US20230063091A1 - Breathable mask - Google Patents
Breathable mask Download PDFInfo
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- US20230063091A1 US20230063091A1 US17/900,553 US202217900553A US2023063091A1 US 20230063091 A1 US20230063091 A1 US 20230063091A1 US 202217900553 A US202217900553 A US 202217900553A US 2023063091 A1 US2023063091 A1 US 2023063091A1
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- skirt
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- frame
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
- B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
- B63C11/12—Diving masks
- B63C11/16—Diving masks with air supply by suction from diver, e.g. snorkels
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
- A61M16/0003—Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
- A62B—DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING
- A62B18/00—Breathing masks or helmets, e.g. affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes or incorporating a pump or compressor for reducing the inhalation effort
- A62B18/08—Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices
- A62B18/10—Valves
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B33/00—Swimming equipment attachable to the head, e.g. swim caps or goggles
- A63B33/002—Swimming goggles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
- B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
- B63C11/12—Diving masks
- B63C2011/125—Diving masks comprising nose-clips, i.e. pinching devices for closing the user's nose, other than rubber blisters integral with flexible mask elements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
- B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
- B63C11/12—Diving masks
- B63C2011/128—Straps, or the like for fastening diving masks; Accessories therefor, e.g. buckles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
- B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
- B63C11/02—Divers' equipment
- B63C11/12—Diving masks
- B63C11/16—Diving masks with air supply by suction from diver, e.g. snorkels
- B63C2011/165—Diving masks with air supply by suction from diver, e.g. snorkels comprising two or more air ducts leading from the mouthpiece to the air inlet or outlet opening
Definitions
- the upper portion is the upper volume (UV), that is, the eye pocket 14 (EP), as shown in the area surrounded by the hollow dotted line in FIG. 2 ;
- the lower portion is the lower volume (LV), which is the orinasal pocket 13 (OP), the area surrounded by the bold solid line in FIG. 2 , allows the dead space to be strictly controlled only in the lower volume area, so as to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration.
- some FFSMs In order to divide the intake and exhaust, some FFSMs have designed a one-way breathing loop, by using a check valve to control one-way intake and one-way exhaust to prevent exhaled air from mixing inhaled fresh air. Therefore, when inhaling, it is ideal to only inhale “fresh air” from the breathing tube 11 , pass through the eye pocket 14 , and then pass through the check valve 15 to enter the orinasal pocket 13 (the path shown by the hollow dotted line in FIG.
- the air can only be guided from the two sides of the mask body 10 to the top of the mask through a single passage (that is, the passages on the two sides of the body 10 along the outline of the lens frame, not shown in the drawings), and then discharged through the breathing tube 11 , as shown by the solid dotted line in FIG. 3 .
- the entire lens is used to cover the eyes, nose, and mouth of the entire human face, and then on the inner side of the lens, various isolation, and air intake and exhaust mechanisms are arranged, Therefore, the lens surface must protrude forward from the frame to strive for more internal space, so the entire product will leave a certain distance from the user’s face after wearing (as shown in FIG. 1 B ), and the internal volume of such a design of mask cannot be minimized. If it is desired to control the dead space to a lower range of values, it is even more impossible. Therefore, it is particularly important to make structural changes to the full-face mask existing in the market.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the upper and lower volume divisions of a traditional full-face snorkeling mask
- FIG. 5 B is a schematic diagram of the rear view of FIG. 5 A ;
- FIG. 5 E is a schematic cross-sectional view taken from Line 5 E- 5 E of FIG. 5 A ;
- FIG. 11 B is a schematic bottom view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, which has a chin pad in another form;
- FIGS. 5 A, 5 B and 5 C show the basic structure of the mask 2 of the present invention.
- the breathable mask 2 includes a body 3 and a breathing tube 4 .
- the breathing tube 4 is an existing breathing tube, such as a dry snorkel. When the top 6 sinks below the water surface, no water will flow into the breathing tube 4 , and when the top 6 rises to the water surface, the breathing tube 4 can be connected to the body 3 for air exchange between a user wearing the mask 2 and the outside.
- the above-mentioned exhaust passage 58 can also be added up to (but not limited to) two passages, respectively formed on both sides of the eye skirt 51 and being in fluid communication with the orinasal pocket 56 through the exhaust openings or exhaust check valves 59 .
- the following is the exampled structure where the upper end of the exhaust passage 58 is in fluid communication with the breathing tube 4 .
- the lens module 40 additionally includes a connector 45 , which is inserted through an assembled sleeve 66 which is formed by the top portions 314 , 62 , 513 of the lens frame 31 , the sub-frame 60 , and the water sealing skirt 50 , respectively, as shown in FIGS. 5 C and 5 D .
- This two-layer waterproof protection does not end until it reaches the position of the mouth skirt, which not only provides excellent waterproofness of the mask, but also makes the user’s eyes (E) be closer to the transparent lens portion 44 , which undoubtedly provides further help for the miniaturization of the space inside the body 3 of the mask 2 , as opposed to the existing FFSM using the folded rear edge of the water sealing skirt that needs a larger peripheral space.
- the embodiment as to the lower fastening device 82 being a chin pad is shown in FIG. 10 A .
- the chin pad 830 integrally extends from the lower end of the eye skirt 51 to the two rear edges of the mouth skirt 53 , and further extends backward at the bottom of the mouth skirt 53 .
- the chin pad 830 is integrally formed with the rear edge 501 of the water sealing skirt 50 .
- the double-seal ring 930 is formed with a first fitting portion 935 and a second fitting portion 936 , which constitutes a Y-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 12 B .
- the second fitting portion 936 is located at an outer periphery of the first fitting portion 935 , whereby forming two-layer protection to further prevent water leakage.
- the nose frame 33 is also created, so that the soft nose skirt 52 can be protruded forward and outward from the nose frame 33 for the user to perform the Frenzel Equalization operation, which helps to balance the internal and external pressure of the mask, and can also improve the tightness of the mask onto and the user’s face, especially when the mouth, nose and eyes are sealed within the mask, thereby keeping the pressure inside and outside the mask balanced, and also preventing water from entering.
- the nose skirt 52 includes an equalizing portion 521 and a partition 522 , which are separated by a section of the lens frame 31 .
- the nose skirt 52 protrudes forward from the rear edge of the lens frame 31 , and has a single-crest mountain shaped cross section, as shown in FIG. 5 E .
- the single-crest mountain shaped cross section defines an amplitude (Nh) ranging from 20 mm to 30 mm, measured from a valley to a top thereof; or the nose skirt 52 protrudes forward from the rear edge of the lens frame 31 for an extent (Nt) that exceeds an outer edge of the lens frame, in which the extent (Nt) ranges from 5 mm and 12 mm.
