NOSE MASK Technical Field The present invention relates to a nose mask that is capable of filtering air containing fine dust or foreign materials introduced thereto from the outside, and more particularly, to a nose mask that enables a user to inhale air through an air filter, thereby making air containing fine dust or foreign materials filtered and cleaned to provide the cleaned air to him or her and that enables him or her to exhale air through an air flow having no resistance without the help of a filter to prevent the air filter and the interior of a mask cover from being damp.

Background Art General masks on the market are made by using several pieces of cloth that are sewn to each other, each piece of cloth having a minute tissue system and are worn on a wearer's ears by providing a band at both sides thereof. At that time, the masks are generally designed to cover both of the wearer's nose and mouth.

When the conventional mask is used, however, the sucked and exhausted air during the air inhaling and exhaling of the wearer are all passed through the mask, and especially, there is a disadvantage in that. it is really hard for the wearer to exhale the air inside the mask due to the resistance caused from the mask.

In addition, the air exhausted from a mouth of the human body contains a large quantity of moisture, and therefore, if

the wearer inhales and exhales the air for long hours, the interior of the mask becomes damp such that he or she may feel unpleasant, which becomes unsanitary.

On the other hand, the conventional mask is designed to cover the mouth and nose of the wearer, and thus, when he or her talks, his or her mouth is not well opened as wide as possible.

Further, his or her voice is blocked by the mask, thereby making it difficult to freely talk. Also, the mask is not fully contacted with the face of the wearer, thereby forming a space from his or her face. In case where the environment of a workplace is not good, at that time, fine dust and foreign materials may flow through the space into the inside of the mask.

The mask is used to filter the air in the workplace, and also, it is widely used for patients who have pulmonary disease.

In some cases, however, even people who are wearing the mask for the purpose of filtering air are misunderstood as patients. This makes them reluctant to wear the mask for filtering air.

Specifically, a taxi or truck driver who drives for long hours on the street always sucks air containing fine dust such as the dust from a tire, asbestos powder, yellow dust, iron powder, and he is also exposed to polluted air from vehicles, which makes him not good for his health. To protect his health, in this case, when he wears the mask, there are problems in that it is difficult for him to talk to somebody in the car, he is misunderstood as a patient, and the interior of the mask becomes dump after the use for long hours.

On the other hand, when a fire breaks out, people primarily die by sucking poisonous gas generated from the things burnt, and the poisonous gas is generally very hot and harmful to the

human body, which makes their airway or lung seriously hurt when they inhale the hot poisonous gas even for a short period of time.

In place of a gas mask that is almost hard to be carried, it is recommended that people near the fire should get out of there with his body down, while covering their mouth and nose with wet cloth. However, it is difficult to utilize the above ways in such the emergency.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, the present inventor has devised the inventive nose mask in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a nose mask that can filter air containing fine dust or foreign materials to thereby protect a wearer's airway and lung, can reduce the resistance when the wearer exhales the air to thereby help him or her exhale the air in more convenient ways, can prevent the interior thereof from being damp to thereby keep the mask in a very sanitary state, can be designed not to cover his or her mouth to thereby make him or her freely talk to someone, and can be easily carried to be thereby used in place of a gas mask in an emergency like the generation of a fire.

To accomplish the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a nose mask that includes: a cover fixed to a wearer's nose by means of fixing means, for covering the wearer's nose; an air inlet and an air outlet formed at an inner side of the cover in such a manner as to communicate with the outside; an air suction check valve connected to the air inlet in such a manner as to be openable by the air sucked

through the air inlet; an air exhaust check valve connected to the air outlet in such a manner as to be openable by the air exhausted through the air outlet ; and air purifying means provided at an inlet of the air suction check valve, for filtering foreign materials in the air.

According to the present invention, therefore, air is sucked through an air filter from the outside such that the air containing fine dust and poisonous gas can be filtered and cleaned, thereby protecting a wearer's airway and lung, and when he or she exhales the air, the air inlet that is connected to the air filter is closed and the air outlet is just opened such that the air flow can be made with no high resistance. Besides, the exhausted air containing a large quantity of moisture is not allowed to flow through the air filter such that the interior of the cover as well as the air filter cannot be damp, thereby keeping them at a sanitary state, and the mask is designed to cover only the wearer's nose such that he or she can talk in a free condition. Additionally, it is easy to carry the mask such that it can be used in place of a gas mask in an emergency like the generation of a fire for the purpose of protecting the wearer from the poisonous gas.

Brief Description of the Drawings Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a nose mask according to the present invention ; and FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the relationship among

air purifying means, an air suction check valve, and an air exhaust check valve of FIG. 1.

