Patent Application
20230389661
The invention generally relates to masks, and more specifically to a device for storing a mask.
This section describes technical field in detail and discusses problems encountered in the technical field. Therefore, statements in the section are not to be construed as prior art.
Generally, a mask refers to a wearing article covering the mouth and nose of a wearer to prevent cold from getting caught and fine foreign substances, dust, germs, viruses and various bacteria from entering the body through the wearer's respiratory system. The masks particularly have been used since the early 1900s (when the Spanish flu was spreading) and were developed with the aim of preventing a person from getting infected.
Similarly, in order to prevent spread of respiratory diseases (e.g., COVID-19 virus related diseases, new viruses such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) related diseases or the like) and suppress the pandemic caused by this outbreak, many local governments and countries around the globe have mandated wearing of face covering masks. Though, there are a variety of masks available in the market, however, there is no mechanism for managing the masks hygienically as well as aesthetically. That is, there is no devices for a mask holding device/system or a mask handling device/system capable of carrying and storing a mask hygienically while preventing the mask from being contaminated.
Hence, there is a need for a portable mask device capable of carrying and storing a mask so that it's conveniently available, as well as preventing the mask from being contaminated. The present invention provides such a portable mask management device.
The above objective is solved by a portable mask management device comprising features of the claims. The present invention relates to a portable mask management device for handling one or more mask(s). The portable mask management device includes a mask holding container having a sidewall, an upper peripheral rim, and a lower peripheral rim, where an upper portion of the sidewall is attached with an upper base using the upper peripheral rim and a lower portion of the sidewall is attached with a lower base using the lower peripheral rim. The upper peripheral rim and the lower peripheral rim are constructed and arranged for receiving one or more rod movement controller(s) in the mask holding container. The upper base seals an upper portion of the mask holding container and the lower base seals a lower portion of the mask holding container. The upper base and the lower base form a sealed volume in the mask holding container for holding the one or more mask(s), where the one or more mask(s) is rolled inside of the sidewall of the mask holding container.
According to various embodiments, the sidewall is formed using two sub-walls, wherein the two sub-walls are symmetrical to each other and one or more hinge(s) is attached with the upper base and the lower base respectively to connect the two sub-walls of the sidewall. A portion of the sidewall comprises a first aperture along a length of the sidewall in the mask holding container to allow movement of the one or more mask(s), where a first end of the first aperture is coupled with the upper base and a second end of the first aperture is coupled with the lower base such that the first aperture allows an inside movement and an outside movement of the one or more mask(s).
The portable mask management device includes an upper side opening, a lower side opening, a roller arrangement and a knob. The upper side opening is formed in the upper base and the lower side opening is formed in the lower base. The roller arrangement is connected between the upper side opening and the lower side opening in the mask holding container. The knob is attached with the roller arrangement, where the one or more mask(s) is rolled into the mask holding container on the roller arrangement using the knob. The roller arrangement assists the movement of the one or more mask(s) in the mask holding container. The one or more mask(s) comprises tightening members, where one or more tightening member(s) is attached with the roller arrangement.
According to various embodiments of the present invention, the roller arrangement includes a first rod, a second rod, and one or more rod movement controller(s). The one or more rod movement controller(s) controls the movement of the first rod in the mask holding container, where a diameter of the second rod is less than a diameter of the first rod such that the second rod passes through the first rod and holds the first rod and the one or more rod movement controller(s) in the roller arrangement.
According to various embodiments of the present invention, the roller arrangement comprises a first rod and one or more rod movement controller(s), where the one or more rod movement controller(s) controls the movement of the first rod in the mask holding container.
The portable mask management device includes one or more handle(s) that assists a user to hold the mask holding container, where ends of a holding element connect with the one or more handle(s).
Of course, the present is simply a Summary, and not a complete description of the invention.
Various aspects of the invention and its embodiment are better understood by referring to the following detailed description. To understand the invention, the detailed description should be read in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
While reading this section (Description of An Exemplary Preferred Embodiment, which describes the exemplary embodiment of the best mode of the invention, hereinafter referred to as “exemplary embodiment”), one should consider the exemplary embodiment as the best mode for practicing the invention during filing of the patent in accordance with the inventor's belief. As a person with ordinary skills in the art may recognize substantially equivalent structures or substantially equivalent acts to achieve the same results in the same manner, or in a dissimilar manner, the exemplary embodiment should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to one embodiment.
The discussion of a species (or a specific item) invokes the genus (the class of items) to which the species belongs as well as related species in this genus. Similarly, the recitation of a genus invokes the species known in the art. Furthermore, as technology develops, numerous additional alternatives to achieve an aspect of the invention may arise. Such advances are incorporated within their respective genus and should be recognized as being functionally equivalent or structurally equivalent to the aspect shown or described.
