Mask and transparent lens module thereof

Abstract

The utility model provides a mask and a transparent lens module thereof. The transparent lens module comprises a glass lens and a transparent coating layer. The glass lens is provided with an inner surface, an outer surface opposite to the inner surface and a peripheral part. The peripheral portion is defined along an outer contour of the glass lens. And the transparent coating layer is integrally formed and completely clings to the peripheral part and the inner surface of the glass lens.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to a mask, especially a mask for water activities (including overwater and underwater activities) such as swimming, snorkeling, free diving, spearfishing, etc. BACKGROUND

[0002] Water activities (such as swimming, snorkeling, free diving, spearfishing, etc.) are one of the most popular leisure activities in modern times. When performing water activities, users usually wear masks to protect their eyes and ensure a good field of view.

[0003] Most masks that shield the eyes and nose are mainly composed of glass lenses and waterproof sealing skirts. They can be roughly divided into single-lens and double-lens models. The waterproof sealing skirts can be made of soft materials such as silicone rubber and thermoplastic rubber (TPR). As shown in Figures 1A-1C The single-lens mask 1 can be directly wrapped with a waterproof sealing skirt 11 on the glass lens 13 without using a frame. In this case, the front part of the waterproof sealing skirt 11 covers the peripheral part of the glass lens 13, and the rear part of the waterproof sealing skirt 11 is used to fit the user's face.

[0004] In addition, as shown in Figures 2A-2D The double-lens mask 2 contains two separate glass lenses. Therefore, polycarbonate (PC) or nylon is used to wrap the peripheral parts of the two separate glass lenses 23R and 23L to serve as an inner frame 25. At the same time, the two glass lenses 23R and 23L are bridged to each other to fix their relative positions, ensuring structural rigidity and stability, as shown in Figure 2B The glass lenses 23R and 23L wrapped by the inner frame 25 are further covered by the front part of the waterproof sealing skirt 21 to form the structure of the double-lens mask 2.

[0005] However, whether it is a single-lens mask or a double-lens mask, the position where the waterproof sealing skirt and / or the inner frame are combined is limited to the peripheral part of the glass lens. Therefore, when the glass lens is broken (for example, due to pressure or temperature changes, or external impact), glass fragments can easily cause injury to the user, especially serious eye injuries. Furthermore, to meet the needs of myopic users, the glass lenses with a certain degree of number must be thick and heavy, so additional measures are needed, such as increasing the thickness of the waterproof sealing skirt and / or the area of the wrapped glass lens, to ensure the stability of the overall mask structure.

[0006] In addition, because the material properties of glass cannot provide anti-fog capability, glass lenses usually have to be post-sprayed with anti-fog agents, and the anti-fog agents usually only have a very limited time period, and frequent repeated spraying of the anti-fog agents will cause considerable inconvenience to the user and increase unnecessary expenses.

[0007] Therefore, how to partially or completely solve the above problems has become the research and development goal of the industry. Utility model content

[0008] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a mask for water activities, so that the inner surface of the glass lens (i.e. the surface adjacent to the user) is integrally injection molded with a hard and lightweight non-glass layer to form a transparent lens module. Specifically, the transparent lens module includes a glass lens and a transparent coating layer tightly attached to the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the glass lens, thereby achieving the anti-explosion function of the glass lens, allowing the glass lens to have anti-fog capability, or making the mask more suitable for users with far-sightedness or near-sightedness under the requirement of lightweight.

[0009] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model discloses a transparent lens module, which includes a glass lens and a transparent coating layer. The glass lens has an inner surface, an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, and a peripheral edge. The peripheral edge is defined along an outer contour of the glass lens. The transparent coating layer is integrally formed and tightly attached to the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the glass lens.

[0010] In an example, the thickness of the glass lens is between 0.3-4 mm, and the thickness of the transparent coating layer is between 0.3-4 mm.

[0011] In a specific example, the thickness of the glass lens is between 2-4 mm, and the thickness of the transparent coating layer is between 1.5-4 mm.

[0012] In an example, the transparent coating layer is made of a thermoplastic plastic and has a Shore D hardness between 40-90.

