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US 12,636,525 B2Granted
Face mask
AssigneeMeacor, Inc.
InventorsToufic Azar, Renzo Cecere, Anthony Eid, Omar Labban
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A face mask including shape memory materials to improve fit to the face and/or create a cavity in front of the mouth to facilitate breathing.
Claims18
A face mask for covering a nose and a mouth part of a face of a head of an intended user, the face mask comprising:
- a body defining a mouth portion and a nose portion extending therefrom for respectively covering the mouth and the nose of the intended user when the face mask is operatively worn by the intended user, the body defining a body peripheral edge, the body including a deformable and flexible material, the body peripheral edge defining peripheral edge nose, cheek and chin portions configured to abut respectively against the nose, cheeks and chin of the face of the intended user when the face mask is operatively worn by the intended user, the body comprising a filter layer to filter particulates;
- one or more support straps extending from the body and configured for mounting the body to the head of the intended user;
- and
- a frame mounted to the body, the frame being made of a temperature sensitive shape memory material, the frame being configured for deforming the deformable and flexible material so that at least part of the body adopts a predetermined shape when the frame is heated over a predetermined transition temperature,
- the frame comprising:
- a pair of elongate fitting frames made from the temperature sensitive shape memory material, each fitting frame extending along at least the peripheral edge nose and cheek portions of the body peripheral edge along one side of the body, wherein the fitting frames are configured to contract against the face in response to receiving heat from the face when the face mask is operatively worn by the intended user and the fitting frames are heated above the predetermined transition temperature such that the fitting frames create a seal between the face mask and the face;
- a resiliently deformable link extending between the fitting frames along the body peripheral edge in the nose portion;
- and
- a spacing frame provided on the mouth portion, the spacing frame being heat activated to achieve an activated configuration in which the mouth portion adopts a predetermined shape when the spacing frame is heated above the predetermined transition temperature to form a cavity in front of the mouth in response to receiving warm air exhaled by the intended user while the face mask is worn, causing the spacing frame to be heated above the predetermined transition temperature.
6 more elements
A method of using a face mask to be worn over a face of a head of an intended user, the method comprising:
- positioning the face mask in front of the face to cover a nose and a mouth of the intended user, the face mask defining a body peripheral edge and a deformable and flexible material, the body peripheral edge defining peripheral edge nose, cheek and chin portions that abut respectively against the nose, cheeks and chin of the face of the intended user when the face mask is positioned in front of the face, the face mask comprising a filter layer to filter particulates;
- and
- using heat provided by the intended user, deforming a shape memory frame of the face mask so that a portion of the face mask adopts a predetermined shape to bias the body peripheral edge of the face mask against the face to create a seal between the face mask and the face, the shape memory frame comprising a pair of elongate fitting frames made from temperature sensitive shape memory material, each fitting frame extending along at least the peripheral edge nose and cheek portions of the body peripheral edge along one side of the face mask, and a resiliently deformable link extending between the fitting frames along the body peripheral edge in the nose portion,
- wherein the face mask further comprises a spacing frame provided at least in part in a mouth portion of the face mask, and heat activating the spacing frame to achieve an activated configuration in which the mouth portion forms a cavity in front of the mouth in response to receiving warm air exhaled by the intended user while the face mask is worn, causing the spacing frame to be heated above a predetermined transition temperature.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.