SANITARY FACE MASK ASSEMBLY

(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not Applicable

(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR

DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not Applicable

(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

Not Applicable

(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR Not Applicable

(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention.

The disclosure relates to face mask devices and more particularly pertains to a new face mask device for improving the fit, adjustability and seal of a face mask on a user’s face. The face mask device includes a band that can be positioned around the back of the user’s head or neck.

(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The prior art relates to face mask devices including a variety of face masks which have a head band thereon for extending around a user’s head. The prior art also discloses a band which can be attached to a face mask for retaining the face mask on the user’s face. In no instance does the prior art disclose a face mask that has conventional ear straps and a band that is attached between the ear straps for wearing around the user’s head.

(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a face mask that can be worn in an adjustable manner on a user’s face. The face mask is comprised of a bacterial filtering material to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. A pair of straps is each coupled to the face mask such that each of the straps forms a closed loop with the face mask. Additionally, each of the straps is positioned on opposite sides of the face mask with respect to each other. A band is coupled between each of the straps thereby facilitating the band to extend around the back of the user’s head or neck when the face mask is worn to retain the face mask on the user’s face.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary face mask assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of figure 2 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 4 is a left perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 5 is a right perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 7 is a back view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 8 is a top view of a band of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to Figures 1 through 8 thereof, a new face mask device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in Figures 1 through 8, the sanitary face mask assembly 10 generally comprises a face mask 12 that can be worn on a user’s face 14. The face mask 12 is comprised of an air permeable material to facilitate the user to breathe through the face mask 12. Additionally, the face mask 12 is comprised of a bacterial filtering material to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases. The face mask 12 has a first lateral edge 16 and a second lateral edge 18, and the face mask 12 may comprise an N95 mask or other type of face mask that is approved to inhibit the airborne transmission of infectious diseases.

A pair of straps 20 is provided and each of the straps 20 is coupled to the face mask 12 such that each of the straps 20 forms a closed loop with the face mask 12. Each of the straps 20 is positioned on opposite sides of the face mask 12 with respect to each other. Moreover, each of the straps 20 has a first end 22 and a second end 24, and each of the first end 22 and the second end 24 of each of the straps 20 is coupled to a respective one of the first lateral edge 16 and the second lateral edge 18 of the face mask 12. Each of the straps 20 may be comprised of an elastic material thereby facilitating the straps 20 to be stretched.

A band 26 is coupled between each of the straps 20 thereby facilitating the band 26 to extend around the back of the user’s head or neck 27 when the face mask 12 is worn for retaining the face mask 12 on the user’s face 14. In this way the face mask 12 can be retained on the user’s face 14 without wearing the straps 20 around the user’s ears 29 in the tradition manner of wearing a face mask 12. The band 26 has a primary end 28, a secondary end 30 and a first surface 32. Additionally, the band 26 is wrapped around each of the straps 20 having the primary end 28 and the secondary end 30 being fastened to the first surface 32 thereby securing the band 26 to each of the straps 20. In this way the primary end 28 and the secondary end 30 of the band 26 snuggly encircle each of the straps 20. In an alternative embodiment 34 as is most clearly shown in figures 6, 7 and 8, a coupler 36 is coupled to the primary end 28 of the band 26, and the primary end 28 is not coupled to either of the straps 20. The coupler 36 has a slot 38 therein for insertably receiving a respective one of the straps 20. In this way the band 26 can be coupled or uncoupled the respective strap 20 thereby facilitating the band 26 to be worn around or removed from the back of the user’s head or neck 27.

In use, as is most clearly shown in figure 4, the face mask 12 is worn on the user’s face 14 and the band 26 is positioned to extend around the back of the user’s neck 27. In this way the face mask 12 can be worn without having to wear the straps 20 around the user’s ears 29. Or, as is most clearly shown in figure 5, each of the straps 20 can be positioned around the user’s ears 29 and the band 26 can be positioned to extend around the back of the user’s head 27. The band 26 facilitates the face mask 12 to be more securely sealed to the user’s face 14 when the face mask 12 is worn. Additionally, the band 26 facilitates the face mask 12 to be lowered on the user’s face 14 more easily as compared to wearing the straps 20 around the user’s ears 29. The primary end 28 and the secondary end 30 of the band 26 are snugly encircled around the straps 20 thereby facilitating the straps 20 to slide through the loops defined by the primary end 28 and the secondary end 30.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.