JP7535307B2 - mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to masks such as dust masks used in dusty places such as factories and construction sites, and for infectious disease prevention in medical settings, and in particular to masks that can achieve good adhesion to the face.

As for dust masks and other masks, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe masks equipped with a pair of bands. Both ends of each of the pair of bands are connected to both sides of the mask body, and the center is hung around the back of the head of the wearer, not around the ears. One of the pair of bands is hung at the center of the back of the head in the vertical direction or a position slightly above the center, and the other is hung below the back of the head, for example, near the boundary between the neck and the back of the head. In other words, the pair of bands are divided into an upper band that is hung at a relatively high position on the back of the head, and a lower band that is hung at a relatively low position.

JP 2016-73445 A JP 2020-59953 A

However, with the masks described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when actually wearing the mask, it is possible that the bands may be put on incorrectly, such as by putting the upper band on relatively lower at the back of the head or the lower band on relatively higher at the back of the head, or that the mask body is put on upside down or upside down. If the bands are put on incorrectly or the mask body is put on upside down incorrectly, particularly in the case of a dust mask, good adhesion between the mask and the face cannot be obtained and the dustproof performance guaranteed by the design may not be achieved.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a mask that prevents incorrect wearing and achieves good adhesion to the face.

The mask disclosed in the present application comprises a mask body (10, 10A), an upper band (20, 20A), a lower band (30, 30A) , and a fastener (40) . The mask body (10, 10A) covers the mouth and nose. The upper band (20, 20A) is connected at both ends to both side portions (10a, 10b) of the mask body (10, 10A). The lower band (30, 30A) is visually or tactilely distinguishable from the upper band (20, 20A), and both ends are connected to portions of the both side portions (10a, 10b) of the mask body (10, 10A) that are lower than the portions to which the upper band (20, 20A) is connected.

The fastener (40) fastens the upper band (20A) and the lower band (30A) at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the wearer's head. Here, "the wearer's head" includes not only the so-called "head" but also the area from the chin to the cheeks , i.e., the "face." The upper band (20) and the lower band (30) are distinguishable from each other at both the front and rear portions of the predetermined position fastened by the fastener (40).

In the mask disclosed in the present application, the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) have different colors. Furthermore, at least one of the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) may be marked with a character or symbol to distinguish it from the other. For example, characters or symbols such as "up", "down", "↑", and "↓" may be printed and displayed on at least one of the upper band (20, 20A) and the lower band (30, 30A).

In addition, in the mask disclosed in the present application, at least one convex may be formed on one of the upper band (20) and the lower band (30). For example, multiple convex objects may be provided in the form of dots on the surface of one of the bands.

The mask of the present invention prevents incorrect wearing and ensures good adhesion to the face.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a wearer's head showing an example of use of the mask of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a first modified example of the mask of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a second modified example of the mask of FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a mask according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a first example of use of the mask of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a second example of use of the mask of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a third example of use of the mask of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment of a fastener for use with the mask of FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a seventh embodiment of the fastener used in the mask of FIG. 14(a) is a perspective view showing an eighth embodiment of the fastener used with the mask of Fig. 3. Fig. 14(b) is an exploded perspective view of the fastener of Fig. 14(a). 15(a) is a perspective view showing a ninth embodiment of the fastener used with the mask of Fig. 3. Fig. 15(b) is an exploded perspective view of the fastener of Fig. 15(a). Fig. 16(a) is a perspective view showing a tenth embodiment of the fastener used with the mask of Fig. 3. Fig. 16(b) is an exploded perspective view of the fastener of Fig. 16(a). 17(a) is a perspective view showing an eleventh embodiment of the fastener used with the mask of Fig. 3. Fig. 17(b) is an exploded perspective view of the fastener of Fig. 17(a).

The mask according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is a preferred example for implementing the present invention, and therefore various technical limitations are imposed. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment unless otherwise specified in the following description to limit the invention.

<Embodiment>
A mask according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a mask according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of a wearer's head showing an example of use of the mask of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a first modified example of the mask of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a second modified example of the mask of Fig. 1.

