Mask

Abstract

To provide a mask with which a user can grasp a bad breath condition of the user.SOLUTION: A mask 10 includes: a covering part 12 which has breathability and covers a lower half of the face of a user P; ear hook parts 14 which are provided at the right and left of the covering part 12 and are hung on ears E of the user P; and an adsorbent 20 which is arranged at least a part of the covering part 12, adsorbs a specified odor component discharged from the mouth and changes a color when an adsorbed amount of the specified odor component exceeds a threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a hygienic mask that is breathable and has a covering part that is placed over the lower half of the user's face, and ear loops provided on the left and right sides of the covering part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-125376 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Masks that are worn over the lower half of the user's face, such as those in Patent Document 1, are required to have a certain degree of breathability to reduce stuffiness and breathlessness when worn. However, breathability makes it difficult for the user to notice their own bad breath.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a mask that allows the user to understand the state of their own bad breath. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The mask described in claim 1 comprises a breathable covering portion that is placed over the lower half of the user's face, ear loops that are provided on the left and right sides of the covering portion and that are placed over the user's ears, and an adsorbent that is placed in at least a part of the covering portion and adsorbs specific odor components emitted from the mouth, and changes color when the amount of the specific odor components adsorbed exceeds a threshold.

[0007] In the mask described in claim 1, the absorbent material in the covering absorbs specific odor components excreted from the mouth and changes color when the amount absorbed exceeds a threshold. This allows the user to understand their own bad breath condition by the change in color of the absorbent material.

[0008] A mask according to a second aspect of the present invention has the configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the adsorbent contains a deodorizing component that is desorbed from the adsorbent on the condition that the specific odor component is adsorbed.

[0009] In the mask described in claim 2, the deodorizing component is released from the adsorbent under the condition that a specific odor component excreted from the user's mouth is adsorbed. This allows for simple measures to be taken against bad breath while the user is still wearing the mask if the user's bad breath condition worsens.

[0010] The mask described in claim 3 has the configuration described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the adsorbent is disposed on at least a part of the inner surface of the covering portion facing the lower half of the face, and is not disposed on the outer surface facing the outside.

[0011] In the mask according to claim 3, the adsorbent is disposed on the inner surface of the covering part, not on the outer surface, so that it is possible to prevent people around the wearer from noticing the state of bad breath.

[0012] A mask according to a fourth aspect of the present invention has the configuration according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the adsorbent includes a porous coordination polymer.

[0013] The mask described in claim 4 utilizes the properties of porous coordination polymers that allow the adsorption and desorption of specific gas molecules, etc., to provide a mask that allows the wearer to grasp their own bad breath condition by the change in color of the adsorbent. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] As described above, the mask according to the present invention allows the user to understand the state of their own bad breath. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mask according to the present embodiment is used. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the covering taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] Schematic diagrams of the porous coordination polymer contained in the adsorbent. (A) shows the state before adsorbing specific odor components excreted from the user's mouth, and (B) shows the state after adsorbing the specific odor components. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the inner surface of the covering part according to the present embodiment, illustrating the state before and after the color of the adsorbent changes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The mask 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and multiple elements may be present. Furthermore, in the drawings, substantially identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations in the specification will be omitted.

[0017] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mask 10 according to this embodiment is used. As shown in this figure, the mask 10 includes a covering portion 12 that is placed over the lower half of the face of a user P, ear loops 14 that are provided on the left and right sides of the covering portion 12 and that are placed over the left and right ears E of the user P, and an adsorbent 20 that is disposed in at least a portion of the covering portion 12.

[0018] The covering portion 12 is formed of a breathable sheet material such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric, and is configured to cover the front of the user P's mouth and nose (not shown).

[0019] The ear hooking parts 14 are formed in a string-like shape from a stretchable material such as a rubber string or the same fabric material as the covering part, and are provided at one end and the other end in the width direction (left and right direction) of the covering part 12. The ear hooking parts 14 have both ends in the extension direction joined to the ends in the width direction of the covering part 12, thereby forming a U-shaped string that is hung on the ears E of the user P.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the covering part 12 taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1. The covering part 12 has an inner surface part 12A that faces the lower half of the face of the user P when worn, and an outer surface part 12B that faces the outside.

[0021] Here, the adsorbent 20 is provided on the inner surface 12A of the covering portion 12. Note that, although an example is shown here in which the adsorbent 20 is disposed only on the inner surface 12A, this is not essential. The location of the covering portion 12 in which the adsorbent 20 is disposed can be changed as appropriate.

[0022] The adsorbent 20 is configured to adsorb specific odor components 40 (Fig. 3) excreted from the mouth and to undergo a color change when the amount of the specific odor components 40 adsorbed exceeds a threshold. The adsorbent 20 is also configured to release a deodorizing component 50 (Fig. 4) from the adsorbent 20 on the condition that the specific odor component 40 is adsorbed.

[0023] The adsorbent 20 having the above configuration includes, for example, a porous coordination polymer 30 (FIG. 3).

