Breathable Mask Multi-Channel Connector Nose Breathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current snorkeling masks either force users to breathe only through the mouth, leading to discomfort and energy consumption, or use full-face designs that mix clean and dirty air, causing carbon dioxide buildup and safety issues, and lack sufficient mouthpiece support.
Innovation Solution
A breathable mask design with a multi-channel connector that allows nose breathing, separates inhalation and exhalation airflow, includes a drain valve to prevent water from entering the nostrils, and provides a mouthpiece for stable mouth breathing, with symmetrical exhaust tubes for efficient air discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a separate breathing tube is used with a mask body covering eyes and nose, then the mask structure is simple, but the user cannot breathe through the nose and must breathe through the mouth only, which causes discomfort and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The mask interior is segmented into a first breathing chamber covering the nose and a second breathing chamber covering the mouth, with separate airflow paths for each chamber. This allows independent breathing through nose and mouth while maintaining a unified mask structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask body is designed to support multiple breathing modes (nose breathing and mouth breathing) simultaneously through the multi-chamber design, making it adaptable to different user preferences and activity levels while maintaining comfort.
2Ease of operation
If a full-face snorkel mask is used to allow nose breathing, then the user can breathe through the nose, but clean air and dirty air are rapidly mixed inside the mask body causing carbon dioxide concentration to rise sharply
Solution Approach 1:
The interior of the mask body is divided into a first breathing chamber for nose breathing and a second breathing chamber for mouth breathing, with separate airflow paths. This segmentation prevents mixing of exhaled air from the nose back into the nose breathing area, eliminating carbon dioxide buildup while enabling comfortable nose breathing.
Solution Approach 2:
The first breathing chamber is designed to maintain continuous fresh air supply to the nose area through the breathing tube, while the separate exhaust path ensures continuous removal of exhaled air without recirculation, preventing carbon dioxide accumulation over time.
3Device complexity
If the mask body covers only eyes and nose, then the structure is simple, but the mouth is exposed to water contact requiring the user to close the mouth tightly, causing insecurity
Solution Approach 1:
The mask body is segmented into distinct coverage areas: the first breathing chamber covers the nose and eyes, while the second breathing chamber extends to cover the mouth. This segmentation allows the mouth to be protected from water contact while maintaining overall mask simplicity and enabling secure mouth breathing.
4Reliability
If a full-lens mask body covering eyes, nose and mouth is used, then the mouth is protected from water, but the interior exhalation space is too large causing insufficient pressure to force water out of the drain valve
Solution Approach 1:
The mask interior is segmented into separate breathing chambers, with the second breathing chamber covering the mouth being relatively compact. This segmentation creates sufficient exhalation pressure in the mouth area to effectively force water out through the drain valve, while still providing complete mouth protection from water contact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables comfortable and safe snorkeling by allowing nose breathing, preventing carbon dioxide buildup, improving water drainage, and reducing energy expenditure, while enhancing the stability and reliability of the mask.
Implementation Method 1
the upper end portion is capable of preventing outer water from flowing in underwater and allowing fresh air inhaled by a user to enter therethrough and flow along the intake conduit to the lower end portion
Implementation Method 2
an exhaust passage arranged upward along a periphery of the body to allow dirty air exhaled from the user to unidirectionally flow outward through the exhaust passage
Implementation Method 3
Another one of the channels of the multi-channel connector is provided with a drain valve where water leaking in the mask body is accumulated, which channel keeps the water away from the nostrils, and the accumulated water can be discharged through the drain valve
Implementation Method 4
an intake passage formed between the lower end portion of the breathing tube and the lower chamber and provided with an intake one-way valve for the inhaled air unidirectionally flowing through the intake passage and entering the lower chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A breathable mask is provided, which includes a body and a breathing tube in fluid communication with an interior thereof. The body includes a main frame, a lens, a waterproof skirt, a multi-channel connector, and intake and exhaust passages. The waterproof skirt has a partition dividing the interior of the body into upper and lower chambers, thereby accommodating the user's eyes and nose in the upper and lower chambers, respectively. The multi-channel connector has an upper end in fluid communication with the lower chamber. The intake passage is formed between the lower end portion of the breathing tube and the lower chamber. The exhaust passage is arranged upward along a periphery of the body to allow dirty air exhaled from the user to unidirectionally flow outward through the exhaust passage. The exhaust passage includes an exhaust tube with a bottom portion coupled to and communicating with the multi-channel connector.