Respiratory mask and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

To provide a mask which is made of a woven fabric and can be manufactured in inexpensive cost.SOLUTION: A respiratory mask comprises a mask fabric body made of a woven fabric having a weft and a warp, and a cloth thread of the woven fabric comprises at least one thread selected from a thread including a material capable of being bent plastically and an elastic thread or a sewing thread.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a respiratory mask and a method for making the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a protective mask worn on the face. The present invention also relates to a method for making the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A personal respirator, also known as a "face mask" or "filtering face mask", is a protective device used to protect the wearer's respiratory system from airborne particles. In fact, a face mask is worn over the user's nose and mouth to protect the user from unwanted substances suspended in the air. In some embodiments (i.e., those without a valve to allow the breath to escape from the mask), the mask also acts as a filter to prevent or reduce the escape of particles contained in the user's breath, to protect others from infectious diseases that the wearer may be suffering from. Known masks are usually made of nonwoven fabric in two shapes, cup-shaped or flat, which is partially folded to adapt to the shape of the face when worn. A type of flat mask is known as a "surgical mask". Flat masks made of woven fabric are also known.

[0003] Masks require straps or bands, preferably of elastic material, usually in the form of loops that pass around the user's ears or the user's head to hold the mask in a desired position on the user's face. The straps or equivalent retention means are usually fabricated separately and attached to the body of the mask by sewing, gluing, ultrasonic welding, stapling, or other means commonly known to those skilled in the art. Protective devices are also known in which the retention means are loops of elastic material attached to the folded over portion of the mask body.

[0004] The manufacture of the so-called surgical-type flat masks described above is typically done using automated machines which perform all or almost all of the necessary operations in-line, including cutting and folding sections of the nonwoven fabric, crimping or otherwise attaching elastic straps that hold the mask body to the user's face, and attaching metal strips to the top surface of the mask.

[0005] A face mask also requires a strip of plastically bendable material, usually a metal strip, at the top of the mask, i.e., located on the side of the mask laterally over the bridge of the user's nose when the mask is worn. This so-called "nose clip" can be made of practically any material, provided it can be easily bent into a shape that conforms to the bridge of the user's nose to improve the airtightness of the mask. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One problem with known nonwoven masks is that they are usually only suitable for single use and are difficult to keep hygienic, which increases the cost of replacing each mask and the special waste that must be disposed of.

[0007] Woven masks that can be washed or otherwise kept sanitary for repeated use are also known, but are more expensive than non-woven masks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems. More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide a protective mask made of woven fabric, which can be manufactured inexpensively. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a protective mask using woven fabric inexpensively.

[0009] These objectives can be achieved by the present invention, which is described below.

[0010] More specifically, the present invention relates to a respiratory mask comprising a mask fabric body, a strip of plastically bendable material, and a retention strap for holding the mask fabric body on a user's face, characterized in that the mask fabric body is made of a woven fabric having weft and warp threads, and at least one of the strip of plastically bendable material and the retention strap comprises at least one thread woven with the fabric of the mask fabric body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the strip of bendable material is made of at least one, preferably a plurality of metal wires, metal filament threads, or metal staple threads that are woven into the mask fabric body during the weaving process of mask manufacturing. A suitable metal thread is a copper or steel filament with a diameter of 0.06 mm. In one embodiment, the metal wire is coated with a resin, for example an epoxy resin, to prevent oxidation of the metal and the metal from being conductive. The number of threads or wires can be from 1 to 25, preferably from 1 to 10. The weave of the fabric can be either plain weave, twill weave, or satin weave. The metal wire extends inside the fabric along the entire side of the mask from one end of the mask body to the other end.

[0012] In one embodiment, the retention strap is made of at least one elastic yarn that is woven into the mask fabric body during the weaving process. Suitable elastic yarns include braided yarns, woven yarns, knitted yarns, or single elastic yarns. A suitable elastic yarn is a composition of 85% elastane and 15% nylon, with a diameter of 3 mm and a linear weight of 0.8 g / m.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the elastic threads are tightly woven, for example in the areas of the fabric close to the sides of the mask, with a 1 / 1 or 2 / 1 pattern. This weaving pattern fixes the threads to the fabric. To provide the necessary straps or bands, the elastic threads have at least one long float above the warp (or weft) threads. Several long floats may be provided. To hold the elastic threads to the fabric parts, holding points are made, for example by one or two weft or warp threads located above the elastic threads. In one embodiment, the elastic threads are located above the fabric, for example 3-5 cm before being held by said weft or warp threads. Another float is provided with another holding point along the fabric, etc. Before using the mask, these holding threads can be cut to separate the central part of the elastic thread from the mask fabric body, providing a loop of the required length to pass over the user's ears or head.