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Pulmonology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Anesthesiology (AREA)
- Hematology (AREA)
- Emergency Management (AREA)
- Emergency Medicine (AREA)
- Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)
- Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
Abstract
A breathable mask includes a main body, a breathing tube, a head strap and a chin strap or support. The breathing tube can be in fluid communication with the interior of the main body. The head strap and a chin strap or support form a three-point fix from a user’s head to the main body of the mask.
Description
- This patent application claims the benefits of U.S. Prov. Ser. No. 63/239,597 filed on Sept. 1, 2021, No. 63/297,084 filed on Jan. 6, 2022, No. 63/305,938 filed on Feb. 2, 2022, and No. 63/326,418 filed on Apr. 1, 2022. All of the above applications are incorporated by reference herein.
- The present invention is a full-face mask covering a user’s eyes, nose and mouth, especially a breathable snorkeling mask that is relatively compact, lightweight and has excellent breathing efficiency.
- In the current water activities, the most common way to allow a user to breathe freely without holding their breath is nothing more than using a mask (covering the eyes and nose) with a breathing tube (secured to the user’s mouth). Although this method has been used for many years, it relies on the user to breath exclusively through the mouth. This however is different from the habit of ordinary people who breath from the mouth and or the nose. The invention of the face snorkeling mask 1 (i.e., the so-called Full Face Snorkel Mask, FFSM) is mainly to allow the
body 10 of themask 1 to cover the entire face F (from the eyebrows to the chin, including the eyes, nose, and mouth). Then, abreathing tube 11 connects to the central top of thebody 10, and is in fluid communication with the inside of thebody 10 for the user to breathe freely through the orinasal. The whole breathing process is more casual, and there is no need to pay attention to breathing, as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B , making the water activities more enjoyable. - However due to the
large lens 12 area, the full-face snorkeling mask 1 has a large inner volume, making the FFSM difficult to carry. In addition, another fatal disadvantage of the large inner volume of FFSM is that during use, the large inner volume decreases the efficiency of exhaled air from leaving the FFSM; thereby the concentration of carbon dioxide in the total inner space of themask body 10 will gradually increase. Inadvertent loss of consciousness due to insufficient content of blood oxygen has been reported all over the world. To understand why, we must start with some basic theories: - (1) The air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen (O2) and up to about 0.04% carbon dioxide (CO2). But many people don’t know that it is carbon dioxide, not oxygen, that is primarily responsible for the rate and depth of our breathing; carbon dioxide is a very important component of the air in the human lungs, and increased levels of carbon dioxide can cause loss of consciousness. If this happens in water, the result is drowning.
- (2) During breathing, oxygen is consumed and metabolized, and carbon dioxide is produced by our body, resulting in an increase in carbon dioxide content (to about 4%) and a decrease in oxygen content (to about 16%) in the air we exhale. When we exhale, the airway is not completely emptied, and a small amount of air (rich in carbon dioxide) remains in the airway. This amount of breathing that does not participate in air exchange is medically called “dead space”. So, when we inhale again, we are breathing a mixture of air that includes “fresh air” as well as “air rich in carbon dioxide”, can become lethal; therefore, we must keep the dead space as small as possible to be safe.
- (3) To transplant such a theory to the FFSM, that is, to simulate the whole FFSM as the human respiratory system. When using the
breathing tube 11 for breathing, the length of the airway is obviously increased, and conceptually, the volume of the so-called dead space is increased. If this total volume is too large, the air we rebreathe in will have increasingly higher concentrations of carbon dioxide, leading to the increased risks as described earlier. This is also the reason why the 1972 European Union Standard (i.e., EU standard EN 1972) strictly limits the length and diameter of breathing tubes; that is, the volume of breathing tubes for adults is required not to exceed 230 ml (and not to exceed 150 ml for children). And this is only the volume limit of thebreathing tube 11. If we now add the internal volume of themask body 10, the volume of the dead space will be doubled or tripled, or even higher, which will of course lead to the danger of increasing level of carbon dioxide concentration. - Based on the above theory, reducing carbon dioxide concentration has become a serious and active research and development for this industry, especially for well-known manufacturers, because they must produce safe and reliable products. Not only because of the need to pass the EU standard inspection, but also avoid being prosecuted and compensate people due to the safety concerns. These manufacturers usually go in two directions: 1) reduce the volume of dead space; 2) “shunt” the intake and exhaust air flows of the mask, so that the fresh air inhaled is independent of the carbon dioxide exhaled, reducing the chance of mixing.
- In order to reduce the dead space, some FFSMs adopt the design concept of isolating the breathing portion (orinasal pocket)from other portions such as the cheeks and the eyes to form two areas , the upper portion is the upper volume (UV), that is, the eye pocket 14 (EP), as shown in the area surrounded by the hollow dotted line in
FIG. 2 ; the lower portion is the lower volume (LV), which is the orinasal pocket 13 (OP), the area surrounded by the bold solid line inFIG. 2 , allows the dead space to be strictly controlled only in the lower volume area, so as to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration. - In order to divide the intake and exhaust, some FFSMs have designed a one-way breathing loop, by using a check valve to control one-way intake and one-way exhaust to prevent exhaled air from mixing inhaled fresh air. Therefore, when inhaling, it is ideal to only inhale “fresh air” from the
breathing tube 11, pass through theeye pocket 14, and then pass through thecheck valve 15 to enter the orinasal pocket 13 (the path shown by the hollow dotted line inFIG. 3 ); The air can only be guided from the two sides of themask body 10 to the top of the mask through a single passage (that is, the passages on the two sides of thebody 10 along the outline of the lens frame, not shown in the drawings), and then discharged through thebreathing tube 11, as shown by the solid dotted line inFIG. 3 . - Even if the above-mentioned direction of solving the problem is correct the air tightness between the upper volume area (eye pocket 14) and the lower volume area (orinasal pocket 13) of many products is inherently not good due to aging materials, or due to different users' facial shapes and dimensions causing the seal between the upper and lower volume areas cannot be kept well at all. Only a simple partition exists between the
eye pocket 14 and theorinasal pocket 13. In addition, not shown in the drawings for details, the passage occupied by the solid dotted lines inFIG. 3 will undoubtedly increase the volume of the dead space. This result returns to the level where the carbon dioxide concentration is too high. Of course, adding a check valve to control one-way exhaust so that the exhalation space can be reduced after deducting the volume of theeye pocket 14 can make up some shortcomings of excessive dead space, but, because the exhaust flow usually circulates from the two sides of the orinasal pocket, goes up along the air passages around the mask to the top of the mask, and then runs along the length of the breathing tube to the top of the breathing tube to be discharged. Whether this “one-way” control of exhaust can be well done all the way to the end, or whether it needs to be set some other check valves in the midway such as at the connection between the mask and the breathing tube, etc., will increase the cost of materials and make the mechanism more complicated. - With the current design of the FFSM, the entire lens is used to cover the eyes, nose, and mouth of the entire human face, and then on the inner side of the lens, various isolation, and air intake and exhaust mechanisms are arranged, Therefore, the lens surface must protrude forward from the frame to strive for more internal space, so the entire product will leave a certain distance from the user’s face after wearing (as shown in
FIG. 1B ), and the internal volume of such a design of mask cannot be minimized. If it is desired to control the dead space to a lower range of values, it is even more impossible. Therefore, it is particularly important to make structural changes to the full-face mask existing in the market. - The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a breathable mask, through structural changes, its volume can be minimized, therefore improving the above problems. To understand the technical thinking behind all of this, there are a few theories to focus on first.
