JP7355802B2 - underwater mask - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an underwater mask used for snorkeling, skin diving, scuba diving, and free diving.

Generally, an underwater mask is a mask that is worn on the face, covering the eyes and nose from the forehead to the top of the upper lip. Such underwater masks are essential for marine sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving. As such an underwater mask, for example, a diving mask as described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Such underwater masks generally include lenses that cover the eyes, a frame that surrounds the lenses, a nose pocket that accommodates the nose, and a skirt that extends circumferentially from the frame and the nose pocket.

By wearing such an underwater mask, an air layer is created between your eyes and the water or seawater, similar to when you wear swimming goggles, making it difficult to see clearly and causing blurred or distorted images. It is possible to prevent this from happening.

Additionally, when diving underwater, pressure is applied to the eardrum due to water pressure, and as the depth increases, the water pressure becomes stronger, and if left untreated, the eardrum may rupture. In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, it may be necessary to reduce the pressure on the eardrum using a technique known as ear plucking, which equalizes the pressure inside and outside the eardrum.

For this reason, recesses are formed between both sides of the nose pocket in the width direction of the underwater mask described in Patent Document 1 and the lens, respectively, into which fingertips for pinching the nostrils can be accommodated.

When performing the above-mentioned act of ear plucking to equalize the pressure inside and outside the eardrum, generally speaking, if water pressure is applied to the eardrum from the outside to the inside during diving, the eardrum is removed from the outside (nose pocket) of the underwater mask. Pinch your nose to prevent air from escaping from your nostrils, and blow your nose to increase the pressure inside your nasal cavity, pushing the water pressure load on your eardrum from the inside out, reducing the burden on your eardrum.

The recesses on the left and right sides of the nose pocket, which are used to pinch the nose and close the nostrils mentioned above, are generally recessed in a direction perpendicular to the face, so that the fingertips of either the left or right hand can be inserted into the recesses. It has become.

JP2019-094030A

However, in the underwater mask described in Patent Document 1, when inserting a finger from a direction perpendicular to the face, it is necessary to insert the finger between both sides of the nose pocket and the lens, so that the fingertip goes beyond the side of the nose. It is difficult to insert it so deep that it touches the face, so I tried to pinch the nostrils to close them, but sometimes I was unable to firmly pinch the nostrils to close them. For this reason, it is not possible to remove the eardrum to equalize the pressure inside and outside the eardrum, causing damage to the eardrum, causing bleeding, and in severe cases, causing the eardrum to rupture.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to easily insert the fingertips deep into the recesses formed on both sides of the nose pocket in the width direction, and to firmly pinch the nose pocket. The purpose is to provide masks.

In order to solve the above problems, an underwater mask according to the present invention is made of a material having good elasticity that fits closely to the face, and has a skirt portion that can fit tightly to the face and lenses that cover the eyes can be attached in a watertight manner. An underwater mask including a mask main body comprising at least a lens attachment part and a nose pocket part that covers the entire nose, the part of the mask main body along both sides of the nose pocket part having finger marks. A recessed portion into which the nose pocket can be inserted is formed to protrude toward the face side, and the recessed portion extends from both sides of the nose pocket portion to the peripheral end of the skirt portion, and the tangential vector toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion is directed downward. Alternatively, the recess has a surface extending toward the face with a direction component toward the face, and the recess has a thickness in the face direction that increases from a portion along both sides of the nose pocket toward the skirt. a first recess that becomes smaller; and a second recess that increases in thickness in the facial direction from the first recess toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion; It is characterized by having a shape that disappears while changing so that the length in the direction becomes shorter (Claim 1)

According to this underwater mask, the recessed portion is formed on both sides of the nose pocket portion in the width direction of the mask body, and the recessed portion extends from both sides of the nose pocket portion to the peripheral edge portion of the skirt portion. Since the skirt part has a surface that extends toward the face side with a tangential vector toward the peripheral end having a downward or facial direction component, from both sides of the nose pocket part in the width direction to the skirt part, In particular, the difference in level between the recess and the skirt can be reduced. For this reason, when wearing an underwater mask, conventionally it was possible to insert the fingertips only from the vertical direction from the face into the recesses on both sides of the nose pocket that covered the entire nose, but according to the present invention, the recesses and the skirt part can be inserted. It is possible to reduce the difference in level between the holes and to make it possible to insert a finger into the recess from below.

