Integrally detachable filter member for mask and mask equipped therewith

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrally detachable filter member for a mask and a mask equipped with the same, and more specifically, to an integrally detachable filter member for a mask and a mask equipped with the same that provides a multi-stage capture function in which harmful particles in the air are captured first by inertia and harmful particles not captured by inertia are captured secondarily by diffusion.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrally detachable filter member for a mask and a mask equipped with the same, and more specifically, to an integrally detachable filter member for a mask and a mask equipped with the same that provides a multi-stage capture function in which harmful particles in the air are captured primarily by inertia and harmful particles not captured by inertia are captured secondarily by diffusion. Background Technology

[0002] Mask filters help users breathe cleaner air by removing harmful elements such as airborne impurities, dust, viruses, and bacteria; they are generally composed of simple fiber filters capable of physically removing particles.

[0003] Recently, as the need for protection against fine dust such as PM 2.5 and viruses has increased, various materials and structures are being applied to mask filters.

[0004] For example, high-efficiency particulate air filters, such as HEPA filters, are being applied to mask filters with a structure capable of effectively removing fine particles.

[0005] As another example, activated carbon filters are used to remove gases, odors, and harmful chemicals through chemical adsorption, primarily serving to purify the air by capturing specific gases or odor components from contaminated air.

[0006] Meanwhile, when replacing mask filters due to contamination, users must touch the filter directly with their hands, which poses a problem that increases the risk of infection as contaminants accumulated on the filter may get on their hands or the new filter may become contaminated by touching it with contaminated hands.

[0007] Moreover, if the filter is designed to be replaceable, there is a problem where a gap forms between the mask and the filter if it is installed incorrectly, allowing outside air to flow in and degrade the filter performance of the mask.

[0008] In addition, filter components in masks generate differential pressure while filtering air; if this differential pressure increases, air resistance grows when the user wears the mask, making breathing difficult and causing fatigue during prolonged use.

[0009] Various prior art, including Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0065172, discloses technology related to filter-replaceable masks. However, the prior art still suffers from the problem that the user inevitably touches the filter directly with their hands when replacing it. Prior art literature

[0010] Republic of Korea Published Patent No. 10-2022-0065172 (May 20, 2022) The problem to be solved

[0011] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an integrally detachable filter member for a mask that provides a multi-stage capture function of primarily capturing harmful particles in the air by inertia and secondarily capturing harmful particles not captured by inertia by diffusion, and a mask equipped with the same. means of solving the problem

[0012] A filter member for a mask that is integrally detachable according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing having a detachable structure formed on a bottom surface for detachment from a mask and an air inlet formed near one side of an upper surface; and a HEPA filter provided inside the housing, wherein impurities in the air introduced into the air inlet by the inhalation of a mask wearer are first captured when they collide with the filter due to inertia, and secondly captured by the filter by diffusion when the air colliding with the filter changes its flow direction and flows along the inside of the housing toward an outlet.

[0013] In addition, the HEPA filter is characterized by having a corrugated shape in which peaks and troughs are periodically repeated at regular intervals, and is mounted within the housing such that the impurity adsorption surface faces the upper surface of the housing.

[0014] In addition, when air is introduced through the air inlet, particles in the air are captured primarily by striking the peak, the inclined surface between consecutive peaks, or the trough due to inertia, and when the flow direction of the air captured primarily changes and flows along the space between consecutive peaks and the space between consecutive troughs, uncaptured particles are captured secondarily by diffusion.

[0015] In addition, the housing is characterized by having a trapezoidal hexahedron shape that narrows from one side to the other, and the air inlet is formed near the wider side of the upper surface of the trapezoidal hexahedron.

[0016] Additionally, a mask equipped with an integrally detachable filter member comprises: a filter member according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and a mask-side detachment means for being coupled to a detachment means provided in the housing of the filter member. Effects of the invention

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a filter member for a mask is formed in a structure that is integrally detachable from the mask, so that a user can easily attach the filter member for a mask to the mask or remove it from the mask.

[0018] In addition, the filter member for the mask is formed in the shape of a trapezoidal cuboid, so that air flows in from the wider side and gradually narrows in a direction that increases the speed of the air, thereby enhancing the effect of capturing harmful particles such as impurities, dust, viruses, and bacteria in the air.

