Anti-Fog Medical Face Mask and A Device for Preventing Formation of Fog on Eyewear while Wearing Face Cover

Abstract

Toward prevention of the spread of COVID-19 virus and suppressing the pandemic caused by this outbreak, many local governments, states within the Unites States, and countries around the globe have mandated wearing of face covering masks. This mandate has introduced new challenges to the society. One of these challenges is formation of fog on the eyewear while wearing a mask. The direction of the leaked exhaled air from the upper edge of a face covering mask is upward. The location of the portion of the lens of the eyewear that is in front of the eye of the user is on top of the upper edge of the mask (because pulling up the mask further than the eye is not practically possible as the mask would block the eyesight). Hence, the leaked exhaled air (leaked from the top of the mask) moves over the surface of the lens of the eyewear and causes formation of fog on the surface of the lens of the eyewear. To solve the problem of formation of fog on the lens of an eyewear while wearing a face cover, this disclosure proposes a device that prevents the eyewear from getting exposed to the air of exhaling. For this aim, this device redirects the flow of the exhaled air that leaks from the top of the mask. Unlike the solutions in the prior art, the main embodiment of the device disclosed in this application is a standalone device. No modification to the eyewear is needed (although one embodiment of this invention is integrated in the eyewear during manufacturing the eyewear). No modification to the face covering mask is needed either (although one embodiment of this invention is integrated in the face covering mask during manufacturing the face covering mask). Hence, people in the society who need to wear mask, may use this device without needing to purchase new types of eyewear or new types of mask. This device prevents formation of fog on eyewear regardless of the type of eyewear or the type of the mask worn by a user. Hence, compared with the prior art, this device introduces the least amount of discomfort and financial burden on the users and on the society. A significant advantage of the disclosed invention is its contribution to the health of the society and reduction of the spread of viruses. Thanks to this invention a large portion of the society (who refuses wearing masks at all, or who wear masks improperly to avoid formation of fog on their eyewear) shall start using masks and shall wear masks properly. For example, people who may refuse wearing masks during pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, because of discomfort resulted by formation of fog on their eyewear, or people who may wear masks improperly (for example by not covering their noses) or those who may create vents in their masks, to prevent formation of fog on their eyewear, will start wearing their masks properly since the device disclosed in this disclosure prevents formation of fog on the eyewear.

1 . An apparatus for preventing formation of fog on an eyewear, said eyewear having a bottom edge such that when said eyewear is worn by a user said bottom edge is positioned in a lower vertical position than the vertical position of pupil of an eye of said user, while said user is wearing a face cover, comprising:
 (a) an air guiding piece, said air guiding piece composed of at least one air impervious element for forming an air passage, said air impervious element configured to be positioned outside said face cover such that said face cover is located under said air impervious element, and said air impervious element having a front surface that is visible in front of a face of a user, a back surface configured to face the face cover such that said back surface and an outside surface of said face cover face each other, a first end that is configured to be positioned closer to the face of the user as compared with a position of the bottom edge of said eyewear, a second end that is an opposite end of said first end and is configured to be positioned farther from the face of the user, and a middle portion between the first end and the second end such that said middle portion stays in front of and outside said face cover so that said air passage for passing air that exits from the face cover is formed between an outer surface of said face cover and the back surface of said air impervious element;   (b) at least one connecting means composed of at least one element for attaching said air guiding piece to the eyewear; and   (c) whereby said at least one connecting means secures said air guiding piece and said eyewear together such that said second end, which is the end that is configured to be positioned farther from the face of the user as compared with said first end extends from said first end farther from the face of the user in a direction that is toward said eyewear, and is positioned outside of said face cover, and said first end is configured to be positioned closer to the face of the user as compared with the position of the lenses of said eyewear and is positioned outside said face cover and in a higher vertical position than the position of a portion of said face cover that is positioned under said first end, such that the back surface of said air impervious element is positioned outside and in front of, or on top of, said face cover such that said air passage is formed between the outer surface of said face cover and the back surface of said air impervious element for guiding the air that exits from the face cover wherein said air moves toward said second end and exits said air passage at said second end, whereby the lenses of said eyewear stays away from being exposed to said air and hence stays away from fog.