WO2014115179A1

WO2014115179A1 - Improved mask

Info

Publication number: WO2014115179A1
Application number: PCT/IT2013/000025
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco FANT
Original assignee: AMOS, Eugenio
Priority date: 2013-01-28
Filing date: 2013-01-28
Publication date: 2014-07-31

Abstract

A mask (1) comprising a membrane (2) adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user and means (6) for fixing the membrane (2) to the face of the user. The membrane (2) can be bellows-shaped, by means of a plurality of convex shapes (21) and concavities (22) that are alternated in succession on the membrane (2) and can be moved mutually closer for tidy compaction of the membrane (2) when the mask (1) is not kept applied on the face of the user by the fixing means (6). The membrane (2) can be connected to a neck support (5).

Description

IMPROVED MASK

The present invention relates to an improved mask, adapted to cover at least the mouth and nose, for various purposes. The mask can be used for hygiene, respiratory or medical purposes in general, but also for religious, aesthetic or privacy protection purposes or for protection against sunlight or the cold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Masks provided with a membrane adapted to cover the mouth and nose of the user can be normally classified according to the function that they perform. There are essentially two categories of masks: hygiene masks and respiratory protection masks.

Hygiene masks are used to prevent contamination of the environment by the user, by providing a barrier to any infective agents contained in the liquids and aerosols released by the mouth and nose, for example during sneezing or coughing. According to the EN14683 European standard, hygiene masks can have a bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of more than 95% or 98%.

Masks with the function of protecting the respiratory tract of the user, also known as respirators, are instead adapted to prevent the inhaling of contaminating substances (for example powders, mists, fumes, gases, vapors, allergens and biological agents). The filtration efficiency of these masks can be classified according to the EN149 Community standard, more specifically in the amended version EN 149:2001+ Al:2009, which defines classes FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 that have increasing filtration efficiency. Optionally, respiratory protection masks can furthermore have the contamination-preventing function of hygiene masks.

Further properties that can characterize a mask are differential pressure, resistance to splashing and fluids and breathing resistance.

A mask can be worn also in very different contexts from the ones described above, for example for religious, aesthetic or privacy protection reasons, or for protection against sunlight or the cold.

Regardless of their purpose, one drawback of known masks is that they cannot be carried and worn easily when they are not in use, due especially to their bulk, which is often caused by the presence of a semirigid shell-type membrane.

The consequence is that a plurality of movements are needed in order to handle the mask for wearing and/or carrying. This occurs also in cases in which the membrane is soft and not semirigid, since the user has in any case to perform multiple movements in order to be able to wear the mask several times and to carry it.

In addition to this, masks, being designed to be applied to the face, do not provide for a carrying mode that at the same time conceals the membrane when it is not used, without this mode entailing the provision of a case or bag.

Moreover, the static construction of masks, such as for example those with a semirigid shell-type membrane, limits the adaptability to the shape and/or movements of the face of the user.

Moreover, in single-use masks the user is forced to dispose of the entire mask after use although the potentially contaminated part is only the membrane. This problem can also relate to other components of the mask, which are not necessarily single-use or contaminated but are for example subject to damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to obviate one or more of the drawbacks of the background art described above.

Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to devise a mask that is compact when it is not being used and can be applied on the face with a single gesture of the user.

More precisely, an object of the present invention is to obtain a mask that, if considered reusable, can be worn or removed from the face of the user several times with simple gestures.

Moreover, an object of the invention is to provide a mask that can be adapted to the shape of the face when it is used and is optionally also capable of following facial expressions.

Another object is to obtain a mask that is of the single-use type, or otherwise replaceable or repairable, exclusively in some of its components, for example in the parts affected by the respiratory system of the user or in the parts that allow the membrane to be worn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mask that can be worn even when it is not being used, optionally without revealing the appearance of the mask.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mask that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and has competitive costs.

This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a mask according to the invention, which comprises a membrane adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user and means for fixing the membrane to the face of the user, characterized in that the membrane is bellows- shaped, by means of a plurality of convex shapes and concavities that are alternated in succession on the membrane and can be moved mutually closer for compacting the membrane tidily when the mask is not kept over the face of the user by said fixing means.

The aim and objects of the invention are also achieved by a mask that comprises a membrane adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user and means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user, characterized in that it comprises furthermore a neck support such as a cord, ribbon, chain or neckband, in order to retain the mask worn by the user even when the membrane is not kept over the face by said fixing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred not exclusive embodiment of the mask according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mask according to the invention in the closed state;

Figure 2 is a view, partially in phantom lines, of the mask of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the mask of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a view of the mask of Figure 1 with the components disengaged;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mask of Figure 1 in the used state;

Figure 6 is a view of the mask of Figure 5 with the components disengaged;

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the part in which the components of the mask of Figure 1 engage/disengage;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of Figure 7 from a different perspective.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the cited figures, a mask according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a membrane 2 adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user 3 and means 6 for fixing said membrane 2 to the face of the user.

The membrane 2 is made of materials of a known type, for example with single-layer or multilayer plies that can be used in hygiene masks or in respirators, so as to have optionally an elastic component. Preferably, the membrane 2 comprises at least one ply that is adapted to meet the requirements for hygiene masks and/or for respirators, i.e., optionally compliant with the EN14683 standard or with one of the FFP1 , FFP2, FFP3 classes of the EN149 standard.

For example, the membrane can be made of non-woven fabric (NWF) composed of layers of polypropylene (PP) fibers, shaped in three dimensions by molding methods and with a thickness of the multilayer of approximately 0.5 mm. As an alternative, the membrane 2 can be made of other materials, even in combination, for example fabrics obtained by weaving threads, and/or of different fibers, as well as with other production methods, for example with knitting methods and methods for knitting and making flat fabrics.

The membrane can optionally be constituted by multiple modular layers that can be separated so that they can be replaced and customized.

A particularity of the invention is that the membrane 2 is bellows- shaped, i.e., with a plurality of convex shapes and concavities that are alternated in succession on the membrane and can be moved mutually closer for tidy compaction of the membrane 2 when the mask 1 is not applied on the face of the user 3 and to keep the membrane substantially compacted when the mask is not kept applied on the face of the user by said fixing means. To be so, the bellows-like part must have, in the direction in which it is extensible, in cross-section and on the side opposite to the side directed toward the face of the user, at least two peaks with a minimum interposed between them.

The alternating convex shapes and concavities of the bellows-like part are imposed on the material of the membrane 2 during manufacture and can be moved mutually closer by membrane effect or due to the elasticity of the fibers or links contained in the material of the membrane 2 or due to the methods used for obtaining the bellows-like part, for example due to the presence of structural constraints.

The bellows-like shape can be obtained by imparting permanently to the membrane 2 a plurality of mutually opposite folding lines 21 and 22 that are alternated on the surface of the membrane 2 so as to form a plurality of crescent-shaped portions that are mutually connected at the folding lines. The mutually opposite and alternated folding lines 21 and 22 can be obtained during the manufacture of the mask by pressing or ironing the ply or multilayer that forms the membrane or during molding of the membrane 2, depending on the material used to obtain the membrane 2.

As an alternative, the bellows-like part can be obtained by coupling a plurality of separate portions, for example crescent-shaped ones, serially to each other along respective edges, by stitching or by pouring polymeric material, the portions being made of the material of the membrane 2 and, once they have been coupled in a bellows-like fashion consecutively to each other along the respective edges, forming the bellows-like membrane 2.

Optionally, the portions of the bellows-like part can be fastened at the ends 4, as in the embodiment with crescent-shaped portions shown in the figures, so as to form a sort of pivoting axis A for the portions, about which the portions can rotate during the extension of the bellows- like part so as to obtain a shell-like shape, which is typical of masks.

At least one of the portions of the bellows-like part can optionally comprise at least one exhalation valve, which is adapted to expel the air exhaled by the user and is of a type known per se.

