Face mask and method for making the same

A method for making face masks includes: advancing continuously a longitudinal sheet material that can be divided into a plurality of mask sheets each of which has two opposite longitudinal ends and two opposite transverse ends; cutting the sheet material at intervals to form the mask sheets; providing a plurality of strips each of which has two longitudinally opposite strip ends and each of which is folded to form a pleat between the two strip ends thereof; and bonding the two strip ends of each of the strips to one of the opposite transverse ends of a respective one of the mask sheets to form an ear loop. A structure of the face mask is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 098130073, filed on Sep. 7, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method for making a face mask, more particularly to a method for making a face mask through high speed automated production and a product made by the method.

2. Description of the Related Art

As shown inFIG. 1, a commercial face mask9usually comprises a mask sheet91and a pair of ear loops92. The mask sheet91is formed with several pleats94that can be stretched to increase a covering area for a user's face. Furthermore, the mask sheet91has a bendable metal strip93enclosed in an upper edge of the mask sheet91for pressing against the user's nose. Each of the ear loops92has two opposite ends attached to the mask sheet91and is usually made of an elastic band for fitting over one of the user's ears.

A conventional method for making the face mask9that has ear loops92made of the elastic band comprises: laminating a plurality of non-woven fabric layers (for example, an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner layer) to form a continuous longitudinal sheet; cutting the continuous longitudinal sheet at intervals to form a plurality of mask sheets91; bending and disposing the elastic bands such that two ends of each elastic band are disposed at predetermined positions of the mask sheet91; and attaching the elastic bands to the mask sheet91by using bias tapes95to form the pair of ear loops92(seeFIG. 2).

In general, the mask sheet91can be produced at a speed of 100˜120 pieces/min. However, since the elastic bands are easily deformed, and since the elastic bands should be disposed on the mask sheet91in a bent form, the rate of forming the ear loops92is 30˜35 pieces/min and thus is relatively low compared to the production rate for the mask sheet91. Therefore, the conventional method cannot produce the face mask9continuously at a high speed. Accordingly, there is a need to increase the speed of attaching the elastic bands to the mask sheet91.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in order to solve the problem mentioned above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for making a face mask that can be conducted continuously, and a product of the method.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for making a face mask, comprising:

advancing continuously a longitudinal sheet material that can be divided into a plurality of mask sheets each of which has two opposite longitudinal ends and two opposite transverse ends;

cutting the sheet material at intervals to separate the mask sheets;

providing a plurality of strips each of which has two longitudinally opposite strip ends and each of which is folded to form a pleat between the two strip ends thereof; and

bonding the two strip ends of each of the strips to one of the opposite transverse ends of a respective one of the mask sheets to form an ear loop.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a face mask comprising a mask sheet, and a pair of ear loops. Each of the ear loops is made of an elastic strip, and has two opposite strip ends bonded to the mask sheet and a pleat between the strip ends.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 3, the preferred embodiment of the method for making a face mask according to the present invention comprises step201of stacking a plurality of non-woven fabric layers, step202of disposing bendable metal strips, step203of folding the non-woven fabric layers, step204of bonding the stack of the non-woven fabric layers together to form a longitudinal sheet material, step205of providing a plurality of strips, step206of bonding the strips to the longitudinal sheet material at predetermined positions, and step207of cutting the longitudinal sheet material at intervals. Since steps201˜204are the same as the prior art method, these steps are briefly described as follows. In step201of the preferred embodiment, three non-woven fabric layers (not shown, for example, an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner lining layer) are respectively taken out from stock-rollers thereof (not shown), are guided by guiding rollers (not shown), and then are stacked in sequence. The inner lining layer has a width larger than those of the outer and intermediate layers, and thus, has two longitudinal marginal parts extended beyond the longitudinal margins of the outer and intermediate layers. The intermediate layer functions as a filter.

