Breathable Mask Lens Support for Sealing Rigidity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current full-face snorkel masks face issues with air leakage and water ingress due to the deformation of soft components, leading to inefficient air intake and exhaust systems, which increase manufacturing costs and reduce product reliability.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a supporting device onto the hard lens portion to enhance the rigidity of soft functional components, such as the one-way air intake valve and exhaust passage, allowing for a simpler and cost-effective design using soft waterproof materials, which are molded together with the silicone rubber waterproof sealing skirt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If soft materials are used for exhaust passages and waterproof sealing skirt, then manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the components deform under user wear, causing air leakage and water ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines soft waterproof materials (silicone rubber) with hard supporting structures (hard lens portion, supporting ribs, retaining walls) to create a composite structure. The soft material provides waterproofing and sealing functions at lower cost, while the hard components provide structural support and dimensional stability to prevent deformation during use, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hard lens portion and supporting structures act as intermediary elements between the soft waterproof sealing skirt and the external environment. These intermediaries transfer and distribute mechanical stresses, preventing the soft materials from deforming under user wear while maintaining their waterproofing function, thus ensuring reliable sealing without increasing manufacturing complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If hard materials are used for exhaust passages, then structural stability is improved, but assembly complexity increases and waterproofness control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hard supporting structures (lens portion, ribs, retaining walls) with the soft waterproof sealing skirt into an integrated assembly. The hard components are formed as part of the overall structure rather than separate parts requiring complex assembly, reducing device complexity while maintaining structural stability. The retaining wall and supporting ribs are combined with the sealing skirt formation process, simplifying assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the exhaust passage structure into functional zones: hard retaining walls for structural stability, soft sections for waterproofing and flexibility, and integrated supporting ribs for dimensional control. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function while simplifying the overall assembly process compared to using entirely hard materials.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the partition is squeezed or deformed during wear, then the mask fits different face shapes, but the intake one-way valve operates incorrectly causing air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The hard lens portion and supporting ribs serve as intermediary structures that maintain the correct positioning and orientation of the intake one-way valve despite partition deformation. These intermediaries compensate for the flexibility needed to fit different face shapes while ensuring the valve remains properly aligned and functional, preventing air leakage during normal wear.
Data Source
AI summary
A breathable mask comprises a body and a breathing tube. The breathing tube is in fluid communication with an interior of the body. The body comprises a main frame, a lens module, and a waterproof sealing skirt. The lens module has a lens portion and a supporting device. The supporting device is integrally formed with the lens portion at a distance inward from an outermost edge of the lens portion, and is interconnected with a portion of the waterproof skirt to improve the rigidity of the vicinity of the portion.