Non-lateral folding mask
By setting a non-laterally extending fold in the breathable area of the mask body, the problem of poor filtration effect of existing foldable masks is solved, achieving better filtration effect and shape retention.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI HUGUARD PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing foldable masks fold horizontally, resulting in poor filtration and difficulty in maintaining their shape, thus affecting filtration efficiency.
The breathable area of the mask body has a non-laterally extending fold. The fold is a folded breathable filter layer, including multi-layer material pleats that do not extend laterally. It has a sealing area and a flow guide to improve the filtration effect and support the breathing cavity.
The increased breathing area of the mask enhances filtration, prevents gas leakage, maintains the shape of the breathing cavity, avoids air leakage, and improves filtration efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN2024138642_11062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
A non-horizontal folding mask Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of mask technology, specifically a non-horizontally folding mask. Background Technology
[0002] With increasing public awareness of hygiene and health, masks have become ubiquitous as a protective tool in all aspects of our lives, including industries such as medical, chemical, and furniture manufacturing. In today's world, where industrialization has led to environmental pollution, we are compelled to wear masks to avoid the harmful effects of smog. The main function of these masks is to filter out microparticles, viruses, and harmful gases, preventing their direct inhalation and negative impact on health. There are many types of masks available, with sheet masks and folding masks being the most common. Sheet masks consist of several layers of filter sheets laid flat and overlapping; folding masks have multiple horizontal folds on these layers, which are pulled up and down to be worn. However, existing folding masks merely reduce the surface area by creating horizontal folds, which does not significantly improve filtration efficiency. Furthermore, they are difficult to maintain their shape after being pulled open, further reducing their filtration effectiveness. Summary of the Invention
[0003] 1. The technical problem that the invention aims to solve
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of poor filtration effect caused by the horizontal folding of existing foldable masks.
[0005] 2. Technical Solution
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows:
[0007] The present invention provides a non-laterally folding mask, wherein at least one non-laterally extending fold is provided in the breathable area of the mask body, and the fold is a folded breathable filter layer.
[0008] Preferably, the fold includes a non-laterally extending multi-layered material pleat, which is disposed in the left and right main surfaces of the mask body, wherein each main surface includes a nose surface, a middle surface and a chin surface.
[0009] Preferably, each main body surface includes a continuous pleat that extends through the nose surface, middle surface, and chin surface; and in the nose surface region of each main body surface of the mask body, one end of the pleat seals itself to form a first sealing area, and in the chin surface region, the other end of the pleat seals itself to form a second sealing area.
[0010] Preferably, the folded portion has at least one folded layer.
[0011] Preferably, the folded area or unfolded area of the folded part accounts for 5%-60% of the total unfolded area of the mask.
[0012] Preferably, the folded area or unfolded area of the folded portion accounts for 30%-50% of the total unfolded area of the mask.
[0013] Preferably, the folded portion is configured to have better breathability and filtration effect than the non-folded portion area of the mask.
[0014] Preferably, the folding portion is configured as any one of the following shapes that are symmetrical along the longitudinal axis of use: figure-eight, inverted figure-eight, V, inverted V, U, inverted U, M, or inverted M.
[0015] Preferably, the fold is configured such that, in use, the unfolded area unfolds along both sides of the nose.
[0016] Preferably, the thickness or size of the folded portion, which has at least two folded layers, gradually decreases along the direction of fitting the nose.
[0017] Preferably, the folded portion has creases for shaping, and the creases are made of a plastic material.
[0018] Preferably, the mask body is further provided with a nose clip, and the mask body is also connected to straps.
[0019] Preferably, the folding direction of the folded portion is inward or outward.
[0020] Preferably, the fold is either a complete fold or a partial fold.
[0021] Preferably, the folded portion is a continuous fold or a discontinuous fold.
[0022] Preferably, the folded portion includes a bending region and an expansion region, wherein the bending region is configured to have greater flexibility and bending performance than the expansion region.
[0023] Preferably, the expansion region is provided with reinforcing textures to support the expansion performance.
[0024] Preferably, the connection area between the mask body and the folded part is provided with a bending reinforcement pattern to assist the expansion and unfolding of the folded part, and the shape of the bending reinforcement pattern is adapted to the edge shape of the folded part after it is expanded and unfolded.