- The first is “negative ventilation pressure”. In a relatively sealed room, if there is a one-way exhaust fan on one side of the wall to force the indoor air out, a transient relative vacuum (the so-called “negative pressure”) will be formed. If the windows on the other side have many holes, the outdoor air will passively flow into the room with zero or negative pressure under the unbalanced internal and external atmospheric pressure. In this way, the indoor air is continuously circulated with the outdoor air. If the ventilation position is installed properly, or the temporary vacuum is more complete, the outdoor fresh air will flow toward the room through the holes “more naturally and actively”, and the indoor air will only leave in the direction of being taken away and will not pollute other rooms. Industrial plants use this theory to purify the air in the factory. Medical institutions also use the same principle to build negative pressure isolation wards to ensure that patients with high infectious sources will not contaminate other rooms. The above theoretical relation is shown in the block diagram in
FIG. 4 . - The second is “Tidal volume”. Tidal volume refers to the amount of air inhaled or expelled from the lungs during each breathing cycle and measures approximately 500 milliliters in a healthy adult male and approximately 400 milliliters in a healthy female. This is an important clinical parameter that allows for proper ventilation. When the lungs need adequate ventilation protection, the resting heart rhythm is used as the standard, and the tidal volume is set to 6-8 ml/kg ideal body weight (IBW). The safe tidal volume range is defined as 6-8 ml/kg IBW, where IBW (male) = 50 kg + 2.3 x (height (in inch) - 60). Using this algorithm, the calculated safe tidal volume for a man with a height of 185 cm is between 474 ml and 632 ml; while for a man with a height of 165 cm, the calculated safe tidal volume is between 368 and 490 ml. This is why the average safe tidal volume for a healthy adult male is set at about 500 ml in clinical practice.
- Based on the knowledge of negative pressure ventilation technology, after wearing the FFSM, a negative pressure space is formed between the mask and the face, and the action of the user’s exhalation can be compared to a one-way exhaust fan. When the air is activated (that is, exhaling), if all the air in the mask can be exhaled, it will be closer to the transient vacuum state. At this time, the air flow of the intake air will passively flow into the mask “naturally and actively”. Air bringing in from the outside is the fresh air, while air discharged from the mask is the dirty air of carbon dioxide that is not expected to remain in the mask. It does not require forced inhalation to form a natural and clean cycle with separation of intake and exhaust. Based on the knowledge of tidal volume, if the user can exhale all the air in the mask with every exhalation, a vacuum-like transient will be formed in the mask, and the above-mentioned clean cycle can be easily achieved. According to this important finding, if an adult male is taken as an example, as long as the total of the volume in the mask plus the volume in the breathing tube (that is, the dead space as understood above) can be as small as 500 ml or less, or even better to be lower than 300-400 ml, it can ensure that each resting exhalation volume of the user (no matter whether adult male, female or child) reaches a transient vacuum rate close to 100%, then the next inhalation will not be laborious, and the fresh air brought in can fill the entire dead space. With the effect of negative pressure exhaust, there will be rigidly any mix with dirty carbon dioxide air, so there is no safety concern.
- Another objective of the present invention is to provide a breakthrough structure to minimize the interior of the body of the existing diving/snorkel mask, so that the body boundary can be concentrated in the middle of the face, as long as the eyes, nose and mouth are covered, well positioned and waterproofed. In other words, the structure of the orinasal pocket for accommodating the user’s nose and mouth is independent of the lens frame, instead of letting the entire
transparent lens 12 protrude from thewhole face frame 18 as in the traditional FFSM (in reference toFIGS. 1A and 1B ) whose basic structure is to divide the eye pocket and the orinasal pocket inside the mask behind theentire lens 12. In this invention, because there is no wasted space, and the eye mask portion and the orinasal mask portion are independent of each other, the eye mask can be as close to the eyes as possible, and the orinasal mask can also be as close as possible to the user’s orinasal. This way, the upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear dimensions are not overextended, and the overall internal volume is naturally and effectively reduced. This solves the fundamental problem of excessive dead space. Consequently, the overall weight is thus greatly reduced, making it more convenient to carry. Further, in such a design of the breathable mask, the nose portion, which can be made of soft material and exposes outward, makes it possible to allow the user to operate the function of equalization that only the conventional diving mask covering the user’s eyes and nose can have. - Because the internal volume of the entire mask can be extremely effectively reduced, some additional designs, such as how small the lower volume is, how the orinasal pocket should be designed, whether the upper and lower volume areas are effectively isolated, whether to design check valve control to shunt the intake and exhaust, and whether the breathing tube must strictly control its internal volume, have become secondary issues. Dealing with these secondary issues will only further improve the effect of circulation. In addition, because the orinasal pockets have been significantly reduced in volume, the exhalation efficiency will be greatly improved; that is to say, it is not necessary to use too much force for exhalation, and at the same time, the accumulated water in the orinasal volume area can be drained easily. Furthermore, to fix the traditional FFSM on the user’s head, on both sides of the entire mask frame, there must be a total of four points (16 and 17 in
FIG. 2 ) provided to allow the head strap (not shown) to cross the back of the head. It is very troublesome and bulky to fix. On the contrary, in this invention, because the main weight will fall on the eye mask area, i.e., the weight shared by the orinasal mask is relatively low, so the two-ended head strap traditionally used for a diving mask suffices to fasten the mask onto the user’s head from two opposing sides of the lens frame around the back of the head. The convenience of carrying and use is greatly improved, and the cost of manufacturing is also reduced. -
FIG. 1A is a schematic, perspective view of a traditional full-face snorkeling mask; -
FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of a user wearing a traditional full-face snorkeling mask; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the upper and lower volume divisions of a traditional full-face snorkeling mask; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the inlet and outlet air paths ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a block conceptual diagram showing the negative pressure ventilation theory; -
FIG. 5A is a schematic front view of an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of the rear view ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5C is a perspective exploded schematic view ofFIGS. 5A and 5B , wherein the breathing tube only shows a portion of the tube body; -