[0014] Preferably, both the metallic threads and the elastic threads are woven into the fabric. In one embodiment, the metallic threads and the elastic threads are woven into the fabric as warp threads. They may both be weft threads or both warp threads. In one embodiment, at least the elastic threads are woven into the fabric as warp threads. Typically, the elastic threads are woven at right angles to the metallic threads when passing through the ears, and are woven along the metallic threads when passing through the head.

[0015] According to another embodiment, the periphery of the mask is provided with fusion threads. That is, the fusion threads have the ability to soften, flatten, or compress to hold the fabric threads together. Suitable fusion threads can be softened and flattened or compressed under heat, pressure, or by chemical treatment. In addition, adhesives and waxing can be applied to reduce fuzzing at the periphery of the mask fabric. A suitable fusion thread is, for example, a low melting nylon available from Coats® under the code Fusion-FTL2180. The melting temperature of the fusion thread is 85°C. When treated, for example, with high temperature steam, the polymer softens and melts, incorporating the loose ends of the threads into the polymer and preventing fraying of the fabric.

[0016] The mask body is made of woven fabric. The fabric yarns can include synthetic or natural fibers, or a mixture thereof. The fabric can include elastic yarns in the warp direction or the weft direction or both directions. Preferably, the weft yarns are elastic yarns and the warp yarns are non-elastic yarns, such as cotton yarns or polyester yarns. In a preferred embodiment, the fabric includes weft yarns with different elasticity in different regions of the mask body, so that the face mask can conform and fit the wearer's face. The weft yarns are woven according to the structure of the fabric to improve the fitting performance of the fabric. Exemplarily, the suitable fabric weave can be either plain weave, twill weave, or satin weave.

[0017] In an embodiment, the cotton non-elastic warp yarns are 30-45 Ne (British cotton count) and the elastic weft yarns are 25-40 Ne. A typical fabric composition is 98% cotton and 1.68% elastane, with the remainder, if present, being metallic and fusible yarns.

[0018] The face mask made of the woven fabric of the present invention is manufactured by known weaving machines, preferably Jacquard and Dobby weaving machines.The object of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a mask, in which the mask fabric is woven from warp and weft threads, characterized in that the warp or weft threads include at least one of threads with a plastically bendable (flexible) material and threads with elastic threads woven with the fabric threads to provide at least one of a strip with a plastically bendable material for the nose clip and a retaining strap for holding the mask body on the user's face.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method of the present invention includes the steps of designing a face mask, preparing a plurality of textile yarns for producing a woven fabric, and loading a loom with a plurality of metallic yarns, elastic yarns, and weaving with the textile yarns in a single manufacturing process.

[0020] The fabric obtained on the loom comprises a number of face masks adjacent to each other in the fabric, which are therefore produced together in a number depending on the width of the loom and the dimensions of the masks. After the necessary finishing steps, the fabric is cut into individual masks, each of which already has at least a "nose clip" or an elastic strap, or preferably both features.

[0021] According to one embodiment, fusion yarns are woven together with textile yarns and industrial yarns (i.e., metal yarns and / or elastic yarns) at the edge of the mask body to provide a mask finish by heat treating the fabric. That is, the method of the present invention can include a heat treatment step, such as, for example, high temperature steam treatment of the fabric.

[0022] Advantageously, the fabric can be cut to provide a single mask complete with all necessary items, including flexible (plastically bendable) material for the elastic straps and nose clip. Subsequent finishing steps, such as trimming, folding, or gluing, can be performed to obtain the final shape of the mask.

[0023] The present invention is disclosed with reference to the following schematic, exemplary and non-limiting drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a mask according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a corner of the mask according to FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a warp thread of the mask of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the back side of a mask of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mask in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Referring to Figure 1, a mask M includes a mask body 1 made of a woven fabric including warp and weft threads. In Figure 1, the warp threads run vertically, i.e., parallel to the arrow F, which indicates the machine direction or longitudinal direction of the fabric.

