U.S. patent application number 12/637384 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-17 for face shield devices and methods.
Invention is credited to Robert H. Heil.
Application Number | 20100146679 12/637384 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42238830 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100146679 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Heil; Robert H. |
June 17, 2010 |
FACE SHIELD DEVICES AND METHODS
Abstract
Disclosed are improved face shields that comprise a piece of
flexible, liquid-impervious, transparent film that has adhered
thereto an elongate strip of a liquid-absorbent material. The face
shield is adapted to be held in place between the worker's forehead
and the rim of a hat, for example, a baseball cap, painter's hat or
surgical hat. When in place, the liquid-absorbent material contacts
the forehead of the worker and helps to hold the face shield in
place. In addition, the flexible liquid-absorbing member absorbs
perspiration coming from the worker's forehead. The face shield
cantilevers in a self-supporting manner outward and downward from
the rim of the hat thereby protecting the worker's face from
deposits of airborne liquid (e.g., airborne liquid such as paint,
texture spray, or bodily fluids) or from airborne particulate
(e.g., sanding dust). Together with the hat, the face shield of the
invention provides protection for both the top of the head and the
face of the worker.
Inventors: |
Heil; Robert H.; (Almena,
WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KAGAN BINDER, PLLC
SUITE 200, MAPLE ISLAND BUILDING, 221 MAIN STREET NORTH
STILLWATER
MN
55082
US
|
Family ID: |
42238830 |
Appl. No.: |
12/637384 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61201688 |
Dec 12, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/9 ; 2/181;
2/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/24 20130101; A42B
3/22 20130101; A41D 13/1184 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/9 ; 2/181;
2/206 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/00 20060101
A41D013/00; A42C 5/02 20060101 A42C005/02; A42B 1/00 20060101
A42B001/00 |
Claims
1. A face shield adapted to be held in place by pressure exerted
between the forehead of a person and the rim of a hat that the
person is wearing, said face shield comprising: a flexible,
transparent, liquid-impervious film having an upper edge, a lower
edge, and two side edges; and a flexible liquid-absorbing member
that is affixed to a surface of said film proximate said upper
edge; wherein the face shield is sufficiently flexible to conform
to the forehead of a person when the upper edge of the film is
inserted between the rim of what and the person's forehead with the
flexible liquid-absorbing member contacting the person's forehead;
and wherein the film is sufficiently rigid when inserted between
the rim of a hat and the person's forehead so that the film
cantilevers in a self-supporting manner over at least a portion of
the person's face.
2. A face shield comprising: a flexible, transparent,
liquid-impervious film having an upper edge, a lower edge, and two
side edges; a flexible liquid-absorbing member attached to the film
proximate to the upper edge; and an elastic band attached to the
film proximate to the upper edge; wherein the elastic band forms a
loop for mounting the face shield around a person's forehead.
3. The face shield of claim 2, wherein the elastic band is made of
elastic cloth or stretch bonded laminate.
4. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the film comprises
polyester, polyolefin, polyurethane, acrylic, or acetate.
5. The face shield claim 1, wherein the film comprises
polyester.
6. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the film comprises polyester
having a thickness ranging from about 1 to about 10 mils.
7. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the flexible
liquid-absorbing member comprises a woven cloth or a nonwoven
cloth.
8. The face shield of claim 7, wherein the flexible
liquid-absorbing member further comprises a super-absorbent
polymer.
9. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the flexible
liquid-absorbing member is attached to the film with an adhesive,
tape, or stitching.
10. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the piece of film is
rectangular.
11. The face shield of claim 10, wherein the piece of film has a
length ranging from about 8 inches to about 12 inches and a width
ranging from about 4 inches to about 10 inches.
12. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the flexible, transparent,
liquid impervious film comprises a plurality of sheets of film that
are releasably attached to one another.
13. The face shield of claim 12, wherein the film comprises 2 to 10
sheets that are releasably attached to one another.
14. The face shield of claim 12, wherein the sheets are releasably
attached using an adhesive or ultrasonic welding.
15. A method of protecting a person's face from airborne liquids or
airborne solid particulate, the method comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a face shield according to claim 1; (b) providing a hat
having a rim that can be sized to snugly fit a person's head; and
(c) positioning the upper edge of the face shield between the rim
of the hat and the person's forehead so that the face shield is
frictionally held therebetween and cantilevers in a self-supporting
manner over at least a portion of the person's face.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the film comprises polyester,
polyolefin, polyurethane, acrylic, or acetate.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the film comprises
polyester.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the film comprises polyester
having a thickness ranging from about 1 to about 10 mils.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the flexible liquid-absorbing
member comprises a woven cloth or a nonwoven cloth.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the flexible liquid-absorbing
member further comprises a super-absorbent polymer.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein the flexible liquid-absorbing
member is attached to the film with an adhesive, tape, or
stitching.
