Elongated Aircraft Oxygen Mask for Intuitive Emergency Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger oxygen masks often fail to fit properly on users' faces, leading to improper functionality and inadequate oxygen supply during emergencies.
Innovation Solution
A passenger oxygen mask design featuring an elongated face piece and valve plate with aligned oxygen and ambient air inlets, allowing for intuitive fitting and reduced storage space, along with optional outlet valves and an oxygen bag for continuous oxygen supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a round face piece is used, then the mask can be stored in a compact configuration, but the risk of improper donning increases and fitting becomes less intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The face piece is designed with an elongated shape rather than a round shape, creating an asymmetric form that provides intuitive orientation during donning. The elongated configuration with distinct longitudinal and transverse dimensions allows users to easily identify the correct orientation (proximal vs distal end) and properly position the mask over mouth and nose, eliminating the confusion associated with round, symmetric face pieces.
2Volume of moving object
If the valve plate and face piece are separated, then the mask can be folded for compact storage, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mask is divided into two main segments: the valve plate and the face piece. These segments are designed to be separable yet connectable, allowing the face piece to be folded against the valve plate for compact storage. The segmentation enables the elongated face piece to be stored in a space-saving configuration while maintaining structural integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The face piece is designed to fold into a configuration that nests against the valve plate, creating a compact stored state similar to a nested doll structure. The elongated face piece can be folded back onto itself and positioned against the valve plate, minimizing the overall storage volume while maintaining easy accessibility when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A passenger oxygen mask (20) for use in an aircraft comprises a face piece (24) defining a breathing space (25) and having a proximal end (24b), which is to be placed on the face of a user, and an opposite distal end (24a); and a valve plate (22) arranged at the distal end (24a) of the face piece (24). The valve plate (22) is equipped with an oxygen port (34) for an inflow of oxygen from an oxygen source (10) into the breathing space (25); and an inlet valve (30) for an inflow of ambient air into the breathing space (25). The valve plate (22) has an elongated shape, having a longitudinal dimension in a longitudinal direction (L) and a transverse dimension, which is smaller than the longitudinal dimension, in a transverse direction (T). The oxygen port (34) and the inlet valve (30) are arranged along the elongated shape of the valve plate (22); and the proximal end (24b) of the face piece (24) has an elongated shape having a proximal longitudinal dimension (aP) in the longitudinal direction (L) and a proximal transverse dimension (bP), which is smaller than the proximal longitudinal dimension (aP), in the transverse direction (T).