US20140196200A1

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Info

Publication number: US20140196200A1
Application number: US13/742,137
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Gregory Beliveau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-01-15
Filing date: 2013-01-15
Publication date: 2014-07-17

Abstract

A flexible face mask is provided for protecting the face from outdoor elements. The face mask comprises a nose shield portion that conforms to a user's nose, a lip shield portion to cover the user's upper and lower lip, a chin shield portion to cover the user's chin, a pair of cheek shield portions to cover the sides of the user's face, a pair of ear strap portions to cover and receive the user's ears and eyewear, and a nostril cover portion to cover the nostrils. A reinforcing strip on the skin-facing side of the nose shield provides greater conformance to the user's nose. The face mask is configured for attachment to both eyeglasses and goggles. The bottom of the nose guard has two perforated triangular extensions that connect to form a larger triangular area that covers the user's nostril to provide protection from the elements while allowing the user to breath. A pair of “C”-shaped cuts in the nose shield receive the nose pads of the eyeglasses. Alternatively, hook and loop patches are utilized to fasten the eyewear bridge to the nose shield.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to recreational face masks designed to protect the face and nose from sunburn and frostbite.

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) to protect their nose and face from exposure to harmful Ultraviolet light and extreme cold, wind, and particulate matter that may cause frostbite or discomfort. Importantly, there is a need for face masks that are versatile and can be easily attached to various types of eyewear, such as eyeglasses and goggles. Some masks are made of non-breathable, plastic material which causes the skin to sweat and causing condensation to reach the user's eyewear, fog the lenses, and obstruct vision. Flexibility and comfort are often sacrificed for durability, and vice versa. Other masks on the market do not comfortably attach or conform to the face, such as those that utilize a plastic clip-on mechanism to attach to the user's eyeglasses. Other masks have utilized a relatively thick (e.g. 2-inch) strap that wraps around the user's head and attaches using a hook and loop (i.e. VELCRO®) mechanism. These clip-on mechanisms are often irritating and the masks feature nose covers that are not sufficiently flexible and do not properly conform to the nose. Because prior art face masks do not offer sufficient flexibility and often come in only one size, it is difficult for the user to achieve a good fit. Moreover, due to their rigid structure and poor fit, existing face masks seriously hinder eating and talking. Existing face masks either lack comfort, cannot be used with various eyewear, do not adequately conform to a user's nose and face, are not breathable, cause excess perspiration and eyewear fogging, are not suitable for physical outdoor activity, and/or do not offer sufficient protection from the elements.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,875 to Weisberger (1967) discloses a nose and lip cover 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 shield and a complex system of cords for attaching the protective nose cover 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 cover 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 sunprotective nose cover that attaches to eyeglasses or goggles using a strap that is looped over the bridge of the eyewear. However, the Lauttamus nose cover is described as being of tear-able and crease-able material, which limits the device to non-breathable materials such as paper or plastic.

Other more fashion-oriented garments exist to cover the head and face, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,340 to Frislie (1998). Frislie discloses a face and head garment that fully covers the head and face of the user with eye, nose, and mouth openings. However, this garment is uncomfortable and does not allow the user to communicate, and is more akin to a costume mask.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,290 to O'Brien (1978) discloses a face mask made of a three-part lamination process that includes a thermal barrier. However, this mask covers the entire face of the user and is only designed for cold weather use. Moreover, the nose opening of this mask is a flap that does not adequately protect the nose from frostbite. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,424 to Tredup (2000) claims a protective face mask made of hard plastic to block the sun's harmful rays wherein the entire mask is a hard plastic or UV lens material. Such a device is relatively heavy, and nevertheless not flexible, resulting in an uncomfortable and non-deal fit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,210 to King, et al. (1997) discloses a cardboard face shield for protection against the sun. Although such a device may be lightweight and provide adequate sun protection, it is essentially a disposable one-time use item. Furthermore, it does not attach to eyewear, and it is not breathable or comfortable because it rigidly covers the entire face.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,252 to Tobin (2006) discloses a face mask formed of an impact resistant sheet to contour of a face, with a series of resilient pads mounted on the inner surface of the mask adjacent to forehead and cheek areas. This device, however, falls into the category of protective sports equipment, and is only designed for avoiding injury due to physical impact. U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,545 to Kiernan, et al. (2007) discloses a facemask that purportedly reduces or eliminates fogging of the eyewear worn by the user of the face mask. However, this device is a medical mask intended for medical purposes. In Summary, existing sun-protective face masks suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages:

- Lack of versatility with respect to uses (e.g. not suitable for outdoor and athletic activities);
- Lack of versatility with respect to attachment or interface with various types of eyewear;
- Lack of sun or UV protection;
- Lack of flexibility and conformity fit to the face;
- Lack of breathability, causing sweating and eyewear fogging; and
- Lack of comfort with respect to the size, weight, or means of attachment to the face. Thus, there is a need in the market for a sun-protective, breathable face mask that attaches to various types of eyewear and is durable but comfortably conforms to the face for physical, outdoor activities. The face mask disclosed herein addresses these needs.

