JP7725030B2 - Masked armor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a face protector worn on the user's face and head, which is one of the tools used in kendo and other sports.

Men bogu used in kendo and other sports typically consist of a mengane (men metal bracket) that is positioned in front of the wearer's face; a men cushion that connects to the mengane and covers and protects the top and sides of the wearer's head when the mengane is worn; an inner ring that is attached to the inside of the mengane and/or men cushion and comes into contact with the entire periphery of the wearer's face to cushion impacts; a top that is attached to the upper inside of the inner ring so that it comes into contact with the wearer's forehead; a base that is attached to the lower inside of the inner ring so that it comes into contact with the wearer's chin; and a tsukidare that is attached to the lower part of the mengane to protect the wearer's throat. The men cushion, inner ring, top, and base that make up the men bogu are usually made thick to cushion the impact of blows from bamboo swords and other weapons.

When wearing face masks with this type of structure and shape and moving around vigorously, the user sweats profusely, and much of that sweat is absorbed by the face mask cushion and inner ring. The face mask cushion and inner ring that have absorbed the sweat are difficult to dry and often remain wet. Furthermore, because they are difficult to wash in a washing machine, they become damp, develop bacteria, and produce odors, making them unsanitary.

As a way to solve this problem of unsanitary conditions, Patent Document 1 proposes a face mask that uses a detachable inner ring unit. In the face mask in Patent Document 1, the inner ring unit, which corresponds to the inner ring of a regular face mask, can be detachably attached to the face mask main body. Therefore, if the inner ring unit becomes soiled with sweat or the like, it can be removed from the face mask main body and easily washed, which is said to solve the hygiene problem.

However, the face mask in Patent Document 1 has issues such as the inner ring unit shifting from the correct mounting position when attached, and it being difficult to achieve a strong and stable mounting state. The inventor has therefore proposed a face mask in Patent Document 2 that solves these issues.

The face mask in Patent Document 2 comprises a face mask main body and an inner ring unit, with a holding unit attached to the face mask main body to support the inner ring unit. The inner ring unit is integrally formed with an inner ring member formed in a ring shape to abut the entire periphery of the user's face, a top member attached to the upper inside of the inner ring member to abut the user's forehead, and a base member attached to the lower inside of the inner ring member to abut the user's chin. The inner ring member, top member, and base member that make up the inner ring unit are each detachably attached to the inner ring support member, top support member, and base support member that make up the holding unit with hook-and-loop fasteners, and when the inner ring unit is attached, the inner ring unit fits inside the holding unit, creating a dual structure.

Patent Document 2 claims that by using face masks with this configuration and shape, the inner ring unit can be removed from the holding unit, so that even if the inner ring unit becomes soiled with sweat or the like, it can be easily removed and washed, ensuring hygiene. Furthermore, because it is equipped with a holding unit, it is easy to position the inner ring unit in the correct wearing position when wearing it, and a strong and stable wearing state can be achieved.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 49-86166 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-22311

However, with the face mask in Patent Document 2, the forehead and chin of the user wearing the face mask come into contact with the top and bottom support members that make up the inner ring unit, which are adhered to the top and bottom support members that make up the holding unit, respectively. This means that compared to using regular face masks, the user's face is somewhat separated from the faceplate of the face mask itself, which can limit the user's field of vision.

The present invention was made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a face mask that maintains the benefits of using an inner ring unit and a holding unit while minimizing restrictions on the user's field of vision when wearing the face mask.

The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems, and as a result have found that the following invention meets the above object, thereby completing the present invention.
That is, the present invention relates to the following inventions.

<1> A face mask to be worn on the face and head of a user, comprising: a face mask main body having a face metal that is positioned in front of the user's face when worn; a face mask cushion that connects to the face mask and covers the top and sides of the user's head when worn; an inner ring unit that is formed in a ring shape and has an inner ring member that contacts the entire periphery of the user's face when worn; and a retaining unit that is fixed to the connecting part of the face mask and the face mask cushion on the inner surface of the face mask main body and into which the inner ring unit fits when worn; the inner ring unit is detachable from the retaining unit, and the retaining unit is formed so that there is no portion that overlaps with the opening of the face mask that is close to the user's face when worn, allowing the inner ring unit to be fitted up to the opening of the face mask.

<2> The face mask described in <1>, wherein the inner ring unit further comprises a top member secured to the inner upper part of the inner ring member so as to abut against the user's forehead when worn, and a base member secured to the inner lower part of the inner ring member so as to abut against the user's chin when worn.

<3> The face protector described in <1> or <2>, wherein the inner ring unit is detachable from the holding unit by hook-and-loop fasteners attached to the outer surface of the inner ring member and the inner surface of the holding unit.

