STACK OF INTERFOLDED FACE MASKS AND DISPENSER
A plurality of face masks that includes a stack of interfolded face masks comprising a first face mask and a second face mask is disclosed. The first and second face masks each include an elastic nonwoven sheet with an elongated shape and having a central portion and first and second lateral end portions each flanking the central portion on opposite sides. The second lateral end portion of the first face mask is interfolded with the first or second lateral end portion of the second face mask. A dispenser including a container enclosing the plurality of face masks is also disclosed.
Latest 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY Patents:
- Catalyst
- Abrasive particles, method of making abrasive particles, and abrasive articles
- Optical film including polymeric optical reflector and discontinuous transparent coating
- Partially fluorinated sulfonamide for use in PET films
- Mounting member for wrapping and mounting a pollution control element
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/309,933 and 61/309,972, both filed Mar. 3, 2010; 61/384,027 and 61/384,044, both filed Sep. 17, 2010; and 61/409,363, filed Nov. 2, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDProtective face masks are useful in a number of fields. In the health care field, a face mask may be useful for protecting both the patient and the health care provider from airborne pathogens or for preventing the transfer of pathogens that reside in bodily fluids or other liquids. Wearing protective face masks may also be useful in many industrial settings.
Many protective face masks are constructed to have a front panel that covers the nose and mouth of a user and a securing device (e.g., manual tie straps) that can attach this front panel securely to the head of the user. Often, the front panel and the tie straps are created separately in separate processes and then attached to one another (e.g., using adhesives, staples, or other mechanical fasteners). The attachment point between the front panel and the tie strap of a face mask may be broken, for example, by pulling on the tie strap.
Face masks are sometimes provided in a dispenser. For example, a nested stack of face masks may be provided in a container from which the tie strap may be grasped. A user may grasp the tie strap and pull down, thereby causing the face mask onto which it is attached to be removed from the carton. Subsequently, a new face mask to be dispensed would fall into the place of the previously dispensed face mask, and the tie straps of the next-to-be-dispensed face mask would protrude from the carton. These types of dispensing arrangements suffer from the disadvantage of commonly dispensing more than one face mask when a user pulls on the elastic band or tie straps. Also, such an arrangement may also fail to have the next-to-be-dispensed face mask being positioned in the dispensing position upon the removal of a preceding face mask. In this instance, the user must reach into the carton in order to grasp the face mask to be removed. This could cause the face mask to be damaged upon being grasped and pulled by the user. And, as mentioned above, pulling on the tie strap is a common way to break the face mask.
Because of the problems associated with dispensing face masks, improved design and dispensing of face masks may be desirable.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks in which the portion for wearing over at least a portion of a nose and mouth of a wearer and the portions for securing the face mask to the head of the wearer are formed as a unitary structure. The face mask comprises an elastic sheet of an elongated shape, at least a portion of which can be stretched during wear to fit around the face of the wearer. Advantageously, the face masks are interfolded in a stack and readily dispensable.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks comprising a stack of interfolded face masks comprising a first face mask and a second face mask, the first and second face masks each comprising an elastic nonwoven sheet with an elongated shape and having a central portion and first and second lateral end portions each flanking the central portion on opposite sides, wherein the second lateral end portion of the first face mask is interfolded with the first or second lateral end portion of the second face mask. The central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet is for wearing over a mouth and at least a portion of a nose of a person. The first and second lateral end portions are for at least partially extending around opposite sides of a person's face to engage the ears of the person. In some embodiments, each of the first and second face masks further comprise a first opening in first lateral end portion and a second opening in the second lateral end portion. The first opening and the second opening each can engage an ear of the person. In other embodiments, each of the first and second face masks further comprises a first punch-out member in the first lateral end portion and a second punch-out member in the second lateral end portion. The punch-out members can be removed to form first and second openings for ear engagement in the first and second lateral end portions.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a dispenser comprising a container enclosing the plurality of face masks disclosed herein, the container having at least one side with an aperture for removing the plurality of face masks. Interfolding of the face masks typically allows them to be removed from the dispenser one at a time.
Dispensing a stack of interfolded face masks having a unitary structure and an elongated shape has advantages over other methods of dispensing. For example, because of the lack of separately attached tie straps, the face mask is less likely to be damaged upon removing it from a dispenser. Furthermore, interfolding can be carried out to minimize the dispensing of multiple face masks and the failure of the next-to-be-dispensed face mask to be in the dispensing position. The plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure also has advantages over a continuous roll for dispensing so-called “single piece” face masks. In a continuous roll, multiple face masks can be placed end to end with a means for detaching a single face mask for use. The means may be perforations between the face mask, or the dispenser may be provided with a cutting means. Face masks may inadvertently be torn when they are removed from the continuous roll, and separating the face masks from the continuous roll may be challenging for the user when the face mask is stretchable in the dispensing direction. The plurality of face masks disclosed herein is typically a stack of separate interfolded face masks that do not need to be separated along perforations or cut by the user. Therefore, they can be readily dispensed by the user when needed.