A function or an act should be interpreted as incorporating all modes of performing the function or act, unless otherwise explicitly stated. For instance, sheet drying may be performed through dry or wet heat application, or by using microwaves. Therefore, the use of the word “paper drying” invokes “dry heating” or “wet heating” and all other modes of this word and similar words such as “pressure heating”.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, conjunctive words (such as “or”, “and”, “including”, or “comprising”) should be interpreted in the inclusive and not the exclusive sense.
As will be understood by those of the ordinary skill in the art, various structures and devices are depicted in the block diagram to not obscure the invention. In the following discussion, acts with similar names are performed in similar manners, unless otherwise stated.
The foregoing discussions and definitions are provided for clarification purposes and are not limiting. Words and phrases are to be accorded their ordinary, plain meaning, unless indicated otherwise.
The present invention resolves the issue of storing and carrying a mask hygienically and aesthetically while preventing the mask from being contaminated.
In opening, simultaneous reference is made to
The device 100 is made of wood, plastic, glass, metal, for example. The device 100 includes a mask holding container 105 (as shown in
The mask holding container 105 (as shown in
The mask holding container 105 comprises the sidewall 120, the upper peripheral rim 125a, and the lower peripheral rim 125b.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall 120 is formed of two sub-walls 121, 123 that are symmetrical to each other as shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall 120 is a single unit as depicted in
An upper portion of the sidewall 120 is attached with the upper base 110a using the upper peripheral rim 125a and a lower portion of the sidewall 120 is attached with the lower base 110b using the lower peripheral rim 125b, where the upper base 110a seals an upper portion of the mask holding container 105 and the lower base 110b seals a lower portion of the mask holding container 105. The upper peripheral rim 125a and the lower peripheral rim 125b are formed as an integral part of the mask holding container 105. The upper peripheral rim 125a and the lower peripheral rim 125b are constructed and arranged to receive the one or more rod movement controllers 160a-160b in the mask holding container 105. The upper base 110a and the lower base 110b form a sealed volume in the mask holding container 105 for holding the at least one mask 115, wherein the mask 115 is rolled inside of the sidewall 120 of the mask holding container 105.
Further, the sidewall 120 includes the first aperture 185 (as shown in
The device 100 comprises the second aperture 130, where one end of the second aperture 130 (as shown in
The device 100 further includes the upper side opening 145a, the lower side opening 145b, the roller arrangement 155 and the knob 150. The upper side opening 145a and the lower side opening 145b are formed in the upper base 110a and the lower base 110b respectively. The roller arrangement 155 is connected between the upper side opening 145a and the lower side opening 145b in the mask holding container 105. The at least one mask 115 is rolled on the roller arrangement 155 and the roller arrangement 155 assists the movement of the at least one mask 115 in the mask holding container 105. The roller arrangement 155 assists rotation of the at least one mask 115 at a set angle inside the mask holding container 105, where a space is formed between the roller arrangement 155 and the sidewall 120.
In an embodiment of the present invention (
In another embodiment of the present invention (
The knob 150 is attached with the roller arrangement 155. The knob 150 can be made of metal, plastic, rubber or the like. The at least one mask 115 is rolled into the mask holding container 105 using the knob 150. The at least one mask 115 can be, for example, but not limited to, a cloth mask, a respirator cartridge face mask, a reusable mask, a surgical mask, an N95 respirator mask, a fine dust blocking mask. The at least one mask 115 is made of cloth, plastic or other suitable material known in the art. The at least one mask 115 comprises the one or more tightening members 180a-180b and a filter respirator (not shown). The one or more tightening members 180a-180b can be mask straps, thread shaped tightening members, wire shaped tightening members, mask hook strings or the like. The one or more tightening members 180a-180b are made of cloth, plastic or the like. One tightening member 180a of the at least one mask 115 is formed opposite side of another tightening member 180b of the at least one mask 115. The tightening member 180b (as shown in
The device 100 includes the one or more handles 140a-140d that assist a user to hold the mask holding container 105 ergonomically using the holding element 165. The one or more handles 140a-140d connect with ends of the holding element 165. In an embodiment, the handles 140a-140b are placed on the sidewall 120. Alternatively, the handles 140c-140d are connected with a portion of the upper base 110a and a portion of the lower base 110b. It may be noted that the position of the one or more handles 140a-140d does not limit the scope of the present invention. The holding element 165 may be formed of metal, plastic, cloth or any other suitable material.
It is to be noted that although
Advantageously, the proposed device 100 can store the at least one mask 115 hygienically and prevent the growth of contaminants. The device 100 may have antibacterial, antiviral and phytoncide functions, so as to improve the hygiene of the at least one mask 115.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although systems and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of equivalent systems are described above.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with specific illustrative embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is intended to include within the invention, all such variations and departures that fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