Best mode for Carrying Out the Invention Now, an explanation on the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be in detail given with reference to attached drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a nose mask that includes : a cover 30 fixed to a wearer's nose 20 by means of fixing means, for covering the wearer's nose 20; an air inlet 33 and an air outlet 34 formed at an inner side of the cover 30 in such a manner as to communicate with the outside ; an air suction check valve 40 connected to the air inlet 33 in such a manner as to be openable by the air sucked through the air inlet 33 ; an air exhaust check valve connected to the air outlet 34 in such a manner as to be openable by the air exhausted through the air outlet 34 ; and air purifying means 70 provided at an inlet 40a of the air suction check valve 40, for filtering foreign materials in the air.

In this case, the fixing means includes clamps 31 and 32 that are provided at both ends of the bottom side of the cover 30 in such a manner as to be fixedly mounted on the wings 21 and 22 of the wearer's nose 20, and also, the fixing means includes loops 35 and 36 that are provided at both sides of the left and right sides of the cover 30 and that are tied with a string or band in such a manner as to be fixedly mounted on a wearer's head.

The cover 30 takes a triangular shape that is similar to the shape of the nose and is in close contact with the wearer's

face. Further, the cover 30 has a little bit larger size than the nose 20 such that the air passage between the nose 20 and the cover 30 is well formed. The cover 30 is provided with a face contacting edge portion 37 that is formed along the edge of the cover 30 such that when the mask is worn, it comes in close contact with the wearer's face. Thus, the space between the cover 30 and the wearer's face is not formed, thereby improving the air tightness in the interior of the cover 30. The face contacting edge portion 37 is made of a material having excellent softness and surface contacting force, such as, for example, silicon rubber.

The air purifying means 70 includes a filter housing 72 that is opened at one side thereof and is connected to the inlet of the air suction check valve 40 at the other side thereof and an air filter 74 that is housed inside the filter housing 72, for filtering the foreign materials in the air sucked to the interior of the cover 30.

The air filter 74 is formed of a commercial air filter that is exchanged into new one after the consumption or is recycled after cleaning, and it is made of an activated carbon filter or non-woven fabric.

Also, the air housing 72 is provided with an air collecting chamber 77 to which the air passed through the air filter 74 is collected before flowing to the air suction check valve 40, at the lower portion thereof in the interior thereof, which enables negative pressure to be evenly formed over the air filter 74 to thereby minimize the resistance when the air is sucked in.

The air housing 72 is provided with a cap 76 on which a plurality of airflow holes 76a are formed, at the top portion

thereof, such that if the air filter is to be exchanged, the cap 76 is opened, and after the exchange, it is closed for the safety of the air filter 74.

On the other hand, the air suction check valve 40 includes: a hollow valve body 41 that is connected to the air inlet 33 at one side thereof and is connected to the air purifying means 70 at the other side thereof ; a ball 42 that is provided in the interior of the valve body 41 in such a manner as to be freely moved therein ; a valve'seat 43 that is provided in the middle portion of the valve body 41 in such a manner as to be opened/closed by the ball 42 ; a bypass 45 that is provided at the side of the valve body 41, interposing a diaphragm 44 between the valve body 41 and the bypass 45 ; and a punching screen 46 that is provided at the side of the valve body 41 to thereby form an airflow communicating with the bypass 45, blocking the movement of the ball 42.

In the same manner as the air suction check valve 40, the air exhaust check valve 50 includes: a hollow valve body 51 that is connected to the air outlet 34 at one side thereof and is exposed to the air at the other side thereof; a ball 52 that is provided in the interior of the valve body 51 in such a manner as to be freely moved therein; a valve seat 53 that is provided in the middle portion of the valve body 51 in such a manner as to be opened/closed by the ball 52; a bypass 55 that is provided at the side of the valve body 51, interposing a diaphragm 54 between the valve body 51 and the bypass 55; and a punching screen 56 that is provided at the side of the valve body 51 to thereby form an airflow communicating with the bypass 55, blocking the movement of the ball 52.

In other words, the air suction check valve 40 makes the valve seat 43 closed by the positive pressure of the air exhausted by the wearer and the weight itself, and when the wearer inhales air, it is floated by the negative pressure acting above the ball 42 such that the valve seat 43 is opened to thereby form an airflow. Contrarily, the air exhaust check valve 50 makes the valve seat 53 closed by the negative pressure of the air sucked by the wearer and the weight itself, and when the wearer exhales air, it is floated by the positive pressure acting under the ball 52 such that the valve seat 53 is opened to thereby form an airflow.

The punching screens 45 and 46 that are provided in the air suction check valve 40 and the air exhaust check valve 50 have the length longer than the diameters of the balls 42 and 52, which enables the airflow to be formed gently.

The air exhaust check valve 50 is further provided with a flap 58 that is formed to be hinged at the top end of the outlet thereof in such a manner as to be opened only when exhaust pressure is operated, thereby preventing foreign materials in the air from flowing from the outlet.

The cover 30 may have a butterfly-like shape that looks pretty, which is fit for the use of women.

