AU2004100937A4 - Mask Loop Holding Device - Google Patents

Description

Our Ref:3101inno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention title: Mask Ear Loop Holding Device Name of Applicant: Center Healthcare Technology Co., Ltd.

Address for Service A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement: MASK EAR LOOP HOLDING DEVICE 0 z O FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a holding device, and more particularly to a mask ear loop holding device capable of avoiding frictional contact of mask ear loops with a user's ears.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the medical field, various types of protective products from gloves, masks to protective coats have been provided in an attempt to achieve complete protection of human against infection by all kinds of eye invisible microbes (such as mites), bacteria, and viruses that exist in human living environments to endanger human health.

It is most important for trained nurses to have the concept of medical protection because they usually have to closely contact with patients over prolonged time in their work and are therefore more possibly infected.

A mask is a necessary means in nurses' work to shield their mouth and nose against dangerous factors and reduce the probability of infection. A mask is also Sneeded by workers in highly contaminated working Z environments to prevent dust, particles, etc. in the O air from entering into their respiratory and digestive organs.

The endangering Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

(SARS)

discovered in recent years infects people via patient's C( spittle that floats in the air or contacts with people.

In this condition, a mask is absolutely needed to reduce the possibility of being infected by SARS.

Moreover, the increasingly degraded air quality in our polluted living environment also necessitates the use of a mask to isolate hazardous dust and particles from invading our body. Therefore, a mask has become an inevitable protective product in our life.

However, wearing a mask over a prolonged time would usually discomfort the user because two ear loops of the mask tend to tightly compress a joint of the user's ears and head to cause some side effects, such as headache, dizziness, etc. In the past, people have tried to change the manner of wearing the mask, but not to improve the ear loop type mask.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0 Z A primary object of the present invention is to provide C a mask ear loop holding device that effectively eliminates discomforts from prolonged frictional contact of ear loops of the mask with the user's ears.

STo achieve the above and other objects, the mask ear A loop holding device of the present invention includes a holding plate provided with at least one loop holder for engaging with two ear loops of a mask worn on a user's face, so as to hold the ear loops to a rear side of the user's head insteadof hanging onthe ears,making the mask more comfortable for wearing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a first Z example of using the mask ear loop holding device of the present invention with a mask; Fig. 3 shows the use of the mask ear loop holding device Sof Fig. 1 to hold ear loops of a mask worn on a user's face; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 8 shows a second example of using the mask ear loop holding device of the present invention with a mask; o Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a sixth embodiment of the present 0\ 5 invention; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding C( device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 11 shows the use of the mask ear loop holding device of Fig. 9 in a vertical position to hold ear loops of a mask worn on a user's face; and Fig. 12 shows the use of the mask ear loop holding device of Fig. 9 in a horizontal position to hold ear loops of a mask worn on a user's face.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to Fig. 1 that is a perspective view of a mask ear loop holding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the mask ear loop holding device in the first embodiment of the present mainly includes a holding plate 10 that forms a main body of the device. The holding plate 10 may Sbe, forexample, aflatoblong memberwithan opencentral area, and has at least one loop holder 11A provided O at a predetermined position thereon. The loop holder 11A may be, for example, a flat triangular piece protruded from an outer surface of the holding plate Please refer to Fig. 2. Ina first example of using the mask ear loop holding device of the presentinvention C' with a mask 20, two ear loops 21 of the mask 20 are separately engaged with the at least one loop holder 11A on the holding plate Please refer to Fig. 3. When a user wants to wear the mask 20, simply pulls the ear loops 21 to pass two ears and engage with or hook to the at least one loop holder 11A on the holding plate 10 of the device of the present invention, which is located at a lower rear portion of the user's head. Since the ear loops 21 are not directly hooked to the user's ears, they do not in frictional contact with the ears. Moreover, the holding plate 10 has a vertical length larger than a joint of a helix of the user's ear and the user's head to further reduce the possibility of frictional contact of the ear loops 21 with the user's ears.

Fig. 4 shows a mask ear loop holding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the device includes a holding plate 10 having a loop holder 11B in the form of a flat O long piece protruded from an outer surface of each longitudinal side of the holding plate 10 for an ear 0 5 loop of a mask to engage therewith. With the two long loop holders 11B, the mask20 could be more conveniently Sconnected to the mask ear loop holding device of the CI present invention.

Fig. 5 shows a mask ear loop holding device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the device includes a left holding plate 10A and a right holding plate 10B integrally connected to each other via an elastic section 12, and a plurality of loop holders 11A in the form of a flat triangular piece protruded from an outer surface of the left and right holding plates 10A, 10B. The elastic section 12 provides proper sideward extension of the holding plates 10A, 10Bfor themask 20engaged therewith to have more flexibility to meet different head sizes.

