JP7537332B2 - Mask ear hook member and mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ear hook for a mask and a mask.

A well-known type of face mask is one that includes a mask body that at least partially covers the wearer's face and a pair of ear loops that are respectively connected to the mask body, i.e., a pair of members that can be looped over each of the wearer's ears to hold the mask body in its worn position.

The ear loop members of the above masks are often string-like, but sheet-like ear loop members (ear loop parts) are also being considered to reduce the burden on the ears while wearing the mask and provide a comfortable fit. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a mask equipped with a single sheet-like ear loop sheet in which both ear loop parts are connected to each other at a connection part and extend on the same plane. Patent Document 1 also lists elastic or extensible nonwoven fabric, elastic hot melt adhesive nonwoven fabric, etc. as materials for the ear loop members.

Patent No. 5762803

In recent years, masks have been used by a wide variety of users, both men and women of all ages. This has created a need to manufacture a wide variety of masks that correspond to the size of the user's face, the size of the mask, the desired fit, and the like. However, in the case of ear hook members made of elastic nonwoven fabrics, as described in Patent Document 1, the elasticity of the ear hook members cannot be adjusted over a wide range, and the various needs of users may not be met. Therefore, there is a demand for mask ear hook members whose elasticity can be adjusted more easily.

In view of the above, one aspect of the present invention aims to provide an ear hook for a mask that is easier to adjust in terms of elasticity.

The first aspect of the present invention is a ring-shaped sheet-like ear hook for a mask, which has a first direction corresponding to the up-down direction of the mask in a plan view and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and comprises a first surface material, a second surface material arranged on the opposite side of the first surface material, and a plurality of elastic cord materials spaced apart in the first direction and each extending along the second direction between the first surface material and the second surface material, and the elastic cord materials are bonded to the first surface material and the second surface material in a stretched state.

In the first aspect, the elasticity of the ear hook member is achieved by using multiple elastic cord materials. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the material and thickness of the elastic cord material (e.g., rubber thread) and/or the arrangement and elongation rate of the elastic cord material, the ear hook member can be given any elasticity. Therefore, various mask ear hook members can be manufactured relatively easily according to the needs of the user.

In addition, elastic cord material is provided throughout the entire ear hook member, and is also provided in the behind-the-ear portion of the ear hook member that is placed behind the wearer's ear when worn. This allows not only the upper and lower edge portions of the ear hook member that extend from the mask body toward the ear when worn, but also the behind-the-ear portion to have a certain degree of elasticity in the lateral direction D2, improving the comfort of the fit.

In a second aspect of the present invention, the first surface material and the second surface material are made of nonwoven fabric.

According to the second aspect, nonwoven fabric is used as the surface material of the ear hook member, so that an ear hook member that is pleasant to the touch can be obtained.

In a third aspect of the present invention, the elastic cord material extends in a wavy manner having amplitude in the first direction.

According to the third aspect, the elastic cord material arranged in a wavy pattern provides higher extensibility, i.e., a longer elongation length relative to the natural state when compared under the same tensile force.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the device has a rectangular ring shape, an upper side portion and a lower side portion corresponding to the upper side and the lower side of the rectangular ring, and when viewed in the first direction, has an upper end region corresponding to the extension range of the upper side portion, a lower end region corresponding to the extension range of the lower side portion, and a central region between the upper end region and the lower end region, and one or more of the thickness, elongation rate, and arrangement interval of the multiple elastic cord materials are different between at least one of the upper end region and the lower end region and the central region.

According to the fourth aspect, the stretch behavior can be made different depending on the region of the ear hook member when viewed in the vertical direction. For example, by making the thickness of the stretchable string material arranged in the upper end region and the lower end region thicker and the thickness of the stretchable string material arranged in the central region thinner, the tensile stress generated in the upper end region and the lower end region when the ear hook member is pulled when worn can be made larger than the tensile stress generated in the central region. The upper end region and the lower end region correspond to the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion of the ear hook member, respectively, which are pulled strongly in the horizontal direction D2 when worn. If the tensile stress in the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion is large, the mask body is pulled more strongly toward the ear, so that the mask body can be more closely attached to the face. On the other hand, it is preferable that the behind-the-ear placement portion corresponding to the central region of the ear hook member also has stretchability in the horizontal direction D2 so that the portion can be deformed along the curve of the ear, but if the stretchable member is thick, the wearing comfort may be impaired. Therefore, by making the thickness of the stretchable string material in the central region thinner, the behind-the-ear placement portion can be kept flexible.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the mask has a mask body and a mask ear hook according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, which is joined to the outer surface of the mask body.

