Combination hair tie and face mask assembly

Abstract

A combination hair tie and face mask assembly includes a mask panel and hair tie members for transforming the assembly between a face mask and hair tie. The mask panel includes longitudinal and lateral edges and a mask covering that spans between the edges. The hair tie members are attached to the mask panel and include a tie covering having a first end and second end separated by a gap, a cannula extending between the first end and second end, and a tie elastic that is formed into a closed loop through the cannula and exposed at the gap. The assembly is transformable into a face mask by drawing the tie elastics from the hair tie members to create an ear loop that can be donned around a user's ears and to exert tension on the face covering such that it can be donned over the user's mouth and nose.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combined hair tie and face mask assembly, for use by a user having a face including a mouth, nose, and ears, comprising:
 a mask panel having a front, a rear, a pair of longitudinal edges including a top and a bottom, and a pair of lateral edges, the mask panel having a flexible fabric mask covering that spans substantially between the longitudinal edges and the lateral edges;   a pair of hair tie members, each hair tie member including a tie covering that is substantially tubular, the tie covering having a first end, a second end, and a cannula extending between the first end and the second end, the first end and the second end of each of the hair tie coverings attached to the mask panel at one of the lateral edges of the mask panel, the first end and the second end facing each other and separated by a gap, each hair tie member also including a tie elastic that is formed into a closed loop that extends through the cannula and is exposed at the gap between the first end and the second end, such that the hair tie and face mask assembly is adapted to be used as a face mask by grasping the tie elastics at the gaps, pulling each tie elastic to create an ear loop from said tie elastic that is external to the tie covering while simultaneously minimizing said tie elastic in length within the tie covering and thereby bunching up the tie covering, and stretching the ear loops over the ears of the user while pressing and maintaining the rear of the mask panel against the mouth and nose.   
     
     
         2 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mask panel has a side tube at each of the lateral edges, each side tube has a top and bottom opening at the longitudinal edges, the first end of each hair tie covering extends into the top opening of one of the side tubes, the second end of said hair tie covering extends into the bottom opening of said side tube, and said side tube has a rear tube opening at the rear of the mask panel that corresponds with the gap between the first and second ends of said hair tie covering. 
     
     
         3 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the mask panel has at least one mask elastic member that is attached to the flexible fabric mask covering substantially between the lateral edges, the at least one mask elastic member causes the flexible fabric mask covering to shorten a distance between the lateral edges of the mask panel when the mask panel is not tensioned outwardly at the lateral edges. 
     
     
         4 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one mask elastic member further comprises an upper mask elastic member that extends substantially between the lateral edges near the top of the mask panel, and a lower mask elastic member that extends substantially between the lateral edges near the bottom of the mask panel. 
     
     
         5 . A combined hair tie and face mask assembly, for use by a user having a face including a mouth, nose, and ears, comprising:
 a mask panel having a front, a rear, a pair of longitudinal edges including a top and a bottom, and a pair of lateral edges, the mask panel having a flexible fabric mask covering that spans substantially between the longitudinal edges and lateral edges;   a pair of hair tie members, each of the hair tie members attached to the rear of the mask panel at one of the lateral edges, each hair tie member has a tie covering that is substantially tubular and configured as a ring with a cannula extending therein, each hair tie member also has a tie elastic that is formed into a closed loop that extends through the cannula, the tie elastic is substantially covered by the tie covering except at the rear of the mask panel where it is exposed to allow the tie elastic to be grasped by a user to form ear loops that are adapted to extend over the ears of the user while the rear of the mask panel extends over the mouth and nose of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the tie elastic is substantially covered by the tie covering and is exposed at the gap between the first end and second end, such that the hair tie and face mask assembly is adapted to be used as a face mask by grasping the tie elastics at the gaps, pulling each tie elastic to create an ear loop from said tie elastic that is external to the tie covering while simultaneously minimizing said tie elastic in length within the tie covering and thereby bunching up the tie covering, and stretching the ear loops over the ears of the user while pressing and maintaining the rear of the mask panel against the mouth and nose. 
     
     
         7 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the first end and the second end of each of the hair tie coverings are attached to the mask panel at one of the lateral edges of the mask panel, facing each other and separated by a gap, the tie covering having a first end, a second end, and a cannula extending between the first end and the second end, the first end and the second end of each of the hair tie coverings attached to the mask panel at one of the lateral edges of the mask panel, the first end and the second end facing each other and separated by a gap. 
     
     
         8 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the mask panel has a side tube at each of the lateral edges, each side tube has a top and bottom opening at the longitudinal edges, the first end of each hair tie covering extends into the top opening of one of the side tubes, the second end of said hair tie covering extends into the bottom opening of said side tube, and said side tube has a rear tube opening at the rear of the mask panel that corresponds with the gap between the first and second ends of said hair tie covering. 
     
     
         9 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the mask panel has at least one mask elastic member that is attached to the flexible fabric mask covering substantially between the lateral edges, the at least one mask elastic member causes the flexible fabric mask covering to shorten a distance between the lateral edges of the mask panel when the mask panel is not tensioned outwardly at the lateral edges. 
     
     
         10 . The combined hair tie and face mask assembly as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one mask elastic member further comprises an upper mask elastic member that extends substantially between the lateral edges near the top of the mask panel, and a lower mask elastic member that extends substantially between the lateral edges near the bottom of the mask panel.