GOGGLE MASK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

A goggle mask and a method of manufacturing the goggle mask are provided. The goggle mask includes a mask structure, a lens structure and a sealing glue material. The mask structure includes a skirt portion and a glass portion which is connected to the skirt portion. The glass portion includes a groove with a first inside surface, second inside surface and third inside surface. The lens structure includes a peripheral portion which is disposed in the groove and includes an annular surface facing the second inside surface. The front side surface faces the first inside surface, while the rear side surface faces the third inside surface. The sealing glue material is formed between the peripheral portion and the groove to provide a waterproof connection between the peripheral portion and the groove. Therefore, the manufacturing and/or the assembly of the goggle mask is advantageous.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 107117803 filed on May 24, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention provides a goggle mask and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, it provides a goggle mask used for activities such as snorkeling or diving or the like and a method of manufacturing the same.

Descriptions of the Related Art

Goggle masks are used in water activities such as snorkeling or diving to cover the eyes and the nose thereof, thereby, preventing water (or substance in the water) from getting into the eyes and nose. A conventional goggle mask is mainly formed by combining a mask, a lens and a frame together. That is, the mask, the lens and the frame are respectively manufactured, then the lens is placed in the mask and the frame is tightly fixed onto the mask so that the lens is closely attached to the mask. In this way, it is hard for water to pass through the gap between the lens and the mask, thereby achieving a waterproof connection.

However, to tightly fix the frame onto the mask so that the lens and the mask are connected in a waterproof manner at each place therebetween, the frame itself requires many fixing structures such as clips. Therefore, when the frame is manufactured by injection molding or the like, the design of the mold is relatively complicated. Moreover, a relatively large force is required to tightly fix the frame onto the mask, so it is very inconvenient for a person to assemble the google mask. Furthermore, the lens needs to be capable of bearing the force needed during the fixing process to avoid being broken, so the lens cannot be too thin.

Generally speaking, the aforesaid goggle mask is not advantageous in the design, manufacturing and assembly of the frame, so manufacturers have developed a goggle mask of another form in which a mask is directly formed on a lens.

Specifically, during the manufacturing of this kind of goggle mask, a lens is placed into a cavity of a mold for injection molding, then, the raw material of the mask is injected into the cavity to cover the periphery of the lens. After the raw material of the mask is cured, the mask and the lens are taken out of the mold. This kind of goggle mask can achieve a waterproof connection between the mask and the lens without the need of strongly fixing the frame onto the mask, so it is also called a frameless goggle mask. However, the mask often unintendedly covers other portions of the lens when it covers the periphery of the lens (i.e., the so-called burr or overflow). In addition to the drawbacks of improper mold design or process factors, the cause of the aforesaid situation further lies in the following factor: since a certain degree of tolerance (error) is allowed during the manufacturing, the thickness of each lens is not completely the same (e.g., with a difference of several tens of micrometers). However, it is very likely that the mold does not abut against and cover the predetermined portion of the lens (i.e., the portion of the lens that should not be covered by the raw material of the mask) after the mold is assembled due to the difference in the thickness of the lens. Therefore, after the raw material of the mask is injected into the cavity, the raw material not only covers the periphery of the lens, but also unintendedly covers other portions of the lens.

Because the burr (overflow) influences the appearance of the goggle mask and even blocks the lens, it is unacceptable for consumers. Therefore, the manufacturers need to remove the burr using tools such as erasers or the like without scratching or damaging the lens. However, this process is hard to be automatized and can only be accomplished by consuming a large amount of labor and time, which influences the production performance of the goggle mask.

Additionally, without the clamping of the frame, the bonding force between the lens and the mask of this kind of google mask is relatively small, so the waterproof connection will be influenced when the lens and the mask are separated by a user unintentionally or intentionally. Moreover, without the frame, the appearance of this kind of goggle mask is monotonous and space of changing the design is limited.

Accordingly, a need exists in the art to improve the aforesaid drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a goggle mask and a method of manufacturing the same. The goggle mask is easy to manufacture and/or assemble, which helps to increase the production performance of the goggle mask.

