Judith B Hudnall

US Patent:

20030131846, Jul 17, 2003

Filed:

Dec 10, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/297883

Inventors:

Donald Campbell - Morgantown WV, US
Christopher Coffey - Morgantown WV, US
William Hoffman - Washington PA, US
Judith Hudnall - Morgantown WV, US

International Classification:

A62B018/08

US Classification:

128/201250, 128/206120, 128/206170, 128/206240

Abstract:

Improved full-face, flushed-seal respirators are provided having a primary sealing element adjacent to a breathing space and a secondary sealing element. Exhaled air (i.e., clean air obtained by passage through a filtering element or elements) is passed from the breathing space into a flushing channel formed between the primary and secondary seals. If there is leakage in the primary seal, air from this flushing channel leaks into the breathing space rather than ambient air. Air within the flushing channel will predominately be air that has already passed through the filtering elements. The present invention provides, therefore, an inexpensive respirator which provides significantly more protection than conventional negative-pressure respirators.