U.S. patent application number 16/254830 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-26 for mask and method for making a mask.
The applicant listed for this patent is University Outfitters LLC. Invention is credited to Carlos D. Dominguez, Keith A. Fotta, Rosario Rosales, Robert E. Ziemba, JR..
Application Number | 20190289944 16/254830 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67983942 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-26 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190289944 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fotta; Keith A. ; et
al. |
September 26, 2019 |
Mask and Method for Making a Mask
Abstract
A mask and method of making a decorative ornamental three
dimensional mask is described, including materials used and means
for assembly.
Inventors: |
Fotta; Keith A.; (Duxbury,
MA) ; Dominguez; Carlos D.; (Suwanee, GA) ;
Ziemba, JR.; Robert E.; (Glen Gardner, NJ) ; Rosales;
Rosario; (Mexico City, MX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
University Outfitters LLC |
Duxbury |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
67983942 |
Appl. No.: |
16/254830 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62645461 |
Mar 20, 2018 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G 7/00 20130101; A41G
7/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41G 7/00 20060101
A41G007/00 |
Claims
1. A full face decorative mask comprising: a plurality of articles,
each said article formed of the same flexible sheet material; each
said article formed by being cut from said sheet material using a
die, each said die configured for connectivity between articles,
each said sheet being uniform in color; at least one of said
articles self-connecting to be formed so as to provide a three
dimensional appearance for said mask; each said article configured
to connect with the other of said plurality of articles to form
said mask; at least one of said articles usable to adjustedly
secure said mask to a person's head and the remainder of said mask;
and said articles interconnected absent any mechanical closures;
wherein said mask is configured to fully cover a face absent
openings for vision and breathing.
2. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein said mask is
formed comprising material acetate.
3. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein said material
is selected from the group consisting of EVA, Micro EVA, Phylon,
Kiplon.RTM., Evalastic, EVA Confort, Soft Phylon, and latex
EVA.
4. The full face decorative mask of claim 3, wherein said material
is limited to EVA.
5. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein at least one
of said articles comprising a slot for a tab.
6. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein at least one
of said articles comprising strapping for securing said mask to a
head.
7. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein where said
strapping is adjustable.
8. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein different of
said articles are of different colors.
9. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, wherein wherein said
articles are absent any scoring.
10. A method of forming a full face decorative mask comprising the
steps of: formulating a collection of dies, each said die
configured to be used to form an article for said mask; preparing a
plurality of sheets of material, each said sheet uniform in color,
each said sheet uniformly formed of a flexible, lightweight foam
material; cutting said sheets according to said dies; and
configuring a three dimensional mask by interconnecting said
articles absent any mechanical or adhesive interconnecting
materials; wherein said mask is configured to fully cover a face
absent openings for vision and breathing.
11. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein said mask is formed of an acetate material cut from a
block.
12. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of EVA,
Micro EVA, Phylon, Kiplon.RTM., Evalastic, EVA Confort, Soft
Phylon, and latex EVA.
13. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 12,
wherein the material is EVA.
14. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein at least one of said articles comprising a slot for a
tab.
15. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein at least one of said articles comprising strapping for
securing said mask to a head.
16. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein where said strapping is adjustable.
17. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein where different of said articles are of different
colors.
18. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,
wherein wherein said articles are absent any scoring
19. A full face decorative mask assembly comprising: a first
article formed of a flexible acetate-based material and configured
for covering a person's face yet leaving openings for vision and
breathing, said article further comprising at least one of a slot
and a tab and sized based on a die; a second article formed of a
flexible acetate-based material a plurality of articles, each said
article formed of the same flexible sheet material; each said
article formed by being cut from said sheet material using a die,
each said sheet being uniform in color; at least one of said
articles self-connecting to be formed so as to provide a three
dimensional appearance; at least one of said articles usable to
adjustedly secure said mask to a person's head; and said articles
interconnected absent any mechanical closures; wherein said mask is
configured to fully cover a face absent openings for vision and
breathing.
