaminant to be removed, and the air filter components are tested for initial pressure drop (Ini PD), maximum penetration depth (Max PEN), and maximum quality factor (Max QF). The results are shown in Figures 9-11, where Figure 9 shows a box plot of the Ini PD of the air filter components, Figure 10 shows a box plot of the Max PEN of the air filter components, and Figure 11 shows the Max QF of the air filter components, and the horizontal axis in Figures 9-11 represents the position of the weld surface of the air filter components. As shown in Figure 9, the air filter components with low weld surfaces have the maximum Ini PD, the air filter components with high weld surfaces have the minimum Ini PD, and the air filter components with intermediate weld surfaces have an intermediate Ini PD between them. Compared to the air filter components with low weld surfaces, the Ini PD of the air filter components with high weld surfaces is significantly reduced as indicated by the arrows in Figure 9. The smaller the Ini PD, the better the breathability and wearing comfort. Thus, the air filter component with a high welding surface has good breathability and wearing comfort. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the three tested air filter components have similar Max PEN. Thus, the QF of the air filter component calculated from Ini PD and Max PEN as described above increases as the Ini PD decreases. Thus, the air filter component with a high welding surface has the maximum QF, the air filter component with a low welding surface has the maximum QF, and the air filter component with an intermediate welding surface has an intermediate QF between them. The higher the QF at a given flow rate, the better the filter performance of the air filter component. Compared to the air filter component with a low welding surface, the QF of the air filter component with a high welding surface increases significantly as shown by the arrow in FIG. 11, and thus the filter performance of the air filter component with a high welding surface is significantly improved.

[0049] In a second test on the three air filter components shown in Figures 8A-8C, solid aerosol NaCl is used as the contaminant to be removed and the air filter components are tested for Initial PD, Max PEN, and QF. The results are shown in Figures 12-14, where Figure 12 shows a box plot of the Ini PD of the air filter components, Figure 13 shows a box plot of the Max PEN of the air filter components, and Figure 14 shows the Max QF of the air filter components, with the horizontal axis of Figures 12-14 representing the position of the weld surface of the air filter components. Figures 12-14 show the same trends as those shown in Figures 9-11.

[0050] The results of the first and second tests above show that when the position of the welding surface is above the mid-surface of the air filter component, and preferably as close as possible to the top of the air filter component, the wearing comfort of the air filter component can be improved while at the same time improving the filter performance.

[0051] The air filter component, the filter cartridge, and the respirator according to the present application have been described above. In the air filter component according to the present application, the air filter component is integrally formed from the sheet M such that the sheet layer having a larger fiber diameter is located on the outer surface side and the sheet layer having a smaller fiber diameter is located on the inner surface side. The filter portion 130 is corrugated, and the corrugated shape of the filter portion 130 is maintained by the peripheral portion 100 surrounding the filter portion 130, and there is no need to use additional adhesive to maintain the shape of the filter portion 130, so that the manufacture of the air filter component 10 can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, the toxicity caused by using adhesive can be avoided, and the safety of use of the air filter component can be improved. In addition, by forming the peripheral portion 100 on a surface located above the central surface of the filter portion 130, preferably by forming the peripheral portion 100 close to the upper end of the filter portion 130, the wearing performance of the air filter component 10 can be improved, the pressure drop of the air flowing through the air filter component 10 can be reduced, and the breathability of the air filter component 10 can be improved. As a result, it is possible to improve the wearing comfort while improving the filter performance of the air filter component 10.

[0052] In the embodiment shown above, the outer contour of the air filter component 10 is generally rectangular. However, the present disclosure is not so limited. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the air filter component 10 may have an outer contour of other shapes. For example, in one example, the air filter component 10 may be formed with an outer contour of a circular, oval, hexagonal, etc. shape to suit different types of filter cartridges and respirators.

[0053] Although the exemplary embodiments of the air filter component, filter cartridge, and respirator of the present application have been described in detail, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments detailed above. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application. All of these modifications and variations are included within the scope of the present application. Moreover, all the elements described herein can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. An air filter component (10) made from a sheet including at least a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer laminated together, a filter portion including a first wave portion (131) and a second wave portion (132); a peripheral portion (100) integrally formed with said filter portion as a substantially planar boundary surrounding said filter portion; The first wave portion and the second wave portion are located on both sides of the peripheral portion in a thickness direction of the air filter component, and a maximum distance between the first wave portion and an upper surface of the peripheral portion in the thickness direction is a first distance (L1), and a maximum distance between the second wave portion and a lower surface of the peripheral portion in the thickness direction is a second distance (L2).

1. An air filter component, comprising: a first sheet layer on an outer surface side of the air filter component; a second sheet layer on an inner surface side of the air filter component; a fiber diameter of the first sheet layer is larger than a fiber diameter of any one of the other layers of the sheet; and the first distance (L1) is smaller than the second distance (L2).

2. The first wave portion includes a plurality of first protrusions (131 a) equally spaced from one another in a first direction (x), the plurality of first protrusions extend in a direction transverse to the first direction, and both ends of each first protrusion extend to the periphery; 2. The air filter component of claim 1, wherein the second corrugations include a plurality of second projections (132a) equally spaced from one another in the first direction (x), the plurality of second projections extending transversely to the first direction, and both ends of each second projection extending to the periphery.

3. 3. The air filter component of claim 2, wherein said second projections are staggered with said first projections.

4. The peripheral portion is a plurality of first sections (121) equally spaced from one another in the first direction, upper surfaces of the first sections forming the upper surface of the periphery, each first protrusion extending into a corresponding first section; a plurality of second sections (122) equally spaced from one another in the first direction, lower surfaces of the second sections forming the lower surface of the periphery, each second projection extending into a corresponding second section; 3. The air filter component of claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of third sections (123) between said plurality of first sections and said plurality of second sections and connecting said first sections and said second sections.

5. 5. The air filter component of claim 4, wherein the length of the first section is less than the length of the second section in the first direction.

6. 5. The air filter component of claim 4, wherein the air filter component is folded such that the plurality of second sections are aligned in an arc.

7. 5. The air filter component of claim 4, wherein the perimeter is formed by one or more of the following methods: heat welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, vibration welding, and infrared welding.

8. An air filter component according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sheet further comprises one or more intermediate sheet layers (111b) between the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

9. 9. The air filter component of claim 8, wherein a fiber diameter of the one or more intermediate sheet layers is between a fiber diameter of the first sheet layer and a fiber diameter of the second sheet layer.

10. An air filter component according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the ratio of said first distance (L1) to said second distance (L2) is less than or equal to 0.

25.

11. 11. An air filter component according to claim 10, characterised in that the thickness of the air filter component is 15 mm and the first distance (L1) is less than or equal to 3 mm.

12. A filter cartridge (50) comprising a housing (20), further comprising an air filter component according to any one of claims 1 to 11 mounted in said housing.

13. 13. The filter cartridge of claim 12, wherein the air filter component is attached to the housing via a support member (60), the periphery of the air filter component being bonded to a peripheral wall of the support member.

14. 14. The filter cartridge of claim 13, wherein the peripheral wall of the support member is provided with a plurality of arcuate portions (611), and the air filter component is attached to the support member such that each first lobe of the first corrugation corresponds to a corresponding arcuate portion.

15. The filter cartridge of any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the air filter component is mounted such that the second corrugation of the air filter component is spaced apart from a bottom wall (211) of the housing.

16. A respiratory mask (1) comprising a respiratory mask body (30), characterized in that the respiratory mask body further comprises a filter cartridge according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

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