Printable face mask

Abstract

A facial covering is formed from a single sheet of material. The facial covering comprises a facial coverage region for covering part of a face of a wearer and two lateral regions for holding the facial coverage region in place on the wearer. Each lateral region comprises an ear retainer and an extending section. The extending section comprises a plurality of slits disposed such that the extending section is capable of elastic extension between the ear retainer and the facial coverage region. Methods of manufacturing and of assembling such a facial covering are also described.

1 . A facial covering formed from a single sheet of material, wherein the facial covering comprises:
 a facial coverage region for covering part of a face of a wearer; and   two lateral regions for holding the facial coverage region in place on the wearer;   wherein each lateral region comprises an ear retainer and an extending section, wherein the extending section comprises a plurality of slits disposed such that the extending section is capable of elastic extension between the ear retainer and the facial coverage region.   
     
     
         2 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the slits of the plurality of slits extend in an extension direction substantially orthogonal to a dimension of the extending section from the ear retainer to the facial coverage region. 
     
     
         3 . The facial covering of  claim 2 , wherein there is a repeating pattern of slits in the extension direction. 
     
     
         4 . The facial covering of  claim 3 , wherein the repeating pattern comprises a first element and a second element, wherein the first element and the second element alternate. 
     
     
         5 . The facial covering of  claim 4 , wherein the first elements comprise a central single slit. 
     
     
         6 . The facial covering of  claim 5 , wherein some or all of the first elements also comprise notches in the extending section in line with the single central slit. 
     
     
         7 . The facial covering of  claim 4 , wherein the second elements comprise a first slit and a second slit such that the first slit is in line with the second slit. 
     
     
         8 . The facial covering of  claim 4 , wherein each slit or cut in a first element overlaps a slit in an adjacent second element, and wherein each slit in a second element overlaps a slit or cut in an adjacent first element. 
     
     
         9 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the ear retainer comprises a loop formed from a slit cut in the extending section. 
     
     
         10 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the facial coverage region has a central fold about which the facial covering is symmetric. 
     
     
         11 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the facial coverage region comprises a main region for covering a lower face of a wearer and a nose section for covering a nose of a wearer. 
     
     
         12 . The facial covering of  claim 11 , wherein the nose section is connected to the main region by a neck. 
     
     
         13 . The facial covering of  claim 12 , wherein the nose section has one or more tabs adapted to slot into complementary slits in the main section. 
     
     
         14 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the single sheet is a sheet of paper or card. 
     
     
         15 . The facial covering of  claim 1 , wherein the facial covering is provided within a sheet perforated for removal of the facial covering from the sheet. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a facial covering from a single sheet of material, comprising:
 providing a first pattern of cuts to enable removal of the facial covering from the sheet of material and defining a facial coverage region for covering part of a face of a wearer and two lateral regions for holding the facial coverage region in place on the wearer; and   providing a second pattern of cuts to define an ear retainer and an extending section in each lateral region, wherein the second pattern of cuts provides a plurality of slits disposed in the extending section to make it capable of elastic extension between the ear retainer and the facial coverage region.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second pattern of cuts are formed by die cutting or by laser cutting. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein prior to providing the first pattern of cuts and the second pattern of cuts, the facial covering is printed on to the single sheet of material. 
     
     
         19 . A method of assembly of a facial covering as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising extending the extending sections of the lateral regions and fitting the ear retainers over the ear of wearer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the facial coverage region also comprises a main region for covering a lower face of a wearer and a nose section for covering a nose of a wearer, wherein the nose section is connected to the main region by a neck and the nose section has one or more tabs adapted to slot into complementary slits in the main section, the method further comprising inserting the one or more tabs into the complementary slits before extending the extending sections.