Patent Publication Number: US-2020289860-A1

Title: Mask

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     Present invention relates to a technical field of mask, especially to a novel mask with unique structure design for reducing pressure drop of air flow when air or breathe passing through the mask. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional masks are normally utilized a filtration media with smaller pore sizes if a higher filtration efficiency function are resulted. This filtration media is able to block small particulate matters or pollutants in air for providing better air filtration effects for wearers or users. 
     Although this kind of mask with smaller pore sizes of filtration media could provide a better filtration effects, a smooth breathing of the air flow will also be affected when users wearing the mask. Especially to the high filtration efficiency media is made of or comprises the material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the pressure drop of the filtration media made of PTFE between inhaling and exhaling could reach 35.7 mmH 2 O or even 64.2 mmH 2 O. Such high pressure drop will make uncomfortable feelings toward the users and even make the users hard to breathe. Not to mention that infant or children with lower or weaker breathing ability has a risk to be suffocated by this kind of mask. 
     Hence, it is eager to have a novel mask that will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one or more of the deficiencies of a prior art, or to at least provide an alternative solution to the problems. It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to solve the shortcomings of the conventional high filtration efficiency mask with smaller pore sizes of filtration media could make uncomfortable feelings toward the users, the present invention is required. 
     The present invention provides a novel mask comprising a mask body and two ear loop attachments attached on a left side and a right side of the mask body, wherein: the mask body comprises a filtration layer and two fibrous layers laminated together. The filtration layer is sandwiched between two fibrous layers. One of the fibrous layer is a hydrophilic layer and the other one is a hydrophobic layer as a cover of the mask. The filtration layer comprises a ultra fine fibrous network-like structure media with its fiber diameter at a range of 50 to 800 nm(nanometer). The fibrous layer comprises multiple fibers structure media with its fiber diameter at a range of 0.5 μm(micrometer) to 8.0 μm. The diameter of the fibers of the fibrous layer is greater than the diameter of the fibers of the filtration layer. 
     As describing above, the present invention has advantages as following. 
     When using the present invention, two ear loop attachments are extended around ears of the wearer. The mask body hence covers the nose and the mouth of the wearer. As the wearer inhaling and exhaling air, the air will pass through the fibrous layers and the filtration layer of the mask body. Particles or pollutant pollutions carried by the air will be blocked and retained by the fibrous layer preventing the wearer from intake such particles or pollutant. 
     Since the diameter of the fiber of the fibrous layer is greater than the diameter of the fiber of the filtration layer, speed of the air flow will be slowed down when passing through the fibrous layer. The air flow pressure or air pressure drop will be decreased when the air passing through the filtration layer. This will prevent the problems like uncomfortable feelings or hard to breathe for the wearer. 
     Many of the attendant features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The steps and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment in accordance to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a breakdown view of the preferred embodiment in accordance to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of a preferred embodiment in accordance to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to make purposes, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention to be clearer, the following content provides some preferred embodiments in accordance to the present invention. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. It is not intended to limit the method by the exemplary embodiments described herein. In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to attain a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” may include reference to the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the terms “comprise or comprising”, “include or including”, “have or having”, “contain or containing” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean “including but not limited to”. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a preferred embodiment of a novel mask of the present invention comprises a mask body  10  for covering at least nose and mouth of a wearer. Two ear loop attachments  20  are attached on a left side and a right side of the mask body  10  respectively. 
     The mask body  10  comprises a filtration layer  11 . The filtration layer  11  is a fibrous film or membrane made of or comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidine chloride (PVDC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or electrostatic spun fiber web. In this preferred embodiment, the filtration layer  11  comprises PTFE fibrous film. Diameter of each fiber of the PTFE fibrous film is at a range of 50 nanometer (nm) to 800 nm. 
     Two fibrous layers  12  are laminated and attached to each side of the filtration layer  11 . One of the fibrous layer  12  is a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric and the other is a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric. In this preferred embodiment, the hydrophilic nonwoven fabric is located inside which is closed or attached to the face of the wearer and the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric is located outside. The fibrous layer  12  is preferably a meltblown non-woven fabric comprises polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polyamide (PA) fiber. The fiber of the fibrous layer  12  is preferred to be an ultra fine fiber with extreme thin diameter, also known as ultra fine fiber nonwoven fabric. In this preferred embodiment, the fibrous layer  12  is PP meltblown non-woven fabric with 15 gsm (g/m 2 ) specification. Diameter of the fiber of the fibrous layer  12  is at a range of 0.5 micrometer (μm) to 3.0 μm. However, the diameter of the fiber of each fibrous layer  12  is greater than the diameter of the fiber of the filtration layer  11  in the present invention. 
     The ear loop attachments  20  are loop shaped strip or film extending from left and right side edges of the mask body  10 . More preferably, the ear look attachments  20  are integrated with the mask body  10 . 
     When using the present invention, two ear loop attachments  20  are extended around ears of the wearer. The mask body  10  hence covers the nose and the mouth of the wearer. As the wearer inhaling and exhaling air, the air will pass through the fibrous layers  12  and filtration layer  11  of the mask body  10 . With reference to  FIG. 3 , particles or pollutions carried by the air will be blocked and retained by the fibrous layer  12 . Since the diameter of the fiber of the fibrous layer  12  is greater than the diameter of the fiber of the filtration layer  11 , speed of the air flow will be slowed down when passing through the fibrous layer  12 . Hence, the air flow pressure or air pressure drop will be decreased when the air passing through the filtration layer  11 . This will prevent the problems like uncomfortable feelings or hard to breathe for the wearer. 
     A test standard of CNS 14755 Z2125 is followed in the present invention. The testing NaCl particles size is 0.075 μm and air flow rate is 85.1 Liter/min. After testing, the actual air flow pressures or air pressure drops of inhaling and exhaling of the present invention are decreased from 35.7 mmH 2 O to 25.1 mmH 2 O (inhaling) and 64.2 mmH 2 O to 39.2 mmH 2 O (exhaling). Thus, the filtration efficiency of the composed filtration layer/media  11  of the mask body  10  while inhaling and exhaling are 98.67% and 99.78%. Since the air flow pressures or air pressure drops are actually decreased, the wearer could be guaranteed with more comfortable feelings when wearing the mask provided by the present invention. 
     A second embodiment of the present invention is to have only one fibrous layer  12  layered with the filtration layer  11 . This only one fibrous layer  12  could be layered at any side of the filtration layer  11  and achieved similar effect to the present invention. In this embodiment with only one fibrous layer  12  layered with the filtration layer  11 , the actual air flow pressures or air pressure drops of inhaling and exhaling are decreased from 35.7 mmH 2 O to 20.9 mmH 2 O (inhaling) and 64.2 mmH 2 O to 54 mmH 2 O (exhaling). The filtration efficiency of the mask body  10  while inhaling and exhaling are 96.5% and 99.92%. This embodiment also achieve the propose of decreasing air flow pressures or air pressure drops for the mask body  10  and provide more comfortable feelings for the wearer when wearing the mask of the present invention. 
     Moreover, the diameter of the fiber of the fibrous layer  12  could also at a range of 0.5 μm to 80 μm as long as its diameter is greater than the diameter of the fiber of the filtration layer  11  for achieving the effect of decreasing air flow pressures or air pressure drops for the mask body  10 . 
     The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the present disclosure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those with ordinary skill in the art could make numerous alterations or modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure.