US20150335080A1 - Face mask with adjustable earloops - Google Patents
Face mask with adjustable earloops Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150335080A1 US20150335080A1 US14/286,821 US201414286821A US2015335080A1 US 20150335080 A1 US20150335080 A1 US 20150335080A1 US 201414286821 A US201414286821 A US 201414286821A US 2015335080 A1 US2015335080 A1 US 2015335080A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- panel
- elongated members
- face mask
- holes
- pair
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D13/00—Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches
- A41D13/05—Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches protecting only a particular body part
- A41D13/11—Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres
- A41D13/1161—Means for fastening to the user's head
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D13/00—Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches
- A41D13/05—Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches protecting only a particular body part
- A41D13/11—Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres
- A41D13/1107—Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres characterised by their shape
- A41D13/1115—Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres characterised by their shape with a horizontal pleated pocket
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D2400/00—Functions or special features of garments
- A41D2400/44—Donning facilities
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/49826—Assembling or joining
- Y10T29/49863—Assembling or joining with prestressing of part
- Y10T29/49874—Prestressing rod, filament or strand
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a face mask having a panel with a pair of adjustable earloops. The panel may comprise one, two, three or more layers. Preferably, but not necessarily, the panel may comprise a inner fibrous filtering material with microscopic openings that is sandwiched between two outer layers. The fibrous filtering material may filter contaminates while the two outer layers protect the fibrous filtering material and may also provide some filtering. The two outer layers may be formed from a polymer based fabric such that the edges of the two outer layers may be thermally bonded.
Description
- Not Applicable.
- Not Applicable.
- 1. The Field of the Present Disclosure
- The present disclosure relates generally to face masks, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to face masks with earloops.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- A wide range of protective face masks are available on the market to accommodate various situations. Typically, most face masks comprise a panel dimensioned to cover a wearer's mouth and nostrils. The panel may serve as a filter to prevent undesirable contaminants and pathogens from being inhaled by the wearer. In this regard, the panel may comprise a fibrous filtering material with microscopic openings that is sandwiched between two air-permeable outer layers. The fibrous filtering material may filter contaminates while the two outer layers protect the fibrous filtering material. The two outer layers may be formed from a polymer-based fabric.
- Various means are known to hold the panel in place over the user's mouth and nostrils. Most commonly, the panel is held in place with tie straps or earloops. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,470, granted Jul. 17, 1990 to Hubbard et al., discloses a face mask having a fabric panel held in place by a pair of earloops. The earloops are fabricated from a layer of elastically deformable heat malleable material. Each of the earloops are attached to the fabric panel on one side thereof with a heat formed seal. That is, the earloops and the fabric panel are bonded together by applying heat to the juncture of the free ends of the earloops and the fabric panel.
- One drawback to the face mask of the '470 patent is that, other than the natural elasticity of the earloops, the length of the earloops are non-adjustable. This is problematic because the elasticity of the earloops does not adequately accommodate for the large disparity in the physical features of the wearers. That is, the earloops are manufactured as a one-size fits all, but the position of the ears on a head and the width and size of the nose varies between people in general, including between genders and between different ethnic groups.
- Increasingly, wearers of face masks of the type disclosed in the '470 patent are becoming dissatisfied with the one size fits all approach. In particular, some wearers of face masks of the type disclosed in the '470 patent have complained that the earloops are too tight. Given that a typical wearer in a health care setting may don multiple masks in one day, tight earloops may cause discomfort, including headaches and ear pain. In some instances, wearers may unwisely choose not to wear the face masks because of the discomfort caused by the earloops. It would therefore be an improvement over the prior art to provide low-cost, disposable face masks with adjustable earloops that is easy to manufacture.
- The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
- The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the present disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
- The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
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FIG. 1 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 depicts a rear view of the face mask shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 7 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 8 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 9 depicts a front view of a face mask according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. - For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.
