Interface comprising a rolling nasal bridge portion
An interface for positive pressure therapy includes a mask assembly, a headgear assembly and a connection port assembly. The mask assembly comprises a seal member that has an upper portion movably connected to an integrated lower portion, wherein the upper portion rolls during hinging movement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion. The headgear assembly allows connection to the mask assembly in a direction substantially normal to a direction of strap tension. The connection port assembly includes a swivel elbow with a valve member that controls flow through a port that opens toward the user.
1. A mask assembly comprising:
a first upper portion comprising a first wall and a second wall converging to an apex, the apex being positioned to be in proximity to the nose of a user in use;
a lower portion being connected to and positioned below the first upper portion;
a face contacting flange defined at least in part by the first upper portion and the lower portion;
a hinge axis extending laterally across the mask assembly, the first upper portion being positioned vertically higher than the hinge axis;
a first boundary extending along at least a portion of the first wall and along at least a portion of the second wall, the first boundary comprising a first end and a second end, both ends being spaced away from the hinge axis toward the apex;
a radius R defined between the hinge axis and the apex;
a second upper portion positioned distally from the first upper portion in a direction away from the face contacting flange, the second upper portion comprising an arc length defined along an upper extremity of a surface of the second upper portion, the arc length forming a second boundary;
a radius r defined between the hinge axis and an uppermost point of the arc length, the radius R being different than the radius r; and
wherein at least a portion of a first outer surface of the first upper portion is configured to roll so as to overlie or underlie at least a portion of a second outer surface of the second upper portion when the first boundary is moved toward the second boundary.
2. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the radius r corresponds to a radius r 1 defined along at least a portion of the second boundary.
3. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the radius R corresponds to a radius R 1 defined along at least a portion of the first boundary.
4. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the radius R is greater than the radius r.
5. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first upper portion is configured to roll so as to overlie or underlie at least a portion of the second outer surface of the second upper portion by rolling into abutment with the second outer surface of the second upper portion when the first boundary is moved toward the second boundary.
6. The mask assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a region of reduced stiffness positioned between the first and second boundaries.
7. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first boundary is formed by a band.
8. The mask assembly of claim 7 , wherein the band is a reinforcing component reinforcing at least a portion of the first wall and at least a portion of the second wall or reinforcing at least a portion of the first wall, at least a portion of the second wall and the apex.
9. The mask assembly of claim 7 , wherein the band is a portion of the first upper portion having an increased thickness relative to a region of reduced stiffness or is a separately formed component that is at least partially encased by the material of the first upper portion.
10. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first upper portion comprises a variable side profile radius.
11. The mask assembly of claim 10 , wherein the variable side profile radius of the first upper portion decreases, the variable side profile radius comprising a radius R 1 associated with a proximal portion of the first upper portion greater than a radius R 3 associated with a distal portion of the first upper portion, proximal and distal being relative to the face contacting flange.
12. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second upper portion comprises a side profile radius.
13. The mask assembly of claim 12 , wherein the side profile radius of the second upper portion is defined between an axis extending between inflection points located along a perimeter of the second upper portion and an uppermost point of the arc length.
14. The mask assembly of claim 12 , wherein the side profile radius is a constant side profile radius or a variable side profile radius increasing from a distal end to a proximal end of the second upper portion, proximal and distal being relative to the face contacting flange.
15. The mask assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first upper portion comprises a bend, the bend joining a distal portion of the first upper portion and a proximal portion of the second upper portion.
16. The mask assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bend comprises a small radius portion.