<4> A face mask described in any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the inner ring unit and the retaining unit are formed so that when the inner ring unit is fitted into the retaining unit, the overlapping thickness of the inner ring unit and the retaining unit is approximately the same as the thickness of a normal inner ring.

The face mask of the present invention uses a removable inner ring unit and a holding unit into which the inner ring unit fits, which provides benefits in terms of hygiene of the face mask, the ease of wearing the inner ring unit, and its stability. Furthermore, there is no part of the holding unit that overlaps with the opening of the face plate, and the inner ring unit can be fitted up to the opening of the face plate, which minimizes any restriction to the user's field of vision.

1A and 1B are rear views showing an example of a face mask according to the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a rear view of the face mask main body, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the inner ring unit. 1A and 1B are front views showing an example of a face protector according to the present invention, in which (A) is a front view of the face protector body, and (B) is a front view of the inner ring unit. FIG. 10 is a rear view showing an example of a face protector with an inner ring unit fitted inside the holding unit.

The present invention relates to a face mask comprising a face mask main body, an inner ring unit, and a retaining unit. The inner ring unit corresponds to the inner ring of a normal face mask and includes an inner ring member that contacts the entire periphery of the face of the user wearing the face mask. The retaining unit is fixed to the inner surface of the face mask main body, and the user wears the face mask by fitting the inner ring unit into the retaining unit.

The inner ring unit is detachable from the holding unit. Therefore, if the inner ring unit becomes dirty with sweat or other contaminants, it can be removed from the holding unit and washed. Also, removing the inner ring unit after use prevents moisture such as sweat from seeping into the face mask itself. If the inner ring unit becomes old, it can also be replaced.

The inner ring unit fits inside the holding unit, which is fixed to the inner surface of the face mask body, allowing the inner ring unit to be attached in the correct position, ensuring a strong and stable fit.

The holding unit is formed so that there is no overlap with the opening of the men's metal plate, as with the top and bottom support members described in Patent Document 2. It is fixed to the connection between the men's metal plate and the men's cushion on the inside of the main body of the men's armor, and the inner ring unit can be fitted up to the opening of the men's metal plate. This prevents the user's field of vision from being restricted and also improves the stability of the men's armor.

In the present invention, hook-and-loop fasteners or the like can be used to detachably fit the inner ring unit to the holding unit. For example, hook-and-loop fasteners are attached to appropriate positions on the outer surface of the inner ring member of the inner ring unit and the inner surface of the holding unit, and the inner ring unit is fitted to the holding unit so that the male and female ends of the hook-and-loop fasteners overlap. Furthermore, the inner ring unit and the holding unit can be formed so that when the inner ring unit is fitted to the holding unit, the combined thickness of the inner ring unit and the holding unit is approximately the same as the thickness of a normal inner ring.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, identical components are given the same reference numerals and their description may be omitted. Furthermore, the structures, shapes, configurations, etc. in the following description are examples only, and the present invention is not limited to these.

An example of face mask according to the present invention is shown in FIGS.
The menbogu 1 comprises a menbogu main body 10, an inner ring unit 20, a holding unit 30, and a caution belt (cowardice belt) 40. Fig. 1(A) is a rear view of the menbogu main body 10, and Fig. 1(B) is a rear view of the inner ring unit 20. Fig. 2(A) is a front view of the menbogu main body 10, and Fig. 2(B) is a front view of the inner ring unit 20. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the menbogu 1 with the inner ring unit 20 fitted inside the holding unit 30.
1 and 3, as viewed from a user wearing the Men's Protector 1, the upper, lower, right and left sides (upper, lower, right and left sides in the figures) are respectively the "top", "lower", "right" and "left" of the Men's Protector 1, and the front and back are respectively the "front" and "back" of the Men's Protector 1. Furthermore, the side of the Men's Protector 1 that faces the user's face and head when worn is referred to as the inside, and the opposite side is referred to as the outside.

When the user wears the men armor 1, the main body 10 of the men armor comprises a menkin 11 that is positioned in front of the user's face, a men cushion 12 that covers the top and sides of the user's head, and a tsukitare (chin, chin drop) 13 that is positioned in front of the user's throat. The men cushion 12 and tsukitare 13 are each connected to the menkin 11.

The face plate 11 is made of a metal such as iron or titanium alloy, and is composed of an egg-shaped base (base, washer) 11a that is long in the vertical direction to roughly follow the contours of the face, a vertical bar (reinforcement bar) 11b that connects the upper and lower parts of the base plate 11a in the vertical (vertical) direction at the center of the base plate 11a, and multiple horizontal bars 11c that pass through the vertical bar 11b in the horizontal (horizontal) direction and reach the left and right sides of the base plate 11a. The vertical bar 11b and horizontal bar 11c are curved forward to protect the user's face.

