Mask

Abstract

To provide a mask that provides stable arrangement of the lateral main regions of the mask body.SOLUTION: The mask comprises a mask body and a pair of sheet-like ear hooks respectively joined to the lateral end regions of the mask body, the ear hooks including: a joint joined to the mask body; an upper extension portion extending from an upper end of the joint; and a lower extension portion extending from a lower end of the joint. The extension directions of both the upper extension portion and the lower extension portion are inclined so that they point upward the further away from the joint.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mask. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical configuration of a mask to be worn on the face is one that includes a mask body that at least partially covers the wearer's face, and a pair of ear loops that are each connected to the mask body. As the ear loops, sheet-like ones are also known instead of string-like ones. Unlike string-like ones, sheet-like ear loops can be in contact with the skin in a planar manner, so they have the advantage that they put less strain on the skin even when worn for a long time, and provide a comfortable fit, especially around the ears.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a mask in which first and second annular ear hooks formed from one or more sheet pieces are joined to one side of the mask body by first and second linear joints, respectively, that run along a second direction (vertical direction). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5436262 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a conventional mask as described in Patent Document 1 is viewed with the first and second ear hooks deployed outward in the lateral direction (FIG. 3, etc.), the parts extending from the bases 31, 41 of the ear hooks (edges 32, 42) point downward as they move away from the mask body. Here, the upper ends of the bases of the ears to which the ear hooks are hung are usually located higher than the areas of the nose and mouth that the mask body faces, so that the downwardly facing edges 32, 42 are pulled upward when the ear hooks are worn. This upward pulling easily distorts the ear hooks, particularly at the joints with the mask body and in the vicinity thereof. The distortion caused by pulling up the ear hooks can be converted into a local force that presses the mask body against the skin, so that the adhesion of the mask body to the skin at the places where the distortion occurs, i.e., the adhesion of the mask body to the skin at the corners of the mask body (the vertical edges of the lateral end regions) can be improved. However, the force with which the ear loops pull the mask body outward in the lateral direction tends to be interrupted at the position where the distortion occurs and is difficult to transmit to the main lateral region of the mask body (region other than the end region), so that the mask body may become loose in the main lateral region and easily come off the skin, making it impossible to stably wear it in the desired position. Although it depends on the wearer's preference and the wearing condition of the mask, there are many cases where a stable positioning of the main lateral region of the mask body in the desired position is required, and improvements are required from this perspective.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a mask that allows stable arrangement of lateral main regions of a mask body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a mask comprising a mask body and a pair of sheet-like ear hooks respectively joined to the lateral end regions of the mask body, wherein the ear hooks include a joint joined to the mask body, an upper extension portion extending from an upper end of the joint, and a lower extension portion extending from a lower end of the joint, and the extension directions of both the upper extension portion and the lower extension portion are inclined so that they point upward the further away from the joint.

[0008] The upper end position of the base of a human ear is higher than the region of the face facing the mask body, that is, the region including the nose and mouth and not covering the eyes. For example, if a line is drawn from the lateral end of the mask body to the ear, the line will be inclined upward as it moves away from the mask body. Therefore, no matter how the ear hooks are hung on the ears, the ear hooks will extend at an incline upward as they move away from the mask body while the mask is being worn. Therefore, as in the case of a mask according to the prior art, when the extension direction of the upper extension portion and the lower extension portion (which may be simply referred to as the extension portion) that extend laterally from the joint portion joined to the mask body of the ear hooks is inclined downward as it moves away from the joint portion (moves away from the mask body), it is necessary to pull the extension portion of the ear hooks upward relative to the mask body. This pulling makes it easy for distortion to occur in the extension portion near the joint portion between the ear hooks and the mask body (near the joint portion). Although the distortion may be transformed into a force that presses the mask body against the skin at the distortion location, the force with which the ear loops pull the mask body in the lateral direction is likely to be interrupted at the distortion location, and is difficult to transmit to the lateral center of the mask body. As a result, the lateral main region of the mask body (region other than the end region) becomes loose, and the positioning of the main region of the mask body may become unstable.

[0009] In contrast, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the extension directions of the upper and lower extension parts (sometimes simply referred to as extension parts) of the ear loops extending from the joint part joined to the mask body are both inclined with respect to the lateral direction so that the further they are from the joint part, the more upward. Since the direction of this inclination of the extension parts in this aspect is along the normal extension direction (described above) of the ear loops while wearing the mask, the wearer does not need to pull the ear loops up relative to the mask body when wearing the mask, and distortion does not occur or is reduced near the joint part between the ear loops and the mask body. In this way, the interruption of the force with which the ear loops pull the mask body in the lateral direction at the distortion part is reduced or eliminated, so that the ear loops can sufficiently pull the mask body in the lateral direction, and the main lateral area of ​​the mask body can be stably positioned at the desired position.

[0010] In a second aspect of the present invention, an angle that the extension direction of the upper extension portion makes with respect to the lateral direction is larger than an angle that the extension direction of the lower extension portion makes with respect to the lateral direction.