In this application, terms such as “a”, “an” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terms “a”, “an”, and “the” are used interchangeably with the term “at least one”. The phrases “at least one of” and “comprises at least one of” followed by a list refers to any one of the items in the list and any combination of two or more items in the list. All numerical ranges are inclusive of their endpoints and non-integral values between the endpoints unless otherwise stated.
The terms “first” and “second” are used in this disclosure. It will be understood that, unless otherwise noted, those terms are used in their relative sense only. In particular, in some embodiments certain components may be present in interchangeable and/or identical multiples (e.g., pairs). For these components, the designation of “first” and “second” may be applied to the components merely as a matter of convenience in the description of one or more of the embodiments.
The term “nonwoven” when referring to a sheet or web means having a structure of individual fibers or threads which are interlaid, but not in an identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. Nonwoven fabrics or webs can be formed from various processes such as meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, spunlacing processes, and bonded carded web processes.
The term “elastic” refers to any material, including a film, fiber, nonwoven web, or combination thereof, which exhibits recovery from stretching or deformation.
The above summary of the present disclosure is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The description that follows more particularly exemplifies illustrative embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore, that the drawings and following description are for illustration purposes only and should not be read in a manner that would unduly limit the scope of this disclosure.
The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with other embodiments to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present disclosure include these and other modifications and variations.
Face masks 10 and 20 useful as members (e.g., first and second face masks) of the plurality of face masks disclosed herein are shown in
In
Also shown in the embodiments illustrated in
The elastic nonwoven sheet can have a color other than white or could have a pattern of multiple colors. Also, as shown in
In
Some masks useful as members (e.g., first and second face masks) of the plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure have a substantially uniform cross-section edge to edge as shown in
The plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure can include face masks of a variety of different sizes. The size of the face mask can be adjusted depending on the user. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet (and the face mask) has a maximum dimension of up to 15 (in some embodiments, up to 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, or 8) centimeters (cm) in the longitudinal direction L and up to 36 (in some embodiments, up to 34, 32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, or 20) cm in the transverse direction T. In
The filtering web portion may be seen more clearly in cross-section as shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Although the pleat shown in
In some embodiments, the pleat or pleats in the filtering web portion are flat pleats made, for example, by folding the filtering web or filtering web portion back on itself a first time and then folding it back on itself a second time as illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, the second web portion 32 and the filtering web portion 30 have at least one pleat 35, as shown in
Another embodiment of a face mask 80 having pleats 85 in the filtering web portion 30 and optional second web portion 32 is shown in
As shown in
Also shown in the embodiment illustrated in
The elastic nonwoven sheet is made from soft, flexible material or materials that allow the plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure to be readily dispensed. The elastic nonwoven sheet is a resilient material so that the interfolded first or second lateral end portions can be grasped by hand and pulled from a dispenser without deforming or tearing the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some embodiments, in the stack of interfolded face masks, the elastic nonwoven sheet does not permanently crease or crinkle. Similarly, the filtering web portion and/or the second web portion may be made from soft, flexible materials.
The elastic nonwoven sheet is able to stretch in one or more directions. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of at least 5 (in some embodiments, at least 10, 25, 40, 50, 75, or 100) percent and up to about 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, or 500 percent in at least one direction. The elongation in terms of percent stretch is {(the extended length−the initial length)/the initial length} multiplied by 100. For example, if a material having an initial length of one (1) cm can be stretched 0.50 cm, that is, to an extended length of 1.50 cm, the material can be said to have an elongation of 50 percent. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet can stretch in both the transverse direction T and the longitudinal direction L (referring to
The elastic nonwoven sheet also exhibits recovery from stretching. Recovery refers to a contraction of a stretched material upon termination of a biasing force following stretching of the material by application of the biasing force. For example, if a material having a relaxed, unbiased length of one (1) cm is elongated 50 percent by stretching to a length of 1.5 cm and subsequently contracts to a length of 1.1 inches after release of the stretching force, the material would have recovered 80 percent (0.4 inch) of its elongation. The elastic nonwoven sheet may have a recovery of, for example, at least 25, 50, 60, 70, or 75 percent.