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said air impervious element is configured to be tilted downwardly with respect to the face of the user so that said first end, which is the end that is configured to be positioned closer to the face of the user, is disposed in a higher vertical position with respect to the bottom edge of said eyewear so that a vertical space is provided wherein an upper edge of said face cover can be pulled up to a higher vertical position than the vertical position of the bottom edge of said eyewear such that said first end is disposed in a higher vertical position with respect to the upper edge of said face cover, as well as the bottom edge of said eyewear, such that said air passage is formed between the outer surface of said face cover and the back surface of said air impervious element such that said air impervious element is positioned outside and in front of said face cover such that the upper edge of said face cover stays under said first end of said air impervious element even though said upper edge of the face cover is positioned in a higher vertical position with respect to the bottom edge of the eyewear so that said air passage is formed between said back surface of said air impervious element and the outer surface of said face cover such that exhaled air that exits the face cover is configured to be redirected into said air passage and moves inside said air passage away from the upper edge of the face cover and toward a front direction with respect to the face of the user, thereby said exhaled air exits said air passage with a course directed away from the lenses of said eyewear. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one connecting means is integrated permanently to the eyewear such that said eyewear is permanently connected to one side of said at least one connecting means and such that said air guiding piece is permanently connected to another side of said at least one connecting means such that said air guiding piece is a permanent part of said eyewear integrated to said eyewear for preventing formation of fog on said eyewear while wearing the face cover. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said air impervious element is configured to extend to the front of the face of the user further than a location of the bottom edge of said eyewear thereby extending said air passage further than a location of the eyewear in front of the face of the user and thereby redirecting exhaled air in said air passage further away from the outer surface of the lenses of said eyewear thereby preventing exposure of the outer surface of the lenses of said eyewear to the exhaled air thereby preventing the lenses of said eyewear from becoming foggy. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one connecting means is integrated permanently to the eyewear during manufacturing of the eyewear such that said eyewear is connected to a first side of said at least one connecting means and such that said air guiding piece is connected to another side of said at least one connecting means such that said air guiding piece is a permanent part of said eyewear integrated into said eyewear for preventing formation of fog on eyewear while wearing the face cover. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said air impervious element bends downwardly in front of said face cover and outside said face cover and forms a second air impervious element in front of said face cover and outside said face cover and in a lower vertical position than the position of said eyewear such that said air passage between the back surface of the air impervious element and the outer surface of said face cover is formed such that exhaled air that exits the face cover is redirected to said air passage and downwardly exits said air passage away from the lenses of said eyewear. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said air impervious element curves downwardly in front of said face cover and outside said face cover and in a lower vertical position than the position of said eyewear for redirecting downwardly exhaled air away from the lenses of said eyewear. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a holding means positioned between said face cover and said air guiding piece for maintaining said first end of said air impervious element in a higher vertical position as compared with the position of a portion of said face cover that is disposed under said first end thereby maintaining said air passage between the outer surface of said face cover and said back surface of said air impervious element wherein exhaled air moves toward said second end and exits said air passage at said second end away from the lenses of said eyewear. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said holding means is a bar, or a plurality of bars, having two ends, wherein one end is connected to said air guiding piece and an opposite end is connected to said face cover when said apparatus is in use whereby said first end of said air impervious element is maintained in a higher vertical position with respect to said face cover and whereby said air passage is formed between the back surface of said air impervious element and the outer surface of said face cover wherein said exhaled air moves toward said second end and exits said air passage at said second end away from the lenses of said eyewear. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one connecting means comprises of two parallel plates that are biased toward each other and are positioned at said air guiding piece such that an edge of said eyewear is placed between said two parallel plates thereby said air guiding piece is secured to said eyewear. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a force transferring means having two ends located under said air guiding piece wherein one of the two ends of said force transferring means is connected to said air guiding piece and an opposite end is positioned on an upper portion of said face cover, or on an upper edge of said face cover, and outside said face cover, when the apparatus is in use, such that said force transferring means applies force on the upper portion of said face cover, or on the upper edge of said face cover, thereby pushing the upper portion of said face cover, or the upper edge of said face cover, on the face of the user for reducing the opening between the upper portion of said face cover, or the upper edge of said face cover, and the face of the user thereby reducing an amount of exhaled air that leaks from the upper edge of the face cover. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for preventing formation of fog on an eyewear, said eyewear having a lower portion such that when said eyewear is worn by a user said lower portion is positioned in a lower vertical position than the vertical position of pupil of an eye of said user, while wearing a face cover, comprising:
