Humidity-retaining mask

Abstract: A humidity-retaining mask (2) comprising, a foldable mask body (4) made of humidity-absorbing sheet material which is folded out into a honeycomb structure when the mask (2) is used, the mask body (4) having a recess portion on the upper side thereof to contact with a user's nostril, and ear traps attached to the mask body.

Description: The present invention relates to a face mask according to the first part of claim 1. Such a face mask is known from FR-A-328 464. Masks such as those used to prevent the users from catching cold, those used for prevention of pollinosis and dustproof masks have heretofore been known. These masks are so designed as to be used for their respective predetermined purposes, but none of them are formed using a honeycomb structure. In aircraft, particularly passenger planes, it is difficult to moisten their cabins due to restrictions on weight, problem of freezing, etc. and therefore crew members and passengers on board airplanes may suffer from drying of their nasal cavities and throats. In particular, during a long-distance flight, the interior of a plane becomes dry and drying of the nasal cavities and throats progresses considerably, so that it becomes difficult for some people to breathe. Under these circumstances, airlines have heretofore racked their brains in devising a countermeasure to prevent drying in the planes. The present invention is directed to solve such problems by an extremely simple means. The present invention is devised to prevent drying of the passengers' nasal cavities and throats without the need to moisten the cabins of the planes. The present invention is based on the principle that moisture which is discharged through human respiration is retained by means of a mask having a special structure, thereby eliminating the necessity for supply of moisture or moistening. Summary of the Invention: To solve the above-described problems, according to the present invention, the mask body is formed using a honeycomb structure made of paper so that moisture discharged by breathing is adsorbed in the cells of the honeycomb structure, thereby retaining humidity. The face mask according to the present invention comprises the features of the characterising portion of claim 1. Since the honeycomb structure comprises a large number of honeycomb cells, the walls of these cells effectively adsorb moisture discharged by breathing and the moisture adsorbed on the cell walls is released when the user inhales the outside air, and the moisture is inhaled together with the air. More specifically, the humidity-retaining mask according to the present invention comprises: a mask body formed by pattern-drawing a honeycomb structure made of Japanese paper, kraft paper, etc. in the form of a substantially elliptic structure having a cut portion in the upper part thereof and developing the substantially elliptic structure through an angle of from 180 to 240° around an axis of development which is parallel with the major axis of the ellipse and which is near a tangent thereto; a deformable metal sheet attached to the development surface in order to maintain the angle of development; a mouth pad attached to the development surface in such a manner as to cover the metal sheet; a nose pad attached to the development surface of the cut portion; and ear straps attached to the left and right sides, respectively, of the mask body. For better conformity of the mask to changes in shape and size of the noses of the users, the mask according to the present invention may be modified to comprise a honeycomb structure which consists of a laminate of a plurality of intermittently bonded hygroscopic sheets having parallel and vertically extending bonded portions spaced regularly at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of said honeycomb structure and spaced regularly at a predetermined distance in the lateral direction thereof so that each bonded portion of said hygroscopic sheets is positioned substantially halfway between two laterally adjacent bonded portions, and which is formed concavely with a suitable curvature at the end surface thereof which contacts the nostrils of a user when said mask is worn by him, and which has openings of the cells in said honeycomb structure; a nose pad provided on the outer surface of the foremost sheet in said honeycomb structure so as to extend higher than said concave surface of said honeycomb structure; a fastening strap attached to the outer surface of the rearmost sheet in said honeycomb structure; and a spring adapted to work on said foremost and rearmost sheets in said honeycomb structure to put said honeycomb structure in an expanded practically usable state. Detailed Description of the Invention: In the humidity-retaining mask of the present invention, moisture which is discharged through human respiration is adsorbed in the cells of the honeycomb structure and therefore supply of moisture is unnecessary. More specifically, when air is exhaled, the moisture contained in the exhaled air is adsorbed in the cells of the honeycomb structure and, when air is inhaled, the moisture adsorbed in the cells is inhaled together with the air to wet the user's nasal cavity and throat. The humidity absorbing material for forming the honeycomb structure may be paper such as, for example, Japanese paper manufactured from bast fibers. The invention is not limited to such paper, but it can also be implemented by any other material as long as it has a function of absorbing and releasing moisture. It is preferable that the air respired through such material can be maintained at a relative humidity within a range of 30 to 85 RH%, more preferably 40 to 70 RH%, in which displeasure would not be felt. For example, a composite material comprising sponge-like sheet having paper laminated thereon may be used. Japanese paper, used in Japan since old times, is particularly preferable as the said humidity absorbing material. it is manufactured into