Patent Application
20220408861
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to face mask devices and more particularly pertains to a new face mask device for inhibiting exhaled air from fogging eyeglasses worn by a user. The device includes an air impermeable pad that is strategically positioned on the face mask such that the air impermeable pad rests on the user's nose when the face mask device is worn. Additionally, a bendable strip is integrated into the pad for shaping the pad to facilitate the pad to conform to the shape of the user's nose.
The prior art relates to face mask devices including a face mask, which as a rectangular shape, and which has an air impermeable element that extends across a full width of the mask to inhibit fogging of eyeglasses when the face mask is worn. The prior art discloses a variety of face masks that include air vents to inhibit air from passing upwardly over the user's nose and fogging eyeglasses. The prior art discloses a face mask that includes a nose pad and an inner layer that is doubled back over the nose pad to inhibit fogging of eyeglasses. The prior art also discloses a face mask that has a moisture absorbing element for inhibiting fogging of eyeglasses.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a face mask that has a concave shape such that the face mask covers the user's mouth and the user's nose when the face mask is worn. A pad is integrated into the face mask to extend across the user's nose when the face mask is worn. The pad is comprised of an air impermeable material to inhibit air exhaled by the user from passing between the face mask and the user's nose thereby inhibiting eyeglasses worn by the user from is fogged. A bendable strip is integrated into the pad thereby facilitating the bendable strip to retain the pad in a preferred shape to conform to the shape of the user's nose.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The face mask 12 has a front surface 20, a back surface 22 and a perimeter edge 24 extending between the front surface 20 and the back surface 22, and the back surface 22 is concavely arcuate with respect to the perimeter edge 24. The perimeter edge 24 is substantially arcuate about a center point of the back surface 22, and the perimeter edge 24 has a top side 26 and a bottom side 28. The perimeter edge 24 curves upwardly beyond a circumference defined by the perimeter edge 24 to define a lobe 30 on the top side 26 to accommodate the user's nose 18 when the face mask 12 is worn. As is most clearly shown in
A pad 34 is integrated into the face mask 12 and the pad 34 is strategically positioned on an upper threshold 36 of the face mask 12 to extend across the user's nose 18 when the face mask 12 is worn. The pad 34 is comprised of an air impermeable material to inhibit air exhaled by the user from passing between the face mask 12 and the user's nose 18 thereby inhibiting eyeglasses 38 worn by the user from is fogged. The eyeglasses 38 might be protective eyewear, corrective lenses or other types of eyewear. The pad 34 is aligned with the top side 26 of the perimeter of the face mask 12 has the pad 34 extending downwardly along opposite sides of the lobe 30. In this way the pad 34 can rest against the user's nose 18 when the face mask 12 is worn. The pad 34 might be comprised of rubber or other similar type of material that is both air impermeable and compressible to enhancing comfort for the user.
A bendable strip 40 is provided and the bendable strip 40 is integrated into the face mask 12. The bendable strip 40 is aligned with the pad 34 thereby facilitating the bendable strip 40 to retain the pad 34 in a preferred shape to facilitate the pad 34 to conform to the shape of the user's nose 18. Moreover, the bendable strip 40 is comprised of a bendable material such that the bendable strip 40 remains in whatever shape into which the bendable strip 40 is bent. The bendable strip 40 is positioned within the pad 34 such that the bendable strip 40 is inhibited from contacting the user's nose 18.
A pair of straps 42 is each coupled to the face mask 12 and each of the straps 42 can be positioned around the user's head 44 for retaining the face mask 12 on the user's face 14. Each of the straps 42 has a first end 46 and a second end 48. and each of the first end 46 and the second end 48 of each of the straps 42 is attached to the second surface of the face mask 12 such that each of the straps 42 forms a closed loop with the face mask 12. The first end 46 and the second end 48 of each of the straps 42 are positioned on opposite sides of the face mask 12 with respect to each other. Additionally, each of the straps 42 is positioned adjacent to a respective one of the pad 34 and the bottom side 28 of the perimeter edge 24 of the face mask 12. Each of the straps 42 might be comprised of a resiliently stretchable material such as elastic or other similar type of material.
In an alternative embodiment 50 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the face mask 12 is worn on the user's face 14 when the user is working in an area that exposes the user to a potentially hazardous level of airborne particles. The bendable strip 40 is bent such that the pad 34 fully conforms to the user's nose 18. In this way the pad 34 inhibits air exhaled by the user from passing between the face mask 12 and the user's nose 18. Thus, the eyeglasses 38 that are worn by the user will not become fogged as is common with existing face masks. Additionally, the eyeglasses 38 that are worn by the user will not rest higher on the user's face 14 than they were designed to. In this way prescription eyeglasses 38 will properly correct the user's vision. Additionally, safety eyeglasses will remain the preferred distance from the user's face 14 to ensure the user gains the maximum protection from the safety eyeglasses 38.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure. to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
