Method and mask for reducing inhalation of microorganisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801403-B2
Application number	US-201916263139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Mar 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for reducing the inhalation of microorganisms, a washable mask for reducing the inhalation of microorganisms, applications of the mask and a method for manufacturing the same. The method for reducing the inhalation of microorganisms includes the steps of: providing a mask with a breathing zone, the breathing zone being used for covering a breathing part of a user; arranging two or more magnets around the breathing zone of the mask, the magnets generating a three-dimensional magnetic field, so as to change the moving trajectories of charged microorganisms in gas to be inhaled thereby increasing the probability of the microorganisms being captured by the filtering material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mask for reducing the inhalation of microorganisms, comprising:
a fabric portion comprising at least an outer layer and an inner layer;
four magnets arranged around a breathing zone on the fabric portion, so as to generate a three-dimensional magnetic field, thereby changing the moving trajectories of charged microorganisms in gas to be inhaled, wherein two of the four magnets are disposed at the left and right sides of the breathing zone respectively, with an interval between the two magnets, and the polarities of the two magnets are arranged in an opposite manner; the tour magnets are located at the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right of the breathing zone respectively, and the poles of the respective magnets close to an origin are S pole, N pole, S pole and N pole, respectively; the four magnets are arranged counterclockwise, and each of the four magnets is arranged equidistantly along an angular bisector of a respective quadrant of four quadrants of a coordinate system, wherein an X axis of the coordinate system is the horizontal direction and a Y axis of the coordinate system is the vertical direction, the direction a each of the four magnets extending along N pole to S pole has a 45-degree angle with respect to the X axis and the Y axis respectively; and the resulting magnetic field has a central axis being a straight line passing through the origin of the coordinate system in a direction perpendicular to the mask, and is distributed radially in the form of an analogous hyperbola, such that intensity of the magnetic field enhances as radial distance increases.

2. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the mask is washable.

3. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the fabric portion further comprises an intermediate layer, and the intermediate layer is located between the outer layer and the inner layer and contains an antimicrobial fiber.

4. The mask according to claim 3 , wherein the antimicrobial fiber has a knitted, woven or non-woven fabric structure.

5. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are both made of cotton or chitin knitted fabric.

6. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein each of the four magnets is a magnetic sheet or a magnetic coating which is located at the outer layer or an intermediate layer.

7. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field generated by the magnets has an intensity of 20-100 Gauss.

8. The mask according to claim 1 , wherein the four magnets are configured to be located on at least two positions selected from an upper edge of the mask at the nose bridge, a lower edge of the mask at the jaw, the left side of the mask at one cheek and the right side of the mask at the other cheek.

9. A method for manufacturing the mask according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
preparing a fabric portion of the mask, the fabric portion comprising at least an outer layer and an inner layer;
four magnets around a breathing zone on the fabric portion, so as to generate a three-dimensional magnetic field, thereby changing the moving tracks trajectories of charged microorganisms to be inhaled in gas to be inhaled, wherein two of the four magnets are disposed at the left and right sides of the breathing zone respectively, with an interval between the two magnets, and the polarities of the two magnets are arranged in an opposite manner; the four magnets are located at the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right of the breathing zone respectively, and the poles of the respective magnets close to an origin are S pole, N pole, S pole and N pole, respectively; the four magnets are arranged counterclockwise, and each of the four magnets is arranged equidistantly along an angular bisector of a respective quadrant of four quadrants of a coordinate system, wherein an X axis of the coordinate system is the horizontal direction and a Y axis of the coordinate system is the vertical direction, the direction of each of the four magnets extending along N pole to S pole has a 45-degree angle with respect to the X axis and the Y axis respectively; and the resulting magnetic field has a central axis being a straight line passing through the origin of the coordinate system in a direction perpendicular to the mask, and is distributed radially in the form of an analogous hyperbola, such that intensity of the magnetic field enhances as radial distance increases.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the fabric portion further comprises an intermediate layer, and wherein the intermediate layer is located between the outer layer and the inner layer and contains an antimicrobial fiber.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the antimicrobial fiber ha a knitted, woven or non-woven fabric structure.

Assignees

• Hong Kong Res Inst Textiles & Apparel Ltd

Inventors

• Yao Lei
• Liao Xiao
• Wang Yongli
• Lin Siyu

Classifications

• A62B18/025 Primary

  Halfmasks (A62B23/02 takes precedence; surgical face masks A41D13/11) · CPC title

• A62B23/02

  for respirators · CPC title

• A41D13/11

  Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres (eye-masks A61F9/04 {; hoods affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents A62B17/04}) · CPC title

• A41D13/1192 Primary

  with antimicrobial agent · CPC title

• A62B23/025 Primary

  the filter having substantially the shape of a mask (surgical face masks A41D13/11) · CPC title