Patent Application
20230025340
The present invention is generally related to face masks, and more particular to a face mask having an embodied support structure.
Face masks provide protection against hazardous components in the air such as dust particles and pathogens. During the recent global pandemic, face masks have become people's standard protective equipment.
Wearing a face mask is a not comfortable act as the nose and mouth are constantly covered. In addition, the inside of the face mask, as well as the wearer's face, may be stained by the wearer's lipstick or saliva.
There are some face masks designed with means to create a buffer space between a wearer's face and the face mask. Usually, this is achieved by a frame to prop up the face mask. This additional frame adds to the face mask's cost. In addition, the frame cannot conform to various mask and face shapes and, therefore, the buffer space created may not be satisfactory.
A major objective of the present invention to add a support member to prop up a face mask so as to achieve greater comfort and better protection from the face mask.
To achieve the objective, the face mask with support includes a face mask and a support member. The face mask has left border piece, a right border piece, and a main piece. The main piece has multiple gaps where the support member is positioned. The support member has a left edge, a right edge, and a flexible piece.
When the upper and lower rim of the face mask are pulled apart to cover a wearer's face, the left border piece and the right border piece are brought closer towards each other, pushing the left and right edges to bend the support member and creating a buffer space between the main piece and the wearer's face.
The face mask enhances wearer breathing smoothness, and its tightness against the wearer's face. The support member may be recycled to fit in a new face mask when the old one has to be discarded, thereby reducing usage cost. The support member may be fit on face masks of various types. In addition, as the face mask bulges forward, its rims are attached more tightly to the wearer's face, providing greater shielding and protection.
Through the above teaching, the shortcomings of the conventional face masks using frames are resolved.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As shown in
a left border piece 11 along a lateral edge of the face mask 1;
a right border piece 12 along another lateral edge opposite the left border piece 11 of the face mask 1; and
a main piece 13 between the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12 whose two lateral edges respectively joined with the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12.
In the present embodiment, the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12 are hot-melted to the main piece 13.
The main piece 13 has multiple plies and a number of gaps 14 between the plies.
The flexible support member 2 is positioned in the gaps 14, and includes
a left edge 21 along a lateral edge of the support member 2;
a right edge 22 along another lateral edge of the support member 2 opposite to the left edge 21; and
a flexible piece 23 between the left edge 21 and the right edge 22.
The face mask with support of the present embodiment, as described above, is able to offer usage comfort and convenience, and lower production cost.
The present invention also teach a face mask supporting method:
The width of the support member 2 from the left edge 21 to the right edge 22 is preferably between 95% and 105% of the distance between the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12. In the present embodiment, the width of the support member 2 is 160 mm.
To use the face mask 1, a user pulls the upper and lower rim of the face mask 1 so that the plies of the face mask 1 are unfolded to completely cover the user's mouth and nose. As the fixation by the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12, the unfolding of the face mask 1 turns it from a planar configuration into a three-dimensional configuration, and the left border piece 11 and the right border piece 12 are brought closer towards each other. In the meantime, the left border piece 11 pushes the left edge 21, and the right border piece 12 pushes the right edge 22, thereby exerting a force to bend the support member 2. A wearer may slightly assist the flexible piece 23's bending outward by his/her finger. As the flexible piece 23 props up the face mask 1's main piece 13 away from the wearer's face, a buffer space 15 between the main piece 13 and the wearer's face as such is created.
As described above, the installation of the support member 2 in the gaps 14 may be used to create the buffer space 15 so that the wearing of the face mask 1 is more comfortable. In addition, as the support member 2's flexible piece 23 is bended forward and as the face mask 1 has a fixed area, the forward protrusion of the support member 2 makes the left edge 21 and the right edge 22 more closely attached to the wearer's face, achieving greater shielding effect. As shown in
As shown in
The main piece of the face mask 1a includes a planar piece 3a, a first upper bending section 31a having an inverted U-shaped cross-section whose front edge joined to an upper edge of the planar piece 3a, a first upper piece 32a whose upper edge is joined to a back edge of the first upper bending section 31a, a second upper bending section 33a having a U-shaped cross-section whose front edge is joined to a lower edge of the first upper piece 32a, a planar second upper piece 34a whose lower edge is joined to a back edge of the second upper bending section 33a, a first lower bending section 35a having a U-shaped cross-section whose front edge is joined to a lower edge of the planar piece 3a, a first lower piece 36a whose lower edge is joined to a back edge of the first lower bending section 35a, a second lower bending section 37a whose front edge is joined to an upper edge of the first lower piece 36a, and a second lower piece 38a whose upper edge is joined to a back edge of the second lower bending section 37a.
The planar piece 3a has a first height with a lateral first bisector line. The second upper piece 34a has a second height, and the second lower piece 38a has a third height. The face mask 1a has an overall height from the second upper piece 34a's upper edge to the second lower piece 38a's lower edge. The face mask 1a overall height has a lateral second bisector line. The distance between the first lateral line and the second lateral line is called the offset distance. The first height is between 42% and 64% of the face mask 1a overall height, the second height is between 42% and 48% of the face mask 1a overall height, and the third height is between 31% and 39% of the face mask 1a overall height. The first lateral line is below the second lateral line, and the offset distance is between 2% and 10% of the face mask 1a overall height.
A gap 14a is formed between the first upper bending section 31a and the second upper bending section 33a, and another gaps 14a is formed between the first lower bending section 35a and the second lower bending section 37a. The support member 2a may be placed in the gaps 14a. In the present embodiment, the support member 2a is plugged into both gaps 14a and, therefore, is positioned between the first upper bending section 31a and the first lower bending section 35a.
As such, a graphic pattern, a logo, or an advertisement may be completely presented on the planar piece 3a without being affected by the plies. The face mask 1a of the present embodiment effectively provides only two layers involving the planar piece 3a and the second upper piece 34a (or the second lower piece 38a). The unfolding of the face mask 1 can be easily achieved by pulling open the first upper piece 32a and the second upper piece 34a (or the first lower piece 36a and second lower piece 38a). With the first upper piece 32a, second upper piece 34a, first lower piece 36a, and second lower piece 38a supporting the planar piece 3a, a greater buffer space is achieved by the support member 2a, facilitating the wearer's smooth breathing.
As shown in
As shown in
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110126742 | Jul 2021 | TW | national |