[0011] The shape of the part of the face where the mask body is placed is generally curved so that the center in the vertical direction protrudes and the center in the horizontal direction protrudes, so that when the mask is worn, the mask body also deforms along the shape of the face. More specifically, the upper edge of the mask body deforms upward toward the horizontal center and downward toward the horizontal end. On the other hand, the lower edge of the mask body deforms downward toward the horizontal center and downward toward the horizontal end. Therefore, in a configuration in which the extension direction of the extension part of the ear hook part is inclined so that it faces downward as it is farther away from the mask body as in the conventional technology, the distortion of the upper extension part at the upper edge of the mask body when worn (the distortion near the joint part with the mask body) becomes even larger by the amount of deformation of the mask body itself. In order to offset such deformation of the mask body, it is preferable that the degree of inclination of the extension direction of the upper extension part is relatively large. In contrast, the distortion of the lower extension portion at the lower edge of the mask body when worn (distortion near the joint with the mask body) is alleviated by the above-mentioned deformation of the mask body itself and does not become very large. Therefore, the degree of inclination of the extension direction of the lower extension portion may be relatively small. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, by making the angle that the extension direction of the upper extension portion makes with the horizontal direction larger than the angle that the extension direction of the lower extension portion makes with the horizontal direction, the effect of eliminating the distortion of the extension portion as described above can be obtained in accordance with the deformation of the mask body when worn.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, the ear hook portion has an easy-to-stretch portion that easily stretches in the horizontal direction and a difficult-to-stretch portion that is difficult to stretch in the horizontal direction, and the lateral extension length of the easy-to-stretch portion included in the lower extension portion is shorter than the lateral extension length of the easy-to-stretch portion included in the upper extension portion.

[0013] According to the third aspect, the horizontal extension length of the easily stretchable portion included in the lower extension portion is longer than the horizontal extension length of the easily stretchable portion included in the upper extension portion, so that the lower extension portion can be stretched within a larger length range than the upper extension portion. As a result, even if an ear hook portion that is short in the horizontal direction is used relative to the size of the wearer's face (even if the mask is a tight size for the wearer), the stress caused by the lower extension portion being pulled is small, so that the wearer is less likely to feel the tightness caused by the lower extension portion, and thus excessive adhesion on the side of the lower edge portion of the mask body that is pulled horizontally by the lower extension portion can be avoided. In general, many wearers want the upper edge portion of the mask body to be relatively tightly attached, but the lower edge portion of the mask body not to be so tightly attached, and rather want some space to be left. According to this aspect, it is possible to meet such wearer's demands.

[0014] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the upper extension portion protrudes from an upper edge of the mask body in a plan view.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect, when the ear loops are deployed laterally outward when wearing the mask, the deployment action can be performed by holding the protruding part of the upper extension part without touching the mask body, which is preferable from the viewpoint of hygiene. Also, since the ear loops protrude from the upper edge, when the mask body is placed on the face and then the ear loops are deployed laterally outward, the position of the ear loops can be immediately confirmed with the naked eye even when the outer surface of the mask body is not visible when the mask body is placed on the face.

[0016] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the ear hook portion is made of a material obtained by sandwiching an elastic film in a stretched state between two surface materials and intermittently bonding the film to the surface materials.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to obtain a highly stretchable ear loop. Also, since pleats are formed in the surface material, the contact area between the surface material and the skin is reduced, improving the feel of the ear loop when it comes into contact with the skin. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mask can be provided that provides stable arrangement of the lateral main regions of the mask body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a mask according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outer surface side. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a line II cut in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 13 is a plan view showing the ear hook portion after it has been unfolded. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the mask shown in FIG. 1 is worn. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an easy-to-stretch portion and a hard-to-stretch portion in FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of easy-to-stretch portions and hard-to-stretch portions utilizing differences in fusion patterns. [Figure 8] 8A to 8C are enlarged views of different fusion patterns of the ear hook portion shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] <Basic mask configuration> One embodiment of the present invention may be a mask that can cover the face of the wearer, more specifically, at least the nose and mouth of the wearer. The mask according to this embodiment may have the function of preventing foreign objects from reaching the face and preventing droplets emitted by the wearer from scattering, and is also called a sanitary mask or a surgical mask. The mask may be disposable or may be reusable by washing.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the mask 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the mask 1 from the outside, that is, from the side of the surface exposed to the outside when worn (the side opposite to the side facing the face). As shown in FIG. 1, the mask 1 according to this embodiment includes a mask body 10 that is placed in front of the wearer's face when worn and can cover mainly the wearer's nose and mouth, and a pair of sheet-like ear hooks 20, 20 joined to end regions 11, 11 of the mask body 10. The ear hooks 20, 20 are a pair of members that hold the mask body 10 in its worn position by hanging them on the wearer's ears. The mask 1 and the mask body 10 have an up-down direction (vertical direction) D1 that corresponds to the up-down direction of the wearer's face when worn, and a left-right direction (horizontal direction) D2 that is perpendicular to the vertical direction D1 and corresponds to the left-right direction of the wearer's face when worn.

[0023] The mask body 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a rectangular shape in plan view with long sides in the horizontal direction D2 before use, but the shape of the mask body 10 in plan view is not limited to that shown in the figure. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the mask body 10 has a pleat structure 15 formed by a plurality of pleats arranged in a vertical direction D1. The pleats of the pleat structure 15 are formed by folding the sheet constituting the mask body 10 at a folding line along the horizontal direction D2. Then, in a state in which a plurality of pleats are formed, both ends of the mask body 10 in the horizontal direction D2 are fixed by heat sealing or the like. Therefore, when the mask 1 is used, the pleats of the pleat structure 15 near the center of the mask 1 in the horizontal direction D2 can be spread in the vertical direction D1 (see also FIG. 5). Thereby, the mask body 10 can be deformed to fit the three-dimensional shape of the face. More specifically, the mask body can be deformed so that the center in the vertical direction D1 of the mask body is curved to protrude and the center in the horizontal direction D2 is curved to protrude. Furthermore, the upper edge 13U of the mask body deforms upward as it approaches the center in the horizontal direction D2 and downward as it approaches the end of the horizontal direction D2, and the lower edge 13L of the mask body deforms downward as it approaches the center in the horizontal direction D2 and upward as it approaches the end of the horizontal direction D2.

[0024] The specific configuration of the pleat structure 15 is not particularly limited and may be a known configuration formed on the mask body 10. However, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that a box pleat is formed in the center of the vertical direction D1, because this makes it easier to protrude the center of the mask body 10 in the vertical direction D1 away from the face when worn.

