RESPIRATOR MASK

Abstract

The invention provides a respirator mask comprising a filter material piece made from an air-permeable material and at least one securing band, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a non-woven biodegradable material, wherein the at least one securing band is designed for securing the respirator mask to the head.

Claims

1. A respirator mask, comprising a filter material piece made of an air-permeable material and at least one securing band, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a biodegradable non-woven fabric, and wherein the at least one securing band is configured to secure the respirator mask to a user's head.

2. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the at least one biodegradable non-woven fabric layer comprises a biodegradable plastic material.

3. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable non-woven fabric is a dry-laid or wet-laid non-woven fabric or an extrusion non-woven fabric.

4. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is multi-layered, wherein at least one, more or all of the layers of the multi-layered air-permeable material comprise or are formed from a biodegradable non-woven fabric.

5. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one support layer and at least one fine filter layer, and wherein at least one, several or all of the support layers or at least one, several or all of the fine filter layers are biodegradable non-woven fabrics.

6. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable non-woven fabric layer has a weight per unit area of 20 g/m.sup.2 to 200 g/m.sup.2.

7. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable non-woven fabric is electrostatically charged.

8. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one support layer and at least one fine filter layer, and wherein the at least one support layer or the at least one fine filter layer is a biodegradable non-woven fabric layer.

9. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is formed in multiple layers with a layer sequence comprising: a support layer, one or two fine filter layers, and a further support layer, and wherein the support layer, the further support layer, or the one or two fine filter layers are each a biodegradable non-woven fabric layer.

10. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the at least one securing band comprises a biodegradable plastic material or is formed from one or more biodegradable plastic materials.

11. The respirator mask according to claim 10, wherein the at least one securing band is of a multi-layer construction, the securing band comprising a layer of a film and a layer of a non-woven fabric.

12. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the securing band comprises or is formed from a thermoplastic polymer.

13. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein a part by weight of all biodegradable materials relative to a total weight of the respirator mask is at least 60%.

14. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the respirator mask is configured as a medical face mask according to DIN EN 14683:2019+AC:2019 or as a filtering half mask according to DIN EN 149.

15. (canceled)

16. The respirator mask according to claim 2, wherein the biodegradable plastic material comprises polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL), cellulose ester, polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), or polybutylene succinate (PBS).

17. The respirator mask according to claim 2, wherein the biodegradable non-woven fabric is a dry-laid or wet-laid non-woven fabric or an extrusion non-woven fabric.

18. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is multi-layered.

19. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one support layer and at least one fine filter layer.

20. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material is formed in multiple layers with a layer sequence: a support layer, one or two fine filter layers, and a further support layer.

21. The respirator mask according to claim 1, wherein the at least one securing band is of a multi-layer construction, the securing band comprising a layer of a film and a layer of a non-woven fabric.

Description

[0083] The present invention will be elucidated in more detail by means of the following exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures, without limiting the invention to the specific embodiments shown. In which:

[0084] FIG. 1 schematically shows a respirator mask,

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of a filter material piece of a respirator mask,

[0086] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of a respirator mask.

[0087] The following procedures are used to determine the parameters described above and below.

[0088] Air permeability is determined according to DIN EN ISO 9237:1995-12. In particular, a differential pressure of 200 Pa and a test area of 20 cm.sup.2 are used. The FX3300 air permeability tester from Textest AG was used to determine the air permeability.

[0089] Weight per unit area is determined according to DIN EN 29073-1:1992-08. The method according to standard DIN EN ISO 9073-2:1997-02 is used to determine the thickness of the non-woven fabric layer, wherein method A is used. The method according to DIN ISO 4593:2019-06 “Plastics—Film and sheeting—Determination of thickness by mechanical scanning” is used to determine the thickness of films.

[0090] DIN EN 29073-3:1992-08 is used to determine the maximum tensile force. In particular, a strip width of 50 mm is used.

[0091] A TSI 8130 tester is used to determine the penetration (NaCl permeability). In particular, 0.3 μm sodium chloride at 86 l/min is used.

[0092] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a respirator mask 1 in the form of a half mask. The description refers to an example of a medical face mask. The respirator mask 1 shown comprises a filter material piece or filter part 2. The cutting shape of the filter material piece is basically rectangular, but may also take on other shapes, in particular polygonal shapes.