Therefore, compared to the case where the finger is inserted into the recess from the facial direction, the finger is prevented from being caught between the nose pocket and the lens frame, and the recess formed on both sides of the nose pocket in the width direction is prevented. This makes it easy to insert your fingertips deep into the nose pocket, allowing you to firmly pinch the nose pocket.

Conventionally, this part was in flat contact with the face, so a regulator (decompression breathing apparatus) that sucks breathing air from a snorkel used when breathing near the water surface or an air tank used when breathing underwater When the mask is held in the mouth, wrinkles, also known as nasolabial folds, are formed, and a gap is formed between the outer peripheral edge of the underwater mask and the contact surface with the face, which causes water to leak into the underwater mask.

According to this configuration, the recess has a shape that changes and disappears as the length in the direction becomes shorter as it goes from both sides in the width direction of the nose pocket toward the skirt. When worn, the surface on the face side) can be made to follow the wrinkles called nasolabial folds, and as a result, the gap between the outer peripheral edge of the underwater mask and the contact surface of the face is reduced, and the mask moves from the outside to the inside of the underwater mask. It is possible to suppress the intrusion of water.

In the underwater mask, the mask main body further includes a protruding part that protrudes from the lens attachment part to the skirt part to a side opposite to the face side and covers the cheek from the opposite side, and the protruding part It is preferable that the lens has a shape that changes and disappears such that the thickness in the facial direction becomes smaller and the length in the width direction becomes shorter from the lens attachment part toward the skirt part (Claim 2 ).

When swimming, diving, or submerging while wearing an underwater mask, you generally need to use a snorkel for breathing near the surface of the water or a regulator (decompression respirator) that sucks breathing air from an air tank used for breathing underwater. ) while swimming, diving, and submerging in their mouths, the zygomaticus minor and zygomaticus major muscles inevitably contract, causing the cheeks to bulge. As a result, the area around the cheeks of the end face of the underwater mask where the underwater mask and the face are in contact may rise and separate from the face, and water may enter between the underwater mask and the face.

According to this configuration, the protruding part extends from the lens mounting part where the lens is attached to the outside of the face and is spaced apart from the face from the lens mounting part to the skirt part and protrudes in a direction opposite to the facial direction to cover the cheek. Since it has a shape that changes and disappears so that the length in the width direction becomes shorter toward the skirt portion, contact between the cheeks of the face and the inside (face side) of the underwater mask can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the underwater mask from coming into contact with the cheeks of the face, causing the peripheral edge of the skirt portion to rise from the face, and preventing water from entering the inside of the underwater mask from this peripheral edge.

As explained above, according to the underwater mask of the present invention, it is possible to easily insert the fingertips deep into the recesses formed on both sides of the nose pocket in the width direction, and to firmly pinch the nose pocket.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an underwater mask of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the underwater mask. It is a front view of the mask main body concerning the underwater mask. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the underwater mask. 6 is a sectional view taken along line B-B' in FIG. 5. FIG.

Below, an underwater mask 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Note that the embodiment shown below merely shows an example of the underwater mask 1 for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following description and what is shown in the drawings. do not have. In particular, the shapes, relative arrangement relationships, etc. of the components shown in the embodiments and drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to them unless specifically stated, and are merely illustrative examples. It's something that doesn't exist.

Further, for the sake of explanation below, the left-right direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1 may be referred to as the width direction, and the front-rear direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1 may be referred to as the facial direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the underwater mask 1 includes a mask body 10 made of a material with good elasticity that fits closely to the face, and a mask body 10 that the user can touch from inside the underwater mask 1 while wearing the mask body 10. It includes a lens 6 for viewing the outside and a lens frame 7 for holding the lens 6 on the mask body 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mask body 10 is formed at a position sandwiched between a lens attachment part 3 to which a lens 6 can be fitted in a watertight manner, and the lens attachment part, and is capable of covering the entire nose. It includes a possible nose pocket part 4 and a skirt part 2 that extends from the nose pocket part 4 and can be brought into close contact with the face.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, on both sides of the nose pocket 4 in the width direction of the mask body 10, recesses 20 into which fingers can be inserted protrude toward the face (towards the back of the paper in FIG. 1). It is formed.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the mask body 10 further includes a protruding part 30 that extends from the lens attachment part 3 to the skirt part 2 and protrudes toward the face side. It is formed.