[0025] The mask body 10 may have a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated. For example, the mask body 10 may have a structure including at least three layers, in which an intermediate layer having an enhanced function of capturing foreign matter (dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, etc.) is sandwiched between an outer layer and an inner layer. Each layer constituting the mask body 10 preferably includes a fiber-containing layer such as a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a knitted fabric, and more preferably includes a nonwoven fabric. Examples of the nonwoven fabric include spunbond nonwoven fabric, spunlace nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, air-through nonwoven fabric, and point-bonded nonwoven fabric. In addition, it is preferable to use a meltblown nonwoven fabric that may contain fine fibers for the intermediate layer. In addition, the fiber constituting the fiber-containing layer is preferably a resin fiber, and examples of the resin type of the resin fiber include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and nylon. The basis weight of the outer layer and the inner layer is 15 to 50 g / m 2 The intermediate layer having a high foreign matter collecting property may have a basis weight of 10 to 100 g / m 2 It is preferable that the thickness is 15 to 50 g / m 2 It is more preferable that:

[0026] A member (nose fit) 30 for adjusting the shape of the mask to the shape of the wearer's nose and maintaining the shape may be provided on the upper part of the mask body 10. This member may be disposed, for example, between the folded layer formed by folding the inner layer of the mask body 10 outward and the intermediate layer.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are formed in a sheet shape, not in a string or thread shape, that is, as a member having a width larger than its thickness. The ear hooks 20 are annular (including both closed and open annular shapes), and when worn, the wearer's ears can be placed inside the ring of the ear hooks 20, i.e., in the central opening 29 of the ear hooks 20, so that the ear hooks 20 can be hung on the ears. As described above, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are sheet-shaped, so that when the ear hooks 20 are hung on the ears when wearing the mask, a larger area of ​​contact can be made with the skin on the back side of the earlobe or the skin around the base of the ear, reducing the burden on the skin. Therefore, the mask 1 can be worn comfortably for a long time.

[0028] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are formed in a single sheet, that is, as an ear hook sheet 20A. Here, the single sheet refers to a form consisting of one continuous sheet. This single sheet may be a single layer, or may be a laminate in which multiple layers are stacked. By forming the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 in a single sheet, the positioning of the ear hooks 20, 20 can be performed simultaneously during manufacturing, making it easier to manufacture the mask. However, in this embodiment, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 do not necessarily have to be joined together.

[0029] When the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are formed as an ear hook sheet 20A, the ear hook sheet 20A may be configured so that the pair of separated ear hooks 20, 20 can be formed by breaking it at a predetermined position. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are connected at a connecting portion 28. The connecting form of the connecting portion 28 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the connecting portion 28 is a connecting portion that can be separated by pulling it with a normal force of the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 28 may be formed as a perforation having alternating tie portions and cut portions. The connecting portion 28 may be formed by reducing the thickness of the sheet or by other means to weaken the boundary between the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 or to make it easier to apply stress. The connecting portion 28 may also be configured so that the user can cut it with a tool such as scissors.

[0030] The ear hooks 20, 20 (or the ear hook sheet 20A) may be made of a material that is stretchable, at least in the lateral direction D2. The ear hooks 20, 20 having stretchability allow the user to easily pull the ear hooks 20, 20 behind the ears and hang them over the ears when putting on the mask, and the mask body 10 is also pulled toward the ear hooks 20, 20 (in the lateral direction D2) by the tensile stress generated in the ear hooks 20, 20 when putting on the mask (while wearing it), making it easier to fit the mask body 10 to the face.

[0031] The ear hook part 20 may be a single-layer sheet made of a material having elasticity, or may be a multi-layer sheet made of a laminate of multiple layers including a layer made of an elastic material. The elastic material may be an elastic nonwoven fabric, an elastic film, or a thread-like or string-like elastic member such as rubber thread. When an elastic nonwoven fabric is included, the elasticity of the nonwoven fabric may be expressed by the nonwoven fabric containing elastic fibers, for example, the fiber material itself having elasticity or the fiber being a crimped fiber. Alternatively, the elasticity may be expressed by a predetermined physical structure, for example, by having an uneven surface. Specific examples of elastic nonwoven fabrics include shrinkable air-through nonwoven fabrics, elastic spunbond nonwoven fabrics, elastic spunlace nonwoven fabrics, elastic needle punch nonwoven fabrics, and elastic chemical bond nonwoven fabrics.

[0032] As for the material of the ear hook part 20, a configuration including a stretchable film, particularly a configuration in which surface materials are arranged on both sides of a stretchable film in a stretched state, is preferred because it is easy to manufacture and has high stretchability. In this case, examples of the configuration include nonwoven fabric / stretchable film, nonwoven fabric / stretchable film / nonwoven fabric (for example, spunbond nonwoven fabric / stretchable film / spunbond nonwoven fabric, air-through nonwoven fabric / stretchable film / air-through nonwoven fabric, etc.).

[0033] Examples of materials for the stretchable film include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyurethane. The stretchability of the stretchable film is preferably such that the maximum elongation rate (elongation rate at tensile break) is 3.5 to 4.0 as measured by a tensile tester. The stretchable film may also have a moisture permeable function. In the case of a configuration using a stretchable film, the surface material combined with the stretchable film is preferably a nonwoven fabric. The basis weight of such a nonwoven fabric is preferably 5 to 50 g / m 2 , more preferably 8 to 35 g / m 2 It may be.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of line II in FIG. 1 when the ear hook part 20 has a structure in which surface materials are arranged on both sides of the elastic film. FIG. 2(a) shows the ear hook part 20 in an unstretched state. For example, such a material is manufactured as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 2(b), a predetermined external tensile force T is applied to the elastic film 5 to pull it in a predetermined direction and put it in a stretched state, and a first surface material 2 and a second surface material 3 are arranged on both sides (first surface and second surface) of the elastic film 5, respectively. Then, while maintaining the stretched state of the elastic film 5, a plurality of fixing parts 8, 8, ... are intermittently formed on the laminate formed by stacking the second surface material 3, the elastic film 5, and the first surface material 2. After that, the external tensile force T is released, and the ear hook part 20 in the state shown in FIG. 2(a) can be obtained.

