Face Covering Frame with Conformal Wall Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical masks are uncomfortable, inconvenient, and unfashionable, leading to limited use in public and formal settings, which hinders effective germ transmission control, and there is no practical solution to motivate widespread use in close-proximity environments.
Innovation Solution
A face covering apparatus with a frame that rests on the ears or engages the head, featuring a wall structure with regions conforming to the nose and mouth, allowing for easy placement and removal with minimal discomfort, and can be made decorative to promote use in public settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surgical masks are worn to block airborne particles, then particle transmission control is improved, but comfort and convenience deteriorate due to elastic bands crossing the face and ears
Solution Approach 1:
The mask is divided into a rigid frame portion that rests on the ears and a separate wall structure that covers the nose and mouth. This segmentation allows the frame to provide structural support and retention without requiring elastic bands to cross the face, thereby maintaining particle blocking effectiveness while improving comfort and convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic bands are completely removed from the mask design. Instead, a rigid frame structure is used that rests on the ears and behind the head to provide retention. This extraction of the harmful elastic band element eliminates the discomfort and inconvenience associated with conventional masks while preserving the particle transmission control function.
2Reliability
If conventional surgical masks are worn in public settings, then germ transmission control is improved, but social acceptance deteriorates due to unsightly appearance and discolored impressions on the face
Solution Approach 1:
The mask design allows different regions to have different properties. The frame and wall structure can be made from materials and in styles that are aesthetically pleasing and compatible with formal attire, while the functional particle-blocking regions maintain their effectiveness. This local differentiation enables the mask to be both protective and socially acceptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask can be made in various colors, patterns, and decorative styles to match different outfits and occasions. The frame and wall structure can feature fashionable designs that eliminate the bland, unsightly appearance of conventional masks, thereby improving social acceptance and fashionability while maintaining germ transmission control.
3Reliability
If conventional surgical masks are placed on the face, then particle blocking is improved, but ease of placement and removal deteriorates due to awkward two-handed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid frame structure with its specific geometry and retention mechanism allows the mask to be self-positioning on the face. When held by the frame, the mask automatically aligns and secures itself without requiring the user to manually adjust and fasten elastic bands, enabling easy one-handed placement and removal while maintaining effective particle blocking.
Data Source
AI summary
A face covering apparatus and method of using the apparatus. A frame is configured to be placed in an operative position on a wearer's head and releasably maintained in the operative position by at least one of: a) resting upon one or both of a wearer's ears and b) frictionally engaging a part of the wearer's head. A covering assembly on the frame has a wall structure with: i) a first region configured to conform to the wearer's face region around the wearer's nose; and ii) a second region configured to conform to the wearer's face region around the wearer's mouth. The face covering apparatus is configured so that with the frame in the operative position on the wearer's head and the wall structure in a blocking position on the frame, the first and second regions on the wall structure together reside in the path of airborne particles moving: A) in a forward direction from the wearer's nostrils and/or mouth; and B) in a rearward direction towards the wearer's nostrils and/or mouth.