Protective mask
A protective mask includes a transparent impermeable membrane; a frame that substantially surrounds and is coupled to a perimeter of the impermeable membrane and is configured to be positioned about a face of a user; a seal operatively coupled to the frame that seals against a face of the user and extends around a perimeter of the frame, wherein the frame and the seal are substantially impermeable to the passage of air therethrough; an air passageway formed in the frame; and a filter element disposed to filter air passing through the air passageway. The air passageway and the filter element are disposed on a bottom portion of the frame.
1 . A protective mask comprising:
a transparent impermeable membrane;
a frame that substantially surrounds and is coupled to a perimeter of the impermeable membrane and is configured to be positioned about a face of a user;
a seal operatively coupled to the frame that seals against a face of the user and extends around a perimeter of the frame, wherein the frame and the seal are substantially impermeable to the passage of air therethrough;
an air passageway formed in the frame;
a filter element disposed to filter air passing through the air passageway, wherein the air passageway and the filter element are disposed on a bottom portion of the frame;
a sanitizing emitter positioned so as to illuminate an exterior perimeter of the filter element and acting to permeate the filter element from the exterior perimeter with a sanitizing agent operative to deactivate the particles of a damaging agent, and
a containment element that protects the user from exposure to the sanitizing agent.
2 . The protective mask of claim 1 , further comprising a pocket defined in the frame and configured to receive the filter element, wherein the pocket is positioned such that eyes, a nose, and a mouth of the user are not obscured by the filter element and the frame.
3 . The protective mask of claim 1 , wherein the seal includes a bottom extension portion that extends inward toward the interior surface of the impermeable membrane and defines an extended surface area for the seal.
4 . The protective mask of claim 3 , wherein the bottom extension is configured to seal against a chin of the user to maintain a seal as the user moves his mouth.
5 . The protective mask of claim 2 , wherein the pocket is defined on a bottom edge of the frame.
6 . The protective mask of claim 2 , further comprising:
a cartridge body coupled to the filter element, wherein:
the cartridge body is disposed in the air passageway; and
the cartridge body includes a lip that extends upward from a top surface of the cartridge body.
7 . The protective mask of claim 6 , wherein the filter element is positioned within the pocket and expands against an interior surface of the lip.
8 . The protective mask of claim 7 , wherein filter element is configured to substantially fill the pocket, such that substantially any air flow through the cartridge body is through the filter element.
9 . The protective mask of claim 8 , wherein the filter element is larger than the pocket in an uncompressed state and compressible to a second state wherein the filter element is positionable in the cartridge body via friction fit.
10 . The protective mask of claim 9 , wherein the cartridge body is selectively removable from the pocket.
11 . A protective mask comprising:
a transparent impermeable membrane including a first portion configured to extend substantially from a forehead of a user to a chin of the user;
a frame coupled to a perimeter of the impermeable membrane; and
a seal operatively coupled to the frame that seals against a face of the user and extends around a perimeter of the frame an air passageway formed in the frame;
a filter element disposed to filter air passing through the air passageway, wherein the air passageway and the filter element are disposed on a bottom portion of the frame;
one or more sanitizing emitters positioned so as to illuminate an exterior perimeter of the filter element and acting to permeate the filter element from the exterior perimeter with a sanitizing agent operative to deactivate particles of a damaging agent, and
a containment element that protects the user from exposure to the sanitizing agent.
12 . The protective mask of claim 11 , wherein:
the impermeable membrane further comprises two second portions disposed on respective left and right sides of the first portion;
the impermeable membrane comprises a third portion configured to extend across the chin of the user between the two second portions; and
an inflection between the first portion and the third portion is positioned below a mouth of the user.
13 . The protective mask of claim 11 , further comprising a cartridge receptacle coupled to the frame and configured to receive a filter assembly, the filter assembly comprising a first circuit board including the one or more sanitizing emitters.
14 . The protective mask of claim 13 , further comprising a first gasket including a plurality of first apertures formed therein.
15 . The protective mask of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second gasket including a second aperture, wherein the first circuit board, the first gasket, the filter element, and the second gasket are arranged in a stacked configuration.
16 . The protective mask of claim 13 , further comprising a second circuit board configured to control an aspect of the protective mask, wherein the second circuit board is disposed in within a volume defined by the frame.
17 . The protective mask of claim 16 , wherein the aspect of the protective mask includes at least one of the first circuit board or the one or more sanitizing emitters.
18 . The protective mask of claim 11 , wherein the filter element and the air passageway are configured to be positioned adjacent to or beneath the chin of the user.