[0025] Preferably, the mask body is further provided with welding lines or reinforcing textures to support the shape of the mask.
[0026] Preferably, the thickness or size of the folded layer of the folded part with at least two folded layers gradually decreases along the direction close to the edge of the mask.
[0027] Preferably, the folded portion includes at least a portion of a guide portion disposed in the path of the exhaled air from the nostrils and used to guide the downward flow of air from the nostrils upward.
[0028] Preferably, the shape of the guide section is adapted to the size of the breathing buffer cavity so as to reverse the flow of air exhaled from the nostrils downwards.
[0029] Preferably, the size of the guide section is adapted to the efficiency of reverse flow of exhaled air from the nostrils, and the guide section is configured such that the gas reverse flowed by the exhaled air from the nostrils occupies 50-90% of the total exhaled air volume.
[0030] 3. Beneficial effects
[0031] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by this invention has the following advantages:
[0032] This invention discloses a non-laterally folding mask, wherein at least one non-laterally extending fold is provided in the breathable area of the mask body, and the fold is a folded breathable filter layer. During use, unfolding the fold increases the area of the breathable zone of the mask body, thereby improving the filtration effect and accommodating and buffering more exhaled air, effectively preventing air from escaping from the upper part of the nose and chin, thus further enhancing the filtration effect. The non-laterally extending fold provides a certain degree of strength support for the breathing cavity formed by the overall unfolding of the mask body, preventing the breathing cavity from contracting and expanding during breathing, thereby avoiding air leakage. Attached Figure Description
[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a non-laterally folding mask according to Embodiment 1;
[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a non-laterally folding mask according to Example 2.
[0035] The labels in the diagram are as follows: 100, mask body; 110, fold; 111, pleat; 112, airflow guide; 120, nose clip; 130, straps; 140, breathing buffer chamber. Detailed Implementation
[0036] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0037] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0038] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.
[0039] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0040] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0041] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0042] Example 1
[0043] Referring to Figure 1, in this embodiment of a non-laterally folding mask, at least one non-laterally extending fold portion 110 is provided in the breathable area of the mask body 100. The fold portion 110 is a folded breathable filter layer. During use, unfolding the fold portion 110 increases the area of the breathable area of the mask body 100, thereby improving the filtration effect. It can also accommodate and buffer more exhaled air, effectively preventing air from overflowing from the upper part of the nose and chin, thus further improving the filtration effect. The non-laterally extending fold portion 110 provides a certain strength support to the breathing cavity formed by the overall unfolding of the mask body 100, preventing the breathing cavity from contracting and expanding during breathing, thereby avoiding air leakage.
[0044] The folded portion 110 includes a non-laterally extending multi-layered material pleat 111 disposed in the left and right main surfaces of the mask body 100, wherein each main surface includes a nose surface, a middle surface, and a chin surface. Each main surface includes a continuous pleat 111 that extends through the nose surface, middle surface, and chin surface; and in the nose surface region of each main surface of the mask body 100, one end of the pleat 111 seals itself to form a first sealing area, and the other end of the pleat 111 seals itself to form a second sealing area in the chin surface region.
[0045] Specifically, the folding part 110 has at least one folding layer. The number of folding layers can be adjusted according to the specific usage. The more folding layers there are, the larger the volume of the breathing cavity formed after the folding part 110 is unfolded, and the better the filtration area and filtration effect.
[0046] The folded area or unfolded area of the folded part 110 accounts for 5%-60% of the total unfolded area of the mask, and can preferably be any one of 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, or 55%. This can be adjusted according to specific usage; the larger the proportion, the larger the volume of the breathing cavity formed after the folded part 110 is unfolded, and the better the filtration area and filtration effect.
[0047] The folded portion 110 is configured to offer better breathability and filtration than the non-folded areas of the mask. The folded portion 110 can be made of materials such as polypropylene electrostatic electret material, glass fiber filter material, or PET filter material. This effectively ensures that most exhaled air passes through the cavity formed after the folded portion 110 is unfolded and is filtered to the outside, preventing exhaled air from escaping from other areas due to low filtration efficiency.
