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This is a record of a document published elsewhere, first published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as US-5803076-A, on 8 September 1998. OpenTechnical did not first disclose it. The identifier, hashes and timestamps below record what this library served and when, not when the material became public. View the original.

OT-2026-000003202

Vacuum adherent face mask

Published
Permanent URL
Classification
Lifting, Positioning & Manipulation › Vacuum Lifting
Original source
US-5803076-A, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 8 September 1998
Document SHA-256
3f039aba519c9d69068a64afa5e01f809edba4aec1b2adeae13fe70afd77e0db

A vacuum adherent face mask unit is provided having (a) a face mask for enclosing the nose and mouth of humans. The mask has (i) a mask body having a periphery and defining a chamber from and into which a person may inhale and exhale gases, and (ii) a bladder attached to the periphery of the mask body. The bladder has a face engaging region for engaging the face of a human and encircling the chamber, and has a plurality of perforations spaced around the face engaging region. The unit also has (b) vacuum means for producing a subatmospheric pressure in the bladder when said mask is in engagement with a human face. The vacuum is preferably created by a battery operated vacuum pump, and optionally may be created and/or augmented by the wearer applying suction to a check valved pipe extending from the bladder to the chamber. Monitoring the level of vacuum within the face seal bladder provides a means for advising the wearer of the unit the status of fit in real-time. This will result in higher, more consistent, and reliable levels of respiratory protection. A method for adhering a face mask is also provided.

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Abstract

A vacuum adherent face mask unit is provided having (a) a face mask for enclosing the nose and mouth of humans. The mask has (i) a mask body having a periphery and defining a chamber from and into which a person may inhale and exhale gases, and (ii) a bladder attached to the periphery of the mask body. The bladder has a face engaging region for engaging the face of a human and encircling the chamber, and has a plurality of perforations spaced around the face engaging region. The unit also has (b) vacuum means for producing a subatmospheric pressure in the bladder when said mask is in engagement with a human face. The vacuum is preferably created by a battery operated vacuum pump, and optionally may be created and/or augmented by the wearer applying suction to a check valved pipe extending from the bladder to the chamber. Monitoring the level of vacuum within the face seal bladder provides a means for advising the wearer of the unit the status of fit in real-time. This will result in higher, more consistent, and reliable levels of respiratory protection. A method for adhering a face mask is also provided.

1. Drawings

[0001]Sheet 1.

[0002]Sheet 2.

Publication information

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Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000003202, “Vacuum adherent face mask,” published September 15, 2026 at 19:48:35 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003202.

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