JP7473957B2 - mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mask that can be used to prevent infection and hay fever.

As seen in the global spread of the novel coronavirus in 2020, during large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, there is a social expectation that people wear masks when going out, and going out without a mask may give others the negative impression that you are unconcerned and uncooperative with infection prevention measures.

Note that examples of prior art literature showing the general state of the art related to this type of mask include the following Patent Document 1.

Utility Model Registration No. 3135320

However, while in cold seasons the mask acts as a cold weather protection and can be worn without any problems, in hot seasons the mask traps heat and becomes steamy with sweat, making it feel even hotter and harder to breathe, making it very uncomfortable to continue wearing the mask.

Moreover, if you continue to wear a mask despite the heat and humidity, not only will heat build up inside the mask, but it will also make it harder for heat from inside the body to escape. What's more, you will be less likely to feel thirsty and will be more likely to neglect to drink fluids, which could lead to dehydration without you realizing it and make you more susceptible to heatstroke.

On the other hand, it is possible to wear breathable masks made of natural materials such as coarse cotton or linen only during hot seasons, but the problem with masks made of such natural materials is that the coarseness of the mesh reduces their ability to prevent droplets, reducing their effectiveness in preventing infection, so it is not possible to simply switch to such masks.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a mask that provides a cool feeling and is comfortable to wear even in hot weather.

The present invention relates to a mask having a three-layer structure including an outer fabric made of a water-retentive material, an inner fabric made of a moisture-absorbing and releasing material sewn to the back side of the outer fabric to form a pocket, and a nonwoven fabric filter made of nanofibers that is inserted and housed in the pocket formed by the inner fabric and exhibits a breathable and waterproof function, the mask being configured so that the temperature of the fabric is lowered by the heat of vaporization of water absorbed in the outer fabric, thereby providing a cool feeling, and the outer fabric, inner fabric, and filter are sewn three-dimensionally so that their respective central portions bulge forward .

When using a mask constructed in this way, remove the filter, pull the inner fabric away from the outer fabric to widen the pocket opening, and wet only the outer fabric with water. After that, squeeze only the outer fabric lightly with your hands, put the filter back in the pocket, and put it on your face. The water in the outer fabric evaporates, taking away the heat of vaporization and lowering the fabric temperature, which gives a cool feeling even in hot weather and makes it comfortable to wear the mask.

The breathable and waterproof properties of the filter keep the inner fabric from getting wet, and the moisture absorption and release properties of the inner fabric reduce unpleasant stuffiness and stickiness, resulting in a smooth and refreshing wearing experience. Moreover, the extremely fine mesh structure of the nanofibers maintains high splash prevention performance and also effectively blocks the passage of bacteria and viruses.

In addition, when the fiber diameter of nanofibers is thinned to the nano level, the fine mesh structure does not impede airflow, providing good breathability and making breathing easier; exhaled air does not leak out from around the mask, preventing glasses and other items from fogging up.

In other words, when the fiber diameter of nanofibers is approximately the same as the mean free path of air molecules (65 nm at room temperature and pressure), slip flow occurs in the air flow on the fiber surface, which reduces the air resistance on the fiber surface, and as a result, high breathability is maintained even when the mesh structure is made fine by the nanofibers.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the outer fabric, the inner fabric and the filter are sewn three-dimensionally so that the central portions of each are bulged forward, so that the central portion of the mask can be bulged and worn on the face in a three-dimensional shape, ensuring gaps between the nose and mouth and the mask, making it easier to breathe and preventing makeup such as lipstick from transferring, particularly in the case of women.

In this case, the filter is also three-dimensionally shaped with its central portion bulging forward, so that the filter can be easily accommodated in the pocket in accordance with the three-dimensional shapes of the outer and inner fabrics, thereby preventing the filter from becoming twisted and bulky inside the pocket.

It is also preferable that the inner fabric be constructed as a mesh fabric with many holes, which will further improve the breathability and texture of the inner fabric, making it even more comfortable to wear.