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion is bonded to the central portion in a manner such that the central portion has a reduced elongation in at least one direction relative to the first and second lateral end portions. In these embodiments, the filtering web portion is inelastic or has a lower elongation than the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some of these embodiments, the central portion of the elongated elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of less than fifteen (in some embodiments, up to 14, 13, 12, 11, or 10) percent in at least one of the longitudinal L or transverse T direction. In other of these embodiments, at least part of the central portion of the elongated elastic nonwoven portion or sheet has an elongation of at least 70 (in some embodiments, at least 75, 80, or 85) percent and up to about 160, 150, 125, 110, or 100 percent in the transverse T direction. The longitudinal direction L corresponds to the machine direction, and the transverse direction T corresponds to the cross web direction. In some embodiments, different portions of the central portion may have different elongations in the same direction. For example, at the top and bottom edges, in the central portion of the elongated nonwoven sheet, the elongation may be up to 5 (in some embodiments, 4, 3, 2, or 1) percent in the transverse direction while between the top and bottom edges, the elongation may be greater than 5 and up to 15 (in some embodiments, up to 14, 13, 12, 11, or 10) percent in the transverse direction. In other embodiments, at the top and bottom edges, in the central portion of the elongated nonwoven sheet, the elongation may be up to 5 (in some embodiments, 4, 3, 2, or 1) percent in the transverse direction while between the top and bottom edges, the elongation may be at least 70 (in some embodiments, at least 75, 80, or 85) percent in the transverse direction. Reduced elongation at the top and bottom edges may be useful, for example, for providing a good seal against the user's face. In some embodiments, the central portion of the elongated elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of less than ten (in some embodiments, up to 7.5, 5, 2.5, 2, or 1) percent in the longitudinal L direction. In some embodiments, the first lateral end portion and the second lateral end portion each have an elongation of at least 15 (in some embodiments, at least 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 75, 90, or 100) percent and up to about 500 (in some embodiments, up to 350, 300, 250, or 200) percent in at least one of the longitudinal L or transverse T direction. The amount of elongation in the central portion can be controlled, for example, by the choice of materials (e.g., for the elastic nonwoven sheet, the filtering web portion, and the second web portion), the extent of attachment of the filtering web portion and the central portion, and the size and number of pleats used when attaching the central portion to the filtering web portion. Limiting the elongation of the central portion may allow for better filtration properties. For example, when porous elastic materials (e.g., elastic nonwoven webs) are stretched, large spaces may be opened in the materials that allow contaminants to pass through. On the other hand, more elongation in the central portion may allow for better fit on the face.
Various types of nonwoven materials may provide useful elastic nonwoven sheets. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet comprises a spunbonded, meltblown, or spunlace nonwoven. The term “spunbonded” refers to small diameter fibers which are formed by extruding molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular capillaries of a spinneret with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced to fibers. Spunbond fibers are generally continuous and have diameters generally greater than about 7 microns, more particularly, between about 10 and about 20 microns. The term “meltblown” means fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity, usually hot, gas (e.g. air) streams which attenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly disbursed meltblown fibers. Meltblown fibers are generally microfibers which may be continuous or discontinuous with diameters generally less than 10 microns. Spunlacing uses high-speed jets of water to strike a web to intermingle the fibers of the web. Spunlacing is also known as hydroentangling and can be carried out on fibrous webs made, for example, using carded webs and air-laid webs.
Exemplary useful materials for making the elastic nonwoven sheet include thermoplastic elastomers such as ABA block copolymers, polyurethane elastomers, polyolefin elastomers (e.g., metallocene polyolefin elastomers), polyamide elastomers, ethylene vinyl acetate elastomers, and polyester elastomers. An ABA block copolymer elastomer generally is one where the A blocks are polystyrenic, and the B blocks are conjugated dienes (e.g., lower alkylene dienes). The A block is generally formed predominantly of substituted (e.g, alkylated) or unsubstituted styrenic moieties (e.g., polystyrene, poly(alphamethylstyrene), or poly(t-butylstyrene)), having an average molecular weight from about 4,000 to 50,000 grams per mole. The B block(s) is generally formed predominantly of conjugated dienes (e.g., isoprene, 1,3-butadiene, or ethylene-butylene monomers), which may be substituted or unsubstituted, and has an average molecular weight from about 5,000 to 500,000 grams per mole. The A and B blocks may be configured, for example, in linear, radial, or star configurations. An ABA block copolymer may contain multiple A and/or B blocks, which blocks may be made from the same or different monomers. A typical block copolymer is a linear ABA block copolymer, where the A blocks may be the same or different, or a block copolymer having more than three blocks, predominantly terminating with A blocks. Multi-block copolymers may contain, for example, a certain proportion of AB diblock copolymer, which tends to form a more tacky elastomeric film segment. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet useful for practicing the present disclosure is made from a variety of useful materials (e.g., polypropylene, polypropylene-polyethylene copolymers, and thermoplastic polyurethanes). In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is made, for example, from multi-component (e.g., bi-component such as core-sheath) fibers. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is a multi-layer laminate of different materials (e.g., the materials described above) in the layers. For example, the elastic nonwoven sheet may comprise a layer of meltblown fibers between two layers of spundonded fibers.