- In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “having,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
- In an embodiment, the present invention comprises a method and apparatus for forming a face mask having a panel with a pair of adjustable earloops. The panel may comprise one, two, three or more layers. Preferably, but not necessarily, the panel may comprise an inner fibrous filtering material with microscopic openings that is sandwiched between two outer layers. The fibrous filtering material may filter contaminates while the two outer layers protect the fibrous filtering material and may also provide some filtering. The two outer layers may be formed from a polymer based fabric such that the edges of the two outer layers may be thermally bonded.
- According to another aspect of the invention, each of the earloops may be formed from an elongated member. Each of the elongated members may comprise a first end and a second end. The first end and second end of each of the elongated members may be tacked to the panel, by heat bonding or in some other manner, such as stitching. In addition, according to another aspect of the invention, an intermediate portion of each of the elongated members may be threaded through a hole in the panel to form the earloop and a take-up loop. In this regard, each earloop may extend from the tacked first end of an elongated member to the hole in the panel and the take-up loop of the same elongated member may extend from the hole in the panel to the tacked second end.
- According to another aspect of the invention, the earloops may be placed around a wearer's ears while the take-up loops may provide adjustability to increase or decrease the size of the earloops. In particular, the size of the take-up loops may be wearer adjustable to vary the size of their respective earloops. According to another aspect of the invention, the holes for the elongated members may be located in a heat bonded portion of the panels and may be slightly smaller than the diameters of the elongated members to provide a clamping, holding or compressing force on the elongated members.
- Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is depicted aface mask 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Theface mask 100 may comprise apanel 102. In an embodiment, thepanel 102 may be substantially rectangular in shape and comprise a horizontaltop edge 104, ahorizontal bottom edge 106, a leftvertical edge 108 and a rightvertical edge 110. In an embodiment, a plurality ofpleats 112 may extend horizontally with respect to the face of a wearer. It will be appreciated that thepleats 112 may expand when theface mask 100 is put on by a wearer. Thepleats 112 may be formed by folding thepanel 102 and tacking the ends of thepleats 112 by heat bonding or in some other manner, such as stitching. - In an embodiment, the
panel 102 may comprise a plurality of layers. For example, thepanel 102 may comprise a fibrous filtering material with microscopic openings that is sandwiched between two air-permeable outer layers. The inner fibrous filtering material may filter contaminates while the two outer layers protect the fibrous filtering material. The two outer layers may be formed from a fabric formed from a thermoplastic polymer. In particular, the two outer layers may be formed by melt blowing. (Melt blowing is a one-step process in which high-velocity air blows a molten thermoplastic resin from an extruder die tip onto a conveyor or takeup screen to form a fine fiberous and self-bonding web.) It will be appreciated that thepanel 102 may comprise one, two, three, four, five or more layers. In an embodiment, the layers of thepanel 102 may comprise a non-woven synthetic material. In an embodiment, one or more layers of thepanel 102 may be formed from a woven material, such as cotton or the like. In an embodiment, theface mask 100 may be a one-time use mask or a reusable mask. For example, theface mask 100 may be washable. - In an embodiment, the layers of the
panel 102 may be joined using a heat bonding process. As known to those of ordinary skill, heat bonding involves applying heat and pressure to the layers of thepanel 102. The portion of the layers subjected to the heat and pressure may then melt together. In particular, as shown inFIG. 1 ,heat bonds 114 may be formed along a perimeter of thepanel 102 to join the various layers together and to form thepleats 112. - In an embodiment, elongated
members 120 be attached adjacent the leftvertical edge 108 and the rightvertical edge 110, respectively. Each of theelongated members 120 may have afirst end 122 and asecond end 124. Thefirst end 122 and thesecond end 124 of each of theelongated members 120 may each be tacked to thepanel 102. In an embodiment, thefirst end 122 and thesecond end 124 of each of theelongated members 120 may be joined to thepanel 102 by heat bonding. In an embodiment, thefirst end 122 and thesecond end 124 of each of theelongated members 120 may be joined to thepanel 102 by an adhesive. In an embodiment, thefirst end 122 and thesecond end 124 of each of theelongated members 120 may be joined to thepanel 102 by stitching. It will be appreciated that thefirst end 122 and thesecond end 124 of each of theelongated members 120 may be joined to thepanel 102 in any manner known to those having ordinary skill in the art. - In an embodiment, the
