US20230292858A1

US20230292858A1 - Face mask with tension adjusters and integral head strap

Info

Publication number: US20230292858A1
Application number: US17/698,491
Authority: US
Inventors: Steven J. Gordon; Chulho Hyun
Original assignee: Katharos Laboratories LLC
Current assignee: Katharos Laboratories LLC
Priority date: 2022-03-18
Filing date: 2022-03-18
Publication date: 2023-09-21

Abstract

A face mask, comprising ear loops and a detachable head strap constructed as a portion of the mask is described. The mask may be worn by either securing the ear loops around the ears or by detaching the head strap and using it to secure the mask around the back of the head. A simple, low cost system for adjusting the tension of ear loops and the head strap is also described.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for securing protective face coverings. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods that allow a disposable respirator or face mask to be secured to the head of a user while simultaneously assuring a tight fit and high wearing comfort. Intended applications include medical and consumer-grade face masks for preventing airborne transmission of bacterial and viral pathogens and respiratory protective equipment for protection against airborne particulate matter.
For a face mask to function properly, an effective seal to the front or sides of the face must be formed. This is typically accomplished by pulling the mask body against the front and sides of the face through tensioned elements anchored at either the back of the ears or the back of the head or neck. The tensioned elements may take the form of elastic or non-elastic bands, straps, loops, strings or ties. They may be made from elastic bands, fabric-covered elastic bands, fabric straps, cotton strings, etc. Tensioning may be accomplished through tying, the elasticity of the tensioning element, or by controlling the length of the elements, or some combination, wherein shorter tensioning elements create a higher tension and a better mask seal against the face.
Gaps around the periphery of masks can be a leakage source, wherein particles may pass around filtering or covering elements unobstructed and significantly reduce the efficacy of the face mask. Many current face mask designs for medical or industrial applications may have open gaps between the mask and the wearer's face in the cheek, nose/infraorbital and chin regions. These gaps are potential direct routes to a wearer's respiratory system for undesired bioaerosols, microdroplets, or particles. In addition, leakage on the either side of a wearer's nose frequently occurs and contributes to fogging on a wearer's goggles or spectacles. Proper tensioning of the straps is essential for appropriate mask functioning.
Tensioning elements in most current face masks utilize either dual ear loops or head straps. Ear loops create tension on each side of the mask by extending from each mask side over the back of the ear on the corresponding side. These rely on the top and back sides of the ear as the anchor for tensioning. Alternatively, head straps extend from both sides of the mask and pass around the back of the head or neck. Head straps are typically either elastic bands, which must be pulled over the top of the head, or ties, which may be passed around each side of the head and tied in the back.
Masks with ear loops are popular because they are inexpensive and are relatively easy to don and doff. They do not require pulling of elastic straps over the top of the head or tying of strings at the back of the head, which may be difficult for some users with spectacles or long hair. Because of their low cost and ease of use, many inexpensive disposable masks use ear loops, including surgical masks, KN95 masks, KF94 masks, etc. There are several designs for the N95 respirator, which resemble KN95, KF94 designs, but come in different sizes for various face sizes and utilize elastic head straps. The most common N95 respirator 3M 1860 (3M, Maplewood, MN, USA) has a domed shape. All these disposable mask designs are comprised of typically at least 3 layers of material. The outer layer is hydrophobic to protect from liquid penetration, the center is a filter layer to trap microbes, aerosols, droplets, etc. and the inner layer is a soft material for comfort against the skin. For disposable masks, each of the three layers are typically made from a polypropylene material, although several other materials such as cotton, cellulose or other synthetics may be used.
In one alternative design of a disposable mask, a fourth flap layer is used as an additional layer on the inside face of the mask. This layer has a hole in the center, which encircles the mouth of the user, and is sealed, welded, or otherwise secured around the mask periphery. The function of this flap layer is to allow user exhalations through the center of the hole of the flap layer and help trap any escaping air, aerosols, droplets, etc. that might otherwise leak through gaps between the user's face and mask proximate the mask edges.
When using masks with ear loops, the constant force against the back of one's ears, over a long period of use, can cause discomfort, skin irritation, and pain on the wearer's skin. Thus, for long wearing periods, head straps are often preferred.
So called “ear savers,” for example from www.Amazon.com, can provide relief to posterior ear irritation by pulling the ear loops off the back of the ears. These are typically short fabric, elastomeric or plastic bands that are positioned behind the head and have hooks or other securing means at each of their two ends for attaching to the ear loops. By pulling both ear loops off the back of the ears, they may relieve the irritation caused by ear loop tension over extended periods of time. They also have the additional feature of making the mask more secure and less likely to fall off if the ear loops come off the back of the ears. They further allow for more convenient temporary doffing, during say eating or drinking activities. Because ear savers and similar head straps secure the mask around the back of the head, the mask may be pulled downward off the face and hang under the chin, while still being secured around the neck area. Unfortunately, ear savers require users to carry the devices with them if they are to be used with masks they may wish to don and are thus not always convenient.
Previous systems have been reported that combine ear loops with an optional head band. Emery US2020/0229520 A1 discloses a strap that hooks to the ear loops of a conventional disposable surgical mask. Qu et al. US2019/0269183 A1 disclose ear straps that include an integral connector at the back of the ears. The connector allows for the latching of a separate, optional head strap which may be used to pull the ear loops off the back of the ears.
