MASK AND TRANSPARENT OBSERVATION WINDOW MODULE OF THESE
A one-piece transparent encapsulation layer on the glass viewing window of water sports masks enhances safety and convenience by preventing breakage and providing anti-fog capabilities, addressing the limitations of traditional glass masks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing water sports masks, particularly those with glass viewing windows, are prone to breakage, causing injury and require frequent anti-fog treatments, and do not adequately address the needs of myopic users.
A transparent viewing window module is formed in one piece with a glass viewing window and a non-glass encapsulation layer, providing shatterproof and anti-fog capabilities, and can be customized for vision correction.
The solution prevents glass fragments from injuring the user and reduces the need for frequent anti-fog treatments, maintaining a lightweight design while offering vision correction.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: TRANSPARENT OBSERVATION MASK AND WINDOW MODULE THEREIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Scope 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 activities both on the surface and underwater). 2. Descriptions of the associated prior art
[0002] Water sports (such as swimming, snorkeling, freediving, or spearfishing) are among the most popular recreational activities today. During these water sports, 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 primarily composed of one or more viewing windows made of glass and a waterproof skirt. They can generally be divided into two categories: single-viewing-window masks and double-viewing-window masks. The waterproof skirt can be made of flexible materials such as silicone rubber and thermoplastic rubber (TPR). As shown in Figures IA to IC, in the single-viewing-window mask 1, a waterproof skirt 11 can be directly injection-molded onto the frameless glass viewing window 13. In this case, the front portion of the waterproof skirt 11 encapsulates the peripheral portion of the glass viewing window 13, and the rear portion of the waterproof skirt 11 is designed to conform to the user's face.
[0004] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2A to 2D, the double-window observation mask 2 contains two separate glass observation windows. Therefore, generally, a rigid material such as polycarbonate (PC) or nylon serving as an inner frame 25 is used to encapsulate, by injection molding, the peripheral portions of the two separate glass observation windows 23R and 23L, respectively. Moreover, the two glass observation windows 23R and 23L are connected to each other via the inner frame 25 to maintain their relative positions, thus ensuring structural rigidity and stability in use, as shown in [Fig. 2B]. Thus, the glass observation windows 23R and 23L, with their peripheral portions encapsulated by the inner frame 25, via injection molding are further wrapped by the front part of the waterproof skirt 21 to form the structure of the double-window observation mask 2.
[0005] However, whether it is a single-window or double-window mask, the position of the waterproof skirt and / or inner frame to be coupled to the glass viewing window(s) is limited to its peripheral portion(s). Consequently, when the glass viewing window breaks (for example, due to changes in pressure or temperature, or impact from an external force), the glass fragments can easily cause injury to the user, with a risk of serious eye damage. Furthermore, to meet the needs of myopic users, the corrective lens chosen for the viewing window is inevitably thick and heavy.Therefore, additional support measures, such as increasing the thickness of the waterproof skirt and / or widening the area encapsulating the glass observation window, are necessary to ensure the overall structural stability of the mask.
[0006] Furthermore, since glass cannot offer anti-fog capabilities due to its material properties, the glass observation window generally needs to be sprayed with anti-fog agents afterward. However, as these anti-fog agents are not permanently effective, frequent and repeated spraying of anti-fog agents causes considerable inconvenience for users and an unnecessary increase in costs.
[0007] In view of this, resolving all or part of the aforementioned problems has become the objective of industry in terms of 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, lightweight, non-glass layer is injection-molded in one piece onto an inner surface (i.e., the proximal surface relative to the user) of the glass viewing window, thereby jointly forming a transparent viewing window module. More specifically, the transparent viewing window module comprises a glass viewing window and a transparent encapsulating layer formed in one piece that adheres tightly to the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the glass viewing window. This design gives the glass viewing window both shatterproof and anti-fog capabilities. Furthermore, the mask can be customized for myopic or hyperopic users while maintaining a lightweight design.
[0009] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention relates to a transparent observation window module, comprising a glass observation window and a transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece. 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 transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece completely and tightly encloses the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the glass observation window.
[0010] In one example, the glass observation window has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm, and the transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece 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 transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece is made of thermoplastic and has a Shore D hardness between 40 and 90.
[0013] In one example, the thermoplastic is chosen from polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylic, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), nylon or any combinations thereof.
[0014] In one example, the transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece is made of thermosetting silicone rubber and has a Shore A hardness between 10 and 90.
[0015] In one example, the transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece is composed of an anti-fog material, an anti-ultraviolet (UV) material or a combination thereof.
[0016] In one example, the transparent encapsulation layer formed as a single piece includes a functional part closely encompassing the inner surface of the glass observation window, the functional part being a vision correction layer.