panel 102 may compriseholes 126 for receiving an intermediate portion of theelongated members 120. It will be appreciated thatholes 126 may be located anywhere on thepanel 102, including in the top or bottom corners. That is, each of theelongated members 120 may pass through one of theholes 126. It will be appreciated that theholes 126 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 102. That is, a perimeter of theholes 126 may be heat bonded. It will be appreciated that theelongated members 120 may pass from front-to-back or back-to-front according to embodiments of the present invention. - In an embodiment, an intermediate portion of each of the
elongated members 120 may be threaded through one of theholes 126 in thepanel 102 such that theelongated members 120 each define anearloop 130 and a take-uploop 132. In this regard, eachearlooop 130 may extend from thefirst end 122 of itselongated member 126 to one of thehole 126 and the take-uploop 132 may extend from thehole 126 to thesecond end 124 of the elongated member. - In an embodiment, the
elongated members 120 may be deformable when placed under tension. In this regard, a diameter of each of theelongated members 120 narrows when theelongated members 120 are placed under tension. In an embodiment, theelongated members 120 may be elastically deformable. Theelongated members 120 may be formed of a polymer. - It will be appreciated that the size of the
earloops 130 may be adjustable to accommodate wearers of different sizes by varying the size of the take-uploops 132. A wearer may decrease the size of theearloops 130 by increasing the size of the take-uploops 132. A wearer may increase the size of theearloops 130 by decreasing the size of the take-uploops 132. - The sidewalls of the
holes 126 in thepanel 102 may be configured and dimensioned to apply a compressive force on theelongated members 120. In particular, because theholes 126 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 102, the heat bonded portion provides rigidity and reinforcement to the sidewalls of theholes 126 sufficient to provide a compressive force on theelongated members 120. Without the reinforcement provided by the heat bonded portion of thepanel 102, the one or more layers forming thepanel 102 would not have sufficient rigidity to provide a compressive force on theelongated members 120. A wearer may overcome the compressive force applied by the sidewalls of theholes 126 when adjusting the size of theearloops 130 by tensioning theelongated members 120, which decreases the diameter of theelongated members 120. When not under tension, the compressive force provided by the sidewalls of theholes 126 maintains the current position of theelongated members 120. - In an embodiment, the
face mask 100 may be constructed by stacking the layers that form thepanel 102. Then, at least one heated element may be pressed against an outer one of the layers, which causes the layers to “melt” together in the locations shown inFIG. 1 to form a heat bond.Holes 126 may then be formed through thepanel 102 by a punch, needle, cutter, or in some other manner. Eachelongated member 120 may be threaded through one of the holes and theends elongated members 120 may be heat bonded by a heating element or otherwise tacked to thepanel 120. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second ends 124 of theelongated members 120 may be free or not tacked to thepanel 102. In short, using essentially the same materials and construction techniques as the prior art face masks, the present invention provides a low-cost, disposable face mask with adjustable earloops as shown inFIG. 1 . - Referring now to
FIG. 3 , there is shown aface mask 200 having apanel 202 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 202 may be elongatedmembers 204. Afirst end 206 of each of theelongated members 204 may be tacked to thepanel 202 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 208 of each of theelongated members 204 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 202. An intermediate portion of each of theelongated members 204 may extend through a pull throughtab 210. In an embodiment, the pull throughtab 210 may be formed of plastic or a heat bonded polymer based fabric. The pull throughtab 210 may impose a compressive force on theelongated members 204 to hold them in position. Each of theelongated members 204 may define anearloop 212 that extends from itsfirst end 206 to thetab 210. - Referring now to