SUMMARY

A flexible face mask is provided for protecting the face from outdoor elements. The face mask comprises a nose shield portion that conforms to a user's nose, a lip shield portion to cover the user's upper and lower lip, a chin shield portion to cover the user's chin, a pair of cheek shield portions to cover the sides of the user's face, a pair of ear strap portions to cover and receive the user's ears and eyewear, and a nostril cover portion to cover the nostrils. A reinforcing strip on the skin-facing side of the nose shield provides greater conformance to the user's nose. The bottom of the nose guard has two perforated triangular extensions that connect to form a larger triangular area that covers the user's nostril to provide protection from the elements while allowing the user to breath. The face mask is configured for attachment to both eyeglasses and goggles. A pair of “C” shaped cuts in the nose shield receive the nose pads of the eyeglasses. Alternatively, hook and loop patches are utilized to fasten the eyewear bridge to the nose shield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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:

FIG. 1 shows a flat unassembled view of the face mask in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an assembled view of the face mask as applied to a user's face in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an assembled side view of the face mask as applied to a user's face in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4A show a pair of adhesive silicone strip.

FIG. 4B a side view of the ear portion of the facemask with curved insertion slit and “C” cuts reinforced with a silicone strip for receiving a user's ears and eyeglasses.

FIG. 5A a rear view of the nose shield portion of the facemask.

FIG. 5B show a reinforcing strip of “T” shaped thin aluminum piece or plastic film.

FIG. 5C a reinforcing “T” shaped adhesive silicone strip to affix to “T” shaped aluminum or plastic film and behind the nose shield portion.

FIGS. 6A-D show various views of the nose shield portion of the face mask with “C”-shaped cuts and reinforcing strip.

FIG. 7A show a reinforcing strip made of plastic film and optional reinforcing strip of fleece.

FIG. 7B show the rear view of the nose shield with reinforcing strip and the mid portion of the face mask.

FIGS. 8A-B show an adjustable strap and face mask with a strap attached to the back of the ear strap portions.

FIG. 9A show a hook patch to affix on the nose shield portion of the facemask.

FIG. 9B show a loop patch to affix to eyewear such as sunglasses or eyeglasses.

FIG. 9C show a loop patch to affix to eye goggles.

FIGS. 10A-B show eye goggles and eyeglasses having a loop patch affixed to the underside of the nose bridge.

FIGS. 11A-B show the face mask worn with goggles and attached to a pair of eyeglasses via the hook and loop patches.

FIG. 12 shows the face mask worn on a user's face and engaged with the user's ear's via the “C” cuts in the ear strap portions.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary embodiment of a face mask with the two piece nostril cover that extends from the nose shield portion of the face mask.

FIG. 14 shows an exemplary embodiment of the nostril cover assembly.

FIGS. 15A-B show an insert piece of a mesh fabric with adhesive edge in the same shape as the nostril cover and a view of the back of the nose shield of the facemask with an insert piece affixed on the nostril portion.

FIG. 16A shows eyewear being received by the insertion slits on the side of the mask to secure the mask.

FIG. 16B shows eyewear nose pads being received by the “C”-shaped cuts on the nose portion.

FIGS. 17A-B shows an alternate embodiment of the ear strap portion with fastening strap thread through inside the ear portion and the view of the face mask with a fastening strap that loops over the head and behind the neck.

FIG. 18 shows the face mask with an extended section configured to wrap around the head with ends that attach via a hook and loop strap.

FIG. 19 shows the face mask with an extended bandana-style section configured to wrap around the head and below the neck with ends that attach via a hook and loop strap.

FIGS. 20A-B shows a rear view of the face mask with an extended bandana-style wrap around and a rear view of the facemask with an extended strap section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In a preferred embodiment, the face mask 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 face. 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 foam layer may be about 0.25 inches thick prior to being compressed into a far thinner desired thickness. 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 mask 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 mask that is superior to those existing in the market (e.g. plastic, neoprene).