FIG. 5D is a schematic view of a user wearing the breathable mask of the present invention, wherein the breathable mask shows its sagittal plane taken from theLine 5D-5D ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5E is a schematic cross-sectional view taken fromLine 5E-5E ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5F is a schematic cross-sectional view, the coronal plane taken fromLine 5F-5F ofFIG. 5B ; -
FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention (flat-folding lens model); -
FIG. 7A shows the state of the pivot valves during inhalation of the present invention; -
FIG. 7B shows the state of the pivot valves during exhalation of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken from Line 8-8 ofFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 9A is a schematic perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, which has a fixed chin strap; -
FIGS. 9B and 9C are schematic perspective views of yet a further embodiment of the present invention, which has an adjustable chin strap; -
FIG. 10A is a three-dimensional schematic view of yet further another embodiment of the present invention, which has a chin pad; -
FIG. 10B is a schematic cross-sectional view, the sagittal plane ofFIG. 10A ; -
FIG. 11A is a schematic perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, which has a chin pad; -
FIG. 11B is a schematic bottom view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, which has a chin pad in another form; -
FIG. 11C is a schematic cross-sectional view, the sagittal plane ofFIG. 11A ; -
FIG. 12A is a schematic rear view of a diving mask covering the eyes and nose according to the present invention; and -
FIG. 12B is a schematic cross-sectional view, the sagittal plane taken alongLine 12B-12B ofFIG. 12A . - First of all, it is explained that the head strap that is fixed to the two sides of the frame around the user’s head are easily obscured or interfered with some important components and affect the description. Therefore, except for
FIGS. 9A, 11A and 11C , the head strap is omitted in the other figures. -
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C show the basic structure of themask 2 of the present invention. Thebreathable mask 2 includes abody 3 and abreathing tube 4. Thebreathing tube 4 is an existing breathing tube, such as a dry snorkel. When the top 6 sinks below the water surface, no water will flow into thebreathing tube 4, and when the top 6 rises to the water surface, thebreathing tube 4 can be connected to thebody 3 for air exchange between a user wearing themask 2 and the outside. - The
body 3 includes amain frame 30, alens module 40 and awater sealing skirt 50. Themain frame 30 and thelens module 40 are preferably made of rigid materials, while thewater sealing skirt 50 is preferably made of flexible soft materials to achieve good waterproofness and wearing comfort. Themain frame 30 has alens frame 31 and amouth frame 32, and themouth frame 32 has ashield 321 and twobrackets 322 respectively extending from the lower two sides of thelens frame 31 and connected to theshield 321. Theshield 321 and the twobrackets 322 of themouth frame 32 together define anose frame 33 along with thelens frame 31, and theshield 321 of themouth frame 32 is in fluid communication with the outside. Thelens module 40 has atransparent lens portion 44 having a shape corresponding to the shape of theframe 31. Thewater sealing skirt 50 is formed, preferably integrally formed with aneye skirt 51, anose skirt 52 and amouth skirt 53. The front of theeye skirt 51 has askirt frame 511 having a shape corresponding to the shape of thetransparent lens portion 44. Thetransparent lens portion 44 and theskirt frame 511 are jointly waterproof and embedded in thelens frame 31, and thenose skirt 52 protrudes outward from thenose frame 33. Themouth skirt 53 is adapted to be in one-way fluid communication with the outside through themouth frame 32. When the user wears the breathable mask, the eyes (E), nose (N), and mouth (M) are respectively accommodated in theeye skirt 51, thenose skirt 52 and themouth skirt 53, and are continuously enclosed by therear edge 501 of thewater sealing skirt 50 along an outer periphery thereof, thereby thewater sealing skirt 50 is in close contact with the user’s face (F), as shown inFIG. 5D . - Preferably, further in reference to
FIG. 5E , thebody 3 further includes asub-frame 60. Thelens frame 31 has a rigidinner flange 311, theskirt frame 511 has asoft flange 512 corresponding to in shape and overlapping theinner flange 311. Thetransparent lens portion 44 has an outerperipheral edge 441 overlapping thesoft flange 512. Thesub-frame 60 overlaps theouter periphery 441 of thetransparent lens portion 44, and is fastened with thelens frame 31. This way, thetransparent lens portion 44 and theskirt frame 511 are waterproof and embedded in thelens frame 31 together. Preferably, thesub-frame 60 and thelens frame 31 are fastened byclips FIG. 5C for detachable or permanent fixing, or by any forms of adhesion. Of course, thelens frame 31 and thesub-frame 60 can be designed into one piece or into multiple pieces, as long as they can be combined with thetransparent lens portion 44 and theskirt frame 511 to achieve appropriate sealing and waterproofing. In addition, in reference toFIGS. 5B and 5E , thenose skirt 52 includes an equalizingportion 521 and apartition 522, which are separated by a section of thelens frame 31. Theeye skirt 51, thetransparent lens portion 44 and thepartition 522, which together define an eye pocket 55 (i.e., the upper volume of the body 3), whereas the equalizingportion 521, thepartition 522 and themouth skirt 53 jointly define an orinasal pocket 56 (i.e., the lower volume of the body 3). Furthermore, anexhaust passage 58 is disposed along an innerperipheral edge 315 of thelens frame 31. Theexhaust passage 58 is defined by theeye skirt 51 and an outerperipheral surface 441 of thetransparent lens portion 44, and is in fluid communication with thebreathing tube 4 at an upper end thereof, and in fluid communication with theorinasal pocket 56 at a lower end thereof, as more clearly seen with reference toFIG. 5F . Of course, the above-mentionedexhaust passage 58 can also be added up to (but not limited to) two passages, respectively formed on both sides of theeye skirt 51 and being in fluid communication with theorinasal pocket 56 through the exhaust openings orexhaust check valves 59. The following is the exampled structure where the upper end of theexhaust passage 58 is in fluid communication with thebreathing tube 4. Specifically, thelens module 40 additionally includes aconnector 45, which is inserted through an assembled sleeve 66 which is formed by thetop portions lens frame 31, thesub-frame 60, and thewater sealing skirt 50, respectively, as shown inFIGS. 5C and 5D . When the user inhales, theexhaust check valve 59 is closed, and the clean air enters theeye pocket 55 from theintake duct 41 of thebreathing tube 4, enters theorinasal pocket 56 through theintake check valve 57, and then enters the user’s nostrils and mouth, as shown by the hollow dotted line inFIG. 5F . When the user exhales, theintake check valve 57 is closed, and the dirty air enters theexhaust passage 58 through theexhaust check valve 59, and then exit through theexhaust duct 42 of thebreathing tube 4 as shown by the solid dotted lines inFIG. 5F . - Furthermore, as seen from