Materials can be selected for the elastic nonwoven sheet, for example, depending on how they feel against the skin. The elastic nonwoven sheet can be made from materials that feel soft against the skin. The elastic nonwoven sheet can also be made from materials that have a rubbery feeling so that they can stay in place.
Several materials useful for making the elastic nonwoven sheet are commercially available, for example, polyolefins from ExxonMobil, Houston, Tex., under the trade designation “VISTAMAXX” and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers from Huntsman, The Woodlands, Tex., under the trade designation “IROGRAN”. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet comprises a marnix nonwoven. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet comprises a spunbond nonwoven available from Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, under the trade designation “STRAFLEX”.
A variety of materials are also useful for making the filtering web portion. In some embodiments, the filtering web portion is also a nonwoven (e.g., a polypropylene nonwoven material). In some embodiments, the filtering web is a microreplicated perforated film. The filtering web may also include multiple layers of nonwoven materials or microreplicated perforated films. In some embodiments, the filtering web portion is electrically charged. Charged filtration medium typically increases filtration efficiency by drawing particles to be filtered toward the filter by virtue of their electrical charge. In some embodiments, the filtering web is an electret. Electret treatment can be carried out by a number of different techniques (e.g., those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,401,446 (Tsai et al.); 4,215,682 (Kubik et al.); 4,375,718 (Wadsworth); 4,592,815 (Nakao); and 4,874,659 (Ando), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In some embodiments, the filtering web portion and/or the face mask has a filtering efficiency of at least 99 (in some embodiments, 98, 97, 96, or 95) percent.
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion is useful, for example, for protecting the face mask wearer from unpleasant odors. In some of these embodiments, the filtering web portion is loaded with activated carbon or other particles. In some of these embodiments, the filtering web may include two or more layers of material, for example, in the form of a pad. The filtering web portion may be a nonwoven web with the particles uniformly dispersed throughout the nonwoven using conventional techniques. Or the filtering web may be formed with the particles embedded in the nonwoven, for example, an activated carbon fiber nonwoven available, for example, from Kuraray Chemical Co., Osaka, Japan. In other embodiments, the filtering web is provided with a fragrance (e.g., for masking the unpleasant odors).
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion is a nonwoven web of microfibers that are thermally insulating. For example, the filtering web portion may comprise a mixture of microfibers and crimped staple fibers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,531 (Hauser), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some of these embodiments, the filtering web may include two or more layers of material, for example, in the form of a pad.
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion comprises an antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agent. Suitable agents of this type include citric acid, boric acid, and silver oxide. In some of the embodiments, the filtering web portion comprises a nonwoven web onto which the antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agent is applied (e.g., by rolling or spraying as described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,509 (Lemelson)). The antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agents may be useful for killing airborne pathogens and for pathogens in bodily fluids or other liquids that may come into contact with the mask.
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion or the filtering web described below is a microfiber insulation available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn., under the trade designation “THINSULATE”.
In some embodiments, the filtering web portion or the filtering web provides a barrier to liquids, for example, by virtue of having a low-surface-energy coating on at least one surface or a low-surface-energy material embedded in the web. The low-surface-energy coating or material can be provided, for example, with a wax, a silicone, or fluorochemical additive. Suitable fluorochemical additives include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,025,052 (Crater et al.), 5,099,026 (Crater et al.), 5,706,804 (Baumann et al.), and 6,127,485 (Klun et al.). Filtering webs providing a barrier to liquids (i.e., fluid resistance) may be useful, for example, for a surgical mask.
While some filtering web portions may be designed to have multiple functions, the plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure may include two different filtering web portions, with each filtering web portion having the same or different functionality. For example, each face mask may include both a first filtering web portion that is charged to remove particulates and a second filtering web portion that is designed to provide thermal insulation. In some embodiments, the face mask may include both a first filtering web portion that is charged to remove particulates and a second filtering web portion that is treated with an antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agent. In another embodiment, the face mask includes both a first filtering web portion that is charged and a second filtering web portion that is designed to provide fluid resistance. In some of these embodiments, the filtering web portion providing fluid resistance may be positioned adjacent the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some of these embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet 82 may have slits 81 as shown in
The methods of charging a web, embedding a web with activated carbon, for example, treating a web with antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agents, and making a web resistance to fluids described above for the filtering layer can also be carried out on the elastic nonwoven sheet, for example, when the face mask does not comprise a filtering web portion. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is a charged web. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is an activated carbon embedded nonwoven. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is treated with at least one of an antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal agent. In some embodiments, the elastic nonwoven sheet is treated with at least one of a wax, a silicone, or a fluorochemical.