Next, an explanation on an operation of the nose mask according to the present invention will be given.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wings 21 and 22 of the nose are picked up with the clamps 31 and 32 that are provided at the both ends of the bottom side of the cover 30, and the head of the wearer is tied with the string or band through the loops 35 and 36 that are provided at the left and right sides of the

cover 30. Thus, the cover 30 covers the wearer's nose 20.

At that time, the face contacting edge portion 37 that is provided along the edge of the cover 30 comes in close contact with the face of the wearer, thereby forming closed space between the nose 20 and the cover 30 such that an airflow can be formed in the space.

After that, if the wearer inhales air, the air suction check valve 40 at the air inlet 33 is opened and the air exhaust check valve 50 at the air outlet 34 is closed, with a result that the air is sucked only through the air inlet 33.

That is to say, if the wearer inhales air, both of the air inlet 33 and the air outlet 34 form the negative pressure. At that time, the ball 42 of the air suction check valve 40 is floated by the negative pressure, thereby making the hole of the valve seat 43 opened, and contrarily, the ball 52 of the air exhaust check valve 50 comes in close contact with the valve seat 53 by the negative pressure, thereby making the hole of the valve seat 53 closed. As a result, the air inlet 33 is opened and the air outlet 34 is closed, so that the air is sucked only through the air inlet 33.

At that time, the punching screen 46 in the valve body 41 of the air suction check valve 40 serves to prevent the ball 42 floated from moving out of the valve body 41 and to provide air passages by the holes punched therethrough. The bypass 45 at the side of the valve body 41 serves to transmit the negative pressure formed at the air inlet 33 to the valve body 41 and also to guide the air that is not passed by the diaphragm 44 to the air inlet 33 after passing through the punching screen 46.

The sucked air in the process of air suction flows into the

filter housing 72 through the airflow holes 76a on the cap 76, the fine dust and poisonous gas contained in the air'sucked are filtered through the air filter 74 and then passed through the air collecting chamber 77, such that the cleaned air is charged into the cover 30 through the air inlet 33.

The air collecting chamber 77 in the filter housing 72 has a relatively smaller sectional area than the air filter 74 such that the negative pressure that is formed by the inlet 40a of the air suction check valve 40 acts evenly over the air filter 74. This enables the resistance upon air suction to be minimized and prevents the air from being collected and passed only through a part of the air filter 74.

Then, if the wearer exhales the air, the reverse process to the inhaling process is carried out. The air suction check valve 40 at the air inlet 33 is closed and the air exhaust check valve 50 at the air outlet 34 is opened, with a result that the air is exhausted only through the air outlet 34.

That is, if the wearer exhales the air, both of the air inlet 33 and the air outlet 34 form the positive pressure. At that time, the ball 42 of the air suction check valve 40 comes in close contact with the valve seat 43 by the positive pressure, thereby making the hole of the valve seat 43 closed, and contrarily, the ball 52 of the air exhaust check valve 50 is pushed by the positive pressure and thus separated from the valve seat 53. As a result, the air inlet 33 is closed and the air outlet 34 is opened, so that the air is exhausted only through the air outlet 34.

At that time, the punching screen 56 in the valve body 51 of the air exhaust check valve 50 serves to prevent the ball 52

floated upwardly from moving out of the valve body 51 and to provide air passages by the holes punched therethrough. The bypass 55 at the side of the valve body 51 serves to transmit the negative pressure formed at the air outlet 34 to the valve body 51 and also to guide the air that is not passed by the diaphragm 54 to the outside after passing through the punching screen 56.

The air outlet 34 has no resistant element therein such that the air exhaust is carried out, having less resistance than the air suction. Also, the time staying inside the air outlet 34 is reduced such that the air filter 74 or the interior of the cover 30 is not damp by the exhausted air.

The above-mentioned processes are repeatedly carried out, as the air is repeatedly sucked and exhausted.

On the other hand, when the air filter 74 of the air purifying means 70 is contaminated, it can be cleaned or exchanged into new one. That is, the cap 76 of the filter housing 72 is opened and the air filter 74 is removed out of the filter housing 72. Next, the air filter 74 is cleaned and recycled, or if it is completely used, it is exchanged into new one. After the exchange, the cap 76 is closed again.

Industrial applicability As set forth in the foregoing, the nose mask according to the present invention has a little bit larger size than a nose such that it can be easily carried, and thus, in an emergent state like the generation of a fire, it filters poisonous gas by the air filter in the air purifying means to thereby help a wearer safely inhale and exhale air. Moreover, the nose mask of

the present invention is provided with the face contacting edge portion that is placed to come in close contact with a wearer's face, thereby improving the air tightness in the interior of the cover with a result that the wearer can be safely protected from the poisonous gas.

In addition, the nose mask of the present invention is designed to cover only the wearer's nose such that he or she can freely talk.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.