US20180148146A1

US20180148146A1 - Waterproof mask used for swimming, diving and snorkeling

Info

Publication number: US20180148146A1
Application number: US15/641,497
Authority: US
Inventors: Chih-Cheng Shiue
Original assignee: QBAS Co Ltd
Current assignee: QBAS Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-11-28
Filing date: 2017-07-05
Publication date: 2018-05-31
Also published as: FR3059294A1; DE102017117484A1; FR3059294B1; TW201819006A; TWI625147B

Abstract

A waterproof mask is provided. The waterproof mask comprises at least one lens set and a leaning portion. The leaning portion defines a first portion and a second portion. The first portion connects and supports the at least one lens set, while the second portion is provided on a skirt portion of the first portion for fitting onto the human face. The second portion extends toward an inside surface of the first portion to be bent so as to form a contact surface touching the human face and a curved surface formed by at least one curvature radius. A cushion space is formed between the contact face of the second portion and the inside surface of the first portion. Thereby, the cushion space is capable of being compressed while the contact face receives a force.

Description

This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 105139012 filed on Nov. 28, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention provides a waterproof mask. In particular, The waterproof mask is provided for use on water or in water, which can be a pair of swimming goggles, a snorkeling mask, a diving mask or the like that allows for the adjustment of tightness between the waterproof mask and the human face to provide a comfortable wearing experience.