Previous systems that utilize some version of a head strap to be optionally used with a mask incorporating ear loops require users to carry a separate head strap, which may be inconvenient. None includes an optional integral head strap.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a mask and mask securing system comprising both a set of ear loops for securing the mask around the back of the ears and an integral head strap to be optionally used to secure the mask around the back of the head or neck. The present disclosure also includes integral ear loop tensioning elements.
In one embodiment, one or more layers of a mask have an extended perforated portion that may be optionally torn off to be used as a head strap. In a mask with a fourth flap layer, as previously described, the perforated head strap section may be at the bottom of the mask, thereby keeping it out of the way of the main mask body and the normal functioning of the mask. Although we describe the junction of the head strap with the mask body as being perforated, it should be recognized that any number of separable attachment systems, such as partially cut material, adhesives, welding, snaps, zippers, etc., may be used to connect the head strap feature, and thus the term “perforated” should not be considered as any specific method or geometry of separable attachment.
In another embodiment of the mask, each end of a perforated head strap ends may include a feature or device to attach to the ear loops.
In yet another embodiment of the mask, the ear loop attachment device at each end of the head strap may include a way of shortening the effective length of the ear loops, thereby increasing their tension when the head strap is placed behind the head.
In another and alternative embodiment, a device that provides way of shortening the effective length of the ear loops is attached to the mask body and separate from the perforated head strap.
In another and alternative embodiment, the ear loop attachment device may also include a tensioning feature that may be used to shorten the effective length of the ear loops while the head strap is still attached to the mask body, thereby increasing the tension of the ear loops when the ear loops are extended behind the ears and without detaching the head strap. Such a tensioning feature may have a dual function, where it may also be used to shorten the effective length of the ear loops when the head strap is detached and extended behind the neck or head.
In another and alternative embodiment, the ear loop attachment device may include a hook or similar connecting feature, allowing the user to optionally connect the attachment device to the ear loops or to choose not to connect the feature to the ear loops.
In another and alternative embodiment, the ear loop attachment device may include a channel or hole that surrounds the ear loop and requires no additional attachment steps by the user to capture the ear loops with the head strap.
In yet a further and alternative embodiment, the hook, channel or hole that secures the ear loop may include a tensioning feature that may be used to shorten the effective length of the ear loops, thereby increasing the tension of the ear loops either without detaching the head strap when the ear loops are extended behind the ears or when the head strap is detached and extended behind the neck or head.
In another embodiment, an ear loop tensioning feature may be fabricated from a thin material that includes a slit or other feature to cinch the ear loop in one or more places.
The present invention relates to a disposable mask comprised of elastic ear loops to secure the mask body over the mouth, nose and chin and an optional head strap that is integral to the mask. The present invention also relates to devices and methods for adjusting the force in tensioned elements used to secure any type of mask to the face. The terms mask, face mask, and respirator are used interchangeably herein and refer to any type of covering over portions of or the entire face. Such coverings may be fabric, plastic, rubber, paper, synthetic, etc. and may be either flexible or rigid. A mask body, as referred to herein, is the main functional area of the mask comprising the filter, covering or masking element and is not inclusive of the elements securing the mask to the face. The terms outer, outside, front, outward all refer to the surface of the mask that is facing away from the face and the terms inner, inside, rear, back and inward all refer to the surface of the mask that is facing towards the face.
Although many of the embodiments above describe the integrated head strap as being a perforated portion of a fourth layer of a mask, it should be understood that integrated head straps may be part of any layer of a mask, or several layers that have been combined together, as long as the head-strap portion of the mask may be separated across a perforation or other means of detachment.
An objective of the current invention is to allow a user to choose the method of anchoring a mask to the user's face through ear loops or a head strap without the need for auxiliary devices. It is another objective of the current invention to provide a simple, low-cost system for altering the tension of mask ear loops. It is a further objective to provide a single tensioning system that may be used to both adjust the tension when the mask is anchored behind the ears, or adjust the tension when anchored behind the head or neck. It is yet another objective to allow a user to transition from a mask anchored from behind the ears to a mask anchored from behind the head or neck without requiring the user to perform a connection step between the ear loops and a head strap.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of previous systems and incorporates an optional head strap into the design of an ear-loop-based mask as a single element, thereby enabling users to choose between modes of mask anchoring without auxiliary devices.
The present invention also describes an integral ear loop tensioning element, which does not require ancillary devices.
Other details of the face mask with ear loops, ear loop tensioning devices and an integral head strap providing dual methods of mask securing as well as methods of tensioning ear loops of any mask are set forth in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the mask and integral head strap illustrating three different wearing configurations.