A variety of materials are also useful for making the optional second web or portion thereof. In some embodiments, the second web is also a nonwoven (e.g., made from polypropylene, polypropylene-polyethylene copolymers, or natural fibers). In some embodiments, the second web is a microreplicated perforated film (e.g., made of polypropylene). The second web may also include multiple layers of nonwoven materials or microreplicated perforated films. In some embodiments, the second web is a nonwoven web (e.g., a spunbonded, meltblown, or coform nonwoven web, or a bonded carded web). The term “coform” means a meltblown material to which at least one other material (e.g., pulp or staple fibers) is added during the meltblown web formation. In some embodiments, the second web portion is made of the same material as the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some embodiments, the second web portion is a necked nonwoven web or a reversibly necked nonwoven web. The necking process typically involves unwinding a material from a supply roll and passing it through a brake nip roll assembly at a given linear speed. A take-up roll or nip, operating at a linear speed greater than that of the brake nip roll, draws the material and generates the tension needed to elongate and neck the fabric. When a reversibly necked material is desired, the stretched material is heated and cooled while in a stretched condition. The heating and cooling of the stretched material causes additional crystallization of the polymer and imparts a heat set. When the necked material is bonded to the elastic nonwoven sheet, it can extend and retract with the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some embodiments, the second web portion or the second web described below is a low density (e.g., 10 to 30 grams per square meter) spunbond polypropylene.
A face mask of the plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure may comprise two second webs or second web portions on either side of the filtering web or filtering web portion. This construction may be useful, for example, when a carbon-loaded or thermally insulating pad having multiple layers is used as the filtering web or filtering web portion. In these embodiments, each second web or portion thereof may be made of the same or different materials including any of the materials described above. In some embodiments, each second web or portion thereof is a low density spunbond polypropylene.
In some embodiments, the second web or portion thereof may be provided with a fragrance or scented oil. For example, the second web or portion thereof may be treated with a mint or wintergreen fragrance or oil to soothe or comfort the user. In some of these embodiments, there may be an untreated second web portion that is positioned to contact the user's skin while a second web portion provided with a fragrance may be positioned such that it does not contact the user's skin.
In some embodiments, at least one second web or second web portion may be made of a malleable material. This may be useful, for example, to allow the face mask to hold a desired shape when it is worn. For example, in embodiments where a combination of slits and pleats is used to provide space for a user's facial features, a second web portion of a malleable material can serve to hold open this space. In some of these embodiments, there may be a soft, flexible second web portion that is positioned to contact the user's skin while a second web portion of a malleable material may be positioned such that it does not contact the user's skin.
When the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet is bonded to at least one of a filtering web portion or a second web portion, a wide variety of bonding techniques may be used such as ultrasonic welding, thermal bonding (e.g., thermal point bonding), adhesive bonding, laminating, stitch bonding, melting bonding, needle punching, and hydro-entangling.
Face masks useful as members (e.g., first and second face masks) in the plurality of face mask disclosed herein may also include an adhesive tape or an adhesive strip, which may be a patterned adhesive, disposed on at least one of a top or a bottom edge of the face mask. The adhesive strip (e.g., patterned adhesive) may be coated or printed onto the face mask on at least one of a top or bottom edge using, for example, rotary print coating. An adhesive tape strip may also be placed on the face mask in the desired location(s). The adhesive tape or adhesive strip can be disposed on at least one of a top or bottom edge of the filtering web portion, at least one of a top or bottom edge of the second web portion, or at least one of a top or bottom edge of the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet. In some embodiments, the adhesive tape strip is adhered to a second web portion on the face side of the face mask. The adhesive tape strip may be useful, for example, to provide a better fit of the central portion over the nose, cheeks, or chin of the wearer. A better fit may enhance the ability of the face mask to prevent the transfer of pathogens through any gaps between the face mask and the face. The adhesive tape strip may include, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) that is physically and biologically compatible with human skin, which PSA may be coated on a nonwoven fabric (e.g., a hydroentangled or needle-tacked polyester or rayon nonwoven). Suitable skin-compatible pressure sensitive adhesives include acrylic based adhesives, polyolefin adhesives, rubber-based adhesives, and tackified styrene block copolymer adhesives. For convenient packaging, removable liners may be provided on the adhesive tape or strip. Some useful skin-compatible adhesive tapes with removable liners are commercially available, for example, a nonwoven cloth carrier double coated tape available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn., under the trade designation “3M DOUBLE-COATED SPUNLACE NONWOVEN TAPE 9917”.