The mask 1 according to the embodiment is a dust mask, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, includes a mask body 10, an upper band 20, and a lower band 30.

In this embodiment, the mask body 10 includes a dust filter and covers the mouth and nose. Nonwoven fabric is preferably used as the material for the mask body 10. The mask body 10 can also be made of paper or fabric other than nonwoven fabric. The shape of the mask body 10 is not particularly limited, but is hemispherical in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a linear reinforcing metal fitting 11 is attached to the upper front part of the mask body 10. The reinforcing metal fitting 11 keeps the shape of the upper part of the mask body 10 in a gently sloping mountain shape that sandwiches the bridge of the nose. By keeping the shape of the mask body 10 in a gently sloping mountain shape with the reinforcing metal fitting 11, it is possible to improve the adhesion between the area around the bridge of the nose on the face and the upper edge of the mask body 10. Note that the reinforcing metal fitting 11 is not essential, and depending on the shape and structure of the mask body 10, the reinforcing metal fitting 11 may be omitted or the shape of the reinforcing metal fitting 11 may be changed.

In this embodiment, the upper band 20 is a rubber band, and both ends are connected to the right side 10a and left side 10b of the mask body 10. The vertical positions on both sides 10a, 10b of the mask body 10 to which both ends of the upper band 20 are connected are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, both ends of the upper band 20 are connected to positions above the center of the mask body 10 in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, the lower band 30 is also a rubber band and is visually or tactilely distinguishable from the upper band 20. The lower band 30 is connected at both ends to portions of both side portions 10a, 10b of the mask body 10 that are lower than the portions to which the upper band 20 is connected. In this embodiment, both ends of the lower band 30 are connected at positions lower than the center of the mask body 10 in the vertical direction.

In an embodiment, the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 are visually distinguishable by having different colors.

For example, when the color of the upper band 20 is white, the lower band 30 is colored a color other than white, such as light blue, yellow, or pink. Also, when the color of the lower band 30 is white, the upper band 20 is colored a color other than white, such as light blue, yellow, or pink. Also, even if the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 are the same color, by creating a difference in brightness and vividness between the two, the lower band 30 can be visually distinguished from the upper band 20.

Furthermore, characters or symbols such as "up," "down," "↑," or "↓" can be displayed on at least one of the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 to make the lower band 30 visually distinguishable from the upper band 20. Figure 3 shows a modified example of the mask in Figure 1 in which the character "down" 30a is printed and displayed on the lower band 30 as an example of a character or symbol.

Alternatively, the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 can be made visually or tactilely distinguishable by using band materials with different weaves. Also, the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 can be made visually or tactilely distinguishable by forming at least one convex object on one of the upper band 20 and the lower band 30.

Figure 4 shows a modified version of the mask in Figure 1 in which, as an example of at least one convex object, multiple convex objects 30b are attached to one surface of the lower band 30 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. Because the upper band 20 and the lower band 30 are tactilely distinguishable, even a visually impaired person can distinguish between the upper band 20 and the lower band 30.

As described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4, according to the mask of the embodiment, the lower band 30 can be visually or tactilely distinguished from the upper band 20. This prevents incorrect attachment, such as putting on the pair of bands upside down or putting on the mask body upside down or upside down, and ensures good adhesion to the face.

In particular, when the mask is a dust mask, there are performance classifications according to the type of dust and the type of work, and only masks that have passed national certification are permitted for use. Therefore, in order to achieve the dustproof performance guaranteed by national certification, it is important to prevent incorrect wearing, and the mask of the embodiment can prevent incorrect wearing and achieve the dustproof performance guaranteed by design.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a mask according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a first example of use of the mask of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a second example of use of the mask of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a side view of a wearer's head showing a third example of use of the mask of Fig. 5.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mask 1A according to this embodiment is a dust mask, and like the mask 1 of the above embodiment, it includes a mask body 10A, an upper band 20A, a lower band 30A, a pair of bundling devices 40, and a band length adjuster 50.