[0013] In an example, the thermoplastic plastic is selected from polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyformaldehyde, acrylic, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, nylon, or a combination thereof.

[0014] In an example, the transparent coating layer is made of a thermosetting silicone and has a Shore A hardness between 10-90.

[0015] In an example, the transparent coating layer is composed of an anti-fog material, an ultraviolet (UV) resistant material, or a combination thereof.

[0016] In one example, the transparent covering layer has a functional portion that adheres closely to the inner surface of the glass lens, wherein the functional portion is a vision correction layer.

[0017] Furthermore, based on the same objective described above, this utility model discloses a face mask comprising: a transparent lens module as described above and a waterproof sealing skirt. The waterproof sealing skirt has a front portion that fits into the transparent lens module and a rear portion suitable for waterproof contact with a user's face.

[0018] Furthermore, based on the same objective described above, this utility model discloses a face mask comprising: two transparent lens modules as described above, a frame portion, and a waterproof sealing skirt. The frame portion is used to fit the two transparent lens modules. The waterproof sealing skirt has a front portion that fits into the frame portion and the two transparent lens modules, and a rear portion suitable for waterproof contact with a user's face.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are that the transparent lens module includes a glass lens and a transparent covering layer that is closely attached to the periphery and an inner surface of the glass lens, thereby achieving the explosion-proof function of the glass lens, enabling the glass lens to have anti-fog capability, or making the mask more suitable for users with farsightedness and nearsightedness under the requirement of lightweight. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1A This is a 3D illustration of a well-known monocular face mask (headband omitted).

[0021] Figure 1B for Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the sagittal cross-section.

[0022] Figure 1C for Figure 1B A magnified three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of the image.

[0023] Figure 2A This is a 3D schematic diagram of a well-known dual-mirror face mask (headband omitted).

[0024] Figure 2B show Figure 2A The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the inner frame and glass lens.

[0025] Figure 2C For along Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the cross section obtained by line 2C-2C.

[0026] Figure 2D for Figure 2C A magnified three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of the image.

[0027] Figure 3A This is an exploded view of the mask of this utility model (headband omitted).

[0028] Figure 3B As Figure 3A An assembled face shield.

[0029] Figure 4A As Figure 3A A perspective view of one of the transparent lens modules.

[0030] Figure 4B A cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of Figure 4A

[0031] Figure 5 A perspective view of a single-double lens face shield of the present application (headband omitted).

[0032] Reference signs are as follows:

[0033] 1: single lens face shield

[0034] 2: double lens face shield

[0035] 3, 5: face shield

[0036] 11: waterproof sealing skirt

[0037] 13: glass lens

[0038] 21: waterproof sealing skirt

[0039] 23L, 23R: glass lens

[0040] 25: inner frame

[0041] 31R, 31L, 51: transparent lens module

[0042] 33, 53: frame portion

[0043] 33M: main frame

[0044] 33S: sub-frame

[0045] 35, 55: waterproof sealing skirt

[0046] 351, 551: front portion

[0047] 353, 553: rear portion

[0048] 36, 56: connector

[0049] 41: glass lens

[0050] 43: transparent coating layer

[0051] 411: inner surface

[0052] 413: outer surface

[0053] 413e: outer edge​

[0054] 415: peripheral portion

[0055] 417: side surface DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following description of the embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present application, as it is contemplated that there are other embodiments of the present application that fall within the scope of the present application. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding background of the application, or the following detailed description.

[0057] One embodiment of the mask 3 for water activities of the present application is shown in Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 4A and Figure 4B . In this embodiment, a double mirror version of the mask 3 is used as an example.

[0058] Referring to Figure 3A , the mask 3 comprises two transparent lens modules 31L, 31R, a frame 33, and a waterproof sealing skirt 35. Preferably, the waterproof sealing skirt 35 has a connector 36 on each side thereof for connecting a headband (not shown). The frame 33 can comprise a main frame 33M and a sub-frame 33S. The waterproof sealing skirt 35 has a front portion 351 that fits with the transparent lens modules 31L, 31R and a rear portion 353 that is adapted to be waterproofly attached to a user's face.

