Patent Application
20160295946
The present disclosure relates to sleep masks, in particular sleep masks that are adjustable.
Conventional sleep masks are often worn by users who wish to block out light, to assist in achieving good quality sleep. In order to accommodate users with differently-sized heads, conventional sleep masks are often fitted around the user's head using an elastic strap. However, this creates a thin band of concentrated pressure against the user's head, leading to discomfort.
Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application, and in which:
Similar reference numerals may have been used in different figures to denote similar components.
The present disclosure provides an adjustable sleep mask. In some examples, the adjustable sleep mask may be designed to fit snugly and comfortably over the user's eyes to block out light, while maintaining its fit over the user's eyes even when the user moves during sleep.
In some examples, the present disclosure provides an adjustable sleep mask that may include: a body configured to be wearable on a user's head, the body including an eye-covering portion configured to be worn over the user's eyes; at least one strap connected to the body for adjusting a fit of at least the eye-covering portion; and a slider for adjustably holding the at least one strap at a desired fit.
In this example, the adjustable sleep mask 100 includes a body 10 that is configured to be worn over a user's head. The body 10 may be configured to cover the entire top of the user's head, which may provide warmth and/or comfort to the user. The body 10 may be shaped as a hood, for example. The body 10 includes an eye-covering portion 12, which is configured to be worn over the user's eyes. The eye-covering portion 12 has sufficient opacity to reduce the amount of light that reaches the user's eyes when worn. The eye-covering portion 12 may be thicker than the rest of the body 10, to provide greater opacity. The eye-covering portion 12 may form a substantially continuous band about the body 10. The eye-covering portion 12 may also cover the user's ears when worn, which may provide the user with greater warmth and/or may help to block out sounds. In some examples, the adjustable sleep mask 100 may include one or more decorative elements, such as a tassel 40.
The fit of the eye-covering portion 12 may be adjustable using one or more straps 20. In the example shown, there are two straps 20, however in other examples there may be only one continuous strap 20. When the strap(s) 20 are pulled together, the fit of the eye-covering portion 12 is tightened. Conversely, when the strap(s) 20 are loosened, the fit of the eye-covering portion 12 is loosened. The strap(s) 20 may be adjusted by using a slider 30, which holds the strap(s) 20 in place at the desired fit. The ability to adjust the fit of the adjustable sleep mask 100 using the combination of strap(s) 20 and slider 30 may allow the adjustable sleep mask 100 to be fitted to differently sized users or a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
In an example shown in
In an example, each channel 32 may be approximately 4 mm×6 mm in size, which may allow a fabric strap 20 about 1.75″ in width to be fed through the channel 32 and held in place by friction. It has been found that such dimensions are effective at least for a strap 20 made of a double layer bamboo rayon fabric (having a weight of about 278 grams per square metre (GSM)) and a slider 30 made of metal (e.g., nickel plated metal).
When worn, the strap(s) 20 and slider 30 may be positioned on the back of the user's head. The small size of the slider 30 and soft material used for the strap(s) 20 may avoid discomfort to the user when the adjustable sleep mask 100 is worn.
The strap(s) 20 may be positioned right at the base of the adjustable sleep mask 100. The position of the strap(s) 20 at the base may allow the strap(s) 20 to be used more effectively to adjust the fit of the eye-covering portion 12.
The use of strap(s) 20 instead of an elastic for adjusting the fit may enable a user to fit the adjustable sleep mask 100 to be as tight or as loose as desired. The use of the slider 30 to hold the strap(s) 20 means that the fit can be easily adjusted simply by sliding the slider 30 along the strap(s) 20 and/or pulling the strap(s) 20 through the slider 30. This is a simple adjustable mechanism, which avoids the complications of, for example, tying a knot or using a buckle.
Further, the slider 30 allows the adjustable sleep mask 100 to be slightly loosened without being completely loose. For example, a user may wake in the middle of the night and wish to see the current time. The user may slightly loosen the adjustable sleep mask 100 by sliding the slider 30 slightly forward on the strap(s) 20, allowing the user to lift the eye-covering portion 12 from his/her eyes without allowing the adjustable sleep mask 100 to be completely removed or to fall off. When the user wishes to return to sleep, the user can pull the eye-covering portion 12 back over his/her eyes and pull the strap(s) 20 through the slider 30 to tighten the adjustable sleep mask 100 again.
The combination of strap(s) 20 and slider 30 may thus enable the adjustable sleep mask 100 to be relatively quickly and easily adjusted without significantly diminishing the uniform feel and/or function of the adjustable sleep mask 100.
In some examples, the body 10, eye-covering portion 12 and strap(s) 20 may all be formed from a single piece of material. Providing these components all from a single piece of material may avoid the need to introduce different materials that might detract from the cohesive fit and feel of the adjustable sleep mask 100.
In this example, the fabric pattern 200, when sewn, may be folded along dotted line X such that the portion A forms the eye-covering portion 12 and the portions B form two straps. The portion A may be folded up and sewn on the inside of the body 10, to provide a seamless appearance on the outside of the body 10. Alternatively, the portion A may be folded up and sewn on the outside of the body 10, to prevent possible discomfort to the user caused by the stitching being against the skin.
The body 10 (and strap(s) 20 in the case where the strap(s) 20 are formed from the same piece of material as the body 10) may be formed from an elastic material such as a knit fabric containing bamboo fibres, for example a bamboo rayon fabric. The material may have anti-bacterial properties, be soft to the skin, elastic, breathable and/or lightweight. The use of an elastic material may help to avoid concentration of pressure in a narrow band around the user's head, resulting in a more comfortable and snug fit. The use of an elastic material may allow the adjustable sleep mask 100 to form fit to the features of the user's upper face and head when worn, which may provide the feeling of a relaxing embrace.
The embodiments of the present disclosure described above are intended to be examples only. The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms. Alterations, modifications and variations to the disclosure may be made without departing from the intended scope of the present disclosure. While the systems, devices and processes disclosed and shown herein may comprise a specific number of elements/components, the systems, devices and assemblies could be modified to include additional or fewer of such elements/components. For example, while any of the elements/components disclosed may be referenced as being singular, the embodiments disclosed herein could be modified to include a plurality of such elements/components. Selected features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be combined to create alternative embodiments not explicitly described. All values and sub-ranges within disclosed ranges are also disclosed. The subject matter described herein intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology. All references mentioned are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2887182 | Apr 2015 | CA | national |
