US3381683A - Facial mask with vibrating means - Google Patents

Description

y 7, 1968 K. R. RUNDE 3,381,683

FACIAL MASK WITH VIBRATING MEANS Filed June 21, 1965 INVENTOR. KENNETH R. RUNDE United States Patent 3,381,683 FACIAL MASK WITH VIBRATING MEANS Kenneth R. Runde, 6626 Christopher Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63129 Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,515

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-63) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A face mask for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes made of porous material which has lateral expansion but which is relatively inexpansi-ble longitudinally along straps which extend from under an expansible chin pocket along the jaw bone and past the top of the head. The straps may be connected to eccentric trunnions on the ends of a rotating shaft to impart vibration to the face and underchin areas of the subject being massaged.

The invention pertains to a facial mask for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes and more particularly to a facial mask to impart vibration to a wearer.

An object of this invention is to provide a mask, applicable without openings for the mouth, nose or eyes,

which imparts vibration to the fleshy parts of the face and neck without severe vibration to the bony structure of the chin and jaw.

Another object is to provide one mask which will adjust to fit a small face as Well as a large face.

Still another object is to provide a washable mask, porous enough to see and breathe through yet capable of completely covering the face in order to impart vibration to the whole face.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a view of the invention attached to a vibrator and positioned on a user.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the face mask blank before fabrication.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the material used in the mask.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the chin pocket when closed. 'FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view 55 of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is .a plan view of the neck strap before fabrication. 7

FIG. 7 shows the front view of the joined neck strap. FIG. 8 is a view of the lower portion of the mask with the chin pocket spread open.

The mask of the present invention is designed to be used with a facial vibrator. Such a vibrator is described in my pending application Ser. No. 455,934 filed May 14, 1965. The mask of the present invention may be used whether the wearer is seated in a recliner chair or lying on a bed or couch. FIG. 1, shows the application of the mask, M, on a wearer, with his head resting on the upper portion of a recliner chair, 22. Vibration is attained when the straps, 11 and 11', of the mask, M, are connected to the vibrator by snap fasteners, 14 and 14'. Straps 18, and 18, are attached to eccentric trunnions 19 and 19, which are positioned on each end of a rotating shaft propelled by an electric motor, 20, and which is controlled by motor switch, 21. The intensity of vibration is regulated by the user moving his head downward to increase the tautness and thus increase the transmission of the vibration to the user.

Vibration of the face and neck muscles is desirable for treatment of various sinus conditions as well as for relaxation, and when diligently used, will tighten the sag ging muscles which appear as a result of dieting or advancing years. Vibration starts at the top surface of the skin and reaches into the subcutaneous tissues as evidenced by the pink glow of the skin after ten minutes of vibration. In addition, the vibration is transferred into deep muscle areas. The pleasant stimulating effects of vibration are felt for some time after the vibration has ceased and the user has returned to his normal tasks. The mask is extremely beneficial when used without the application of toning creams. However, it may be used with creams, such as vanishing, toning and feeding creams as often as one feels a desire to do so. Daily use is beneficial with or without creams. Inasmuch as creams are not readily absorbed by the non-woven material in the mask, more cream is absorbed by the skin. However, the mask is washable and can be used many times.

The facial mask may be used as a cover for cream in the manner of masks illustrated in the prior art by placing the mask on the face, and fastening the ends of the neck strap together back of the head to hold the mask on the user.

The flexible, porous, preferably non-woven material, B, FIG. 3, from which the mask is made, has lateral expansion while it is relatively inexpansible longitudinally along the strap and face portions, but contracts transverselywhen tension is applied to the straps. This is important economically because one mask can be stocked which will fit users with narrow faces as well as users with wide faces. It is a mask with no openings for the eyes, nose or mouth. The porosity of the mask material allows the wearer to see and breathe freely through the same. Experiment has shown that openings for the nose, mouth or eyes cannot be located on a mask in such a way as to fit all of the wide variation in the location of these members on various sized faces. It is important that the mask be continuous so that vibration will be imparted to the entire face and neck of the wearer. If eye, nose and mouth openings were permitted, these openings would result in discontinuity of the longitudinal tension on the face portion, and would interfere with the transverse adjustment of the mask to the face, as well as reducing the vibration imparted to the face. Tension is necessary across the face, yet the mask must fit snugly under the chin during vibration but not bear tightly against the bony structure of the tip of the chin.

The uplift action of the :applicants neck strap and whole mask action, holding tissues gently in the upward position, counteracts the sag on most fleshy persons. When vibration is imparted to the bony structure of the face, particularly the chin, it has a jarring effect which is to be avoided. The applicants mask, as shown in FIG. 1, has an integral expansible pocket for the chin to avoid the aforementioned jarring effect. Because of the transverse adjustment of the mask and the neck strap portion of the :applicants invention, gentle and effective vibration is imparted to the" skin and muscles of the face and the area below the chin.