To achieve this function, the elastic section 212 is made of an elastic rubber material.

Fig. 6 shows a mask ear loop holding device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment, except that the holding plate 10A, 10B are provided with loop holders 11iB in the form of a flat long piece.

Fig. 7 shows a mask ear loop holding device according M 5 to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The mask ear loop holding device in the fifth embodiment includes a holding plate 10 being provided at four corners with a loop holding section 11C each to maximize a vertical distance between the two loop holding sectins 11C atthe samelongitudinal side oftheholding plate 10, so that the ear loops 21 do not frictionally contact with the user's ears at all.

Fig. 8 shows a second example of using the present invention with a mask 20. In this example of use, the mask ear loop holding device is directly connected at one longitudinal side to one ear loop 21 of the mask to form a part of the mask 20, and provided at the other longitudinal side with at least one loop holder 11A for engaging with the other ear loop 21 of the mask so that the holding plate 10 is located at a rear portion of the user's head.

For the present invention to adapt to more different head sizes, a sixth embodiment thereof is shown in Fig.

9. In the sixth embodiment, the device of the present invention includes a substantially flat rectangular Z holding plate 10 having an open central area.

A

C plurality of notches 13 are spaced along an outer periphery of the holding plate 10 for engaging with and locating the ear loops 21 of the mask 20 in place.

Fig. 10 shows a seventh embodiment of the present c-i invention that is similar to the sixth embodiment, except that the notches 13 are spaced along an inner periphery of the open central area of the holding plate to provide the same good effect of holding the ear loops 21 of the mask 20 in place.

Fig. 11 shows theuseof themaskearloopholdingdevice of Fig. 9 in a vertical position to hold ear loops 21 of a mask 20 worn on a user's face. A user may freely select the notches 13 best for comfortably holding the mask 20 on the face. In other words, the notches 13 spaced on the outer periphery of the holding plate serve as means for fine adjustment. For instance, as shown in Fig. 11, the ear loops 21 of the mask 20 are engaged with the notches 13 located at outermost positions on the holding plate 10 to avoid frictional contact of the ear loops 21 with the user's ears and tight binding of the whole mask 20 around the user's head. On the other hand, when the user has a small head size or prefer to a somewhat tight mask, notches 13 0 Z closer to inner positions of the holding plate 10 may C be selected to engage with the ear loops 21. As can be seen from Fig. 12, the mask ear loop holding device of Fig. 9 may also be horizontally connected to the O Smask 20, so that the user has more choices in adjusting San tension of the ear loops 21 to make the mask 20 more c-i comfortable for wear.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scopeandthespiritoftheinventionthatisintended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (13)

1. A mask ear loop holding device for holding two ear loops of a mask at a rear side of a user's head, comprising a holding plate having at least one loop holder provided thereon, such that said ear loops of said mask could be engaged with selected ones of g said at least one loop holder when said mask is worn on a user's face.

2. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding plate has a vertical length larger than a joint of human helix and head.

3. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding plate has an open central area.

4. A mask ear loop holding device for holding two ear loops of a mask at a rear side of a user's head, comprising: a left holding plate provided with at least one loop holder for engaging with one of said two ear loops of said mask; >a right holding plate provided with at least one loop 0 Z holder for engaging with the other one of said two ear loops of said mask; and at least one elastic section for elastically Sconnecting said left holding plate to said right holding plate.

The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said left holding plate has a vertical length larger than a joint of human helix and head.

6. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said right holding plate has a vertical length larger than a joint of human helix and head.

7. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said elastic section is made of an elastic rubber material.

8. A mask with ear loop holding device, comprising a mask portion and two ear loops; said mask being characterized in that one of said two ear loops has a holding plate connected thereto; and that said holding plate is provided with at least one loop holder for the other one of said two ear loops to Oengage therewith, so as to hold said two ear loops Z of said mask to a rear side of a user's head.

9. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said holding plate has a vertical length larger than a joint of human helix and head. q

10.A mask ear loop holding device for holding two ear loops of a mask at a rear side of a user's head, comprising a holding plate having a plurality of notches provided at predetermined positions thereon, and said ear loops are engaged with selected ones of said notches to connect said mask to said holding plate.

11. The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim wherein said notches are spaced along an outer periphery of said holding plate.

12.The mask ear loop holding device as claimed in claim wherein said holding plate has an open central area, and said notches being spaced along an inner periphery of said open central area. Dated this 4th day of November 2004 Center Healthcare Technology Co., Ltd. By their Patent Attorneys A.P.T. Patent and Trade

13 Mark Attorneys