MASK AND TRANSPARENT OBSERVATION WINDOW MODULE THEREOF
The integration of a lightweight non-glass encapsulation layer with the glass observation window in masks addresses breakage and anti-fog issues, ensuring user safety and convenience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2025002192
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-03-06
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-12
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-03-04
AI Technical Summary
Existing masks for water activities face issues such as glass window breakage causing injury, need for thick corrective lenses, and frequent anti-fog agent application, which are inconvenient and costly.
A transparent observation window module is integrated with a glass observation window, featuring a lightweight non-glass encapsulation layer that provides explosion-proof and anti-fog capabilities, and can be customized for vision correction.
Prevents glass fragment injuries, reduces weight, and eliminates the need for frequent anti-fog treatments, while maintaining clear vision and structural stability.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: MASK AND TRANSPARENT OBSERVATION WINDOW MODULE THEREOF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a mask, in particular a mask used, for example, for swimming, snorkeling, freediving, spearfishing or other aquatic activities (including both surface and underwater activities). 2. Descriptions of the associated state of the art
[0002] Water activities (such as swimming, snorkeling, freediving or spearfishing) are one of the most popular leisure activities nowadays. During water activities, users often wear a mask to protect their eyes and ensure a clear field of vision.
[0003] Most masks that cover the user's eyes and nose are mainly composed of one or more glass observation windows and a waterproof skirt. They can generally be divided into two categories: single observation window masks and double observation window masks. The waterproof skirt can be made of soft materials such as silicone rubber and thermoplastic rubber (TPR). As shown in Figures 1A to 1C, in the single observation window mask 1, a waterproof skirt 11 can be directly injection molded onto the glass observation window 13 without a frame. In this case, the front portion of the waterproof skirt 11 encapsulates the peripheral portion of the glass observation window 13, and the rear portion of the waterproof skirt 11 is designed to fit the user's face.
[0004] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2A to 2D, the dual viewing window mask 2 contains two separate glass viewing windows. Therefore, in general, a rigid material such as polycarbonate (PC) or nylon serving as the inner frame 25 is used to encapsulate, by injection molding, the peripheral portions of the two separate glass viewing windows 23R and 23L, respectively. Furthermore, the two glass viewing windows 23R and 23L are connected to each other via the inner frame 25 to maintain their relative positions, thereby ensuring structural rigidity and stability in use, as shown in [Fig. 2B]. Thus, the glass viewing windows 23R and 23L with their peripheral portions encapsulated by the inner frame 25 by through injection molding are further wrapped by the front portion of the waterproof skirt 21 to form the structure of the double observation window mask 2.
[0005] However, whether it is a single observation window mask or a double observation window mask, the position of the waterproof skirt and / or the inner frame to be coupled to the glass observation window(s) is only limited to the peripheral portion(s) thereof. Therefore, when the glass observation window breaks (e.g., due to pressure or temperature changes, or impact due to an external force), the glass fragments can easily cause injury to the user, with the risk of serious eye damage. Furthermore, to meet the needs of myopic users, the selected corrective lens of the observation window is inevitably thick and heavy.Therefore, additional support measures, such as increasing the thickness of the waterproof skirt and / or enlarging the area encapsulating the glass viewing window, are necessary to ensure the overall structural stability of the mask.
[0006] Furthermore, since glass cannot provide anti-fog capabilities due to its material properties, the glass observation window generally needs to be sprayed with anti-fog agents thereafter. However, since these anti-fog agents are not of long-lasting effectiveness, frequent and repeated spraying of anti-fog agents causes considerable inconvenience to users and an unnecessary increase in costs.
[0007] In view of this, solving all or part of the above-mentioned problems has become the objective of the industry in research and development. Summary of the invention
[0008] An objective of the present invention is to provide a water sports mask, in which a hard and lightweight non-glass layer is integrally injection molded onto an inner surface (i.e., the surface proximal to the user) of the glass observation window, thereby jointly forming a transparent observation window module. More specifically, the transparent observation window module comprises a glass observation window and an integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer tightly attached to the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the glass observation window. This design provides the glass observation window with both explosion-proof and anti-fog capabilities. Furthermore, the mask can be customized for nearsighted or farsighted users while maintaining a lightweight design.