In step202, bendable metal strips13(seeFIG. 4) are attached to the outer layer at intervals along a longitudinal direction.

In step203, the two marginal parts of the inner layer are folded over the outer layer, and the stacked three non-woven fabric layers are folded to have pleats14. By this step, the longitudinal margins of the outer and intermediate layers, and the bendable metal strips13attached to the outer layer are covered by the two marginal parts of the inner layer (seeFIG. 4).

In step204, the three non-woven fabric layers are bonded together by heat-pressing or ultrasonic bonding, thereby forming the longitudinal sheet material sheet stock)10. By this step, as shown inFIG. 4, longitudinal bonding lines31extend longitudinally of the longitudinal sheet material10in lateral regions310, and the longitudinal sheet material10are divided into a plurality of mask sheets11by transverse bonding lines32in leading marginal regions321and trailing marginal regions322. Each of the mask sheets11has two opposite longitudinal ends111and two opposite transverse ends112(seeFIGS. 6 and 7).

In step205, a plurality of elastic strips120are provided at one processing station while the steps201˜204are conducted (seeFIG. 3) simultaneously at another processing station to form and advance the longitudinal sheet material10continuously. Each strip120has two longitudinally opposite strip ends and is folded to form a pleat121between the two strip ends thereof. Each strip120has a length longer than a width of the longitudinal sheet material10before the respective pleat121is formed, but has the length slightly shorter than the width of the longitudinal sheet material10after the respective pleat121is folded (seeFIGS. 3, 6 and 7).

Preferably, the strips120are heat-pressed so as to form the pleat121.

In the preferred embodiment, the strips120are made from an elastic non-woven fabric sheet (not shown) which is cut and divided into the strips120and which is folded to form a Z-shaped pleat before being cut. The elastic non-woven fabric sheet can be produced by a meltblown method or a spunbond method. Otherwise, the elastic non-woven fabric sheet can be made by blending a normal non-woven fabric with any elastic materials.

In step206, the strips120are bonded to the longitudinal sheet material10at predetermined positions (e.g., at two opposite attachment areas311of a leading marginal region321, the attachment areas311being disposed respectively at the lateral regions310; and at two opposite attachment areas312of a trailing marginal region322, the attachment areas312also being disposed respectively at the lateral regions310). In detail, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, each strip120is disposed along one of the two opposite transverse ends112of a respective one of the mask sheets11. The two longitudinally opposite strip ends of each strip120are aligned substantially and respectively with two opposite longitudinal ends111of the respective one of the mask sheets11and are subjected to heat-pressing or ultrasonic bonding at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse bonding lines31,32. By this step, a pair of ear loops12are formed on each of the mask sheets11.

In step207, the longitudinal sheet material10is cut at intervals along predetermined rutting lines (CL) to separate the mask sheets11(seeFIGS. 4 and 6).

Since the strips120respectively have Z-shaped pleats121which are formed by heat-pressing and which are not easily deformed during the step206of bonding the strips120, the step206can be conducted in coordination with the other steps201˜205, and207. Therefore, by the method according to the present invention, the face mask1can be manufactured through a line production.

It should be noted that, in another embodiment, the step206can also be conducted after step207. That is to say, the method according to the present invention can also be conducted by a conventional equipment for making the mask sheets11, followed by bonding the strips120to the mask sheets11to form the ear loops12on the mask sheets11.

As shown inFIG. 7, in the preferred embodiment, the face mask1made by the method according to the present invention has a mask sheet11, and a pair of ear loops12. Each of the ear loops12is made of an elastic strip120and has two opposite strip ends bonded to the mask sheet11, and a pleat121between the strip ends. The mask sheet11is formed with several pleats14that can be stretched to increase a covering area for a user's face. Furthermore, the mask sheet11has a bendable metal strip13enclosed in an upper margin of the mask sheet11and pressable to conform with a shape of the user's nose.

Preferably, the elastic strips120are made of an elastic non-woven fabric.