FIG. 4 , there is shown aface mask 300 having apanel 302 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 302 may be elongatedmembers 304. Afirst end 306 of each of theelongated members 304 may be tacked to thepanel 302 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 308 of each of theelongated members 304 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 302. An intermediate portion of each of theelongated members 304 may extend through ahole 310 in thepanel 302. In an embodiment, thehole 310 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 302. Thehole 310 may impose a compressive force on theelongated members 304 to hold them in position. Each of theelongated members 304 may define anearloop 312 that extends from itsfirst end 306 to thehole 310. A wearer may pull the second ends 308 to adjust the size of theearloops 312. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 , there is shown aface mask 400 having apanel 402 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 402 may be elongatedmembers 404. Afirst end 406 of each of theelongated members 404 may be tacked to thepanel 402 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 408 of each of theelongated members 404 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 402. An intermediate portion of each of theelongated members 404 may extend through a pair ofholes 410 in thepanel 402. In an embodiment, the pair ofholes 410 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 402. Theholes 410 may impose a compressive force on theelongated members 404 to hold them in position. Each of theelongated members 404 may define anearloop 412 that extends from itsfirst end 406 to the pair ofholes 410. A wearer may pull the second ends 408 to adjust the size of theearloops 312. - Referring now to
FIG. 6 , there is shown aface mask 500 having apanel 502 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 502 may be elongatedmembers 504. Afirst end 506 of each of theelongated members 504 may be tacked to thepanel 502 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 508 of each of theelongated members 504 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 502. An intermediate portion of each of theelongated members 504 may extend through a pair ofholes 510 in thepanel 502. In an embodiment, theholes 510 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 502. Theholes 510 may impose a compressive force on theelongated members 504 to hold them in position. Each of theelongated members 504 may define anearloop 512 that extends from itsfirst end 506 to the first one of theholes 510. A wearer may pull the second ends 508 to adjust the size of theearloops 312. - Referring now to
FIG. 7 , there is shown aface mask 600 having apanel 602 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 602 may be elongatedmembers 604. Afirst end 606 of each of theelongated members 604 may be tacked to thepanel 602 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 608 of each of theelongated members 604 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 602. Anintermediate portion 609 of each of theelongated members 604 may extend through ahole 610 in thepanel 602 and between the layers of thepanel 602 as shown by the dashed lines. In an embodiment, theholes 610 may be formed in a heat bonded portion of thepanel 602. The second ends 608 of theelongated members 604 may extend throughholes 611 and may be joined together by atab 613. Each of theelongated members 604 may define anearloop 612 that extends from itsfirst end 606 to theholes 610. - Referring now to
FIG. 8 , there is shown aface mask 700 having apanel 702 similar to thepanel 102 shown and described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2 . Attached to thepanel 702 may be a first set elongatedmembers 704. Afirst end 706 of each of the firstelongated members 704 may be tacked to thepanel 702 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 708 of each of the firstelongated members 704 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 702. A second set ofelongated members 705 may be attached to thepanel 702. Afirst end 707 of the secondelongated members 705 may be attached to thepanel 702 and a second end 709 of the secondelongated members 705 may be attached to an intermediate portion of one of the firstelongated members 704 by aslider 711. One of the firstelongated members 704 and one of the secondelongate members 705 define anearloop 712 that is adjustable in size by varying the position of theslider 711. - Referring now to
FIG. 9 , there is shown aface mask 800 having a preformedpanel 802. Attached to thepanel 802 may be elongatedmembers 804. Afirst end 806 of each of theelongated members 804 may be tacked to thepanel 802 by heat bonding, stitching or in some other manner. Asecond end 808 of each of theelongated members 804 may be free, i.e, unattached to thepanel 802. An intermediate portion of each of theelongated members 804 may extend through ahole 810 in thepanel 802. Thehole 810 may impose a compressive force on theelongated members 804 to hold them in position. Each of theelongated members 804 may define anearloop 812 that extends from itsfirst end 806 to thehole 810. A wearer may pull the second ends 808 to adjust the size of theearloops 812. - Although the face masks disclosed herein may be used in any setting, they are particularly suited for use in sanitary environments by medical professionals.
- According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a face mask may comprise: a panel defined by at least one layer of fabric; the panel having a heat bonded portion; a pair of holes formed in the heat bonded portion; each of the pair of holes having a sidewall forming a hole perimeter, wherein each of the sidewalls are reinforced by the heat bonded portion of the fabric; a pair of elongated members having a first end and a second end; each of the pair of elongated members having an intermediate portion passing through one of the holes; each of the pair of elongated members having a first end and a second end; wherein the first end of each of the pair of elongated members is tacked to the panel; wherein each of the elongated members defines an earloop between its first end and the hole through which it passes. In an embodiment, the fabric is a melt blown fabric. In an embodiment, the fabric is formed from a resin. In an embodiment, the resin is a polymer resin. In an embodiment, the second end of each the elongated members is tacked to the panel, wherein each of the elongated members defines take-up loop between one of the holes and its second end. In an embodiment, the elongated members are elastically deformable. In an embodiment, each of the holes is unreinforced except by the heat bonding. In an embodiment, each of the holes imposes a compressive force on one of the elongated members. In an embodiment, the at least one layer of fabric comprises one of two and three layers of fabric. In an embodiment, the panel has a thickness no greater than 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 millimeters. In an embodiment, the panel has a thickness less than 2 millimeters. In an embodiment, the panel has thickness less than 1.5 or 1 millimeters. In an embodiment, a thickness of the panel adjacent the holes has a thickness no greater than 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 millimeters. In an embodiment, a thickness of the panel adjacent the holes has a thickness less than 2 millimeters. In an embodiment, in an embodiment, a thickness of the panel adjacent the holes has a thickness less than 1.5 or 1 millimeters. As used herein, the term “adjacent” means within 3 millimeters. In an embodiment, the panel comprises at least one pleat. In an embodiment, the panel is one of rectangular, triangular, circular and non-rectangular.
- Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provide by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a feature of the present disclosure to provide a face mask with adjustable earloops. Another feature of the present disclosure to provide such a face mask using essentially the same materials and construction techniques as the prior art face masks. It is a further feature of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide a face mask for medical procedures having adjustable earloops to accommodate wearers of various sizes. It is still a another feature of the present invention to provide a face mask for respiratory protection useful for use in any of the following industries: Healthcare (medical, dental, vet); Estheticians (nail, hair, etc.); Mining; Agriculture; Construction (road, paint, demolition, carpentry, etc.); Chemical Manufacturing and research; and Automotive manufacture; Pharmaceutical manufacturing and research. In addition, the face mask disclosed herein may be utilized by anyone who works with or could be exposed to bacteria, infectious diseases, dust, molds, spores, fumes, vapors, gases or other airborne particulates. It will be appreciated that face masks according to the present invention may be adapted depending on the industry and the type of exposure (gases, bacteria, dust, mold etc). For example, medical masks are typically called Procedural OR Surgical Face Masks (CDC), more protective masks are called respirators (there are many ratings and types of these, examples would be HEPA, N95, etc.). Further, different levels and types of respirators are used in the industries/occupations listed above, including medical/dental. Most healthcare workers use a procedural or surgical mask but in some cases they do opt for the additional protection offered by a respirator.
- In an embodiment, a face mask according to the present invention may include a moisture indicator. In particular, it is known that prolonged use of a face mask may cause the panel to become wet with moisture from the wearer's breath. It is further known that excess moisture on the panel of a face mask provides a pathway for pathogens to enter a wearer's respiratory system. In an embodiment, the moisture indicator may include a solution-type moisture indicating ink applied to the panel. The indicator ink may include a moisture indicating substance which changes color under the influence of moisture. In an embodiment, the moisture indicator may include cobaltous chloride which changes color at a predetermined moisture level. But, it will be appreciated that any indicator that changes color at a predetermined moisture level may be used. The moisture indicator may be applied to the outer layer of the panel. In an embodiment, the moisture indicator may by embedded in a stick on dot that is applied to the panel of the face mask. It will be appreciated that the change of color of the moisture indicator may indicate to a wearer that the protection provided by the face mask has been compromised and that the wearer should replace the face mask with a new one.
- In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
- It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.
