GB2152702A - Protective mask - Google Patents

Abstract

A headshield, suitable for wearing during welding, grinding and/or fettling operations comprises a curved facial shield (4), a head harness (6) to support the shield (4) in place around the front half of the head of the wearer, and two ear protectors (9) to cover the ears of the wearer. The ear protectors may be adjusted by screws passing through slots 12 in brackets 11 and engaged by nuts 13a, in conjunction with springs (not shown) surrounding the screws and urging the earpieces away from the brackets. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Headshield The present invention is an improved form of headshield, for example to be worn to protect a welder while he is working.

The form of welding headshield now widely used has developed by stages over the years.

Originally, the welder used simply to interpose a hand-held flat shield between the work-piece and his face, to protect his eyes and facial skin from the damaging ultraviolet and infrared rays emitted during the welding operation.

From this initial practice, a curved facial shield was developed which wrapped around the front half of the head and was supported in place by -means of a light head-harness, so leaving the welder's hands free to carry out the welding operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved headshield affording better protection to the wearer.

The headshield according to the present invention is characterised by having incorporated therein, two protectors to cover the ears of the wearer.

The ear protectors may simply by generally hemispherical or more elongated shells which are of such size as to enclose the ears and thereby protect them from arc splatter from the welding operation. However, while even such simple shells afford a degree of noisereduction. it is preferred that the protectors also incorporate additional noise-reducing means. Thus the protectors may advantageously have one or more layers of soundinsulating material, for example of foamed plastics material, secured within them. In addition or instead, the protectors may be edged with an annular cuff of muffling or padding to fit against the face around the ear in the manner of the ear pieces used in some headphones or in some forms of ear-muffling headsets.

The ear protectors may be incorporated in the headshield in various ways. Thus in one form of the invention, the surface profile of the headshield may be so moulded as to form a hollow or socket into which the protectors are fitted. In another form of the invention, the headshield may have pressed-out or cutout apertures and the protectors may be located within such apertures so as to be retained thereby, for example retained in place by thumb-nuts and bolts similar to those used for retaining the lens.

Whichever arrangement is adopted for incorporating the ear protectors in the headshield, it is preferred that the mounting of the protectors should be at least resilient and preferably also adjustable. Thus a sprung or other resilient form of mounting contributes to the comfort of the wearer and also may urge the protector into place around the ear and whereby assist the sound-insulating effect.

Both comfort and also efficiency are enhanced by providing for adjustment of the protectors.

Lateral adjustment of their position may be provided so that the protectors may be located in the appropriate position for the head size and shape of the wearer. In addition, the protectors may be adjustable towards and away from the head, for example by variation in the tension of a sprung mounting.

A preferred form of the headshield according to the present invention comprises a curved shield with an eye-piece closed by a transparent, heat-resistant and ray-resistant lens, an adjustable head-harness to support the shield in front of the face of the wearer, and two ear-protectors, each laterally adjustable in the plane of the shield and resiliently urged towards the head of the wearer and each incorporating at least one layer of soundinsulating material.

The headshield according to the present invention may be made from those materials used for conventional headshields, for example from glass-rfeinforced plastics material, or from any other material having the necessary properties. The sound-insulating material may be foamed polyurethane.

An improved welding headshield according to the present invention has at least two advantages not shown by previously available headshields. Not only are the ears protected to a greater or lesser extent from sound damage. Protection to the ears is also afforded against burning caused by welding spots distributed by arc splatter, especially when the welder is working in a prone or bent position.

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of welding headshield according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial rear view, partly in section, of the helmet of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a view, corresponding to Fig. 2, of an alternative method of mounting the ear protector of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, a welding headshield formed as a moulding in glass-reinforced plastics material, has a moulded eyepiece 5 bonded thereto, in which the transparent lens (not shown) is secured. In use, the headshield is secured in place on the head of the wearer by means of an adjustable head harness 6, pivotally secured to the helmet 4 by wing nuts 7.

In the headshield shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a generally oval cut-out 8 in each side of the headshield 4 accommodates an ear-muff 9 in the form of an elongated hemispherical shell.

The shell itself is of glass-reinforced plastics material and incorporates therein a thick layer of polyurethane foam and has an annular cuff 10 of soft, resilient padded fabric. A resilient saddle 11 bridges the cut-out 8 and retains the ear-muffs 9 against the Inside of the headshield. Linear adjustment of the ear-muff 9 is obtained by means of an elongated slot 12 in the saddle 11, in which a threaded stud 1 3 on the ear-muff 9 slidably engages. The ear-muff 9 is held In place by a nut 1 3a threaded on the stud 1 3. resisted by a spring 20 surrounding the stud. The saddle 11 is not secured to the headshield 4 but is simply retained against it by the resilience of the saddle and therefore allows further adjustment of the position of the ear-muff 9 to accommodate different head shapes and ear positions.

In the alternative arrangement shown in Fig. 3. a headshield 14. In other respects identical to the headshield 4. Is formed with a moulded socket 1 5 Into which an ear-muff 16 freely fits. A vertical linear slot 1 7 in the socket 1 5 allows adjustment of the position of the ear-muff 16. A large-headed adjusting nut 1 8. working against a compression spring 1 9 surrounded by a tubular plastic cover 21.

resiliently retains the ear-muff in place. Adjust- ment of the ear-muff 1 6 towards and away from the face of the wearer is achieved by turning the nut 1 8 in an anticlockwise or clockwise direction respectively.

One particular advantage of the welding headshield according to the present invention is that ear protection is automatically afforded when the headshield is donned but, on removal of the headshield, the welder is immediately able to hear the sounds of activities around him. If some of the benefits of the present invention were sought by the use of ear-muffs worn independently of the headshield. the welder, on removing the headshield.

would remain vulnerable to unheard activities around him until the ear-muffs were deliberately and separately removed.

I have described my invention above especially in the context of welding headshields but is is equally applicable to headshields generally-for example those shields, usually made of transparent plastics material, which are worn during grinding and fettling operations in foundries and general engineering workshops.

Claims (6)

1. A headshield comprising a curved facial shield having a head-harness, characterised by having incorporated in said headshield two protectors to cover the ears of the wearer.

2. A headshield according to claim 1, wherein said protectors are generally hemispherical or more elongated shells.

3 A headshield according to claim 1 or darn ?, wlrreirr the protectors also incorpor ate .idditi'nal noise-reducing means.

-t A headshield according to any of the prc!c-t!dlrlg claims wherein the profile of the headshleld is so moulded as to form a hollow or socket into which the protectors are fitted.

5. A headshieid according to any of claims 1 to 3. having pressed-out or cut-out apertures within which the protectors are located

6. A headshield according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protectors are resiliently mounted.

7 A headshield according to any of the preceding claims. wherein the protectors are laterally adjustable 8 A headshield according to any of the preceding claims. wherein the protectors are adjustable towards and away from the head of the wearer.

9 A headshield comprising a curved facial shield with an eyepiece closed by a transparent, heat-resistant and ray-resistant lens. an adjustable head-harness to support the shield in front of the face of the wearer and two earprotectors. each laterally adjustable In the plane of the shield and resiliently urged towards the head of the wearer and each Incorporating at least one layer of sound-insulating material.

1 0. A welding headshield substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to. and as Illustrated In. Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11 A welding headshield substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to. and as illustrated In. Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.