The upper end of the outer fabric is preferably equipped with a band-shaped nose fitter that has the ability to plastically deform. By shaping the nose fitter to fit the shape of the ridge of the nose, the upper end of the outer fabric can be securely attached to the bridge of the nose. This will prevent the outer fabric from slipping down even if it becomes heavy due to absorbing water, and will also further reliably prevent glasses from fogging up due to breath leaking out through the gap at the upper end of the outer fabric.

Furthermore, in a more specific embodiment of the mask of the present invention, the outer fabric is preferably made of polyester fiber so as to have high water retention, the inner fabric is preferably made of nylon fiber so as to have high moisture absorption and release properties, and the filter preferably has a sandwich structure in which a nanofiber polyurethane layer is sandwiched between nanofiber polypropylene layers.

The mask of the present invention described above can provide a variety of excellent effects, including the following:

(I) By evaporating the water absorbed in the outer fabric, the latent heat of vaporization can be removed and the fabric temperature can be lowered, providing a cool feeling even in hot weather and allowing the mask to be worn comfortably, which can significantly reduce stress compared to enduring the pain of wearing a regular mask and also makes it less likely for the wearer to develop heatstroke.

(II) The breathable and waterproof function of the filter keeps the inner fabric from getting wet, and the moisture absorption and release properties of the inner fabric reduce unpleasant stuffiness and stickiness, resulting in a smooth and refreshing wearing experience. Moreover, the extremely fine mesh structure of the nanofibers maintains high splash prevention performance and effectively blocks the passage of bacteria and viruses, while at the same time providing good breathability, making breathing easy and preventing exhaled air from leaking out around the mask, preventing fogging of glasses, etc.

(III) The center of the mask can be inflated to form a three-dimensional shape when worn on the face, ensuring gaps between the nose and mouth and the mask, making it easier to breathe and, in particular for women, preventing makeup such as lipstick from transferring to the face.

(IV) The filter can be easily accommodated in the pocket in accordance with the three-dimensional shapes of the outer and inner fabrics, and a situation in which the filter becomes twisted and bulky inside the pocket can be prevented.

(V) If the inner fabric is constructed as a mesh fabric with many holes, the breathability and texture of the inner fabric can be further improved, making the garment even more comfortable to wear.

(VI) By adopting a configuration in which the upper end of the outer fabric is equipped with a band-shaped nose fitter that has plastic deformation ability, the upper end of the outer fabric can be securely hooked onto the bridge of the nose by shaping this nose fitter to match the protruding shape of the bridge of the nose. This prevents the outer fabric from slipping down even if it becomes heavy due to absorbing water, and further prevents glasses from fogging up due to breath leaking out through the gap at the upper end of the outer fabric.

1 is a front view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a rear view of the mask of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of a filter sandwiched in the mask of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the state in which a filter is inserted into and removed from the mask of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which the outer fabric of the mask of FIG. 1 is being wetted with water. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the state in which the outer fabric of the mask in FIG. 5 is being lightly squeezed. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the mask of FIG. 1 in a worn state.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 7 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the reference numeral 1 in the figures indicates a mask used as a measure against infection or hay fever. This mask 1 has a three-layer structure including an outer fabric 2 (see the front view of Figure 1) made of a water-retentive material, an inner fabric 3 (see the rear view of Figure 2) made of a moisture-absorbing and releasing material (a material that has the function of absorbing moisture in high humidity conditions and releasing moisture in dry conditions) sewn to the back side of the outer fabric 2 to form a pocket 4, and a nonwoven fabric filter 5 (see the front view of Figure 3) made of nanofibers that exhibits a breathable and waterproof function, which is inserted and housed in the pocket 4 formed by the inner fabric 3. The heat of vaporization of the water contained in the outer fabric 2 lowers the fabric temperature, providing a cool feeling.