The bellows-like shape allows the membrane 2 to increase or reduce its space occupation. By stretching it or compressing it, with a single gesture, the user can open or close the membrane 2, benefiting from its simplicity of transformation and from the convenience of being able to store it and carry it easily when he is not wearing it on his face, for example during a meal.

The bellows-like part, thanks to its capacity to be compacted, allows tidy folding of the membrane 2 when it is removed from the face. If the bellows- like pa t has an elastic component, this ability to compact itself is even automatic and allows natural adhesion of the membrane 2 to the face of the user with a sort of clamping action between the nose and the chin. With the bellows-like part, moreover, one has the additional advantage that it can adapt also to anthropometrically different faces.

The peripheral portions of the membrane 2 that form the first and last flaps 23 and 24 of the bellows- like part preferably have a different geometry than the other layers of the bellows-like part. In particular, these outer flaps 23 and 24 have a larger surface extension than the innermost portions of the bellows- like part, so that in the folded position, such as the one shown in Figures 1-4, they can come into direct contact. Moreover, the outer flaps 23 and 24 thus form a pocket that is adapted to accommodate the straps 6a-6b, described hereinafter.

Since the flaps 23 and 24 are the ones that rest certainly on the face of the user, they can be shaped as required. In particular, at least one of the flaps 23 and 24 has a V-shaped split 23a or 24a, to the sides of which two contoured wings 23b-23c and 24b-24c are formed which are designed to rest in the natural hollow between the nose and the cheeks and/or to envelop the chin. The V-shaped split 23a-24a allows the two wings 23b-23c and 24b-24c to bend and tilt, giving the product the ability to adapt to anthropomorphically different faces.

The membrane 2 thus obtained furthermore can benefit from an unusual dynamic property that is consistent with facial expressions. The behavior of the bellows-like part and the behavior of the two end flaps 23 and 24 comply with and are subjected to the movements of the face, following it in its changeable shapes and partially communicating its expressions.

It is optionally possible to provide fastening means adapted to keep the bellows-like part of the membrane 2 compacted more firmly in the closed state. These fastening means are arranged on both end flaps 23 and 24 of the bellows-like part so as to keep said flaps fixed to each other and are preferably magnets 26a and 26b. As an alternative, the fastening means can comprise press-studs or areas provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive. Advantageously, the fastening means also provide a barrier for keeping the straps 6a and 6b inside the pocket formed by the bellows-like part in the compacted state. The mask 1 can also comprise a support 5, such as a string, ribbon, chain or necklace. Said support 5, particularly suitable for the neck, is connected to the membrane 2, for example to at least one of the mutually opposite edges 4. In the particular case shown in the figures, a cord made of silicone rubber is used.

The practicality of the neck support 5 is significant, because it offers first of all a solution to the placement of the membrane 2 when it is temporarily not used, for example to eat a meal. Moreover, in combination with the bellows-like shape of the membrane 2, the neck support 5 facilitates two wearing modes: mask in use and mask not in use. The transition from one mode to the other in the course of a day may be frequent and the solution offered by the mask 1 thus obtained makes the transition between the two modes immediate, i.e., easy and quick in gesture, and safe, since the mask does not run the risk of falling accidentally on unhygienic surfaces.

The neck support 5 is connected to the membrane 2 detachably. In particular, the membrane 2 comprises, on the diametrically opposite edges 4, engagement points 41a and 41b, which are adapted to be fixed detachably to corresponding ends of the neck support 5 and to form substantially a common rotation axis A about which said bellows-like part can be expanded into a shell-like shape and compacted again.

The detachable characteristic of the fixing between the neck support 5 and the membrane 2 allows the latter to be quickly removed and replaced with another one, for example in the case of a single-use membrane or if one wishes to use a membrane of a different type, for example a hygiene membrane rather than a respiratory one. Therefore, the neck support 5 can be maintained and consequently customized without the need to discard it in the case of single-use membranes.

The engagement points 41a and 41b can be adapted to fasten to each other the diametrically opposite ends of the portions that form the bellows- like part, which are crescent-shaped in the embodiment shown in the figures.

