Pivotable Forehead Support for Respiratory Nasal Mask
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory masks face challenges in achieving efficient angular positioning of the forehead support, leading to suboptimal gas tightness and user comfort due to varying facial morphologies.
Innovation Solution
A nasal mask design featuring a pivotable forehead support with a rotating mechanism, allowing angular adjustment of the forehead support around two axes, facilitated by a mobile acting piece and a rotating knob, ensuring the support can be oriented to match the user's forehead morphology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the forehead support is fixed to the mask body in a conventional manner, then the mask structure is simple, but the mask cannot be efficiently positioned on patients with varying facial morphologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the holding arm pivotable around a first axis and the forehead support pivotable around a second axis. This allows the mask to dynamically adjust its configuration to match different facial morphologies. The pivotable joints enable the holding arm and forehead support to move relative to the mask body, providing adaptability without requiring a completely reconfigurable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the forehead support system into distinct components: the mask body, the holding arm, and the forehead support itself. By dividing the structure into separable segments connected by pivot joints, the design achieves adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity. Each segment can be independently positioned, allowing efficient adjustment to different patient faces.
2Ease of operation
If the forehead support is made adjustable to fit different faces, then positioning efficiency improves, but the mechanism becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic pivotable joints allow the holding arm and forehead support to be easily positioned at different angles. The first pivot axis enables adjustment of the holding arm angle, while the second pivot axis allows adjustment of the forehead support angle. This dynamic capability improves positioning efficiency without requiring complex mechanisms such as motors or multiple adjustment stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces angular dimensions to the positioning system by allowing rotation around two different axes. Instead of linear adjustment, the solution uses angular positioning through pivot joints, adding rotational degrees of freedom. This dimensional approach simplifies the mechanism while achieving comprehensive positioning capability across different facial geometries.
3Reliability
If the mask uses a conventional fixed forehead support, then the device is simple to manufacture, but gas tightness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable configuration allows the mask to be dynamically adjusted to achieve proper contact between the forehead support and the patient's forehead. This ensures reliable gas tightness by enabling precise positioning, while the simplicity of the pivot mechanism maintains ease of manufacture. The dynamic adjustment capability resolves the conflict between reliability and manufacturing simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the forehead support is made pivotable with multiple axes, then user comfort increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two-axis pivot mechanism provides dynamic adaptability to accommodate different user comfort requirements. The first pivot axis adjusts the holding arm position, and the second pivot axis adjusts the forehead support orientation. This dynamic system enhances user comfort by allowing customization to individual facial geometries while keeping the mechanism relatively simple through the use of straightforward rotational joints.
Data Source
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AI summary
A respiratory mask, in particular a nasal mask, comprising a mask body (1) with an internal chamber (10), an expansion part (2) being arranged on the mask body (1) and projecting upwardly from said mask body (1), said expansion part (2) comprising a traversing orifice (3), a holding arm (4) pivotable around a first axis (AA) located on said mask body (1) or on said expansion part (2), a forehead support (9) fixed to said holding arm (4) and pivotable around an axis (BB) located on said holding arm (4), and an acting piece (5) mobile in said traversing orifice (3), wherein the acting piece (5) cooperates with the holding arm (4) for pivoting said holding arm (4) around the first axis (AA) when said acting piece (5) moves in the traversing orifice (3) of the expansion part (2). The mask of the present invention is useable for treating sleep disordered breathing (SDB) conditions, such as, for example, obstructive sleep apnea.