Ventilated head cover and safety hood

Abstract

A ventilated head cover having a rigid shell with insulation therein designed to retain cool air and to reduce noises from outside of the shell and having removably mounted insulation designed to reduce outside sounds and the sound from the air flow inside of the shell; said head cover being provided with a transparent, removably mounted eye shield and a removably mounted flexible neck collar designed to prevent entrance of gases from the outside, but permitting discharge of air from the inside of the head cover. Means are provided for the entrance of a controlled volume of clean air to keep the head of the user cool, and to maintain the eye shield clean, as well as to furnish air for the user to breathe, and to prevent entrance of gases from the outside, and the structure of the head cover being further designed to permit free movement of the head in the cover.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In sand blasting, painting and cleaning tanks, and the like, it is necessary for the workers to wear head covers to protect the user from flying objects, and to filter out any dust, sand or gas in the area. In these close quarters, the temperatures sometimes reach 100.degree. F., and greater, and noxious gases are commonly present. Head covers presently employed for this purpose are of excessive weight and the structure limits movement of the head and blocks peripherial vision, and, in many instances, are not of sufficient rigidity to protect the user from the hazards encountered in such work. It is an object of the invention to provide a head cover that is a safety hood, guarding against flying objects, and which is a comfortable, cooled head gear, protecting the user against the debris incident to the work of sand blasting and against the noxious gases invariably present in such areas.

It is another object of the invention to provide a head cover that may be worn for long periods of time, with comfort, and that is composed of parts that may be quickly and easily disassembled and cleaned, or replaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A head cover and safety hood having a rigid shell insulated to retain cool air and to block outside noises, having readily removable insulation pads and a transparent eye-piece, an elastic neck collar and a depending skirt, held in place on the cover by means of yieldable bands, and having means for admitting a controlled volume of clean air into the interior of the hood.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a user, with the head cover in place.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the component parts of the head cover.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembled head cover.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the head cover, illustrating the composition of the head cover and the air conduit and discharge openings.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view, partially in cross section, with all parts in assembled position.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, illustrating the method of releasably mounting the eye-piece on the head cover, and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view, illustrating the flexible neck collar in position on the head cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the shell forming the helmet, which is prefereably formed of a suitable rigid lightweight material, such as fiber glass, molded into a cylindrical shape with an opening 2, in which the transparent shield 3 is mounted, providing an eyepiece through which the user may see to do his work. Side supports 4, 4 are secured to the shell on each side of the shield opening 2, such as by means of the rivits 5, 5. The shield 3 fits over the opening 2 and the side margins thereof fit between the outer portion of the supports 4, 4 and the body of the helmet shell 1. Flexible bands, as 6, 7, are anchored to the shell 1 and the margins of the bands 6, 7 adjacent the eye piece opening 2, are free, so that it may be rolled back, as illustrated in FIG. 6, to permit the upper and lower margins of the shield 3 to fit against the shell 1 in position over the shield opening 2, and the rolled portion of the flexible bands 6, 7 are then rolled back to the position shown in FIG. 3, maintaining the shield in position over the opening 2.

A lining of cork, as 8, is secured to the inside vertical walls of the shell 1, and the domed top of the shell 1 has its inside wall covered with a suitable insulation 9 of a nature that will maintain the cool air in the manner a sponge maintains water, such as the product sold under the name Armaflex, which is permanently mounted in the shell, and an air conduit 10 extends from one side of the shell, on the inside wall, over the cork and top insulation, and follows the inside contour of the shell to a point on the opposite side in horizontal alignment with the entrance connection 11, which extends through the side wall of the shell 1.

A hanger ring 12 is mounted in the top of the shell 1, to provide means for suspending the shell from a hook when not in use. A pad of insulation material, such as urethane foam, 13, shaped to fit the inside contours of the shell 1, are loosely mounted therein, over the cork insulation 8, and over the air inlet conduit 10. Discharge ports in the conduit 10, as 14, 14, are shown extending from one end of the conduit to the other, in spaced relation, positioned to discharge air outwardly from each side of the conduit 10. These openings will be formed in the conduit 10 from a point just above the point of location of the left ear of the user, and will terminate just above the right ear, so that no discharge will be opposite either ear.