FIGS. 5D and 5E , therear edge 501 of theeye skirt 51 of thewater sealing skirt 50 has a specific shape to better fit the user’s face (F). Preferably, therear edge 501 is configured to have a Y-shaped cross section which includes a firstfitting portion 502 inside and a secondfitting portion 503 outside. When wearing the mask, the included angle between the firstfitting portion 502 and the secondfitting portion 503 is elastically opened and in close contact with the user’s face, whereby being equivalent to provide two layers of waterproof protection. This two-layer waterproof protection does not end until it reaches the position of the mouth skirt, which not only provides excellent waterproofness of the mask, but also makes the user’s eyes (E) be closer to thetransparent lens portion 44, which undoubtedly provides further help for the miniaturization of the space inside thebody 3 of themask 2, as opposed to the existing FFSM using the folded rear edge of the water sealing skirt that needs a larger peripheral space. - The following Table A having no users is a comparison list which are measured for the inner volume of the
body 3 of themask 2, i.e., the eye pocket (EP) volume and the orinasal pocket (OP) volume in one of the optimal products of the present invention, as opposed to that of the commercially available full-face snorkel mask, by using the computer-aided design of DASSAULT SYSTEMES Software named “CATIA V5”, under the same environmental conditions; whereas Table B is another comparison list after a user (according to ISO standard adult male head) wear those masks and the remaining eye pocket volume (REP) and the remaining orinasal pocket volume (ROP) are measured. Among them, each of the volume units is “ml”. -
Table A Brand Model Eye pocket volume (EP) Orinasal pocket volume (OP) Total inner volume (EP+OP) WHQQDOC S/M 509 272 781 DECATHLON EASY BREATH 399 206 605 MARES SEA VU DRY 426 317 743 BODY GLOVE AIRE 435 279 714 CRESSI BARON 840 328 1,168 Product of this invention 229 158 387 -
Table B Brand Model Remaining Eye pocket volume (REP) Remaining Orinasal pocket volume (ROP) Total remaining inner volume (REP+ROP) WHQQDOC S/M 462 169 631 DECATHLON EASY BREATH 327 168 495 MARES SEA VU DRY 391 266 631 BODY GLOVE AIRE 384 239 623 CRESSI BARON 739 308 1,047 Product of this invention 206 83 289 - The above experimental data says that that the
body 3 of the present invention reduces its internal volume a lot. Even if a slight volume (less than 100 ml) occupied by the exhaust ducts in thebreathing tube 4 is added up, the real volume in total is still close to or even lower than the tidal volume of ordinary people. Therefore, no matter how the interior of thebody 3 is designed, the snorkeler can almost empty the dirty air in themask 2 as long as he/she exhales moderately, forming a transient vacuum state. Physically, the clean air outside has been waiting to enter this negative pressure environment. As long as the user breathes naturally, the clean air from the outside can be brought into themask body 3, thus forming an easy inhalation and exhalation cycle, which is not easy to have the user lose energy. And there is no danger resulting from excessive carbon dioxide content. This mask design makes the entire lower half of thebody 3, that is, the region from the lower portion thelens frame 31 all the way downwards to thenose skirt 52 and themouth skirt 53, obviously becomes thinner and sharpened in width, as shown inFIG. 5A . This causes the whole snorkeling mask to become much smaller than the existing full-face mask 1, and it is more portable to carry. The following Table C is the actual measurement data (unit: mm) of the internal space of the body of various masks, which is sufficient to prove the excellent size down of the present invention. -
Table C Brand Model Max. inner width (W) Max. inner height (H) Max. inner depth (D) WHQQDOC S/M 155 204 77 DECATHLON EASY BREATH 147 176 70 MARES SEA VU DRY 155 203 88 BODY GLOVE AIRE 144 178 76 CRESSI BARON 155 210 89 Product of this invention 140 130 44 - As shown in
FIGS. 5D and 5E , because of the above-mentioned structural arrangement, thetransparent lens portion 44 in thebreathable mask 2 of the present invention does not protrude from the outer edge of thelens frame 31 at all. Therefore, thetransparent lens portion 44 can be closer to the user in order to achieve the excellent REP and ROP values with a small inner volume of themask body 3 mentioned above. The mentionedtransparent lens portion 44 which does not protrude from the outer edge of theframe 31 is not limited to the full-flat lens model as shown inFIGS. 5A-5E , but also applies to other styles, such as a flat-folding lens with a straight corner, or a curved lens with an arc corner. Taking a flat-folding lens portion as an example, in reference toFIG. 6 , both of a flat-foldinglens frame 31A and a flat-foldinglens 44A need be matched with each other. The flat-foldinglens 44A includes aflat portion 44B and two bendingportions 44C respectively extending backwards from two opposing sides of theflat portion 44B. It is required that the skirt frame is a flat-foldingskirt frame 511A, while the shapes of the flat-folding frame 31A, the periphery of the flat-foldinglens 44A, and the flat-foldingskirt frame 511A correspond to one another to facilitate mutual water seal fitting. - In addition, when using a snorkeling mask, if the shunt measures of intake and exhaust as shown in
FIG. 5F are adopted, the amount and efficiency of inhaled clean air are as important as the exhaust efficiency. The above negative pressure transient vacuum theory is related to the exhaust efficiency (that is, whether the dirty air can be fully evacuated), but if the next intake cycle can be further improved, undoubtedly, the entire mask intake and exhaust cycle must reach an optimum. Geometrically, under the same area, a rectangle occupies less space than a circle. Therefore, a rectangular valve that pivots on one side thereof is physically easier to be configured in a limited space (e.g., on the partition dividing the eye pocket and the orinasal pocket), as compared to a center-fixed circular mushroom-shaped check valve. Furthermore, the rectangular valve can receive air intake with a better opening angle. The present invention already has a breakthrough and small internal volume, and if the pivot intake check valve is used to provide the unidirectional fresh air from the eye pocket to the orinasal pocket, the amount of intake air is greatly increased and the user’s energy is saved. - The description as to the pivoting check valve is as follows. First, each
mask 2 is provided with at least one (on the left or the right), preferably two (one on each on the left and the right) airintake check valves 57. More preferably, eachmask 2 is provided with four pivot check valves, in which two for the air intake are symmetrically disposed on the upper portion of the partition and have a larger size, and the other two for the air exhaust are symmetrically disposed on the lower portion of the partition and having a smaller size than the intake check valves. Now one of theintake check valves 57 arranged in thepartition 522 is taken as an example to illustrate, whereas theexhaust check valve 59 like the exampledintake check valve 57 can be set at any position of theexhaust passage 58, such as at the entrance thereof, as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B , or at the position of the exhaust duct at the top of the breathing tube 4 (not shown). Thevalve 57 includes a fixingportion 571 and apivot axle 572. The fixingportion 571 is installed on the side of theair inlet 524 formed on thepartition 522. Thepivot axle 572 does not necessarily need to be substantially installed with a hinge or a pin. It is possible to directly thin the thickness on one side of the swing lid 573 (the optimum thickness is 20%-60% of the thickness of the swing lid 573), making it a weak zone for bending, as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B . Then the effect of pivoting theswing lid 573 can be achieved. When the swing lid is activated by air flow, it will naturally pivot about the weak zone serving as the axis of pivot to open or close the swing lid. If the installation method is appropriate, theswing lid 573 naturally opens slightly due to its own weight, so as to help the air intake in advance. When the user inhales with a moderate force (as shown inFIG. 