Surgical Mask Ear Protection Strap (Remix)

thingiverse

As a response to the Covid-19 virus pandemic, I was approached by a nurse with a request to create a strap that would prevent elastic straps from surgical masks from slipping off the back of the ears. The original design, which I believe originated from Creality, seemed like a good starting point. I created one and promptly realized it was slightly too long for most nurses, who are generally women and have smaller head sizes. To address this issue, I designed shorter variants with both straight and angled designs. I currently have four different strap designs in my Sketchup library, each offering varying degrees of adjustability. Two of the designs feature three adjustable positions, while the other two offer four positions and a slightly longer length. Two of these straps are straight, while the other two have an angled design that can accommodate ponytails by sitting high on the back of the head. To date, I've printed over 200 of these straps for hospitals in Ottawa, Canada. They're crafted with a 0.5mm thickness, except where the elastic strap is situated; those sections are made to be 1.6mm thick. This combination results in a flexible yet robust and extremely light strap that's easy to print using PLA. Printing five of these straps takes approximately an hour and a half. At present, I have two printers running continuously throughout the day, churning out not only these adjustable straps but also headbands for face shields. Any tips or suggestions I receive will be carefully considered and utilized to purchase more filament and continue producing these essential items.