US 12,434,080 B2
Foldable face-piece respirator with exhalation valve
Evgeny V. Vasiliev, Volokolamsk (RU); and Dean R. Duffy, Woodbury, MN (US)
Assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Oct. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/072,815.
Application 17/072,815 is a division of application No. 15/763,633, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2016/054126, filed on Sep. 28, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. RU2015141569 (RU), filed on Sep. 30, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0038928 A1, Feb. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. A62B 18/10 (2006.01); A41D 13/11 (2006.01); A62B 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC A62B 18/10 (2013.01) [A41D 13/1115 (2013.01); A62B 23/025 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A foldable filtering face-piece respirator, comprising:
a mask body comprising filter media disposed between an inner cover web and an outer cover web, the mask body comprising a first portion and second portion separated by a line of demarcation, wherein the line of demarcation comprises a mask body fold line;
a harness connected to the mask body;
a structural pattern in a central panel of the mask body above and below the line of demarcation;
an exhalation valve disposed at a location centrally on the line of demarcation and in an opening in a central region of the mask body such that the mask body fold line intersects the opening and the exhalation valve extends both above and below the line of demarcation, wherein the exhalation valve is positioned within the structural pattern, and wherein the exhalation valve comprises a base and a cover attached to the base;
a support element connected to the base of the exhalation valve and extending from an outer perimeter of the base, wherein the support element completely surrounds an entirety of the outer perimeter of the base of the exhalation valve, wherein the support element is in contact with the mask body when the mask body is in a cup-shaped configuration, wherein one of:
(i) the support element is disposed between the filter media and the inner cover web;
(ii) the support element is disposed between the filter media and the outer cover web; or
(iii) the support element is disposed on an inner surface of the inner cover web;
wherein the line of demarcation is discontinuous at the location of the exhalation valve.