Simple Mask Tightener - Fast Print

thingiverse

Note: V2 is the updated design. This is a simple, fast print to tighten the string used for face masks. To print one, it takes around seven minutes (using a 0.6 mm nozzle, 2 perimeters, no supports, and 15% infill), and cost around $0.03 each (1.49 g of PLA). Using a Prusa MK3S, I can print 72 on one build plate, which takes about 5 hours and 36 minutes. It could be optimized further for faster printing, but it was designed to be as universal as possible. For anyone viewing this in the far off future, this was designed for use during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (kids of the tomorrow, wake up your grandpa and help him figure out how to import old 2D-images into your holodeck to show you some dank ancient memes about it). With such low supplies of PPE across the world, doctors and nurses are having to reuse single-use masks for days/weeks at a time. When the elastic bands on these stretch out from being used well past what they were designed for, the masks can no longer make a proper seal around the wearer's face. This is a super simple way to tighten those strings - just loop the string around as many times as needed, and feed the ends through the slots afterwards. The tension of the strings should hold it in place on your head. I left extra tolerances in everything to accommodate for most strings around 5 mm in diameter - if you need it modified, please leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do. Please note that this comes with no warranty, guarantee, or claim to health benefits - it's just a simple string tightener. Please be sure to sanitize it as you would any other plastic piece. You may make modifications or remixes to this design; please share those and leave an attribute. You may not sell prints of this for profit; I won't mind if you're getting donations for them that are only 2-3 times as much as you spent on materials (we all need filament to keep helping), but there's a pretty gross situation currently going on with people printing designs under a non-commercial license and selling those prints at an astronomical markup on other sites. Lets do what we can to help our community and everyone out there working to keep our world going during these unprecedented times, not try to engage in profiteering.