[0035] The state shown in Figure 2(a) is the unstretched state where no external force is applied to the ear hook portion 20, or the natural state where it has its natural length. In the unstretched state, the length of the stretchable film 5 returns to its natural length, so that the portions other than those joined by the multiple fixing portions 8, 8, ... rise up and away from the stretchable film 5, forming wrinkles (folds) in the first surface material 2 and the second surface material 3 which were flat in the stretched state (Figure 2(b)). Thus, the folds are formed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the ear hook portion 20 stretches.

[0036] The fixing parts 8, 8, ... can be formed by using a fusing means such as ultrasonic sealing or heat sealing, or an adhesive, etc., but it is preferable to use a fusing means because it allows for more reliable joining. In particular, it is more preferable to use ultrasonic sealing because it allows for easy formation of various fusing patterns. By using ultrasonic sealing, the first surface material 2, the stretchable film 5, and the second surface material 3 can be fixed at the same position at the same time. In addition, by making the first surface material 2, the stretchable film 5, and the second surface material 3 all contain a thermoplastic resin or be made of a thermoplastic resin, the fixing parts (fusing parts) 8, 8, ... can be fusing the contacting layers to each other by a fusing means, and the three layers can be integrated at that position. In addition, depending on the forming conditions of the fusing parts, through holes may be formed in the fusing parts 8, 8, ... or the fusing parts 8, 8, ... may become through holes. In that case, the breathability of the ear hook part 20 (ear hook sheet 20A) can be improved. The fusing pattern will be described in detail later.

[0037] When rubber thread is used instead of the elastic film, the rubber thread can be similarly stretched and sandwiched between the surface materials 2, 3. In that case, however, it is preferable to form the fixing parts 8, 8, ... by using a means that does not deteriorate the rubber thread, such as an adhesive, or to fuse the surface materials 2, 3 together at a position where there is no rubber thread.

[0038] When the stretchable ear loops 20 (or ear loop sheet 20A) formed as described above is joined to the mask body 10, the stretch direction (extension direction) of the stretchable film 5 is aligned with the horizontal direction D2 of the mask 1. Therefore, the ear loops 20 are configured to easily stretch in the horizontal direction D2 but not easily stretch in the vertical direction D1.

[0039] Furthermore, the above-mentioned wrinkles formed by the surface materials 2, 3 on the surface of the ear hook 20 (or ear hook sheet 20A) extend approximately along the longitudinal direction D1 of the mask 1. Due to the formation of numerous folds on the surface of the ear hook 20, when the surface of the ear hook 20 comes into contact with the skin, the material of the ear hook 20 does not come into contact with the entire surface of the skin, but a space is formed between the ear hook 20 and the skin, reducing the feeling of the ear hook sticking to the skin and improving the fit.

[0040] The overall weight of the ear hook portion 20 (ear hook portion sheet 20A) is 20 to 150 g / m 2 The overall thickness of the ear hook portion 20 in a non-stretched state may be 100 to 3,000 μm.

[0041] A pair of sheet-like ear hooks 20, 20 (or ear hook sheets 20) are overlaid on one surface of the mask body 10 and joined to both end regions 11, 11 of the surface in the horizontal direction D2. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the ear hooks 20, 20 are overlaid on the outer surface of the mask body 10 and joined. In the ear hooks 20, the portion joined to the mask body 10 is called a joint 21, and the other portion is called a free portion 22 (Fig. 1). When the ear hooks 20 are in the shape of a closed ring, as shown in Fig. 1, the joint 21 is a portion that extends continuously in the vertical direction D1.

[0042] The ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 can be joined by, for example, a means for melting at least the surfaces of the materials of the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 to fuse the opposing surfaces of the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 together (fusing means), such as heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc. Alternatively, the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 may be joined by an adhesive or other mechanical joining means that does not involve melting of the material. When the materials of the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 are thermoplastic resins, it is preferable to use heat sealing, since the two are easily fused together and more reliable joining is possible.

[0043] In the end regions 11, 11, the area where the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 are joined is preferably formed continuously along the vertical direction D1, preferably from the upper end to the lower end of the ear hooks 20 in the vertical direction D1. The joint between the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 may be formed linearly along the vertical direction D1, but it is preferable that it has a certain width from the viewpoint of improving the adhesive strength. The width of the joint area between the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 in the horizontal direction D2 may be preferably 3 to 15 mm, more preferably 4 to 12 mm.

[0044] The ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 may be joined by continuous fusion within the joining range, or multiple small joining portions where the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 are joined may be formed at intervals from each other, as shown in FIG. 1. The latter configuration is preferable because it ensures a balance between flexibility and adhesive strength. The shape of the small joining portions is not limited to the square shown in FIG. 1, but may be a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle other than a square, a polygon other than a rectangle, a heart, a star, or other shape. The small joining portions may be formed as multiple lines, a grid, a crosshatch, or the like extending in the vertical direction D1 or the horizontal direction D2.

[0045] <How to use the mask> When starting to use the mask 1 according to this embodiment, the user opens (deploys) each of the ear hooks 20, 20 to the side in the lateral direction D2 before wearing the mask 1. When the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are separably connected to each other at the connecting portion 28 as described above, the connection is released and the ear hooks 20, 20 are separated from each other before deployment.

