US 12,434,082 B2
Personal respiratory protection device
Garry J. Walker, Stockton-on-Tees (GB); and Christopher P. Henderson, High Shincliffe (GB)
Assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/576,269.
Application 17/576,269 is a continuation of application No. 14/911,157, granted, now 11,247,079, previously published as PCT/US2014/050817, filed on Aug. 13, 2014.
Claims priority of application No. 1314885 (GB), filed on Aug. 20, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2022/0134145 A1, May 5, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A41D 13/11 (2006.01); A62B 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC A62B 23/025 (2013.01) [A41D 13/1138 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Personal respiratory protection device for use by a wearer, comprising:
a respirator body having a periphery, a filter media, forming at least part of the respirator body, and a gasket, the gasket being located at the periphery and extending along at least a portion of its length wherein the gasket forms a central aperture for receiving an oro-nasal region of the wearer,
wherein the gasket is formed of an injection moulded sheet-like vapour impermeable flexible elastomeric material and is contoured, the contour extending inwardly from the periphery of the respirator body toward the central aperture and comprising:
(i) a ridge projecting away from the periphery and the central aperture such that the ridge contacts and deforms against the face of the wearer to act as a barrier to exhalation vapours and provide a cushioning effect against the periphery of the respirator body;
(ii) an indent at an uppermost point of the gasket where the gasket contacts the bridge of the nose of a wearer; and
(ii) a flexion point disposed at the indent on the ridge and formed from a local reduction in thickness of the flexible elastomeric material such that the gasket is adapted to flex about the flexion point, wherein the contour is substantially V-shaped in the region of the flexion point such that at least a portion of the flexible elastomeric material is angled away from the ridge towards the periphery and at least a portion of the flexible elastomeric material is angled away from the ridge towards the central aperture.