GB2186490A

GB2186490A - Ventilated safety helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2186490A
Application number: GB08603987A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Gourley Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-02-18
Filing date: 1986-02-18
Publication date: 1987-08-19
Also published as: GB8603987D0

Abstract

A full-face visored safety helmet includes a mask (11) which is attached to the chin guard of the helmet to divide off the space within the helmet into upper and lower regions. There are ducts (16, 17) leading from the lower region to vents (18, 19) at respective opposite side regions of the helmet to vent exhaled air to atmosphere. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilated safety helmet Background to the invention The invention relates to full-face safety helmets.

The reader is directed to the specifications of my two previously filed UK Patent Applications No 85 29337 (filed 28th November 1985) and 8602960 (filed 6th February 1986) both entitled VENTILATED SAFETY HELM ET which define the term "full-face safety helmet", discuss the relevant prior art known to me, and dislose helmets with which the present invention is intended and adapted to be used.

Summary ofthe invention According to the invention a full-face visored safety helmet incorporates, in use, a mask attached to the chin guard inside the helmet so as to divide off, in use,the space within the helmet into two regions, a first region below the mask and including the helmet wearer's mouth and nostrils, and a second region above the mask; the mask, in use, engages the wearer's face and the face-engaging periphery of the mask preferably extends for a substantial distance up the wearer's nose towards or as far as the bridge of his nose and follows the opposite sides of the nose without substantially extending to the wearer's cheek regions; there are ducts leading from the bottom region of the mask (i.e. the region around the wearer's mouth)whose primary purpose is to duct air exhaled from the wearer's mouth and nostrils; and the ducts vent such exhaledairtoatmos- pherefrom respectively opposite side regionsofthe helmet.

Thus a helmet fitted with such a mask does not rely primarily on the exhaled airfrom the helmet wearer's mouth being carried out ofthe helmet into the surrounding atmosphere via the open-toatmosphere bottom region ofthe helmet. Neither does it necessarily need an air outlet in thefrontof the chin guard region ofthe helmet. Instead,the above-mentioned ducts take the exhaled air round to the sides of the helmetwhere, in use, the slipstream of air overthe helmetwill tend to entrain the airfrom the vents. The effect is to provide an efficient system oftaking out ofthe helmetthe relativelywarm air from the wearer's mouth and nostrils, and hence minimising the risk of the inside surface of the helmet visor misting over.

Preferably a helmethavingthefeaturessummaris- ing the invention also incorporates an appropriate combination of the inventive features from each of my two previous pending UK patent applications referred to above. The ventilating efficiency of the helmetwill then be maximised.

Advantageously, in a case such as that just outlined - specifically, where the helmet chin guard is perforated and incorporates means to duct air, entering the helmet through the perforations, to the base region of the inside ofthe visor and/or to the wearer's mouth then the mask which is an essential feature of the present invention fits over an appropriate projection or array of projections (for example, a plenum chamber protruding from the inside of the chin guard) and is concertinaed or otherwise readily deformable in the fitted over region so that it can engage the wearer's face closely whilst accommodating any relatively restricted movements of his head inside the helmet (or, of course, can readily accommodate different helmet wearers having different facial structures).

Briefdescription ofthe drawings In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a helmet mask in perspective and when viewed from the rear and one side; Figure2 shows diagramatically the line ofthe per- ipheryofthe mask, in use, againstthe helmet wearer's face; and Figure3shows diagramaticallythe mask in use in conjunction with associated ducts and vents in a fullface visored safety helmet.

Description of the preferred embodiment Aface mask 11 (Figure 1) is made of rubberor other appropriate material, may be slightly padded and/or covered in fabric, and has its back periphery (the periphery which in use will engage the wearers face) rolled and padded as indicated at 12.

Figure 1 shows the overall shape of the helmet mask 11. Figure 2 showstheway in which the back periphery 12 ofthe mask engages closelythe wearer's face in use. Figure 3 shows the mask in position, fixed to the inside ofthechin guard of an appropriate helmet, and a study of Figures 1 and 3will confirm that an appropriately concertinaed circularcylindrical section 13 of the mask 11 fits overthe per ipheryofa plenum chamber 14 protruding fromthe inside ofthe chin guard,to locatethemaskwithinthe helmet.

The plenum chamber 14 is similartothe chamber 21 described and illustrated in my previous UK patent applications already referred to, and to which the reader has already been specifically directed. The central region ofthe chin guard ofthe helmetnow illustrated is perforated, again as described in my previous application(s), to admit air which is then piped to the base of the visor of the helmet. In the embodiment now described and illustrated, the plenum chamber 14 does not admit air directly to the helmet wearer's mouth. Such air is drawn from the atmosphere via the open bottom region ofthe helmet.

The chamber 14 is, however, appropriately perforated over its back face 15 and incorporates a oneway valve of known kind, so that the helmetwearer can breathe air into the chamber 14.

Airbreathed intothe chamber in this way isducted via respective pipes 16,17 submerged intheside- padding of the helmet internally, to vents 18,19. The form ofthevents is clearly shown in Figure 3. They project from respective opposite sides of the helmet and they are effectively streamlined.

A second mask projects from the inside ofthe chin guard ofthis particular helmet, in a mannersimilarto the mask 28 of my previous Application 8602960 and operates in conjunction with the present mask 11 to duct air from the helmet wearer's nostrils down into the region of his mouth beneath the two masks. Such airwill then tend primarily to be expelled into the plenum chamberl4wheneverthewearerbreathes out (although a certain amount of it could of course be drawn direct into the atmosphere via the open bottom region ofthe helmet). In use, the slipstream of airoverthe helmetwill tend to entrain airfrom the chamber 14via the ducts 16,17 outthrough the exhaustvents 18,19.

Claims

1. Afu ll-face visored safety helmet which incorporates a mask attached to the chin guard insidethe helmetso as to divide off, in use, the space within the helmet into two regions, a first region belowthe mask and including the helmetwearer's mouth and nostrils, and a second region above the mask; the mask, in use, engaging the wearer's face and ducts being provided leading from said first region whose primary purpose isto duct air exhaled from the wearer's mouth and nostrils to atmosphere from respective opposite side regions ofthe helmet.

2. A helmetaccording to Claim 1, wherein, in use, the face-engaging periphery of the mask extends for a substantial distance of the wearer's nose towards orasfarasthe bridgeofhis nose.

3. A helmet according to Claim 2,wherein, in use, the periphery of the maskfollows the opposite sides of the wearer's nose without substantially extending to the wearer's cheek regions.

4. A helmet according to Claim 1, wherein the helmet chin guard is perforated and incorporates meanstoductair,enteringthehelmetthroughthe perforations, to the base region of the inside ofthe visor and/orto the wearer's mouth.

5. A helmet according to Claim 4, wherein the maskfits over a projection or array of projections in the chin guard.

6. A helmet according to Claim 5,wherein the portion ofthe mask which fits overthe projection or projections is concertinaed or otherwise readilydeformable.

7. Afull4ace visored safety helmet which incorporates a mask and duct means arranged to function substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.