JP7745991B2 - mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mask worn on the face, and in particular to a mask that emits steam.

Masks have traditionally been widely used as a defense against fine dust particles such as pollen and yellow sand, and as a measure against infections from viruses and bacteria. Recently, mask functions have become more diverse, with a variety of masks being proposed. For example, during sleep, the mouth can easily become dry because food, drink, and saliva are not swallowed. Furthermore, the air is generally dry in winter, and air conditioners are turned on in offices all year round, even outside of winter. Therefore, there are many environments where the air tends to be dry even during the day, making the mouth more susceptible to dryness.

To prevent this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mask with a humidifying function. The mask in Patent Document 1 has a mask body that covers the nose and mouth, and is equipped with a moisture-containing body and a heating element such as a hand warmer that fits closely to the moisture-containing body. When the moisture-containing body is heated by the heating element, warm steam is generated, which humidifies the space between the mask and the face and replenishes moisture in the oral cavity, preventing it from drying out.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-225205

However, the mask in Patent Document 1 uses a hand warmer to warm the water-containing body, which takes time for the hand warmer to generate heat. Also, because the water-containing body is heated indirectly, it takes time for steam to be generated immediately after putting on the mask, and the amount of steam generated immediately after putting on the mask is insufficient.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a mask that can supply a sufficient amount of steam immediately after wearing.

The present invention relates to a mask that is worn on the face and emits steam. The mask of the present invention comprises a mask body that covers part of the wearer's face, and a water-containing body that contains moisture and emits steam when heated by microwave irradiation, and the mask body is characterized by having a storage section that stores the heated water-containing body.

In the mask of the present invention, the mask body comprises a covering portion that covers part of the wearer's face, and a bag-shaped storage portion provided on the face-facing surface of the covering portion, and the storage portion comprises at least a first layer on the face-facing side and a second layer on the covering portion-facing side between which the water-containing body is inserted, and it is preferable that the first layer is moisture-permeable and that the face-facing surface of the first layer is provided with a vapor-retaining layer capable of retaining vapor.

Furthermore, in the mask of the present invention, it is preferable that the first layer and the second layer have thermal insulation properties.

Furthermore, in the mask of the present invention, it is preferable that the second layer is non-moisture permeable.

According to the present invention, when wearing a mask, warm steam is generated from the heated water-containing material after it is irradiated with microwaves, for example, in a microwave oven, which humidifies the space between the mask body and the wearer's face. This replenishes moisture in the oral cavity, preventing it from drying out.

In addition, because the water-containing material is stored in the storage section in a heated state, it generates warm steam instantly, and it does not take long for steam to be generated immediately after putting on the mask, so a sufficient amount of steam can be supplied immediately after putting on the mask.

1A is a front view of the mask of this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a rear view. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line X1-X1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 1A is a rear view of the storage section, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along X2-X2. FIG. 2A is a front view of the water-containing body, and FIG. 2B is a side view.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show a mask 1 according to this embodiment. The mask 1 comprises a mask body 2 that covers part of the wearer's face (the area under the eyes, particularly the nose and mouth), and a moisture-containing body 3 that contains moisture. The mask body 2 comprises a covering portion 5 that covers part of the wearer's face when worn, and a bag-shaped storage portion 6 that is provided on the face-facing surface of the covering portion 5. The moisture-containing body 3 is stored in the storage portion 6 of the mask body 2 and is then heated by exposure to microwaves, for example, in a microwave oven. This causes warm steam to be emitted from the moisture-containing body 3 when the mask 1 is worn.

In this embodiment, the covering portion 5 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. When the mask 1 is worn, the covering portion 5 has an upper edge 50 that extends horizontally below the eyes of the wearer's face, a lower edge 51 that extends horizontally across the chin (or below the chin), and left and right side edges 52, 53 that connect the upper edge 50 and lower edge 51. The size of the covering portion 5 is not particularly limited, and may be any size that allows the left and right side edges 52, 53 to extend vertically across the cheeks and cover the nose, mouth, chin, and part of the cheeks.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the covering portion 5 is flat before the mask 1 is worn (when unused). In other words, the covering portion 5 of this embodiment has a different structure from a three-dimensional covering portion. Specifically, the side edges of the two mask pieces are joined together by heat sealing or the like, and when not in use, the two mask pieces are folded over each other at a folding portion that extends vertically down the horizontal center. Even when the two mask pieces are unfolded, they do not become flat. This is different from structures that create a large space between the under-nose (nostrils) and mouth when worn on the face, and when worn on the face, they fit more closely to the surface of the face than a three-dimensional covering portion.