7A ), theintake check valve 57 is opened and theexhaust check valve 59 is closed. This way may just have theswing lid 573 be easily opened about 40-70 degrees. If the user exhale or inhale more deeply, theswing lid 573 can be opened to an extent about 60-70 degrees that will lead an amount of air flow being almost equivalent to the amount of air passing through theair inlet 524 without installing theswing lid 573. The same is true when the user exhales, as shown inFIG. 7B , except that theintake check valve 57 is closed and theexhaust check valve 59 is opened. Theswing lid 573 is not limited to rectangle, any other shapes such as square, trapezoid, polygon, circle, semicircle, oval, triangle, or even irregular shapes are applicable, as long as it is a single-sided pivoting lid in installed either in a free or auto-resiling manner. If the swing lid adopts the recommended rectangle, its width and height is preferably set between 5 mm and 30 mm, and the thickness is preferably set between 0.3 mm and 3 mm, which is the most space-saving and easiest to open and close naturally according to the user’s inhalation and exhalation. The size of theair inlet 524 covered by the swing lid should be slightly smaller than that of theswing lid 573. - Compared with the prior art, the purge valve of the present invention is obviously more efficient in purging water and air out from the user’s mouth. Further, in reference back to
FIGS. 5A, 5C, and 5D , a plurality of apertures 325 (unlimited in number) are formed on theshield 321 of themouth frame 32, and anopening 534 is arranged on themouth skirt 53 to allow the plurality ofapertures 325 to be at least partially aligned with theopening 534. Apurge valve 7 is sandwiched between the plurality ofapertures 325 and theopening 534, so that the user can use his/her mouth to purge the water leaking in thebody 3 and the exhaled dirty air to the outside from theorinasal pocket 56 through theskirt portion 53 and themouth frame 32. And, because when the user’s mouth M is accommodated in themouth skirt 53, and thepurge valve 7 is substantially corresponding to and closer to the user’s mouth M, the blowing and exhaling efficiency is greatly improved. The comparison as to the relative spatial relationship between the mouth M of the present invention and the purge valve 7 (as shown inFIG. 5D ) and the mouth M of the conventional FFSM and the purge valve 5 (as shown inFIG. 1B ) can clearly show the mentioned result. More preferably, in this invention, thepurge valve 7 includes avalve seat 71 and avalve plate 72 fixed at the center of thevalve seat 71. Thevalve seat 71 is tightly coupled onto a periphery defining theopening 534 by threads or multi-flanges 711 at one side thereof, and is clipped onto theshield 321 of themouth frame 32 at the other side thereof, so as to securely fix thepurge valve 7 between themouth skirt 53 and themouth frame 32, as shown inFIG. 8 , thereby achieving excellent stability and rigidity. Unlike the traditional FFSM, there is no longer need to extend the size of the lens portion downward to the bottom of the mask for thepurge valve 5 to install (seeFIGS. 1A and 1B ) where the volume of themask 1 cannot be reduced. - Based on the advantage that the
purge valve 7 is not limited by the position, the size of thevalve plate 72 is able to be enlarged. Preferably, its diameter can be set to range from 23 to 28 millimeters (mm), or even larger, thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of drainage and exhaust, and even being possible to take thepurge valve 7 as the only passage for exhalation. That is to say, theexhaust passage 58 and theexhaust duct 42 of thebreathing tube 4 can be eliminated. Furthermore, the direction of the drawing thatFIG. 8 shows is very close to the state of the user wearing themask 2 snorkeling in the water. At this time, theorinasal pocket 56 presents a shape like a funnel, wherein the drain tip of the funnel is where thepurge valve 7 is located; that is to say, if there is unwilling water leaking in the mask, it will naturally accumulate in the setting of thepurge valve 7 of the funnel-shapedorinasal pocket 56. The user only needs to exhale or blow through his/her mouth lightly in the water, and the water will be purged out, with no need to get out of the water or even take off the mask. - As compared to the existing FFSM, wearing the
mask 2 of the present invention can be simpler, without oppression and losing the sense of waterproofness. Specifically, as shown inFIG. 9A , anupper fastening device 81 and alower fastening device 82 are provided. Both extend from the rear of thebody 3, so as to fasten thebody 3 to the user’s face with “three points” waterproof tightening. More specifically, theupper fastening device 81 has ahead strap 811 and twofasteners 812 for respectively connecting two ends of thehead strap 811. The twofasteners 812 are disposed on two opposite sides of thelens frame 31, respectively. Thehead strap 811 is at least one of elastic and adjustable, and each of thefasteners 812 can be in any measure to be connected to the two ends of thehead strap 811.FIG. 9A (also inFIG. 11A ) shows anadjustable head strap 811 which has two ends connecting with thefasteners 812 in a quick-release manner, but this is only an example, and does not limit the way of connection. The lower fastening device is preferably at least partially made of elastic material, extending backward from therear edge 501 of thewater sealing skirt 50, preferably the two sides of the rear edge of themouth skirt 53, and being fixed with the user’s chin or jawbone, in order to enhance the waterproofness between themouth skirt 53 and the area near the mouth M of the user. More preferably, the lower fastening device is a chin strap or a chin pad, which will be described separately below. - The embodiment as to the
lower fastening device 82 being a chin strap is shown inFIGS. 5A-5D and 9A-9C . Thechin strap 820 is connected between the two sides of the mouth skirt 53 (or two sides of both theeye skirt 51 and the mouth skirt 53). When the user wears thebreathable mask 2, thechin strap 820 can be elastically tightened to the user on the area behind the user’s chin or jawbone (JB). The two ends of thechin strap 820 can be formed at any position of therear edge 501 of thewater sealing skirt 50, such as integrally formed with the rear edges of theeye skirt 51 and themouth skirt 53, or is detachably and/or adjustably connected to themouth skirt 53, so that the length and tightness of thechin strap 820 can be fittingly adjusted.FIGS. 9B and 9C show one of the detachable and adjustable embodiments. Specifically, amale fastener 823 extends from both sides of themouth skirt 53 for a plurality of female fasteners (i.e., holes 824) of thechin strap 825 to engage with, in order to set thechin strap 825 in proper tightness and achieve the purpose of adjustment. - The embodiment as to the
