US 12,138,491 B2
Powered exhaust apparatus for a personal protection respiratory device
Desmon T. Curran, Durham (GB); John A. Duff, London (GB); Benjamin H. Cooper, Bishop Auckland (GB); Jason A. Graves, Darlington (GB); and Reyad A. Abdulqader, Stockton-On-Tees (GB)
Assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Feb. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/651,605.
Application 17/651,605 is a continuation of application No. 15/740,134, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2016/039732, filed on Jun. 28, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 1511904 (GB), filed on Jul. 7, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0168597 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. A62B 18/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/10 (2006.01); A62B 9/02 (2006.01); A62B 18/10 (2006.01); A62B 23/02 (2006.01); A62B 7/10 (2006.01); A62B 18/02 (2006.01)
CPC A62B 18/006 (2013.01) [A61M 16/0066 (2013.01); A61M 16/106 (2014.02); A62B 9/02 (2013.01); A62B 18/10 (2013.01); A62B 23/025 (2013.01); A61M 2205/8206 (2013.01); A62B 7/10 (2013.01); A62B 18/02 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A generally L-shaped exhaust apparatus for connection to a personal protection respiratory device that defines a filtered air volume adjacent to the face of a wearer and comprises at least one exhalation valve, the apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising a rearwardly extending section and an upwardly extending portion;
a blower in fluid connection with the at least one exhalation valve, the blower being responsive to the wearer's respiratory cycle to draw a substantial portion of the wearer's exhaled breath through the at least one exhalation valve;
a controller;
a rechargeable battery to supply power for the apparatus,
wherein the rechargeable battery is housed in the rearwardly extending section of the housing, allowing the L-shaped exhaust apparatus' center of mass to sit closely to the wearer's head's center of mass,
wherein the rechargeable battery is generally perpendicular to the blower within the rearwardly extending section; and
a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure generated by the wearer's breathing cycle and sending a pressure signal indicative of the pressure to the controller,
wherein, in response to the wearer's respiratory cycle, the blower operates throughout the wearer's exhale breath, or a substantial period thereof, and does not operate throughout the wearer's inhale breath, or a substantial period thereof, and the controller being in communication with the pressure sensor and the blower, wherein the controller operates the blower in response to the pressure signal.