a sheet by hand or on a machine using bast fibers as the raw material without using any binder, the bast fibers being non-wood fibers represented by paper mulberry, paper bush and Gampi. Japanese paper manufactured in the manner described immediately above has a suitable function of quickly absorbing moisture from high relative humidity air and releasing moisture into air at relative humidity of near zero. The humidity-retaining effect lasts as long as the user breathes and, therefore, drying of his nasal cavity and throat is prevented as long as he wears the mask. Brief Description of the Drawings: Fig. 1 is a front view of the humidity-retaining mask according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of a substantially elliptic structure obtained by punching a honeycomb structure that constitutes the body of the mask; Fig. 3 is a side view of the substantially elliptic structure shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the substantially elliptic structure shown in Fig. 2 which is in a developed state; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the humidity-retaining mask; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a humidity-retaining mask having a honeycomb-forming laminate expanded to form a practically usable opened-cell-carrying structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a principal portion of the humidity-retaining mask; Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of a principal portion of the humidity-retaining mask; Fig. 9 is an enlarged bottom view of a principal portion of the humidity-retaining mask; Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 7 and showing the honeycomb-forming laminate not yet expanded to form an opened-cell-carrying structure; and Fig. 11 illustrates the construction of the honeycomb structure. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments: The present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example 1 A humidity-retaining mask 2 shown in Fig. 1 has a mask body 4 constituted by a honeycomb structure formed from Japanese paper, kraft paper, etc. More specifically, the mask body is formed in such a manner that a honeycomb structure which is formed by laminating a large number of blank sheets of Japanese paper, kraft paper, etc. at a predetermined pitch using paste is pattern-drawn into the form of an substantially elliptic structure 6 having a cut portion 8 in the upper part thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The pattern-drawing is effected in such a direction that the cells of the honeycomb structure extend parallel with the major axis 10 of the elliptic structure 6. Next, with the cut portion 8 disposed at the inner side, the elliptic structure 6 is developed fanwise through an angle of from 180 to 240° around an axis 12 of development which is parallel with the major axis 10 of the ellipse and which is near a tangent thereto, thereby forming a mask body 4. In order to prevent spring back of the honeycomb structure and maintain the angle of development, a deformable metal sheet 16 such as an aluminum sheet, copper sheet, etc. is secured to the development surface 14 by means of an adhesive. Further, a mouth pad 18 made of a sponge material is secured to the development surface 14 by means of an adhesive such that the pad 18 covers the metal sheet 16, as shown in Fig. 5. A nose pad 22 made of a sponge material is similarly secured by means of an adhesive to the substantially semicircular development surface 20 of the cut portion 8 of the substantially elliptic structure 6. Finally, ear straps 24 which are resilient rubber strings are attached to the left and right sides, respectively, of the mask body. The ear straps are preferably attached by means of an adhesive at the same time as the mouth pad 18 is secured. In use of the humidity-retaining mask 2 completed in this way, the user is only required to put his nose on the substantially semicircular development surface 20 of the mask body 4 and engage the ear straps 22 with his ears, respectively. When the user wears the humidity-retaining mask 2, his nostrils face the ends of the cells of the honeycomb structure that constitutes the mask body and the nose pad 22 secured to the substantially semicircular development surface 20 of the body 4 surrounds the tip of the nose. Accordingly, there is no fear of air leaking from the nostrils when the user breathes. Thus, air exhaled from the nostrils is discharged from the lower side 26 of the body through the cells of the honeycomb structure, while the outside air is breathed into the nostrils from the lower side of the body through the cells of the honeycomb structure. At this time, moisture contained in the air exhaled from the nostrils is adsorbed in the cells of the honeycomb structure. Accordingly, when the outside air is inhaled, the moisture adsorbed in the cells is released and breathed into the nostrils together with the air inhaled and this moisture wets the user's nasal cavity and throat. The humidity-retaining mask having the above structural features enables the user to breath considerably easily without the need to supply moisture even in an environment or atmosphere where it is difficult to carry out moistening. Further, the humidity-retaining mask is disposable since it has a simple structure and a low production cost. In addition, the humidity retaining effect lasts as long as the user breathes and, therefore, drying of his nasal cavity and throat is prevented as long as he wears the mask. Thus, the mask has highly advantageous effects in practical use. Example 2 A second embodiment of the present invention will be described by referring to Figs. 6 - 12, in which reference numeral 2-1 denotes a fastening strap bonded at its central portion to one outer side surface of a honeycomb structure 2-2 (refer to Figs. 8 and 9) consisting of a laminate of a plurality of pieces of bonded Japanese paper, and 2-3 a nose pad bonded to the other side surface of the honeycomb