[0048] The fold 110 is configured as any one of the following shapes that are symmetrical along the longitudinal axis of use: figure-eight, inverted figure-eight, V, inverted V, U, inverted U, M, and inverted M. The shape is not limited to these structures, and any other shape that can wrap around the nose to form a cavity is also possible.
[0049] The folding part 110 is configured such that when in use, the unfolded area expands along both sides of the nose to facilitate wrapping the nose and forming a breathing cavity. This allows the air exhaled from the nose to first come into contact with the unfolded folding part 110, thereby improving the filtration effect.
[0050] The thickness or size of the folded layers of the at least two-layer folded portion 110 gradually decreases along the direction of contact with the nose, so that when unfolded, the size of the folded portion 110 gradually decreases along the direction close to the nose, thereby better conforming the shape of the mask to the nose along the breathing cavity formed by the folded portion 110. The thickness or size of the folded layers of the at least two-layer folded portion 110 gradually decreases along the direction close to the edge of the mask. This ensures that the folded portion 110 is closer to the skin near the edge of the mask and effectively reduces the possibility of air leakage.
[0051] The folding portion 110 has creases for shaping, and these creases are made of a plastic material. These creases allow the folding portion 110 to be easily kept folded, facilitating packaging and transportation.
[0052] The mask body 100 is also provided with a nose clip 120, and the mask body 100 is also connected to a strap 130. The nose clip 120 can effectively clamp and fix the area of the upper end of the mask body 100 that fits against the nose, reducing the gap with the skin and reducing the possibility of air leakage.
[0053] The folding direction of the folding part 110 is either inward or outward. Folding inward or outward allows the folding part 110 to be accommodated inside or outside the mask body 100. In this embodiment, folding inward is preferred. Accommodating the folding part 110 inside the mask body 100 ensures that the surface appearance of the mask body 100 is not affected.
[0054] The folding section 110 can be folded entirely or partially; in this embodiment, partial folding is preferred, which can reduce production costs and manufacturing difficulty.
[0055] The folding section 110 can be a continuous fold or a discontinuous fold. When a discontinuous fold is selected, the area that can be folded should be controlled to meet the minimum unfolding requirements of the folding section 110.
[0056] The folded portion 110 includes a bending region and an expansion region. The bending region is configured to have greater flexibility and bending performance than the expansion region. The expansion region is provided with reinforcing patterns to support the expansion performance. The connection area between the mask body 100 and the folded portion 110 is provided with bending reinforcing patterns to assist the expansion and unfolding of the folded portion 110. The shape of the bending reinforcing patterns is adapted to the edge shape of the folded portion 110 after it has expanded and unfolded. The mask body 100 is also provided with welding lines or reinforcing patterns to support the shape of the mask.
[0057] Example 2
[0058] Referring to Figure 2, a non-laterally folding mask of Embodiment 2 has the same basic structure as Embodiment 1, except that the folding portion 110 includes at least a portion of a guide portion 112 disposed on the path of exhaled air from the nostrils and used to guide the downward airflow from the nostrils upward. The guide portion 112 and the remaining breathable area surrounded by the folding portion 110 form a breathing buffer chamber 140. When the user wears the mask and breathes, the exhaled air from the nostrils will spray downward as the nostrils are oriented. During the downward spraying of the exhaled air, the guide portion 112 can obstruct the exhaled air to a certain extent, reducing the amount and pressure of the exhaled air flowing directly downward, preventing the exhaled air from overflowing in large quantities from the gap between the lower end of the mask body 100 and the wearer's chin, thereby reducing the filtration effect; and guides the exhaled air upward, preventing it from being retained and circulated within the breathing buffer chamber 140, so as to ensure that most of the exhaled air is filtered and discharged through the breathing buffer chamber 140, effectively ensuring the filtration effect of the mask body 100.
[0059] The shape of the guide section is adapted to the size of the breathing buffer cavity to reverse the downward flow of exhaled air from the nostrils. As the size of the breathing buffer cavity 140 increases, the shape and size of the guide section 112 will correspondingly increase to ensure the obstruction effect. The guide section 112 forms a guide channel that partially guides the airflow upwards. This further promotes the retention and circulation of exhaled air within the breathing buffer cavity 140, ensuring that the vast majority of exhaled air is filtered and discharged through the breathing buffer cavity 140, effectively guaranteeing the filtration effect of the mask body 100. Furthermore, the guide direction of the guide channel is configured so that the guided airflow does not directly impact the inner wall of the breathing buffer cavity 140 but circulates within the breathing buffer cavity 140, thereby ensuring uniform gas pressure within the breathing buffer cavity 140.