Although, certain materials and manufacturing processes are disclosed herein, other comparable or suitable methods may be employed, as known in the art, to carry out the invention. It should also be understood that the face masks disclosed herein can be made in different sizes to suit various users, and the dimensions of mask features can be modified while keeping with the spirit of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a flat, unassembled front view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a full-coverage face mask in accordance with the present invention. For ease of reference, the face mask will also be referred to as a “mask” herein. The unassembled face mask contains four seams to be sewn:chin seam01,upper seam35,mid seam40, andlower seam45. It also includeschin interlock05 and chin slit10. In this unassembled, flat view, the face mask has a butterfly-like shape. In the top center portion of the mask (top of the nose shield) isupper seam35 which rests on the bridge of the nose. In the bottom center portion of the mask ismid seam40, which allows the tip of the nose and nostrils to be exposed for breathing. In the lower left and right corners of the mask islower seam45 that attaches below the chin to act as a chin/jaw strap.

Seams

01,35,40, and45 are then sewn or otherwise bonded together to form the wearable mask. This mask provides great coverage of the user's mouth. The two and two side chin seams01 to close scoop shape lines that cover and scoop the chin. Thechin interlock05 provides for connecting and closing the front chin portion of the mask along with chin slit10 to cover the chin and form a full facemask. Aside from the nose opening, themid seam40 creates a lip slit or mouth opening that serves as another air vent. The curved insertion slits30 and ear “C” cuts20 which are configured to receive the user's ears. The face mask can be further secured to the user's eyewear via the “C”-shapedcuts15 or with hook and loop patches (see below in the description ofFIGS. 9-11). Thus, the mask can be secured to the user's face and eyewear in a variety of way, providing the versatility of using the face masks with any type of eyewear, or no eyewear at all. As shown, full-coverage mask covers the nose, upper and lower lips, cheeks, ears, and chin. Front and side views of the assembled mask are shown inFIGS. 2 & 3.

The portion of the face mask that covers the nose will be referred to as the “nose shield.” Similarly, the portion of the mask that covers the user's upper lip will be referred to as the “lip shield.” Furthermore, the portion of the mask that covers the user's cheeks or sides of the face will be referred to as “cheek shields.” The lip shield protects the user's upper lip and mouth from the sun and wind. The lip shield is also designed to direct the user's breath away from the mask so that it does not enter the mask and cause moisture buildup and/or fogging of the user's breath. Thus, the user is able to breath through the nostrils and the mouth. The mask body may also have a plurality of small perforations or holes that allows air to flow in and out of the mask.

As shown inFIGS. 13-14, the nose shield portion of the mask has triangular extensions at the bottom, i.e. nostril extensions (left and right nostril extension), that connect with each other via the reversible connection of a connector tab and slit to form a larger triangular surface, i.e. “nostril cover” that provides coverage for the user's nostrils. The connector tab enters the slit while a flap slides under the right nostril extension to form a secure connection with adequate coverage. Thus, as used herein, the term “nostril cover” refers to the nose guard surface that covers both the user's nostrils. When the face mask is bent along its vertical axis while conforming to the shape of the user's face as it is worn, the nostril extensions are bent along the dotted line and then brought into contact and connected as shown inFIG. 14. Once connected, the nose portion of the mask remains in a three-dimensional shape configured to receive the user's nose and provide complete nose protection. Thus, the bottom of the nose and nostrils are also protected from the elements such as sun/heat, wind and cold. The connection between the nostril extensions is reversible so that if the user wishes to return the nose guard to its flat configured as shown inFIG. 13, this can be quickly and easily done. The nostril extensions have nostril holes that allow the user to breathe through the nostril cover while protecting the nose from the elements. In particular, the nostril cover helps keep the user's nose warm in cold conditions by trapping and re-circulating the warm air from the user's nose.FIG. 15 shows an alternate embodiment of the nostril cover comprising a solid triangular piece of fabric, preferably a breathable mesh. In this embodiment, the nostril cover is one continuous piece as opposed to two reversibly interlocking pieces (i.e. interlocking nostril extensions). In either embodiment, the nostril cover helps keep the user's nose warm in cold conditions by trapping and re-circulating the warm air from the user's nose. For hot or sunny conditions in which sun protection is important, the nostril cover protects the nostrils from sunburn and heat. This protection is particularly beneficial in situations where intense sunlight is being reflected upwards towards the user, such as when sun is reflected off snow during skiing or when sun is reflected off the water during fishing.