The covering portion 5 can have a single-layer structure or a laminated structure of two or more layers, and each layer can be constructed using a breathable sheet such as a woven fabric or nonwoven fabric. Among these, nonwoven fabrics made by the spunbond, meltblown, thermalbond, or spunlace methods are preferred. More preferably, spunbond nonwoven fabrics are used from the perspective of texture and shape retention, and meltblown nonwoven fabrics are used from the perspective of pollen, virus, and other filtering capabilities. Taking these points into consideration, a suitable layer structure for the covering portion 5 can be, for example, an SMS layer (a three-layer structure of spunbond-meltblown-spunbond). Other preferred structures include an S layer (single layer of spunbond) or an SS layer (two-layer structure of spunbond-spunbond). When the covering portion 5 has a laminated structure, the covering portion 5 can be formed by joining the outer edges of each layer of sheet to a predetermined width using a known method such as sewing, ultrasonic welding, or heat fusion.

The woven and nonwoven fiber materials that make up each layer of the cover 5 can be any known material, including natural fibers such as paper and cotton; semi-synthetic fibers such as rayon and acetate; and synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and nylon. Among these, polypropylene and polyethylene are preferred from the perspective of productivity, polypropylene can be used from the perspective of shape retention, and nylon can be used from the perspective of feel.

The covering part 5 has a structure that allows it to stretch in the vertical direction. For example, the covering part 5 has at least one pleat 54 formed by at least two folds extending in the horizontal direction. By expanding this pleat 54, the covering part 5 can stretch in the vertical direction, and the size of the covering part 5 can be freely adjusted to fit the size of the wearer's face.

Ear bands 7 are attached to the left and right side edges 52, 53 of the covering part 5 as a means for holding the covering part 5 on the wearer's face. The ear bands 7 can be attached to the covering part 5 by known methods such as sewing, ultrasonic welding, or heat fusion. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the ear bands 7, but a stretchy material such as polyester is preferable. Note that various means other than the ear bands 7 may also be used to hold the covering part 5 in place.

A linear nose piece 8 made of a plastic resin such as polyethylene or a biodegradable resin is provided inside the upper edge 50 of the covering part 5. The nose piece 8 prevents gaps from forming between the wearer's nose and the covering part 5, allowing the covering part 5 to fit the face. The nose piece 8 can be built into the covering part 5, for example, and fixed in place by joining the layers of sheets that make up the covering part 5 at the top and bottom using, for example, ultrasonic welding.

Next, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the storage section 6 has a first layer 60 on the face side and a second layer 61 on the cover section 5 side, and the outer periphery of the second layer 61 is joined to the first layer 60 except for the upper edge. As a result, the storage section 6 is formed into a bag shape with an opening at the top, into which the water-containing body 3 can be inserted and held between the first layer 60 and the second layer 61. In this embodiment, the upper edge of the second layer 61 of the storage section 6 is located lower than the upper edge of the first layer 60, making it easier to insert the water-containing body 3 into the storage section 6 through the upper opening.

The storage section 6 is attached to the covering section 5 by joining the face-side first layer 60 to the face-side surface of the covering section 5 using known methods such as sewing, ultrasonic welding, or heat sealing. In this embodiment, only the upper edge of the first layer 60, which is located above the upper edge of the second layer 61, is joined to the face-side surface of the covering section 5. This prevents the storage section 6 from interfering with the vertical extension of the covering section 5 when the pleats 54 are expanded. Furthermore, because the storage section 6 is not constrained by the covering section 5, the weight of the water-containing body 3 makes it easier to bring the water-containing body 3 closer to the wearer's face, allowing steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 to be efficiently supplied to the nose and mouth.

In addition, because the upper edge of the first layer 60 on the face side is joined to the face-side surface of the covering part 5, when the mask 1 is worn, the first layer 60 is interposed between the upper opening of the storage part 6 and the wearer's face. As a result, even if warm steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 inside the storage part 6 is released from the upper opening of the storage part 6, it is not released towards the wearer's face until it has passed through the first layer 60, preventing the steam from directly hitting the wearer's face.

