FACE MASK WITH RESEALABLE OPENING

Illustrated views of an exemplary face mask for protecting people from spreading infectious diseases and to allow an opening to speak, eat, talk, etc. is presented. The face mask is useful for allowing a mouth and a nose of a person to be exposed or covered without removing the face mask. The opening of the face mask is useful for the person to eat, drink, talk on the phone, to talk in conversation when socially distant, etc.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to face masks. More particularly, it relates to a removable opening of the face mask.

BACKGROUND

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the United States in January 2020. The first confirmed case of local transmission was recorded in January, while the first known deaths happened in February. By the end of March, cases had occurred in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all inhabited U.S. territories except American Samoa. As of Jun. 24, 2020, the U.S. had the most confirmed active cases and deaths in the world. As of Jul. 16, 2020, its death rate was 419 per million people, the seventh-highest rate globally.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a recommendation to the US population for prevention of contracting COVID 19 as well as other infectious diseases. Those recommendations are: 1) wash hands often; 2) Avoid close contact (social distancing); 3) cover mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others; 4) cover cough or sneezes; 5) clean and disinfect; and 6) monitor your health daily.

Recent events in our history remind us how susceptible humans are to contaminants in the air we breathe. Whether such contaminants are incidental such as dust, dirt, allergens or the like, or something more dangerous such as bacteria and viruses, many people turn to the use of scarves, masks or respirators for protection. While each of these offer varying levels of protection, face masks are often cumbersome to remove and put back on, while also causing some people to breathe their own carbon monoxide back in. This forces the user to make the decision to proceed without the mask with associated health risks, or have trouble breathing. When no one is within the recommended distance, the user may prefer to open or remove the face mask for ease of breathing.

Accordingly, and in light of the foregoing, there exists a need for a means by which an opening over a mouth of a user can be displaced or removed from a face mask such that the face mask can always be readily available for personal respiratory protection. The development of the face mask with a removable opening fulfills this need.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

Referring toFIG. 1A,FIG. 1BandFIG. 1Care illustrated views of an exemplary face mask100for protecting people from spreading infectious diseases and to allow an opening200to speak, eat, talk, etc. is presented. The face mask100is useful for allowing a mouth501and a nose502of a person500to be exposed or covered without removing the face mask100. The opening200of the face mask100is useful for the person500to eat, drink, talk on the phone, to talk in conversation when socially distant, etc.

The face mask100has a panel130, one or more ear connectors150,170, the opening200and a cover300. The face mask100is preferably made of a cloth material, however other materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, paper, polypropylene, etc. The panel130of the face mask100is preferably ten (10) inches in width, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, seven inches (7″), eleven inches (11″), etc. The one or more ear connectors150,170are preferably made of an elastic material, such as rubber bands, etc., however other types of materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, string, rope, etc.

The panel130has a first side135, a second side136, a first end137and a second end138. The first of the ear connectors150is coupled to the first end137of the panel130. The second of the ear connectors170is coupled to the second end138of the panel130.

The panel130is preferably intended to cover a nose502and mouth501of a person500. The first of the ear connectors150is moved over and then coupled to a back505of a right ear504of the person500. The second of the ear connectors170is coupled moved over and then coupled to a back506of a left ear507of the person. The panel130is configured to cover the mouth501and nose502of the person500.

The panel130further has one or more female ended cover connectors131,132,133,134shown inFIG. 1BandFIG. 1C. The cover connectors131,132,133,134are preferably snap connectors, as shown inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, however other types of connectors are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, hook and loop fastener, such as a Velcro® fastener, as shown inFIG. 1C, a button, a clip, etc. Each of the cover connectors131,132,133,134may be one or more of the different types of connectors such that for example, cover connectors131,132may be snap connectors while the cover connector135and/or136, shown inFIG. 1C, may be a hook and loop fastener connector. Therefore, it has been contemplated that the connectors are a mix and match condition for determining what works best for a given instance based on cost of goods, consumer desire, etc.

The cover200has a first side201, a second side202, a first end203and a second end204. The first end203, optionally and or additionally, has one or more male ended cover connectors205,206. Optionally and or additionally, the second end204of the cover200may have the one or more male ended cover connectors207,208. Further, the first end203of the cover200may optionally, and or additionally, has a seam209, where the seam209is used for coupling the first end203of the cover200to the panel130.

The female ended cover connectors131,132,133,134and the male ended cover connectors205,206,207,208are configured to be coupled and decoupled to allow the cover200to be opened or closed from the second end138of the panel130or to be removable and attachable to the panel130of the face mask100.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.