22. The method of claim 15, wherein the piece of film is
rectangular.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the piece of film has a length
ranging from about 8 inches to about 12 inches and a width ranging
from about 4 inches to about 10 inches.
24. The method of claim 15, wherein the flexible, transparent,
liquid impervious film comprises a plurality of sheets of film that
are releasably attached to one another.
25. The method of claim 15, wherein the film comprises 2 to 10
sheets that are releasably attached to one another.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the sheets are releasably
attached using an adhesive or ultrasonic welding.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/201,688, filed Dec. 12, 2008, and entitled
FACE SHIELD DEVICES AND METHODS, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to face shield devices and to methods
of using face shield devices to protect a worker's face from
airborne liquids and particles.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It is often desirable for workers who are working with or
around liquid or airborne particulate to wear a protective device
to prevent the liquid or particulate from depositing on the face.
For example, when painting or applying a liquid coating material to
a surface by rolling, brushing, spraying or the like, it is all too
common to have the liquid coating spatter and come into contact
with the applicator's head and face. This problem is exacerbated
when the application of paint or liquid coating material takes
place overhead, for example, when painting or texture spraying a
ceiling. If care is not taken to protect the head and face from
splatter, the applicator must later clean the dried coating from
his face and hair. Protection is also desirable since some coating
materials include harmful ingredients. In addition to tradesmen,
medical personnel also require protection from the splattering of
blood or other body fluids that may spread disease. In order to
encourage the wide use of face shields (especially in the painting
and construction trades) a face shield that is cost-effective,
comfortable to wear, easy to mount and adjust, and disposable or
easy-to-clean is highly desirable. For example, a face shield that
allows the wearer to wear glasses under the face shield or a face
shield that absorbs perspiration that may be generated by the
wearer is desirable.
SUMMARY
[0004] The invention is addressed to the aforementioned need in the
art and provides improved face shield devices and methods of
protecting a worker's face from airborne liquid and airborne solid
particulate.
[0005] In one aspect the present invention provides an improved
face shield device. The face shield of the invention comprises a
piece of flexible, liquid-impervious, transparent film that has
adhered thereto an elongate strip of a liquid-absorbent material.
The face shield of the invention is adapted to be held in place
between the worker's forehead and the rim of a hat, for example, a
baseball cap, painter's hat or surgical hat. When in place, the
liquid-absorbent material contacts the forehead of the worker and
helps to hold the face shield in place. In addition, the flexible
liquid-absorbing member absorbs perspiration coming from the
worker's forehead. The face shield of the invention cantilevers in
a self-supporting manner outward and downward from the rim of the
hat thereby protecting the worker's face from deposits of airborne
liquid (e.g., airborne liquid such as paint, texture spray, or
bodily fluids) or from airborne particulate (e.g., sanding dust).
Together with the hat, the face shield of the invention provides
protection for both the top of the head and the face of the
worker.
[0006] In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
protecting a worker's face from airborne liquids and airborne
particulate, the method comprising the steps of:
[0007] (a) providing a face shield comprising a piece of a
transparent, flexible, liquid-impervious sheet material;
[0008] (b) providing a hat having a rim that can be sized to snugly
fit a worker's head; and
[0009] (c) positioning a portion of the piece of the sheet material
between the rim of the hat and the forehead of the worker so that
the face shield is frictionally held therebetween and cantilevers
in a generally outward and downward direction to cover at least a
portion of the worker's face.
[0010] In one embodiment of the method, the face shield is first
held in position against the forehead of the worker with the
flexible liquid-absorbing member contacting the forehead of the
worker. A hat is then put onto the head of the worker so that the
face shield is held between the forehead of the worker and the rim
of the hat. Once in place, the worker can then manually adjust the
face shield into its desired position. When in place, the face
shield is held between the rim of the hat and the forehead of the
worker.
[0011] In another embodiment of the method, the hat is first put
onto the head of the worker and the face shield is then inserted
between the rim of the hat and the forehead of the worker.
