Patent Application
20120036607
1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to recreational nose guards designed to protect the nose from sunburn, frostbite, and other outdoor elements.
2. Background Information
Today's society is increasingly involved in outdoor sports and recreational activities yet concerns about avoiding skin cancer and other harmful effects of the sun are also greater than ever. In particular, there is a need among outdoor enthusiasts (e.g. mountaineers, cyclists, skiers) and workers to protect their nose from exposure to harmful Ultraviolet light and extreme cold, or other elements that can cause discomfort or skin damage. Importantly, there is a need for nose guards that are versatile and can be easily attached to the user's face and various types of eyewear, such as eyeglasses and goggles. Existing nose guards are limited in their attachment options, level of protection, level of user comfort, and/or adequate conformance to the user's nose. For example, many nose guards are pre-attached to goggles and require the wearer to use the whole apparatus. Moreover, existing nose guards are rigid, heavy, uncomfortable and/or difficult to use. Because existing nose guards are made of a non-breathable solid material such as vinyl or aluminum, the result is perspiration on the user's nose. Flexibility and comfort are often sacrificed for durability, and vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,875 to Weisberger (1967) discloses a nose and lip guard which detachably connects to each other and to a pair of eyeglasses. However, such a device is limited for use with eyeglasses and does not provide a comfortable fit or attractive appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,036 to Daprato (1992) discloses a nose protector configured to attach to eyeglasses, but consists of a guard and a complex system of cords for attaching the protective nose guard to the eyeglasses. Again, this device can only be used with eyeglasses and does not have an easy means of attachment. Similarly, the sun-protective nose guard disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,992 to Tilghman (1998) can only be attached to eyeglasses via a loop strap, and does not provide a conforming fit due to a lack of flexibility. Breathability is also an important factor for reducing sweat and providing comfort, and minimizing the fogging of eyewear. U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,847 to Lauttamus (1994) discloses a sun-protective nose guard that attaches to eyeglasses or goggles using a strap that is looped over the bridge of the eyewear. However, the Lauttamus nose guard is described as being of tear-able and crease-able material, which limits the device to non-breathable materials such as paper or plastic. Moreover, existing nose guards do not provide alternative attaching means that allow them to be worn with eyeglasses, goggles, or without eyewear.
Thus, there is a need in the market for a sun-protective, breathable nose guard that attaches to the user's nose in various ways and is durable but comfortably conforms to the face for physical, outdoor activities. The face mask disclosed herein addresses these needs.
In accordance with the present invention, a flexible nose guard is provided for protecting the nose from sunlight, the cold, and other outdoor elements. The nose guard is configured to cover the bridge and sides of a user's nose. In a preferred embodiment, the nose guard has a pentagonal body, resembling an upside-down pentagon with rounded corners. The top portion of the nose guard is substantially flat and sized to conform around the bridge of the nose. The bottom portion of the nose guard is a rounded corner or hyperbolic-shape configured to rest on top of the bridge of the nose. In a preferred embodiment, the nose guard is composed of an outer first layer of spandex having a sun protective factor, an intermediate second layer of open-cell foam, and a third, skin-facing layer of micro-suede material that contacts the skin. The nose guard offers different means of attachment to a user's face. On the surface of the nose guard's outer layer is a Velcro hook patch that facilitates attachment to a complimentary loop patch that can be affixed to the underside of the eyewear's nose bridge. For eyeglasses, a pair of small nose pad cuts in the upper center portion of the nose guard (on the left and right sides of the hook patch) are configured to receive the nose pads of the user's eyeglasses to further secure the face mask to the user's face. On the upper and lower perimeter of the hook patch is a fastening slit. The fastening slits are configured to provide added flexibility in the nose guard body and to receive a hook and loop fastening strap that is fastened around the bridge of the user's eyewear. The nose guard contains a thin, flexible reinforcing strip that can be bent or creased to keep the nose guard contoured to the shape of the user's nose. In a preferred embodiment the reinforcing strip is on the skin-facing layer of the nose guard and has an adhesive surface that provides for better attachment to the nose and keeps the nasal passages open for easier breathing by pulling outward on the nostrils. Alternatively, the adhesive can be provided on a separate adhesive strip on the skin-facing layer of the nose guard.
The present invention, in accordance with preferred and exemplary embodiments, together with further objects and advantages thereof, is more particularly described in the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In a preferred embodiment, the nose guard of the present invention is constructed of three flexible, light, and durable layers: an outer first layer of fabric having a sun protective factor, an intermediate second layer of open cell foam material, and a third layer of micro suede or brushed nylon material that contacts the skin. The outer first layer is such that it can be embossed, debossed, or sublimated with a desired image or print logo/design. The outer layer may be composed of spandex (e.g. polyurethane-polyurea copolymer). The intermediate layer can be breathable foam such as open-cell foam or perforated closed-cell foam (e.g. airprene). The third layer of micro-suede has a breathable, wicking effect that allows greater air exchange and acts against the discomfort and eyewear fogging caused by moisture buildup. The layers can be joined via a thermoforming process and preferably cut via laser cutting or comparable method to provide well-sealed edges that are resistant to de-lamination. The resulting nose guard material can be repeatedly used and washed. For example, the micro-suede layer can first be flame-bonded to the spandex layer, with the foam layer sandwiched in between, followed by thermoforming. The result is a light, flexible, durable and more breathable nose guard that is superior to those existing in the market (e.g. plastic, metal, or neoprene). However, the nose guard of the present invention could be comprised of only one, two, or any number of material layers while keeping with the teachings of the invention. For example, in an alternate embodiment, the nose guard could be comprised of a single layer of neoprene, vinyl webbing or silicone.
Although, certain materials and manufacturing processes are disclosed herein, other comparable or suitable materials and methods may be employed, as known in the art, to carry out the invention. It should also be understood that the nose guard disclosed herein can be made in different sizes to suit various users, and the dimensions of the nose guard can be modified while keeping with the spirit of the invention.
To further secure the nose guard to the user's face, three mechanisms allow the user to optionally secure the nose guard to their eyewear. First, if wearing ski-type goggles or eyeglasses, the user can affix loop patch 230 to the underside of the eyewear nose bridge and then bring hook patch 220 in contact with loop patch 230 as shown in
While there have been described herein what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. It is therefore desired to be secured, in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
