Face mask with adjustable earloops

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming a face mask having a panel with a pair of adjustable earloops. The panel may comprise one, two, three or more layers. Preferably, but not necessarily, the panel may comprise a inner fibrous filtering material with microscopic openings that is sandwiched between two outer layers. The fibrous filtering material may filter contaminates while the two outer layers protect the fibrous filtering material and may also provide some filtering. The two outer layers may be formed from a polymer based fabric such that the edges of the two outer layers may be thermally bonded.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A face mask comprising:
 a panel defined by at feast one layer of fabric;   the panel having a bonded portion;   a pair of holes formed is the bonded portion;   each of the pair of holes having a sidewall forming a hole perimeter;   a pair of elongated members;   each of the pair of elongated members having an intermediate portion passing through one of the holes;   each of the pair of elongated members having a first end and a second end;   wherein the first end of each of the pair of elongated members is tacked to the panel;   wherein each of the elongated members defines an earloop between its first end and the hole through which it passes.   
     
     
         22 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the fabric is a melt blown fabric. 
     
     
         23 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the fabric is formed from a resin. 
     
     
         24 . The face mask of  claim 23 , wherein the resin is a polymer resin. 
     
     
         25 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the second end of each the elongated members is tacked to the panel, wherein each of the elongated members defines take-up loop between one of the holes and its second end. 
     
     
         26 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated members are elastically deformable. 
     
     
         27 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein each of the holes is unreinforced. 
     
     
         28 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein each of the hole sidewalls imposes a compressive force on one of the elongated members. 
     
     
         29 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one layer of fabric comprises one, two, three, four, or five layers of fabric. 
     
     
         30 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the panel has a thickness no greater than 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         31 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the panel comprises at least one pleat. 
     
     
         32 . The face mask of  claim 21 , wherein the bonded portion is a heat bonded portion. 
     
     
         33 . A method of fabricating a face mask, comprising:
 bonding a plurality of layers of fabric together to form a panel;   forming a pair of holes in the panel in a bonded portion of the panel, each of the holes having a sidewall;   passing a first elongated member through one of the pair of holes and passing a second elongated member through the other one of the pair of holes;   tacking a first end of the first elongated member and a first end of the second elongated member to the panel;   wherein each of the sidewalls of the pair of holes imposes a compressive force on an intermediate portion of one of the first and second elongated members;   wherein each of the elongated members defines an earloop of adjustable length between its first end and the one of the pair of holes through which it passes.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising forming at least one pleat in the panel. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising tacking a second end of the first elongated member and a second end of the second elongated member to the panel to form a pair of take-up loops. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the fabric is one or more of a melt blown fabric, a resin-based fabric, and polymer-resin fabric. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the elongated members are elastically deformable. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the panel has a thickness no greater than 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the panel is rectangular. 
     
     
         40 . A face mask comprising:
 a panel defined by at least one layer of fabric;   the panel having a bonded portion;   a pair of earloops attached to the panel; and   means for adjusting the size of the earloops.