[0059] The frame 33 can be made of a hard material. The hard material can be selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or a combination thereof. The waterproof sealing skirt 35 can be made of a silicone material.

[0060] In assembling the mask 3, the front portion 351 of the waterproof sealing skirt 35 can be first fitted with the main frame 33M, and the transparent lens modules 31L, 31R are then loaded into the main frame 33M from front to back. The sub-frame 33S is then combined with the main frame 33M from front to back. At this time, as shown in Figure 3B , the front portion 351 of the waterproof sealing skirt 35 is waterproofly fitted with the main frame 33M and the transparent lens modules 31L.

[0061] The transparent lens module 31L, as shown in Figure 4A and Figure 4B Since the transparent lens module 31R and the transparent lens module 31L have the same composition, they only have the shape difference that can be mirror image due to the left and right configurations, so the transparent lens module 31L is taken as an example. However, in fact, it should be understood that the transparent lens module 31R and the transparent lens module 31L can have some differences or be completely the same in shape as the appearance design of the mask, as long as they have substantially the same composition, both of which can be applied to the utility model.

[0062] The transparent lens module 31L includes a glass lens 41 and a transparent coating layer 43. The glass lens 41 can be made of reinforced glass, including an inner surface 411, an outer surface 413 opposite to the inner surface 411, and a peripheral portion 415. The transparent coating layer 43 is integrally formed and fully adheres to the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 (i.e. close to the eye side) of the glass lens 41. Preferably, the transparent coating layer 43 is integrally formed on the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass lens 41 by an injection molding process. The peripheral portion 415 is defined by an outer contour of the glass lens 41, which can only include a side surface 417 of the glass lens 41, or can also include an outer edge 413e of the outer surface 413.

[0063] Instead of directly injecting a transparent coating layer 43 to cover a glass lens 41 that has been formed, in another embodiment, the same machine or different machines can be used to first form a glass lens by a glass injection molding process, and then integrally injection mold a transparent coating layer 43 on the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass lens 41 by an injection molding process to directly form the transparent lens module 31L.

[0064] The transparent coating layer 43 can be made of a thermoplastic plastic with a Shore D hardness of 40-90, or a thermosetting silicone rubber with a Shore A hardness of 10-90, but is not limited thereto, and any non-glass material with transparency and light weight can be used. For example, the thermoplastic plastic can be selected from polycarbonate

[0065] (Polycarbonate, PC), polypropylene (Polypropylene, PP), polyoxymethylene (Polyoxymethylene, POM), acrylic (Acrylic), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, ABS), nylon (Nylon) or a combination thereof. Here, the non-glass material with transparency refers to a material that does not affect the user's view of the scenery, which can be colored or colorless.

[0066] On the embodiment of the transparent lens module 31L without vision correction function (i.e. plano), the thickness of the glass lens 41 is between 0.3-4mm, and the thickness of the transparent cladding layer 43 is between 0.3-4mm. Preferably, the thickness of the glass lens 41 is between 2-4mm, and the thickness of the transparent cladding layer 43 is between 1.5-4mm. When the transparent lens module 31L is desired to provide vision correction function, then the utility model only needs to change the shape and thickness of the transparent cladding layer 43, especially the thickness and curvature of the part (which can be called functional part) close to the inner surface 411 of the glass lens 41, and the transparent cladding layer 43 can correct the refractive error of the user's eye without changing the glass lens 41, so the purpose of light weight can be achieved. In other words, the transparent cladding layer 43 can have a functional part close to the inner surface 411 of the glass lens 41, which serves as a vision correction layer.

[0067] In addition, since the transparent cladding layer 43 of the utility model not only clads the peripheral part of the glass lens 41, but also clads the inner surface 411 (i.e. contacts and lies flat on the inner side of the glass lens 41), when the glass lens 41 breaks, it can prevent glass fragments from shooting at the user, so it can effectively protect the user, especially the user's eyes. In addition, the transparent cladding layer 43 can use materials with anti-fog or anti-UV effects to provide anti-fog or anti-UV functions, further increasing the added value of the mask. In practice, even if the transparent cladding layer 43 does not provide anti-fog or anti-UV effects, the material of the transparent cladding layer 43 (such as PC) is also easier to coat an anti-fog layer or other functional layer than glass material, so the transparent cladding layer 43 can provide more additional benefits to the mask 3 in practice.

