JAKE

JAKE

Face Mask Clip

As you may know, I wear glasses. Over the past few months one of my pet peeves has been fogged up glasses.

On the left is what I look like with foggy glasses, and on the right is what I can see through said glasses. haha.

For this project my plan is to create a product that stops glasses from getting fogged up.

In the end, I want to create a production technique for making these products that is efficient in material usage, time and cost.

I started by using the most simple profile to see if it would have any chance to hold a mask.

I incorporated this profile into a custom mask clip based off of the contours of my face.

I found that the mask clip worked very well in combatting foggy glasses as long as the mask, but the mask didn't stay stay in enough and would easily slip out.

I began by finding the outline of where the mask should touch my face using a thin wire.

I then imported this photo into fusion and used it for all consecutive models.

Profiles

I then researched into compliant mechanisms. These are mechanisms that consist of only one part, but are able to move in a particular way due to the properties of the material used.

I found that this technique works very well when 3d printing, but is too complex for a moulding process.

The parts also had to be made physically larger than I wanted while still not having enough clamping force.

As you can see here, I simplified the compliant mechanism as much as I could. This method worked when the profile was straight but as soon as I kinked it, it become immovable, as seen in the picture on the right.

Therefore compliant mechanisms wouldn't work in this way.

I began to look at different more feasible options of making the clips universal.

One way that worked was to print a profile in a straight line, subsequently dipping the profile in hot water and moulding around face.

This works well and allows use for various shapaed faces.

I once again tried compliant mechanisms, but this one was too largeto bend into an appropriate shape.

I created a more low-profile profile haha.

This one had the ability to be bent to the desired shape, but the space allowed for the mask became too tight in the bend around the nose.

I adjusted the profile, hoping that there would now be sufficient space to place the mask.

This time there was sufficient space, but only because the profile would not bend to the required shape.

Here is a video showing the process of moulding the form to my face.

People have had concerns that it may burn you as you bend it, but as the plastic is a good insulator it does not burn you.

I adjusted the top of the profile to make it easier to bend.

This worked out well, but the profile was still a bit tight around the nose.

I opened up the profile a little more to give more space around the nose.

This worked well too, I will be using a combination of this profile and the last one to make the final profile for the extruder I plan on making.

Extruder Research

As you may see, I have moved to a uniform extrusion-like profile.

As I said in the beginning, I wanted this process to be efficient and innovative. Thus, I thought it could be interesting to maker these face mask clips from an extruded piece of plastic.

Not only would this be a lot stronger due to the lack of layer lines, but it would be a very speedy process if it works, which has always been my gripe about 3D printers.

Speaking of 3D printers, why not use the extruder itself to do the extrusion of this mask clip.

I have researched a lot into the process i understand that there is a chance that this will not work, but if it does it will be worth it.

Below is a rudeimentary sketch of a typical thermoplastic extruder.

The challlenge with the 3D printer extruder is that the profile that i have chosen is much bigger than usual nozzles, therefore it will make a complex shaped nozzle.

I got to work designing the nozzle using the profile that I had chosen earlier in the process and the basic parameters of a nozzle (shown below).

Below is the final nozzle model. It was a challenging part to model that involved many internal volumes that had to all be acccurate.

As you can see from the section below, this part is definitely too complex for traditional metalworking techniques.

As you can see from the section below, this part is definitely too complex for traditional metalworking techniques.

Therefore I was very excited to check out and try Direct Metal Laser Sintering.

This is a process of sintering powdered metal with a powerful laser, layer by layer until you have a finished form.

As I have no access to this apparatus I will have to get the part made for me. This is disappointing but It is still an opportunity to go through the process of communicating with vendors and gaining insight into the process as a whole.

I contacted over 40 different companies that manufacture metal 3d printed parts, but the best and most time-efficient quote I received was from k3d.nl. .

How to recreate and use my Face Mask Clip

Manufacture or gain access to my nozzle design. The only way to manufacture it is to use Direct Metal Laser Sintering.

1

2

Attach nozzle to 3d printer, preheat nozzle to 220degrees without fan and feed filament by hand.

3

Cut Face Mask Clip to size with hot blade, I find that between 160 and 180mm works well.

4

Watch the video below showing how to form the clip onto mask and face. Ensure water has just been boiled for best pliability.

JAKE