Respiratory mask and related portions, components or sub-assemblies

Abstract

A respiratory mask for providing positive pressure therapy and a bias-flow venting system configured to reduce discernable draft generated by exhausted air are disclosed herein. The respiratory mask has a ball jointed elbow, one or more detachable forehead pieces and a headgear with a spacer fabric region. The elbow is configured to be removable when oriented to a predetermined position. The forehead pieces are provided in one or more sizes. The spacer fabric region having two or more layers wherein the raw edges are turned to the inside of the layers. The seal having improved seal performance and accommodating a wider variety of facial geometries. The bias-flow system having a tube and exhaust holes radially aligned on a bead of the tube. The bias-flow system also having an annular component exhaust holes and a shroud having a plenum chamber around the exhaust holes.

1 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A cushion module for a respiratory interface, comprising:
 a seal housing constructed from a relatively rigid material, the seal housing defining an aperture configured to allow a breathing gas to enter an interior of the cushion module; and   a seal supported by the seal housing and having an upper portion and a lower portion, the seal further comprising a face contacting surface configured to contact a face of a user and create at least a substantial seal with the face of the user, the face contacting surface having an inner edge defining an opening in the face contacting surface,   wherein the upper portion of the seal comprises a reduced stiffness portion defined between a first boundary and a second boundary such that the reduced stiffness portion deforms in response to forward movement of an upper portion of the face contacting surface,   wherein the first boundary and the second boundary have an increased stiffness relative to the reduced stiffness portion, wherein the reduced stiffness portion comprises a front wall having a height defined by a distance between an apex of the seal, the apex being positioned in proximity to a nose of the user when in use, and an uppermost surface of the seal housing, and wherein the height is at least 6 mm.   
     
     
         47 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein the reduced stiffness portion comprises a rolling portion configured to roll over an outer surface of the cushion module in response to forward movement of the upper portion of the face contacting surface. 
     
     
         48 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein a portion of the seal defining the face contacting surface comprises a pair of nose pads positioned on each side of the opening in the upper portion of the seal, wherein an entirety of each of the nose pads is spaced outwardly from the opening. 
     
     
         49 . The cushion module of  claim 48 , wherein the nose pads are the thickest portions of the portion of the seal defining the face contacting surface. 
     
     
         50 . The cushion module of  claim 49 , further comprising a pair of thickened outer peripheral portions defined by the portion of the seal defining the face contacting surface, wherein at least a portion of the thickened outer peripheral portions are positioned below the nose pads. 
     
     
         51 . The cushion module of  claim 50 , wherein at least a portion of the thickened outer peripheral portions are positioned above the nose pads. 
     
     
         52 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein a continuous portion of the inner edge of the opening defines a thickness of equal to or less than 0.6 mm, wherein the continuous portion of the inner edge extends inwardly from the inner edge at least 1 mm and extends along at least an entirety of the upper portion of the seal. 
     
     
         53 . The cushion module of  claim 52 , wherein a section of the continuous portion of the inner edge located within 0.5 mm of the inner edge is equal to or less than 0.4 mm in thickness. 
     
     
         54 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein the upper portion of the seal defines a nose bridge portion that contacts a bridge of the nose of the user, wherein the nose bridge portion of the opening defines a continuously curved portion of the inner edge. 
     
     
         55 . The cushion module of  claim 54 , wherein a width of the nose bridge portion is equal to or less than about 11 mm. 
     
     
         56 . The cushion module of  claim 54 , wherein a vertical dimension of a vertical center of the nose bridge portion is equal to or greater than about 15 mm. 
     
     
         57 . The cushion module of  claim 56 , wherein a depth between a rearmost point of the nose bridge portion and a lower edge of the nose bridge portion on the vertical center of the seal is at least about 4 mm. 
     
     
         58 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein the reduced stiffness portion comprises a front wall having a height of at least about 7 mm. 
     
     
         59 . The cushion module of  claim 58 , wherein the height of the front wall is between about 7.3 mm and about 7.7 mm. 
     
     
         60 . The cushion module of  claim 58 , wherein a thickness of the front wall and a top wall progressively increases from a lower end of the front wall to a rearward end of the top wall. 
     
     
         61 . The cushion module of  claim 46 , wherein a distance between a point on a centerline of the upper portion and a point on the centerline of the lower portion of the face contacting surface of the seal varies by more than 2 mm between a neutral position and a depressed position of the reduced stiffness portion. 
     
     
         62 . The cushion module of  claim 61 , wherein the distance between the point on a centerline of the upper portion and the point on the centerline of the lower portion of the face contacting surface of the seal varies by at least about 5 mm, at least about 6 mm, at least about 8 mm or at least about 10 mm or at least about 12 mm between the neutral position and the depressed position of the reduced stiffness portion. 
     
     
         63 . The cushion module of  claim 61 , wherein the distance varies between about 90 mm to about 84 mm between the neutral position and the depressed position of the reduced stiffness portion. 
     
     
         64 . The cushion module of  claim 61 , wherein the distance varies by at least about 5 percent between the neutral position and the depressed position of the reduced stiffness portion. 
     
     
         65 . The cushion module of  claim 64 , wherein the distance varies by at least about 6 and ⅔ percent between the neutral position and the depressed position of the reduced stiffness portion. 
     
     
         66 . A set of cushion modules comprising a plurality of the cushion modules of  claim 46  in at least two different sizes, wherein the height of the front wall is different between the sizes. 
     
     
         67 . The set of cushion modules of  claim 66 , comprising a small, medium and large size, wherein the height of the front wall of the small size is less than the height of the front wall of one or both of the medium and large sizes. 
     
     
         68 . The set of cushion modules of  claim 67 , wherein the height of the front wall of the large size is greater than the height of the front wall of one or both of the small and medium sizes. 
     
     
         69 . The set of cushion modules of  claim 67 , wherein the height of the front wall of the large size is greater than the height of the front wall of the medium size and the height of the front wall of the medium size is greater than the height of the front wall of the small size. 
     
     
         70 . The set of cushion modules of  claim 67 , wherein the height of the front wall of the small size is about 7.3 mm, the height of the front wall of the medium size is about 7.6 mm and the height of the front wall of the large size is about 7.7 mm.