According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to provide a mask that has the same effect as any of the first to fourth aspects.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ear hook for a mask that is easier to adjust in terms of elasticity.

1 is a plan view of a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outer surface side (outside). FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mask shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the inner side (face side). 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1. 13 is a plan view of the pair of ear hook members after each is opened to the side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a plan view of only the ear hook member of FIG. 1 . 7 shows an enlarged cross-section of line III-III in FIG. 6. 4 shows an enlarged cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the ear hook member. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing another modified example of the ear hook member. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing yet another modified example of the ear hook member. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the elastic cord material in the ear hook member. FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a mask according to another embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outer surface side (outside).

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding configurations may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description may be omitted.

(Basic structure of the mask)
The mask in this embodiment may be a mask that can cover the face of the wearer, more specifically, at least the nose and mouth of the wearer. The mask in this embodiment may have the function of preventing foreign objects from reaching the face and preventing droplets generated by the wearer from scattering, and is also called a sanitary mask or a surgical mask. This embodiment is preferably used as a disposable mask, but may also be used as a mask that can be reused by washing or the like.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the mask 1. Figure 1 shows the mask 1 as viewed from the outer side, i.e., the side that does not face the face when worn and is exposed to the outside. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the mask as viewed from the inner side (face side). Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mask 1 according to this embodiment includes a mask body 10 that is placed in front of the wearer's face when worn and can cover mainly the wearer's nose and mouth, and a pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a connected to the mask body 10. The mask body 10 has a vertical direction (first direction) D1 that corresponds to the up-down direction of the wearer's face when worn, and a horizontal direction (second direction) D2 that is perpendicular to the vertical direction (first direction) D1 and corresponds to the left-right direction of the wearer's face when worn. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the mask body 10 has a rectangular shape in plan view with long sides in the horizontal direction D2, but the shape of the mask body 10 in plan view is not limited to that shown in the figure.

1 and 2, the mask body 10 has a pleat structure 15 formed by a plurality of pleats arranged in the vertical direction D1. The pleats of the pleat structure 15 can be formed by folding the sheet constituting the mask body 10 multiple times at fold lines along the horizontal direction D2. The multiple pleats are fixed at the side (horizontal direction D2 end) of the mask body 10. Therefore, when the mask 1 is used, the central part of the pleat structure 15 in the horizontal direction D2 can be spread in the vertical direction D1, and the horizontal direction D2 center of the mask body 10 can be curved so as to protrude toward the outer surface side of the mask 1, and can be deformed into a shape that fits the three-dimensional shape of the face. The specific configuration of the pleat structure 15 is not particularly limited, and may be a known configuration formed in the mask body.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are arranged on the outer surface of the mask body 10. As shown in Fig. 1, each of the ear hook members 20a may be annular (or closed belt-like) in plan view. When worn, the ear hook member 20a can be hung around the ear by placing the wearer's ear inside the ring of the ear hook member 20a, i.e., in the central opening 29 of the ear hook member 20a. The shape of the ring is not particularly limited, but is preferably a square ring shape as described below. However, the shape of the ring may be circular or elliptical, triangular, or other polygonal ring shape.

The pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a may be configured as a single sheet-like ear hook member (ear hook member sheet) 20 that is separably connected to each other at the center in the horizontal direction D2. In this specification, "sheet-like" or "sheet" refers to a shape whose length and width are greater than the thickness and which extends or can extend on a single plane. Therefore, the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a in this embodiment are different from string-like or thread-like ear hook members. By configuring the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a as an ear hook member sheet 20, when the ear hook members 20a are hung on the ears while wearing the mask, the ear hook members 20a can come into surface contact with the back surface of the earlobe, thereby reducing the burden on the ears and the surrounding areas of the ears, reducing discomfort and pain, and providing a comfortable fit.

The type of connection of the separable joint 28 of the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the connection is separable by pulling with the normal force of the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it may be formed as a perforation by making discontinuous cuts (cut parts). Also, instead of perforations, the joint 28 can be formed by weakening the boundary between the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a or making it easier to apply stress by reducing the thickness of the sheet or by other means. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a may be symmetrical with respect to a line along the vertical direction D1 that passes through the joint 28.

