Traditional full face respirator used by professional vanishers and painters has never changed much since its invention and while it seems mankind is fine by that, Berlin-based industrial designer Carlos Schreib begs to differ. In fact, he did not just feel today’s full face respirator isn’t right; he went all out to prove it by interviewing the people who uses them and concluded no one who needs to use the respirator likes wearing a gas mask. Unlike the apocalyptic-looking gas mask that has a cartridge at around the mouth position, Carlos full face respirator, called Espire, separates the intake and outlet, and instead of a narrow visor that makes a respirator looks rather sinister, it has a clear polycarbonate visor that spans across the entire face of the wearer.
The result lends by the clear full face visor is more sophisticated and friendly appearance since the facial feature of the wearer can be clearly seen. Obviously, it is way less apocalyptic-looking than what we have today. The respirator is made up of four major parts: the polycarbonate visor, a main frame which has a filter intake up top and an outlet valve at the chin area, a compartment divider that separates the fresh air from the used air, and a main body that boasts an integrated around the head headband. In between, there are smaller components that complete the package, like the control valve, spin-on filter, and tension control mechanism that goes onto the headband.
With Espire, Carlos addresses several issues with today’s respirator, including limited viewing angle which could be dangerous, poor usability attributed by awkward straps, and bulkiness that makes usage in confined spaces difficult if not dangerous. With so many cons, some folks even stop using it altogether and thereby, putting the workers’ health at risk. However, if Carlos’s proposition were to realize in future, it may encourage full face respirator uses. And it is not to farfetched to think that Espire could one day be a reality as Carlos said he is in talks with manufacturer to produce an one-off prototype as a proof of concept. Who knows? Carlos may attract the attention of respirator makers and forever change how we use and look at a full face respirator?
All images courtesy of Carlos Schreib.
via designboom