[0068] The above embodiments mainly take the double-mirror version of the mask 3 as an example. However, based on the foregoing detailed description, it can be understood that the single-mirror version of the mask of the utility model only needs to include a transparent lens module and a waterproof sealing skirt, and the assembly of the mask can be completed by directly cladding the transparent lens module with the waterproof sealing skirt (i.e. the front part of the waterproof sealing skirt is embedded with the transparent lens module), which can form a considerable strength. However, in practice, if a frame part is added to strengthen the overall strength of the mask, it is also feasible.

[0069] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the single-lens mask 5 includes a transparent lens module 51, a frame portion 53 (optional), and a waterproof sealing skirt 55. Similarly, the waterproof sealing skirt 55 preferably has a connector 56 on each side for connecting a headband (not shown). The waterproof sealing skirt 55 has a front portion 551 that fits into the transparent lens module 51 and a rear portion 553 suitable for waterproof contact with a user's face. Since the transparent lens module 51 has the same composition as the transparent lens modules 31L and 31R, differing only in shape and size, it will not be described further here. It should be noted that elements not directly related to this invention or that may obstruct the description (such as the headband securing the user) are omitted and not shown in the drawings, and the dimensional relationships between the elements in the drawings are only one possible arrangement and are not limited thereto.

[0070] Among various diving or snorkeling masks, those that only cover the user's eyes and nose most commonly use glass as the lens material. Therefore, the mask of this invention replaces the simple glass lens of known masks by covering the glass lens with a non-glass material (e.g., plastic). This not only effectively prevents injury from the accidental breakage of the glass lens, but also provides vision correction, anti-fog, and UV protection functions with almost no increase in the overall weight of the mask, maximizing its effectiveness.

[0071] Any technology based on the aforementioned core technologies of this utility model is intended to be protected by this utility model. Therefore, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the implementation methods of this utility model and explain its technical features, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any changes or equivalent arrangements that can be easily made by those skilled in the art are within the scope claimed by this utility model, and the scope of protection of this utility model should be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A transparent lens module, comprising: a glass lens having: an inner surface; an outer surface opposite to the inner surface; and a peripheral portion defined along an outer contour of the glass lens; characterized in that the transparent lens module further comprising a transparent coating integrally formed and conformally adhered to the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the glass lens.

2. The transparent lens module of claim 1, wherein, the glass lens has a thickness ranging from 0.3 to 4 mm, and the transparent coating has a thickness ranging from 0.3 to 4 mm.

3. The transparent lens module of claim 2, wherein, the glass lens has a thickness ranging from 2 to 4 mm, and the transparent coating has a thickness ranging from 1.5 to 4 mm.

4. The transparent lens module of claim 2, wherein, the transparent coating is made of a thermoplastic plastic and has a Shore D hardness ranging from 40 to 90.

5. The transparent lens module of claim 2, wherein, the transparent coating is made of a thermosetting silicone and has a Shore A hardness ranging from 10 to 90.

6. The transparent lens module of claim 2, wherein, the transparent coating is made of an anti-fog material, an anti-UV material, or a combination thereof.

7. The transparent lens module of claim 1, wherein, the transparent coating has a functional portion adhered to the inner surface of the glass lens, and the functional portion is a vision correction layer.

8. A face mask characterized by comprising: the transparent lens module of any one of claims 1 to 7; and a waterproof sealing skirt having a front portion fitted with the transparent lens module and a rear portion adapted to be waterproofly attached to a user's face.

9. A face mask characterized by comprising: two transparent lens modules of any one of claims 1 to 7; a frame portion for fitting the two transparent lens modules; and a waterproof sealing skirt having a front portion fitted with the frame portion and the two transparent lens modules and a rear portion adapted to be waterproofly attached to a user's face.

Images