Claims (21)
1-20. (canceled)
21. A face mask comprising:
a panel defined by at feast one layer of fabric;
the panel having a bonded portion;
a pair of holes formed is the bonded portion;
each of the pair of holes having a sidewall forming a hole perimeter;
a pair of elongated members;
each of the pair of elongated members having an intermediate portion passing through one of the holes;
each of the pair of elongated members having a first end and a second end;
wherein the first end of each of the pair of elongated members is tacked to the panel;
wherein each of the elongated members defines an earloop between its first end and the hole through which it passes.
22. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the fabric is a melt blown fabric.
23. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the fabric is formed from a resin.
24. The face mask of claim 23 , wherein the resin is a polymer resin.
25. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the second end of each the elongated members is tacked to the panel, wherein each of the elongated members defines take-up loop between one of the holes and its second end.
26. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the elongated members are elastically deformable.
27. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein each of the holes is unreinforced.
28. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein each of the hole sidewalls imposes a compressive force on one of the elongated members.
29. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the at least one layer of fabric comprises one, two, three, four, or five layers of fabric.
30. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the panel has a thickness no greater than 5 millimeters.
31. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the panel comprises at least one pleat.
32. The face mask of claim 21 , wherein the bonded portion is a heat bonded portion.
33. A method of fabricating a face mask, comprising:
bonding a plurality of layers of fabric together to form a panel;
forming a pair of holes in the panel in a bonded portion of the panel, each of the holes having a sidewall;
passing a first elongated member through one of the pair of holes and passing a second elongated member through the other one of the pair of holes;
tacking a first end of the first elongated member and a first end of the second elongated member to the panel;
wherein each of the sidewalls of the pair of holes imposes a compressive force on an intermediate portion of one of the first and second elongated members;
wherein each of the elongated members defines an earloop of adjustable length between its first end and the one of the pair of holes through which it passes.
34. The method of claim 33 , further comprising forming at least one pleat in the panel.
35. The method of claim 33 , further comprising tacking a second end of the first elongated member and a second end of the second elongated member to the panel to form a pair of take-up loops.
36. The method of claim 33 , wherein the fabric is one or more of a melt blown fabric, a resin-based fabric, and polymer-resin fabric.
37. The method of claim 33 , wherein the elongated members are elastically deformable.
38. The method of claim 33 , wherein the panel has a thickness no greater than 5 millimeters.
39. The method of claim 33 , wherein the panel is rectangular.
40. A face mask comprising:
a panel defined by at least one layer of fabric;
the panel having a bonded portion;
a pair of earloops attached to the panel; and
means for adjusting the size of the earloops.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US14/286,821 US20150335080A1 (en) | 2014-05-23 | 2014-05-23 | Face mask with adjustable earloops |
PCT/US2015/028497 WO2015179097A1 (en) | 2014-05-23 | 2015-04-30 | Face mask with adjustable ear loops |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/286,821 US20150335080A1 (en) | 2014-05-23 | 2014-05-23 | Face mask with adjustable earloops |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20150335080A1 true US20150335080A1 (en) | 2015-11-26 |
Family
ID=54554526
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US14/286,821 Abandoned US20150335080A1 (en) | 2014-05-23 | 2014-05-23 | Face mask with adjustable earloops |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20150335080A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2015179097A1 (en) |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190059470A1 (en) * | 2017-08-29 | 2019-02-28 | Garry Tsaur | Breathable mask capable of transmitting sound |