The mask body 10 is made of a polymeric material, such as silicone rubber, that has good elasticity and fits tightly against the face. Note that the polymeric material constituting the mask body 10 is not limited to silicone rubber, and other polymeric materials can be used as long as it has good elasticity to adhere closely to the face.

By closely fitting the skirt portion 2 to the face, the inside of the mask main body 10 (the space formed between the mask main body 10 and the face when the mask main body 10 is attached) is passed between the skirt portion 2 and the face. This is a part to prevent water from entering.

The skirt portion 2 is formed to extend from the nose pocket portion 4 and the lens attachment portion 3 toward the periphery of the mask body 10, and has a shape that widens toward the face side as it goes toward the periphery of the mask body 10. have.

By bringing the peripheral end of the skirt portion 2 into close contact with the face, water is prevented from entering the inside of the mask body 10 through the space between the skirt portion 2 and the face.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lens attachment part 3 is a part for fitting the lens 6 in a watertight manner.

Specifically, the lens attachment portion 3 has a fitting groove into which the lens 6 is fitted, as shown in FIG.

When fitting the lens 6 into the lens fitting part 3, the lens fitting part 3 is stretched by its elastic force and fitted into this fitting groove. Then, the lens 6 is surrounded by the lens mounting portion 3 from its periphery and is fitted.

Therefore, the edge of the lens attachment part 3 on the outside of the face (on the left side of the paper in FIG. 3) is made slightly smaller than the edge of the lens 6, and the edge of the fitting groove is smaller than the edge of the lens 6. It is made to be approximately the same size.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the lens 6 fitted into the fitting groove, the lens frame 7 is attached to the lens fitting part 3, thereby holding the lens 6 between the lens fitting part 3 and the lens frame 7. be able to.

The nose pocket part 4 is a part for covering the nose of the face from the outside, and the size of the nose pocket part 4 is formed to be slightly larger than the size of the nose so that the entire nose can be accommodated. . Since the nose pocket part 4 has good elasticity, it is possible to close the nostrils even from the outside of the nose pocket part 4 by pinching the nose pocket part 4 with fingers from the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the recess 20 is formed to protrude toward the face (in the direction toward the face when the underwater mask 1 is worn) along both sides of the nose pocket 4 in the width direction of the mask body 10. , extending along both sides of the nose pocket portion 4 in the width direction and extending over the peripheral edge portion of the skirt portion 2 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the recesses 20 include a first recess 20a whose thickness in the facial direction decreases as it goes from a portion along both sides of the nose pocket portion 4 toward the skirt portion 2 in the mask body 10, and a first recess 20a. The second recess 20b has a thickness that increases in the facial direction toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the first recess 20a has a shape that expands while changing so that the length in the width direction becomes longer, and the second recess 20b has a shape that becomes shorter in the width direction. It has a shape that disappears while changing like this.

This increases the bending deformation of the boundary between the first recess 20a and the second recess 20b, and improves the adhesion between the face and the mask body 10 when the underwater mask 1 is worn.

Note that the boundary between the first recess 20a and the second recess 20b is preferably located on both sides of the lower end (end on the skirt section 2 side) of the nose pocket section 4. That is, it is preferable that the first recess 20a be formed along the nose pocket portion 4 and extending over the lower end portion (the end portion on the skirt portion 2 side) of the nose pocket portion 4.

In the recess 20, the boundary between the first recess 20a and the second recess 20b has the longest length in the width direction and the smallest thickness in the facial direction. At such a boundary portion, the recess 20 has a width into which one finger can be inserted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the recessed portion 20 extends from both sides of the nose pocket portion 4 to the peripheral end of the skirt portion 4 so that the tangent vector toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion 4 is directed downward b or toward the face side f. It has a surface h extending toward the face side f with a directional component. This surface h is formed across the first recess 20a and the second recess 20b.

The surface h extends toward the facial side f, with the tangential vector of the surface h having a directional component toward the downward direction b or toward the facial side f. Specifically, the surface h is inclined with respect to the front end surface of the lens attachment part 3, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the level difference (protrusion toward the front of the face) from the portion along both sides of the nose pocket portion 4 in the recessed portion 20 to the peripheral end portion of the skirt portion 2 is reduced.