[0012] The face shield of the invention is adapted to be held in
place between the worker's forehead and the rim of a hat, for
example, a baseball cap, painter's hat, or surgical hat. When in
place, the flexible liquid-absorbing member contacts the forehead
of the worker and helps to hold the face shield in place against
the forehead of the worker. The face shield cantilevers in a
self-supporting manner in a direction generally outward and
downward from the rim of the hat, thereby protecting the worker's
face from airborne liquid (e.g., paint or coating splatter or
bodily fluids) and from airborne particulate. Together with the
hat, the face shield of the invention provides protection for both
the top of the worker's head and for the worker's face.
[0013] In another embodiment, the invention provides a face shield
comprising: a flexible, transparent, liquid-impervious film having
an upper edge, a lower edge, and two side edges; a flexible
liquid-absorbing member attached to the film proximate to the upper
edge; and an elastic band that is attached to the film proximate to
the upper edge to form a loop with the film. The elastic band is
sized to fit snugly around the worker's head with the flexible
liquid-absorbing member positioned against the worker's
forehead.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] The invention will be described further in connection with
the attached drawings, wherein like reference numbers have been
used to indicate like parts and wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a face
shield of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a face
shield of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a face shield of the
invention worn by a worker.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a face
shield of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a face
shield of the invention worn by a worker.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a face shield in
accordance with the present invention is shown at 10. In the
embodiment of FIG. 1, face shield 10 includes a generally
rectangular flexible transparent liquid-impervious sheet material
12 having an upper edge 14, a lower edge 16, and opposite side
edges 18 and 20. The shape and size of sheet material 12 is not
critical, however, it should be large enough to cover a substantial
portion of the worker's face. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet
material 12 is rectangular in shape. For example, the sheet
material 12 may be rectangular and have a width of about 8 inches
to about 12 inches along upper and lower edges 14 and 16, and may
have a length of about 4 inches to about 10 inches along opposite
side edges 18 and 20. In one embodiment, the sheet material 12 is
rectangular having a width of about 10 inches and a length of about
6 inches. In some embodiments, face shield 10 has rounded corners
24. Face shield 10 includes flexible liquid-absorbing me 22 that is
attached proximate upper edge 14 and contacts the worker's forehead
when face shield 10 is worn. Typically, the flexible
liquid-absorbing member 22 comprises an absorbent material, for
example, a woven or non-woven cloth. In some embodiments, the
flexible liquid-absorbing member includes a super-absorbent
polymer. The flexible liquid-absorbing member 22 may be attached to
the transparent member 12 using any known method including, for
example, ultrasonic welding, liquid adhesive, adhesive tape,
stitching, or a hook and loop fastener. The liquid-absorbing member
22 is flexible so that face shield 10 can bend to conform to the
shape of the forehead of the worker, yet can lie flat when not in
use. Advantageously, this allows face shield 10 to be stored and
shipped flat.
[0021] In embodiments of the invention the flexible, transparent,
liquid-impervious sheet material 12 is a polymer film.
Representative examples of polymers include polyester, polyolefin
(e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene), polyurethane, acrylic, and
acetate. In some embodiments, the polymer film comprises polyester.
In some embodiments, the polymer film has a thickness ranging from
about 1 to about 10 mils, for example, from about 2 to about 5
mils. Other thicknesses may also be useful. The sheet material
should be flexible enough to conform to the worker's forehead yet
should be rigid enough to support its own weight so that it
cantilevers outwardly over the worker's face and maintains a
separation from the worker's face when the face shield is in use.
In some embodiments, the sheet material may include an anti-fogging
coating on the side of the sheet material nearest the worker's
face. In some embodiments, the sheet material may include a low
surface energy coating (i.e., a "release coating") on the outer
surface of the sheet material (i.e., the surface opposite the
worker's face). The low surface energy coating allows the outer
surface of the face shield to be more easily cleaned in
applications where cleaning and re-use is acceptable.
[0022] The face shield 10 of the invention does not include a strap
or other device for mounting it over the face of a worker. Rather,
the face shield 10 of the invention is held in place with a hat,
for example, a baseball cap, painter's hat, or surgical hat. The
face shield is held in place by pressure exerted between the
worker's forehead and the rim of a hat that the worker is wearing.