[0017] Furthermore, based on the same objective as above, the present invention relates to a mask comprising a transparent viewing window module as described above, and a waterproof skirt. The waterproof skirt has a front portion integrated into the transparent viewing window module and a rear portion configured to fit watertight to the user's face.
[0018] Furthermore, based on the same objective as above, the present invention relates to a mask comprising two transparent observation window modules as described above, a frame portion, and a waterproof skirt. The frame portion is configured so that the two transparent observation window modules are integrated into it. The waterproof skirt has a front part that is integrated into the two transparent observation window modules and the frame part, and a rear part that is configured to fit watertight to a user's face. Brief description of the drawings
[0019] [Fig.1A] is a schematic perspective view of a classic single-viewing-window mask (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration).
[0020] [Fig.1B] is a schematic sagittal cross-sectional view of [Fig.1A].
[0021] [Fig. IC] is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view of the [Fig.1B],
[0022] [Fig.2A] is a schematic perspective view of a classic double-windowed viewing mask (in which a head strap is omitted for illustration).
[0023] [Fig.2B] shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner frame and glass observation window of [Fig.2A].
[0024] [Fig.2C] is a schematic cross-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 observation transparencies of the [Fig.3A].
[0029] [Fig.4B] is a schematic cross-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 METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION
[0031] It should be noted that the following description of embodiments is intended only to explain the content 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 shown for all elements in the drawings are solely for ease of understanding and are not intended to limit their actual scale. Furthermore, the adjectives used "front," "back," "left," "right," "inside," "outside," or other similar adjectives defined in the descriptions refer to the user's own direction. These are only relative and not limiting relationships.
[0032] An embodiment of a mask 3 (for example, 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 illustrated by way of example by a double-windowed viewing mask.
[0033] With reference to [Fig. 3A], the mask 3 comprises two transparent viewing window modules 3 IL, 31R, a frame portion 33, and a waterproof skirt 35. Preferably, an attachment 36 is provided on both sides of the waterproof skirt 35 to allow a head strap (not shown) to be attached to them, 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 that is integrated with the transparent viewing window modules 3 IL, 31R, and a rear portion 353 that is configured to fit watertight to the user's face.
[0034] The frame portion 33 can 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 can be made of a silicone rubber material.
[0035] To assemble the mask 3, the front part 351 of the waterproof skirt 35 can first be integrated into the main frame 33M, then the transparent observation window modules 3IL and 31R can be installed from front to back into the main frame 33M, and finally the secondary frame 33S can be assembled to the main frame 33M from front to back. At this point, as illustrated by way of example in [Fig. 3B], the front part 351 of the waterproof skirt 35 is integrated in a watertight manner into 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 can 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 illustrative 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 The glass viewing window 41 can be made of tempered glass. The glass viewing window 41 comprises an inner surface 411, an outer surface 413 opposite the inner surface 411, and a peripheral portion 415. The transparent encapsulating layer 43, formed in one piece, completely and tightly encloses the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 (i.e., the proximal surface relative to the user's eyes) of the glass viewing window 41. Preferably, the transparent encapsulating layer 43, formed in one piece directly onto the peripheral portion 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass viewing window 41 by an injection molding process.The peripheral part 415 is defined by an outer contour of the glass observation window 41, and it may comprise only one lateral surface 417 of the glass observation 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 a pre-formed glass observation window 41, in another embodiment, a glass observation window can 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 injection molded in one piece onto the peripheral part 415 and the inner surface 411 of the glass observation window 41 by an injection molding process, thus directly constructing the transparent observation window module 3 IL.
[0039] The transparent, one-piece encapsulating layer 43 can be made of thermoplastic and have a Shore D hardness between 40 and 90. Alternatively, it can be made of thermosetting silicone rubber and have a Shore A hardness between 10 and 90. However, it is not limited to these materials, and any transparent, lightweight, non-glass materials are possible. For example, the thermoplastic can be chosen from polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), nylon, or combinations thereof. In this document, a transparent, non-glass material refers to a material that does not obstruct the user's view and that can be tinted or colorless.