In the illustrated case, the engagement points 41a of 41b are covered by a pouring of silicone rubber in a mold, in which the diametrically opposite ends 4 of the membrane 2 are arranged. Each engagement point 41a and 41b has dimensions that are substantially equal to the thickness and width of the ends 4 of the bellows- like part of the membrane 2 in the compacted state, so as to be tangent to the profile of the mask and thus optimize adhesion to the cheeks of the wearer. Advantageously, two substantially parallel wings 43 are formed by means of the silicone rubber and extend with a thickness that tapers tangentially to the internal surface of the bellows-like part. These wings 43 form a curvilinear blending portion when the mask -is opened and, thanks to their modulus of elasticity, determined by the material of which they are made, they assist the membrane 2 in being re-compacted when it is not worn.

The outer wall of the engagement points 41a and 41b that are shown can be optionally marked by a decorative texture that blends with the folds of the bellows-like part, both for aesthetic reasons and to help to define visually an indication of the correct orientation of the engagement with the neck support 5.

As an alternative, the engagement points 41a and 41b can be obtained from a metal plate, which is then compressed on the ends 4 of the membrane so as to clamp them.

The ends of the neck support 5 comprise corresponding engagement terminals 51a and 51b for detachable fixing to an engagement point 41a and 41b of the membrane 2.

The detachable coupling between each one of the engagement points 41a and 41b and each one of the engagement terminals 51a and 51b can be a positive- fit coupling, a snap-acting coupling, a magnetic coupling, a hook- based coupling or the like. For example, inside the engagement points 41a and 41b it is possible to provide a magnet 44, optionally accommodated in a guide 42. The magnet 44 can be coupled to a ferromagnetic element or a magnet 53a with an opposite polarity that is arranged in the corresponding engagement terminal 51 a-5 lb.

The coupling between each one of the engagement points 41a and 41b and each one of the engagement terminals 51 a and 51b is preferably of the poka-yoke or fool proof type, so as to allow only correct coupling possibilities. For example, by mounting in the points 41a and 41b the magnets 44 so as to expose toward the terminals 51a and 51b opposite polarities and by arranging in the same manner magnets 53 in said terminals, engagement between the membrane 2 and the neck support 5 is prevented when the ends 4 of the membrane 2 are moved toward the ends of the neck support 5 in a manner that is the opposite of the correct one, since magnets with the same polarity face each other.

Advantageously, the engagement points 41a and 41b and the engagement terminals 51a and 51b can comprise coupling surfaces adapted to prevent mutual rotation. In the case shown in the figures, for example, each engagement point 41a and 41b comprises a contoured male element, for example the magnet 44 itself, that is adapted to enter by positive-fit coupling a corresponding female seat 54 that is formed in the corresponding engagement terminal 51a, for example in the magnet 53. Of course, the position of the male and female elements can be reversed with respect to the one shown.

Optionally, the elements 44 and 54 also can be conveniently shaped in a fool proof manner, so as to ensure only correct coupling possibilities, i.e., so as to prevent an engagement terminal 51a-51b of the neck support 5 from being fixed with an incorrect orientation to one of the engagement points 41a-41b.

The means for fixing the membrane 2 to the face of the user can comprise an adhesive layer that is applied continuously or in portions along the perimeter of the internal face of the membrane 2 and is adapted to adhere to the face.

However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing means comprise at least one strap that is fixed directly or indirectly, preferably in a detachable manner, to diametrically opposite edges 4 of the membrane 2.

The strap can be a single elastic band adapted to pass around the head or neck of the user.

However, it is preferred to use a pair of elastic straps 6a and 6b that are adapted to pass behind the ears of the user and can be fixed directly or indirectly to diametrically opposite edges 4 of the membrane 2. In the first case, the straps 6a and 6b are fixed to the engagement points 41a and 41b and in the second case, shown in the figures, they are fixed to the neck support 5, preferably in a tangential manner on the engagement terminals 51a and 51b. In both cases, fixing can be of the detachable type and can be fool proof and/or rotation-preventing.