The mask body 10A, in this embodiment, also includes a dust filter and covers the mouth and nose. Nonwoven fabric is preferably used as the material for the mask body 10A. The mask body 10A can also be made of paper or fabric other than nonwoven fabric. The shape of the mask body 10A is not particularly limited, but is also hemispherical in this embodiment. Also, a reinforcing metal fitting may be attached to the upper front part of the mask body 10A, as in the mask 1 in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, a nose pad 12 having a slit corresponding to the bridge of the nose can be provided on the upper part of the back of the mask body 10A. By providing the nose pad 12 on the upper part of the back of the mask body 10A, it is possible to improve the airtightness between the area around the bridge of the nose on the face and the upper edge of the mask body 10A. Note that the nose pad 12 is not essential, and depending on the shape and structure of the mask body 10A, it is possible to omit the nose pad 12 or to change the shape and attachment position of the nose pad 12. Also, the nose pad 12 can be provided on the mask body 10 of the mask 1 in the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the upper band 20A is a rubber band, and both ends are connected to the right side 10a and left side 10b of the mask body 10A. The vertical positions of both ends of the upper band 20A on both side portions 10a and 10b of the mask body 10A to which they are connected are also the same as those of the mask 1 in FIG. 1.

In this embodiment, the lower band 30A is also a rubber band, and is visually or tactilely distinguishable from the upper band 20A, and both ends are connected to portions of both sides 10a, 10b of the mask body 10 that are lower than the portions to which the upper band 20 is connected. The vertical positions of both ends of the lower band 30A connected to both sides 10a, 10b of the mask body 10A are also the same as those of the mask 1 in FIG. 1. Similarly to the mask 1 in FIG. 1, the means for making the upper band 20A visually or tactilely distinguishable from the lower band 30A is typically color, but can also be letters, symbols, the weave of the band material, convex objects, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fastener 40 fastens the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A on both the left and right sides of the wearer's head 2. In the embodiment, the fastener 40 engages with the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A so as to be movable along the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the fastener 40 fastens the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A at a position that contacts the upper end of the base of the wearer's ear.

One of the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A bound by the binding tool 40 is hung around the back of the wearer's head, and the other is hung around the top of the wearer's head. In the example shown in FIG. 6, as a more preferable wearing example, the upper band 20A is hung around the back of the wearer's head, and the lower band 30A is hung around the top of the wearer's head. However, this is not limited to this, and the upper band 20A may be hung around the top of the wearer's head, and the lower band 30A may be hung around the back of the wearer's head.

The bundling device 40 can also bundling the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A at a position closer to the top of the head than the wearer's ears, as shown in FIG. 7, or can bundling the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A at a position closer to the mouth than the wearer's ears, as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 6, the band length adjuster 50 is attached to the band that is placed behind the wearer's head, in the illustrated example, the upper band 20A. Although the band length adjuster 50 is not essential, by attaching the band length adjuster 50 to the band that is placed behind the wearer's head, better adhesion can be achieved between the area around the bridge of the wearer's nose and the upper edge of the mask body 10A. In particular, the area around the bridge of the nose is a sensitive part of the human face, and being able to adjust the length of the band to an appropriate length can improve the balance between comfortable wearability and good adhesion.

As described above with reference to Figures 5 to 8, according to the embodiment of the mask 1A, the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are bound together on both the left and right sides of the wearer's head 2 by the binding device 40, and one of the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A is hung around the back of the wearer's head and the other around the top of the wearer's head. This improves the fit between the wearer's chin and the lower part of the mask body 10A, as well as between the area around the bridge of the wearer's nose and the upper part of the mask body 10A.

More specifically, in the mask 1A of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the direction of the force acting on the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A changes with the binding device 40 as a joint. This makes it easy to stabilize one of the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A around the top of the wearer's head, and prevents the band from slipping off during long hours of work depending on the shape of the wearer's back of the head or the type of hair, and maintains good adhesion between the mask body 10A and the face. In addition, because the lower band 30A and the upper band 20A can be distinguished visually or tactilely, it is possible to prevent mistakes such as putting the mask body upside down or upside down, and achieve good adhesion to the face.