Therefore, it is possible to easily insert a finger into the recess 20 not only from the front but also from below. Specifically, when the mask 1 is worn, a finger can be inserted into the recess 20 from below the mask 1, and in this inserted state, the nose pocket 4 and the nose can be pinched to remove the ears. Therefore, compared to the case where a finger is inserted into the recess 20 from the front of the mask 1, the frame 7 is less likely to interfere, and the ear can be removed more reliably.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the protruding portion 30 has a shape that protrudes toward the outside of the mask 1, and is formed extending downward from the peripheral edge of the lens attachment portion 3 in the mask body 10. .

The protruding part 30 has a shape that changes and disappears as the thickness in the facial direction f becomes smaller and the length in the width direction becomes shorter as it goes from the lens attachment part 3 toward the skirt part 4.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding portion 30 extends downward from the lower end of the lens attaching portion 3 while being inclined with respect to the front end surface of the lens attaching portion 3, and is connected to the skirt portion 2. There is.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the protruding portion 30 is formed so that its length in the width direction becomes shorter from the lower end of the lens attachment portion 3 to the skirt portion 4.

In addition, since the protruding part 30 is formed so that the thickness in the facial direction f becomes smaller as it goes from the lens attachment part 3 toward the skirt part 4, it is easy to bend and deform. It is possible to improve the adhesion between the

One lens 6 is provided on each side of the mask body 10 in the width direction. This lens 6 is transparent or translucent, which does not allow water to pass through and allows the user to see the outside from the inside (face side) when the underwater mask 1 is worn. In addition, the lens 6 can be one that has a UV cut function to reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays from the outside to the inside of the underwater mask 1, one that is colored, one that has been mirror processed (vapor deposition processing), or one that is highly transparent. Glass or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the material of the lens 6 may be glass, resin, or the like.

The lens frame 7 is for fixing the pair of lenses 6, 6 to the mask body 10. Specifically, the lens 6 can be fixed to the mask body 10 by sandwiching the lens 6 between the lens frame 7 and the lens attachment part 3 while the lens 6 is held in the lens attachment part 3. .

The lens frame 7 is provided with a screw hole (not shown), and a screw is inserted through this screw hole and screwed into the lens attachment part 3 while the lens 6 is sandwiched between the lens attachment part 3 and the lens frame 7. Thereby, the lens frame 7 can be fixed to the lens attachment part 3 together with the lens 6.

The lens frame 7 is made of a hard synthetic resin that exhibits excellent impact resistance, such as polycarbonate resin or ABS resin. Further, materials that can be used as the material for the lens frame 7 are not limited to such resins, and metals (stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, etc.) that can be cut or press-molded may also be used.

(effect)
According to the underwater mask 1 according to the present embodiment, the recesses 20 are formed on both sides of the nose pocket section 4 in the width direction of the mask body 10; Since the nose pocket part has a surface h extending toward the face side f in a state where the tangential vector toward the peripheral end of the skirt part 2 has a directional component toward the downward u or the face side f over the peripheral edge part. 4 from both sides in the width direction to the skirt portion 2, in particular, the level difference between the recessed portion 20 and the skirt portion 2 can be reduced. For this reason, when the underwater mask 1 is worn, conventionally the fingertips could only be inserted from the vertical direction (front) of the face into the recesses 20 on both sides of the nose pocket 4 that covers the entire nose. According to the underwater mask 1, the level difference between the recess 20 and the skirt portion 4 can be reduced, and it is possible to insert a finger into the recess 20 from the downward direction u.

Therefore, compared to the case where the finger is inserted into the recess 20 from the facial direction, the finger is prevented from being caught between the nose pocket 4 and the lens frame 7, and the The fingertips can be easily inserted into the deep side of the recessed part 20, and the nose pocket part 4 can be firmly pinched.

Conventionally, the recess 20 was in flat contact with the face, so a regulator (decompression respirator) that sucks breathing air from a snorkel used for breathing on the surface of the water or an air tank used for breathing underwater was used. When the mask is held in the mouth, wrinkles, also called nasolabial folds, are formed, and a gap is formed between the outer circumferential edge of the underwater mask and the face, which causes water to leak into the underwater mask 1 through the gap.