Face masks useful as members (e.g., first and second face masks) in the plurality of face masks disclosed herein may also include an elongated malleable member disposed on at least one of a top or a bottom edge of the face mask. The malleable member may be placed on the outside surface of the face mask facing away from the wearer in the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet or, in a multi-layer construction, may be in between any of the layers (e.g., the filtering web portion and the second web portion or the filtering web portion and the elastic nonwoven sheet). The malleable member may be useful, for example, to provide a better fit of the central portion over the nose, cheeks, or chin of the wearer. Exemplary suitable malleable members include a metal wire or an aluminum band.
Face masks useful as members (e.g., first and second face masks) in the plurality of face masks disclosed herein may also include a removable pad, which may be useful, for example, for providing additional desirable features to the face mask. For example, when a soothing fragrance is desired a pad treated with a mint or wintergreen fragrance or oil can be inserted into one of cuts 81 in the embodiment illustrated in
The plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure includes a stack of interfolded face masks comprising a first face mask and a second face mask, wherein the second lateral end portion 48 of the first face mask is interfolded with the first 46′ or second 48′ lateral end portion of the second face mask. The first lateral end portion 46 is typically available to be grasped and removed from the stack (e.g., in a dispenser). Some exemplary interfolding configurations are shown in
In
In any of the embodiments of the stack of interfolded face masks disclosed herein, the number of face masks in the stack is unlimited and may be, for example, at least 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 and up to, for example, 300, 250, 200, or 100.
Exemplary dispensers for the plurality of facemasks according to the present disclosure are shown in
Aperture 60 for removing the plurality of face masks from the container has an oval or generally rectangular shape in the embodiments illustrated in
The plurality of the face masks 10 disclosed herein may be formed from a continuous web of material, for example, by stamping the face masks into the continuous web. Stamping includes cutting the layered web, for example, with continuous cuts or with discontinuous cuts (e.g., perforations). The cuts (e.g., continuous or discontinuous cuts) may be made, for example, using die cutting (e.g., rotary die cutting) or laser cutting. A continuous web useful for making a plurality of face masks is typically continuous in a machine direction. In some embodiments, the continuous web may be of single material that is of substantially uniform construction edge to edge. In other embodiments, the continuous web may be a multi-layer web that is of substantially uniform construction edge to edge. The first lateral end portion 26, the second lateral end portion 28, and the central portion 14 may all be integrally formed with one another and die cut from the continuous web of material in one piece. The continuous web of material may be of any size, and the plurality of face masks 10 may be cut therefrom in any number, shape, or size (e.g., including the sizes mentioned previously).
In some embodiments, the first lateral end portion 16 and the second lateral end portion 18 are each stamped with punch out members that become apertures 17 and 19, respectively. Removal of the punch out members may be done after the user has obtained the face mask 10, or may be done at a later stage of manufacturing prior to eventual purchase and use by the user. In some embodiments, aperture 17 is die cut into the first lateral end portion 16, and aperture 19 is die cut into the second lateral end portion 18 simultaneously with the die cutting of the face mask 10. Optional holes 11 may also be formed into at least a portion of the elastic nonwoven web simultaneously with the stamping (e.g., die cutting) of the face mask 10. Alternatively, the elastic nonwoven web may be processed with a microreplicated cutting tool to form holes in at least a portion of the web before the elastic nonwoven web is bonded to the filtering web.
In some embodiments, a useful method for preparing a plurality of face masks includes providing an elastic nonwoven web continuous in a machine direction, the elastic nonwoven web having a central lane extending in the machine direction. The central lane of the continuous elastic nonwoven web has a cross-web width that is less than the cross-web width of the continuous elastic nonwoven web. The central portion is not aligned with first or second longitudinal edges of the continuous elastic nonwoven web, and, in some embodiments, is centered around a longitudinal center line of the continuous elastic nonwoven web. The cross-web width of the center lane may be up to about 50 or 60 percent and is typically at least about 30 or 35 percent of the cross-web width of the elastic nonwoven web. The method may further include providing a filtering web continuous in the machine direction and having a cross-web width that is substantially the same (e.g., within about 10, 7.5, or 5 percent) as the cross-web width of the central portion, bonding the filtering web to the central portion of the elastic nonwoven web to provide a layered web, and stamping a face mask disclosed herein into the layered web. The elastic nonwoven sheet of the face mask is stamped from the elastic nonwoven web so that the central portion of the face mask is stamped from the central lane of the continuous elastic nonwoven web and first and second lateral end portions each flank the central portion on opposite sides. This configuration of the face masks on the web allows for continuous bonding of the filtering web. The filtering web portion is typically stamped from the continuous filtering web such that the filtering web portion is coextensive with the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet. When the face mask is stamped from the layered web, it may have a first opening in the first lateral end portion and a second opening in the second lateral end portion, or it may have a first punch out member in the first lateral end portion and a second punch out member in the second lateral end portion. The filtering web portion may have at least one (in some embodiments, 2, 3, or more) machine direction pleat. The pleat or pleats in the filtering web may be positioned with respect to the longitudinal center of the elastic nonwoven web as described above. When a pleated filtering web or filtering web portion is said to have the same cross-web width or to be coextensive with the central portion of the elastic nonwoven web or sheet, respectively, it is the width of the filtering web or filtering web portion after pleating that is being referred to. As described above, the pleats may be flat pleats to facilitate the continuous process of bonding the filtering web to the elastic nonwoven web and stamping the face masks. In some embodiments, the layered web is not a stretch bonded laminate, which would form multiple gathers in the filtering web.
