Eye mask

An eye mask for a person includes a forward portion adapted to cover the person's eyes and having a malleable nose bridge, and two side straps each fixed with the forward portion and terminating at strap ends each having at least one part of a first two-part mechanical fastener. At least one of the side straps may include a first part of a second two-part mechanical fastener for attachment to a seat retention strap adapted to encircle a portion of a seat. Other adjustable attachment means that include a plurality of different straps for encircling the seat or headrest of a seat are included for retaining the person's head against the seat. Each side strap may include a pocket formed therein for holding an ear plug.

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to eye masks, and more particularly to an eye mask for travelers.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Currently, there are many eye masks, eye pillows, sleep masks, and the like available for assisting people in sleeping, resting, relaxing, or meditating by blocking light to their eyes. With such prior art devices, light often seeps in from the top or, more commonly, from the bottom of the device, as such prior devices are not form-fitting to each person's facial features. These areas of the face often differ, in some cases dramatically, from person to person, making a one-size-fits-all approach unsatisfactory for many consumers. In some environments, such as in bed, in a chair such as at home or an office, or on a seat of an airplane, train, bus, or car, or in any potentially bright area, such light penetrating to the eyes may prevent one from either falling or staying asleep.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,217 to Kitayama on Oct. 10, 1989 teaches an eye mask that has a specific fixed shape around the nose. As this nose bridge area is not adaptable to people having different sizes or shapes of noses and cheek bones, in many cases ambient light may seep in between the mask and the user's face.

U.S. Pat. No. D302,167 to Sherman on Jul. 11, 1989 teaches an eye mask with an apparently pliable internal perimeter that requires apparently elastic straps to hold the mask onto the face. Such elastic straps apply a pressure against the face that is uncomfortable to many users and can result in a claustrophobic feeling of pressure against the face.

U.S. Pat. No. D465,234 to Gordon on Nov. 5, 2002 and U.S. Pat. No. D489,749 to Landvik on May 11, 2004 both teach eye masks that appears to be deformable around the nose area and presumably fixes with a hook-and-loop type fastener around the back of the user's head. Such devices are relatively large on the head and as such are relatively heavy, hot and uncomfortable.

Many people utilize a U-shaped neck pillow or so-called travel pillow when traveling and trying to sleep in an upright position. With such prior art devices, if one does manage to fall asleep while sitting upright, often his head will drop down suddenly, waking the person up in an unrestful cyclic process. Such prior art devices fail to maintain one's head held back against the seat while the user sleeps, and provide little lateral support.

Heretofore there hasn't been an adequate solution to maintain a sleeper's head against a seat while simultaneously providing an improved eye mask for keeping ambient light out of a user's eyes.

Therefore, there is a need for a device that maintain a sleeper's head against a seat while simultaneously providing an improved eye mask for keeping ambient light out of a user's eyes. Such a needed invention would further provide for attenuating ambient noise from the user's ears, and would be an attractive, minimal size. Such a needed device would be adaptable to a variety of vehicle seats, and would allow shaping to match the particular shape of a user's face and nose. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is an eye mask for a person that includes a forward portion adapted to cover the person's eyes. Preferably the forward portion includes a malleable nose bridge for conforming to the person's nose. The forward portion may comprise an opaque outer layer and an inner malleable layer.

In one embodiment, the opaque outer layer includes a pair of eye depressions, such that the person's eyelids and eye lashes do not contact the outer layer when the eye mask is worn by the person. Further, the eye mask may include at least one padded area on an inside surface thereof.

Two side straps are each fixed with the forward portion and terminate at strap ends. Each strap end has at least one part of a first two-part mechanical fastener, such as a hook-and-loop type fastener. As such, the eye mask may be secured to the person's head by mutually fastening each part of the first two-part mechanical fastener.

In one embodiment, at least one of the side straps includes a pocket adapted to hold at least one ear plug, or the like. In an embodiment wherein each of the two side straps includes one of the pockets, each pocket may include one of the ear plugs fixed thereto with a tether to reduce the chance of the ear plugs from being misplaced.