To achieve the aforesaid objective, the goggle mask of the present invention comprises a mask structure, a lens structure and a sealing glue material. The mask structure comprises a skirt portion and a lens portion connected to the skirt portion. The lens portion comprises a recess which comprises a first inner side surface, a second inner side surface and a third inner side surface, wherein the first inner side surface and the third inner side surface are disposed face to face, and the second inner side surface connects the first inner side surface and the third inner side surface. The lens structure comprises a peripheral portion which is disposed in the recess, and the peripheral portion comprises an annular surface, a front side surface and a rear side surface. The annular surface and the second inner side surface are disposed face to face, the front side surface and the first inner side surface are disposed face to face, and the rear side surface and the third inner side surface are disposed face to face. The sealing glue material is annular and formed between the peripheral portion and the recess so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in a waterproof manner.

To achieve the aforesaid objective, a method of manufacturing a goggle mask proposed in the present invention comprises the following steps: providing a mask structure, wherein the mask structure comprises a skirt portion and a lens portion connected to the skirt portion, the lens portion comprises a recess; placing the peripheral portion of a lens structure into the recess; and forming a sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess, so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in a waterproof manner, wherein the sealing glue material is distributed continuously along the peripheral portion or the recess.

In one embodiment, the sealing glue material may be coated between the peripheral portion and the recess by using a robotic arm or an automatic glue dispenser.

In one embodiment, the recess included in the mask structure further comprises a slot, and the sealing glue material may be formed in the slot. The slot may be disposed on a second inner sider surface of the recess.

In one embodiment, when the sealing glue material is formed in the slot, the slot may be pressed so that the sealing glue material is formed between the annular surface of the peripheral portion and the second inner side surface of the recess.

In one embodiment, a frame structure may be assembled on the lens portion. The frame structure may comprise a plurality of front portions and a plurality of rear portions. The front portions are abutted against the front side surface of the lens portion, and the rear portions are abutted against the rear side surface of the lens portion. The front side surface of the lens portion is partially exposed between the front portions. Moreover, the frame structure may be a metal frame structure.

In one embodiment, the sealing glue material may be formed between the front side surface and the first inner side surface, so that the front side surface and the first inner side surface are connected in a waterproof manner. The sealing glue material may be formed between the rear side surface and the third inner side surface, so that the rear side surface and the third inner side surface are connected in a waterproof manner. The sealing glue material may be formed between the annular surface and the second inner side surface, so that the annular surface and the second inner side surface are connected in a waterproof manner.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a goggle mask which comprises a detachable frame structure, thereby increasing the structural strength and the appearance change of the goggle mask.

To achieve the aforesaid objectives, the goggle mask of the present invention comprises: a mask structure, comprising a skirt portion and a lens portion connected to the skirt portion; a lens structure, comprising a peripheral portion which is disposed in the lens portion; and a frame structure, being detachably disposed on the lens portion, and comprising a plurality of front portions and a plurality of rear portions disposed alternately, the front portions being abutted against a front side surface of the lens portion, the rear portions being abutted against a rear side surface of the lens portion, wherein the front side surface of the lens portion is partially exposed between the front portions.

In one embodiment, the frame structure is a metal frame structure.

In one embodiment, the mask structure further comprises a plurality of accommodating grooves, the accommodating grooves are disposed on the front side surface of the lens portion, and the front portions of the frame structure are respectively disposed within the accommodating grooves.

In one embodiment, the hardness of the frame structure ranges from A50 to A90, or ranges from D50 to D90.

In one embodiment, the frame structure comprises an elastic or soft bending portion and/or buffering portion.

In one embodiment, the lens portion comprises a recess, and the peripheral portion of the lens structure is disposed in the recess.

In one embodiment, the goggle mask further comprises a sealing glue material which is formed between the peripheral portion and the recess so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in a waterproof manner, and wherein the sealing glue material is annular.

In an embodiment, the lens portion covers the peripheral portion of the lens structure.

The detailed technology and preferred embodiments implemented for the subject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a goggle mask according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view taken along line A-A of the goggle mask of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a schematic and partially assembled view taken along line A-A of the goggle mask of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged view of the goggle mask of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view taken along line A-A of the goggle mask of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a partially enlarged view of the goggle mask of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is another schematic cross-sectional view of the goggle mask of FIG. 1 (the frame structure is not shown);

FIG. 5B is a partially enlarged view of the goggle mask of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating coating a sealing glue material by the robotic arm in manufacturing a goggle mask according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7A to 9B are schematic perspective views and schematic exploded views of a goggle mask according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention.