 (a) a force transferring means, having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the two ends;   (b) connecting means located at at least one of said first end or said second end of said force transferring means for maintaining said force transferring means between the lower portion of said eyewear and said face cover; and   (c) whereby said connecting means secures said force transferring means between said lower portion of said eyewear and said face cover such that said first end is disposed on the surface of the face cover on the upper portion of said face cover and is positioned outside of said face cover, when the device is in use, such that said force transferring means transfers a direct force from said eyewear to the upper portion of said face cover and in a direction that pushes the upper portion of the face cover to the face of the user thereby reducing the opening between said face cover and the face of the user thereby reducing the amount of exhaled air that leaks from the top edge of the face cover and thereby preventing, or reducing, formation of fog on said eyewear.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said force transferring means is at least one bar that is positioned between the lower portion of said eyewear and on the upper portion of said face cover such that said bar is positioned outside said face cover and said first end applies force on the upper portion of said face cover on at least one point in the interval between the nose and the cheekbone of the face of the user, which is the interval where most of the exhaled air leaks the face cover due to the fact that the forces coming from the back of the head of the user through straps of the face cover have the least effectiveness on said interval, and thereby pushing the upper portion of said face cover on the face of the user and thereby reducing the amount of leaked exhaled air and thereby reducing, or preventing, formation of fog on the lenses of the eyewear. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is integrated in said face cover during manufacturing of said face cover such that said connecting means and said apparatus are a permanent part of said face cover. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said face cover is a medical mask such that said apparatus is permanently attached to said medical mask. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is integrated in said eyewear during manufacturing of said eyewear such that said connecting means and said apparatus are a permanent part of said eyewear. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for preventing formation of fog on an eyewear, said eyewear having a bottom edge, said bottom edge positioned in a lower vertical position than the vertical position of pupil of an eye of a user, while said user is wearing a face cover, comprising:
 (a) an air guiding piece, said air guiding piece composed of at least one air impervious element for forming an air passage, said air impervious element having a front surface, a back surface, a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between two ends;   (b) a holding means positioned between said face cover and said air guiding piece for providing a hollow space, or an air passage, between an upper portion of said face cover, and under said back surface of said air impervious element wherein exhaled air that exits from said face cover changes its course and moves toward said second end such that said exhaled air exits said air passage at said second end with a course of direction that takes the exhaled air away from the eyewear;   (c) connecting means for attaching said holding means to said face cover; and   (d) whereby said connecting means secure said air impervious element and said face cover together such that the second end of said air impervious element is configured to extend toward the front of the face of the user, and holding means assures that the first end is positioned higher than said face cover such that said air passage is formed between said back surface of said air impervious element and an outer surface of said face cover whereby said exhaled air changes its course such that said exhaled air moves inside said air passage toward said second end such that said exhaled air exits said air passage at said second end with a course of direction that takes the exhaled air away from the eyewear so that the lenses of said eyewear are not exposed to said exhaled air and thereby the lenses of said eyewear do not become foggy.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said air impervious element is configured to extend beyond an outer surface of the lenses of said eyewear in front of the face of the user thereby extending said air passage further than a location of the eyewear in front of the face of the user and thereby redirecting the exhaled air in said air passage further away from the outer surface of the lenses of said eyewear thereby preventing exposure of the outer surface of the lenses of said eyewear to the exhaled air thereby preventing the lenses of said eyewear from becoming foggy. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said apparatus is integrated in said face cover during manufacturing of said face cover such that said apparatus is a permanent part of said face cover. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said face cover is a medical mask such that said apparatus is permanently attached to said medical mask.