20. The full face decorative mask assembly of claim 19, wherein
said assembly if fully made with EVA material.
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/645,461, filed Mar. 20, 2018, now
pending, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0002] Traditionally, consumers have occasion to wear ornamental
garments. For example, spectators at sporting events often wear
garments intended to depict their support for their team. Usually
these garments take the form of sweaters or shirts which are exact
or near exact replicas of the uniforms of the teams but sometimes
show indications of team support, such as by inclusion of colors,
logos, or a naming convention.
[0003] Sometimes, these garments can be add-ons to a wardrobe, such
as an oversized hand in team colors. However, there is an unmet
need for an overlay garment, such as in the form of a mask, where
the mask is a head or face covering which is concurrently a
replication or characterization of an object, animal, or even
event, that is, for example, an ornamental mask that is merely
indicative of a sports team, such as a mask in the colors of the
team, where the mask may be a characterization depicting the
nickname of the team, such as an animal name, and where the mask or
other garment is specialized, highly visible, and recognizable as
supporting a team, yet lightweight, and easy and inexpensive to
manufacture. Such a mask is preferably three dimensional when worn,
including attributes extending from a person. Also, there is a
further unmet need for a mask or head covering, where the mask or
head covering takes the form of an animal, object, or person, real
or fictional, in actual representation or fanciful
characterization, where such a mask or head covering is
lightweight, three dimensional, adjustable, ventilated, and
including one or more openings for visibility of the wearer, among
other attributes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0004] The present invention meets these needs by being directed to
an ornamental mask and the making of an ornamental mask. More
generally, the present invention can be directed to a garment and
the manufacture of the garment, whether it be for a mask, a
costume, or some other garment. The mask of the present invention
can be directed to a representation of a sports team, a particular
athlete, an animal, a real or fictional person, a characterization
of a person or thing, or an object, as examples. Although the
present invention is generally directed to a garment, for ease of
discussion we will refer to the garment herein as a "mask".
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary mask of the present invention in
the form of a representation of a falcon.
[0006] FIG. 2 depicts cut sheets of the present invention stacked
in squares.
[0007] FIG. 3 depicts a sample die of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 4 depicts sample stampings of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 5 depicts sample multiple cuts of the present
invention.
[0010] FIG. 6 depicts sample separates mask components of the
present invention.
[0011] FIG. 7 depicts sample instructions for hand assembly of the
mask of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 8 depicts sample completed masks of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0013] In specifics, the present invention is directed to a mask
formed from at least one but possibly from a plurality of articles,
each of the articles interconnectable with the other articles
without the benefit of separate attaching devices and arranged in
such a way that the result is a single garment. The single garment
provides a visual indication of a team or support of the team, and
may be at least one of an animal, real or fictional character,
logo, etc. In general, all of the articles are made from the same
or similar lightweight material. Each of the articles may
separately be manufactured and/or cut from one or more particular
blocks and/or sheets to defined dimensions such that each of the
articles can be combined with other of the articles. Different of
the articles may be colored differently, such as for a team with
multiple colors in its branding.
[0014] In the preferred embodiment, the present invention serves as
a soft to the feel ornamental mask, covering the entirety of a
person's face, but for perhaps openings for vision and venting
(e.g., breathing openings). It alternatively can cover only
portions of the face. It alternately can cover more than just the
face or portions of the face and portions of the remainder of a
person's body. The mask of the present invention provides venting
such as through openings at or near the nose/mouth area or through
embedded perforations, or both. In the preferred embodiment, the
mask is worn by being slipped on over a person's head, with
strapping behind and/or above and/or below the head for holding the
mask on. In some embodiments the strapping can be adjusted. In the
preferred embodiment the strapping is formed of the same material
as the mask, albeit usually in a less visible color, such as black,
or the same color as other articles of the mask. The strapping may
be arranged as having locking tabs. In another embodiment, the
strapping could be ratcheted for locking. In the preferred
embodiment, the mask may be at least somewhat adjustable for
different sized purposes, or the material used for strapping can be
somewhat expandable or flexible enough to expand as needed.