[0026] Woven with the textile threads are also further threads comprising at least one strip 2 comprising a plastically bendable material forming a so-called "nose clip" and at least one retention strap 3, preferably an elastic retention strap, which passes around the user's head when the mask is in use. According to the invention, the threads forming the strips 2 and the straps 3 are woven into the fabric of the mask together with other textile threads during the weaving process.

[0027] The threads forming the strip of bendable material 2 for the nose clip may comprise a plurality of metal wires, such as metal filament threads or metal staple threads, which are woven into the mask body 1 during the weaving process during the manufacture of the mask. A suitable metal thread is a copper or steel filament having a diameter of 0.06 mm. The metal wire is preferably coated with a resin, such as an epoxy resin, to prevent oxidation of the metal. The number of metal threads or wires is 1 to 25, preferably 1 to 10. As shown in the figure, the strip of metal wire 2 extends in the fabric along the entire side of the mask, from one end 8 of the mask body 1 to the other end 9. Similarly, the elastic thread extends throughout the entire mask body 1.

[0028] The retention strap 3 consists of at least one elastic thread 6 which is woven into the body of the fabric during the weaving process. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic thread 6 is a single elastic thread having a composition of 85% elastane and 15% nylon, with a diameter of 3 mm and a linear mass of 0.8 g / m.

[0029] The weaving pattern of the elastic thread 6 is as shown at the ends 10 and 11 of the elastic thread 6 (FIG. 3), i.e. as in the area of ​​the fabric close to the sides 8 and 9 of the mask. The elastic threads are tightly woven in a 1 / 1 or 2 / 1 pattern. To provide the necessary straps or bands, the elastic threads 6 have at least one long float under the warp threads (or weft threads). The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has one long float. In FIG. 3, a thread 3 with several long floats is shown. In this embodiment, the thread 3 is kept attached to the mask body 1 by several retention points 12 made by one weft thread located above the elastic thread 6, so that the thread 3 is held to this fabric part at these retention points 12. The length L of the lower part of the elastic thread 6, i.e. the length L of the elastic thread 6 between two adjacent retention points 12, can be, for example, about 3 to 5 cm of fabric. As mentioned above, before using the mask, the weft threads are cut at the retention points 12 to remove the elastic threads 6 from the fabric body 1 and prepare a loop of the required length to pass over the user's head, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0030] In an embodiment, elastic threads 6 are woven into the fabric as warp threads to provide an elastic strap or band for passing over the head. In this embodiment, one of the elastic threads 6 is woven parallel to the metal threads of the strip 2. The face of the mask, which is the portion below the elastic thread, is the side of the mask that contacts the user's face (see FIG. 5).

[0031] The fusion yarns are preferably provided along the periphery of the mask. The fusion yarns are threads that can be softened, flattened, or compressed to hold the fabric threads together at the edge of the fabric and to prevent loose ends from being visible. Suitable fusion yarns can be softened and flattened or compressed under heat, pressure, or by chemical treatment. A suitable fusion yarn is, for example, a low melting nylon available from Coats® under the code Fusion-FTL2180. The melting temperature of these threads is 85°C.

[0032] The mask body 1 preferably also comprises two warp direction regions 5 containing restricting threads, for example polyester threads that delimit the mask body between the threads or metal threads or elastic threads of the mask body 1 and the fusion threads located at the periphery of the mask region 4.

[0033] The mask body 1 is made of a woven fabric made of yarns containing synthetic or natural fibers or a mixture thereof. The fabric may contain elastic yarns in the warp or weft direction or in both directions. According to one embodiment, the weft yarns are elastic yarns and the warp yarns are non-elastic yarns such as cotton or polyester yarns. The weft yarns preferably have different elasticity in different regions of the mask body 1. That is, the weft yarns closer to the sides 8 and 9 stretch less than the yarns in the central region of the mask, allowing the face mask to conform and fit the wearer's face. The weave of the fabric suitable for the mask body 1 can be either plain weave, twill weave or satin weave.

[0034] Typically, the cotton inelastic warp yarns have a count of 30-45 Ne (English cotton count) and the elastic weft yarns have a count of 25-40 Ne. A typical fabric composition is 98% cotton, 1.68% elastane, the remainder, if present, being metallic and fused yarns. The count and the warp and weft densities (after washing) are selected so that the fabric 1 has the required filtration properties, which can be evaluated with the standard EN 14683:2019.