Mounted on the bottom of the shell 1, is the flexible neck collar 15, which is formed of suitable elastic material, the outside margin of which is stretched tightly over the bottom margin of the shell 1, and the lower portion of the band 7 is rolled up for this installation, and when the skirt is in place, the band 7 is rolled back down, extending over the collar and skirt, to aid in maintaining the collar and skirt in place. The skirt 16 is formed of a suitable fabric, which is shaped to extend over the shoulders and the chest and back of the user, and the upper margin is stretched over the lower margin of the shell 1 and collar 15.

An air hose 17 extends from the connection 11 to the belt of the user 18, and an air conditioner, as 19, for separating hot and cold air, of conventional structure, is mounted on the belt of the user and receives the hose 17, and a hose 20 extends from the air conditioner 19 to a source of supply (not shown) of air, under pressure. A valve on the air conditioner 19 permits manual adjustment of the air flow into the shell 1.

In use, the user places the shell over his head, and the top thereof rests on the top of the user's head, and the entire shell moves with the movement of the head, providing full vision at all times, and the shield 3 is of sufficient width to permit an extended peripheral field of vision. The air introduced into the shell 1 through the hose 17 is a continuous flow, and will pass out of the shell through the collar 15. The circulation of the air through the cover keeps the shield 3 free of condensation, and the collar 15 and movement of air through the collar 15, keeps outside gases from entering the head cover. The insulation on the top of the shell absorbs and retains cool air, keeping the head of the user cool and comfortable. Thus, regardless of the gas and debris in the ambient atmosphere, or the temperature therein, the head of the user will remain cool, comfortable and free of contamination from the outside, and the head of the user will be protected against impact of flying objects incident to the nature of the work of sandblasting, and the like, with the additional advantage of insulation against the noise created by this type of work, and of a head cover having means for securing the component parts in place which will enable the user to readily remove the pads 13, collar 15, shield 3 and the skirt 16 for cleaning or replacement.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A ventilated hood having a rigid shell, said shell having a shield opening, a transparent shield releasably mounted over said shield opening, said shell having a user receiving opening, a flexible collar mounted on said shell, adjacent said receiving opening and an air conduit having a plurality of discharge ports mounted in said shell, said conduit having an entry at one end and extending from a point above the longitudinal center of the hood and over the inside top of the hood terminating at a point diametrically opposed to the entry point, an air connection in said shell extending transversely through one wall, said connection being movable into flow connection with the entry end of said conduit and a source of supply of air under pressure, a pair of flexible bands are stretched over and mounted on said shell, the margins of said bands adjacent said shell positioned over a portion of said shield adjacent the outer margins thereof to maintain said shield tightly against said shell and in said sealed relation with said shell.

2. A ventilated hood having a rigid shell, said shell having a shield opening, a transparent shield releasably mounted over said shield opening, said shell having a receiving opening, a flexible collar mounted on said shell adjacent said receiving opening and an air conduit having a plurality of discharge ports mounted in said shell, said conduit having an entry at one end and extending from a point above the longitudinal center of the shell and over the inside top of the shell, terminating at a point diametrically opposed to the entry point, an air connection in said shell extending transversely through one wall, said connection being movable into flow connection with the entry end of said conduit and a source of supply of air under pressure said shell being cylindrical, the top thereof being domed and closed and the bottom thereof being open and said shell provided with a cork insulation on its side walls and a cool air retaining insulation on the inside top wall, said air conduit being mounted between said cork and cool air retaining insulation, said insulation pads being loosely mounted in said shell said collar including means for maintaining said cork and air cooling insulation in said shell thereby forming a sound barrier between said air conduit and the inside of said shell.

3. A ventilated hood having a rigid shell, said shell having a shield opening, a transparent shield releasably mounted over said shield opening, said shell having a receiving opening, a flexible collar mounted on said shell adjacent said receiving opening and an air conduit having a plurality of discharge ports mounted in said shell, said conduit having an entry at one end and extending from a point above the longitudinal center of the shell and over the inside top of the shell, terminating at a point diametrically opposed to the entry point, an air connection in said shell extending transversely through one wall, said connection being movable into flow connection with the entry end of said conduit and a source of supply of air under pressure, insulation pads are loosely mounted in the shell, said collar including means for maintaining said insulation pads in said shell, and a skirt is mounted on the lower margin of said shell, and said collar, shield and skirt are maintained detachably mounted on said shell by a pair of flexible bands stretched over said shell having their respective margins movable over and off of the margins of said collar, shield and skirt, to move same into and out of holding position.