In some embodiments of the continuous process described above, the method further includes bonding a second web continuous in the machine direction directly or indirectly to the central lane of the elastic nonwoven web to provide the layered web. In some embodiments, the second web has a cross-web width that is substantially the same (e.g., within about 10, 7.5, or 5 percent) as the cross-web width of the central lane and the filtering web. In some embodiments, the second web is longer than the filtering web in the cross-web direction. In some of these embodiments, the longitudinal edges of the second web may be folded around the longitudinal edges of the filtering web before they are bonded to the elastic nonwoven web. In other embodiments, the second web has a length in the cross-web direction that is substantially the same as that of the filtering web, and the longitudinal edges of both the second web and the filtering web are folded back against themselves before they are bonded to the elastic nonwoven web. In some of these embodiments, the second web is elastic. In some embodiments, the second web has at least one machine direction pleat. The pleats may have the same configuration as the filtering web.
A wide variety of bonding techniques may be useful for bonding the filtering web and optionally second web to the elastic nonwoven web. Exemplary bonding techniques include ultrasonic welding, thermal bonding (e.g., thermal point bonding), adhesive bonding, laminating, stitch bonding, melting bonding, needle punching, and hydro-entangling. The fold of the pleat may be bonded or not bonded. In some embodiments, the fold of the at least one pleat is bonded along the top edge and bottom edge of the face mask. In some of these embodiments, the at least one pleat is not bonded between the top edge and bottom edge of the face mask. In some of these embodiments, the central portion of the elastic nonwoven web is not extensible along the top and bottom edges of the face mask but is extensible between the top and bottom edges of the face mask.
The continuous web processing of the plurality of face masks described above is advantageous in that separate manufacturing steps are reduced or eliminated. Continuous web processing is possible because the central portion and first and second lateral end portions can be formed simultaneously during die cutting. Furthermore, the configuration of the face masks is such that a filtering web and an elastic nonwoven web that are continuous in the machine direction may be used.
The continuous web processing method described above may be useful for providing a roll of face masks 70 as shown in
A schematic illustration of an embodiment of a useful method of making a plurality of face masks according to the present disclosure is illustrated in
In a first embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks comprising:
a stack of interfolded face masks comprising a first face mask and a second face mask, the first and second face masks each comprising:
-
- an elastic nonwoven sheet with an elongated shape and having a central portion and first and second lateral end portions each flanking the central portion on opposite sides,
wherein the second lateral end portion of the first face mask is interfolded with the first or second lateral end portion of the second face mask.
- an elastic nonwoven sheet with an elongated shape and having a central portion and first and second lateral end portions each flanking the central portion on opposite sides,
In a second embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the first embodiment, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprise a first opening in the first lateral end portion and a second opening in the second lateral end portion.
In a third embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the first or second embodiment, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises a filtering web portion bonded to the central portion of the elongated elastic nonwoven sheet.
In a fourth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the third embodiment, wherein the filtering web portion has at least one pleat.
In a fifth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the fourth embodiment, wherein the filtering web portion has multiple pleats.
In a sixth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the any one of the third to fifth embodiments, wherein the filtering web portion is bonded to the central portion in a manner such that the central portion has a reduced elongation in at least one direction relative to the first and second lateral end portions.
In a seventh embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the third to sixth embodiments, wherein the elastic nonwoven sheet has at least one cut in the central portion.
In an eighth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the seventh embodiment, wherein the cut has a length in a range from 10 percent to 100 percent of the longitudinal dimension of each of the plurality of face masks.
In a ninth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the third to eighth embodiments, wherein the filtering web portion is capable of at least one of trapping pathogenic microorganisms, trapping particulates, trapping or masking odors, providing a barrier to liquid, providing thermal insulation, or reducing viral or bacterial contamination.