[0019] In addition, the HEPA filter is formed in a corrugated shape, which increases the surface area in contact with air, thereby dispersing differential pressure and facilitating airflow. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a mask equipped with an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a HEPA filter of an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the flow of air passing through an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the capture efficiency of an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the filtration mechanisms of an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to any specific embodiment, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0022] In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0024] Where in this specification it is stated that one component “have” or “comprise” a sub-component, it means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0025] The term "MODULE" as used in this specification refers to a unit that processes a specific function or operation, and may refer to hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0026] In this specification, the term “connect” may mean that two components are directly connected, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may also mean that they are connected via one or more other components positioned between the components.

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference number regardless of the drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a mask equipped with an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, the filter member (1) for the mask is structured to be detachably attached to the mask (M), and a detachable structure is formed in the part attached to the mask (M) so that the user can easily attach or remove the filter member (1) for the mask from the mask (M).

[0030] For example, although the above detachable structure is not illustrated, the filter member (1) for the mask can be easily detached in various ways, such as by means of a magnet, a clip, or a hook structure.

[0031] In particular, since the mask filter member (1) must be able to ensure airtightness so that no gaps occur when attached to the mask (M), the contact surface between the mask filter member (1) and the mask (M) may additionally be applied, for example, a silicone pad or a rubber ring.

[0032] In addition, the position where the mask filter member (1) is attached to the mask (M) can be changed to various positions depending on the user's facial shape, and furthermore, it is preferable to attach it to a position close to the user's nose and mouth.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 2, a filter member (1) for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing (10) and a HEPA filter (20).

[0035] The housing (10) has a detachable structure formed for detaching from the mask (M), and an air inlet (111) can be formed on the upper surface (101).

[0036] An air outlet (102) through which air passing through the inside of the housing (10) is discharged may be formed on the lower surface (102) of the housing (10).

[0037] The housing (10) is formed in the shape of a trapezoidal cuboid that becomes narrower from the front of the mask (M) toward the mask (M), and an air inlet (111) may be formed near the wider side in the middle of the upper surface (101) of the trapezoidal cuboid.

[0038] Preferably, the narrower side of the housing (10) is the part attached to the mask (M), and by allowing air to flow from the wider side and gradually narrow in a direction, the speed of the air can be increased to enhance the effect of capturing harmful particles such as impurities, dust, viruses, and bacteria in the air.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a HEPA filter of an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the flow of air passing through an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, a HEPA filter (20) of an integrally detachable mask filter member (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided inside a housing (10).

[0041] The HEPA filter (20) has a corrugated shape in which peaks (201) and valleys (202) are periodically repeated at regular intervals, and can be mounted inside the housing (10) such that the impurity adsorption surface faces the upper surface (101) of the housing (10).

[0042] The HEPA filter (20) can disperse differential pressure and facilitate airflow by increasing the surface area in contact with air through its corrugated shape. Furthermore, even without making the thickness of the HEPA filter (20) thin, it has the effect of reducing differential pressure by increasing the effective filtering area.

[0043] The HEPA filter (20) has a shape that narrows in width towards the mask (M) within the housing (10) in correspondence with the shape of the housing (10). Accordingly, air flow is naturally induced, thereby mitigating the pressure difference.

[0044] When air flows through the folds of the HEPA filter (20), the air comes into greater contact with the impurity adsorption surface of the HEPA filter (20), thereby increasing the capture efficiency.

[0045] As described above, when air is introduced in the direction (d1) through the air inlet (111) formed on the upper surface (101) of the housing (10), particles such as impurities, dust, viruses, and bacteria in the air are captured in the first stage by colliding with the HEPA filter (20) due to inertia. At this time, particles in the air introduced through the air inlet (111) are captured by colliding with the peak (201), the trough (202), or the inclined surface (203) between consecutive peaks (201) due to inertia.

[0046] Next, when the air that was initially captured by colliding with the HEPA filter (20) changes its flow direction (d2) and flows toward the outlet along between the continuous peaks (201) and the continuous valleys (202) inside the housing (10), the uncaptured particles are secondarily captured by the HEPA filter (20) by diffusion.

[0047] In other words, the integrally detachable mask filter member (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide a multi-stage capture function in which large dust or fine particles are captured first by hitting the surface of the HEPA filter (20) by inertia when air flows into the housing (10), and fine particles that are not captured by inertia are captured secondarily by diffusion as they pass through the narrow air passage between the HEPA filters (20).