The recesses 20 include a first recess 20a whose thickness in the facial direction f decreases as it goes from the sides along both sides of the nose pocket 4 toward the skirt 2, and a first recess 20a toward the peripheral end of the skirt 2 from the first recess 20a. The second recess 20b has a shape in which the thickness in the facial direction f increases as the thickness increases, and the second recess 20b has a shape that disappears while changing so that the length in the width direction of the second recess 20b becomes shorter. , the protruding surface of the recess 20 (the surface on the face side when the underwater mask is worn) can be made to follow the wrinkles called nasolabial folds, and as a result, the gap between the outer peripheral end surface of the underwater mask 1 and the contact surface of the face can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the size of the underwater mask 1 and prevent water from entering from the outside to the inside of the underwater mask 1.

When swimming, diving, or diving while wearing the underwater mask 1, it is generally necessary to use a regulator (decompression respirator) that sucks breathing air from a snorkel used for breathing on the surface of the water or an air tank used for breathing underwater. ) while swimming, diving, and submerging in their mouths, the zygomaticus minor and zygomaticus major muscles inevitably contract, causing the cheeks to bulge. As a result, the area around the cheeks of the end surface of the underwater mask 1 where the underwater mask 1 and the face are in contact may rise and peel off from the face, and water may enter between the underwater mask 1 and the face.

The mask body 1 further includes a protrusion 30 that protrudes from the lens attachment part 3 to the skirt part 2 on the side opposite to the face side f and covers the cheek from the opposite side. 3 toward the skirt portion 2, the thickness in the facial direction f becomes smaller and the length in the width direction becomes shorter and disappears. ) can be prevented from coming into contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the underwater mask 1 from coming into contact with the cheeks of the face, causing the peripheral edge of the skirt portion 2 to rise from the face, and preventing water from entering the inside of the underwater mask 1 from this peripheral edge.

(Modified example)
The above embodiments are merely illustrative of preferred specific examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the left and right lenses are separated, but the lenses used as the lenses 6 are not limited to such a lens 6. For example, the left and right lenses may be integrally formed. In this case, the shapes of the lens frame 7 and lens attachment portion 3 are also formed to match the shape of the lens 6.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the underwater mask 1 has a structure in which the lens 6 is held in the lens attachment part 3 of the mask body 10 by the lens frame 7, but the underwater mask 1 does not necessarily have the lens frame 7. There's no need.

In this case, by fitting the lens 6 into the fitting groove of the lens attachment part 3 and fitting the lens 6 into the fitting groove, or by screwing the lens 6 into the fitting groove with a screw or the like, or by screwing the lens 6 into the fitting groove. The lens 6 may be attached to the lens attachment portion 3 by bonding the fitting groove with an adhesive or the like.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the recess 20 was formed to extend toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion 2; however, the recess 20 was formed to extend to the peripheral end of the skirt portion 2. Good too.

It goes without saying that various other design changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

1 underwater mask 1
2 Skirt portion 3 Lens attachment portion 4 Nose pocket portion 6 Lens 7 Frame 10 Mask body 20 Recess 20a First recess 20b Second recess 30 Projection

Claims (2)

A skirt part made of a material having good elasticity and able to fit tightly against the face, a lens mounting part to which a lens covering the eyes can be attached in a watertight manner, and a nose pocket part covering the entire nose. An underwater mask comprising at least a mask body,
A recess into which a finger can be inserted is formed in a portion along both sides of the nose pocket in the mask main body, protruding toward the face side,
The concave portion extends from both sides of the nose pocket portion to the peripheral end of the skirt portion, and is arranged on the face side in a state in which a tangential vector directed toward the peripheral end of the skirt portion has a downward or facial direction component. has a surface extending toward
The recess includes a first recess whose thickness in the facial direction decreases as it goes from the sides along both sides of the nose pocket toward the skirt, and a face that decreases in thickness as it goes from the first recess toward the peripheral end of the skirt. a second recessed portion having a larger thickness in the direction;
The underwater mask is characterized in that the second recess has a shape that changes and disappears so that the length in the width direction of the second recess becomes shorter.
Claimto 1In the underwater mask described,
The mask main body further includes a protruding part that protrudes from the lens attachment part to the skirt part to a side opposite to the face side and covers the cheek from the opposite side,
The underwater mask is characterized in that the protrusion has a shape that changes and disappears as the thickness in the face direction becomes smaller and the length in the width direction becomes shorter as it goes from the lens attachment part toward the skirt part. .