[0040] In the embodiment of the transparent 3IL viewing window module without vision correction function (i.e., flat), the glass viewing window 41 has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm, and the seamless transparent encapsulation layer 43 has a thickness of between 0.3 and 4 mm. Preferably, the thickness of the glass viewing window 41 is between 2 and 4 mm, and the thickness of the seamless transparent encapsulation layer The thickness of the transparent encapsulating layer 43 is between 1.5 and 4 mm. When the transparent viewing window module 3 IL includes a vision correction function, the present invention only requires modifying the shape and thickness of the transparent encapsulating layer formed in one piece 43, in particular the thickness and curvature of the portion (which can be called the functional portion) attached to the inner surface 411 of the glass viewing window 4L. Consequently, the transparent encapsulating layer formed in one piece 43 can provide diopter correction for the user's eyes without modifying the glass viewing window 41, thus achieving the objective of a lightweight design. In other words, the transparent encapsulating layer formed in one piece 43 can have a functional portion closely encompassing the inner surface 411 of the glass viewing window 41, which serves as the vision correction layer.
[0041] Furthermore, since the one-piece transparent encapsulation layer 43 of the present invention encapsulates not only the peripheral part of the glass viewing window 41, but also its inner surface 411 (i.e., it is in contact with the inner side of the glass viewing window 41 and is flattened against it), it can thus effectively prevent glass fragments from being projected towards the user in the event of breakage of the glass viewing window 41, thereby providing effective protection to the user, particularly the user's eyes. In addition, the one-piece transparent encapsulation layer 43 can be made of materials having inherent anti-fog or UV (ultraviolet) resistant properties, offering anti-fog or UV-resistant functions to further enhance the added value of the mask 3.In practice, even though the one-piece transparent encapsulation layer 43 does not have anti-fog or UV-resistant properties, the material of the one-piece transparent encapsulation layer 43 (e.g., PC) is easier to coat with an anti-fog or other functional layer than glass. Therefore, the one-piece transparent encapsulation layer 43 can provide more added benefits to the mask 3 in practical applications.
[0042] In the embodiment above, the mask 3 is primarily illustrated as a double-window observation mask. However, based on the detailed description above, it can be understood that the single-window observation mask of the present invention may simply comprise a transparent observation window module and a waterproof skirt. The assembly of the single-window observation mask can be achieved by directly injection molding the waterproof skirt onto the transparent observation window module (i.e., the front part of the waterproof skirt is integrated into the transparent observation window module), which gives the product strength considerable. However, in practice, it is also possible to add a frame section to reinforce the overall strength of the mask.
[0043] For example, as shown in [Fig. 5], the single-viewing-window mask 5 comprises a transparent viewing-window module 51, a frame portion 53 (optional), and a waterproof skirt 55. Similarly, a fastener 56 is preferably provided on both sides of the waterproof skirt 55 to allow a head strap (not shown) to be attached to them, respectively. The waterproof skirt 55 has a front portion 551 that is integrated with the transparent viewing-window module 51 and a rear portion 553 that is configured to fit watertight to a user's face. Since the transparent viewing-window module 51 has the same composition as the transparent viewing-window modules 3IL and 31R, differing only in shape and size, it will not be described in further detail in this document.
[0044] It should be noted that, in the drawings, elements not directly related to the present invention or elements (such as the head strap that attaches to the user's head) that may influence understanding are omitted from the illustration. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions between individual elements in the drawings are provided only for one aspect and not to limit the present invention.
[0045] Among the 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 (for example, a plastic) instead of simply using the conventional single glass viewing window. This not only effectively prevents injuries caused by accidental breakage of the glass viewing window, but also ensures vision correction, anti-fog, and UV protection without significantly increasing the overall weight of the mask, thus maximizing its effectiveness.
[0046] Any modifications based on the aforementioned basic technology of the present invention are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above embodiments are used solely to illustrate implementations of the present invention and to explain its technical features, and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent arrangements that can be readily made by a person skilled in the art are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
Demands
1. 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 a transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece (43), completely and closely encompassing 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 transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece (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 transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece (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 encapsulation layer formed in one piece (43) is made of thermoplastic and has a Shore D hardness between 40 and 90.
5. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transparent encapsulation layer formed in one piece (43) is made of thermosetting silicone rubber and has a Shore A hardness between 10 and 90.
6. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transparent encapsulation layer formed as a single piece (43) is composed of a material anti-fog, made of an anti-ultraviolet, UV material, or a combination thereof.
7. Transparent observation window module (3 IL, 31R, 51) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transparent encapsulation layer formed as a single piece (43) has a functional part closely encompassing the inner surface (411) of the glass observation window (41), the functional part being a vision correction layer.
8. Mask (5), characterized in that it comprises: a transparent viewing 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 into the transparent viewing window module (51) and a rear portion (553) which is configured to fit watertight 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 part (33) configured so that the two transparent observation window modules (3 IL, 31R) are integrated therein; and a waterproof skirt (35) having a front part (351) which is integrated with the two transparent observation window modules (3 IL, 31R) and with the frame part (33), and a rear part (353) which is configured to fit watertight to the face of a user.