 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 to 3B are schematic views of a goggle mask 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The goggle mask 10 may be used in combination with an air tube and/or a strap (not shown) so that the user can wear the goggle mask 10 on the head to breathe air above the water when the user is performing an underwater or water activity. The goggle mask 10 is manufactured in a completely different way (specific technical contents about the manufacturing will be described later). The goggle mask 10 structurally comprises a mask structure 100, a lens structure 200 and a sealing glue material 300. Technical contents of these elements will be described sequentially as follows.

The mask structure 100 comprises a skirt portion 110 and a lens-accommodating portion (lens portion, for short) 120 connected with the skirt portion 110. The skirt portion 110 may cover the face of a user such as the eyes and nose or the like so that water cannot come into contact with the eyes and nose of the user. The lens portion 120 does not directly come into contact with the user. A lens structure 200 may be disposed (fixed) in the lens portion 120, so as to be accommodate in the lens portion 120. The skirt portion 110 may also not cover the nose of the user (i.e., not include a nose mask).

In more detail, the mask structure 100 may be formed of a soft material, e.g., silicone. The mask structure 100 is quite flexible and/or resilient to be deformed to conform to the profile of the face of the user and thus, be attached to the face of the user. Moreover, the mask structure 100 will restore the initial shape thereof when no external pressure is applied thereto. The lens portion 120 and the skirt portion 110 are formed integrally, and as shown in FIG. 2, the lens portion 120 comprises a recess 122 which is annular. The recess 122 comprises a first inner side surface 123, a second inner side surface 125 and a third inner side surface 127. The first inner side surface 123 and the third inner side surface 127 are disposed face to face (and may also be disposed parallel to each other), while the second inner side surface 125 connects the first inner side surface 123 and the third inner side surface 127 and forms an annular opening towards the visible region B of the goggle mask 10. The terminal end 128 of the third inner side surface 127 may be connected with the skirt portion 110.

The lens structure 200 comprises a peripheral portion 210. The peripheral portion 210 is disposed in the recess 122 and comprises a front side surface 213, an annular surface 215 and a rear side surface 217. The front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123 are disposed face to face. The annular surface 215 connects the front side surface 213 and the rear side surface 217. The annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125 are disposed face to face. The rear side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 217 are disposed face to face. In detail, after the assembly of the goggle mask 10 is finished, the peripheral portion 210 is covered by the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100 (as shown in FIG. 1). In other words, a portion of the lens structure 200 that is located within the recess 122 (i.e., the portion that is shielded by the lens portion 120 and is not exposed to the outside) may be defined as the peripheral portion 210.

On the other hand, since the mask structure 100 is not formed directly on the lens structure 200, the thickness of the peripheral portion 210 (the distance between the front side surface 213 and the rear side surface 217) will not be exactly equal to the width of the recess 122 (the distance between the first inner side surface 123 and the third inner side surface 127). In other words, because the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 are manufactured respectively and have different manufacturing tolerances, there will be differences between the thickness of the peripheral portion 210 and the width of the recess 122 even if the thickness of the peripheral portion 210 and the width of the recess 122 are expected to be the same. The thickness of the peripheral portion 210 is preferably smaller than the width of the recess 122 so that it is convenient to place the peripheral portion 210 into the recess 122.

Moreover, although a single-piece lens (a part of the lens that crosses over the nose) is taken as an example of the lens structure 200, the lens structure 200 is not limited thereto and may also comprise two separate lenses (not shown) which respectively correspond to the left and right eyes of the user. Correspondingly, the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100 will comprise two separate lens portions 120 (not shown), each of which accommodates one lens.

