Patent Publication Number: US-2022211124-A1

Title: Sanitary Face Mask Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to face mask devices and more particularly pertains to a new face mask device for improving the fit, adjustability and seal of a face mask on a user&#39;s face. The face mask device includes a band that can be positioned around the back of the user&#39;s head or neck. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to face mask devices including a variety of face masks which have a head band thereon for extending around a user&#39;s head. The prior art also discloses a band which can be attached to a face mask for retaining the face mask on the user&#39;s face. In no instance does the prior art disclose a face mask that has conventional ear straps and a band that is attached between the ear straps for wearing around the user&#39;s head. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a face mask that can be worn in an adjustable manner on a user&#39;s face. The face mask is comprised of a bacterial filtering material to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. A pair of straps is each coupled to the face mask such that each of the straps forms a closed loop with the face mask. Additionally, each of the straps is positioned on opposite sides of the face mask with respect to each other. A band is coupled between each of the straps thereby facilitating the band to extend around the back of the user&#39;s head or neck when the face mask is worn to retain the face mask on the user&#39;s face. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sanitary face mask assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a left perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a right perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a back view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a band of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 8  thereof, a new face mask device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 8 , the sanitary face mask assembly  10  generally comprises a face mask  12  that can be worn on a user&#39;s face  14 . The face mask  12  is comprised of an air permeable material to facilitate the user to breathe through the face mask  12 . Additionally, the face mask  12  is comprised of a bacterial filtering material to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. The face mask  12  has a first lateral edge  16  and a second lateral edge  18 , and the face mask  12  may comprise an N95 mask or other type of face mask that is approved to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. 
     A pair of straps  20  is provided and each of the straps  20  is coupled to the face mask  12  such that each of the straps  20  forms a closed loop with the face mask  12 . Each of the straps  20  is positioned on opposite sides of the face mask  12  with respect to each other. Moreover, each of the straps  20  has a first end  22  and a second end  24 , and each of the first end  22  and the second end  24  of each of the straps  20  is coupled to a respective one of the first lateral edge  16  and the second lateral edge  18  of the face mask  12 . Each of the straps  20  may be comprised of an elastic material thereby facilitating the straps  20  to be stretched. 
     A band  26  is coupled between each of the straps  20  thereby facilitating the band  26  to extend around the back of the user&#39;s head or neck  27  when the face mask  12  is worn for retaining the face mask  12  on the user&#39;s face  14 . In this way the face mask  12  can be retained on the user&#39;s face  14  without wearing the straps  20  around the user&#39;s ears  29  in the tradition manner of wearing a face mask  12 . The band  26  has a primary end  28 , a secondary end  30  and a first surface  32 . Additionally, the band  26  is wrapped around each of the straps  20  having the primary end  28  and the secondary end  30  being fastened to the first surface  32  thereby securing the band  26  to each of the straps  20 . In this way the primary end  28  and the secondary end  30  of the band  26  snuggly encircle each of the straps  20 . 
     In an alternative embodiment  34  as is most clearly shown in  FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , a coupler  36  is coupled to the primary end  28  of the band  26 , and the primary end  28  is not coupled to either of the straps  20 . The coupler  36  has a slot  38  therein for insertably receiving a respective one of the straps  20 . In this way the band  26  can be coupled or uncoupled the respective strap  20  thereby facilitating the band  26  to be worn around or removed from the back of the user&#39;s head or neck  27 . 
     In use, as is most clearly shown in  FIG. 4 , the face mask  12  is worn on the user&#39;s face  14  and the band  26  is positioned to extend around the back of the user&#39;s neck  27 . In this way the face mask  12  can be worn without having to wear the straps  20  around the user&#39;s ears  29 . Or, as is most clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , each of the straps  20  can be positioned around the user&#39;s ears  29  and the band  26  can be positioned to extend around the back of the user&#39;s head  27 . The band  26  facilitates the face mask  12  to be more securely sealed to the user&#39;s face  14  when the face mask  12  is worn. Additionally, the band  26  facilitates the face mask  12  to be lowered on the user&#39;s face  14  more easily as compared to wearing the straps  20  around the user&#39;s ears  29 . The primary end  28  and the secondary end  30  of the band  26  are snugly encircled around the straps  20  thereby facilitating the straps  20  to slide through the loops defined by the primary end  28  and the secondary end  30 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.