Mask Filter Layer Segmentation for Low Breathing Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional masks face challenges in achieving high filtration efficiency against bacteria, viruses, and pollen while maintaining low breathing resistance, often resulting in increased breathing resistance and variability in performance due to thicker filter layers or nonwoven fabric grammage inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A mask design featuring multiple layers of melt blown nonwoven fabric as the filter layer, optionally combined with an insert layer of differing characteristics or material, such as an antimicrobial or blood fluid blocking layer, to enhance filtration efficiency and reduce variability in grammage, thereby maintaining low breathing resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the filter layer is made thicker or additional nonwoven fabric layers are introduced to increase filtration efficiency, then filtration efficiency against foreign objects is improved, but breathing resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter layer is divided into multiple discrete nonwoven fabric layers (typically 3-5 layers) rather than using a single thick layer. Each layer contributes to filtration while maintaining porosity, achieving high filtration efficiency (99% or higher) without excessive thickness that would increase breathing resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask employs composite nonwoven fabric structures combining different fiber types, densities, and pore structures across multiple layers. This includes using hydrophilic and hydrophobic fiber combinations, as well as varying grammage (15-30 g/m² per layer) to optimize both filtration performance and breathability, resolving the contradiction between filtration efficiency and breathing resistance.
2Reliability
If new style filter layers with particular manufacturing methods are used to increase filtration efficiency, then filtration efficiency is improved, but variability in grammage and performance increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the filter into multiple separate nonwoven fabric layers rather than relying on a single complex manufactured layer, the patent reduces the impact of manufacturing variability. Each layer can be produced with standard quality control, and the cumulative effect achieves high filtration efficiency while maintaining consistency across batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies relatively narrow ranges for grammage (15-30 g/m² per layer) and other parameters to ensure homogeneity across layers and batches. This controlled homogeneity reduces performance variability while still achieving the required filtration efficiency through the combined effect of multiple layers.
3Reliability
If the filter layer is made thicker to ensure blood fluid impermeability, then blood penetration resistance is improved, but formability and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The blood fluid impermeability function is distributed across multiple thin-to-moderate thickness nonwoven fabric layers rather than requiring a single thick layer. This segmentation maintains the necessary blood penetration resistance while keeping each individual layer thin enough to preserve overall mask formability and manufacturing productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mask achieves excellent filtration efficiency with low breathing resistance and reduced variability in performance, ensuring effective protection against foreign objects and improved blood fluid impermeability.
Implementation Method 1
The filter layer is configured from two or more superimposed layers of melt blown nonwoven fabric layer... functions to filter out bacteria, viruses, pollen and the like
Implementation Method 2
an insert layer that is a layer of a nonwoven fabric that differs from the melt blown nonwoven fabric layer in characteristics, or material, or both characteristics and material... enhance filtration efficiency and reduce variability in grammage, thereby maintaining low breathing resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A mask including: a mask main body 11; and a cord 12 that is placed over both ears or the head of a wearer to fix the mask main body 11 at a specific position on the face of the wearer, wherein the mask main body includes an inner layer 15 that is positioned on the side of the mouth of the wearer when the mask is being worn, an outer layer 17 that is on the outside of the mask when the mask is being worn, and a filter layer 16 that is positioned between the inner layer 15 and the outer layer 17, the filter layer 16 including two or more layers of a melt blown nonwoven fabric layer.