CPAP Mask Headgear With Break-Fit Adjustment for Stable Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing CPAP masks experience leaks and discomfort due to elastic straps that stretch, causing pressure fluctuations and discomfort at varying treatment pressures, especially at higher pressures.
Innovation Solution
A mask and headgear system featuring a non-stretch, inelastic headgear with a break-fit assembly and adjustment mechanism that allows temporary elongation for easy donning and customization to fit individual anatomy, maintaining consistent pressure and comfort across varying treatment pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If elastic straps are used to allow the headgear to slide over the head, then ease of donning is improved, but the strap stretches under pressure causing mask movement and seal failure
Solution Approach 1:
The headgear strap is divided into two distinct segments: an elastic portion that enables easy donning by allowing the headgear to stretch over the head, and a non-elastic portion that maintains consistent tension and prevents mask movement during use. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The headgear incorporates dynamic elasticity through the elastic portion that can stretch during donning but returns to its original length during use, while the non-elastic portion provides static tension control. This dynamic behavior allows the strap to adapt during donning while maintaining stability during operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If elastic straps are used to secure the mask, then adaptability to head shape is improved, but pressure consistency deteriorates at varying treatment pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The strap is segmented into elastic and non-elastic portions, where the elastic portion provides adaptability to different head shapes during donning, while the non-elastic portion ensures pressure consistency by preventing stretching under varying treatment pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the strap have different mechanical properties: the elastic portion located at specific segments provides local adaptability, while the non-elastic portion at other segments provides local pressure stability. This local differentiation of material properties solves the contradiction between adaptability and pressure consistency.
3Ease of operation
If elastic straps are used to allow mask movement, then ease of adjustment is improved, but force control deteriorates causing excessive pressure at lower treatment pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The headgear strap is segmented into elastic and non-elastic portions, where the elastic portion allows easy adjustment and movement during donning, while the non-elastic portion provides precise force control by preventing unwanted stretching that would cause excessive pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic portion acts as an intermediary that absorbs the shock of initial donning and allows adjustment, while the non-elastic portion serves as the force-control element that prevents over-compression. The interaction between these two intermediaries achieves both ease of adjustment and force control.
Data Source
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AI summary
An interface includes a mask. The mask includes a frame and a seal supported by the frame. Headgear is connected to the mask. The interface includes at least one of (i) an adjustment mechanism that can be set to a use length for a loop defined by the mask and the headgear; and (2) a break-fit assembly that can selectively lengthen the loop defined by the mask and the headgear and return to the use length.