[0046] Figure 3 shows the ear loops 20, 20 of the mask 1 in Figure 1 after being unfolded. After the ear loops 20, 20 are unfolded outward in the lateral direction D2, the ear loops 20, 20 are turned inside out, and the surfaces of the ear loops 20, 20 that faced the mask body 10 before use are exposed. In addition, almost the entire main region 12 of the mask body 10 (the region other than the end regions 11, 11) is also exposed.

[0047] 1 and 3, in this embodiment, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are disposed on the outer surface of the mask body 10. Therefore, when the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are separated from each other and opened outward in the lateral direction D2, the possibility of touching the inner surface of the mask body 10 can be reduced or eliminated, which is preferable from a hygienic point of view.

[0048] The mask 1 according to this embodiment can be used, for example, as follows. The mask 1 before the ear hooks 20, 20 are deployed is placed on the wearer's own face so that the inner surface of the mask body 10 faces the face. Next, while holding the mask body 10 from the outer surface with one hand, one ear hook 20 is deployed with the other hand to hang it on one ear, and the other ear hook 20 is further deployed to hang it on the other ear. Alternatively, when the wearer is another person, the mask 1 may be placed with the outer surface of the mask body 10 facing up, and the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 may be grasped with the hands and opened outward in the lateral direction D2, and the mask 1 may be moved to the wearer's face while grasping the pair of ear hooks 20, 20. Then, after the mask body 10 is placed in a desired position on the other person's face, the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 can be hung on the other person's ears without changing the way of holding it. Therefore, the mask 1 according to this embodiment can be suitably used when the mask is to be worn by people who have difficulty wearing a mask by themselves, such as children or sick people.

[0049] In this embodiment, a pair of ear hooks 20, 20 are respectively joined to the end regions 11, 11 of the outer surface of the mask body 10 in the lateral direction D2 (FIGS. 1 and 3). Therefore, when the mask 1 is worn, that is, when the ear hooks 20, 20 are opened to the side and hung on the ears, the end regions of the mask body 10 are pressed from the outer surface side toward the face by the ear hooks 20. This makes it possible to reduce the gap between the mask body 10 and the face at both sides of the mask body 10, improving the mask's functions, such as the function of blocking foreign matter and the function of preventing droplets emitted by the wearer from scattering. In addition, since the ear hooks 20 are not joined to the inner surface side (face side) of both sides of the mask body 10, the ear hooks 20 do not directly contact the wearer's face at both sides of the mask body 10 while wearing it, and discomfort caused by the edges of the ear hooks touching the face is also reduced.

[0050] <Specific shape of ear hook> (Shapes of upper and lower extensions) As shown in Fig. 1, each of the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 includes a joint 21 joined to the end regions 11, 11 of the mask body 10 in the horizontal direction D2, and a free portion 22 which is a portion other than the joint 21 and is lifted and turned inside out when the ear hooks 20 are deployed. The free portion 22 has an open C-shape at the end region 11 side in the horizontal direction D2 before deployment. When the ear hooks 20 are shaped like an open ring, the joint 21 of the ear hooks 20 may be interrupted near the center in the vertical direction D1, and the ear hooks 20 may be joined to the mask body 10 at the top and bottom in the vertical direction D1.

[0051] The overall shape of the ear hook part 20 may be, for example, a substantially square shape (preferably a rectangle). The shape of the ear hook part 20 may also be a polygon other than a square, a circle, an ellipse, etc. The shape of the ear hook part 20 shown in FIG. 4 can be said to be a substantially square shape. In this case, the joint part 21 of the ear hook part 20 may correspond to one side of the square, and the free part 22 may be a part corresponding to the remaining three sides of the square. The ear hook part 20 may also have small irregularities formed on the inner peripheral edge and / or the outer peripheral edge, and for example, the contour of the inner peripheral edge and / or the outer peripheral edge may be wavy.

[0052] The free portion 22 includes an upper extension portion 23U extending from the joint portion 21 above the free portion 22, and a lower extension portion 23L extending from the joint portion 21 below the free portion 22. More specifically, the upper extension portion 23U is a portion extending from an edge of the joint portion 21 in the horizontal direction D2, and the lower extension portion 23L is a portion extending from an edge of the joint portion 21 in the horizontal direction D2. The upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L are connected by a behind-the-ear arrangement portion 24 extending generally in the vertical direction D1 on the opposite side to the joint portion 21. The behind-the-ear arrangement portion 24 is a portion that generally faces the skin behind the earlobe or the skin around the ear when the mask is worn.

[0053] 4 shows an enlarged view of a portion including one of the ear hooks 20 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the direction in which the upper extension 23U extends from the joint 21 (extension direction) is inclined so that it faces upward as it moves away from the joint 21, and similarly, the direction in which the lower extension 23L extends from the joint 21 (extension direction) is also inclined so that it faces upward as it moves away from the joint 21. Here, the "extension direction" of the upper extension 23L and the lower extension 23L (collectively may be simply referred to as the extension) can be, for example, the angle that the outer contour, inner contour, or center line of the extension forms with the horizontal direction D2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the extension direction of the extension is an angle that the outer contour of the extension forms with the outer contour of the extension. The extension direction of the upper extension portion 23U is such that the outer contour of the upper extension portion 23U forms an angle α1 with the horizontal direction D2, and the outer contour of the lower extension portion 23L forms an angle α2 with the horizontal direction D2. The position that defines the extension direction of the extension portion may be the base portion of the extension portion, i.e., the boundary between the joint portion 21 and the extension portion (free portion 22) or a position in the vicinity thereof, but when the shape of the base portion is deformed, for example, to improve strength, for example, when the ring width is increased, it is preferable to define the extension direction of the extension portion at a position excluding (a position beyond) the expanded portion of the ring width.