[0015] A goal of the present invention is to provide an ornamental
mask to depict a particular object or a characterization of a
particular object, together with other attributes as described
herein. The mask of the present invention may be intended to
replicate a particular object or a portion of an object, such as an
animal or the animal's head, or it could be a characterization of
the animal or the animal's head, or it could be a replication, even
in a comical way, of a real or fictional person or character.
Alternatively, it could also be replication of an object or even a
logo. To be a characterization of an animal's head, the
characterization might be related to a particular use or
characterization of the animal, such as relative to the nickname of
a sports team. For example, the mask could depict a
characterization of a team mascot, complete in appropriate
colors.
[0016] In order to create a mask of the present invention, the mask
structure, its articles, and the dimensions of the articles
initially need to be established. As a starting point, a designer
or equivalent needs to create a design of the mask of the present
invention including its articles, and including connectivity
between articles. See FIG. 1 for an example of a completed mask,
inclusive of a plurality of articles. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the
mask of the present invention is formed of a plurality of articles
interconnected together. The design of the present invention
includes determining each of the elements of the mask, by color,
and the dimensions of each. The dimensions of each include the
dimensions for the connecting devices, which may be separate
devices or may be a part of other elements. Each of the elements
may be cut from a sheet of uniform thickness and bent in a pattern
to create a three dimensional map when all elements are connected
together. That is, the present invention's elements are formed from
three dimensional elements, each of uniform thickness, but when
arranged together have a front facing side (and rear facing side)
which are no longer planar.
[0017] All interconnection in the present invention is generally
via tab and slot arrangements although other interconnecting means
can be used. In the preferred embodiment, the mask is
self-connection with no mechanical, adhesive, or other connecting
devices being used. Based on formulating a model of the mask, a
designer can formulate or fabricate a series of articles which can
be combined to form the mask, with the overall design inclusive of
connecting members. Each of the articles may be different colors,
and the articles may be separately painted or dyed, or may come
from sheets of individual colors.
[0018] Such a design needs to recognize the purpose of the mask.
For example, if the mask is intended to entirely cover a person's
head for several hours on multiple occasions, it must meet criteria
for that situation, including venting, and being light weight and
durable. Because it can be worn outdoors for extended time, the
mask must be able to comfortably withstand environmental conditions
such as heat and cold, and remain comfortable in adverse conditions
such as rain, snow, and high humidity. Also, because of the desire
to replicate or remind an observer of, for example, an animal such
as one a sports team is named for, when worn, the mask of the
present invention should have a particular appearance. Further, the
mask can provide the added benefit of acting as an insulator to
help keep the wearer's face or head warm, such as, for example, if
worn as a spectator on a cold weather day, and as a sound
insulator.
[0019] Once the structure of the mask is designed and understood,
the designer needs to prepare a mold or die for each article of the
mask, recognizing each piece will need to interlock with one or
more other articles to form a mask. The mold may be formed for
individual articles or a combination of articles. The mold of an
article is usable for cutting and/or shaping the article.
Individual articles alternatively may be fabricated using the mold,
such as by injection and/or heat, or by cutting or stamping. For
example, in FIG. 1 (element 120), the "beak" area is of a
particular three dimensional shape can be formulated by mold. For
the purposes of interlocking, the mold of each article needs to
account for a tab and slot arrangement for connecting the
articles.