[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides a transparent observation window module, which comprises a glass observation window and an integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer. The glass observation window has an inner surface, an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a peripheral portion. The peripheral portion is defined along an outer contour of the glass observation window. The integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer fully and closely encompasses the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the glass observation window.
[0010] In one example, the glass viewing window has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm, and the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm.
[0011] In a specific example, the thickness of the glass observation window is between 2 and 4 mm, and the thickness of the transparent encapsulation layer is between 1.5 and 4 mm.
[0012] In one example, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer is made of thermoplastic and has a Shore D hardness of between 40 and 90.
[0013] In one example, the thermoplastic is selected from polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylic, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), nylon, or any combinations thereof.
[0014] In one example, the integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer is made of thermosetting silicone rubber and has a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 90.
[0015] In one example, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer is comprised of an anti-fog material, an anti-ultraviolet (UV) material, or a combination thereof.
[0016] In one example, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer includes a functional portion tightly encompassing the interior surface of the glass viewing window, the functional portion being a vision correction layer.
[0017] Further, based on the same objective as above, the present invention relates to a mask, which comprises a transparent observation window module as described above, and a waterproof skirt. The waterproof skirt has a front portion which is integrated with the transparent observation window module and a rear portion which is configured to fit waterproofly to the face of a user.
[0018] Further, based on the same objective as above, the present invention relates to a mask, which comprises two transparent observation window modules as described above, a frame part and a waterproof skirt. The frame part is configured so that the two transparent viewing window modules are integrated therewith. The waterproof skirt has a front portion that is integrated with the two transparent viewing window modules and the frame portion, and a rear portion that is configured to fit a user's face in a waterproof manner. Brief description of the drawings
[0019] [Fig.lA] is a schematic perspective view of a conventional single viewing window mask (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration).
[0020] [Fig.lB] is a schematic sagittal sectional view of [Fig.lA].
[0021] [Fig. IC] is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view of the [Fig.lB],
[0022] [Fig.2A] is a schematic perspective view of a conventional double viewing window mask (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration).
[0023] [Fig.2B] shows a schematic sectional view of the inner frame and glass viewing window of [Fig.2A].
[0024] [Fig.2C] is a schematic sectional view along line 2C-2C of [Fig.2A].
[0025] [Fig.2D] is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view of the [Fig.2C].
[0026] [Fig.3A] is a schematic exploded view of the mask of the present invention (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration).
[0027] [Fig.3B] is a schematic perspective view of the assembled mask of [Fig.3A].
[0028] [Fig.4A] is a schematic perspective view of one of the window modules transparent observation windows of [Fig.3A].
[0029] [Fig.4B] is a schematic sectional view along line 4B-4B of [Fig.4A].
[0030] [Fig.5] is a schematic perspective view of the single viewing window mask of the present invention (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration). DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] It should be noted that the following description of the embodiments is only intended to explain the contents of the present invention, but not to limit the invention. Elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the description, and the dimensions as illustrated for all elements in the drawings are only for ease of understanding and are not intended to limit their actual scales. Furthermore, the adjectives used "front", "rear", "left", "right", "inner", "outer" or other similar adjectives defined in the descriptions refer to the direction of the user himself. These are only relative relationships and not limiting.
[0032] An embodiment of a mask 3 (e.g., a water sports mask) of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B and Figures 4A and 4B. In this embodiment, the mask 3 is exemplified by a dual viewing window mask.
[0033] Referring to [Fig.3A], the mask 3 comprises two transparent observation window modules 3 IL, 31R, a frame portion 33 and a waterproof skirt 35. Preferably, a fastener 36 is provided on both sides of the waterproof skirt 35 to allow a head strap (not shown) to be attached thereto, respectively. The frame portion 33 may comprise a main frame 33M and a secondary frame 33S. The waterproof skirt 35 has a front portion 351 which is integrated with the transparent observation window modules 3 IL, 31R, and a rear portion 353 which is configured to fit waterproofly to the face of a user.