[0054] Due to the structure of the human face, the upper end position of the base of the human ear, where the ear hooks of the mask are hung, is located above (higher than) the area of ​​the face facing the mask body. Therefore, no matter how the ear hooks are hung on the ears, the ear hooks will extend at an incline so that the further they are from the mask body, the more upward they will extend while wearing the mask. Therefore, for example, the ear hooks will be pulled upward relative to the mask body when worn. At this time, if the extension direction of the extension part is inclined downward as it is further away from the joint part (the further away it is from the mask body) as in the conventional technology, the extension part will be pulled upward and the root part of the extension part will be easily distorted. Such distortion can be changed into a force that presses the lateral end area of ​​the mask body against the skin, so it is preferable from the viewpoint of ensuring adhesion at the lateral end area of ​​the mask body. However, the force with which the ear hooks pull the mask body in the lateral direction is easily interrupted at the point where distortion occurs, and it becomes difficult to transmit to the lateral center of the mask body. This may result in looseness in the main region of the mask body in the lateral direction (region other than the end regions), causing the positioning of the main region of the mask body to become unstable.

[0055] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the extension directions of the upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L (extension portion) of the ear hook portion 20 extending from the joint portion 21 joined to the mask body 10 are both inclined with respect to the horizontal direction D2, and the inclination becomes more upward as it moves away from the joint portion 21. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the ear hook portions 20, 20 are deployed outward in the horizontal direction D2 on a plane, the extension portions 23U, 23L of the ear hook portions 20, 20 both extend in a direction (arrows A1, A2) that moves more upward as it moves outward in the horizontal direction D2. In this embodiment, the inclination direction of the extension portions 23U, 23L is along the normal extension direction of the ear hook portion 20 while wearing the mask (the extension direction from the mask body 10 toward the ears described above), so that the wearer does not need to pull up the ear hook portion 20 relative to the mask body 10 when wearing the mask, or does not need to pull it up significantly. Therefore, the above-mentioned distortion near the joint between the ear hooks 20 and the mask body 10 does not occur or is reduced. Then, the force of the ear hooks 20 pulling the mask body 10 in the lateral direction D2 is suppressed or eliminated from being interrupted due to distortion. That is, it can be said that the extension direction of the extensions 23U, 23L in this embodiment reduces or eliminates distortion at the base of the extensions 23U, 23L. As a result, the force of the ear hooks 20 pulling the mask body 10 in the lateral direction D2 is also transmitted to the main region 12 of the mask body 10, so excessive loosening of the main region 12 is suppressed, and the main region 12 can be stably positioned at the desired position.

[0056] 4, the angle α1 that the extension direction of the upper extension portion 23U makes with the lateral direction D2 is larger than the angle α2 that the extension direction of the lower extension portion 23L makes with the lateral direction D2. With this configuration, the distortion at the base portions of the extension portions 23U and 23L as described above can be effectively eliminated as described below.

[0057] When worn, the mask body 10 deforms to fit the shape of the face. The general shape of the face is convex at the center in the vertical direction D1 and the center in the horizontal direction D2, so the mask body 10 deforms to fit this shape. Furthermore, at that time, the upper edge of the mask body 10 (edge ​​including the upper edge 13U) deforms upward toward the center in the horizontal direction D2 and downward toward the end in the horizontal direction D2. On the other hand, the lower edge of the mask body 10 (edge ​​including the upper edge 13U) deforms downward toward the center in the horizontal direction D2 and downward toward the end in the horizontal direction D2. This type of deformation occurs even when the mask body 10 does not have a pleat structure 15, but is more noticeable when the mask body 10 has a pleat structure 15. Here, FIG. 5 illustrates the deformation state of the mask body 10 and the ear hooks 20 when worn (only one of the ear hooks 20 is shown). As shown in FIG. 5, by opening the pleats of the mask body 10 in the vertical direction D1, the mask body 10 undergoes a large deformation as described above and assumes a shape that closely matches the shape of the face.

[0058] Due to the deformation of the mask body 10 when worn, the end region 11 of the upper edge of the mask body 10 and its vicinity are inclined downward with respect to the lateral direction D2 as they move outward in the lateral direction D2 (arrow B1 in FIG. 5). Due to the deformation that causes such an inclination, the distortion of the base portion of the upper extension portion 23U described above becomes even greater when the ear hook portion 20 is hung on the ear. In order to offset this deformation, it is preferable to make the angle α1 (FIG. 4) that the extension direction of the upper extension portion 23U makes with the lateral direction D2 relatively large so that the extension direction (arrow A1) of the upper extension portion 23U is more upwardly oriented. On the other hand, the end region 11 of the lower edge of the mask body 10 and its vicinity are inclined upward with respect to the lateral direction D2 as they move outward in the lateral direction D2 (arrow B2 in FIG. 5). As a result, the distortion of the base portion of the lower extension portion 23L is alleviated by the deformation of the mask body 10 itself, in contrast to the distortion in the upper extension portion 23U. Therefore, it is preferable to make the angle α2 (FIG. 4) that the extension direction of the lower extension portion 23L makes with the lateral direction D2 relatively small, so that the extension direction (arrow A2) of the lower extension portion 23L is inclined slightly with respect to the lateral direction D2. Therefore, by making the angle α1 larger than the angle α2, the effect of eliminating the distortion of the extension portion can be effectively obtained in both the upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L.