The mask body 10 may have a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated. For example, the mask body 10 may have a structure including at least three layers, in which an intermediate layer having an enhanced function of capturing foreign matter (dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, etc.) is sandwiched between an outer layer and an inner layer. Each layer constituting the mask body 10 preferably includes a fiber-containing layer such as a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a knitted fabric, and more preferably includes a nonwoven fabric. Examples of the nonwoven fabric include spunbond nonwoven fabric, spunlace nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, air-through nonwoven fabric, and point-bonded nonwoven fabric. In addition, it is preferable to use a meltblown nonwoven fabric that may contain fine fibers for the intermediate layer. In addition, the fiber constituting the fiber-containing layer is preferably a resin fiber, and examples of the resin type of the resin fiber include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and nylon. The basis weight of the outer layer and the inner layer may be 15 to 50 g/m ² . The intermediate layer having high foreign matter collecting properties has a basis weight of preferably 10 to 100 g/ ^m2 , and more preferably 15 to 50 g/ ^m2 .

The pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are respectively connected to both sides (both ends in the horizontal direction D2) of the outer surface of the mask body 10. The ear hook members 20a, 20a are elastic. In this specification, "elastic" refers to the property that the length in the pulled direction can be increased by pulling (applying a tensile force) and the length returns to the original length or almost to the original length by ceasing pulling (releasing the tensile force). Furthermore, "elasticity" refers to the property of how much a material stretches when pulled with a specified force and/or the property of how much tensile stress is generated in the material when it is stretched to a specified length.

In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are connected to both sides of the mask body 10 via auxiliary materials 30, 30, respectively. The auxiliary materials 30, 30 may be sheet-like members extending along the longitudinal direction D1 of the mask 1. The auxiliary materials 30, 30 are joined to both ends of the mask body 10 in the lateral direction D2 at outer joints 50, 50, respectively. The auxiliary materials 30, 30 are joined to both ends of the ear hook member sheet 20 in the lateral direction D2 at inner joints 60, 60, respectively. The outer joints 50, 50 and the inner joints 60, 60 may both be joined by a joining means such as heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or adhesive. However, in this embodiment, the optimal joining type can be selected for the outer joint 50 between the auxiliary material 30 and the mask body 10, and for the inner joint 60 between the auxiliary material 30 and the ear hook member sheet 20, respectively, resulting in a mask 1 that is more robust than when the ear hook member sheet 20 and the mask body 10 are directly joined. The auxiliary material 30 may have elasticity, but it is preferable that the elasticity is less than that of the ear hook member sheet 20.

(How to use a mask)
A method of using the mask 1 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 will be described below. When starting to use the mask 1 of this embodiment, the user releases the separable joints 28 between the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a before wearing the mask 1, and separates the ear hook members 20a, 20a from each other. More specifically, the user can pinch or hold the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a with each hand and pull them in opposite directions. This first releases the connection of the separable joints 28. Then, the parts of the ear hook members 20a, 20a that are not joined to the mask body 10 are deployed to the side in the lateral direction D2. At that time, the user can open the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a outward (to the side) in the lateral direction D2 while holding each of them.

Figure 4 shows the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a of the mask 1 in Figure 1 after being unfolded to the side. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are opened, the ear hook members 20a, 20a are turned inside out, exposing the surface that previously faced the mask body 10. Almost the entire outer surface of the mask body 10 is also exposed.

The pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a may be arranged on the outer or inner surface of the mask body 10, but are preferably arranged on the outer surface of the mask 1 as shown in Figures 1 to 5. If the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are arranged on the outer surface of the mask body 10, the possibility of touching the inner surface of the mask body 10 can be reduced or eliminated when the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are released from each other and opened outward in the lateral direction D2, which is preferable from a hygienic point of view.

