Pleated Elastic Strip Ear Loops for High-Speed Mask Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing face masks with elastic ear loops are limited by the deformation of elastic bands, resulting in a lower production rate for ear loops compared to mask sheets, hindering continuous high-speed production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a continuous longitudinal sheet material with pleated elastic strips bonded to form ear loops, allowing for continuous production by advancing, cutting, and bonding the strips to the mask sheets, thereby increasing the efficiency of ear loop formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If elastic bands are used for ear loops and disposed in bent form on mask sheets, then the ear loops can fit over user's ears, but the production rate is limited to 30-35 pieces/min due to deformation and complex disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The ear loop is segmented into a flat strip form with pre-formed pleats instead of a continuous bent elastic band. This segmentation allows the ear loop to be produced in a simplified flat state and only requires simple attachment to the mask sheet, eliminating the complex bending and disposal operations while maintaining the elastic fitting function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleats are pre-formed on the elastic strip before attachment to the mask sheet. This preliminary action prepares the ear loop in advance in a flat, manageable state with the necessary structural features, so that during production only simple bonding is required rather than complex real-time bending and disposal operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods are used to attach elastic bands to mask sheets, then ear loops can be formed, but continuous high-speed production is hindered due to the lower rate of ear loop formation compared to mask sheet production
Solution Approach 1:
The ear loop is divided into a flat strip with pre-formed pleats rather than a continuous bent band. This segmentation simplifies the attachment process to basic bonding operations that can keep pace with high-speed mask sheet production, eliminating the bottleneck caused by complex elastic band disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear loop is changed from a bent three-dimensional form to a flat two-dimensional strip with pleats. This parameter change in shape and configuration simplifies the manufacturing process and allows for continuous high-speed production while maintaining the elastic functionality needed for ear loop operation.
3Ease of operation
If elastic bands are used in bent form, then proper ear loop function is achieved, but the complexity of disposal and attachment increases process difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The ear loop is segmented into a flat strip with pleats rather than a continuous bent band. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex disposal operations while maintaining the elastic function, reducing the attachment process to simple bonding of flat strips to the mask sheet.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear loop configuration is changed from a bent three-dimensional form requiring complex disposal to a flat two-dimensional strip with pleats requiring simple attachment. This parameter change maintains the elastic functionality while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process complexity.
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
Enables continuous high-speed production of face masks with improved efficiency in attaching elastic ear loops, matching the production rate of mask sheets, and maintaining the integrity of pleats without deformation.
Implementation Method 1
bonding the two strip ends of each of the strips to one of the opposite transverse ends of a respective one of the mask sheets to form an ear loop
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making face masks includes: advancing continuously a longitudinal sheet material that can be divided into a plurality of mask sheets each of which has two opposite longitudinal ends and two opposite transverse ends; cutting the sheet material at intervals to form the mask sheets; providing a plurality of strips each of which has two longitudinally opposite strip ends and each of which is folded to form a pleat between the two strip ends thereof; and bonding the two strip ends of each of the strips to one of the opposite transverse ends of a respective one of the mask sheets to form an ear loop. A structure of the face mask is also disclosed.