[0059] For both the upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L, the angle that the extension direction of the extension portion forms with the horizontal direction D2 may be 3 to 40°. However, the angle α1 that the extension direction of the upper extension portion 23U forms with the horizontal direction D2 may be preferably 15 to 40°, more preferably 20 to 35°. The angle α2 that the extension direction of the upper extension portion 23L forms with the horizontal direction D2 may be preferably 3 to 20°, more preferably 5 to 15°. The difference between the angle α1 and the angle α2 (α1-α2) may be preferably 10 to 30°, more preferably 15 to 25°. This allows the distortion of the root portion of the extension portion to be appropriately eliminated in accordance with the deformation of the upper and lower edges of the mask body 10, even when the mask body 10 itself is significantly deformed as described above, especially when the mask body 10 is significantly deformed due to the presence of the pleat structure 15.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, each of the ear hooks 20, 20 has a protruding portion (also called a gripping portion) 25, 25 protruding from the upper end edge 13U of the mask body 10 before deployment. When deploying the ear hooks 20, 20 outward in the lateral direction D2, the user can pinch the protruding portions 25, 25 and pull the ear hooks 20, 20 to open them. This allows the pair of ear hooks 20, 20 to be separated and deployed without touching or barely touching the mask body 10 itself, i.e., either the outer surface or the inner surface of the mask body 10. Therefore, even in a situation where the user cannot pay sufficient attention to the hygiene of his / her hands, the mask 1 can be worn by himself / herself or by another person in a well-hygienic state. In addition, for example, when the user follows a wearing procedure in which the ear hooks are deployed outward in the lateral direction after the mask body is placed on the face, it is advantageous that the ear hooks 20 protrude from the upper end edge 13U in a plan view before deployment. For example, even when the mask body 10 is placed against the face and the outer surface of the mask body 10 is not visible, the ear hooks 20, 20 are visible above the mask body 10, so that the position of the ear hooks 20, 20 can be immediately confirmed with the naked eye and can be easily grasped.

[0061] The protruding degree of the protruding portion 25, for example, the length in the vertical direction D1 from the upper edge 13U to the apex 25t of the protruding portion 25, may be preferably 5 to 20 mm, and more preferably 8 to 15 mm.

[0062] (Easy-to-stretch and difficult-to-stretch parts) In this embodiment, one ear hook 20, specifically the free portion 22 of the ear hook 20, may have an easy-to-stretch portion that is a portion that easily stretches in the horizontal direction D2, and a difficult-to-stretch portion that is a portion that does not easily stretch in the horizontal direction D2. The formation of such an easy-to-stretch portion and a difficult-to-stretch portion in the free portion 22 is possible by constructing the ear hook 20, 20, or the ear hook sheet 20A from a material having uniaxial stretchability. For example, in the case of the ear hook sheet 20A having stretchability in the horizontal direction D2, the portion of the free portion 22 that contains a large component in the horizontal direction D2 and a large component in the vertical direction D1 becomes an easy-to-stretch portion that easily stretches, and the portion that contains a small component in the horizontal direction D2 and a large component in the vertical direction D1 becomes a difficult-to-stretch portion that does not easily stretch. In addition, the easy-to-stretch portion and the difficult-to-stretch portion may be formed by changing the configuration of the ear hook 20 or the ear hook sheet 20A within the sheet.

[0063] Fig. 6 shows an example of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E (shown by cross-hatching) and the hard-to-stretch portion 22N of the ear hook portion 20 in the mask 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L each include the easy-to-stretch portion 22E. The easy-to-stretch portion 22E and the hard-to-stretch portion 22N shown in Fig. 5 can be formed by changing the structure of the ear hook portion 20 or the ear hook sheet 20A during production (described in detail later).

[0064] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the extension length of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E included in the lower extension portion 23L in the lateral direction D2 is longer than the extension length of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E included in the upper extension portion 23U in the lateral direction D2. This allows the lower extension portion 23L to be stretched over a larger length range than the upper extension portion 23U. This makes it possible to reduce the stress caused by the pulling of the lower extension portion 23L even if the extension portion of the ear hook portion 20 is short compared to the size of the wearer's face, making it difficult for the wearer to feel the tightening caused by the lower extension portion 23L, and thus to avoid excessive adhesion on the side of the lower edge 13L of the mask body 10, which is pulled in the lateral direction D2 by the lower extension portion 23L. In general, many wearers tend to want the upper edge 13U side of the mask body 10 to be relatively tightly attached, but not so tightly attached on the side of the lower edge 13L of the mask body 10, and rather to have some space. That is, by making the upper side of the mask body 10 tightly adherent and the lower side slightly loosely adherent, the mask is often highly evaluated by the wearer in terms of comfort or fit while wearing the mask. Therefore, a mask that is highly evaluated in terms of fit can be obtained by the relationship between the extension length in the lateral direction D2 of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E included in the lower extension portion 23L according to this embodiment and the extension length in the lateral direction D2 of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E included in the upper extension portion 23U. In addition, in combination with the effect of stably arranging the main region 12 in the lateral direction D2 of the mask body 10 at a desired position, which is brought about by the characteristics of the extension direction of the upper extension portion 23U and the lower extension portion 23L, an overall excellent fit can be obtained.

[0065] The ratio of the extension length in the lateral direction D2 of the easily stretchable portion 22E included in the upper extending portion 23U to the length in the lateral direction D2 of the free portion 22 may be preferably 55 to 80%, more preferably 60 to 75%. Also, the ratio of the extension length in the lateral direction D2 of the easily stretchable portion 22E included in the lower extending portion 23L to the length in the lateral direction D2 of the free portion 22 may be preferably 60 to 85%, more preferably 70 to 80%.