[0093] Two securing bands 3 are attached to the filter material piece 2 in the example shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment straps are provided for attachment to the ears of the wearer.

[0094] For a better adaptation to the shape of the face, the respirator mask has a nosepiece 4 which is coupled to the filter material piece in a destructively or non-destructively detachable manner. In particular, it may be a wire embedded in a biodegradable plastic material.

[0095] A destructive connection consists of welding, for example. The welding may either be disposed continuously along the entire length of the nosepiece or at individual discrete points. Alternatively, the nosepiece may be glued to the filter material piece. For example, a hot melt may be used for this purpose, which typically also results in a destructive connection.

[0096] Alternatively, the nosepiece is provided to the user as a separate element. In this case, the nosepiece has a self-adhesive surface that is initially covered with a protective film. After removing the protective film, the user sticks the nosepiece onto the non-woven fabric. Depending on the adhesive material used, such a nosepiece may also be reused for other respiratory protection filter parts.

[0097] In the exemplary embodiment, three folds 5 are disposed in the filter part or the air-permeable material 2.

[0098] The schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 shows the structure of a filter material piece for a respirator mask. A fine filter layer 7 is arranged between two support layers 6. The three layers may in particular be welded together along the edges, i.e. the circumference, of the filter part 2, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0099] As an alternative to the structure shown in FIG. 2, the air-permeable material of the respirator mask may also comprise fewer or more layers. For example, only one support layer and one fine filter layer may be provided.

[0100] A support layer 6 in the form of a spunbonded or a spun-blown non-woven fabric layer made of PBAT (e.g. Ecoflex from BASF) or another biodegradable polyester such as Duvaltex is in particular suitable. The support layers have a weight per unit area of 5 to 50 g/m.sup.2 and a titre of 1 to 15 dtex. The HELIX® (Comerio Ercole) process is particularly advantageous as a thermal bonding process for bonding the non-woven fabric.

[0101] One or more layers of meltblown non-woven made of PLA with a weight per unit area of 5 to 30 g/m.sup.2 each are used as fine filter layers 7. At least this layer/these layers is/are electrostatically charged.

[0102] Specifically, the filter material piece may consist of a three-layer air-permeable material. A meltblown non-woven fabric layer with a grammage of 20 g/m.sup.2 is arranged between two spun-bonded or spun-blown non-woven fabric layers with a grammage of 20 g/m.sup.2. The SMS thus obtained may be ultrasonically welded by a weld seam running along the edges.

[0103] The meltblown non-woven fabric may be electrostatically charged by adding additives and a water jet treatment (hydro charging), as described for example in WO 97/07272.

[0104] Alternatively, the meltblown non-woven fabric may have a grammage of 25 g/m.sup.2 and may have been electrostatically charged by means of a corona treatment.

[0105] The SMS may be creped. The Micrex/microcreper process in particular may be used for this. Merely by way of example, reference is made to WO 2007/079502. The resulting increase in surface area not only leads to a softer appearance; it also enables a better adaptation to the shape of the face and a better moisture absorption.

[0106] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of an air-permeable material 8 corresponding to the filter part 2 of FIG. 1. However, in comparison with FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows the rear of the filter part, i.e. the side facing a user.

[0107] In the example shown, a securing band 9 is arranged on opposite edges of the air-permeable material 8 and extends along the entire length of the edge. The securing bands may thus run with the air-permeable material during the production of the filter part and be cut together with the material. In the example shown, the securing band and the air-permeable material are joined by means of a welding point 10 at each of the opposite end regions of each securing band 9.

[0108] For the securing band, for example, a TPU laminate consisting of a TPU film with a thickness of 20 to 100 μm and a TPU meltblown non-woven (grammage: 20 to 80 g/m.sup.2) is used, which is welded to the filter material piece. The biodegradable TPU may be obtained, for example, according to Z. Wang et al., “Fabrication and Properties of a Bio-Based Biodegradable thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer”, Polymers 2019, 11, 1121.

[0109] For welding, the process disclosed in the European patent application EP 18213001.3 in a different technical field may be used to achieve high strength.