The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 10, 1998
James F Whitaker, Alexander, NC (US);
Brian G Hoge, Fletcher, NC (US);
American Threshold Industries, Inc., Enka, NC (US);
Abstract
A disposable face mask with improved moisture control characteristics to reduce the uncomfortable buildup of perspiration and to avoid fogging of eyeglasses or an attached eyeshield. The mask body includes at least an inner layer, worn next to the wearer's face, and a generally coextensive outer layer. An absorbent core is located between the layers, of lesser extent than the mask layers, and positioned so that at least a portion of an intermediate region of the mask is unobstructed by the absorbent core. As examples, the absorbent core may be made of wood pulp or wood pulp blend nonwoven, either of which may be impregnated with super absorbent (SAP). As another example, the absorbent core may be made of peat moss. The absorbent core may be made of a woven material such as cotton, a nonwoven material with absorbent characteristics, or a combination of both. The inner layer is immediately adjacent the absorbent core, and is made for example of a nonwoven fabric designed to 'wick' moisture into the absorbent core. The inner layer may be zone treated so as to be hydrophilic in areas of the intermediate region which are overlapped by the absorbent core, hydrophobic in areas of the intermediate region which are unobstructed by the absorbent core, or both hydrophilic in areas of the intermediate region which are overlapped by the absorbent core and hydrophobic in areas of the intermediate region which are unobstructed by the absorbent core.