[0035] The schematic and exemplary weaving pattern in Figure 2 shows the above-mentioned regions of the mask fabric. For each region of the fabric, a sample of the structure is shown enlarged to illustrate the details of possible embodiments of the present invention. For example, part 2a shows a possible weave of overlapping regions 2 and 4.

[0036] The method of manufacturing the mask includes interwoven warp and weft yarns, the warp or weft yarns including at least one plastically bendable yarn and at least one yarn including an elastic yarn 6. The yarns interweave with the fabric yarns to form at least one strip 2 of plastically bendable (flexible) material and a pair of retention straps 3 for holding the mask body on the user's face.

[0037] The method can also include designing the face mask. To manufacture the woven fabric, a plurality of textile yarns are provided, and a loom is loaded with a plurality of metallic yarns, elastic yarns, and woven with the textile yarns in a single manufacturing process.

[0038] The fabric loaded onto the loom is made to contain multiple face masks that are produced together, the number depending on the width of the loom and the dimensions of the masks.

[0039] The fusible yarns are woven with textile and industrial yarns (metallic and / or elastic yarns) to define a peripheral region 4 along the sides of the mask fabric 1. The fabric is then subjected to a finishing process, for example by heat treatment, such as with hot steam, in which the low melting point fusible yarns soften or melt sufficiently to hold the ends of the yarns together and prevent fraying of the fabric. The fabric can be surface treated.

[0040] The fabric is then cut to provide a mask with all the necessary items, including flexible (plastically bendable) material for the elastic straps and nose clip. Subsequent finishing steps, such as trimming, folding, or gluing, can be performed to give the mask its final shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Mask fabric body 2. Strip 3 Retaining Straps 4. Surrounding Areas 5. Warp Direction Region 6 Elastic Yarn 8 Side of the mask 9 Side of the mask 10 Elastic thread end 12 holding points

Claims

1. 1. A respiratory mask comprising a mask fabric body (1), a strip (2) of plastically bendable material, and a retention strap (3) for holding the mask fabric body (1) on a user's face, characterized in that the mask fabric body (1) is made of a woven fabric having weft and warp threads, and at least one of the strip (2) of plastically bendable material and the retention strap (3) comprises at least one thread woven with the fabric of the mask fabric body (1).

2. 2. Respiratory mask according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip (2) of bendable material is made of at least one metal filament thread.

3. 3. Respiratory mask according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining strap (3) is made of at least one elastic thread (6) woven into the mask fabric body during the weaving process.

4. The respiratory mask according to claim 3, characterized in that the elastic threads (6) are woven in the fabric regions of the sides (8, 9) of the respiratory mask, and in the central region of the mask fabric body (1), the elastic threads (6) have at least one float of 3 to 5 cm on the warp or weft threads.

5. 5. The respiratory mask according to claim 4, characterized in that the central region of the respiratory mask further comprises a retention point (12) made by at least one weft or warp thread located on the elastic thread (6) to retain the elastic thread (6) to the mask fabric body (1).

6. 6. The breathing mask according to claim 1, wherein the metal threads and the elastic threads are woven as warp threads into the fabric of the mask fabric body.

7. 7. The respiratory mask according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral area (4) of the respiratory mask is provided with fusion threads.

8. 8. A method for producing a respiratory mask according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the steps of preparing a plurality of fabric threads for producing a woven fabric and weaving warp and weft threads, characterized in that the warp or weft threads comprise at least one plastically bendable thread and at least one thread comprising an elastic thread (6) to provide at least one strip (2) with a plastically bendable material for the nose clip and at least one retention strap (3) for holding the mask body on the user's face.

9. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the fabric on the loom includes a plurality of face masks that are finally cut after the fabric is removed from the loom and goes through a finishing process.

10. 10. A method for producing a respiratory mask according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that fusion yarns are interwoven with textile yarns to provide peripheral regions (4) along the sides of the mask fabric body (1).

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a heat treating step in which the low melting fusible yarns soften or melt sufficiently to hold the ends of the yarns together.

12. 12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising a finishing step comprising at least one of surface treatment, trimming, folding, or gluing.

13. 13. The method for producing a respiratory mask according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the respiratory mask further comprises several floats of the elastic threads (6) of 3-5 cm on one side of the respiratory mask and several retention points (12) made by at least one weft or warp thread located on the elastic threads (6) to hold the elastic threads (6) to the mask fabric body (1), the method for producing the respiratory mask comprising the step of cutting the retention points (12) to provide long loops of the elastic threads (6).

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