In use, with the strap ends mutually fixed with the mechanical fastener around the person's head, the forward portion shields ambient light from the person's eyes. The malleable nose bridge may be adjusted to conform to the person's nose and face to further shield ambient light from the person's eyes.

At least one of the side straps may include a first part of a second two-part mechanical fastener, such as a hook and loop-type fastener, a pair of magnets, or the like. In such an embodiment, the eye mask further includes a seat retention strap adapted to encircle a portion of a seat, such as an existing airline or automotive seat. Such a seat retention strap includes at least one length adjustment buckle and a second part of the second two-part mechanical fastener and optionally a fastening two-part buckle for securing ends of the retention strap mutually together. Each length adjustment buckle may include a cam-lock mechanism to selectively secure the strap therein.

As such, the seat retention strap is fixed around the portion of the seat and secured thereto by mutually fastening each strap end together and adjusting the length adjustment buckle. With the second part of the second two-part mechanical fastener facing forward, and with the eye mask worn by the person with the first part of the second two-part mechanical fastener facing rearward, the first and second parts, of the second two-part mechanical fastener may be mutually fastened to retain the person's head against the seat.

Alternately, each side strap may further include a first part of a third mechanical fastener adapted to be selectively fixed with a retention strap that terminates at ends thereof with a second part of the third mechanical fastener. Such a third mechanical fastener may include a pair of magnets, a ring and a mechanical clips, or the like. As such, the retention strap may be fixed around the seat and fixed with each side strap to retain the person's head against the seat. The retention strap may include one of the length adjustment buckles.

The retention strap may comprise a seat retention strap adapted to encircle the portion of a seat and including one of the length adjustment buckles. The retention strap may further include a pair of forward retention straps each terminating at a forward end thereof with one of the second parts of the third mechanical fastener, and each terminating at a rearward end with a strap connector adapted to selectively secure the forward retention strap with the seat retention strap. Each forward retention strap may further include one of the length adjustment buckles, such that the length of the forward retention strap may be selectively adjustable.

As such, the seat retention strap may be fixed about the portion of the seat and secured thereto by adjusting the length of the seat retention strap with its length adjustment buckle. Each forward retention strap is fixed at its rearward end with the seat retention strap and at its forward end with one of the side straps. As such, with the eye mask worn by the person, the person's head is retained in a generally fixed position against the seat.

The present invention maintains a sleeper's head against a seat while simultaneously providing an improved eye mask for keeping ambient light out of a user's eyes. The present device further provides for attenuating ambient noise from the user's ears, and takes an attractive, minimal size. Further, the present invention is adaptable to a variety of vehicle seats, and allows shaping to match the particular shape of a user's face and nose. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2illustrate an eye mask10for a person20. A forward portion30of the eye mask10is adapted to cover the person's eyes22. Preferably the forward portion30includes a malleable nose bridge60for conforming to the person's nose27. The forward portion30may comprise an opaque outer layer70and an inner malleable layer80. In such an embodiment, the malleable layer80forms the malleable nose bridge60and comprises a flexible outer sheath90surrounding an internal malleable material100(FIG. 3), such as a metal material.

In one embodiment, illustrated inFIG. 4, the forward portion30takes the shape of a pair of eyeglasses that includes a pair of lens-looking sections150fixed together at a nose bridge160. The forward portion30is preferably made with a flexible polyester fabric material, but can be made of any suitably opaque and flexible material that is soft against the person's skin.

In one embodiment, the opaque outer layer includes a pair of eye depressions110, such that the person's eyelids24and eye lashes23do not contact the outer layer70when the eye mask10is worn by the person20(FIG. 3). Further, the eye mask10may include at least one padded area290on an inside surface33thereof (FIG. 2).

Two side straps40are each fixed with the forward portion30and terminate at strap ends48. Each strap end48has at least one part51,52of a first two-part mechanical fastener50, such as a hook-and-loop type fastener50. Each side strap40may be made with a tricot or Terylene material, which also acts as a loop portion51of a hook-and-loop type fastener50. As such, the eye mask10may be secured to the person's head21by mutually fastening each part51,52of the first two-part mechanical fastener50.