[0066] An example of the formation of the easy-to-stretch portion 22E and the hard-to-stretch portion 22N in this embodiment will be described in more detail. As described above with reference to FIG. 2, the ear hook portion 20 or the ear hook sheet 20A according to this embodiment preferably has stretchability in one direction, the horizontal direction D2, and is more preferably made of a material obtained by sandwiching the stretchable film 5 in a stretched state between two surface materials and intermittently bonding it to the surface materials 2 and 3. Furthermore, the stretchability of the ear hook portion 20 or the ear hook sheet 20A in the horizontal direction D2 can be configured to be different along the vertical direction D1 during the manufacturing stage of the ear hook portion 20 or the ear hook sheet 20A. For example, FIG. 7 shows the state of the ear hook portions 20, 20 (ear hook sheet 20A) of the mask 1 shown in FIG. 6 before being bonded to the mask body 10 (the outer shape of the mask body 10 is shown by a dashed line). As shown in FIG. 7, the ear hook portions 20, 20 (ear hook sheet 20A) have a region R1 on the upper side in the vertical direction D1. A , area R1 below vertical direction D1 B , region R1 A and region R1 B Among the regions with different elasticity shown in FIG. 7, region R1 may have region R2 between them. A , R1 B The region R1 can correspond to the easy-to-stretch portion 22E (FIG. 6), and the region R2 can correspond to the hard-to-stretch portion 22N (FIG. 6).

[0067] area R1 A , R1 B The difference between region R1 and region R2 is due to the difference in the arrangement (pattern) of the fused parts 8, 8, ... in plan view when the stretchable film 5 in the stretched state is sandwiched between two surface materials to intermittently form the fused parts 8, 8, ... on the surface materials 2, 3 in the manufacturing process of the material for the ear hooks 20, 20 (ear hook sheet 20A) (Fig. 2). More specifically, when the ear hook sheet 20A is manufactured, it is cut along a line along the vertical direction D1 from a long ear hook sheet strip that is continuous in the horizontal direction D2, and is further punched into the shape of the ear hook sheet 20A. Therefore, if the fusion patterns of the fused parts 8, 8, ... in plan view (Fig. 2) are made different in the vertical direction D1 at the stage of manufacturing the ear hook sheet strip before cutting and punching, the difference in the fusion patterns in the vertical direction D1 of the ear hooks 20, 20 can be obtained relatively easily.

[0068] In plan view, area R1 A , R1 B The pitch between the fused portions 8, 8, ... in the region R1 is smaller than the pitch between the fused portions 8, 8, ... in the region R2, at least in the horizontal direction D2. A , R1 B In region R1, the fused portions 8, 8, . . . are sparsely formed, whereas in region R2, the fused portions 8, 8, .

[0069] In Fig. 8(a), the area R1 A , R1 B FIG. 8(b) shows an example of a pattern of fused parts 8, 8, ... in a plan view in region R1, and FIG. 8(b) shows an example of a pattern of fused parts 8, 8, ... in a plan view in region R2. The scales of FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b) are the same. As shown in FIG. 8, region R1 has a fused portion 8, 8, ... in a plan view. A , R1 B The pitch p of the fusion parts 8, 8, ... in the horizontal direction D2 x1 is the pitch p of the fused portions 8, 8, ... in the lateral direction D2 in the region R2 x2 This makes the area R1 A , R1 B has a wider stretchable range in the horizontal direction D2 than region R2, i.e., it stretches longer.

[0070] In addition, in the region R1 A , R1 B The pitch p of the fusion parts 8, 8, ... in the horizontal direction D2 x1 The pitch p of the fused portions 8, 8, ... in the transverse direction D2 in the region R2 is preferably 3 to 15 mm, and more preferably 5 to 10 mm. x2 In addition, the pitch p of the fused portions 8, 8, ... in the lateral direction D2 in the region R2 may be preferably 0.3 to 13.5 mm, and more preferably 1.25 to 7.5 mm. x2 In the region R1 A , R1 B The pitch p of the fusion parts 8, 8, ... in the horizontal direction D2 x1 The ratio value (p x2 / p x1) may be preferably 0.1 to 0.9, and more preferably 0.25 to 0.75. The above pitch is measured when the ear hook portion 20 or the ear hook portion sheet 20A is in the maximum extended state.

[0071] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The above-mentioned embodiments can be variously changed, modified, substituted, added, deleted, and combined within the scope of the claims, and these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned components can be arbitrarily combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Mask 2, 3 Surface material 5. Elastic film 8 Fusion part 10 Mask body 11. Lateral edge regions 12 Main areas 13L Bottom edge 13U 15 Pleated structure 20 Ear hook 20A Ear hook sheet 21 Joint 22 Free section 22E Easily expandable part 22N Difficult to expand / contract part 23U upper extension 23L Lower extension 25 Protruding part 25t Peak of protruding part 28 Separable joints 29 Aperture D1 Vertical (up and down) D2 Lateral direction (left / right direction)

Claims

1. A mask comprising a mask body and a pair of sheet-like ear loops respectively joined to lateral end regions of the mask body, The ear hook portion includes a joint portion joined to the mask body, an upper extension portion extending from an upper end of the joint portion, and a lower extension portion extending from a lower end of the joint portion, A mask, wherein the extending directions of the upper extension portion and the lower extension portion are both inclined upward as they move away from the joint portion.

2. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein an angle that the extension direction of the upper extension portion makes with respect to the lateral direction is larger than an angle that the extension direction of the lower extension portion makes with respect to the lateral direction.

3. The ear hook portion has an easy-to-stretch portion that easily stretches in the lateral direction and a difficult-to-stretch portion that does not easily stretch in the lateral direction, The mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a lateral extension length of the easily stretchable portion included in the lower extension portion is shorter than a lateral extension length of the easily stretchable portion included in the upper extension portion.

4. The mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper extension portion protrudes from an upper edge of the mask body in a plan view.

5. 3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ear loops are made of a material obtained by sandwiching an elastic film in a stretched state between two surface materials and intermittently bonding the film to the surface materials.

Images