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.

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, 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, 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

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 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 from Foamtex 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 m1.5 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.