Regarding which of the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A should be placed on the top of the wearer's head, the inventors' experiments showed that placing the lower band 30A on the top of the wearer's head is preferable because it provides a more stable fit. Therefore, by being able to visually and tactilely distinguish between the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A, the wearer can place the lower band 30A on the top of the head and the upper band 20A on the back of the head without putting on the wrong pair of bands, achieving good adhesion between the mask and the face.

However, if the fastener 40 fastens the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A with a large binding force, it is believed that the wearer will be able to obtain a similar fit regardless of whether the upper band 20A or the lower band 30A is placed around the top of the wearer's head. However, by preventing the bands from being placed incorrectly, a good fit between the mask and the face can be achieved even when the fastener 40 does not have a large binding force.

Next, we will consider, based on the results of our experiments, at what position on the side of the head the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A should be bound by the binding device 40.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are bundled together at a position that touches the top of the wearer's ear base, and the lower band 30A is then placed over the top of the wearer's head, the mask is most stably worn and the bands do not slip even if the wearer moves vigorously.

In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 6, even when the upper band 20A, rather than the lower band 30A, was placed on the top of the wearer's head, the mask was sufficiently stable and the band did not shift even with vigorous movement. However, in terms of the fit between the mask and the face, a better fit was obtained when the lower band 30A was placed on the top of the wearer's head, and a significant difference was also observed in the results of the fit assessment using the mask fit assessment device described in JP 2019-41957 A (Patent No. 6836788).

As shown in FIG. 7, even when the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are tied together by the bundling device 40 at a position closer to the top of the head than the wearer's ears, the fit between the chin and the lower part of the mask body 10A is improved, the wearing state of the mask is somewhat stable, and the bands are less likely to come off than before.

As shown in Figure 8, when the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are tied together at a position closer to the mouth than the wearer's ears, the stability of the mask when worn is inferior compared to the use state shown in Figures 6 and 7. However, compared to the mask 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mask was worn more stably and good adhesion between the mask body 10A and the face was maintained.

As described above, with regard to the position at which the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A should be bound by the binding device 40, the inventors' experiments have shown that it is most preferable to bind the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A at a position that touches the top of the base of the wearer's ear.

The fastener used in the mask of the embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 9 to 19. The fastener of the embodiment can be attached to a mask 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, a mask body 10 that covers the mouth and nose, an upper band 20 whose both ends are connected to both sides of the mask body 10, and a lower band 30 whose both ends are connected to parts of both sides of the mask body 10 that are lower than the parts to which the upper band 20 is connected, thereby modifying the mask 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into a mask 1A as shown in Fig. 5. The fastener of the embodiment is not limited to the mask 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and can be attached to any mask as long as the same effect can be obtained by attaching the fastener of the embodiment.

Figure 9 shows a fastener 40 as a first example of a fastener according to an embodiment. The fastener 40 is a flattened rectangular tube, with the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A inserted into the hollow portion. The fastener 40 has removable projections and recesses on two sides along the band insertion direction, and the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are fitted together when the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are placed in the hollow portion. The fasteners 40A, 40B, and 40C in Figures 10 to 12 also have removable projections and recesses. The fastener 40 engages with the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A so as to be movable along the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A.

Figure 10 shows a fastener 40A as a second example of the fastener of the embodiment. The fastener 40A is a cylinder having an elliptical shape in a plan view, and the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted into the hollow portion. The fastener 40A engages with the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A so as to be movable along the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A.

Figure 11 shows a third embodiment of the fastener, fastener 40B, which is a short rectangular tube with a hollow portion through which upper band 20A and lower band 30A are inserted. Fastener 40B allows the fastener to be made more compact. Fastener 40B also engages with upper band 20A and lower band 30A so as to be movable along upper band 20A and lower band 30A.

