DISPOSABLE MASK EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC BAG

Provided is a disposable mask equipped with a plastic bag, which is easily disposed of by sealing a mask body with the plastic bag after use of the mask body. The disposable mask includes an outshell and a lining which are integrally formed into one body by thermal bonding. The disposable mask includes a mask body having an oblong shape and including a wire disposed at the upper side thereof and adhering the mask body closely to the face of a user in accordance with the facial contour and ear bands disposed at both sides of the mask body, and a plastic bag disposed between the outshell and the lining at the upper side of the mask body and allowing the mask body to be hygienically disposed of after use.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0101854, filed on Jul. 17, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention disclosed herein relates a disposable mask equipped with a plastic bag, and more particularly, to a disposable mask which can be easily disposed of by sealing a mask body with the plastic bag after use of the mask body.

Recently, the number of people who have allergic disease such as rhinitis and bronchial asthma are increasing, and the cause of allergic disease is allergen, and only the currently known number of allergens' species reaches about two hundreds.

Viral infection cases together with these allergic diseases are also increasing. The typical viruses that threaten people's health are Influenza virus and MERS Virus. These viruses contain DNA or RNA as a nucleic acid component, and are structures parasitic and proliferated in the living cells. Also, on account of air-viral infection or droplet infection, viral infection easily spreads especially in case of dried air.

As preventive measures for allergic diseases and viral infection, the simplest and effective way is to wear a disposable mask. However, typical disposable masks are only able to physically block allergens, and active allergens and viruses may remain on the mask. For this reason, the active allergens and viruses may infiltrate into the human body, and particularly, when a user takes off a mask, the risk of infection is very high.

That is, when a disposable mask is discarded without any measure upon disposal, allergens and viruses may be exposed to air and dispersed into air, causing dangerousness of secondary infection. Accordingly, a method of safely disposing of used disposable masks safely is needed so as not to expose and disperse allergens and viruses to air.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a disposable mask equipped with a plastic bag, which can be easily disposed of by sealing a mask body with the plastic bag after use of the mask body.

Embodiments of the present invention provide disposable masks equipped with a plastic bag including: a mask body including an outshell and a lining attached to each other and including ear bands allowing the mask body to be worn on the ears of a user; and a plastic bag disposed between the outshell and the lining of the mask body so as to hygienically dispose of the mask body after use.

In some embodiments, the disposable mask may include a wire disposed in an upper side of the mask body and adhering the mask body closely to the face of a user in accordance with a facial contour of a user.

In other embodiments, the outshell or the lining of the mask body may have a cutting line formed thereon and removing the wire from the mask body.

In still other embodiments, the plastic bag may be fixedly disposed in the outshell or the lining of the mask body while being folded.

In even other embodiments, the mask body may have an oblong shape, and the plastic bag may be disposed at an edge of the mask body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Also, parts irrelevant to the description of the present invention will be omitted for clarification of description, and like parts are indicated as like reference numerals throughout the specification.

Furthermore, when it is described that one comprises (or includes or has) some elements, it should be understood that it may comprise (or include or has) only those elements, or it may comprise (or include or have) other elements as well as those elements if there is no specific limitation.

Hereinafter, it will be described about an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a perspective view illustrating a disposable mask equipped with a plastic bag according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 2A to 2Eare views illustrating a process of disposing of a disposable mask equipped with a plastic bag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 1, a disposable mask1according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a mask body10and a plastic bag20. The mask body10may be worn on the face of a user to prevent dusts or harmful substances from being introduced into the body through the respiratory organ or prevent a virus of a disease which a user has from coming out of the body. The plastic bag20may enable the disposal of the mask body10after use.

Here, the mask body10may include an outshell formed of a synthetic resin film and a lining formed of a non-woven fabric having air permeability which are integrally formed into one body by, for example, thermal bonding. The mask body10may interrupt the passage of fine particles, and may include a wire11disposed at the upper side thereof and an ear band12fixedly disposed at both sides thereof

In this case, the wire11may have flexibility so as to be deformable around the nose in accordance with the curvatures of the face when a user applies a force while wearing the mask body10on his/her face, and the ear band12may have elasticity so as to be adjustable in length.

The mask body10may have a cutting line10aformed on the outshell or the lining on which the wire11is disposed, and the cutting line10amay be provided to conveniently remove the wire11when the mask body10is disposed of after use.