structure 2-2 and extending higher than a concave surface 2-4, in which the upper end openings of the cells in the honeycomb structure are opposed to the nostrils of a user, of the honeycomb structure 2-2. The honeycomb structure 2-2 is put in an expanded state, i.e., in a cell-opened state as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, by a formed wire 2-5 attached to the honeycomb structure 2-2 by fixing both of the leg-end portions of the formed wire 2-5 to both of the outer side surfaces of the honeycomb structure 2-2. The cells in the honeycomb structure extend vertically in Figs. 6-8. If the concave surface 2-4 is inclined downward from the nose pad 2-3 toward the fastening strap 1 as shown in Figs. 7 and 10, it can attain further improved opposed relation with respect to the nostrils of a user when the humidity-retaining mask is worn by him. Reference numeral 2-7 denotes string loops secured to the free end portions of the fastening strap 2-1 so as to be passed around the ears of a user, 2-8 a shapable plate consisting of an elastic metal sheet and bonded to the upper portion of the outer surface of the nose pad 2-3, and 2-9 the nose of a user. Fig. 11 illustrates the construction of the honeycomb structure. Referring to the drawing, reference numerals 2-11, 2-12, 2-13, 2-14, 2-15 denote Japanese paper arranged in vertically extending layers and bonded together intermittently. When the humidity-retaining mask is worn over the nose and mouth of a user with the concave surface 2-4 of the honeycomb structure and the string loops 2-7 on the fastening strap opposed to the nostrils and passed around the ears, respectively, the nose is covered with the nose pad 2-3. The shapable plate 2-8 is then deformed by the fingers so that the nose pad 2-3 consisting of sponge of a combination of a non-woven cloth and a synthetic resin fits the outer surface of the nose as closely as possible. The air exhaled by the user who wears this humidity-retaining mask flows into a plurality of cells opened in the concave surface 2-4 of the honeycomb structure, and is discharged from the lower end openings thereof to the atmospheric air. The air inhaled by the user flows into the interior of the cells from the openings in the lower end surface of the honeycomb structure, and the air discharged from the user end openings thereof enters the nostrils. With the above structural features, the humidity-retaining mask is capable of being fitted excellently on various types of noses, i.e. noses of different shapes and sizes, and capable of substantially preventing the air exhaled and inhaled by a user from passing through a space other than the spaces in the cells in the honeycomb structure, i.e., through a space between the honeycomb structure and the nose of the user, i.e., capable of effectively achieving the humidity-retaining object.

Claims: A face mask comprising: an expandable mask body (4), said mask body having a recess portion on the upper side thereof to contact with a user's nostrils, and ear straps (24) attached to the mask body (4), characterized in that said mask body (4) being made of humidity-absorbing sheet material which is folded out into a honeycomb structure (2-2) when the mask (4) is used, wherein the walls of the honeycomb structure effectively adsorb moisture discharged by breathing and the moisture adsorbed by the walls is released when the user inhales the outside air, and the moisture is inhaled together with the air. A face mask according to claim 1 wherein said mask body (4) is formed by pattern-drawing a honeycomb structure made of paper, kraft paper, etc. in the form of a substantially elliptic structure (6) having said recess portion (8) in the upper part thereof and developing the substantially elliptic structure through an angle of from 180 to 240° around an axis (12) of development which is parallel with the major axis (10) of the ellipse and which is near a tangent thereto. A face mask according to claim 2 wherein a deformable metal sheet (16) is attached to the development surface (14) in order to maintain the angle of development. A face mask according to claim 3 wherein a mouth pad (18) is attached to the development surface in such a manner as to cover said metal sheet (16). A face mask according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein a nose pad (22) is attached to the development surface of said recess portion (8). A face mask according to claim 1 wherein said honeycomb structure (2-2) consists of a laminate of a plurality of intermittently bonded hygroscopic sheets having parallel and vertically extending bonded portions spaced regularly at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of said honeycomb structure (2-2) and spaced regularly at a predetermined distance in the lateral direction thereof so that each bonded portion of said hygroscopic sheets is positioned substantially halfway between two laterally adjacent bonded portions, and wherein said recess portion is formed concavely with a suitable curvature at the end surface thereof which contacts the nostrils of a user when said mask (2) is worn by him, and which has openings of the cells in said honeycomb structure. A face mask according to claim 6 wherein a nose pad (2-3) is provided on the outer surface of the foremost sheet in said honeycomb structure (2-2) so as to extend higher than said concave surface (2-4) of said honeycomb structure (2-2). A face mask according to claims 6 and 7 wherein a fastening strap (2-7) is attached to the outer surface of the rearmost sheet in said honeycomb structure (2-2). A face mask according to any of claims 6 to 8 wherein an expander is adapted to work on said foremost and rearmost sheets in said honeycomb structure (2-2) to put said honeycomb structure in an expanded practically usable state.

Inventors: NUMANO YASUHIKO, NUMANO, YASUHIKO
Applicants: JAPAN AIRLINES CO, JAPAN AIR LINES CO., LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A61M16
IPC codes: A61M16