Descriptions of the Related Art

In underwater sports, people usually wear a waterproof mask to prevent water from coming into contact with the eyes. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, which depict a back view and cross-sectional view of a conventional waterproof mask 1 respectively, the skirt portion 11 of the mask area 10 of the conventional waterproof mask 1 are bent directly to form a face-touching surface 12 touching the human face.
As shown in the cross-sectional view of the conventional waterproof mask 1 in FIG. 1B, the face-touching surface 12 is in a horn-shaped form with an inwardly concaved arc-shaped surface. The corner 12R where the face-touching surface 12 is bent is slightly chamfered to modify the profile thereof but does not provide any substantial utility.
Because of the simple structure of the conventional mask area 10, the face-touching surface 12 tends to be excessively pressed against the human face when the mask area 10 is tightly worn by the user or when there is high water pressure during diving. Once the conventional mask area 10 is removed, there will be deep impressions left on the human face. Therefore, conventional waterproof mask 1 usually cause an uncomfortable feeling of pressure to the user.
In view of the aforesaid shortcomings, the present invention provides an improved waterproof structure for a waterproof mask that provides a more comfortable experience and allows for the adjustment of the tightness when worn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the aforesaid problem, an objective of the present invention is to provide a waterproof mask where a cushion space is formed through the special design of a bent region. Thereby, the tightness of the waterproof mask against the human face can be adjusted according to the user's preference so that the compression of the cushion space is adjusted correspondingly to conform to the face profile of the user, thus, providing a comfortable feeling.
To achieve the aforesaid objective, the present invention provides a waterproof mask, which comprises at least one lens set and a mask portion. The mask portion defines a first portion and second portion. The first portion connects and supports the at least on lens set, and the second portion is provided on a skirt portion of the first portion for fitting onto the human face. The second portion extends toward an inside surface of the first portion to be bent to form a contact surface touching the human face and a curved surface formed by at least one curvature radius. A cushion space is formed between the contact face of the second portion and the inside surface of the first portion so that the cushion space is capable of being compressed while the contact face receives a force.
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. 1A is a rear view of a conventional waterproof mask;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the conventional diving mask taken along line A-A in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a waterproof mask according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the waterproof mask according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the waterproof mask according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along line B-B in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4B is a partially enlarged view of a second portion shown in FIG. 4A according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a second portion according to another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following description, the present invention will be explained with reference to embodiments thereof. However, the description of these embodiments is only for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation. It should be appreciated that in the following embodiments and attached drawings, elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from depiction; and the sizes of and dimensional relationships among individual elements in the attached drawings are illustrated only for the ease of understanding but not to limit the actual sizes.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a perspective and back view of the waterproof mask according to an embodiment of the present invention respectively. In the following embodiment, the principles of the waterproof mask according to the present invention will be detailed with reference to a diving mask or a snorkeling mask for diving and snorkeling. However, as will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the following embodiment is also applicable to a pair of swimming goggles for swimming.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, the waterproof mask of this embodiment comprises at least one lens set 20 and a mask portion 21. The mask portion 21 is adapted to define a first portion 211 and a second portion 212. The first portion 211 connects and supports the lens set 20. The second portion 212 is provided on a skirt portion 210 of the first portion 211 for fitting onto the human face.
It shall be appreciated that although the first portion 211 of the mask portion 21 is shown in this embodiment to connect and support two lens sets 20, it may also connect and support a single lens set 20 as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the mask portion 21 according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along line B-B in FIG. 3. The second portion 212 that blocks water penetration is formed at the position of the skirt portion 210 of the first portion 211. The first portion 211 is integrally formed with the second portion 212. The second portion 212 extends toward the inside surface 21 s of the first portion 211 to be bent to form a contact surface 212 a touching the human face and a curved surface 212R formed by at least one curvature radius. A cushion space P is formed between the contact face 212 a of the second portion 212 and the inside surface 21 s of the first portion 211.
Specifically, the curved surface 212R of the second portion 212 is formed by at least one curvature radius in the present invention to effectively improve the smoothness of the curved surface 212R and to obviate any sharp bending edges that would directly touch the user's face. Importantly, the structure of the curved surface 212R can support the contact surface 212 a and produce a curved-surface elasticity; that is, when an external force is applied to the contact surface 212 a, the curved-surface elasticity of the curved surface 212R is able to support the curved surface 212 a so that the curved surface 212 a fits onto the human face elastically. In this way, the structural design of the curved surface 212R of the second portion 212 greatly improves the comfortable feeling of wearing the waterproof mask 2.
On the other hand, because a cushion space P is generated between the contact surface 212 a of the second portion 212 and the inside surface 21 s of the first portion 211, the user can adjust the tightness of the waterproof mask against the face by compressing the interval of the cushion space P. Furthermore, when the waterproof mask 2 are subjected to water pressure from the outside or to an accidental impact, the pressure from the outside can be absorbed by the cushion space P of the second portion 212 to reduce the impact force directly applied by the waterproof mask 2 to the face.
To obtain the effect of the curved-surface elasticity, the curvature radius of the curved surface may be from 1 mm to 10 mm. As shown in the partially enlarged view of the second portion 212 shown in FIG. 4B, the curved surface 212R of this embodiment is formed of three curvature radii R1, R2 and R3. However, the curved surface is not limited to what is shown herein, and the number of and sizes of the curvature radii may be adjusted depending on the different parts of the human body corresponding to the waterproof mask.
To achieve the cushioning effect, the cushion space P shall have a minimum interval D1 of not less than 3 mm to prevent poor elasticity of the second portion 212, and have a maximum interval D2 of not greater than 30 mm to prevent deformation of the second portion 212. It shall be appreciated that the locations of the minimum interval D1 and the maximum interval D2 are not limited to what is shown in FIG. 4. In principal, the minimum interval D1 shall be located at an opening N between an end 212 d of the second portion 212 and the inside surface 21 s of the first portion 211.
As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the whole mask portion is usually made of an elastic material with a uniform hardness. However, a mask portion made of an elastic material with an excessively low hardness would tend to deform and could not effectively support the lens set(s) even though it would the human face more softly. On the other hand, a mask portion made of an excessively high hardness would provide a low comfort level.
To overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and to have the second portion 212 adapt to the softness levels of different human faces, the second portion 212 of the present invention is designed to have a hardness not greater than that of the first portion 211. Specifically, the first portion 211 has a shore hardness ranging from A50 to A80 while the second portion 212 has a shore hardness ranging from A20 to A50. When the hardness of the second portion 212 is lower than the first portion 211, the contact surface 212 a of the second portion 212 can fit the human face softly while the first portion 211 with a higher hardness can still effectively support the weight of the lens set 20.
Alternatively, when the first portion 211 and the second portion 212 have the same hardness as each other, it will be comfortable wearing the swimming goggles because of the cushion space P and the curved-surface elasticity of the curved surface 212R.
In addition, the first portion 211 and the second portion 212 may be of different colors to enhance the overall visual effect.
In another embodiment, the contact surface of the present invention may also be formed by at least one curvature radius, and the contact surface and the curved surface are connected to form the second portion that presents an arc shape with a continuous curvature. This will be described as follows with reference to FIG. 5.
As shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the curved surface 312R that is formed by a plurality of curvature radii R1′ and R2, the contact surface 312 a is also formed by one curvature radius R3′. The contact surface 312 a is in the form of an arc-shaped curved surface that protrudes away from the inside surface 31 s of the first portion 311 so that the contact surface 312 a and the curved surface 312R are connected to form the second portion 312 with a continuous curvature. In other words, the whole second portion 312 presents an arc-shaped profile, with the minimum interval D1′ located at an opening N′ formed between an end 312 d of the second portion 312 and the inside surface 31 s of the first portion 311 to form a better cushion space P′. As described above, the cushion space P′ shall have a minimum interval D1′ of not less than 3 mm to prevent poor elasticity of the second portion 312, and have a maximum interval D2′ of not greater than 30 mm to prevent deformation of the second portion 312. The curved surface 312R is not limited to what is shown in FIG. 5 either, and instead, the number of and sizes of curvature radii may be adjusted depending on different human parts corresponding to the waterproof mask. The curvature radii shall range from 1 mm to 10 mm to obtain an optimal elasticity.
According to the above descriptions, the cushion space of the second portion and the curved-surface elasticity of the curved surface in the mask portion of the present invention allows the user to directly and easily adjust the tightness of the waterproof mask during wear, thereby, improving the overall waterproof effect and effectively easing the feeling of pressure and discomfort when the waterproof mask is worn.
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 waterproof mask, comprising:

at least one lens set; and

a mask portion, defining a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion connects the at least one lens set, and the second portion is provided on a skirt portion of the first portion for fitting to the human face,

wherein the second portion extends toward an inside surface of the first portion to be bent so as to form a contact surface touching the human face and a curved surface formed by at least one curvature radius, and a cushion space is formed between the contact face of the second portion and the inside surface of the first portion so that the cushion space is capable of being compressed while the contact face receives a force.

2. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cushion space defines a minimum interval and a maximum interval, and the minimum interval is defined from an end of the second portion to the inside surface of the first portion.

3. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 2, the maximum interval is not greater than 30 mm and the minimum interval is not less than 2 mm.

4. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact surface is formed by at least one curvature radius so that the contact surface and the curved surface are connected to form the second portion that presents an arc shape having a continuous curvature.

5. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one curvature radius is between 1 mm to 10 mm.

6. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shore hardness of the second portion is not greater than the shore hardness of the first portion.

7. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shore hardness of the material of the first portion is from A50 to A80.

8. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shore hardness of the material of the second portion is from A20 to A50.

9. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one lens set is a single or two lens sets.

10. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material colors of the first portion and the second portion may be different from each other.

11. The waterproof mask as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one curvature radius is between 1 mm to 10 mm.