When the cutting line10ais not formed and thus the wire11is not smoothly removed, it may be difficult to open the outshell and the lining which are thermally bonded to each other in order to take the plastic bag20out of the mask body10, and it may be difficult to seal the plastic bag20. Accordingly, the cutting line10amay be formed on the outshell or the lining on which the wire10is disposed, such that the wire11can be conveniently and quickly removed from the mask body10.

Meanwhile, the plastic bag20may be disposed between the outshell and the lining at the upper side of the mask body10in order to contain the mask body10after use of the mask body10. The plastic bag20may be formed of a material containing starch, e.g., corn starch in order to reduce the environmental contamination upon disposal, but the present invention is not limited thereto. More specifically, the plastic bag20may be manufactured by mixing polyvinyl chloride resin, vegetable starch and plasticizer. Examples of vegetable starches may include rice, wheat, corn, potato, and sweet potato starches, and may include at least one of oxidized starch, acid-treated starch, starch ester, starch ether, crosslinked starch, and hydroxyalkyl starch. Meanwhile, polyvinyl chloride resin may be manufactured by mixing at least one component selected from the group consisting of lubricant, thermal stabilizer, light stabilizer, weather-resistant stabilizer, processing aid, silicone preparation, antioxidant, antistatic agent, pigment and dye, anti-wear agent, inorganic filler, releasing agent and antimicrobial. Also, the plasticizer may include at least one component selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid ester plasticizer, aromatic carboxylic acid ester plasticizer, aliphatic dibase acid ester plasticizer, phosphate ester plasticizer, and epoxy plasticizer.

When the mask body10is used, the outshell and the lining of the mask body10may be stained with contaminants. When contaminants are left unattended, various kinds of bacteria and viruses may be distributed. Accordingly, various kinds of bacteria and viruses need to be prevented from spreading, by containing the mask body10in the plastic bag20.

The plastic bag20may be fixedly installed while being folded inside the outshell or lining of the mask body10. The size of the plastic bag20may not be limited, but may be manufactured to be two-thirds of the size of the mask body10so as to minimize the volume and contain only the mask body10. The plastic bag20may be disposed at the edge of the mask body10having an oblong shape. In this embodiment, the plastic bag20is exemplified as being fixedly installed on the outshell or lining of the mask body10, but may also be maintained to be inserted into a space between the outshell and the lining of the mask body10.

If the plastic bag20is installed while being spread out between the outshell and the lining of the mask body10, a user may not smoothly breathe due to the plastic bag20when a user wears the mask body10, and the plastic bag20may generate a sound whenever a wearer breathes. Accordingly, the plastic bag20may be installed so as to be folded in the mask body10in order not to interrupt breathing of a user.

Hereinafter, a process of disposing of the disposable mask1after use will be described with reference toFIGS. 2A to 2E.

First, the wire11may be pulled out of the mask body10through the cutting line10aformed on the mask body10, and thus may be separated from the mask body10.

Thereafter, the upper side of the mask body10may be opened such that the plastic bag20installed between the outshell and the lining of the mask body10can be taken out. In this case, as shown inFIG. 2B, the wire11removed from the mask body10may be utilized.

The upper side of the mask body10may be opened, and then the plastic bag20which is installed while being folded between the outshell and the lining at the upper side of the mask body10may be taken out and unfolded at the outside of the mask body10.

When the plastic bag20is unfolded at the outside of the mask body10, the plastic bag20may be turned inside out to contain the mask body10that is used.

When the mask body10is contained in the plastic bag20, the open inlet of the plastic bag may be sealed using the wire that is separated, and then the mask body10may be disposed of.

In this embodiment, the plastic bag20is exemplified as being installed between the outshell and the lining at the upper side of the mask body10, but may be installed at any location of the edge of the mask body10unless the plastic bag20interrupts breathing of a user. Also, the plastic bag20may be disposed at a location where the plastic bag20does not interrupt adhering of the mask body10closely to the face of a user while not interrupting breathing of a user in accordance with the compressible degree of the plastic bag20.

Also in this embodiment, the wire11is exemplified as being provided for the disposable mask1, but the wire11may be selectively applied to the disposable mask1.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since a plastic bag is provided in a mask body such that the mask body can be sealed and disposed of using the plastic bag after use, there is no need to worry about secondary infection by various kinds of bacteria and viruses left on the mask, and epidemic bacteria and viruses can be prevented from spreading, thereby enabling very hygienic disposal of the mask body.