The mask may be fabricated from non-woven material, shown in FIG. 3, whose porosity is attained by spaced diamond or elliptical shaped apertures throughout. Any material may be used where lateral expansion can be attained while at the same time, tautness is attained in the longitudinal direction when a slight pull is provided for the purpose. The material may be sewn with synthetic thread so as not to shrink when the mask is laundered, or the mask may be cemented with rubber cement or other suitable adhesives. The mask may also be molded of suitable expansible porous material into the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

Before the face mask blank is fabricated, it has a straight horizontal top edge, 1, as shown in FIG. 2, and side edges, 2 and 2', which extend longitudinally to a depth slightly longer than the width of the top edge. The outline of the flat blank is approximately the shape of a caternary curve along 2, 2'. Using a center line 3, 3, on a flat blank, a point is located approximately one-sixth the length of each side, 2, 2, as shown at 4, 4'. The material marked by these points is brought into abutment over the center line 3, 3', from a point intermediate the center line 3, 3' as shown at 5, to the bottom end of the center line, 3. An equal portion of material from each side is brought to the center. Then the edges are tacked by fastening with stitching as shown at 10, or by other suitable means, tacking over the folds 6 and 6'. In this area the material is three thicknesses in depth, layers, 8, 8', the underside of the fold, 7, 7', and the outside, BC, as shown in FIG. 5. Instead of being a flat piece as shown in FIG. 2, the face portion now assumes a tent-like configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, wherein the folds, from the point 5, intermediate the center line and extending through 6, 6, draw the sides, 2, 2, of the blank together so that the portion C is no longer a flat blank. Though the pocket of the mask unworn has a configuration as shown in FIG. 4, when the mask is in use, the wearers chin turns the pocket partially inside out and the chin is covered then largely by a single thickness of material, 9, with a small triangular fold 7, 7 of material on either side of the chin to allow expansion of material and thus prevent jarring vibration from being imparted to the bony structure of the chin.

The neck strap portion, 11, is constructed of two similar parts and is joined on the center edge as shown in FIG. 7, at 16, at a slight angle, 12. The neck strap encompasses the area under the chin more effectively and the side portions of the strap extend along the jaws with ends that extend beyond the face mask portion. Each end, 15, has suitable fastenings for attachment to straps, 18, 18', connected to rotating eccentric trunnions attached to the shaft of a vibrator. These may be snaps as shown at 14', in FIG. 1, or apertures as shown in FIG. 6, at 14, said apertures to fit over snap fasteners attached to the strap, 18, 18', which is connected to the eccentric trunnions on a vibrator and are held in place by snap fasteners, 14'. The strap ends may be doubled over for reinforcement as shown at 13, and reinforced with stitching, 15, or suitable cement, or both, to give added wearing ability to the material around the apertures or snaps.

The neck strap, S, is joined to the face mask portion, C, at the centers of each, shown at 12, and 3', and the neck strap is joined to each side of the face portion, C, at the outer edges of both of them as shown at 17, in FIG. 8, to form a continuous line encompassing the area under the chin and having side portions that extend along the jaw with ends that extend beyond the face mask portion, as shown in FIG. 1.

The neck portion may be attached to the face portion by sewing the parts togethed, or cementing them, using materials impervious to grease or creams, such as cured rubber, or the face and neck portions may be formed from one-piece of material into the configuration shown. Care must be taken to start at 3' to join the neck strap to the face portion, in order to prevent a pucker from forming at the end of the sewing or other means of fastening, which fault usually happens when the operation is started at the other end. This is important because a pucker will adversely affect the fit of the face portion on the user.

The mask may be formed of porous material similar to that previously described. It is formed in one piece wherein the facial mask encompasses the area under the chin and extends over the entire face. An expansible chin pocket is formed in the face portion and the mask has side portions that extend along the jaws with straps that extend beyond the face portion.

While there are disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments Without departing from the inventive concept disclosed, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated therein.

I claim:

1. A face mask for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes,- comprising,

a continuous face mask portion,

an expansible chin pocket in the same,

a neck strap joined to said face mask at the outer edges of both portions, 1

said neck strap to encompass the area under the chin and having side portions that extend along the jaws with ends that extend beyond the face mask portion,

means for applying vibration under tension to the same,

said mask made of porous material which has lateral expansion while being relatively inexpansible longitudinally along said straps and face portions, but which contracts transversely when tension is applied to the straps.

2. The combination of a vibrating apparatus, having a rotating shaft therethrough and an eccentric trunnion in each end of the shaft, and

a face mask, comprising,

a continuous face mask portion,

an expansible chin pocket in the same,

a neck strap joined to said face mask at of both portions,

said neck strap to encompass the area under the chin and having side portions that extend along the jaws with ends that extend beyond the face mask portion,

means for connecting said extending strap ends to the eccentric trunnions,

said mask made of porous material which has lateral expansion while being relatively inexpansible longitudinally along said straps and face portions, but

which contracts transversely when vibration under tension is applied to the straps.

3. A facial mask for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes, comprising,

a one piece, formed, facial mask, which encompasses the area under the chin and extends over the entire face and having side portions that extend along the jaws, with straps that extend beyond the face portion,

means for applying vibration under tension to the same,

an expansible chin pocket in the face portion,

said mask made of porous material which has lateral expansion, while relatively inexpansible longitudinally along said straps and face portions, but which contracts transversely when tension is applied to the straps.

4. The combination of a vibrating apparatus having a rotating shaft therethrough and an eccentric trunnion on each end of the shaft, and

a one-piece, formed, facial mask, which encompasses the area under the chin and extends over the entire face and having side portions that extend along the jaws with straps that extend beyond the face portion,

means for connecting said extending straps to the eccentric trunnions,

an expansible chin pocket in the face portion,

said mask made of porous material which has lateral expansion While relatively inexpansible longitudinally along said straps and face portions, but which contracts transversely when tension is applied to the the outer edges straps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,509,519 5/ 1950 Norris. 2,134,640 10/ 1938 Merkin. 2,705,952 4/ 1955 Becker. 2,728,3 39 12/ 1955 Elmhurst.

494,775 4/ 1893 Bolgiano.

780,616 1/1905 Palmer 128-163 2,226,609 12/ 1940 Hapman. 2,728,339 12/1955 Elmhurst 128-76 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

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