[0048] For example, large dust or fine particles collected primarily by inertia can be particles such as PM10, and fine particles collected secondarily by diffusion can be very small particles such as PM2.5.

[0049] The air that passes through the HEPA filter (20) and is secondarily captured can be discharged through the air outlet (112) of the housing (10).

[0050] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the capture efficiency of an integrally detachable filter member for a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Referring to Figure 6, the vertical axis of the graph represents capture efficiency, and the horizontal axis represents particle diameter, indicating the capture efficiency according to the particle size in the air.

[0052] First, diffusion is highly effective for capturing small particles, mainly 0.1 μm or smaller, and the particles can move along irregular paths and reach the HEPA filter (20) to be captured. In the diffusion mechanism, as the particle size becomes smaller, Brownian motion becomes more active, increasing contact with the HEPA filter (20), and thus increasing the capture efficiency.

[0053] In addition, inertia allows particles to collide with the HEPA filter (20) and be captured when moving at a high speed, and the capture efficiency is excellent for relatively large particles. As the particle size increases, the inertia increases, so that the particles cannot follow the path according to the change in flow velocity and can collide with the HEPA filter (20) and be captured.

[0054] Overall, it can be observed that the capture efficiency of particles of various sizes increases when both diffusion and inertia mechanisms are applied.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the filtration mechanisms of an integrally detachable mask filter member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 7, the present invention relates to a filtration mechanism regarding how a particle interacts with an integrally detachable mask filter member (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The particle trajectory is such that the particle moves along the surface of the mask filter member (1), either deviating from the streamline or moving along it, until it reaches a collector. At this time, the collector can be understood as corresponding to a HEPA filter (20) in the present invention, and the streamline represents the natural flow around the mask filter member (1) as an ideal path when the particle moves along the mask filter member (1).

[0057] Particle A travels along the streamline but collides with the collector due to the proximity between the streamline and the collector. This is an interception mechanism, whereby the particle can be physically intercepted and captured when it approaches the collector along the streamline.

[0058] Particle B follows a path that deviates from the streamline to reach the collector, and due to inertia or gravity, it deviates from the streamline and collides with the collector through inertia and sedimentation mechanisms.

[0059] Particle C reaches the collector via a diffusion mechanism in which it deviates from the streamlines due to random Brownian motion; very small particles move irregularly due to thermal vibrations as they reach the collector. This motion primarily occurs in fine and light particles, which can come into contact with the collector surface and be captured.

[0060] That is, the particles reach the collector through the main mechanisms of blocking, inertia and sedimentation, and diffusion while interacting with the filter member (1) for the mask, and may vary depending on the size, mass, and movement speed of the particles and the structure of the filter.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to several embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0062] 1: Integrated detachable filter member for a mask 10: Housing 20: HEPA filter 101: Top surface 102: Bottom surface 111: Air inlet 112: Air outlet 201: Peak 202: Goal 203: Slope

Claims

Claim 1 A filter member for a mask that is integrally detachable, comprising: a housing having a detachable structure formed on the bottom surface for detachment from the mask and an air inlet formed near one side of the upper surface; and a HEPA filter provided inside the housing, wherein impurities in the air introduced into the air inlet by the inhalation of a mask wearer are first captured when they collide with the filter due to inertia, and are secondarily captured by the filter by diffusion when the air colliding with the filter changes its flow direction and flows along the inside of the housing toward the outlet, wherein the HEPA filter has a corrugated shape in which peaks and troughs are periodically repeated at regular intervals, and is mounted inside the housing such that the impurity adsorption surface faces the upper surface of the housing. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A filter member for an integrally detachable mask according to claim 1, characterized in that when air is introduced through the air inlet, particles in the air collide with the peak, the inclined surface between consecutive peaks, or the trough due to inertia and are primarily captured, and when the flow direction of the primarily captured air changes and flows along the space between consecutive peaks and the space between consecutive troughs, uncaptured particles are secondarily captured by diffusion. Claim 4 A filter member for an integrally detachable mask according to claim 1, wherein the housing is in the shape of a trapezoidal hexahedron whose width narrows from one side to the other, and the air inlet is formed near the wider side of the upper surface of the trapezoidal hexahedron. Claim 5 A mask equipped with an integrally detachable filter member comprising: a filter member of any one of claims 1, 3 and 4; and a mask-side detachable means for coupling with a detachable means provided in the housing of the filter member.

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