In this embodiment, the storage section 6 is attached to the covering section 5 at a position lower than the upper edge 50 of the covering section 5. Because the upper edge 50 of the covering section 5 extends horizontally below the eyes of the wearer when the mask 1 is worn, if the storage section 6 is attached at the upper edge 50 of the covering section 5, the nose will be covered by the water-containing body 3 inside the storage section 6. If the nose is covered by the water-containing body 3, it will be difficult to breathe through the nose, and the water-containing body 3 may come into contact with the nose, reducing the comfort of wearing the mask 1. For this reason, in this embodiment, the storage section 6 is attached to the covering section 5 at a position offset a predetermined height (e.g., 15 mm to 30 mm) below the upper edge 50 of the covering section 5 so that the storage section 6 is positioned below the wearer's nose when the mask 1 is worn.

The size of the storage section 6 need only be large enough to accommodate the water-containing body 3 inside. For example, the horizontal length can be between 50 mm and 150 mm, and the vertical length can be between 30 mm and 80 mm.

The first layer 60 on the face side of the storage section 6 is moisture-permeable. This moisture permeability refers to the ability to allow vapor (water molecules) to pass through. For example, the moisture permeability is preferably 1000 g/m ² /24 h or more, more preferably 2000 g/m ² /24 h or more, and even more preferably 3000 g/m ² /24 h or more. This allows warm vapor emitted from the water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 to pass through the first layer 60 and be released to the wearer's face. On the other hand, the second layer 61 on the cover section 5 side of the storage section 6 is moisture-impermeable. This moisture-impermeability is not limited to a property that completely blocks vapor (water molecules) from passing through, but also includes a property that allows a small amount of vapor (water molecules) to pass through. For example, the moisture permeability is preferably 350 g/m ² /24 h or less, and more preferably 300 g/m ² /24 h or less. The moisture-impermeable second layer 61 acts as a barrier to prevent warm steam from being released from the water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 on the side opposite the wearer's face. In this way, by making the first layer 60 of the storage section 6 moisture-permeable and the second layer 61 moisture-impermeable, warm steam from the water-containing body 3 can be supplied only to the wearer's face side, allowing for efficient humidification.

In addition, both the first layer 60 and the second layer 61 of the storage section 6 are thermally insulating. The storage section 6 stores the water-containing body 3 after it has been heated by exposure to microwaves in a microwave oven or the like. When the temperature of the heated water-containing body 3 drops, the time during which warm steam is generated from the water-containing body 3 becomes shorter. For this reason, in this embodiment, the first layer 60 and the second layer 61 of the storage section 6 are thermally insulating, which prevents the temperature of the heated water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 from dropping too quickly, thereby extending the time during which warm steam is generated from the water-containing body 3.

The first layer 60 of the storage section 6, which has the moisture permeability and heat insulation properties described above, can be constructed using, for example, a foamed resin sheet made of foamed polyurethane, foamed polyolefin, foamed polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., or a sheet-like wadding fiber. Examples of fibers that make up the wadding fiber include polyester fiber, polyolefin fiber, polyamide fiber, and acrylonitrile fiber.

The second layer 61 of the storage section 6, which is heat-insulating and moisture-impermeable as described above, can be constructed, for example, using the foamed resin sheet or sheet-like fiber batting used in the first layer 60 described above, covered with a moisture-impermeable material.

In this embodiment, the storage section 6 has a steam retention layer 62 capable of retaining steam on the face-facing surface of the face-facing first layer 60. This steam retention layer 62 allows some of the steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 and permeates the first layer 60 to pass through and be released toward the wearer's face, while retaining some of the steam, thereby increasing the humidity between the mask body 2 and the wearer's face when the mask 1 is worn. This improves the humidifying effect and enables effective humidification of the area between the mask body 2 and the wearer's face.

The steam retention layer 62 can be constructed using breathable sheet-like fibers such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric, with nonwoven fabric being preferred. Nonwoven fabrics made using methods such as spunbonding, thermal bonding, and spunlace can be used. However, from the perspective of feel, nonwoven fabrics made using thermal bonding and spunlace methods are more preferred, with spunlace nonwoven fabrics being particularly preferred. Hydrophobic fibers are preferred as the fiber material for the woven and nonwoven fabrics making up the steam retention layer 62, as they prevent wetting and stickiness. For example, synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester can be used. Of these, polypropylene and polyethylene are preferred from the perspectives of flexibility and productivity. It is preferable that the steam retention layer 62 be constructed by overlapping multiple (two in this embodiment) sheet-like fibers (e.g., nonwoven fabrics) from the perspectives of steam retention function and flexibility.