The mask 1 according to this embodiment can actually be used as follows. For example, with the mask 1 placed with the outer surface of the mask body 10 facing up, the user can grasp each of the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a with their hands and open them outward in the lateral direction D2, and then move the mask 1 to the face of another person (wearer) while still grasping the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a. After placing the mask body 10 in a desired position on the other person's face, the user can hang each of the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a on the other person's ears without changing the way they are held. Therefore, the mask 1 according to this embodiment can be suitably used when putting a mask on someone who has difficulty putting it on by themselves, such as a child or a sick person.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a may be formed with gripping portions 25, 25 that the user can grip when separating the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a from each other and opening them outward in the lateral direction D2. The gripping portions 25, 25 preferably protrude from the edge of the mask body 10 in a plan view, preferably from the lower end of the mask 1 (or the lower end of the mask body 10). By having the gripping portions 25, 25 protrude from the edge of the mask body 10, the user can grip the gripping portions 25, 25 with both hands without touching or barely touching the mask body 10 itself, i.e., either the outer surface or the inner surface of the mask body 10. The user can then separate and unfold the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a without touching or barely touching the mask body 10. Therefore, even in a situation where the user cannot take sufficient care of the hygiene of his or her hands, the mask 1 in a well-hygienic state can be worn by himself or another person. If the gripping portion 25 protrudes from the edge of the mask body 10, the maximum length of the protruding portion in the vertical direction D1 is preferably 5 to 20 mm, and more preferably 8 to 15 mm.

In addition, because the ear hook member 20a has the knobs 25, 25, the user can easily adjust the ear hook member by holding the knobs 25 when or after hanging the ear hook member 20a on the wearer's ear. That is, by holding the knobs 25, 25, the ear hook member 20a can be adjusted in position by shifting it in the circumferential direction of the ear hook member 20a relative to the ear, or the ear hook member 20a can be pulled or loosened toward the rear to adjust the tension of the ear hook member 20a.

Furthermore, since the pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are connected to both sides of the outer surface of the mask body 10, rather than to the inner surface (face side) of the mask body 10, when the mask 1 is worn, i.e., when the ear hook members 20a, 20a are open to the side and hanging on the ears (Figs. 4 and 5), both sides of the mask body 10 are pressed toward the face from the outer surface side by the ear hook members 20a. This makes it possible to reduce the gap between the mask body 10 and the face on both sides of the mask body 10, improving the mask's functions, such as blocking foreign matter and preventing droplets emitted by the wearer from scattering. In addition, since the ear hook members 20a are not arranged on the inner surface (face side) of both sides of the body, the ear hook members 20a do not directly contact the wearer's face on both sides of the mask body 10 while wearing it, and discomfort is also reduced.

The mask body 10 may have a mark 18 formed by embossing, printing, sewing, or the like, which allows the outer and inner surfaces of the mask body 10 to be distinguished from each other. The shape of the mark 18 is not limited as long as it can be visually recognized by the user. The mark 18 may be a letter, as shown in FIG. 1, or may be a number, symbol, figure, logo, or the like.

(Ear hook member)
FIG. 6 shows only a pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a (ear hook member sheet 20) of the mask 1 in FIG. 1. As described above, the ear hook member 20a (or the ear hook member sheet 20) has elasticity, but the elasticity of the ear hook member 20a is obtained by a plurality of elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... arranged at intervals in the vertical direction D1 over the entire annular sheet-shaped ear hook member 20a, as shown in FIG. 6. Each of the plurality of elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... extends along the horizontal direction D2, thereby obtaining elasticity of the ear hook member 20a in the horizontal direction D2. The extension direction of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... is preferably parallel to the horizontal direction D2, but may be approximately parallel to the horizontal direction D2, that is, inclined by about ±10°, preferably about ±5°, with respect to the horizontal direction D2. The arrangement interval L (pitch) of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the vertical direction D1 may be about 1 to 10 mm.

The elastic cord material 9 may be, for example, a cord-like or thread-like elastic material (such as rubber thread). The thickness of the elastic cord material 9 may be preferably 200 to 1500 dtex, more preferably 400 to 1000 dtex. The cross-sectional shape of the elastic cord material 9 may be circular, but may also be an ellipse, a square, a rectangle, or another polygon. The elastic cord material 9 may be made of a material whose maximum elongation rate measured by a tension tester is 150% to 1000% of the natural length.

Figure 7 shows a partially enlarged view of the cross section taken along line III-III in Figure 6, and Figure 8 shows a partially enlarged view of the cross section taken along line IV-IV in Figure 6 (a cross section passing through the center line of the elastic cord material 9). Figure 8(a) shows the elastic cord material 9 being pulled outward in the lateral direction D2 by external forces T, T, and Figure 8(b) shows the state in which no external force is applied (natural state). Note that Figure 8(a) also shows the state in which the elastic cord material 9 is bonded to the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 in a stretched state during the manufacturing process of the ear hook member 20a. Figure 8(b) also shows the state after the stretch of the elastic cord material 9 is released (pulling of the elastic cord material 9 is stopped) from the state shown in Figure 8(a) during the manufacturing process.

To explain the manufacturing of the ear hook member 20a (ear hook member sheet 20) in more detail, the elastic cord material 9, 9, ... is stretched at a predetermined stretch rate, and the first surface material 2 is placed on one side of the elastic cord material 9, and the second surface material 3 is placed on the other side, and the elastic cord material 9 is intermittently bonded to each of the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 at the adhesive parts 6, 6, ... (Figure 8 (a)). Here, the predetermined stretch rate (length Le in the stretched state relative to length Ln in the natural state, i.e. Le/Ln x 100 (%)) may be preferably 100 to 400%, more preferably 150 to 300%. The adhesion between the elastic cord material 9 and the surface materials 2, 3 can be formed by adhesive, sewing, etc. Also, in the part where the elastic cord material 9 is not arranged, the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 may be directly bonded.

After the above-mentioned elastic cord material 9 and the surface materials 2 and 3 are bonded, when the elastic cord material 9 is released and returned to its natural state, the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 are made of a highly flexible material, so that the parts of the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 other than the adhesive parts 6, 6, ... rise in a direction away from the elastic cord material 9, and the ear hook member 20a has a plurality of small wrinkles extending along the vertical direction D1 and aligned in the horizontal direction D2 (Figure 8 (b)). The structure of the elastic sheet-like body having such a plurality of wrinkles (gathers) can be formed in the same manner as known elastic gathers. In the actual production of the ear hook member 20a, after a joint is formed in which a plurality of elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... are sandwiched between the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3, it can be punched into the shape of a pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a.

By forming numerous wrinkles as described above on the surface of the ear hook member 20a, when the surface of the ear hook member 20a comes into contact with the skin, the material of the ear hook member 20a does not come into contact with the entire surface of the skin, but a space is formed between the ear hook member 20a and the skin, reducing the feeling of the ear hook member sticking to the skin and improving the fit.

The first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 may be the same or different as long as they are flexible materials. In addition, it is preferable that the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 are fiber structures. Examples of the fiber structures include nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, etc., and among these, nonwoven fabrics are preferable because they have good texture and breathability and contribute to improving the wearing comfort. Examples of nonwoven fabrics include air-through nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, needle punch nonwoven fabrics, and chemical bond nonwoven fabrics. Among these, spunbond nonwoven fabrics that are not linted and have high strength, and soft air-through nonwoven fabrics, etc. are preferable. In addition, the fibers contained in the nonwoven fabrics may be resin fibers, and examples of the resin types of the resin fibers include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and nylon. When the first surface material 2 or the second surface material 3 is a nonwoven fabric, the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric may be preferably 5 to 50 g/m ² , more preferably 8 to 25 g/m ² .

Thus, the ear hook member 20a according to this embodiment is an elastic member made of a plurality of elastic cord materials 9, 9, .... Therefore, the elasticity of the elastic cord material 9, i.e., the extent to which the cord material stretches when pulled with a predetermined force, or the extent of tensile stress generated in the cord material when stretched to a predetermined length, can be easily and widely adjusted by changing the thickness and material of the elastic cord material 9. Therefore, the elasticity of the ear hook member 20a according to this embodiment is easier to adjust than that of an ear hook member made of elastic nonwoven fabric or the like. Therefore, if an ear hook member 20a that is short before use (in a natural state) but can ensure a long length when the mask 1 is worn is desired, for example, by increasing the elongation rate (length of the elastic cord material in its natural state when bonded to the surface material) during manufacturing of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ..., it is possible to obtain an ear hook member 20a that can be stretched long when pulled. Also, if you want to fit the mask body 10 closer to the face, for example, by using thicker (larger dtex) elastic strings 9, 9, ..., it is possible to generate a larger tensile stress when the ear hooks 20a are pulled, improving the function of the ear hooks 20a, 20a to hold the mask body 10 in place. Also, when the elastic strings 9 are made of an elastic material such as rubber, they can achieve remarkable elasticity compared to elastic nonwoven fabrics, etc.

