Face Mask Supporting Strip Maintains Face Gap
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional face masks become uncomfortable during outdoor exercises due to repeated contact and detachment from the wearer's face, leading to issues with saliva, sweat, and breath vapor attachment, causing discomfort and breathing difficulties.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating at least one bendable supporting strip at the middle position of the mask body, which extends towards the lateral edges, maintains a space between the mask and the wearer's face, preventing collapse and contact, and is adjustable to ensure smooth breathing and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mask body is made to fit closely to the face for effective pollution blocking, then pollution protection is improved, but the mask body contacts and detaches repeatedly during breathing, causing discomfort and hygiene issues
Solution Approach 1:
The mask body is divided into multiple pleats (first pleat, second pleat, third pleat) with different functions. The second pleat contains supporting strips that maintain spatial separation from the face, while the first and third pleats provide sealing and filtration. This segmentation allows different parts of the mask to serve different purposes: some parts contact the face for sealing while others maintain distance for comfort and hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting strips act as intermediary elements between the mask body and the wearer's face. These strips extend from the mask body toward the lateral edges and maintain a consistent space between the mask and face, preventing direct contact while ensuring the mask remains properly positioned for pollution blocking.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mask body is made flexible to accommodate facial movements, then adaptability is improved, but the mask body collapses and contacts the face during inhalation, causing breathing difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The mask body is segmented into multiple pleats with different functional characteristics. The second pleat incorporates supporting strips that prevent collapse during inhalation, while the first and third pleats maintain flexibility for facial movement adaptation. This segmentation allows the mask to simultaneously achieve adaptability and breathing comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting strips change the structural parameters of the mask body by introducing rigidifying elements at specific locations. These strips modify the local rigidity and shape maintenance properties of the mask body, preventing collapse during inhalation while preserving overall flexibility for facial movement.
3Reliability
If the mask body is designed with multiple pleats to improve filtration, then pollution blocking is improved, but the mask body becomes more complex and prone to collapsing
Solution Approach 1:
The mask body is divided into three distinct pleats (first, second, and third) with specialized functions. The first pleat provides initial filtration, the second pleat with supporting strips maintains structural integrity, and the third pleat completes the filtration sequence. This segmentation improves pollution blocking while managing complexity through functional specialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting strips serve as intermediary structural elements that prevent collapse of the multi-pleat mask body. These strips are integrated into the second pleat and extend toward the lateral edges, providing internal support that maintains the complex pleated structure without compromising pollution blocking functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A face mask has a mask body, at least one supporting strip, and two ear loops. The mask body has a top edge and a bottom edge disposed opposite each other, and has two lateral edges disposed opposite each other. Each one of the at least one supporting strip is elongated, is bendable, is disposed at a middle position on the mask body, and extends toward the two lateral edges. The two ear loops are respectively connected to the two lateral edges of the mask body. The at least one supporting strip holds up the mask body to form a space between the mask body and the wearer's face. The at least one supporting strip keeps the mask body from collapsing, and keeps the mask body from contacting the wearer's face during breathing.