FIG. 2 shows a variety of the elements that constitute a typical face mask.

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of an embodiment the invention wherein some of the ear loop ends are secured to the mask body while passing through holes in the integrated head strap.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the configuration of the mask, ear loops and a head strap.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of another embodiment of the invention wherein some of the ear loop ends are secured to the mask body while passing through holes in the integrated head strap.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of another embodiment of the invention wherein a portion of the integrated head strap encircles the ear loops.

FIG. 7 shows a front view of another embodiment of the invention wherein a separate piece of material is secured to a portion of the integrated head strap thereby encircling the ear loops.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of two other embodiments of the invention that incorporate the use of tensioners for shortening ear loops.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of how tensioners that are part of a detached head strap may be used to shorten the ear loops.

FIG. 10 shows a rear view of another embodiment of the invention wherein a detachable head strap has tensioners at each of its ends but does not encircle the ear loops.

FIG. 11 shows a front view of how a tensioner, which is part of a detachable head strap, may be used to shorten the ear loops while the head strap is still connected to the mask body.

FIG. 12 shows a front view of how a tensioner, which is directly connected to the body of the mask, may be used to shorten the ear loops.

FIG. 13 shows a front view of a face mask with two tensioners attached proximate two of the mask corners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The current invention involves a face mask 10 that comprises a mask body 11, two ear loops 12, an integral and separable head strap 13 and two ear-loop-tension adjusters 14. It is an improvement over other currently available mask systems which are anchored by either a set of ear loops or a set of head straps, but do not give the user a choice of one or the other without an auxiliary device.
FIG. 1 illustrates three different wearing configurations for the mask 10. FIG. 1 a shows the mask 10 in a configuration similar to a conventional mask that uses ear loops 12 as the sole anchoring means behind the ears 2. In this configuration, the detachable head strap 13 is still attached to the mask body 11. FIG. 1 b shows the mask 10 in a configuration with the head strap 13 detached from the mask body 11 and attached to the ear loops 12. In this configuration, the ear loops 12 go around the ear 2, but are pulled off the back of the ear by the attached head strap 13, which is anchored around the back of the head 1. FIG. 1 c shows the mask 10 in a similar configuration to FIG. 1 b , with the head strap 13 attached to the ear loops 12, but the ear loops 12 are positioned below the ears 2 and the head strap 13 is anchored around the back of the head 1. In this configuration, there is no contact between the ear loops 12 and the ears 2.
The lowest cost and most widely used mask today is the disposable surgical style mask. This style of mask typically has three layers of thin polypropylene material with a weight of about 20-30 grams per square meter (gsm). The outer layer is a non-woven spunbond layer, the middle layer is a melt blown, electrically charged filter layer and the outside is another non-woven spunbond layer. FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of a typical surgical mask. The mask body 11 starts as an approximate square of 175 mm per side and is pleated across 3 pleats 15, making the final size about 175 mm×95 mm. The top edge 19 and bottom edge 18 of either the outer layer or inner layer are typically folded over to the far side and the entire periphery of the mask is ultrasonically welded with a dashed pattern of welds 16. A malleable long, thin strip of material or “nose wire” 17, comprised typically of plastic-coated, galvanized iron wire or plastic, is secured into a pocket formed by the folded top edge 19. When worn by a user, the nose wire 17 is used to form the shape of the top of the mask to a user's nose bridge. Two elastic ear loops 12 are typically ultrasonically welded to the mask proximate the four corners 20.
The primary method for fabricating a disposable surgical mask involves the use of high-speed automated machinery. The manufacturing steps using such machinery is typically broken into multiple modules. The mask body 11 is initially formed from continuous webs of material, welded to secure the multiple layers, then cut to singulate the mask bodies 11 from the continuous webs. In a subsequent automated machinery module, the ear loops 12 are cut from a continuous length of elastic material, then ultrasonically welded to the four corners 20 of the mask body 11. The ear loop 12 ends may be welded to either the inside surface or outside surface of the mask body 11.
An additional layer 22 may be added to the mask body 11 in a subsequent step to the body 11 being formed and welded. The additional layer 22 may have a number of functions including serving as a flap to help trap droplets and aerosols during exhalations. The addition of the additional layer 22 may occur prior to or subsequent to the addition of the ear loops 12 to the mask body.
