Improved Surgical Mask Grip (Ear Saver)

thingiverse

Surgical masks are a real nuisance when worn for extended periods, day after day. The elastic digs into the back of your ears, causing them to become severely sore. To alleviate this problem, a mask grip is designed to fit onto surgical face masks and keep them from rubbing against your ears. This innovative design takes inspiration from the UK National 3D Printing Society's groundbreaking work. Their creation is a significant improvement because it is remarkably minimalist, using an exceptionally small amount of material, and asymmetrical, requiring adjustment on only one side. However, their model can be too short for some users, has sharp edges that can be particularly painful on the first layer, and is challenging to print due to its complex shape and varying widths. This design takes it to the next level: it's a bit longer, prints more smoothly, features chamfers at both ends, and includes hair grip 'nobbles' that prevent it from sliding down your head. I've also included an alternative version without the nobbles, which is faster to print. This grip uses less than 2 grams of filament or about 0.6 meters of 1.75 millimeter diameter filament. It can be easily printed in batches of 16 on a bed that measures at least 200 millimeters square.