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US-20260128027-A1 - PREFORMED FACEPIECE CUSHION FOR AN ACOUSTIC MASK AND COMBINATION THEREOF

US20260128027A1US 20260128027 A1US20260128027 A1US 20260128027A1US-20260128027-A1

Abstract

An acoustic mask, the acoustic mask comprising: an outer housing which terminates in an outer rim; and a preformed facepiece cushion, which is directly or indirectly mounted on the outer housing, the preformed facepiece cushion comprising a preformed, soft cushion pad and a flexible lip which is attached to the preformed, soft cushion pad.

Inventors

  • Damon Webb

Assignees

  • TALK SYSTEMS INC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241104

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A preformed facepiece cushion for use with an acoustic mask, the preformed facepiece cushion comprising: a preformed, soft cushion pad which includes: a proximal end; a distal end; a covering; an interior, which is filled with an upper gel layer and a lower foam layer; a top at the proximal end; a bottom at the proximal end; a pair of sides that extend between the top and the bottom; and a length that is continuous with the pair of sides and extends between the top and the bottom; a top depression which curves downward distally from each side along the length on the top; and a bottom depression which curves downward distally from each side along the length on the bottom; and a flexible lip which is attached to the covering at the distal end of the preformed, soft cushion pad.
  2. 2 . The preformed facepiece cushion of claim 1 , wherein the lower foam layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad has a durometer ranking of 45 to 55 on the Shore OO durometer scale.
  3. 3 . The preformed facepiece cushion of claim 2 , wherein the upper gel layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad weighs 22 grams.
  4. 4 . The preformed facepiece cushion of claim 3 , wherein the top depression and the bottom depression in the preformed, soft cushion pad are 10 millimeters deep.
  5. 5 . An acoustic mask, the acoustic mask comprising: an outer housing which terminates in an outer rim; and a preformed facepiece cushion, which is directly or indirectly mounted on the outer housing, the preformed facepiece cushion comprising: a preformed, soft cushion pad which includes: a proximal end; a distal end; a covering; an interior, which is filled with an upper gel layer and a lower foam layer; a top at the proximal end; a bottom at the proximal end; a pair of sides that extend between the top and the bottom; and a length that is continuous with the pair of sides and extends between the top and the bottom; a top depression which curves downward distally from each side along the length on the top; and a bottom depression which curves downward distally from each side along the length on the bottom; and a flexible lip which is attached to the covering at the distal end of the preformed, soft cushion pad.
  6. 6 . The acoustic mask of claim 5 , wherein the flexible lip releasably retains the preformed, soft cushion pad on the outer rim.
  7. 7 . The acoustic mask of claim 6 , wherein the lower foam layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad has a durometer ranking of 45 to 55 on the Shore OO durometer scale.
  8. 8 . The acoustic mask of claim 7 , wherein the upper gel layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad weighs 22 grams.
  9. 9 . The acoustic mask of claim 8 , wherein the depressions in the preformed, soft cushion pad are 10 millimeters deep.
  10. 10 . The acoustic mask of claim 5 , further comprising a sleeve which includes a distal end and a proximal end, extends outwardly from the outer rim and is slidably engaged in the outer housing, wherein the flexible lip releasably retains the preformed, soft cushion pad on the proximal end of the sleeve.
  11. 11 . The acoustic mask of claim 10 , wherein the lower foam layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad has a durometer ranking of 45 to 55 on the Shore OO durometer scale.
  12. 12 . The acoustic mask of claim 11 , wherein the upper gel layer of the preformed, soft cushion pad weighs 22 grams.
  13. 13 . The acoustic mask of claim 12 , wherein the depressions in the preformed, soft cushion pad are 10 millimeters deep.
  14. 14 . A method of damping sound with an acoustic mask, the method comprising: a user selecting the acoustic mask of claim 5 ; the user locating the acoustic mask on their face such that the depression in the top is underneath the user's nose and the depression in the bottom is between the user's lips and chin; and the user speaking into the acoustic mask, thereby damping sound.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising the user selecting a sleeve, sliding the sleeve into the outer housing and releasably attaching the preformed facepiece cushion on the sleeve prior to locating the acoustic mask on their face.

Description

FIELD The present technology is a facepiece cushion that is preformed to fit over a user's mouth, under the nose and above the chin. It is also an acoustic mask that includes the preformed facepiece cushion. BACKGROUND Various devices have been developed for damping and recording voice sound waves. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,802 discloses an early design that essentially provides a cup-like structure for fitting over the user's mouth, with a microphone housed therein. Similar devices have been used by court reporters. One such acoustic mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,624. This device has a cylindrical outer casing and a separate wall structure housed within the casing with a microphone mounted on this structure. The device includes a cylindrical air inhalation passageway extending outward from the face-masking structure for inhalation, with a diaphragm to restrict expulsion of air. One or more openings in the face-masking structure allow for exhaled air and sound to escape. The face-fitting part of the device is rubber and must be pressed to the user's face in order to reduce the amount of sound escaping to the ambient. It is stretched over the mask wall. It is not preformed to fit to a user's face. Another acoustic mask is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,754. The device includes a barrel with a bell-shaped back, the latter preferably being set at an angle with respect to the barrel. A microphone is positioned at the end of the barrel remote from the bell-shaped back. The barrel portion and a portion of the bell-shaped back are lined with foam urethane to muffle noise and absorb moisture. The reporting device includes orifices located at the junction between the bell-shaped back (face piece) and the barrel for permitting pressurized air within the device to escape to the outside via an air communication channel from inside the device to the outside. The face piece is made of rubber or other deformable material that requires it be pressed against the user's face in order to reduce escape of the user's voice from within the device. It varies in hardness and rigidity from being soft and deformable in the area that comes in contact with the user's face to being relatively hard and rigid in the area which is in contact with the top portion of the device. It is not preformed to fit the user's face. U.S. Pat. No. 8,243,944 discloses a handheld foldable voice-muffling device using passive noise damping materials to decrease noise and a single microphonic transceiver to transmit a user's speech and receive incoming signals allowing him to wirelessly communicate with another person or other communication devices. The deformable materials used in the device do not adequately muffle the sound of the user nor ambient sound. Further, the device must be pressed to the user's face in order for the deformable material to form to the user's face. It is not preformed to fit a use's face. This is uncomfortable for the user, but is necessary to reduce the escape of sound between the face piece and the user's face. U.S. Pat. No. 9,912,819 discloses a device for simultaneously communicating with a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. A microphone is housed within the device and circuitry therefor is included in the device, and preferably housed within the device. The device form-fits generally over a user's mouth and nose and has an air tube extending substantially the length of the device, within the interior of the device, to relieve back-pressure. The device is shaped to promote attenuation of sound within the device, and is constructed to reduce uptake of outside, extraneous sound by the microphone. The circuitry comprises one or more processors, an audio capture module, power management module, listening output module, and data storage module. The device also has a touch screen interface. There is no padding on the device so it is not comfortable to wear. U.S. Pat. No. 11,223,887 discloses an audio capture and transmission device for simultaneously communicating with a wireless communication device and a wired communication device is provided, the audio capture and transmission device for fitting generally over a user's mouth, the audio capture and transmission device comprising: an inner housing, the inner housing including a distal end, an air tube extending inward and outward therefrom, a proximal end and walls therebetween to define a cavity and a gutter on an outer surface; a gasket seated in the gutter; a form-fitting face piece located proximally on the inner housing, the form-fitting face piece defining a proximal opening continuous with the cavity; an outer housing, the outer housing, the gasket and the inner housing defining an interior, the outer housing including a distal end, the distal end including a plurality of apertures and an exhaust port, the exhaust port aligned with the air tube and in gaseous communication with the air tube; a microphone which