FIG. 3 shows a rear view of one embodiment of the invention, wherein the additional layer 22 is added prior to the step of placing and welding the ear loops 12 and comprises a portion that is welded to the periphery of the mask body and a portion that is a detachable head strap 23 and not welded to the mask body 11. In this embodiment, the additional layer 22 has a perforation line 25 cut into the material, which permits the tearing off of the head strap 23 from the welded portion of the additional layer 22. The head strap portion 23 or the additional layer 22 includes holes 26 through the material to allow the ear loop ends to be welded 20 to the underlying mask body 11 without fixing the ear loops 12 to the head strap 23. Although the head strap 23 and ear loops 12 are not fixed to one another, the holes 26 at the head strap 23 ends encircle the ear loops 12, so that when the head strap 23 is detached from the mask, it may easily slide along the length of the ear loops 12 and be positioned proximate the ear loop 12 centers so that it may serve as a head strap 13 positioned behind the head 1 and thereby hold the mask in place without anchoring the mask to the ears 2, as shown in a side view in FIG. 4 .
FIG. 5 shows a front view of a different embodiment, wherein the additional layer 22 is likewise added prior to the welding of the ear loops 12; however, the ear loops 12 are welded to the outside surface of the mask body 11 rather than the inside surface of the mask body 11 as previously described. In this embodiment, the detachable portion 23 of the additional layer 22 has a flap 29 that is wrapped around one or more of the mask edges, so that when welded 20 to the outside surface, the ear loops 12 may still pass through the holes 26 of the detachable head strap 23. The wrap-around flap 29 may also be welded or otherwise attached 28 to a portion of the detachable head strap 23 that is not part of the wrap around portion 29. Such attachment may be through adhesive, ultrasonic welding or some other suitable means.
FIG. 6 shows a rear view of yet another embodiment, wherein the additional layer 22 is added subsequent to the welding of the ear loops 12 to the mask body 11. In this embodiment, the detachable portion 23 of the additional layer 22 has a flap 30 that is wrapped around the ear loops 12, thereby encircling them. The wrap-around flap 30 may also be welded or otherwise attached 28 to a portion of the detachable head strap 23 that is not part of the wrap around portion 30. This embodiment may be used for masks with the ear loops 12 welded to either the outside or inside surface of the mask body 11. Although the wrap around flap 30 in FIG. 6 is illustrated as a straight piece of material that wraps around the ear loops 12 and folds over on itself, any number of geometric configurations may be used.
FIG. 7 shows a front view of yet another embodiment, wherein a separate piece of material 31 is used to trap the ear loops 12 and encircle them with the detachable head strap 23. In this embodiment, the trapping piece 31 is welded or otherwise attached at two locations 28, flanking the ear loop 12. This embodiment may be used for masks with the ear loops 12 welded to either the outside or inside surface of the mask body 11. Such attachment may be through adhesive, ultrasonic welding or some other suitable means.
In addition to connecting the integrated head strap 23 to the ear loops 12, the trapping pieces 31 shown in FIG. 7 may also be tensioners 32, which incorporate features that may be used to adjust the ear loop 12 length, either while attached to the mask or after the head strap 23 has been detached.
FIG. 8 shows a single-corner front view of another embodiment of the invention where a tensioner 32 is used trap the ear loop 12 inside a channel formed by two attachments 28 to the integrated head loop 23. The tensioners 32 shown in this embodiment are fabricated from thin, relatively stiff materials such as polyethylene, acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate, etc. They may have a thickness preferably between 0.01 and 1.0 mm and may be punched or die cut, resulting in an extremely low cost, but effective system for adjusting ear loop 12 tension. When the elastic of an ear loop 12 is passed through a slit in the material, the ear loop 12 elastic may be cinched in the slit in order for the tensioners 32 to keep the ear loop 12 from easily being pulled out of the slit. The term slit is used herein to mean a very narrow cut in the material with a width preferably between 0 and 2 mm. Each tensioner 32 may have one or more slits for constraining the ear loop 12. In FIG. 8 a , a proximal slit 34 and a distal slit 35 are cut into the material from two of the edges of the tensioner 32. A notch may optionally be positioned at the intersection of the slits 34, 35 and the tensioner 32 edges to help the ear loop 12 elastic more easily enter the slits 34, 35. At the inner end of the slit, there may optionally be a region of increased width 37, such as a punched hole or crossed slit, so that the ear loop 12 elastic is not completely locked into the slit and may be positioned back and forth, when pulled upon with sufficient tension. Alternatively, the slits 34, 35 may be of sufficient width to allow a repositioning of the ear loop 12 elastics. In FIG. 8 b , a proximal slit 34 and a distal slit 35 are emanating from a hole 36 cut into the material. The hole 36 may facilitate a loop 39 of the ear loop 12 elastic being pulled into the tensioner 32, thereby shortening the length of the ear loop 12 that passes behind the ear 2.