lower fastening device 82 being a chin pad is shown inFIG. 10A . Thechin pad 830 integrally extends from the lower end of theeye skirt 51 to the two rear edges of themouth skirt 53, and further extends backward at the bottom of themouth skirt 53. In another aspect of overall configuration, thechin pad 830 is integrally formed with therear edge 501 of thewater sealing skirt 50. This sort ofchin pad 830 has a smaller size, wherein each of the two sides of themouth skirt 53 is provided with arib 831, which continuously extends downward from theeye skirt 51 and goes around the bottom of themouth skirt 53 to increase the supportability of thechin pad 830, so that when the user wears the mask, thechin pad 830 elastically bears against the chin or jawbone (JB) of the user. Another sort ofchin pad 850 has a larger size, as shown inFIG. 11A , which extends continuously and backward from the two rear edges of each of theeye skirt 51 and themouth skirt 53 and is integrally formed with themouth skirt 53. Specifically, thechin pad 850 includes apad area 851 and anenclosing area 852 surrounding thepad area 851, wherein the enclosingarea 852 and themouth skirt 53 have the same material, and thepad area 851 has the different material or thickness from the enclosingarea 852. In a greater detail, the material of thepad area 851 is selected from materials including TPR, TPU, silicone, PVC, rubber, or a combination thereof, and a material having a Shore Hardness of 10-80 is preferable. In terms of the thickness of thepad area 851, it is recommended that the thickness of thepad area 851 is smaller than the thickness of the surroundingarea 852, and their thickness difference preferably ranges from 0.2 mm to 5 mm, so that when the user wears the mask, thepad area 851 of thechin pad 850 just bears against the user’s chin or jawbone (JB), thereby increasing water resistance and comfort near the user’s mouth. It is suggested that the surface of thepad area 851 can be made into a pleated or corrugated form as shown inFIG. 11A , or a honeycomb form (e.g., thepad area 853 inFIG. 11B ) to increase the friction with the user’s chin, avoid displacement during use, and enhance waterproof effects. - It is worthwhile to mention that if the two sides of the chin pad 830 (also the clin pad 850) are connected upward to the rear edge of the
eye skirt 51, then the entirerear edge 501 of thewater sealing skirt 50 continues to have the Y-shaped cross section as shown inFIGS. 5D and 5E . In other words, the entire portion of themask body 3 that is attached to the user’s face (F) forms two layers of waterproof protection all the way along. That is, both of the inner firstfitting portion 502 and the outer secondfitting portion 503, are tightly attached to the user’s face in a circle, wherein, at the lower area of thebody 3, each of the water sealing edge 535 (i.e., flat edge, seeFIG. 10B ) and 536 (i.e., curved-folding edge, seeFIG. 11C ) of themouth skirt 53 serves as the firstfitting portion 502, and each of the chin pad 830 (FIG. 10B ) and 850 (FIG. 11C ) serves as the secondfitting portion 503, thereby the waterproof effect and comfort is greatly improved. - The mentioned double seal technology is also applicable to the existing diving mask covering the user’s eyes and nose. In using this kind of diving mask, the area between the user’s nostrils and the upper lip (that is, the so-called “philtrum”) will often leak water, and the reason is because the facial lines in this area are complex, the water resistance is obviously insufficient in this area. Once the water enters the mask, it will naturally accumulate inside this area, and because this area is very close to the nostrils, it will cause the user to be extremely nervous. Now turning to
FIGS. 12A and 12B showing how the double seal applies to the existing diving mask. Specifically, thediving mask 90 of this invention includes alens frame 91, atransparent lens portion 92 and awater sealing skirt 93, in which thetransparent lens portion 92 corresponds to thelens frame 91 in shape. Thewater sealing skirt 93 is integrally formed with aneye skirt 931 and anose skirt 932, wherein theeye skirt 931 has askirt frame 933 in the front thereof, and theskirt frame 933 corresponds to thetransparent lens portion 92 in shape too. Thetransparent lens portion 92 and theskirt frame 933 are jointly waterproof and embedded in thelens frame 91, and thenose skirt 932 protrudes forward from a middle portion outside thelens frame 31. When the user puts on thediving mask 90, his/her eyes and nose are respectively accommodated in theeye skirt 931 and thenose skirt 932, and the rear peripheral edge of thewater sealing skirt 93 is continuously formed with a double-seal ring 930. When wearing thediving mask 90, the user’s eyes and nose are accommodated in theeye skirt 931 and thenose skirt 932, respectively, and the double-seal ring 930 is adapted to bear against a user’s face along an outer periphery around the user’s eyes and nose, i.e., the area between the user’s nostrils and upper lip (not shown). Preferably, the double-seal ring 930 is formed with a firstfitting portion 935 and a secondfitting portion 936, which constitutes a Y-shaped cross-section as shown inFIG. 12B . When the rear periphery of thewater sealing skirt 93 is in close contact with the user’s face, the secondfitting portion 936 is located at an outer periphery of the firstfitting portion 935, whereby forming two-layer protection to further prevent water leakage. - In addition, unlike the existing FFSM in which the front of the entire mask body is almost formed with a rigid lens for all. In the present invention, between the
lens frame 31 and themouth frame 32, thenose frame 33 is also created, so that thesoft nose skirt 52 can be protruded forward and outward from thenose frame 33 for the user to perform the Frenzel Equalization operation, which helps to balance the internal and external pressure of the mask, and can also improve the tightness of the mask onto and the user’s face, especially when the mouth, nose and eyes are sealed within the mask, thereby keeping the pressure inside and outside the mask balanced, and also preventing water from entering. Specifically, thenose skirt 52 includes an equalizingportion 521 and apartition 522, which are separated by a section of thelens frame 31. Thenose skirt 52 protrudes forward from the rear edge of thelens frame 31, and has a single-crest mountain shaped cross section, as shown inFIG. 5E . Preferably, the single-crest mountain shaped cross section defines an amplitude (Nh) ranging from 20 mm to 30 mm, measured from a valley to a top thereof; or thenose skirt 52 protrudes forward from the rear edge of thelens frame 31 for an extent (Nt) that exceeds an outer edge of the lens frame, in which the extent (Nt) ranges from 5 mm and 12 mm. The single-crest mountain shaped cross section has no ridge, the width between the valleys is greater than the height (i.e., the amplitude) thereof, and the two sides of the equalizingportion 521 are tightly embedded by thenose frame 33 which is defined by thelens frame 31. Even if it is subjected to high pressure several meters underwater, it will not collapse, be deformed, or become pinched. If the brackets are designed to be slightly bent backward, such as thebrackets 323 shown inFIGS. 11A and 11B , a larger finger entry space (FS) can be formed to provide users to do faster and more convenient equalization operation. Of course, if the equalization operation is not considered or required, it is also feasible to make portion or all thenose skirt 52 with rigid materials. - In addition to the above-mentioned preferred embodiments that have described in details the structure and operation mode of the technology of the present invention, any other embodiments transformed based on the concept of the present invention shall belong to the equivalents of the present invention, and shall not limit the scope of the literal meanings as set forth in the last paragraph.