In a tenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to ninth embodiments, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises a second web portion bonded to the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet.
In an eleventh embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the tenth embodiment, wherein the second web portion has at least one pleat.
In a twelfth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to the eleventh embodiment, wherein the second web portion has multiple pleats.
In an thirteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the tenth to twelfth embodiments, wherein the second web portion is elastic.
In a fourteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the tenth to thirteenth embodiments, wherein at least one of the filtering web portion or the second web portion comprises at least one of a microreplicated perforated film or a nonwoven material.
In a fifteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to fourteenth embodiments, wherein at least a portion of the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of less than fifteen percent.
In a sixteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to fourteenth embodiments, wherein at least a portion of the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of at least 70 percent.
In a seventeenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to sixteenth embodiments, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises an adhesive tape or adhesive strip disposed on at least one of a top or a bottom edge of the face mask, wherein the adhesive tape or the adhesive strip is provided with a removable liner.
In an eighteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to seventeenth embodiments, wherein each of the first and second face masks has at least three folds.
In a nineteenth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dispenser comprising a container enclosing the plurality of face masks according to any one of the first to eighteenth embodiments, the container having at least one side with an aperture for removing the plurality of face masks.
In a twentieth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dispenser according to the nineteenth embodiment, wherein the aperture has a width that is up to half of the width of the first face mask.
In a twenty-first embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dispenser according to the nineteenth or twentieth embodiment, wherein the at least one side of the container comprises a flexible polymer film.
In a twenty-second embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dispenser according to any one of the nineteenth to twenty-first embodiments, wherein the container has a depth of up to half of the width of the first face mask.
In a twenty-third embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dispenser according to any one of the nineteenth to twenty-second embodiments, wherein the container has a width of up to one-third of the length of the first face mask.
This disclosure may take on various modifications and alterations without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments but is to be controlled by the limitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalents thereof. This disclosure may be suitably practiced in the absence of any element not specifically disclosed herein. All patents and patent applications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference into this document in their entirety.
Claims
1. A plurality of face masks comprising: wherein the second lateral end portion of the first face mask is interfolded with the first or second lateral end portion of the second face mask.
- a stack of interfolded face masks comprising a first face mask and a second face mask, the first and second face masks each comprising: an elastic nonwoven sheet with an elongated shape and having a central portion and first and second lateral end portions each flanking the central portion on opposite sides,
2. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprise a first opening in the first lateral end portion and a second opening in the second lateral end portion.
3. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises a filtering web portion bonded to the central portion of the elongated elastic nonwoven sheet.
4. The plurality of face masks according to claim 3, wherein the filtering web portion has at least one pleat.
5. The plurality of face masks according to claim 3, wherein the filtering web portion is bonded to the central portion in a manner such that the central portion has a reduced elongation in at least one direction relative to the first and second lateral end portions.
6. The plurality of face masks according to claim 3, wherein the elastic nonwoven sheet has at least one cut in the central portion.
7. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises a second web portion bonded to the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet.
8. The plurality of face masks according to claim 7, wherein the second web portion has at least one pleat.
9. The plurality of face masks according to claim 7, wherein the second web portion is elastic.
10. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of less than fifteen percent.
11. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the central portion of the elastic nonwoven sheet has an elongation of at least 70 percent.
12. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second face masks has at least three folds.
13. A dispenser comprising a container enclosing the plurality of face masks according to claim 1, the container having at least one side with an aperture for removing the plurality of face masks.
14. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the aperture has a width that is up to half of the width of the first face mask.
15. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the container has a width of up to one-third of the length of the first face mask.
16. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the at least one side of the container comprises a flexible polymer film.
17. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the dispenser has the shape of a triangular, square, or rectangular pyramid or a triangular or trapezoidal prism.
18. The plurality of face masks according to claim 7, wherein the second web portion comprises at least one of a microreplicated perforated film or a nonwoven material.
19. The plurality of face masks according to claim 3, wherein the filtering web portion is capable of at least one of trapping pathogenic microorganisms, trapping particulates, trapping or masking odors, providing a barrier to liquid, providing thermal insulation, or reducing viral or bacterial contamination.
20. The plurality of face masks according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second face masks further comprises an adhesive tape or adhesive strip disposed on at least one of a top or a bottom edge of the face mask, wherein the adhesive tape or the adhesive strip is provided with a removable liner.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2011
Publication Date: Dec 27, 2012
Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY (Saint Paul, MN)
Inventor: Alexander C. Tsuei (Woodbury, MN)
Application Number: 13/581,989
International Classification: A41D 13/11 (20060101); B65D 83/08 (20060101);