Disposable, Compostable Surgical/Medical Masks and Methods of Production Therefor

Abstract

Disclosed are disposable, compostable surgical/medical masks comprising (i) a 3-ply face-mask component wherein the two outer layers are a spunbond PLA textile and the third center layer is a meltblown PLA textile, (ii) a deformable nose bar formed from a PLA extrudate, and (iii) a pair of elongate narrow-width 3-ply stretchable soft ear loop strips wherein the two outer strips are spunbond PLA textile and the third middle layer is a compostable elastic film. Some embodiments relate to 4-ply disposable, compostable surgical/medical masks comprising two outer layers each comprising a spunbond PLA textile and two middle layers comprising meltblown PLA textile. Some embodiments relate to 4-ply disposable, compostable surgical/medical masks comprising two outer layers each comprising a spunbond PLA textile, a middle layer comprising a spunbond PLA textile, and a middle layer comprising a meltblown PLA textile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A disposable, compostable pleated surgical/medical mask, comprising:
 a mask assembly having,
 (i) an outward-facing first outer layer consisting of a spunbond polylactic acid (PLA) textile, 
 (ii) an inward-facing second outer layer consisting of a spunbond PLA textile, 
 (iii) an intermediate layer(s) consisting of a meltblown PLA textile disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer, and 
 (iv) a deformable nosebar disposed between the meltblown PLA layer and one of the first outer layer and the second outer layer about an upper linear edge of the assembly, 
 wherein the mask assembly is pleated with 
 (v) a bottom linear edge of the mask assembly ultrasonically welded together with a first plurality of spaced-apart rows of welds, 
 (vi) the top linear edge of the mask assembly ultrasonically welded together with a second plurality of spaced-apart rows of welds whereby the PLA nosebar is disposed between a pair of the second plurality of spaced-apart rows of welds, and 
 (vii) opposing side edges of the mask assembly ultrasonically welded together with a pair of a third plurality of spaced-apart rows of welds; and 
   a pair of wherein each of the pair of the ear loop strips is formed from a soft-resilient textile wherein the first layer is a spunbond PLA textile, the second layer is a compostable elastic film, and the third layer is a spunbond PLA textile, said soft-resilient textile laminated together by a heat-embossing process, said soft-resilient textile having a stiffness in a machine direction and a resilience in a cross direction;   wherein opposing ends of each one of the pair soft-resilient ear loop strips are ultrasonically welded to an upper corner and a bottom corner of the opposing side edges of the mask assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The disposable, compostable pleated surgical/medical mask of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable nosebar is formed from an extruded PLA material. 
     
     
         3 . The disposable, compostable pleated surgical/medical mask of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable nosebar is an aluminum strip.