For example, in this embodiment, the outer fabric 2 is made of polyester fiber to have high water retention, the inner fabric 3 is made of nylon fiber to have high moisture absorption and release properties, and is configured as a mesh fabric with many holes 3a, and the filter 5 is made of nonwoven fabric that has a sandwich structure in which a nanofiber polyurethane layer is sandwiched between nanofiber polypropylene layers.

The outer fabric 2 and inner fabric 3 are constructed by sewing together a pair of left and right fabric parts at the center, with the width gradually increasing vertically from both horizontal ends of the mask 1 toward the center, and the outer fabric 2 and inner fabric 3 are sewn three-dimensionally so that their respective centers bulge forward. For an example of the three-dimensional shape, see FIG. 7 showing the mask 1 when worn.

In this case, it is preferable that the filter 5 is also formed three-dimensionally with the center bulging forward. More specifically, it is preferable to fold the left and right sides toward the center to form an acute triangular shape and sew them together to form a three-dimensional shape.

Furthermore, the upper end of the outer fabric 2 is equipped with a band-shaped nose fitter 6 that has plastic deformation ability, and by shaping this nose fitter 6 to match the protruding shape of the bridge of the nose, the upper end of the outer fabric 2 can be securely placed over the bridge of the nose.

The mask 1 thus constructed has both lateral ends of the outer fabric 2 folded inward and sewn to form a tube 7. Ear straps 8 are threaded through the tube 7 and can be adjusted in length by tying them in place, but the ear straps 8 can also be made of elastic rubber.

When using the mask 1 constructed in this way, as shown in Figure 4, remove the filter 5, and as shown in Figure 5, pull the inner fabric 3 away from the outer fabric 2 to widen the opening of the pocket 4, and wet only the outer fabric 2 with water. Then, as shown in Figure 6, squeeze only the outer fabric 2 lightly with your hands, return the filter 5 to the pocket 4, and then, as shown in Figure 7, put the mask 1 on your face. As the water absorbed in the outer fabric 2 evaporates, the heat of vaporization is removed and the fabric temperature drops, which gives a cool feeling even in hot weather, making it possible to wear the mask 1 comfortably.

At this time, the breathable and waterproof function of the filter 5 keeps the inner fabric 3 from getting wet, and the moisture absorption and release properties of the inner fabric 3 reduce unpleasant stuffiness and stickiness, resulting in a smooth and refreshing wearing experience (if the inner fabric 3 is configured as a mesh fabric, the breathability and texture are further improved, making the wearing experience even more comfortable), and the extremely fine mesh structure of the nanofibers maintains high splash prevention performance and also makes it possible to effectively block the passage of bacteria and viruses.

In addition, when the fiber diameter of nanofibers is thinned to the nano level, the air flow is not impeded even though the mesh structure is fine, resulting in good breathability and making breathing easier. Also, exhaled air does not leak out from around the mask 1, preventing glasses and other items from fogging up.

In other words, when the fiber diameter of nanofibers is approximately the same as the mean free path of air molecules (65 nm at room temperature and pressure), slip flow occurs in the air flow on the fiber surface, which reduces the air resistance on the fiber surface, and as a result, high breathability is maintained even when the mesh structure is made fine by the nanofibers.

In addition, in this embodiment, the outer fabric 2 and the inner fabric 3 are sewn three-dimensionally so that their respective centers bulge forward, allowing the center of the mask 1 to bulge and be fitted to the face in a three-dimensional shape, ensuring a gap between the nose and mouth and the mask 1, making it easier to breathe, and preventing makeup such as lipstick from transferring, particularly for women.

In this case, if the filter 5 is also formed three-dimensionally with its center bulging forward, it will be possible to fit the filter 5 into the pocket 4 without any problems according to the three-dimensional shapes of the outer fabric 2 and the inner fabric 3, and this will prevent the filter 5 from twisting and becoming bulky inside the pocket 4.