[0020] In the context of the present invention, the mask is
entirely made from foam or foam-like based materials. Foam
materials, such as EVA based materials, are particularly beneficial
for use in the present invention because of the material being
light weight, easily cuttable, and easily formable into the
requisite shape. EVA also has the property of being foldable both
to form the object and for storage. Other or alternate materials
can be used as well. By using foam based materials, each article
can be cut in two dimensions (with some defined thickness) but be
shaped in three dimensions. See the beak of FIG. 1 (element 120) as
an example of a shaped three dimensional object. The choice of
material may be based on any number of factors, such as but not
limited to how the article is to be made, ease of assembly, cost,
colorability, insulation, etc. Each article may be dyed separately
so that the color scheme conforms to that necessary for the desired
appearance.
[0021] In different embodiments of the present invention, the
material used may include one or more of the following attributes:
washable with water, lightweight (i.e., low density), odorless,
tasteless, non-toxic, durable, waterproof, insulating, can be cut
using sharp metal, revertible (returns to original form after being
bent), and imprintable (will hold a pattern that is applied under
high pressure).
[0022] The intent is to result in a single mask, replicatable,
which is ready for wear.
[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a sample three dimensional mask 100 of the
present invention, intended in the example to represent a falcon
with a wing 140 and extenders 110 over and above the beak 120. It
is evident that this particular mask includes articles of different
colors, connected via tab and slot. Other portions of the mask
include chin 130 and wing cut-out 145, which is a portion of the
wing piece removed to better emulate the appearance of a wing.
Other masks depicting other animals or objects may have different
combinations of parts, such as other body parts not necessarily on
a falcon. Some portions of the mask of the present invention
include tab/slot connectors which are intended to not interfere
with comfort; that is, one article may have a slot for receiving a
tab from a different article. As described herein, the tab/slot
arrangements may take a plurality of forms. The mask depicted in
FIG. 1 further includes straps 150 and 155 for holding the mask
onto a person, visual opening 160 to allow a wearer to see out, and
mouth opening 170 to allow a wearer to breathe. Alternate openings
or strapping may be included, depending on the characterization
and/or structure.
[0024] See FIG. 1, showing a filled tab/slot connection 230 for the
extenders over the bridge of the beak. Tab/slot wrap combination
220 attaches a wing 140 to a strap 160. In that situation, the wing
includes a flap to wrap around another article and includes its own
tab and slot; that is, the tab of the wing fits in a slot of the
wing. Tab/slot connection 210 shows an alternative arrangement
where the tab of a chin piece fits through a pair of slots of a
cheek piece. In each of these circumstances, the tab and slot are
sized such that the tab can be moved into the slot without later
releasing, such as by having the tab wider than the slot. Because
of the flexibility of the material, the tab can be folded over to
be inserted into the slot and then unfolded.
[0025] In the preferred embodiment, all articles are made from the
same material, albeit different articles are of different colors
(as is evident in FIG. 1, more than one article can be the same
color). The foam material of the present invention, may be formed
of a closed-cell foam such as Polyethylene or Neoprene, but is not
limited to that material. The material is typically of a nominal
thickness of 1/10 inches, with a preferred thickness range of 1/10
inch to 1/4 inch and potentially with a thickness of up to an inch,
with potentially openings in the mask to allow, for example, for
cooling, meets the criteria of being lightweight, easily
transportable when assembled, and once assembled, remains intact
without the need for assembly by a user. In addition, the form may
be adjustable and the mask is foldable for storage or transport. In
one embodiment, a particular mask might be convertible to be a
different mask (depicting a second object).
[0026] The material of the present invention can be used to form a
variety of shapes. In at least some embodiments, at least one
connection between articles can be made with glue or another
adhesive, such as to show one color on top of another. In alternate
embodiments, different articles may be made of different materials
or have different finishes, such as to accentuate certain
attributes.
[0027] The materials of the present invention are generally and
preferably inexpensive. Because the materials used are relatively
inexpensive, the present invention is an improvement in previous
designs at least because of cost efficiency. Further, in the
preferred embodiment, the cost to manufacture is lower than present
day ornamental wearables, largely due to the ease of manufacture
using molds and low cost, easily manipulatable materials. The
material of the present invention is also quite durable and can
easily be compressed and stored. In addition, the pliability of the
material allows pieces to interconnect with other materials, such
as by using the various tab/slot assembly methods described herein.