[0034] The frame portion 33 may be made of a rigid material. The rigid material is selected from polycarbonate (PC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or combinations thereof. The waterproof skirt 35 may be made of a silicone rubber material.
[0035] To assemble the mask 3, the front portion 351 of the waterproof skirt 35 can first be integrated with the main frame 33M, then the transparent observation window modules 3IL and 31R can be installed from front to back in the main frame 33M, and finally the sub-frame 33S can be assembled with the main frame 33M from front to back. At this time, as illustrated by way of example in [Fig.3B], the front portion 351 of the waterproof skirt 35 is integrated in a waterproof manner in the main frame 33M and the transparent observation window module 3IL.
[0036] The transparent observation window module 3IL is illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B. Since the transparent observation window module 31R and the transparent observation window module 3IL have the same composition and may only differ in shape as mirror images due to their left and right configuration, the following description will use the transparent observation window module 3IL as an example for illustration purposes. However, it should be understood that, depending on the appearance design of the mask, the transparent observation window modules 31R and 3IL may have a different shape or be completely identical. Both designs are applicable to the present invention as long as they have substantially the same composition.
[0037] The transparent observation window module 3IL comprises a glass observation window 41 and a transparent encapsulation layer formed of a single holding 43. The glass viewing window 41 may be made of tempered glass. The glass viewing window 41 includes an inner surface 411, an outer surface 413 opposite the inner surface 411, and a peripheral portion 415. The integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer 43 fully and tightly encloses the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 (i.e., the surface proximal to the user's eyes) of the glass viewing window 41. Preferably, the integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer 43 is integrally formed directly on the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass viewing window 41 by an injection molding process.The peripheral portion 415 is defined by an outer contour of the glass viewing window 41, and it may comprise only one side surface 417 of the glass viewing window 4L. Alternatively, it may also comprise an outer edge 413e of the outer surface 413.
[0038] Instead of directly injecting a transparent encapsulation layer 43 to encapsulate an already formed glass observation window 41, in another embodiment, a glass observation window may first be formed by a glass injection molding process using either the same machine or a different machine. Then, a transparent encapsulation layer 43 is integrally injection molded onto the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass observation window 41 by an injection molding process, thereby directly constructing the transparent observation window module 3 IL.
[0039] The integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 may be made of thermoplastic and have a Shore D hardness of between 40 and 90. Alternatively, it may be made of thermosetting silicone rubber and have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 90. However, it is not limited to these materials, and any transparent, lightweight non-glass materials are conceivable. For example, the thermoplastic may be selected from polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylic, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), nylon, or combinations thereof. As used herein, transparent non-glass material refers to a material that does not obstruct the user's view and may be tinted or colorless.
[0040] In the embodiment of the transparent observation window module 3IL without vision correction function (i.e., plane), the glass observation window 41 has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm, and the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm. Preferably, the thickness of the glass observation window 41 is between 2 and 4 mm, and the thickness of the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer tenant 43 is between 1.5 and 4 mm. When the transparent observation window module 3 IL has a vision correction function, the present invention only requires changing the shape and thickness of the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43, particularly the thickness and curvature of the portion (which may be called a functional portion) attached to the inner surface 411 of the glass observation window 4L. Therefore, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 can provide dioptric correction for the user's eyes without changing the glass observation window 41, thereby achieving the purpose of a lightweight design. In other words, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 can have a functional portion closely encompassing the inner surface 411 of the glass observation window 41, which serves as a vision correction layer.
[0041] Furthermore, since the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 of the present invention encapsulates not only the peripheral portion of the glass observation window 41, but also its inner surface 411 (i.e., it is in contact with the inner side of the glass observation window 41 and is flattened thereagainst), it can thus effectively prevent glass fragments from being thrown toward the user in the event of the glass observation window 41 breaking, so as to provide effective protection to the user, particularly the user's eyes. Furthermore, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 can be made of materials having inherent anti-fog or UV (ultraviolet) resistant properties, providing anti-fog or UV resistant functions to further enhance the added value of the mask 3.In practice, even if the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 does not have anti-fog or UV-resistant properties, the material of the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 (e.g., PC) is easier to cover with an anti-fog layer or other functional layers than the glass material. Therefore, the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer 43 can provide more added benefits to the mask 3 in practical applications.
