Detachable Face Mask with Air Dispersing Member
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional helmets provide inadequate protection for the mouth, nose, chin, and ears, leading to increased risk of injury from projectiles, contaminants, and noise exposure, and often cause fogging of face shields due to breathing, while additional protective features require a matching helmet and may not function without a full helmet.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained protective face covering with a breathing piece, air dispersing member, filter member, and mandibular-shaped outer member that filters oxygen, provides non-linear air flow to prevent fogging, and can be used with or without a helmet, featuring a fastening unit for secure attachment and materials resistant to sound and impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional helmets cover the entire head including face, then protection from projectiles and impacts is improved, but weight and bulk increase making the helmet heavy and uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is divided into separate components: a lightweight base helmet protecting the cranium, and a detachable face mask assembly protecting the face. This segmentation allows users to obtain face protection without the weight of a full-face helmet, while maintaining protection when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The face mask assembly can be used with multiple types of helmets and can be attached or detached based on situational requirements. This multi-functionality provides protection when needed while allowing comfortable use without full helmet coverage in less dangerous situations.
2Reliability
If traditional helmets cover the entire head including face, then protection from contaminants and noise is improved, but the interior becomes hot and uncomfortable during strenuous activity
Solution Approach 1:
By separating face protection from head protection into distinct components, users can wear only the face mask during strenuous activities when full helmet coverage causes overheating, while still maintaining protection from contaminants and noise when attached.
Solution Approach 2:
The face mask assembly is designed to be dynamically attachable and detachable, allowing users to adapt to changing environmental conditions and activity levels by securing protection when threats are present and removing it when comfort is prioritized.
3Ease of operation
If face masks include breathing ports or openings, then breathing is facilitated, but exhalations cause the face shield to cloud up
Solution Approach 1:
The exhalation function is extracted from the main breathing pathway by providing dedicated exhalation ports separate from the filter assembly. This allows breath moisture to be vented away from the face shield while maintaining filtered inhalation, preventing fogging while facilitating breathing.
4Reliability
If separate detachable features are added to cover additional portions of the face, then protection is improved, but the extra protection is dependent on having a matching helmet
Solution Approach 1:
The face mask assembly is designed with universal attachment mechanisms that can interface with multiple helmet types and styles. The modular design allows the same face mask to be used with various helmets, eliminating the need for matching components and increasing versatility.
5Reliability
If attachable portions are designed to work with full helmets, then complete protection is achieved, but the protective covering cannot function independently without a full helmet
Solution Approach 1:
The protective system is segmented into independently functional components where the face mask assembly can operate standalone or combine with helmets. Each component maintains its protective function whether used alone or in combination, providing flexibility and independent functionality.
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
The face covering effectively protects the mouth, nose, chin, and ears from impacts and contaminants, filters incoming oxygen, and prevents fogging of eye protection, offering flexible use with various helmets or independently, while reducing concussive impacts and sound transmission.
Implementation Method 1
a filter member having an inward facing side and an outside facing side, the inward facing side being disposed against the perforated front wall of the air dispersing member
Implementation Method 2
an air dispersing member having a perforated front wall disposed against the opening in the breathing piece
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus which may be used to protect a user's mouth, nose, chin, ears, and jaw from projectiles, direct impacts, air contaminants, and reduce concussive impact to the ears. Before air flowing into the apparatus is filtered by a filter member upstream of a mouthpiece, the air flow first passes through a plurality of conduits in a nose and protection member, where the nose and chin protection member is fabricated from an impact resistant material. Each of the conduits has a deflection member which changes the direction of the air flow. The user's exhalations do not flow back through the filter member but are rather redirected through side ports in the mouth piece.