Next, the water-containing body 3 is impregnated with a moisture-retaining liquid containing water as its main component, and can generate steam when heated by exposure to microwaves, for example, in a microwave oven. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, when the mask 1 is worn, the water-containing body 3 is stored in a heated state in the storage section 6 of the mask body 2, releasing steam, humidifying the space between the mask body 2 and the face and supplying moisture to the oral cavity.

The water-containing body 3 is not particularly limited, but preferably contains a large amount of water-retaining liquid, and the amount of water-retaining liquid (impregnation amount) contained in the water-containing body 3 is preferably 6 g or more, more preferably 12 g or more, and even more preferably 16 g or more. Furthermore, considering the impact of the weight of the water-containing body 3 on the feel during use, the impregnation amount of the water-containing body 3 is preferably 30 g or less, more preferably 24 g or less, and even more preferably 20 g or less. The water-containing body 3 containing a large amount of water-retaining liquid not only enables a large amount of steam to be supplied to the oral cavity, but also makes it difficult for the water-containing body 3 to cool down after being heated, so the temperature of the water-containing body 3 that has been heated to a high temperature can be maintained for a long time. In this way, the water-containing body 3 can be kept warm for a long time when the mask 1 is worn, allowing warm steam to be generated for a long time and providing a comfortable feel when used.

Furthermore, in order to retain such an amount of water-retaining liquid, the basis weight of the water-containing body 3 is preferably 500 g/ ^m2 or more, and more preferably 800 g/ ^m2 or more. On the other hand, if the basis weight is too large, the water-containing body 3 becomes hard, and therefore, when wearing the mask 1, the water-containing body 3 does not deform to fit the facial shape around the wearer's mouth, which may cause discomfort to the wearer. Therefore, the basis weight of the water-containing body 3 is preferably 1500 g/ ^m2 or less, and more preferably 1000 g/ ^m2 or less.

In this embodiment, the water-containing body 3 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. Since the water-containing body 3 is used around the wearer's mouth when wearing the mask 1, its size is, for example, preferably 4 cm to 14 cm in the horizontal direction and 2 cm to 7 cm in the vertical direction, and more preferably 7 cm to 11 cm in the horizontal direction and 3 cm to 6 cm in the vertical direction. Note that, in terms of area, it is, for example, preferably ⁸ cm to 98 ^cm , and more preferably ²⁵ cm to ⁵⁰ cm.

The water-containing body 3 covers the wearer's mouth when the mask 1 is worn, and so the water-containing body 3 has an air vent 30 formed in it to prevent the water-containing body 3 from interfering with the wearer's breathing through the mouth. This facilitates breathing through the mouth of the wearer when wearing the mask 1. The air vent 30 may be composed of multiple small-diameter holes or one or more notches, but is preferably composed of a notch extending vertically at the center of the left-right direction of the water-containing body 3. This makes it easier to fold the water-containing body 3 along the air vent 30 at the center of the left-right direction. To impregnate the water-containing body 3 with a large amount of water, as described above, the basis weight of the water-containing body 3 needs to be large. However, if the basis weight is large, the water-containing body 3 becomes stiff, and the water-containing body 3 does not conform to the facial shape around the wearer's mouth when the mask 1 is worn, which may cause discomfort to the wearer. However, if the ventilation holes 30 make it easier for the water-containing body 3 to bend at the center in the left-right direction, even if the water-containing body 3 has a large basis weight, the water-containing body 3 will deform to fit the shape of the wearer's face around the mouth when the mask 1 is worn, eliminating any discomfort to the wearer.

In this embodiment, the air vents 30 are formed so as to extend upward from the lower edge of the water-containing body 3, but they may also be formed so as to extend downward from the upper edge of the water-containing body 3, or so as to extend downward and upward from the upper and lower edges of the water-containing body 3, respectively, or so as to extend vertically in the region between the upper and lower edges of the water-containing body 3.

The hydrous body 3 can be formed from a variety of fiber materials, including hydrophilic fibers and blends of hydrophilic and synthetic fibers. Examples of fiber materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, rayon, cotton, and pulp, with pulp being preferred from the standpoint of flexibility and water retention. The method for producing such a hydrous body 3 is not particularly limited, but it can be produced by methods such as airlaid, and from the standpoints of productivity, processability, and durability, it is preferable to blend the pulp, which is the main component, with heat-fusible fibers such as polyethylene in a predetermined ratio.