For example, on each strap 6a and 6b it is possible to provide a contoured terminal 61a and 61b, provided with a hook 62a-62b that is adapted to enter a corresponding elongated recess 52a, 52b of the engagement terminal 5 la- 5 lb, thus offering resistance to mutual rotation movements and a fool proof coupling. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongated recess 52a and 52b is also provided in the magnets 53.

The straps 6a and 6b protrude from one side of the respective contoured terminal 61a and 61b toward the membrane 2 and tangentially with respect to the engagement terminals 51a and 51b of the neck support 5.

With the tangential coupling to the neck support 5, the straps 6a and 6b, when they are inactive in the state of non-use of the mask 1, rest naturally between the portions of the compacted bellows-like part, i.e., in the pocket formed by the outer flaps 23 and 24 of the membrane 2. The contoured terminal 61a and 61b can be obtained by methods for molding polymeric material, for example by means of a pouring of silicone rubber that is also adapted to envelop ends of an elastic cord so as to form the straps 6a and 6b, as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Advantageously, the two cord- like like portions of each strap 6a and

6b are tangentially fastened to each other at the end opposite to the contoured terminals 61a and 61b, so that in the inactive state they arrange themselves mutually side-by-side, facilitating their insertion in the compacted bellows-like part.

As can be seen in Figures 7-8, the contoured terminal 61a, like 61b, has an inclined and beveled edge 63. When the straps 6a and 6b are subjected to the traction produced by anchoring to the ear, the contoured edge 63 of each contoured terminal 61a-61b allows sliding of the cord-like portions of each strap to the sides of the corresponding contoured terminal 61a, 61b, avoiding overlaps with it and thus optimizing adhesion to the cheeks of the user.

In practice it has been found that the mask according to the invention achieves fully the intended aim and objects, since it has a membrane that is compacted when it is not used and is capable of being extended with a single and simple gesture of the user, simply by separating simultaneously and not consecutively the two outer flaps of the bellows-like part.

Moreover, the bellows- like shape of the membrane allows provision of a mask that can adapt to the shape and optionally to the expressions of the face when it is used.

When instead it is not used, the mask can still be worn without revealing the typical shape of masks but for example a crescent-like shape.

The mask according to the invention is furthermore modular, and this allows having replaceable components, such as the membrane, the neck support and/or the straps, which can be removed without necessarily removing the other components. For example, it is possible to eliminate the membrane alone, keeping the neck support and the straps, which therefore can be customized and used over time.

Although the mask according to the invention has been conceived in particular for hygiene-respiration use, it can in any case be used for different purposes, such as religious, aesthetic or privacy protection purposes, or for protection against sunlight or the cold.

The mask thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A mask comprising a membrane adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user and means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user, characterized in that said membrane is bellows-shaped, by means of a plurality of convex shapes and concavities that are alternated in succession on the membrane and can be moved mutually closer in order to compact the membrane tidily when the mask is not kept applied on the face of the user by said fixing means.

2. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein the bellows- like part has at least two peaks with a minimum interposed between them, in the direction in which it is extensible, in cross-section and on the side opposite to the side directed toward the face of the user.

3. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said convex shapes and concavities are formed by means of mutually opposite folding lines that are alternated on said membrane, or by means of a plurality of separate membrane portions that are coupled in a bellows-like fashion consecutively to each other along respective edges so as to form said bellows-like part.

4. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane is modular and comprises a plurality of superimposed layers that can be separated and replaced with other layers.

5. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said bellows-like part comprises a plurality of crescent-shaped portions connected in series to each other along respective edges.

6. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a support, such as a cord, ribbon, chain or neck band, which is connected to said membrane.

7. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said support is connected to at least one of the diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

8. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said support is connected to said membrane in a detachable manner.

9. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said support is a neck support and said membrane comprises, on said diametrically opposite edges of said membrane, two engagement points for detachable fixing to corresponding ends of said neck support and to form substantially a common axis about which said bellows-like part can be expanded into a shell-like form and compacted again.

10. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein each one of said ends of said neck support comprises an engagement terminal for detachable fixing to a respective point of said two engagement points, said two engagement points being fixable to said engagement terminals by means of a coupling selected from a form fit coupling, a snap-acting coupling, a magnetic coupling or a hook-type coupling.

11. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said coupling is of the poka-yoke or fool proof type.

12. The mask according to one of claims 10 and 1 1, wherein said coupling is adapted to prevent a mutual rotation between said engagement points and said corresponding ends of said neck support.

13. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user comprise at least one strap that can be fixed directly or indirectly to diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

14. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one strap consists of a pair of straps adapted to pass behind the ears of the user, each one of said straps being fixed directly or indirectly to a respective one of the diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

15. The mask according to one of claims 7-12 and according to claim 14, wherein said straps are fixed to said support or to said engagement points.

16. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said straps are fixed to said support or to said engagement points in a detachable manner and preferably in a fool proof and rotation-preventing manner.

17. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user comprise an adhesive that is applied along the peripheral region of a face of said membrane.

18. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane comprises at least one V-shaped split on the edge designed to rest on the nose and/or chin of the user.

19. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said membrane has two contoured wings that are adjacent to said at least one V- shaped split.

20. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane comprises fastening means adapted to keep said bellows-like part compacted.

21. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane comprises at least one ply for hygiene masks or at least one ply for respirators.

22. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane comprises at least one valve adapted to expel the air exhaled by the user.

23. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane is shell-shaped when said bellows-like part is expanded.

24. The mask comprising a membrane adapted to cover at least the nose and mouth of a user and means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user, characterized in that it comprises furthermore a neck support such as a cord, a ribbon, a chain or a neck band, in order to retain the mask worn by the user even when said membrane is not kept applied on the face by said fixing means.

25. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said neck support is connected to at least one of the diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

26. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said neck support is connected to said membrane in a detachable manner.

27. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said membrane comprises, on said diametrically opposite edges of said membrane, two engagement points in order to be fixed in a detachable manner to corresponding ends of said neck support.

28. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein each one of said ends of said neck support comprises an engagement terminal for detachable fixing to a respective one of said two engagement points, said two engagement points being fixable to said engagement terminals by means of a coupling that is selected among form fit coupling, snap-acting coupling, magnetic coupling or hook-based coupling.

29. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said coupling is of the poka-yoke or fool proof type.

30. The mask according to one of claims 28 to 29, wherein said coupling is adapted to prevent a mutual rotation between said engagement points and said corresponding ends of said neck support.

31. The mask according to one or more of claims 24-30, wherein said means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user comprise at least one strap that can be fixed directly or indirectly to diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

32. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one strap consists of a pair of straps adapted to pass behind the ears of the user, each one of said straps being fixed directly or indirectly to a respective edge of the diametrically opposite edges of said membrane.

33. The mask according to one of claims 24-30 and according to claim 32, wherein said straps are fixed to said neck support or to said engagement points.

34. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said straps are fixed to said neck support or to said engagement point in a detachable manner and preferably in a fool proof and rotation-preventing manner.

35. The mask according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said means for fixing said membrane to the face of the user comprise an adhesive applied along the peripheral region of a face of said membrane.

36. The mask according to one or more of claims 24-35, wherein said membrane comprises at least one V-shaped split on the edge designed to rest on the nose and/or on the chin of the user.

37. The mask according to the preceding claim, wherein said membrane has two contoured wings that are adjacent to said at least one V- shaped split.

38. The mask according to one or more of claims 24-37, wherein said membrane is modular and comprises a plurality of layers that are superimposed and can be separated and replaced with other layers.

39. The mask according to one or more of claims 24-38, wherein said membrane is bellows-shaped, by means of a plurality of convex shapes and concavities that alternate in succession on the membrane and can be moved mutually closer for tidy compaction of the membrane when the mask is not applied on the face of the user.