In particular, the configuration of the mask minimizes fogging of the user's eyewear that is caused by the user's warm breath exiting the mask and condensing on the eyewear. Conventional masks suffer from fogging in cold conditions, especially where there is no wind to carry the warmer exhaled air away from the eyewear. Warm air exhaled from the mouth and nose, or traveling through the mask, is often condensed on the cold surface of the user's eyewear. Conventional masks do not adequately channel the warm air away from the eyewear to prevent fogging. The configuration of the face mask of the present invention addresses this problem. The “v”-shaped cuts between the nose portion and upper lip portion of the mask act to tilt the mask back toward the user's cheeks to prevent warmer air from rising through the user's jacket and mask and entering the user's eyewear to cause fogging. Similarly, the “v”-shaped cut under the lower lip bring the chin portion inward towards the user's face, which allows a clear path for inhaling and exhaling without the fogging of eyewear. The mask, with the “v”-shaped cuts, provides close contact with the contours of the face, which helps prevent fogging and also prevents wind from getting into the mask to cause discomfort and distortion. The configuration of the mask, particularly the cuts of the nose and mouth portions, is such that inhaled and exhaled air does not cause to enter the mask and yet, aerodynamic properties of the mask are not compromised.

The face mask further comprises curved (or “v”-shaped) insertion slits30, which are through-cuts on left and right ear strap portions of the mask configured to receive the temples of eyeglasses and thus secure the face mask to the user's eyeglasses (as used herein, the term “eyeglasses” includes sunglasses) as shown inFIG. 16A. Normally, a user's eyeglasses would slide or fall off the user's face when the user is in certain positions (e.g. looking downward) or during turbulent activities (e.g. mountain biking, skiing). However, when passed through curved insertion slits30, the eyeglasses are securely held in place. To the outside of the curved insertion slits30 are ear “C” cuts20 which are configured to receive the user's ears. When putting on the face mask, the user stretches the ear straps of the mask until the ear “C” cuts can be put around the ears, eliminating the slack in the mask and providing a snug fit as shown inFIG. 12. As shown inFIG. 1, the portion of material to the outside of ear “C” cuts is relatively thin and thus more easily stretched than other portions of the mask. In an alternate embodiment, this portion can be made of a softer and more elastic material than the rest of the mask. This can provide for greater user comfort with respect to the attachment of the mask around the ears and also allows the mask to adjust better to different ear and head sizes. InFIG. 4, the inside of the ear “C” cuts is fitted with a silicone strip to provide greater comfort to the user by providing a softer and wider contact material behind the user's ear.

To further secure the face mask to the user's face, two alternative mechanisms allow the user to optionally secure the nose shield to their eyewear. When wearing eyeglasses with nose pads, the user can insert the nose pads through the nose “C”-shaped cuts15 (as shown inFIG. 16B).FIGS. 6A-D show various views of the nose shield portion of the face mask with “C”-shaped cuts and reinforcing strip.FIGS. 6A-B are views showing the skin-facing inside of the nose portion of the mask, with two different reinforcing strips with an adhesive reinforcing strip in place on the inside of the nose shield portion.FIGS. 6C and 6D are side and outer views, respectively of the nose shield portion with an adhesive reinforcing strip in place. If wearing ski-type goggles, the user can utilize hook and loop (i.e.VELCRO®) patches as shown inFIGS. 9-11, each having an adhesive backing wherein a loop patch is affixed to the underside of the eyewear's nose bridge (as shown inFIG. 10), and the mating hook patch is affixed to the area inside the nose “C”-shaped cuts15 (as shown inFIG. 11) in the upper center of the nose shield portion. The resulting combination of mask and goggle is shown inFIG. 11. Either of these two methods secures the nose shield portion of the mask to the user's eyewear for a more secure fit.

In a preferred embodiment, a thin reinforcing strip (shown inFIGS. 5-7) is affixed to the third layer (skin-facing side) of the nose shield portion of the face mask. The reinforcing strip is made of a flexible material such as a thin plastic film or aluminum that can be bent or creased to keep the nose shield portion of the mask contoured to the shape of the user's nose. While the reinforcing strip can take various shapes, it should run laterally (horizontally) from one side the nose shield to the other in order to provide structural support to the nose shield (and allow the nose shield to be contoured to the nose. The reinforcing strip is preferably a polymeric film such as polyester. Examples of suitable polyester films known in the art include MYLAR® (polyethylene terephthalate) and DURALAR®. Alternatively, the reinforcing strip can be made of a thin strip of metal (e.g. aluminum). The reinforcing strip should be thin enough to be flexible and have a low profile, but thick enough to provide some structure to the nose shield. For example, the thickness of the reinforcing strip can be approximately 0.005 inches.