In one embodiment (not shown) the eye mask10is reversible, with an inside surface33of the eye mask10having a different-looking material than an outside surface37. As such, both strap ends48have at least one part51,52of the first two-part mechanical fastener50on both an inside surface33and an outside surface38thereof.

In one embodiment, at least one of the side straps40includes a pocket120adapted to hold at least one ear plug130, or other item. In an embodiment wherein each of the two side straps40includes one of the pockets120, each pocket120may include one of the ear plugs130fixed thereto with a tether140to reduce the chance of the ear plugs130from being misplaced (FIGS. 2 and 6).

Each side strap40may further include an elastic portion170proximate the person's ear25when worn by the person20(FIG. 5). The elastic portion170is deformable by the person's ear25to reduce tension on the person's ear25by the side strap40. Each elastic portion170may form the pocket120adapted to hold at least one ear plug130. Each elastic portion170may extend downwardly to cover substantially all of the person's ear25, and may include a dense, inner layer (not shown) that attenuates sound when rolled down over the person's ear25.

In use, with the strap ends48mutually fixed with the mechanical fastener50around the person's head, the forward portion30shields ambient light from the person's eyes22. The malleable nose bridge60may be adjusted to conform to the person's nose27and face to further shield ambient light from the person's eyes22.

At least one of the side straps40may include a first part181of a second two-part mechanical fastener180(FIG. 6), such as a hook and loop-type fastener, a pair of magnets, or the like. In such an embodiment, the eye mask10further includes a seat retention strap190adapted to encircle a portion of a seat15, such as an existing airline or automotive seat15. Such a seat retention strap190includes at least one length adjustment buckle200and a second part182of the second two-part mechanical fastener180and optionally a fastening two-part buckle205for securing ends195of the retention strap190mutually together. Each length adjustment buckle200may include a cam-lock mechanism to selectively secure the strap190therein.

As such, the seat retention strap190is fixed around the portion of the seat15and secured thereto by mutually fastening each strap end195together and adjusting the length adjustment buckle200. With the second part182of the second two-part mechanical fastener180facing forward, and with the eye mask10worn by the person20with the first part181of the second two-part mechanical fastener180facing rearward, the first and second parts181,182of the second two-part mechanical fastener180may be mutually fastened to retain the person's head21against the seat15.

Each side strap40may further include a first part212of a third mechanical fastener210adapted to be selectively fixed with a retention strap220that terminates at ends25thereof with a second part214of the third mechanical fastener210(FIG. 7). Such a third mechanical fastener210may include a pair of magnets260(FIG. 7), a ring270and a mechanical clips280(FIG. 8), or the like. As such, the retention strap220may be fixed around the seat15and fixed with each side strap40to retain the person's head21against the seat15. The retention strap220may include one of the length adjustment buckles200.

The retention strap220may comprise a seat retention strap230adapted to encircle the portion of a seat15and including one of the length adjustment buckles200. The retention strap200may further include a pair of forward retention straps240each terminating at a forward end248thereof with one of the second parts214of the third mechanical fastener210, and each terminating at a rearward end242with a strap connector250adapted to selectively secure the forward retention strap240with the seat retention strap230(FIG. 8). Each forward retention strap240may further include one of the length adjustment buckles200, such that the length of the forward retention strap240may be selectively adjustable.

As such, the seat retention strap230may be fixed about the portion of the seat15and secured thereto by adjusting the length of the seat retention strap230with its length adjustment buckle200. Each forward retention strap240is fixed at its rearward end242with the seat retention strap230and at its forward end248with one of the side straps40.

As such, with the eye mask10worn by the person20, the person's head21is retained in a generally fixed position against the seat15.

Each strap190,220,240is preferably made from a flexible nylon strap material, or the like. Further, each length adjustment buckle200, strap connector250, and cam lock mechanism300is preferably made from a rigid plastic molded material.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the shapes for the forward portion30and the side straps40as illustrated in the drawings show certain embodiments that may look different than other embodiments that are still covered by the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.