Claims (15)
1. A breathable mask, comprising a body and a breathing tube, the body having an interior capable of being in fluid communication with the breathing tube; the body including:
a main frame, having a lens frame and a mouth frame which extends downward from the lens frame, and defines a nose frame together with the lens frame; the mouth frame being in fluid communication with an outside;
a lens module having a transparent lens portion corresponding to a shape of the lens frame;
a water sealing skirt, formed with an eye skirt, a nose skirt, and a mouth skirt; wherein the eye skirt has a skirt frame formed on a front thereof and corresponding to a shape of the transparent lens portion;
an upper fastening device and a lower fastening device, each of which extends backward from the body;
wherein the transparent lens portion and the skirt frame are jointly waterproof and embedded in the lens frame, and the nose skirt protrudes outward from the nose frame; and wherein the mouth skirt is in fluid communication with the outside through the mouth frame;
whereby when wearing the breathable mask, a user’s eyes, nose and mouth are respectively accommodated in the eye skirt, the nose skirt and the mouth skirt, and a rear edge of the water sealing skirt continuously and closely fits a user’s face along an outer periphery of the user’s eyes, the nose, and the mouth, and thereby the body is adapted to be water resistantly fastened onto the user’s face.
2. The breathable mask of claim 1 , wherein the upper fastening device has a head strap and two fasteners for the head strap to connect with, in which the two fasteners are formed on two opposite sides of the lens frame, respectively; wherein the head strap is elastic or adjustable, and is connected between the two sides of the frame; and wherein the lower fastening device extends from the mouth skirt and is fixed with the user’s chin or jawbone to strengthen waterproof where the mouth skirt fits with the user’s mouth.
3. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower fastening device is a chin strap, which is connected between two sides of the mouth skirt, and when the user wears the mask, the chin strap is adapted to be elastically tightened on or against a rear area of the user’s chin.
4. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the chin strap has two opposing ends integrally formed with the mouth skirt.
5. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the chin strap has two ends detachably connected to the mouth skirt.
6. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the chin strap has two opposing ends adjustably connected with the mouth skirt.
7. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower fastening device is a chin pad, which extends backward from a lower side of the mouth skirt and is integrally formed with the mouth skirt.
8. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the mouth skirt has two sides each formed with a rib continuously extending downward from the eye skirt and goes around the bottom of the mouth skirt, thereby increasing supportability of the chin pad, so that when the user wears the mask, the chin pad elastically bears against the user’s chin or jawbone.
9. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower fastening device is a chin pad, which extends backward from a lower side of the mouth skirt and is integrally formed with the mouth skirt.
10. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the chin pad includes a pad area and an enclosing area surrounding the pad area, and wherein the enclosing area and the mouth skirt are made by a same material, and the pad area has a different material or thickness than the surrounding area.
11. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the material of the pad area is selected from the group consisting of TPR, TPU, silicone, PVC, rubber, or a combination thereof.
12. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the pad area is selected from materials having a Shore Hardness ranging from 10 to 80.
13. The breathable mask as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the pad area has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the surrounding area by a different thickness ranging from 0.2 mm to 5 mm, so that when the user wears the mask, the pad area of the chin pad bears against the user’s chin or jawbone, thereby increasing the waterproofness around the user’s mouth.
14. A diving mask, comprising:
a lens frame;
a transparent lens portion corresponding to a shape of the frame;
a water sealing skirt, formed with an eye skirt and a nose skirt, wherein a front of the eye skirt has a skirt frame corresponding to a shape of the transparent lens portion;
wherein the transparent lens portion and the skirt frame are jointly waterproof and embedded in the lens frame, the nose skirt protrudes forward from a middle portion outside the lens frame, and the water sealing skirt has a rear periphery forming a continuous double-seal ring;
when wearing the diving mask, a user’s eyes and nose are accommodated in the eye skirt and the nose skirt, respectively, and the double-seal ring is adapted to bear against a user’s face along an outer periphery of the user’s eyes and nose.
15. The diving mask of claim 14 , wherein the double-seal ring is formed with a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion, which constitutes a Y-shaped cross-section; when the rear periphery of the water sealing skirt is in close contact with the user’s face, the second fitting portion is located at an outer periphery of the first fitting portion.
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US17/900,553 US20230063091A1 (en) | 2021-09-01 | 2022-08-31 | Breathable mask |
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US202263326418P | 2022-04-01 | 2022-04-01 | |
US17/900,553 US20230063091A1 (en) | 2021-09-01 | 2022-08-31 | Breathable mask |
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US20230063091A1 true US20230063091A1 (en) | 2023-03-02 |
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US17/900,434 Pending US20230081616A1 (en) | 2021-09-01 | 2022-08-31 | Breathable mask |
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CN117360731A (en) * | 2023-11-13 | 2024-01-09 | 广州帅普运动用品有限公司 | Underwater breathing diving mask |
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CN117360731A (en) * | 2023-11-13 | 2024-01-09 | 广州帅普运动用品有限公司 | Underwater breathing diving mask |
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