With reference to FIGS. 3A to 4B, the sealing glue material 300 is formed between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 to achieve a waterproof connection between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122. Specifically, the sealing glue material 300 is formed between the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200 and the recess 122 along the profile of the peripheral portion 210. Because the peripheral portion 210 is annular, the formed sealing glue material 300 is also annular and distributed continuously so that the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 are connected in a waterproof manner at each place therebetween. The formed sealing glue material 300 may be regarded as an annular structure (i.e. endless loop or ring) corresponding to the shape of the peripheral portion 210 or the recess 122.

The sealing glue material 300 is at a liquid state before curing. A waterproof connection layer can be formed after the sealing glue material 300 is applied between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 and cured. The material of the sealing glue material 300 preferably includes Silicone Adhesive, Acrylic Adhesive, Cyanoacrylate Adhesive, UV Light Curable Adhesive or the like which have waterproof characteristics after being cured. As compared to the thickness of the lens structure 200, the thickness of the sealing glue material 300 is relatively small, e.g., 0.2 millimeters to 2.0 millimeters, and preferably, the sealing glue material 300 will not be exposed outside the recess 122 (will not overflow from the recess 122). The material and/or size (thickness) of the sealing glue material 300 may be decided according to the desired waterproof effects.

The sealing glue material 300 may be filled in gaps between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123, between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125, and/or between the rear side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 127 (as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B). After being cured, the sealing glue material 300 may prevent water from passing through the gap so that the water cannot enter into the goggle mask 10. The water can be prevented from entering into the goggle mask 10 simply by forming the sealing glue material 300 between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123 (or between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125); this is easier to be implemented (the specific reason is described later). Specifically, in this embodiment, the sealing glue material 300 may be only formed between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123 and not formed between other surfaces. Alternatively, the sealing glue material 300 may be only formed between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125 and not formed between other surfaces.

With reference to both FIGS. 5A and 5B together, in another embodiment, the recess 122 may further comprise a slot 129 which is also annular, and the sealing glue material 300 may be formed in the slot 129 to achieve a waterproof connection between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122. The sealing glue material 300 may fill up or overflow from the slot 129 to come into contact with the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200. Alternatively, the sealing glue material 300 does not fill up the slot 129, and before the curing of the sealing glue material 130, the recess 122 is pressed from the outside of the lens portion 120 (specific steps thereof will be described later) so that the sealing glue material 300 overflows outside the slot 129 and comes into contact with the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200. The slot 129 may also be pressed if the sealing glue material 300 fills up or overflows from the slot 129 before the curing.

The slot 129 may be formed by partially reducing the wall thickness of the lens portion 120, e.g., the wall thickness at the place where the slot 129 is located may range between 0.2 millimeters to 2 millimeters. Moreover, the slot 129 is preferably formed on the second inner side surface 125, because it is easier for the sealing glue material 300 to be implemented onto the second inner side surface 125 (the specific reason for this will be described later). An annular opening will be formed towards the visible region B of the goggle mask 10 by forming the slot 129 on the second inner side surface 125.

As shall be additionally appreciated, the sealing glue material 300 is not an integral part of the goggle mask 100, so there is an interface between the sealing glue material 300 and the mask structure 100. The sealing glue material 300 is not a primer used in an insert molding or overmolding process because the goggle mask 10 does not have the mask structure 100 formed directly on the lens structure 200 via insert molding. Additionally, if the primer has a waterproof performance required in the art, it is possible to use the primer as the raw material of the sealing glue material 300 in terms of such a performance characteristic. However, this does not mean that the primer of the conventional goggle mask can be overall equivalent to the sealing glue material 300 of the present invention.

Next, a method of manufacturing a goggle mask according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. The goggle mask 10 that is the same as or similar to the aforesaid embodiments shall be manufactured by the manufacturing method, so reference may be made to the technical content of the goggle mask 10 for the technical content of the manufacturing method, and vice versa. The same part of the aforesaid technical contents may be omitted or simplified in the description.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4B, the manufacturing method may comprise the following main steps: providing a mask structure 100; placing the peripheral portion 210 of a lens structure 200 into the recess 122 of the mask structure 100; and forming a sealing glue material 300 between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122, so that the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 are connected in a waterproof manner. The technical contents of the aforesaid steps will be described sequentially as follows.