Further, the pliability allows for flexibility in parts when worn,
such as a mouth opening. Also, the material can be colored in
various ways, such as but not limited to dying, with the color
absorbable into the material, thereby making the mask especially
attractive such as by using pieces of different colors in
combination.
[0028] In the preferred embodiment, the mask of the present
invention is formed using a material such as a material in the EVA
family, a vinyl acetate material, such as ethyl vinyl acetate, or
ethylene vinyl acetate. Types of usable materials, either alone or
in combination, include EVA, Micro EVA, Phylon, Kiplon.RTM. from
Foamtex.RTM. of Mexico, Evalastic, EVA Confort, Soft Phylon, or EVA
latex. The material of the present invention is preferably formed
of recycled materials. The material used may be available in any
number of colors and can serve as a heat and/or sound insulator.
When prepared as a mask, the material is of any preferred thickness
and is cut so as to be formed into a three dimensional shape. The
mask of the present invention further includes the ability to be
compressed into a smaller shape (such as for packing) and is
self-expandable and revertable to the original three dimensional
shape. The material is strong and durable and does not permanently
deform under ordinary conditions. The material is also cuttable and
bendable. In some embodiments, the material may be perforated
and/or engraved either before or after cutting. In some
embodiments, the perforations and/or engravings, if included, would
be added after the material is of the desired thickness.
[0029] Among the features of the material of the present invention
is fire retardant conformance to fire safety codes for wearable
materials. The material is also insoluble in water and includes no
materials known as pollutants. It does not decompose below 80
C.
[0030] Each piece is flexible, bendable, stretchable, compressible,
and otherwise pliable and includes the attribute of reverting to
its original shape after being manipulated. A completed mask, in
three dimensions, reverts to its three dimensional configuration
after being manipulated (such as being compressed for storage).
[0031] The manufacturing process for a mask is described below. In
general, the process starts with a single foam block of a single
color in the form of a three dimensional hyperrectangle block
(although the block need not have right angles), such as a cube.
Nominally, the hyperrectangle is about 3 feet cubed, however any
dimensional three dimensional object may suffice. Additional blocks
may be used for each color needed.
[0032] Each foam block is cut into sheets of a specified thickness,
where each sheet is usable for a different mask or different
elements of the same mask. At least in part because the material is
pliable, cutting can be done with traditional cutting tools, such
as knives. Sheets for masks are typically cut to a thickness of 3
mm. At 3 mm thickness, a foam block typically yields 40 sheets of 3
m.times.1.5 m. Each sheet is further cut into multiple units,
referred to herein as squares (typically squares are used for
simplicity, but other shapes can be used as well). The size of a
square is determined by the size of the die for a particular mask.
A particular die (or a plurality of dies) is designed to stamp all
of the pieces of a single color needed for a single mask.
[0033] In general, a die is prepared by a craftsperson who
previously determined the necessary pieces and sizes/shapes for a
particular mask. The die for a piece serves as a template for a
cut-out from the square, and the die includes any necessary pieces
for attaching the pieces of the mask.
[0034] The square is stamped, preferably with a machine impact
press using the die. A complete mask, comprising multiple colors
may require components from multiple sheets. In general, the
various stamped pieces are bound together in some way, such as by
tab-and-slot, but without additional mechanical, adhesive, or other
foreign enclosures. Typically a mask consists of two colors and
would therefore require use of two squares, each separately cut. In
cases where a mask component is used in multiples masks (e.g.,
including a tongue or teeth), a separate square may be used to cut
multiple items used for multiple masks. The usable mask components
are separated by hand from the unusable foam. The mask is then hand
assembled and packaged.
* * * * *