For example, when the water-containing body 3 is formed from pulp, the ratio of pulp to heat-fusible fiber can be 60:40 to 80:20. The water-containing body 3 can have a single-layer or multi-layer structure. However, from the viewpoint of durability and water retention, a three-layer structure in which the fiber material is sandwiched between a pair of nonwoven fabrics is preferable. In this case, the layer sandwiched between the pair of nonwoven fabrics is called the middle layer, and the layers consisting of the pair of nonwoven fabrics are called the end layers. The nonwoven fabrics in the end layers can be made of the same material or different materials. Examples of materials for these nonwoven fabrics include hydrophilic fibers, hydrophobic fibers, synthetic fibers, and blended fibers of hydrophilic and synthetic fibers. Examples of hydrophilic fibers include rayon and cotton, with rayon being preferred. Making the material hydrophilic has the advantage of facilitating moisture absorption into the pulp during manufacturing, thereby facilitating manufacturing. Examples of hydrophobic fibers include polyesters such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, with polyethylene and polypropylene being preferred. Making the material hydrophobic has the advantage of preventing wetting and stickiness. Therefore, it is preferable that the surface facing the wearer is made of hydrophobic fibers and the opposite surface is made of hydrophilic fibers such as rayon. The pair of nonwoven fabrics described above preferably have a basis weight of 20 g/m2 or ^more and 50 g/ ^m2 or less.

The water-retaining liquid impregnated into the water-retaining body 3 may be water alone, or it may be primarily water with a polyol blended into the water. Examples of polyols include glycerin, dipropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, sorbitol, 1,2-pentanediol, and 1,2-hexanediol, with glycerin being preferred for its safety. Other suitable materials include preservatives such as methylparaben and phenoxyethanol, humectants such as hyaluronate and betaine, plant extracts, water-soluble thickeners such as xanthan gum, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), agar, guar gum, and carrageenan, fragrances such as eucalyptus and mint, and surfactants that solubilize fragrances (nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and anionic surfactants). Before wearing the mask 1, that is, before storing it in the storage section 6, the water-containing body 3 is preferably stored in a bag made of an impermeable aluminum laminate film, aluminum-deposited PET film, transparent (silica)-deposited PET film, or the like.

According to the mask 1 of this embodiment described above, after being irradiated with microwaves, for example in a microwave oven, the heated water-containing body 3 generates warm steam, which humidifies the space between the mask body 2 and the wearer's face. This replenishes moisture in the oral cavity, preventing it from drying out. Furthermore, because the water-containing body 3 is stored in the storage section 6 of the mask body 2 in a heated state, steam is generated immediately after the mask 1 is put on, and since it does not take time for steam to be generated, a sufficient amount of steam can be supplied immediately after the mask 1 is put on.

In addition, according to the mask 1 of this embodiment, a steam-retaining layer 62 capable of retaining steam is provided on the face-facing surface of the first layer 60 on the face side of the storage section 6, and the steam-retaining layer 62 retains a portion of the steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 and permeating the first layer 60. Therefore, the steam-retaining layer 62 increases the humidity between the mask body 2 and the wearer's face when the mask 1 is worn, improving the humidifying effect and enabling effective humidification of the space between the mask body 2 and the wearer's face.

Furthermore, with the mask 1 of this embodiment, the first layer 60 and second layer 61 of the storage portion 6 have thermal insulation properties, which prevents the temperature of the heated water-containing body 3 inside the storage portion 6 from dropping rapidly. This allows warm steam to be generated from the water-containing body 3 for a longer period of time.

Furthermore, with the mask 1 of this embodiment, the first layer 60 on the face side of the storage section 6 is moisture-permeable, while the second layer 61 on the cover section 5 side is moisture-impermeable. Therefore, warm steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 in the storage section 6 passes through the moisture-permeable first layer 60 and is released toward the wearer's face, but the moisture-impermeable second layer 61 acts as a barrier to prevent steam from being released on the side opposite the wearer's face. Therefore, warm steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 can be supplied only to the wearer's face side, allowing for efficient humidification.

Furthermore, with the mask 1 of this embodiment, the upper edge of the first layer 60 on the face side of the storage section 6 is positioned higher than the upper edge of the second layer 61 on the covering section 5 side and is joined to the face side surface of the covering section 5, so when the mask 1 is worn, the first layer 60 is interposed between the upper opening of the storage section 6 and the wearer's face. Therefore, even if warm steam emitted from the water-containing body 3 inside the storage section 6 is released from the upper opening of the storage section 6, it is not released towards the wearer's face until it has passed through the first layer 60, preventing the steam from directly hitting the wearer's face.