The mask structure 100 and the lens structure 200 are formed separately, which means that the mask structure 100 is not directly formed on the lens structure 200. The mask structure 100 itself may be manufactured by injection molding or the like, and the lens structure 200 itself may be manufactured by molding or the like. The size and shape of the lens structure 200 correspond to the size and shape of the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100, and the thickness of the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200 may be slightly smaller than the width of the recess 122 of the lens portion 120 so that it is convenient to place the peripheral portion 210 into the recess 122.

Because the mask structure 100 may be made of a soft material, the first inner side surface 123 or the third inner side surface 127 of the recess 122 may be pushed aside (not shown) and then the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200 may be easily placed into the recess 122 so that the peripheral portion 210 abuts against the second inner side surface 125 of the recess 122. Thereafter, the first inner side surface 123 or the third inner side surface 127 that are pushed aside restore the initial shape thereof, and the first inner side surface 123 and the third inner side surface 127 may abut against the peripheral portion 210 so that the peripheral portion 210 will not come out of the recess 122.

Thereafter, the sealing glue material 300 is annularly formed between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 along the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200 to achieve the waterproof effect. In an embodiment, the sealing glue material 300 is formed between the front side surface 213 of the peripheral portion 210 and the first inner side surface 123 of the recess 122 (or between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125), because the formation of the sealing glue material 300 will not be hindered by the skirt portion 110. In other words, if the sealing glue material 300 is formed between the rear side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 127, the glue dispensing head needs to continuously perform an angle adjustment in response to the appearance of the skirt portion 110 to penetrate into the space between the rear side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 127 due to the existence of the skirt portion 110. If the sealing glue material 300 is formed between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123 (or between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125), the angle of the glue dispensing head does not need to be adjusted or be adjusted much because there is no interference from the skirt portion 110.

With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, in another embodiment, the recess 122 comprises a slot 129, and the sealing glue material 300 is formed within the slot 129 to reduce or eliminate the problem that the sealing glue material 300 may overflow from the recess 122 during the glue dispensing process. After the sealing glue material 300 is formed within the slot 129, the sealing glue material 300 may be pressed out of the slot 129 (not shown) by manually pressing the slot 129 from the outside of the slot 129 because the mask structure 100 may be made of a soft material and the wall thickness at the part of the slot 129 is relatively small. In this way, the sealing glue material 300 may be cured between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123, between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125, and/or between the rear side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 127.

As shown in the steps in FIG. 6, a robotic arm 500 is preferably used to coat the sealing glue material 300 between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 uniformly and accurately. Specifically, the robotic arm 500 may adopt the robotic arm (e.g., model TM5-900) provided by QUANTA STORAGE. After a glue dispensing head 600 is assembled on the robotic arm 500, the glue dispensing head 600 penetrates into the gap between the peripheral portion 210 and the recess 122 (or the glue dispensing head 600 is inserted into the gap and enlarges the gap), and then the glue dispensing head 600 accurately coats the raw material of the sealing glue material 300 between the front side surface 213 and the first inner side surface 123, between the back side surface 217 and the third inner side surface 127, and/or between the annular surface 215 and the second inner side surface 125 (as shown in FIG. 4B), or into the slot 129 (as shown in FIG. 5B). Moreover, the robotic arm 500 may continuously and quickly coat the sealing glue material 300 and may accurately control the position where the sealing glue material 300 is coated in the recess 122 (e.g., within the slot 129) and the amount of the sealing glue material that is being coated. As a result, the sealing glue material 300 will not overflow from the recess 122.

More preferably, the robotic arm 500 may be used in combination with a visual system to identify the appearance of the lens structure 200 and the mask structure 100 so that the robotic arm 500 may possibly tune the coating path of the sealing glue material 300 in response to possible size errors of the lens structure 200 or the mask structure 100. In addition to the robotic arm 500, an automatic glue dispensing apparatus (not shown) may also be used to accomplish the automatic formation of the sealing glue material 300. As shall be appreciated additionally, the robotic arm 500 or the automatic glue dispensing apparatus is usually applied to the manufacturing or assembly of electronic products. The automatic glue dispensing apparatus is not applied to the manufacturing or assembly of the goggle mask nor to the coating of the sealing glue material.