[0024] Here, the porous coordination polymer 30 contained in the adsorbent 20 of this embodiment will be described. Figures 3(A) and 3(B) are schematic diagrams of the porous coordination polymer 30 contained in the adsorbent 20, where Figure 3(A) shows the state before the porous coordination polymer 30 adsorbs a specific odor component 40 excreted from the mouth of a user P, and Figure 3(B) shows the state after the porous coordination polymer 30 has adsorbed the specific odor component 40.

[0025] Porous coordination polymers (PCPs) 30, also known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are materials formed by metal ions 31 and organic ligands 32 and have a highly regular lattice structure. Porous coordination polymers 30 can occlude (adsorb) particles such as gas molecules within their lattice structure and release them under specific conditions. These properties allow porous coordination polymers 30 to perform functions such as "storage" of specific gas molecules, "separation" of specific gas molecules from a gas mixture, and "transformation" using metal ions 31 in the porous coordination polymer 30 as a catalyst. It is also known that porous coordination polymers 30 can change color depending on the type of gas molecules occluded (adsorbed) within their lattice structure.

[0026] The metal ions may be extracted from inorganic metal compounds such as metal oxides or metal salts of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), zirconium (Zr), etc. The organic ligands may be those having functional groups capable of coordinating with metal atoms, such as carboxyl groups, imidazole groups, and amide groups.

[0027] The porous coordination polymer 30 of this embodiment is capable of adsorbing and separating two types of gas components, namely, a specific odor component 40 discharged from the mouth of a user P and a deodorizing component 50 that has a deodorizing effect on the odor component 40. The porous coordination polymer 30 has the property of preferentially adsorbing the odor component 40 in an atmosphere where the two types of gas, the odor component 40 and the deodorizing component 50, are mixed.

[0028] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(A), in the mask 10 before use, the adsorbent 20 arranged in the covering portion 12, that is, the porous coordination polymer 30, occludes (adsorbs) the deodorizing component 50 inside its lattice structure.

[0029] Thereafter, when the user P puts on the mask 10 and specific odor components 40 are expelled from the mouth toward the adsorbent 20, the porous coordination polymer 30 releases the deodorizing components 50 from the inside of the lattice structure and instead occludes (adsorbs) the odor components 40.

[0030] 4 shows the inner surface 12A of the covering portion 12, showing the state before and after the color change of the adsorbent 20. As shown in this figure, before using the mask 10 (i.e., in a state in which the porous coordination polymer 30 has adsorbed the deodorizing component 50), for example, the adsorbent 20 is almost colorless.

[0031] After the user P uses the mask 10, specific odor components 40 are emitted toward the adsorbent 20, and when the porous coordination polymer 30 adsorbs the odor components 40, the adsorbent 20 turns colored (e.g., red). This allows the user P to recognize from the color change of the adsorbent 20 that the specific odor components 40 that cause bad breath are being emitted from within the user's mouth. At the same time, the deodorizing component 50 is released from the adsorbent 20 of the covering portion 12, so that simply wearing the mask 10 can provide a simple deodorizing measure.

[0032] The adsorbent 20 may be arranged at a predetermined location on the covering portion 12 by, for example, supporting the powdered porous coordination polymer 30 on the fibers of the covering portion 12. Alternatively, the adsorbent 20 may be arranged at a predetermined location on the covering portion 12 by applying a mixture of the powdered porous coordination polymer 30 and a resin-based adhesive or the like as a binder.

[0033] (Action and effect) As described above, in the mask 10 according to this embodiment, the adsorbent 20 provided in the covering part 12 adsorbs specific odor components 40 emitted from the mouth of the user P, and changes color when the amount of adsorption exceeds a threshold. Therefore, the user P can understand his or her own bad breath condition by the change in color of the adsorbent 20.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deodorizing component 50 is released from the adsorbent 20 on the condition that a specific odor component 40 emitted from the mouth of the user P is adsorbed. As a result, if the user P's bad breath condition worsens, a simple bad breath countermeasure can be taken while wearing the mask 10, without having to brush their teeth or the like.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adsorbent 20 is disposed on the inner surface 12A of the covering part 12, but not on the outer surface 12B, so that it is possible to prevent people around from noticing the bad breath condition.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by utilizing the properties of the porous coordination polymer 30 that allows the adsorption and desorption of specific gas molecules, etc., a mask can be provided that allows the wearer to grasp their own bad breath condition by the change in color of the adsorbent 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10 Mask 12 Covering part 12A Inner surface 12B External part 14 Ear hook 20 Adsorbents 30 Porous coordination polymer 31 Metal ions 32 Organic Ligands 40 Odor components 50 deodorizing ingredients P user E ear

Claims

1. A breathable covering part that is placed over the lower half of the user's face; ear hooks provided on the left and right sides of the covering portion and adapted to be hung on the user's ears; an adsorbent disposed in at least a portion of the covering portion, which adsorbs specific odor components discharged from the mouth and changes color when the amount of the specific odor components adsorbed exceeds a threshold; A mask comprising:

2. The adsorbent contains a deodorizing component that is desorbed from the adsorbent on the condition that the specific odor component is adsorbed. The mask of claim 1 .

3. The adsorbent is disposed in at least a part of an inner surface portion of the covering portion facing the lower half of the face, and is not disposed in an outer surface portion facing the outside. The mask according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The adsorbent comprises a porous coordination polymer. The mask according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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