A bundle of straw (not shown) made by wrapping a strip of cotton cloth or similar around straw is attached to the entire inside circumference of the base 11a, and the base 11a is wrapped around the bundle of straw with cloth (not shown).

The mask cushion 12 is made of cotton or other material and is shaped like a belt wide enough to cover the top and sides of the user's head. The mask cushion 12 is connected to the top and left and right sides of the menkin 11, and is sewn from the top to the left and right sides of the menkin 11 to the outer surface of the straw bundle attached to the base 11a, with both ends hanging down. The outside of the connection between the menkin 11 and the mask cushion 12 is covered with a mask edge (mask edge leather, mask rim leather) 51. The mask edge 51 is made of buffalo leather or similar.

The tsukidare 13 is connected to the lower part of the menkane 11, and the outside of the joint between the menkane 11 and tsukidare 13 is covered with chin leather (chin edge leather) 52. Like the menkane edge 51, the chin leather 52 is made from cowhide or similar material. The tsukidare 13 is made to be sturdy, as it protects the throat from being struck.

The inner ring unit 20 comprises an inner ring member 21 formed in a ring shape so as to contact the entire periphery of the user's face when the face protector 1 is worn, a top member 24 fixed to the upper inside part of the inner ring member 21 so as to contact the user's forehead, and a base member 25 fixed to the lower inside part of the inner ring member 21 so as to contact the user's chin, all of which are formed as a single unit.

The inner ring member 21 corresponds to the inner ring of a regular face mask and is sized to fit the size of the user's face, but the width (left-right length) of the part excluding the area that comes into contact with the user's chin is wider than the width of a regular inner ring (for example, approximately 3 cm wider). This allows it to fit snugly against the user's face without interfering with jaw movement. Furthermore, since the inner ring unit 20 is used by fitting it inside the holding unit 30, the thickness of the inner ring member 21 is thinner than the thickness of a regular inner ring (for example, approximately 2/3 the thickness of a regular inner ring) so that when the inner ring unit 20 is fitted into the holding unit 30, the overlapping thickness of the inner ring member 21 and the inner ring receiving member 31 of the holding unit 30 (described below) is approximately the same as the thickness of a regular inner ring.

The inner ring member 21 is made flexible to improve its fit to the user's face. For example, the inner ring member 21 is made by stuffing cotton containing a padding material into a cotton bag and then sewing it together. Hook-and-loop fasteners (loop, B-side, concave side) 22 and 23 are sewn to the left and right sides of the outer surface of the inner ring member 21, respectively, along with the padding material.

The top and bottom members 24 and 25 correspond to the top and bottom of regular face masks, and, like the inner ring member 21, are made by stuffing cotton filled with a core into a semicircular cotton bag and then sewing it together. Furthermore, to increase the elasticity of the surfaces that come into contact with the user's forehead and chin, a larger amount of cotton is stuffed on the side of the top and bottom members 24 and 25 opposite the core. The top member 24 is sewn to the upper inside of the inner ring member 21, and the bottom member 25 is sewn to the lower inside of the inner ring member 21. Decorations, etc., may be attached to the front of the top and/or bottom members 25. The top and/or bottom members 24 and 25 may also be made using a different method than the inner ring member 21.

The retaining unit 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the face protector body 10 to support the inner ring unit 20. The retaining unit 30 includes an inner ring support member 31 into which the inner ring unit 20 fits, and male hook-and-loop fasteners (hook, A-side, convex side) 32 and 33 are affixed to the inner surface of the inner ring support member 31.

The holding unit 30 is formed so that there is no overlap with the opening of the faceplate 11 (the surface formed by the inner circumference of the base 11a) that is close to the user's face when the faceplate 1 is worn. Furthermore, the inner ring support member 31 is fixed by stitching to the connection between the base 11a of the faceplate 11 and the face cushion 12. This allows the inner ring unit 20 to be fitted all the way to the opening of the faceplate 11, preventing the opening from narrowing to the left or right, thereby minimizing the restriction of the user's field of vision caused by using the inner ring unit 20. Being able to fit the inner ring unit 20 all the way to the opening of the faceplate 11 makes it easier for the back of the user's head to fit into the faceplate 1 when worn. Furthermore, the holding unit 30 does not have any components such as the top support member or bottom support member described in Patent Document 2, which eliminates any overlap with the opening of the faceplate 11, making it easy to manufacture and install. Furthermore, by forming and fastening the retaining unit 30 so that there is no overlap between the inner ring member 21 and the opening surface of the face plate 11 when the inner ring unit 20 is fitted into the inner ring receiving member 31, it is possible to further minimize restrictions on the user's field of vision.