The aforesaid manufacturing method of the goggle mask may also be applied to a goggle mask (not shown) in which the mask structure and the lens structure are fixed by a frame structure, and the sealing glue material 300 is used to provide or enhance the waterproof connection between the mask structure and the lens structure.

With reference back to FIGS. 1 to 3B, the aforesaid goggle mask 10 may optionally further comprise a frame structure 400 for decorative purpose. The frame structure 400 may be annular and may be fixed (assembled) on the lens portion 120 (e.g., inserted into an outer periphery 124 of the lens portion 120). Since the waterproof connection between the lens structure 200 and the mask structure 100 has been achieved by using the sealing glue material 300, the frame structure 400 does not need to provide this function, and thus, the frame structure 400 does not need to have a plurality of fixing structures such as clips or the like and does not need to be strongly fixed to the mask structure 100 or the like as the conventional practice in the prior art. Therefore, the parts that are assembled in the goggle mask 10 can be simplified and reduced, complicated mold manufacturing can be eliminated, and human labor for the assembling is reduced. Additionally, the frame structure 400 may be more flexible in the designing and manufacturing thereof, and more options are available for the shape, size and/or material (not limited to plastic) of the frame structure 400 to provide diversified decorative effects.

With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in another embodiment, the frame structure 400 may be abutted against the lens portion 120 in the front and back direction in a staggered manner. Specifically, the frame structure 400 comprises a plurality of front portions 401 and a plurality of rear portions 402. The front portions 401 and the rear portions 402 may be formed integrally and arranged in a staggered manner. The front portions 401 abut against (contact) the front side surface 120A of the lens portion 120, and the rear portions 402 abut against a rear side surface 120B of the lens portion 120 (with reference to FIG. 5B). Moreover, since the front portions 401 and the rear portions 402 are arranged in a staggered manner, the front side surface 120A of the lens portion 120 may be exposed partially between the front portions 401, while the back side surface 120B is exposed partially between the rear portions 402 (not shown). In other words, neither the front side surface 120A nor the rear side surface 120B of the lens portion 120 is shielded by the frame structure 400 continuously.

Through the front portions 401 and the back portions 402 arranged in a staggered manner, the frame structure 400 is less likely to be released from the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100.

On the other hand, the frame structure 400 may be made of a single material or may be formed by injection overmolding, 3D printing or the like using multiple materials (e.g., rubber, thermosetting rubber, thermoplastic rubber or metal or the like). Furthermore, the hardness of the frame structure 400 may range from A50 to A90 or range from D50 to D90 or the like. Different forms of patterns and colors (as shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B described later) may be further coated on the surface of the frame structure 400 via painting or hydrographics (water transfer printing), and the shape and/or dimension of the frame structure 400 may also have more options. In this way, the frame structure 400 may provide diversified decorative effects.

Because the frame structure 400 abuts against the lens portion 120 in the front and back direction in a stagger manner instead of being fixed on the lens portion 120 via buckles, the user can conveniently (with a bare hand) assemble the frame structure 400 to the lens portion 120 or remove the frame structure 400 from the lens portion 120 without the assistance of additional tools. In other words, the frame structure 400 is detachably disposed (assembled) on the lens portion 120. In this way, the user can change preferred, suitable frame structure 400 on his/her own so that the goggle mask 10 being worn has different appearance and visual effects. This kind of frame structure 400 that can be detached and changed conveniently cannot be achieved by the framed goggle mask currently available. Because the frame of the framed goggle mask needs to be fixed on the mask via buckles so as to achieve a waterproof connection at each place between the lens and the mask (referring to the detailed description in the prior art), it is hard to detach the frame with a bare hand.

The frame structure 400 is a stripe-shaped structure, so the frame structure 400 can be bent and deformed to be detachably disposed on the lens portion 120 conveniently. The frame structure 400 may comprise a bending portion 403, i.e., a certain portion of the frame structure 400 is made of an elastic or soft material that can be bent more easily so that the portion can be bent to a larger extent. In this way, the frame structure 400 can be more conveniently assembled to or detached from the lens portion 120. The frame structure 400 may further comprise a buffering portion 404, i.e., a certain portion of the frame structure 400 is made of an elastic or soft material that can be deformed to a larger extent. In this way, if the goggle mask 10 falls down unintentionally, the buffering portion 404 located at the outmost part may first contact with the ground and be deformed to absorb the impact so that the lens structure 200 is less likely to be damaged.