Furthermore, with the mask 1 of this embodiment, the storage portion 6 is attached to the cover portion 5 at a position lower than the upper edge 50 of the cover portion 5. Therefore, when the mask 1 is worn, the storage portion 6 is positioned below the wearer's nose, so the nose is not covered by the water-containing body 3, allowing the wearer to breathe easily through the nose, and the water-containing body 3 does not come into contact with the nose, reducing the comfort of wearing the mask 1.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the water-containing body 3 is heated by microwave irradiation after being housed in the housing portion 6 of the mask body 2, but it may also be housed in the housing portion 6 of the mask body 2 after being heated by microwave irradiation.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a vapor retaining layer 62 is provided on the first layer 60 on the face side of the housing part 6, but this vapor retaining layer 62 does not necessarily have to be provided.

In addition, in the above embodiment, both the first layer 60 and the second layer 61 of the storage section 6 have thermal insulation properties, but only one of them may have thermal insulation properties, or neither may have thermal insulation properties.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the first layer 60 of the storage section 6 is breathable and the second layer 61 is breathable, but both may be breathable.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the storage section 6 is attached to the cover section 5 at a position below the upper edge 50 of the cover section 5, but it may also be attached to the cover section 5 at the position of the upper edge 50 of the cover section 5.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the upper edge of the first layer 60 on the face side of the storage section 6 is positioned higher than the upper edge of the second layer 61 on the cover section 5 side and joined to the cover section 5, but the upper edge of the second layer 61 on the cover section 5 side may also be positioned higher than the upper edge of the first layer 60 on the face side and joined to the cover section 5.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the water-containing body 3 has air vents 30 formed therein, but the air vents 30 do not necessarily have to be formed.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the upper edge 50, lower edge 51, and left and right side edges 52, 53 of the cover portion 5 are formed straight, but for example, the upper edge 50 may be formed as a curved line or bent line that convex upward, and/or the lower edge 51 may be formed as a curved line or bent line that convex downward, and/or the left and right side edges 52, 53 may be formed as a curved line or bent line that convex inward.

In addition, in the above embodiment, since the storage section 6 covers the wearer's mouth when the mask 1 is worn, ventilation holes may be provided in the storage section 6 to prevent the storage section 6 from interfering with the wearer's breathing through the mouth.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the water-containing body 3 has a rectangular shape in plan view, but it may have various shapes such as a triangular shape, a square shape, other polygonal shapes, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the cover portion 5 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, but it may have various shapes such as a triangular shape, a square shape, other polygonal shapes, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the covering portion 5 is configured to be stretchable in the vertical direction by the pleats 54, but the means for making the covering portion 5 stretchable in the vertical direction is not limited to pleats 54 and various other means can be used. For example, the covering portion 5 may be configured to be stretchable in the vertical direction by forming gathers in the covering portion 5. Note that the means or structure for making the covering portion 5 stretchable, such as pleats 54, does not necessarily have to be provided in the covering portion 5.

In addition, while the cover 5 is flat in the above embodiment, it may be three-dimensional. In this case, the storage section 6 does not need to be provided separately in the cover 5, and the internal space of the cover 5 may serve as the storage section 6.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Mask 2 Mask body 3 Water-containing body 5 Covering portion 6 Storage portion 50 Upper edge of covering portion 60 First layer of storage portion 61 Second layer of storage portion 62 Vapor-retaining layer of storage portion

Claims (2)

The mask comprises a mask body that covers a part of the wearer's face, and a water-containing body that contains water and is heated by microwave irradiation to generate steam,
The mask body includes a covering portion that covers a part of the wearer's face, and a containing portion that is provided on the face side of the covering portion and contains a heated water-containing body,
the storage section is formed in a bag shape by a first layer on the face side and a second layer on the covering section side, and the water-containing body can be inserted and held between the first layer and the second layer,
the first layer is breathable;
the second layer is non-breathable;
a vapor retaining layer capable of retaining vapor is provided on a face-side surface of the first layer;
the vapor retaining layer is made of woven fabric and/or nonwoven fabric,
A mask in which hydrophobic fibers are used as the fiber material of the woven and/or nonwoven fabric that constitutes the vapor retaining layer. The mask of claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer have thermal insulation properties.