Patent Application
20230200468
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The disclosure relates to mask devices and more particularly pertains to a new mask device for facilitating a user to eat and drink while wearing a face mask. The device includes a face mask with mouth opening and a flap that is hingedly coupled to the face mask. A plurality of first couplers, second couplers, third couplers and fourth couplers is each disposed on a respective one of the face mask and the flap. The first couplers engage the third couplers to retain the flap in the closed position to cover the mouth opening. The second couplers engage the fourth couplers to retain the flap in an open position to expose the mouth opening.
The prior art relates to mask devices including a face mask with a moldable attachment to facilitate objects to be inserted into the face mask. The prior art discloses a face mask with a pair of goggles that are removably attached to the face mask. The prior art discloses a face mask with an opening integrated into the face mask that can receive a filtering element. The prior art discloses a face mask with a drop down respirator that can be opened for facilitate a user to eat and drink. The prior art discloses a face mask which has a door hingedly coupled to the face mask to facilitate a filtering element to be replaced.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a face mask for wearing on a user's face. The face mask has a mouth opening extending through the face mask to expose the user's mouth when the face mask is worn to facilitate the user to eat and drink while wearing the face mask. A flap is hingedly coupled to the face mask and the flap is positionable in a closed position having the flap covering the mouth opening. Conversely, the flap is positionable in an open position having the mouth opening is exposed to facilitate the user to eat and drink. A pair of straps is each disposed on the face mask for positioning around a respective one of the user's ears to retain the face mask on the user's face.
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 mouth opening 16 extends through the front side 20 and the back side 22, and the mouth opening 16 is centrally positioned on the face mask 12. The mouth opening 16 has a bounding edge 34 and the bounding edge 34 has an upper side 36, a lower side 38, a first sidelong side 40 and a second sidelong side 42. The upper side 36 curves upwardly between the first sidelong side 40 and the second sidelong side 42 and the lower side 38 curves downwardly between the first sidelong side 40 and the second sidelong side 42. As is most clearly shown in
The plurality of layers 44 includes an outermost layer 46 and the outermost layer 46 has a border 48 extending around the perimeter edge 24 of the face mask 12. The outermost layer 46 has a plurality of a plurality of intersecting lines 50 that are disposed on the outermost layer 46. The intersecting lines 50 includes a pair of vertical lines 52 each extending between the top side 26 and the bottom side 28 of the perimeter edge 24. The vertical lines 52 are spaced apart from each other and extend along opposite sides of the mouth opening 16. The intersecting lines 50 includes a plurality of horizontal lines 54 each extending between a respective one of the vertical lines 52 and a respective one of the first lateral side 30 and the second lateral side 32 of the perimeter edge 24. The face mask 12 has a pair of first holes 56 each extending through the front side 20 and the back side 22 and each of the first holes 56 is positioned adjacent to the first lateral side 30 of the perimeter edge 24. The face mask 12 has a pair of second holes 58 each extending though the front side 20 and the back side 22 and each of the second holes 58 is positioned adjacent to the second lateral side 32 of the perimeter edge 24.
A flap 60 is provided and the flap 60 is hingedly coupled to the face mask 12. The flap 60 is positionable in a closed position having the flap 60 covering the mouth opening 16. Conversely, the flap 60 is positionable in an open position having the mouth opening 16 being exposed to facilitate the user to eat and drink. The flap 60 has a first edge 62, a second edge 64, a front surface 66 and a back surface 68. The first edge 62 is hingedly coupled to the outermost layer 46 at a point that is located adjacent to the second sidelong side 42 of the bounding edge 34 of the mouth opening 16. Additionally, the back surface 68 is directed toward the outermost layer 46 when the flap 60 is in the closed position.
A plurality of first couplers 70 is each coupled to the face mask 12 at a point that is located adjacent to the mouth opening 16. Each of the first couplers 70 is positioned on the outermost layer 46 and each of the first couplers 70 is distributed along the first sidelong side 40 of the bounding edge 34 of the mouth opening 16. A plurality of second couplers 72 is each coupled to the flap 60. Each of the second couplers 72 releasably engages a respective one of the first couplers 70 when the flap 60 is in the closed position for retaining the flap 60 in the closed position. Each of the second couplers 72 is positioned on the back surface 68 of the flap 60 and each of the second couplers 72 is distributed along the first edge 62 of the flap 60. Each of the first couplers 70 and the second couplers 72 may comprise complementary snaps or other type of releasable coupler.
A plurality of third couplers 74 is each coupled to the face mask 12 at a point that is spaced from the mouth opening 16 and each of the third couplers 74 is positioned on the outermost layer 46. Each of the third couplers 74 is distributed along the second lateral side 32 of the perimeter edge 24 of the face mask 12. Additionally, each of the third couplers 74 is positioned between a respective pair of horizontal lines 54 on the outermost layer 46 of the face mask 12. A plurality of fourth couplers 76 is each coupled to the flap 60 and each of the fourth couplers 76 releasably engages a respective one of the third couplers 74 when the flap 60 is in the open position for retaining the flap 60 in the open position. Each of the fourth couplers 76 is positioned on the front surface 66 of the flap 60 and each of the fourth couplers 76 is distributed along the first edge 62 of the flap 60. Each of the third couplers 74 and the fourth couplers 76 may comprise a complementary snaps or other type of releasable coupler.
A pair of straps 78 is provided and each of the straps 78 is disposed on the face mask 12. Each of the straps 78 can be positioned around a respective one of the user's ears for retaining the face mask 12 on the user's face 14. Each of the straps 78 is looped through respective first holes 56 or second holes 58 in the face mask 12. Each of the straps 78 includes a pair of adjusters 80 for adjusting the length of the straps 78 to accommodate different sizes of users.
In use, the flap 60 is positioned in the closed position such that each of the first couplers 70 engages the second couplers 72 to retain the flap 60 in the closed position. In this way the user's mouth 18 is completely covered to comply with face mask mandates that pertain to controlling airborne transmission of infectious diseases and pandemics. The flap 60 is positioned in the open position such that each of the third couplers 74 engages the fourth couplers 76 to retain the flap 60 in the open position. In this way the user can eat and drink while the user is wearing the face mask 12.
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.