Figure 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the fastener, fastener 40C, which is cylindrical and has a hollow portion through which upper band 20A and lower band 30A are inserted. Fastener 40C engages with upper band 20A and lower band 30A so as to be movable along upper band 20A and lower band 30A.

Figure 13 shows a fifth embodiment of the fastener, fastener 40D, which is a hook made of a long plate member formed into a ring shape. The upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted into the fastener 40D through the gaps at both ends in the circumferential direction and are restrained by the fastener 40D.

Figure 14 shows a sixth embodiment of the fastener, fastener 40E, which is a hook made by forming a round bar member into a ring shape. The upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted into the fastener 40E through the gaps at both ends in the circumferential direction and are restrained by the fastener 40E.

Figure 15 shows a seventh embodiment of the fastener, fastener 40F, which is a hook made of a round bar member formed into a spiral shape, and upper band 20A and lower band 30A are inserted into the fastener 40F through a gap at one end in the axial direction.

Figure 16 shows a bundling tool 40G as an eighth embodiment of the bundling tool. The bundling tool 40G is a flattened rectangular tube with a wide opening at one end of the hollow part, through which the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted. The wide opening at one end of the hollow part makes it easy to branch and extend the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A so that they hang over the top and back of the head.

Figure 17 shows a bundling device 40H as a ninth embodiment of the bundling device, which has a flattened rectangular tube shape with one end opening of the hollow part branching into two, and the hollow part is formed in a Y shape. By forming the hollow part in a Y shape, it becomes easier to guide the wearer to put the upper band 20A on the back of the head and then the lower band 30A, preventing the wearer from putting the bands on incorrectly and making it easier for the wearer to use the mask 1 in a more appropriate manner. In addition, for example, the wearer can be more reliably guided by providing a letter or symbol indicating "after" at the exit of the upper band 20A and a letter or symbol indicating "above" at the exit of the lower band 30A.

Figure 18 shows a tenth embodiment of a fastener, 40I, which has a hollow portion that is cross-shaped or X-shaped in plan view and through which the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted. By arranging the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A in the hollow portion so that the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A cross each other in the hollow portion, the wearer is naturally guided to place the upper band 20A around the back of the head and the lower band 30A around the top of the head, preventing the wearer from putting the bands on incorrectly and making it easier for the wearer to use the mask in a more appropriate manner.

Figure 19 shows a fastener 40J as an eleventh embodiment of the fastener. As shown in Figure 19 (a), the fastener 40J is a rectangular tube that is nearly square in plan view, and the upper band 20A and the lower band 30A are inserted into the hollow portion. Also, as shown in Figure 19 (b), the fastener 40J is equipped with a cover member 41 and a band holder receiving member 42 that are approximately the same shape, and a band holder 43. In this embodiment, the band holder 43 is a round bar member, and the peripheral surface is formed with unevenness so that it can bite into the upper band 20A or the lower band 30A. By arranging the band holder 43 in the hollow portion of the fastener 40J, the position of the fastener 40J does not shift even when the mask is worn for a long time or when the mask is put on and taken off, and by adjusting the position of the fastener 40J once, it can be worn stably thereafter.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 19). However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1, 1A... Mask 10, 10A... Mask body 10a, 10b... Both sides 20, 20A... Upper band 30, 30A... Lower band 40... Fastener

Claims (4)

A mask body (10) that covers the mouth and nose;
an upper band (20) whose both ends are connected to both side portions (10a, 10b) of the mask body (10);
a lower band (30) that is visually or tactilely distinguishable from the upper band (20) and whose both ends are connected to portions of the both side portions (10a, 10b) of the mask body (10) that are lower than the portions to which the upper band (20) is connected ;
and a bundling tool (40) for bundling the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the wearer's head.
The mask is such that both the portions before and after the predetermined position where the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) are bound by the binding tool (40) can be distinguished from the other band . 2. The mask of claim 1 , wherein said upper band (20) and said lower band (30) have different colors. 3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) is marked with a letter or symbol to distinguish it from the other. The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one of the upper band (20) and the lower band (30) is formed with at least one convexity.

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