US20080034458A1

US20080034458A1 - Mask structure

Info

Publication number: US20080034458A1
Application number: US11/492,864
Authority: US
Inventors: Tsung-Yuan Ku
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-26
Filing date: 2006-07-26
Publication date: 2008-02-14

Abstract

A mask structure includes a body, two bands and a warming device. The bands attach to either side of the body. The warming device is mounted on the body. The warming device includes at least an illuminator and a sounding device that are driven to emit light and sound. The illuminator and sounding device help rescuers to easily and timely find users who faints because intakes of excess of smokes in a fireplace, increasing the possibility to survive.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a mask structure, and especially to a mask structure which blocks smokes out of user's nose and mouth and further emits light and/or sound to guide rescuers to timely find the user, effectively reducing the amount of hurt and death.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fire accidents come out from time to time. The course of the fire incident includes an initial stage, a spreading stage and a main stage. A lot of smokes generate at the initial stage and then fire burning breaks out and spreads at the spreading and main stages. The temperature in the fireplace is getting high and high shortly. Although dead bodies are turned to black, the main reason of death is not burning to death but breathing in excess of smokes at the initial stage of fire incident.
People breathing in excess of smokes has no clear conscience and ability to escape and then faints and is burned to death. Furthermore, the great amount of smokes makes rescuing job difficult to succeed. Therefore, the fainted people are hard to be timely found by rescuers in the strongly smoky fireplace, increasing the amount of death.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is one of objects to provide a mask structure to protect user's nose and mouth, and eyes, from contacting smokes when in fireplace and extend the time for the user to escape. Furthermore, the light and sound emitted from a warming device of the mask structure guide rescuers to timely find the users, effectively reducing the amount of death.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the mask structure of the invention includes a body, made of breathable material; at least one band, connected to two side of the body; and a warming device, mounted on the body, including an illuminator and a sounding device that are driven to emit light and sound.
To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mask structure according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a mask structure according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the use status of a mask structure according to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mask structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Wherever possible in the following description, like reference numerals will refer to like elements and parts unless otherwise illustrated.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the mask of the invention includes a body 1, an eye covering 2, two bands 3 and a warming device 4. The body 1 is a textile that made of breathable fabric or the like. The body 1 has flexible strips 11 respectively at lower and upper edges thereof. The flexible strips 11 are made of flexible plastics or metals. The upper and power edges of the body 1 conform to the outline of user's face by pressing the strips 11 onto the user's face, so that any smokes are kept away from the user's nose, eyes and mouth.
The eye covering 2 is a transparent plastic film. A lower edge of the eye mask 2 extends from an upper edge of the body 1, by enclosing the upper edge of the body 1. The body 1 covers the user's nose and mouth when the bands 3 hang on the user's ears. When in use, the eye covering 2 can be further pressed from its central area toward its peripheral area so that the eye covering 2 enclose the periphery of the user's eyes, thereby forming a protective area for eyes from smoke attack. Such a protective area is important for user to escape from the fireplace with strong smokes. In another embodiment, the eye covering 2 can be omitted. One light reflector 21 is mounted on a front surface of the eye covering 2. The light reflector 21 can be made of light reflective material or fluorescence in form of strip or other patterns to enhance the warning effect.
Two bands 3 are attached to either sides of the body 1 for the user to hang on his or her ears and thereby fix the body 1 and the eye covering 2 on the user's face. The form of the band 3 is not particularly limited. In another embodiment, one band 3 is used, as shown in FIG. 4, for the user to wear on his or her head and similarly to fix the body 1 onto the user's face.
The warming device 4 is mounted upon or inside the body 1, and further has a waterproofing coating thereon to avoid any damage caused by moisture. The warming device 4 includes at least an illuminator 41, a sounding device 42, a circuit board 43, a power supply 44 and a switch 45. The circuit board 43 has an IC circuitry that is well known and therefore omitted here.
The illuminator 41, the sounding device 42, and the circuit board 43 electrically connect to one another by wires 46. The amount of the illuminator 41 is at least one. In one embodiment, 6 illuminators are respectively mounted inside the body 1 and close to peripheral area of the body 1. The illuminators 41 can be, for example, light emitting device (LED) or the like. The amount of the sounding device 42 is at least one. In one embodiment, two sounding device 42 are respectively mounted inside the body 1 and close to the peripheral area of the body 1. The sounding device 42 can be, for example, beeper, speaker or the like.
The circuit board 43 is mounted inside the body 1. The power supply 44 and the switch 45 are located on and properly electrically connected to the circuit board 43. The power supply 44 offers electricity needed by the warming device 4. The switch 45 is exposed out of the body 1, by the control of which the warming device 4 is switched on and off. When the switch 45 is at status of ON, the illuminator 41 and the sounding device 42 are respectively driven to emit light and sound.
Referring FIG. 3, when a fire breaks out and generates a lot of smoke, the body 1 and the eye covering 2 of the mask block out the strong smoke from the user's eyes, nose and mouth to help the user run way. Furthermore, to timely find hurt people is one of key factors to save them. Light and sound emitted from the illuminator 41 and the sounding device 42 of the mask according to the invention guide rescuers to timely find the user who even if faints because intakes of great excess of smokes. Therefore, the use of the illuminator 41 and the sounding device 42 effectively reduces the number of death in fire accidents.
It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.

Claims

1. A mask structure, comprising

a body, made of breathable material;

at least one band, connected to two side of the body; and

a warming device, mounted on the body, including an illuminator and a sounding device that are driven to emit light and sound respectively.

2. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the body further has an eye covering at an upper portion of the body, and the eye covering is made of transparent plastic film.

3. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the body 1 has a flexible strip.

4. The mask structure of claim 3, wherein the eye covering has a light reflector mounted on a front surface thereof.

5. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the warming device further includes a circuit board electrically connecting to the illuminator and the sounding device, the circuit board is mounted inside the body and has a power supply and a switch electrically connected to the circuit board.

6. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is a LED.

7. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the illuminator is mounted closely on two side of the body respectively, some portions of the illuminator exposes at a front side surface of the body.

8. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the sounding device is a beeper.

9. The mask structure of claim 1, wherein the sounding device is a speaker.