New mask pattern for me - trying to focus of tiny leaks at the nose and throat


Inspired by a GVS N99 respirator, but using spunbond material in layers.


Spunbond polyester - 8 layers (hard to work with in the sewing machine):  



Plastic nose bridges compared to the ubiquitous 1mm aluminum nose wire, and the 2mm one removed from the GVS that I have:


Well, with spunbond rePET (recycled polyester from drinks bottles?), you can see a tiny triangular gap still using the a plastic nose bridge. That's 840 GSM which is the highest I've sewn to date. That still leaks as you breath in an out. Could easily be solved by having the plastic nose bridge be a little triangular too. 


The same nose bridge works better with spunbond polypropylene as that is more flexible and can be made to curve better or the same plastic surface: 


I'm 100% sure the plastic nose bridges could be redesigned to be a better fit where there's a sewn join at that place in the mask.

A more advanced one would be steel in its entirety, from the same field of manufacturing that can make:


You'd get a clamp to fit YOUR high/low bridge nose shape and size and affix to the mask just before using it. They could easily wreck washing machines though - so procedures would be needed.

I'm punching holes for the 3mm elastic I'm using:


This works well but struggles to go through 8 layers of the two materials I'm using.  I cold probably just make one hole. That blue cleat for the GVS is welded to their fabric. That's not going to be doable for home-made masks with spunbond fabrics.

3rd March 2022 update

Sugru to the rescue:



You'd really want to mass produce these - say ten different nose types.












 

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