Furthermore, the configuration of the multiple elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the ear hook members 20a, 20a (ear hook member sheet 20) may be the same throughout the ear hook members 20a, 20a (ear hook member sheet 20), or may differ partially depending on the region of the ear hook members 20a, 20a (ear hook member sheet 20) (described later). In that case, for example, when viewed in the vertical direction D1, the thickness, elongation rate during manufacturing, arrangement (spacing), etc. of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... may be different in the upper, central, and lower regions.

The ear hook member 20a according to this embodiment is annular, and may preferably be a square annular shape, preferably a rectangular annular shape, as shown in FIG. 6. The square annular shape has four positions where the direction changes significantly when viewed along the circumferential direction of the ring. As shown in FIG. 6, one square annular ear hook member 20a may have an upper side portion 23 corresponding to the upper side of the square ring, and a lower side portion 26 corresponding to the lower side of the square ring. The upper side portion 23 and the lower side portion 26 are portions that are mainly extended in the lateral direction D2 from the mask body 10 to the ear when worn. Furthermore, the ear hook member 20a may have a rear-of-ear placement portion 24 that is placed in contact with the rear of the wearer's ear when worn, and a base portion 22, the majority of which is joined to the mask body 10. The behind-the-ear placement section 24 is a section that extends along the vertical direction D1 between the upper edge section 23 and the lower edge section 26 at the center side of the ear hook member sheet 20 in the horizontal direction D2, and the base section 22 is a section that extends along the vertical direction D1 between the upper edge section 23 and the lower edge section 26 at the end side of the ear hook member sheet 20 in the horizontal direction D2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ear hook member 20a may have an upper end region E1 corresponding to the upper side 23, a lower end region E2 corresponding to the lower side 26, and a central region M between the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2, as viewed in the vertical direction D1. More specifically, in the case of the shape of the ear hook member 20a as shown in FIG. 6, there are four points (p1, p2, p1', p2') on the inner periphery of the square ring where the radius of curvature is minimal. If straight lines are drawn parallel to the horizontal direction D2 passing through two of these points (p1, p2) near the center, the region between the straight lines can be the central region M. In other words, the straight line passing through the first point p1 on the upper side can be the boundary line between the upper end region E1 and the central region M, and the straight line passing through the second point p2 on the lower side can be the boundary line between the lower end region E2 and the central region M.

(Modifications of ear hook member)
Fig. 9 shows a modified ear hook member 20aA, 20aA (ear hook member sheet 20A). The basic structure of the ear hook member 20aA shown in Fig. 9 is the same as that of the ear hook member 20a described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8, but in the ear hook member 20aA, the thickness of the elastic cord material 9t, 9t, ... used in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 is larger than the thickness of the elastic cord material 9, 9, ... used in the central region M. For example, the ratio (D E /D M ) of the thickness D _M (dtex) of the elastic cord material 9, 9, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or the lower end region E1 to the thickness D _M (dtex) of the elastic cord material 9, ₉ , ... in the central region _M can be preferably set to 1.1 to 3. In addition, the thickness D _M of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the central region M may be 200 to 900 dtex, and the thickness D _E of the elastic cord materials 9t, 9t, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or lower end region E1 may be 220 to 1200 dtex.

When the ear hook member 20aA shown in FIG. 9 is pulled in the lateral direction D2, the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 generate a tensile stress in the lateral direction D2 that is greater than that in the central region M. Here, the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 correspond to the upper edge portion 23 and the lower edge portion 26, respectively, which are pulled greatly in the lateral direction D2 when worn. If the tensile stress in the upper edge portion 23 and the lower edge portion 26 is large, the upper edge portion 23 and the lower edge portion 26 can pull the mask body 10 with a greater force, so that the mask body can be held more firmly in the direction of the face and the mask body can be more closely attached to the face. On the other hand, in the central region M, it is preferable that there is some degree of elasticity in the lateral direction D2 as well, but the thinner the elastic cord material 9, 9, ..., the more flexible the behind-the-ear placement portion 24 can be, and the less uncomfortable it feels when the behind-the-ear placement portion 24 touches the skin behind the ear. Therefore, the example shown in FIG. 9 can provide an ear hook member and mask that are suitable for wearers who want a good fit and comfort around the ears.