As described above, the inner ring support member 31 is formed so that when the inner ring unit 20 is fitted into the holding unit 30, the overlapping thickness of the inner ring support member 31 and the inner ring member 21 is approximately the same as the thickness of a normal inner ring. For example, the thickness of the inner ring support member 31 is approximately one-third the thickness of a normal inner ring.

The inner ring support member 31 supports the inner ring unit 20 and is made to be flexible like the inner ring member 21 so that it can deform to match the deformation of the inner ring member 21. For example, the inner ring support member 31 is made by wrapping rawhide in cotton, forming it into a ring, and sewing it together.

The male hook-and-loop fasteners 32 and 33 are sewn to the left and right sides of the inner surface of the inner ring support member 31 to pair with the female hook-and-loop fasteners 22 and 23 affixed to the outer surface of the inner ring member 21. By joining the male hook-and-loop fasteners 32 and 33 to the female hook-and-loop fasteners 22 and 23, respectively, the inner ring unit 20 is strengthened in its fit with the holding unit 30 and becomes detachable. It is also possible to affix the male hook-and-loop fasteners 32 and 33 to the outer surface of the inner ring member 21 and the female hook-and-loop fasteners 22 and 23 to the inner surface of the inner ring support member 31. Instead of two sets of hook-and-loop fasteners, one set or three or more sets of hook-and-loop fasteners may be used. Furthermore, as long as the inner ring unit 20 can be detachably fitted to the holding unit 30, a joining member other than hook-and-loop fasteners, such as a button, may be used. If the inner ring unit 20 can be securely fitted to the holding unit 30 without using a joining member, then it is not necessary to use a joining member.

Figure 3 shows an example of the face mask 1 with the inner ring unit 20 fitted inside such a holding unit 30. Figure 3 is a rear view of the face mask 1. Compared to the face mask main body 10 shown in Figure 1(A) without the inner ring unit 20 fitted, it can be seen that even with the inner ring unit 20 fitted, the left and right sides of the opening of the face plate 11 are not narrowed at all.

The safety belt 40 is sewn to the lower outer surface of the inner ring receiving member 31 of the holding unit 30, behind the thrust belt 13 of the face mask body 10. Like a normal safety belt, the safety belt 40 is installed to cushion the impact of a thrust and to protect the user's neck and throat if the thrust comes loose from the thrust belt 13.

In the above-described embodiment, the holding unit 30 is configured from a single annular portion to fit the inner wheel unit 20 inside, but as long as the inner wheel unit 20 can be securely fitted, the holding unit may be configured from multiple portions, for example, two separate portions, one on the left and one on the right.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, matters not explicitly disclosed in the above-described embodiments do not deviate from the scope of ordinary practice by a person skilled in the art, and values, etc. that a person skilled in the art would easily imagine can be used.

1 Face armor 10 Face armor body 11 Face metal 11a Base ring 11b Vertical metal 11c Horizontal metal 12 Face cushion 13 Tsuki-dare 20 Inner ring unit 21 Inner ring member 22, 23 Hook and loop fastener (female)
24 Top member 25 Base member 30 Holding unit 31 Inner ring receiving member 32, 33 Hook and loop fastener (male)
40 Yojin-dare 51 Face edge 52 Chin wrap leather

Claims (4)

A face protector worn on the user's face and head,
A face armor body including a faceplate that is positioned in front of the user's face when worn, and a face cushion that is connected to the faceplate and covers the top and sides of the user's head when worn;
an inner ring unit having an inner ring member formed in an annular shape and contacting the entire peripheral portion of the user's face when worn;
A holding unit is provided which is fixed to the connection portion of the faceplate and the face cushion on the inner surface of the face protector body, and into which the inner ring unit is fitted so that the inner surface thereof contacts the outer surface of the inner ring member when worn,
the inner ring unit is detachable from the holding unit,
The holding unit is formed so that there is no portion overlapping with the opening surface of the face plate that is close to the face of the user when the mask is worn,
A face protector characterized in that the inner ring unit can be fitted up to the opening surface of the face plate. The face protector according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring unit further comprises a top member secured to the inner upper part of the inner ring member so as to abut against the forehead of the user when worn, and a base member secured to the inner lower part of the inner ring member so as to abut against the chin of the user when worn. The face protector according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring unit is detachable from the retaining unit by hook-and-loop fasteners attached to the outer surface of the inner ring member and the inner surface of the retaining unit. A face mask according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner ring unit and the retaining unit are configured so that when the inner ring unit is fitted to the retaining unit, the overlapping thickness of the inner ring unit and the retaining unit is approximately the same as the thickness of a normal inner ring.