Referring now to FIG. 2, worker's head 40 is shown fitted with
baseball cap 42 and face shield of the invention 10. Baseball cap
42 has crown portion 44 having lower rim 46 that extends around the
circumference of worker's head 40. Face shield 10 is frictionally
held under crown portion 44 of cap 42 between worker's forehead 48
and rim 46. As shown in FIG. 2, flexible liquid-absorbing member 22
in contact with the worker's forehead 48. Flexible sheet material
12 cantilevers in self-supporting manner in a direction generally
outward and downward from rim 46 so that it covers at least a
portion of the face 50 of worker 40. Since the sheet material 12
cantilevers outwardly over the worker's face 50, the worker may
wear eyeglasses without interference from the face shield. In
addition, since the face shield extends outwardly away from the
worker's face, the face shield receives substantial airflow under
the face shield through open area 52, minimizing the chance for
fogging on its interior surface and for heat build-up under the
face shield.
[0023] In order to wear the face shield 10, the worker first
inserts the face shield 10 into the front portion of a cap 42 with
the flexible liquid-absorbing member 22 facing away from the front
of the hat 42. Holding the face shield 10 and cap 42, the worker
then puts the hat on his head such that the face shield is
positioned between the worker's forehead 48 and the rim 46 of cap
42. The worker may then adjust the face shield so that the flexible
liquid-absorbing member 22 contacts the worker's forehead 48 and so
that the face shield is positioned to substantially cover the face
50 of the worker 40.
[0024] Alternatively, the worker can first put the cap 42 on his
head and then insert the face shield 10 between the rim of the cap
42 and the worker's forehead 48. It may be necessary to leave the
rim 46 of the cap 42 slightly loose in order to allow the face
shield 10 to be inserted in this manner. After inserting the face
shield 10, the rim 46 of the hat can be tightened and the position
of the face shield 10 can be adjusted.
[0025] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, face shield
device 10A includes a plurality of sheets 12A-12C of flexible,
transparent, liquid-impervious sheet material. In some embodiments,
face shield 10A may include from 2 to 10 sheets. Each sheet 12A-12C
is releasably attached to the sheet below it in the stack.
Specifically, sheet 12A is releasably attached to sheet 12B, and
sheet 12B is releasably attached to sheet 12C. The sheets may be
releasably attached using any technique that allows the top sheet
of the stack to be removed without separating the remaining sheets.
Representative attachment techniques include, for example,
ultrasonic welding or adhesive. In use, face shield 10A is worn
until the outer surface is soiled. In order to clean the face
shield, the top sheet of the stack is detached from the remaining
sheets to provide a clean surface.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 3 another embodiment of a face shield
device 60 is shown. Face shield 60 includes a generally rectangular
flexible transparent liquid-impervious sheet material 62 having an
upper edge 64, a lower edge 66, and opposite side edges 68 and 70.
The shape and size of sheet material 62 is not critical, however,
it should be large enough to cover a substantial portion of a
worker's face. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet material 62 is
rectangular in shape. For example, the sheet material 62 may be
rectangular and have a width of about 8 inches to about 12 inches
along upper and lower edges 64 and 66, and may have a length of
about 4 inches to about 10 inches along opposite side edges 68 and
70. In one embodiment, the sheet material 62 is rectangular having
a width of about 10 inches and a length of about 6 inches. In some
embodiments, face shield 60 has rounded corners.
[0027] Face shield 60 includes an elastic band 80 that is adhered
to the sheet material 62 along upper edge 64 thereby forming a loop
82 for securing the face shield around the head of the worker.
Elastic band 80 may be made of elastic cloth or stretch bonded
laminate. Elastic band 80 is sized to fit snugly around a typical
worker's head. Elastic band 80 may be adhered to sheet material 62
using a variety of techniques including, for example, ultrasonic
welding, adhesive, stitching, and the like. Face shield 60 further
includes flexible liquid-absorbing member 72 that is attached
proximate upper edge 64 and contacts the worker's forehead when
face shield 60 is worn. Typically, the flexible liquid-absorbing
member 72 comprises a woven or non-woven cloth. In some
embodiments, the flexible liquid-absorbing member includes a
super-absorbent polymer. The flexible liquid-absorbing member 72
may be attached to the transparent member 62 using any known method
including, for example, ultrasonic welding, liquid adhesive,
adhesive tape, stitching, or a hook and loop fastener. Referring
now to FIG. 4, worker 84 is shown wearing face shield 60. As shown,
elastic band 80 secures the face shield 60 to the forehead of the
worker 84.
[0028] Face shield devices of the invention are typically worn
until the outer surface of the face shield has been soiled with an
unacceptable accumulation of fluid or particulate. The face shield
is then removed and either cleaned or discarded.
[0029] While the invention has been described in connection with
its preferred embodiments, it should be recognized that changes and
modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *