3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Elfed I Williams

Desmond T Curran

Christopher P Henderson

James F Dyrud

John W Bryant

Harold J Seppala

Andrew S Viner

Audra A Conlan

Brian Cormack

Malcolm R Watson

Dennis L Krueger

Nicholas J Gloag

James Fewtrell

Method for making a filter cartridge that is suitable for attachment to a respiratory mask. The method comprises the steps of (a) providing a mass of filter material; (b) providing a filter cartridge housing that has an inlet and outlet and a sidewall that includes sheet material; and (c) thermoforming the sheet material of the housing sidewall around at least part of the mass of filter material to place the housing sidewall in direct contact with the mass of filter material to encapsulate the filter material so that fluid is prevented from passing through the filter cartridge from the inlet to the outlet without being filtered by the mass of filter material.

Method of making a filter cartridge using a thermoforming step

A method for making a filtering face mask that comprises providing a fluid-permeable multi-layered mask body comprising a structural supporting layer and a filtration layer, the multi-layered mask body being configured to fit over the nose and mouth of a person and having an aperture disposed therein; providing an exhalation valve comprising a base portion and a deformable hollow plastic extension member that extends from the base portion to a tip; inserting the tip through the aperture; and deforming the extension member so as to make an effective seal between the exhalation valve and the mask body.

Method of making a filtering face mask that has an exhalation valve attached thereto

A component is attached to filtration material by providing the component with a deformable extension member that is preferably integral with the component and that extends from a base portion of the component. The extension member is inserted through an opening provided through the filtration material and is then deformed to provide a mechanical clamp that is utilized in attaching the component in position. In certain embodiments, the component is an attachment such as an exhalation valve of a respiratory mask.

Manner of attaching component elements to filtration material such as may be utilized in respiratory masks

A filter cartridge (), suitable for attachment to a respiratory mask, has a housing that includes an air inlet (), an air outlet (), and filter material () through which air to be filtered travels through when passing from the inlet to the outlet. At least part of the housing includes a sheet material () that is thermo-formed around the sides of the filter material.

Filter element that has a thermo-formed housing around filter material

A disposable protective garment,has bands,of elastomeric material at the wrists and/or ankles and/or around the hood,Each band,is joined to the garment by a welded or adhesively-bonded seam and extends from the garment to encircle closely the adjacent part of the body of the wearer. Each band,is joined in a stretched condition to the garment,and is then allowed to relax, thereby forming gathers,in the garment

Protective garments incorporating bands of welded or adhesively-bonded elastomeric material

A multi-part headband attachable to a face mask blank and a method of attaching the same. The multi-part headband has a unit length corresponding to the distance between the attachment locations as measured along a surface of the face mask blank or along an axis intersecting the attachment locations, to facilitate material handling and attachment using high speed manufacturing equipment. The headband material is positioned along the headband path and attached at the left and right headband attachment locations. At least one longitudinal score line is formed in the headband material extending generally along the headband path, whereby the at least one longitudinal score line defines a multi-part headband. The face mask blank may comprise a molded cup-shaped face mask, a flat folded face mask or a variety of other face mask constructions.

Multi-part headband and respirator mask assembly and process for making

A respiratory mask comprises a body portion that is formed from an air-permeable material and that has at least one component, for example an exhalation valve, secured to the body portion by a printed patch of adhesive. In one embodiment, the mask is a fold-flat mask (1) comprising panels (3, 5, 7) each of which is formed from superposed layers of air-permeable material. An exhalation valve (13) is secured to the center panel (3) by a patch of adhesive that is printed on the outer layer of the panel. Use of a printed patch of adhesive enables components to be accurately secured to the mask body at high speeds.

Respiratory masks having valves and other components attached to the

A composite headband attachable to a face mask and a method for attaching same. The composite headband has at least one discrete elastomeric core and at least one continuous thermoplastic skin layer secured to the elastomeric core. The composite headband has a first modulus in an unactivated state and a second, lower modulus in an activated state. The thermoplastic skin layer forms a microtextured permanently deformed skin layer when the composite headband is in the activated state. In one embodiment, the at least one elastomeric core and the at least one thermoplastic layer are in continuous contact in the activated state. The composite headband is positioned along the headband path and attached to at least one of the left and right headband attachment locations. The headband path is either an axis intersecting the left and right headband attachment locations or a path that generally follows a contour of a surface of the face mask blank.

Growing community of inventors

Swansea, United Kingdom

Elfed I Williams