Fig. 10 shows ear hook members 20aB, 20aB (ear hook member sheet 20B) according to another modification. The basic structure of the ear hook member 20aB shown in Fig. 10 is similar to that of the ear hook member 20a described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8, but in the ear hook member 20aB, the elongation rate of the elastic cord materials 9s, 9s, ... used in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 is greater than the elongation rate of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... used in the central region M. For example, the ratio (R E /R M ) of the elongation rate R _E (%) of the elastic cord materials 9s, 9s, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or the lower end region E1 to the elongation rate R _M ( _% ) of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the central region _M can be preferably set to 1.1 to 2. In addition, the elongation percentage R _M of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the central region M may be 100 to 300%, and the elongation percentage R _E of the elastic cord materials 9s, 9s, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or lower end region E1 may be 110 to 400%.

The fact that the stretch rate of the elastic cord material 9, 9, ... in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 is high means that the maximum length when these regions are pulled is long. Therefore, since the upper side portion 23 and the lower side portion 26 corresponding to the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2, respectively, can be greatly stretched, even if the length in the horizontal direction D2 is short before the pulling force is applied, the length is long when worn, and an ear-hanging member that can be used even when the distance from the mask body to the ear is long is obtained. On the other hand, it is preferable that the rear-of-ear placement portion 24 corresponding to the central region M also has a certain degree of stretchability so that it can be naturally deformed, but if the stretch rate is not excessively large, the wrinkles of the surface material at the horizontal direction D2 length are not formed excessively densely or thickly, improving the feel when it touches the ear. Therefore, the relatively low stretch rate of the elastic cord material 9, 9, ... in the central region M makes the feel around the ear comfortable. FIG. 10 shows a schematic example of wrinkles extending in the vertical direction D1 of the first surface material 2. As shown in FIG. 10, in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2, the pitch between the wrinkles in the horizontal direction D2 of the surface material is small and the wrinkles are densely formed, whereas in the central region M, the pitch between the wrinkles in the horizontal direction D2 of the surface material is larger and the wrinkles are sparsely formed. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 10, a mask suitable for a wearer who requires a long length from the end of the mask body in the horizontal direction D2 to the ears and who desires comfort around the ears can be provided.

Fig. 11 shows an ear hook member 20aC, 20aC (ear hook member sheet 20C) according to another modified example. The basic structure of the ear hook member 20aC shown in Fig. 11 is the same as that of the ear hook member 20a described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8, and a plurality of elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... are provided throughout the ear hook member 20aC, spaced apart in the vertical direction D1 and extending in the horizontal direction D2. However, in the ear hook member 20aC, the arrangement interval (pitch) of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2 is smaller than the arrangement interval in the central region M. For example, the ratio (L _E /L M ) of the arrangement interval L _E of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or the lower end region E1 to the arrangement interval L _M of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the central region _M can be preferably set to 1.1 to 2. In addition, the arrangement interval L _M of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the central region M may be 1.1 to 10 mm, and the arrangement interval L _E of the elastic cord materials 9, 9, ... in the upper end region E1 and/or lower end region E1 may be 1 to 5 mm.

If the spacing between the elastic cords 9, 9, ... is small in the end region E1 and the lower end region E2, the number of elastic cords 9, 9, ... will be more dense. Therefore, the tensile stress generated when these regions and the upper side portion 23 and the lower side portion 26 corresponding to these regions are pulled in the horizontal direction D2 will be greater than the tensile stress generated in the central region M. If the tensile stress in the upper side portion 23 and the lower side portion 26 is large, the upper side portion 23 and the lower side portion 26 can pull the mask body 10 with a greater force, so that the mask body can be held more firmly in the direction of the face and the mask body can be more closely attached to the face. On the other hand, in the central region M, it is preferable that there is a certain degree of elasticity in the horizontal direction D2, but if the elastic cords 9, 9, ... are not densely packed in the region, the rear-of-ear placement portion 24 can be made flexible and the discomfort around the ears can be reduced when worn. Therefore, according to the example shown in FIG. 11, an ear hook member and a mask suitable for a wearer who desires a mask fit and comfort around the ears can be provided.