With reference to both FIGS. 8A and 8B, in yet another embodiment, the detachable frame structure 400 may be a metal frame structure which may be formed by bending a metal wire and may be an open annulus (two ends of the metal wire are not connected together). The frame structure 400 is also abutted against the lens portion 120 in the front and back direction in a staggered manner. The metal wire part of the frame structure 400 may be covered with an elastic or soft material to form the buffering portion.

With reference to FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, in yet another embodiment, the mask structure 100 may further comprise a plurality of accommodating grooves 130 which are disposed (recessed) on the front side surface 120A of the lens portion 120, and then the front portions 401 of the detachable frame structure 400 may be disposed respectively in the accommodating grooves 130. In this way, the front portions 401 are partially recessed within the accommodating grooves 130 to increase the retaining force between the frame structure 400 and the lens portion 120 so that the frame structure 400 is less likely to be released from the lens portion 120.

On the other hand, the goggle mask 10 of this embodiment may not be subjected to glue dispensing (i.e., without the sealing glue material 300). That is, the lens structure 200 is placed into a cavity (not shown), and then the raw material of the mask structure 100 is injected into the cavity so that the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100 covers the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200. Finally, the detachable frame structure 400 is assembled onto the mask structure 100.

Alternatively, the mask structure 100 and the lens structure 200 of the goggle mask 10 of this embodiment are manufactured respectively, the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200 is placed within the recess 122 of the lens portion 120 of the mask structure 100 (without glue dispensing operation performed therebetween), and the detachable frame structure 400 is then disposed on the mask structure 100. Because the width of the recess 122 of the lens portion 120 is substantially the same as the thickness of the peripheral portion 210 of the lens structure 200, there may be no gap between the recess 122 and the peripheral portion 210, thereby achieving a waterproof connection to a certain extent.

As can be known from the above descriptions, in the goggle mask where the detachable frame structure 400 is applied, the mask structure 100 and the lens structure 200 may be manufactured (assembled) in various manners. Basically, no matter which manufacturing manner is adopted, the detachable frame structure 400 proposed by the present invention shall be able to be added to the frameless type of goggle mask.

In the aforesaid embodiments, the frame structure 400 abutting against the lens portion 120 in the front and back direction in a staggered manner not only can provide different and diversified decorative effects, but also makes it hard for the lens portion 120 to be pulled, which would otherwise destroy the waterproof connection between the lens portion 120 and the lens structure 200. Specifically, although the sealing glue material 300 (or the molding) has closely connected the lens portion 120 and the lens structure 200, the waterproof connection between the lens portion 120 and the lens structure 200 may also be destroyed when the user strongly pulls the lens portion 120 on purpose (which is an abnormal use situation). Therefore, the frame structure 400 may resist against the force when the user pulls the lens portion 120 and reduce the possibility of the waterproof connection being destroyed.

According to the above descriptions, the goggle mask and the method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention allow the mask structure and the lens structure, which are manufactured individually, to be assembled together and achieve a waterproof connection between the mask structure and the lens structure by using the sealing glue material. As a result, the waterproof connection does not need to be done by fixing the frame structure or by conventional ways such as the insert molding or the like, thereby improving the drawbacks of the conventional ways. Moreover, the production yield and efficiency of the goggle mask can be further improved by using the robotic arm or the like. On the other hand, the frame structure of the present invention is detachably disposed on the mask structure so as to protect the lens structure and provide the change in the appearance.

The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.

Claims

1. A goggle mask, comprising:

a mask structure, comprising a skirt portion and a lens-accommodating portion connected to the skirt portion, the lens-accommodating portion comprising a recess which comprises a first inner side surface, a second inner side surface and a third inner side surface, wherein the first inner side surface and the third inner side surface are disposed face to face, the second inner side surface connects the first inner side surface and the third inner side surface;
a lens structure, comprising a peripheral portion which is disposed in the recess, the peripheral portion comprising an annular surface, a front side surface and a rear side surface, wherein the annular surface and the second inner side surface are disposed face to face, the front side surface and the first inner side surface are disposed face to face, and the rear side surface and the third inner side surface are disposed face to face; and
a sealing glue material, being formed between the peripheral portion and the recess, so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in water-proof manner, wherein the sealing glue material is distributed continuously along the peripheral portion or the recess.