[0060] The size of the guide section is adapted to the efficiency of reverse flow of exhaled air from the nostrils. The guide section is configured such that the gas reverse-flowed from the nostrils accounts for 50-90% of the total exhaled air volume. The specific configuration is related to the material of the mask body 100 forming the breathing buffer chamber 140 and the material of the fold 110. When the breathability and filtration effect of the material of the mask body 100 forming the breathing buffer chamber 140 and the fold 110 are better, the guide section is configured such that the gas reverse-flowed from the nostrils accounts for a larger proportion of the total exhaled air volume. This allows almost all the gas to be filtered and discharged through the mask body 100 forming the breathing buffer chamber 140 and the fold 110, effectively ensuring the filtration effect of the mask body 100.
[0061] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of certain implementations of the present invention, and are described in a relatively specific and detailed manner. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A non-laterally folding face mask, characterized in that: At least one non-laterally extending fold is provided in the breathable area of the mask body, and the fold is a folded breathable filter layer.
2. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion includes a non-laterally extending multi-layered material pleat, which is disposed in the left and right main body surfaces of the mask body, wherein each main body surface includes a nose surface, a middle surface and a chin surface.
3. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each main body surface includes a continuous pleat that runs through the nose surface, middle surface, and chin surface; and in the nose surface region of each main body surface of the mask body, one end of the pleat seals itself to form a first sealing area, and the other end of the pleat seals itself to form a second sealing area in the chin surface region.
4. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion has at least one fold.
5. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded or unfolded area of the folded part accounts for 5%-60% of the total unfolded area of the mask.
6. [Corrected according to Rule 91, June 19, 2025] A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded or unfolded area of the folded part accounts for 30%-50% of the total unfolded area of the mask.
7. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion is configured to have better breathability and filtration than the non-folded portion of the mask.
8. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding portion is configured as any one of the following shapes that are symmetrical along the longitudinal axis of use: figure-eight, inverted figure-eight, V, inverted V, U, inverted U, M, or inverted M.
9. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fold is configured such that, in use, the unfolded area expands along both sides of the nose.
10. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thickness or size of the folded parts, which have at least two folds, gradually decreases along the direction they fit the nose.
11. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion has creases for shaping, and the creases are made of a plastic material.
12. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mask body is also equipped with a nose clip, and the mask body is also connected to straps.
13. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding direction of the folded part is either inward or outward.
14. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded section can be either a complete fold or a partial fold.
15. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion can be a continuous fold or a discontinuous fold.
16. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion includes a bending region and an expansion region, wherein the bending region is configured to have greater flexibility and bending performance than the expansion region.
17. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 16, characterized in that: The expansion area is provided with reinforcing textures to support the expansion performance.
18. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area connecting the mask body and the folded part is provided with a bending reinforcement pattern to assist the expansion and unfolding of the folded part. The shape of the bending reinforcement pattern is adapted to the edge shape of the folded part after it has been expanded and unfolded.
19. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mask body is also provided with welding lines or reinforcing textures to support the shape of the mask.
20. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thickness or size of the folded layers in a folded section with at least two folds gradually decreases along the direction near the edge of the mask.
21. A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folded portion includes at least a portion of a guide section disposed in the path of exhaled air from the nostrils and used to guide the downward flow of airflow from the nostrils upward.
22. [Corrected according to Rule 91, June 19, 2025] A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 21, characterized in that: The shape of the guide section is adapted to the size of the breathing buffer cavity so as to reverse the flow of air exhaled from the nostrils downwards.
23. [Corrected according to Rule 91, June 19, 2025] A non-laterally folding face mask according to claim 21, characterized in that: The size of the guide section is adapted to the efficiency of reverse flow of exhaled air from the nostrils, and the guide section is configured such that the gas reverse flowed by the exhaled air from the nostrils occupies 50 to 90% of the total exhaled air volume.