The mask includes curved insertion slits30 on left and right sides of the mask, as well as left and right ear “C” cuts located just outside the curved insertion slits30. To the outside of the curved insertion slits30 are ear “C” cuts20 which are configured to receive the user's ears and secure the mask to the face as described above. The face mask can be further secured by attaching to the user's eyewear via the “C”-shapedcuts15 or with hook and loop patches, as described above.

FIGS. 9A-B shows front views of hook and loop (i.e. VELCRO®) patches for further securing the mask to the face by connecting the upper portion of the nose shield to the user's eyewear. The hook and loop patches have an adhesive underside for attachment to various surfaces. The hook patch can be placed on the upper portion of the nose shield in between the “C”-shaped cuts as shown inFIG. 11B, while the loop patch is attached on the underside of the eyewear's nose bridge as shown inFIG. 10.FIG. 10A shows a loop patch attached to the underside of the nose bridge of a pair of goggles, whileFIG. 10B shows the loop patch attached to the underside of the nose bridge of a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses. When the mask and goggles are worn together as shown inFIG. 11A, the hook and loop patches mate and the nose shield is thereby attached to the user's goggles, further securing the mask to the face. Alternatively, if the underside of the goggle's nose bridge features a material comparable to a loop material (as is the case with certain goggles) then the loop patch may not be necessary and the hook patch can be affixed directly to the goggles.

Thus, the mask can be secured to the user's face and eyewear in a variety of way, providing the versatility of using the face masks with any type of eyewear, or no eyewear at all. In an embodiment shown inFIG. 8, the face mask includes an adjustable strap attached to the back of the ear strap portions of the face mask and configured to secure the face mask around a user's neck. The adjustable strap, which may be a textile cord, has an adjustment member. The two ends of the adjustment strap pass through the adjustment member, and the adjustment member can be moved along the strap to increase or decrease the loop length of the strap around the users neck. The adjustment strap can be used to fasten the mask to the user's head more tightly, or alternatively, can be used to keep the mask hanging around the users neck while not in use. This latter use frees the user's hands and provides for easy access to the mask when needed.FIG. 17 shows the face mask with an alternative adjustable strap that passes through the ear strap portions of the mask and loops over the head and behind the neck. This embodiment provides additional fastening of the mask to the face because the strap is secured over the users head as well as neck.

FIG. 18 shows an alternate embodiment of the face mask with an extended section configured to wrap around the neck with ends that attach via a hook and loop strap. The extended section extends from, and is continuous with, the upper ear portion of the mask to near the chin portion. As it extends from the mask, each side of the extended section tapers to form a rectangular terminal end (i.e. fastening strap): one have a hook patch and the other having a loop patch. The hook and loop patches fasten behind the user's neck at approximately the nostril level. The extended section is made of a stretchable material such as fleece. The extended section can also take on a bandana-style configuration made of a thinner, looser material as shown inFIG. 19. This extended section covers the back and sides of the neck and underneath the chin. As with the embodiment ofFIG. 18, the extended section is fastened by a hook and loop patch that attaches behind the head. The hook and loop patches fasten behind the user's neck at approximately the eye level.

FIG. 19 shows the face mask with an extended bandana-style section configured to wrap around and below the neck with ends that attach via a hook and loop strap. The extended section is continuous with the perimeter of the face mask. As shown in the flattened side view ofFIG. 19, the material of the extended section extends in a horizontal line at the top of the mask (i.e. from the upper ear portion of the mask) and extends vertically downward at the bottom of the mask (i.e. from the bottom of the chin portion of the mask). In this flat side view the upper and lower portions of the extended section form a right angle (i.e. are perpendicular) to each other. The terminal end of the horizontal portion of the mask includes a hook patch, while the other side includes a loop patch.FIG. 20 shows a rear view of the face mask with a standard (FIG. 20A) and bandana-style (FIG. 20B) extended sections, depicting the fastening of the mask around the neck or back of the head with via hook and loop patches.

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.