Figure 12 shows a modified example of the elastic cord material. The elastic cord material 9w, 9w, ... shown in Figure 12 does not extend linearly along the horizontal direction D2, but has a wave shape with amplitude in the vertical direction D1. Figure 12 (a) shows a plan view in a state where no tensile force is applied, and Figure 12 (b) shows a plan view in a state where it is pulled from both sides in the horizontal direction D2. When the wavy elastic cord material 9w, 9w, ... receives a tensile force from both sides in the horizontal direction D2, the elastic cord material 9w itself extends in the horizontal direction D2, and the amplitude of the wave shape in the vertical direction D1 decreases, becoming closer to a straight line (Figure 12 (b)). In other words, when the material in which the wavy elastic cord material 9w, 9w, ... is arranged extending in the horizontal direction D2 is pulled in the horizontal direction D2, the length in the horizontal direction D2 increases and the length in the vertical direction D1 decreases, and the material contributes to the extension in the horizontal direction D2. Therefore, an earhook member including wavy elastic cords 9w, 9w, ... can stretch further in the lateral direction D2 (higher stretchability) when compared with an earhook member including straight elastic cords 9, 9, ... (see FIG. 6, etc.) under the same tensile force. In other words, an earhook member including wavy elastic cords 9w, 9w, ... generates less stress even if the degree of stretch is the same. Therefore, by using an earhook member including elastic cords 9w, 9w, ... as shown in FIG. 12, a mask suitable for a wearer who wants to avoid the mask body being pressed excessively against the face and the earhook member being pressed against the ear can be provided.

Although the above describes a configuration in which the mask body and a pair of ear hook members are joined via a reinforcing material, the mask can also be configured without a reinforcing material. Figure 13 shows a mask 101 configured without a reinforcing material. In the mask 101, a pair of ear hook members 20a, 20a are directly joined to the ends of the mask body 10 in the lateral direction D2 at joints 70, 70. The joints 70, 70 can be formed by the same joining means as the outer joints 50, 50 and the inner joints 60, 60 in the mask 1 (Figures 1 to 5).

The features of the above examples and configurations described with reference to the drawings may be included in the configuration individually, or two or more of the features may be combined and included in the configuration. For example, an ear hook member may be configured in which the thickness and elongation rate of the elastic cord material are changed in the upper end region E1 and the lower end region E2.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 mask 2 first surface material 3 second surface material 6 adhesive portion 9, 9t, 9s, 9w elastic cord material 10 mask body 15 pleats 18 mark 20 ear hook member sheet 20a ear hook member 22 base 23 upper edge portion 24 behind-ear placement portion 25 gripping portion 26 lower edge portion 28 separable joint portion 29 opening 30 auxiliary material 50 outer joint portion 60 inner joint portion 70 joint portion D1 first direction (up-down direction, vertical direction)
D2 Second direction (left and right, horizontal)

Claims (4)

An annular sheet-shaped mask ear hook member, the annular sheet-shaped mask ear hook member having a first direction corresponding to a top-bottom direction of the mask in a plan view and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
The device has a rectangular ring shape, and has upper and lower side portions corresponding to the upper and lower sides of the rectangular ring,
When viewed in the first direction, the insulating film has an upper end region corresponding to an extension range of the upper side portion, a lower end region corresponding to an extension range of the lower side portion, and a central region between the upper end region and the lower end region,
A first surface material;
A second surface material disposed on an opposite side to the first surface material;
A plurality of elastic cord materials are provided between the first surface material and the second surface material, the elastic cord materials being spaced apart at intervals of 1 to 10 mm in the first direction over the entire first direction of the mask ear hook member and each extending along the second direction,
the elastic cord material is bonded to the first surface material and the second surface material in a stretched state,
An ear hook member for a mask that satisfies one or more of the following (i) to (iii) .
(i) the thickness of the plurality of elastic cord materials is thicker in the upper end region and the lower end region than in the central region, and is similar in the upper end region and the lower end region;
(ii) the elongation rate of the plurality of elastic cord materials is greater in the upper end region and the lower end region than in the central region, and is similar in the upper end region and the lower end region;
(iii) the spacing between the plurality of elastic cord materials is smaller in the upper end region and the lower end region than in the central region, and is similar in the upper end region and the lower end region; The mask ear hook according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface material and the second surface material are made of nonwoven fabric. The mask ear hook according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic cord material extends in a wavy manner having an amplitude in the first direction. A mask body,
A mask having the mask ear hook member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 joined to an outer surface of the mask body.

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