The upper end of the outer fabric 2 is equipped with a band-shaped nose fitter 6 that has the ability to plastically deform. By shaping the nose fitter 6 to fit the shape of the ridge of the nose, the upper end of the outer fabric 2 can be securely placed over the bridge of the nose. This prevents the outer fabric 2 from slipping down even if it becomes heavy due to absorbing water, and further prevents glasses from fogging up due to breath leaking out through the gap at the upper end of the outer fabric 2.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the water contained in the outer fabric 2 can be evaporated to remove the heat of vaporization and lower the fabric temperature, and the mask 1 can be worn comfortably even in hot weather, providing a cool feeling. This can significantly reduce stress compared to enduring the constant wearing of a normal mask 1, and can also reduce the risk of heat stroke.

Furthermore, the breathable and waterproof function of the filter 5 keeps the inner fabric 3 from getting wet, and the moisture absorption and release properties of the inner fabric 3 reduce unpleasant stuffiness and stickiness, resulting in a smooth and refreshing wearing experience. In particular, when the inner fabric 3 is configured as a mesh fabric with many holes 3a, the breathability and texture of the inner fabric 3 can be further improved, making the wearing experience even more comfortable.

In addition, the extremely fine mesh structure of the nanofibers maintains high droplet prevention performance and effectively blocks the passage of bacteria and viruses, while at the same time providing good breathability, making breathing easy and preventing exhaled air from leaking out around the mask 1, preventing fogging of glasses, etc.

In addition, the outer fabric 2 and inner fabric 3 are sewn three-dimensionally so that their respective centers bulge forward, allowing the center of the mask 1 to bulge and be worn three-dimensionally on the face, ensuring a gap between the nose and mouth and the mask 1, making it easier to breathe, and also preventing makeup such as lipstick from transferring, particularly in the case of women.

In this case, if the filter 5 is also formed three-dimensionally with its center bulging forward, the filter 5 can be stored in the pocket 4 without any problems according to the three-dimensional shapes of the outer fabric 2 and the inner fabric 3, and the filter 5 can be prevented from twisting and becoming bulky inside the pocket 4.

In addition, the upper end of the outer fabric 2 is equipped with a band-shaped nose fitter 6 that has the ability to plastically deform. By shaping this nose fitter 6 to fit the protruding shape of the bridge of the nose, the upper end of the outer fabric 2 can be securely placed over the bridge of the nose, preventing the outer fabric 2 from slipping down even if it becomes heavy due to absorbing water. In addition, it is possible to more reliably prevent glasses from fogging up due to breath leaking out through the gap at the upper end of the outer fabric 2.

The mask of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but can be used as a comfortable mask even if the outer fabric is not wet, and various other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Mask 2 Outer fabric 3 Inner fabric 3a Hole 4 Pocket 5 Filter 6 Nose fitter

Claims (6)

A mask having a three-layer structure comprising an outer fabric made of a water-retentive material, an inner fabric made of a moisture-absorbing and releasing material sewn to the back side of the outer fabric to form a pocket, and a nonwoven fabric filter made of nanofiber that is inserted into the pocket formed by the inner fabric and exhibits breathable and waterproof functions, wherein the mask is configured so that the temperature of the fabric is lowered by the heat of vaporization of water absorbed in the outer fabric, thereby providing a cool feeling, and the outer fabric, inner fabric, and filter are sewn three-dimensionally so that their respective centers bulge forward . 2. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the inner fabric is configured as a mesh fabric having a large number of holes. 3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a band-shaped nose fitter having plastic deformability is provided at an upper end of the inner fabric. 4. The mask according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the outer fabric is made of polyester fiber having water retention properties . 2. The mask according to claim 1 , characterized in that the inner fabric is made of nylon fiber having moisture wicking properties . 2. The mask of claim 1 , wherein the filter has a sandwich structure in which a layer of nanofiber polyurethane is sandwiched between layers of nanofiber polypropylene.

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