2. The goggle mask according to claim 1, wherein the sealing glue material is formed between the front side surface and the first inner side surface, so that the front side surface and the first inner side surface are connected in water-proof manner.

3. The goggle mask according to claim 1, wherein the sealing glue material is formed between the rear side surface and the third inner side surface, so that the rear side surface and the third inner side surface are connected in water-proof manner.

4. The goggle mask according to claim 1, wherein the sealing glue material is formed between the annular surface and the second inner side surface, so that the annular surface and the second inner side surface are connected in water-proof manner.

5. The goggle mask according to claim 1, wherein the recess further comprises a slot, the sealing glue material is formed in the slot, so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in water-proof manner.

6. The goggle mask according to claim 5, wherein the slot is disposed on the second inner side surface of the recess.

7. The goggle mask according to claim 1, further comprising a frame structure disposed on the lens-accommodating portion.

8. The goggle mask according to claim 7, wherein the frame structure comprises a plurality of front portions and a plurality of rear portions, the front portions are abutted against a front side surface of the lens-accommodating portion, the rear portions are abutted against a rear side surface of the lens-accommodating portion, wherein the front side surface of the lens-accommodating portion is partially exposed between the front portions.

9. A method of manufacturing a goggle mask, comprising:

providing a mask structure, wherein the mask structure comprises a skirt portion and a lens-accommodating portion connected to the skirt portion, the lens-accommodating portion comprises a recess;
placing a peripheral portion of a lens structure into the recess; and
forming a sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess, so that the peripheral portion and the recess are connected in water-proof manner, wherein the sealing glue material is distributed continuously along the peripheral portion or the recess.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of forming the sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess further comprises: coating the sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess by a robotic arm.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the recess comprises a slot; wherein the step of forming the sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess further comprises: forming the sealing glue material in the slot.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming the sealing glue material between the peripheral portion and the recess further comprises: pressing the slot, so that the sealing glue material is formed between an annular surface of the peripheral portion and a second inner side surface of the recess, wherein the annular surface and the second inner side surface are disposed face to face.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sealing glue material is formed between a front side surface of the peripheral portion and a first inner side surface of the recess, the front side surface and the first inner side surface are disposed face to face.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sealing glue material is formed between a rear side surface of the peripheral portion and a third inner side surface of the recess, the rear side surface and the third inner side surface are disposed face to face.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the sealing glue material is formed between an annular surface of the peripheral portion and a second inner side surface of the recess, the annular surface and the second inner side surface are disposed face to face.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: fixing a frame structure on the lens-accommodating portion.

17. A goggle mask, comprising:

a mask structure, comprising a skirt portion and a lens-accommodating portion connected to the skirt portion;
a lens structure, comprising a peripheral portion which is disposed in the lens-accommodating portion; and
a frame structure, being detachably disposed on the lens-accommodating portion, and comprising a plurality of front portions and a plurality of rear portions disposed alternately, the front portions being abutted against a front side surface of the lens-accommodating portion, the rear portions being abutted against a rear side surface of the lens-accommodating portion, wherein the front side surface of the lens-accommodating portion is partially exposed between the front portions.

18. The goggle mask according to claim 17, wherein the mask structure further comprises a plurality of accommodating grooves, the accommodating grooves are disposed on the front side surface of the lens-accommodating portion, and the front portions of the frame structure are respectively disposed within the accommodating grooves.

19. The goggle mask according to claim 17, wherein the frame structure comprises a bending portion and/or a buffering portion.

20. The goggle mask according to claim 17, wherein the lens-accommodating portion covers the peripheral portion of the lens structure.

Patent History
Publication number: 20190358496
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 29, 2019
Publication Date: Nov 28, 2019
Inventor: Chih-Cheng SHIUE (Taipei)
Application Number: 16/369,002
Classifications
International Classification: A63B 33/00 (20060101);