[0042] In the above embodiment, the mask 3 is mainly illustrated as a double observation window mask. However, based on the above detailed description, it can be understood that the single observation window mask of the present invention may simply comprise a transparent observation window module and a waterproof skirt. The assembly of the single observation window mask can be achieved by directly injection molding the waterproof skirt onto the transparent observation window module (i.e., the front portion of the waterproof skirt is integrated with the transparent observation window module), which provides the product with strength considerable. However, in practice, it is also possible to add a frame part to strengthen the overall strength of the mask.
[0043] For example, as shown in [Fig. 5], the single observation window mask 5 comprises a transparent observation window module 51, a frame portion 53 (optional), and a waterproof skirt 55. Also, a fastener 56 is preferably provided on both sides of the waterproof skirt 55 to allow a head strap (not shown) to be attached thereto, respectively. The waterproof skirt 55 has a front portion 551 that is integrated with the transparent observation window module 51 and a rear portion 553 that is configured to waterproofly fit a user's face. Since the transparent observation window module 51 has the same composition as the transparent observation window modules 31L, 31R and differs only in shape and size, it will not be described in further detail herein.
[0044] It should be noted that in the drawings, elements which are not directly related to the present invention or elements (such as the head strap which attaches to the user's head) which may influence the understanding are omitted from the illustration. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions between individual elements in the drawings are provided only for one of the aspects and not to limit the present invention.
[0045] Among various scuba diving or snorkeling masks, those that only cover the user's eyes and nose most often use glass as the viewing window material. Therefore, the mask of the present invention is designed to encapsulate the glass viewing window with a non-glass material (e.g., a plastic material) instead of just using the conventional single glass viewing window. This not only effectively prevents injuries caused by accidental breakage of the glass viewing window, but also provides the functions of vision correction, anti-fog, and UV resistance without significantly increasing the overall weight of the mask, thereby maximizing its effectiveness.
[0046] Any modifications based on the above-mentioned basic technology of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above embodiments are used only to illustrate the implementations of the present invention and to explain the technical features of the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent arrangements that can be readily made by those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
Claims
1. A transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51), comprising: a glass observation window (41) having: - an inner surface (411); - an outer surface (413) opposite the inner surface (411); and - a peripheral portion (415) defined along an outer contour of the glass observation window (41); characterized in that the transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) further comprises an integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer (43), fully and tightly enclosing the peripheral portion (415) and the inner surface (411) of the glass observation window (41).
2. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 1, characterized in that the glass observation window (41) has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm, and the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer (43) has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm.
3. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the glass observation window (41) is between 2 and 4 mm, and the thickness of the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer (43) is between 1.5 and 4 mm.
4. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transparent encapsulating layer formed in one piece (43) is made of thermoplastic and has a Shore D hardness of between 40 and 90.
5. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer (43) is made of thermosetting silicone rubber and has a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 90.
6. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the integrally formed transparent encapsulation layer (43) is composed of a material anti-fog, anti-ultraviolet, UV material, or a combination thereof.
7. A transparent viewing window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 1, characterized in that the integrally formed transparent encapsulating layer (43) has a functional portion closely encompassing the inner surface (411) of the glass viewing window (41), the functional portion being a vision correction layer.
8. Mask (5), characterized in that it comprises: a transparent observation window module (51) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a waterproof skirt (55) having a front portion (551) which is integrated with the transparent observation window module (51) and a rear portion (553) which is configured to fit waterproofly to the face of a user.
9. Mask (3), characterized in that it comprises: two transparent observation window modules (3 IL, 31R) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a frame portion (33) configured so that the two transparent observation window modules (3 IL, 31R) are integrated therewith; and a waterproof skirt (35) having a front portion (351) which is integrated with the two transparent observation window modules (3 IL, 31R) and the frame portion (33), and a rear portion (353) which is configured to fit waterproofly to the face of a user.