FIG. 9 shows a side view of a mask with a detached head strap 23 with tensioners 32 at each end of the head strap 23 that encircle each of the corresponding ear loops 12. At each tensioner, both the proximal 34 and distal 35 slits are utilized to fix different portions of the ear loop elastic 12, thereby creating an additional loop 39, which serves to shorten the effective ear loop 12 length.
FIG. 10 shows a front view of yet another embodiment, wherein a tensioner 40 is attached to each end of a detachable head strap 23; however, the tensioners 40 are not encircling, nor initially connected to the ear loops 12. Such attachment may be through adhesive, ultrasonic welding or some other suitable means. In this embodiment, two slits 41 emanate from a hole 42 in the tensioners 40 and are oriented approximately horizontally. They may optionally also have a region of increased width 37, such as a punched hole or crossed slit, so that the ear loop elastic 12 is not completely locked into the slit and may be positioned back and forth by the user. Although in this embodiment the ear loops 12 are not initially connected to the head strap 23, it is a relatively simple matter to hook a loop of the ear loops 12 over an extended lip 43 of the tensioner, which is formed by the shape of the hole 42.
FIG. 11 shows a single-corner front view of the mask and tensioner from FIG. 10 , wherein a small loop 39 of the ear loop 12 has been formed by hooking the ear loop 12 over the extended lip 43 and sliding it across the slits 41 to lock it in. Although the shortened ear loop 12 is shown in the configuration where the head strap 23 is still integrated with the mask body 11, the same kind of shortening by hooking a small loop 39 over the extended lip 43 and into the slits 41 may be realized to effectively tighten the head strap 23 when anchored around the back of the head 1. By increasing the size of the small loop 39 that passes through the tensioner 40, the ear loops 12 may be effectively shortened and the mask may be pulled tighter to the face.
FIG. 12 shows a single-corner front view of another embodiment of a tensioner 45, wherein a small loop 39 of the ear loop 12 has been formed by hooking the ear loop 12 over the extended lip 43 and sliding it across the slit 41 to cinch the ear loop 12 and lock it in place. In this embodiment, the tensioner 45 is directly attached to the mask body 11 rather than to the head strap 23. Such attachment may be through adhesive, ultrasonic welding or some other suitable means. This embodiment may be utilized on either a more conventional mask that has no integrated head strap 23 or one with an integrated head strap 23. By increasing the size of the small loop 39 that passes through the tensioner 45, the ear loops 12 may be effectively shortened and the mask may be pulled tighter to the face. When used with a conventional mask, only a single slit 41 is required to cinch the tensioner 45 to the ear loop 12, although a tensioner 40 with dual slits 41 may also be attached directly to a conventional mask.
When attached to a mask, tensioners 40, 45 should be placed proximate the upper or lower edges of the mask near the corners. If the tensioners 40, 45 are placed too far from these edges, for example towards the center of the side edges, then passing the ear loops 12 or head straps through the tensioners 40, 45 may distort the shape of the mask and not allow it to sit flush to the face.
FIG. 13 shows a front view of another embodiment where two tensioners 45 are attached proximate the two upper ear loop weld points 20. Here the tensioners 45 are shown with the open end of their slit 41 facing medially towards the center of the mask so that the ear loop elastics 12 may be secured by hooking them through the open medial end of the slit 41 and allowing their tension, when pulled around the ears 2, to secure and cinch the elastics 12 at the opposite distal end of the slit 41 and into the optional holes 37 if they are present.
Although described as a system for adjusting the tension of ear loops, the tensioners may also be used as a way to adjust the tension of any type of securing band, such as conventional elastic head straps that are incorporated into masks, such as an N95-style mask. A “securing band” is defined as any type of tensioning element, band, loop, ear loop, string, strap, etc. used to secure a face mask against the face.
There has been provided a face mask system with ear loops and integral head strap providing dual methods of mask securing. While the mask system has been described in the context of specific embodiments thereof, other unforeseen alternatives, modifications, and variations may become apparent to those skilled in the art having read the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace those alternatives, modifications, and variations which fall within the broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A face mask, comprising:

a mask body defining an outer perimeter, the mask body including top and bottom edges spaced apart by, and extending substantially orthogonally to, a pair of substantially parallel side edges;

at least one ear loop attached to each of the side edges and configured to selectively maintain the face mask on a face of a wearer; and

at least one optionally detachable head strap comprising a left end, a right end and a center portion and extending along at least one of the top and bottom edges of the mask body.

2. The face mask according to claim 1, wherein said optionally detachable head strap is removable from said mask body and connected to said ear loops attached to each of the mask body side edges.

3. The face mask according to claim 2, wherein a connection is comprised of an encircling feature of said head-strap right end to one ear loop and an encircling feature of said head strap left end to the other ear loop and wherein said encircling features encircle said ear loops while the detachable head strap is either attached or detached.

4. The face mask according to claim 3, wherein said encircling feature includes one or more cinching features to secure said ear loop, thereby effectively shortening the length of the loop that passes behind a user's ear.

5. The face mask according to claim 3, wherein said encircling feature is constructed from one or more layers of material comprising the mask body.

6. The face mask according to claim 2, wherein said connection is comprised of a hooking feature of said head-strap right end to one ear loop and a hooking feature of said head strap left end to the other ear loop and wherein said hooking features may be optionally connected to ear loops while the detachable head strap is both attached and detached.

7. The face mask according to claim 6, wherein said hooking feature includes one or more cinching features to secure said ear loop, thereby effectively shortening the length of the loop that passes behind a user's ear.

8. The face mask according to claim 7, wherein said securing of said ear loop occurs at two locations along the ear loop, enabling the shortening of the ear loop when used with the detachable head strap after it has been detached from said mask body.

9. A face mask, comprising:

at least one of a securing band attached to the mask body to selectively maintain the face mask on a face of a wearer; and

at least one tensioning feature, wherein the tensioning feature is constructed from a thin material with features cut into said at least one tensioning feature configured to secure said at least one securing band and wherein each tensioning feature is attached to the mask proximate one of said securing band attachment points.

10. The face mask according to claim 9, wherein said securing band is an ear loop.

11. The face mask according to claim 9, wherein said securing band is head strap.

12. The face mask according to claim 9, wherein said tensioning feature attachment is an ultrasonic weld.

13. A method for attaching a face mask to a user's face comprising:

utilizing a mask with a mask body, at least two ear loops and a detachable head strap;

optionally utilizing the ear loops to anchor the mask to the user's face by securing them behind the user's ears;

optionally detaching the detachable head strap and utilizing the head strap connected to the ear loops to anchor the mask to the user's face by securing the head strap behind the user's head, while the ear loops pass under the user's ears;

optionally detaching the detachable head strap and utilizing the head strap connected to the ear loops to anchor the mask to the user's face by securing the head strap behind the user's head, while a portion of each ear loop passes over the upper portion of a user's ear and a portion of each ear loop passes under the lower portion of a user's ear.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said head strap comprises:

a left end, a right end and a center portion;

a tensioning feature of each of said right end and left end, wherein the tensioning feature is constructed from a thin material with features cut into the tensioning feature configured to secure said at least one ear loop and wherein each tensioning feature is attached to the mask proximate one of said ear loop attachment points.

15. A method for altering the force by which a face mask is attached to a user's face comprising:

utilizing a mask with a mask body and at least one securing band connected to the mask body;

utilizing at least one tensioning feature each capable of securing one of said at least one securing bands attached to the mask proximate the connection between the mask body and said securing band;

positioning the securing band behind a user's ears or head to anchor the mask;

passing at least one of said at least one securing bands through at least one of the tensioning features so that the effective length of the securing band(s) around the ear or head is shortened.