USD854144S1 (en) * | 2017-09-05 | 2019-07-16 | Prestige Ameritech, Ltd. | Ear loop mask |
US20200406071A1 (en) * | 2018-03-08 | 2020-12-31 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Filter and Mask |
US20210000201A1 (en) * | 2020-04-28 | 2021-01-07 | Muyu Co., Ltd. | Mask |
US11000081B1 (en) * | 2020-10-09 | 2021-05-11 | Lisa S. Dobbins | Pulley face mask with neck catch |
US11206914B2 (en) | 2019-06-03 | 2021-12-28 | Mohamad Hani Lababidi | Face mask |
US20210401087A1 (en) * | 2020-06-05 | 2021-12-30 | Gent S.r.l. | Double-protection medical mask, preferably for filtering dust, smog, aerosol, pathogenic agents, viruses and the like |
GB2601467A (en) * | 2020-08-21 | 2022-06-08 | Alchemie Tech Limited | Improvements in or relating to filters |
US20220183407A1 (en) * | 2020-12-10 | 2022-06-16 | Uniqloop Hong Kong Limited | Disposable mask |
JP2022547496A (en) * | 2019-09-16 | 2022-11-14 | ウル ヒョン、ハン | dust mask |
US11564425B2 (en) * | 2020-06-15 | 2023-01-31 | Muyu Co., Ltd. | Mask |
USD987196S1 (en) | 2020-11-16 | 2023-05-23 | Bedford Industries, Inc. | Facial shield |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN111376487B (en) * | 2020-05-29 | 2020-08-25 | 山东华滋自动化技术股份有限公司 | Mask sheet-punching machine |
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US5819731A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-10-13 | Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company | Face mask having a combination adjustable ear loop and drop down band |
US20060283454A1 (en) * | 2005-06-03 | 2006-12-21 | Jim Delaney | Face mask |
US20080092909A1 (en) * | 2004-09-20 | 2008-04-24 | California Pacific Medical Center | Face Mask |
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CN101040731B (en) * | 2006-03-24 | 2010-06-23 | 邱俊亮 | Detachable and portable respirator and the portable respirator noumenon |
SG176254A1 (en) * | 2009-05-29 | 2011-12-29 | Filligent Ltd | Composition for use in decreasing the transmission of human pathogens |
KR101091928B1 (en) * | 2010-02-11 | 2011-12-08 | (주)유영지앤아이 | sanitary mask |
-
2014
- 2014-05-23 US US14/286,821 patent/US20150335080A1/en not_active Abandoned
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2015
- 2015-04-30 WO PCT/US2015/028497 patent/WO2015179097A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (3)
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US5819731A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-10-13 | Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company | Face mask having a combination adjustable ear loop and drop down band |
US20080092909A1 (en) * | 2004-09-20 | 2008-04-24 | California Pacific Medical Center | Face Mask |
US20060283454A1 (en) * | 2005-06-03 | 2006-12-21 | Jim Delaney | Face mask |
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190059470A1 (en) * | 2017-08-29 | 2019-02-28 | Garry Tsaur | Breathable mask capable of transmitting sound |
US10856591B2 (en) * | 2017-08-29 | 2020-12-08 | To2M Corporation | Breathable mask capable of transmitting sound |
USD854144S1 (en) * | 2017-09-05 | 2019-07-16 | Prestige Ameritech, Ltd. | Ear loop mask |
US20200406071A1 (en) * | 2018-03-08 | 2020-12-31 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Filter and Mask |
US11206914B2 (en) | 2019-06-03 | 2021-12-28 | Mohamad Hani Lababidi | Face mask |
JP2022547496A (en) * | 2019-09-16 | 2022-11-14 | ウル ヒョン、ハン | dust mask |
JP7343238B2 (en) | 2019-09-16 | 2023-09-12 | ウル ヒョン、ハン | dust mask |
US20210000201A1 (en) * | 2020-04-28 | 2021-01-07 | Muyu Co., Ltd. | Mask |
US20210401087A1 (en) * | 2020-06-05 | 2021-12-30 | Gent S.r.l. | Double-protection medical mask, preferably for filtering dust, smog, aerosol, pathogenic agents, viruses and the like |
US11564425B2 (en) * | 2020-06-15 | 2023-01-31 | Muyu Co., Ltd. | Mask |
GB2601467A (en) * | 2020-08-21 | 2022-06-08 | Alchemie Tech Limited | Improvements in or relating to filters |
US11000081B1 (en) * | 2020-10-09 | 2021-05-11 | Lisa S. Dobbins | Pulley face mask with neck catch |
USD987196S1 (en) | 2020-11-16 | 2023-05-23 | Bedford Industries, Inc. | Facial shield |
US20220183407A1 (en) * | 2020-12-10 | 2022-06-16 | Uniqloop Hong Kong Limited | Disposable mask |
Also Published As
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WO2015179097A1 (en) | 2015-11-26 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |