HK1069292B - Face shield - Google Patents

Description

Face mask

The patent application of the invention is a divisional application of the patent application with the filing date of 1996, 5/14/h, the filing number of 96194032.8 and the name of 'mask'.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an inner wall of a mask for wearing in front of a user's face.

The invention also relates to a mask adapted to be removably arranged on the inner wall of such a mask.

The invention further relates to a mask having such an inner wall and a shield.

Background

Such interior walls, covers and masks are known from FR-A-2335200.

In order to protect the eyes and face from ultraviolet rays, heat, toxic substances, particles, or other factors that can cause damage to the above-mentioned parts of the human body, people wear masks during welding, machining, and the like.

There has been a problem that users often feel fatigue, headache and dizziness while working with a mask for a long time. One of the reasons that has been shown to cause this problem is that the carbon dioxide content of the air inhaled by the user increases when the mask is used. Experiments have shown that the carbon dioxide content in the inhaled air increases behind the mask due to the mixing in of exhaled air. There are limits and recommended values for the allowed carbon dioxide content in the inspired gas.

US-A-5,029,342 describes A mechanical method of dissipating welding fumes in front of welding hoods by sucking gas from within the welding hoods and in this way promoting circulation of the gas in front of the welding hoods, the welding hoods shown in this patent including A fan driven by solar cells. The fan draws gas from the welding hood and exhausts the gas to the welding location through the front of the welding hood, in order to prevent smoke from reaching the welding hood. The disadvantage of the above arrangement is that more air is required to achieve an effective blowing effect, thereby creating an air flow within the welding helmet, and that the adjustment of the air flow through the fan is done in response to the welding spark, rather than in response to the user's need for ventilation.

Another mask is known from CH-a-473592 which discloses a respirator having a filter unit and one-way valves for inhalation and exhalation respectively.

The welding helmet shown in US-A-2377122 is A separate hood that is mounted on the head and shoulders of the user. The mask covers the nose and mouth so that the inhaled air is introduced into the mouth mask through two hoses from the inhalation holes at the rear portion of the welding helmet top. There is a check valve near each suction hole, which opens so that gas can be sucked through the hose. The exhaled gas is directed out of the mask through a check valve in the face mask and out the front of the welding helmet via a nozzle. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the inhaled gas experiences a greater resistance to breathing when passing through the hose, which means that the user is forced to breathe and a significant amount of exhaled gas remains in the mask during exhalation, whereby the carbon dioxide content of the inhaled gas increases during subsequent inhalation. The problem of wetness is another disadvantage of this construction, which may be a risk of allergies and an unpleasant feeling when the user wears the mask over the nose and mouth for a long period of time.

In the case of riding a motorcycle or the like, the use of an integral cap presents problems of high head temperature and fogging of the visor. To solve this problem, A proposal for ventilating an integral hood by means of relative wind generated during riding of A motorcycle or the like is proposed in US-A-4,704,746. The front channel communicates on the one hand with the inside of the cap via a plurality of openings and on the other hand with the outside of the cap via an opening provided with an adjustable valve. In the first venting position, gas is provided to the cap from outside the cap via the front passage. In the second ventilation position, the valve is closed by the relative wind, so that a negative pressure is generated in the front channel. Thus, gas is drawn from within the cap through the front passage. The top of the cap is also provided with an opening communicated with the inside of the cap. Due to the relative wind, a negative pressure is generated in the vicinity of the opening, whereby gas is sucked out of the interior of the cap. The hood is supplied with air by relative wind through an opening in the front of the hood, so that the supplied air flows through the inside of the visor, thereby preventing fogging. Therefore, efforts to solve the problem of ventilation of the integrated cap have been made by means of overpressure and underpressure generated in the ventilation channel due to the relative wind.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate cleaning and replacement of cover glass.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mask that prevents the mixing of inhaled and exhaled gases without the need for mechanical ventilation and external energy supply, whereby the carbon dioxide content in the inhaled gas is low.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a mask which avoids the drawbacks of the known masks described above.

It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the humidity behind the mask to prevent fogging and thereby reduce the physiological response.

It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the temperature behind the mask, thereby mitigating physiological reactions.

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is first provided an inner wall of a mask for wearing in front of a user's face, comprising a front portion and a side wall portion, the front part is provided with a light-transmitting part for mounting the protective glass, the side wall part is bent inwards from the area of the mouth of a user to the area of the eyes of the user towards the direction of the face of the user, in the region, the front portion of the inner wall is disposed in a direction toward a position of a user's face, the inwardly curved front portion and the inwardly curved surrounding side wall portion are combined with a cover to form at least one exhaust passage, said hood being adapted to be removably mounted on said inner wall and to form, with said inner wall, gas directing means for directing exhaled gas away, at least one opening is formed at the position of the inward bending part of the front part, namely the nose and the mouth of the user; the method is characterized in that: at least the front portion is adapted to receive the cover such that a light-transmitting portion of the cover is disposed at the light-transmitting portion of the inner wall.

To achieve the above object, there is also provided according to the present invention a mask adapted to be removably mounted on an inner wall of a face mask for forming exhaled air guide means, said mask including a lower portion adapted to form at least one exhaust passage with said inner wall, characterized in that: it further comprises an upper portion having a light-transmitting portion adapted to be arranged at the light-transmitting portion of the inner wall.

In order to achieve the above object, there is further provided according to the present invention a mask to be worn in front of a user's face, comprising an inner wall, the inner wall has a front surface portion and a side wall portion, the front surface portion has a light-transmitting portion for mounting a cover glass, the side wall part is bent inwards from the area where the mouth of the user is located to the area where the eyes of the user are located towards the position where the face of the user is located, in the region, the front portion of the inner wall is disposed in a direction toward a position of a user's face, the inwardly curved front portion and the inwardly curved surrounding side wall portion are combined with a cover to form at least one exhaust passage, said hood being adapted to be removably mounted on said inner wall and to form, with said inner wall, gas directing means for directing exhaled gas away, at least one opening is formed at the position of the inward bending part of the front part, namely the nose and the mouth of the user; the method is characterized in that: at least the front portion is adapted to receive the cover such that a light-transmitting portion of the cover is disposed at the light-transmitting portion of the inner wall.

According to the invention, the gas outflow and flow to the mask are generated by means of kinetic energy, the directional effect of the exhaled gas and the negative pressure of the inhaled gas, respectively.

According to the invention, the problem of too high a carbon dioxide content in the inhaled gas is solved with very little energy consumption by utilizing the fact that exhaled air is faster and stronger than inhaled air due to physiological and physical reasons.

By arranging the gas guiding means (and possibly also the channels) in the area where the exhaled gas is located during exhalation, and at a sufficient distance from the nose and mouth, the exhaled gas can be efficiently discharged, in particular backwards. The exhaled air is then conducted out at the mask edge or opening in the mask, while the inhaled air, due to physical reasons and its low flow rate, can be inhaled with low flow resistance from all sides, in particular along the space in front of the face.

Drawings

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 depicts the different respective directions of inhalation and exhalation of a person as seen from the side;

FIG. 2 depicts the direction of inhalation and exhalation by a person through the nose, as viewed from the front;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view from above of a mask having an air guide;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the welding mask with gas guiding means of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view from above of a mask having an air guide;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view from above of a mask having an air guide;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the welding mask with gas directing means of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the mask of FIG. 6 having been worn by a user;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the mask that the user has donned;

fig. 11 and 11A are side views of the mask and its shield.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows the different directions of a person's inhaled and exhaled gases, seen from the side. The gas exhaled from the nose generally flows obliquely downwards, while the gas exhaled from the mouth generally flows forwards. The flow direction of the exhaled air varies from person to person. As shown by the arrows in figure 1, because exhaled air is higher velocity and intensity than inhaled air, a flow of air is created in front of the face that causes most of the inhaled air to flow along the face to the nose and mouth.

Figure 2 shows the different directions of a person's inhaled and exhaled air as seen from the front. Exhaled gas from the nose typically flows in two different directions, which may vary from person to person.

When the prior art mask is worn in front of the face, a significant amount of exhaled air will remain behind the mask when the next inhalation is made, which will result in the exhaled air mixing with the inhaled air and thus the carbon dioxide content of the inhaled air being increased. In accordance with the present invention, exhaled air may be directed away from the nose and mouth of the user by providing one or more air guides within the mask to reduce the amount of exhaled air in the next inhalation.

In fig. 3, the mask 1, shown schematically, comprises an outer wall 2 provided with a gas guiding means 3 guiding the exhaled gas u away. In this embodiment the gas guiding means 3 are constituted by a guiding profile 4 forming an exhalation gas guiding surface 5. The guide profile 4 can be arranged at a distance from the outer wall 2 as shown in fig. 4 or directly on the inner surface 6 of the outer wall 2. Likewise, the outer wall 2 can be designed such that the guide profile is an integral part of the outer wall 2, so that the guide profile 4 and the outer wall 2 can be manufactured integrally. The guide profiles 4 can be arranged substantially symmetrically on both sides of the diverging edge 7, the diverging edge 7 being directed towards the position where the user's face is located. The guide surfaces 5 for the exhaled breath extend outwards on both sides of the diverting edge 7, so that these guide surfaces 5 may be substantially concavely curved. The diverting edge 7 may also be single-sided, so as to direct exhaled air to one side.

Fig. 5 shows how the guide profile 4 and the splitter lip 7 are arranged inside the welding mask 8. A light-transmitting member 9 in the form of a sight glass eye is provided in the region of the user's eyes. The protective glass can consist, for example, of a partially light-transmitting material, such as an infrared and/or ultraviolet filter, so-called fast filter, which is very bright before being irradiated with welding light and becomes dark after being irradiated with welding light.

In fig. 6, the gas guiding means 3 is formed by an inner wall 10 connected to the inside of the outer wall 2. The inner wall 10 should be positioned at a sufficient distance from the nose and mouth of the user. The exhalation gases u flow through the openings 11 in the inner wall 10, are split and flow in one or more exhaust channels 12 formed between the outer and inner walls 2 and 10 and then out of the channels 12 via the outlet openings 13. As the kinetic energy and directionality of the exhaled gas u is greater than that of the inhaled gas i, and as the gas flow inertia of the exhaled gas in the exhaust channel 12, the exhaled gas u carries along a portion of the fresh gas between the face and the mask, the exhaled gas u from the exhaust channel 12 is minimized in the subsequent inhaled gas. Most of the inhaled air i flowing into the nose and mouth flows through the spaces between the inner wall 10 and the face and between the outer wall 2 and the face. The size of the opening 11 should be limited and may be optimized to accommodate different orientations of exhaled gas. The opening 11 should be designed to fit the human standards of most people.

To further facilitate the separation of inhaled and exhaled gases in the mask, as shown in figure 7, the gas guiding means 3 of the above described embodiment may be incorporated. By mounting the guiding profile 4 and the diverging edges 7 between the opening 11 of the inner wall 10 and the outer wall, the exhaled air u is prevented from swirling and back flowing, and thus is not mixed with the inhaled air i. This also helps to improve the adaptability of the mask so that it can be used by every person, for example, with different breathing angles.

Fig. 8 shows how the gas guiding device is arranged inside the welding mask 8. A light-transmitting member 9 in the form of a sight glass eye is provided at the location of the user's eyes. The cover glass can be manufactured, for example, from an incompletely light-transmitting material, such as an infrared and/or ultraviolet filter, also known as a fast filter.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a mask in the form of a welding mask 8 according to the above. To illustrate how the inner wall 10 is arranged inside the outer wall 2, the outer wall 2 is partly broken away in fig. 9. The outer wall 2 holds a light-transmitting member 9, such as a filter (not shown), which allows a user to view through the outer wall 2. The upper edge 14 and the lower edge 15 of the inner wall 10 are each sealingly connected to the outer wall 2, for example by bending the upper edge 14 and the lower edge 15, respectively, outwards away from the user and fastening them to the outer wall 2, so that an exhaust channel 12 is formed between the inner wall 10 and the outer wall 2. The side edges 16 of the inner wall 10 form channels with the outer wall 2, so that the outlet openings 13 are formed on both sides of the outer wall 2, between the outer wall 2 and the inner wall 10.

The inner wall 10 has openings 11 through which exhaled air u flows. The opening 11 is suitably arranged and shaped so that exhaled air u from the nose and mouth can flow through the opening 11, through the exhaust channel 12 and out the outlet opening 13 without being obstructed by the inner wall 10. The shape of the opening 11 should be optimally designed so that different people can use the same pattern of welding light shields 8. It is important that the opening 11 is arranged at a distance from the upper edge 14 of the inner wall 10 so that the part 17 of the inner wall 10 is still situated between the upper edge 14 of the inner wall 10 and the upper edge of the opening 11. The above-mentioned means 17 can also be arranged around the opening 11, helping to prevent the exhaled air u from flowing back towards the user's face.

In order to protect the face and the head also from the sides, the outer wall 2 and the inner wall 10 are preferably curved. The outer wall 2 and the inner wall 10 may be formed of bent flat plates so as to form the front and side surfaces. The outer wall 2 preferably covers the forehead and part of the crown of the head while covering the chin and neck downwards. However, the outer wall 2 may be designed such that only the area around the mouth, nose and eyes is covered. In addition, the distance between the inner wall 10 and the face should be large enough to allow room for inhaled air to flow along the face surface.

Fig. 10 shows a mask in the form of a welding light shield 8'. The gas guiding means 3 is constituted by an outer wall 2 'arranged outside the inner wall 10'. The inner wall 10 'has a light-transmitting member 9', such as a cover glass viewing aperture (not shown). The upper edge 14 'and the lower edge 15' of the outer wall 2 'are each tightly connected to the inner wall 10', for example by bending the upper edge 14 'and the lower edge 15' inwardly towards the user and fastening them to the inner wall 10 ', respectively, so that an exhaust channel 12' is formed between the outer wall 2 'and the inner wall 10'. However, the side edges 16 ' of the outer wall 2 ' do not rest against the inner wall 10 ', whereby the outlet holes 13 ' are formed on both sides of the inner wall 10 ' between the outer wall 2 ' and the inner wall 10 '.

As shown in fig. 11 and 11A, the welding mask 8 "can be a one-piece shaped part, the gas guiding means 3 being in the form of a mask 20 (fig. 11A) as an outer wall which cooperates with the inner wall 10" to form the exhaust channel 12 ". The inner wall 10 "includes a front face 18 and a side wall 19. By bending part of the side wall 19 of the inner wall 10 "inwards towards the user and moving part of the front face of the inner wall 10" inwards towards the user, a wall surface is formed which is closer to the user's face than the other surfaces on the inner wall 10 ". An opening 11 "through which exhaled air u can flow is provided in the front face 18, which is arranged in the area around the mouth and nose. In the front face 18 provided inside, at the position where the eyes of the user are located, a cover glass light-transmitting member 9 ″ is provided as a viewing hole. The protective glass can consist, for example, of a material which is not completely transparent to light, for example an infrared and/or ultraviolet filter, or a so-called fast filter.

The cover 20 covers the outside of the forwardly inwardly disposed portion of the inner wall 10 ". The cover 20 tightly encloses the inner wall 10 "except for the part of the inner wall 10" that is bordered by the outlet opening 13 "designed for the exhaled air u. An exhaust passage 12 "through which the exhaled gas u flows is thus formed between the hood 20 and the above-mentioned inwardly disposed or bent portion. The exhaust channel terminates in an exit aperture 13 "on each side of the mask 8". The inhaled gas i flows between the inner wall 10 "and the face. The cover 20 has a front surface 22 and a side surface 23 connected to the front surface 22. The cover 20 has a light-transmitting member 24 and means for facilitating the attachment and detachment of the cover 20 to and from the inner wall 10 "for cleaning and replacement of the cover glass.

The welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 "may be placed on the user's head by means of clamping means, such as yokes, frames and brackets (not shown) known per se, which are fixed to the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8" and placed on the user's head. Other types of devices for placing the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 "in front of the user's face are also conceivable. It is important in any event that the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 "is placed a distance in front of the user's face so as to create a volume or space between the face and the wall closest to the face, i.e. the inner wall 10, 10 ', 10". This arrangement allows the inhaled gas i to flow between the face and the inner wall 10, 10', 10 ". At the same time, the uncomfortable feeling caused by tightly wrapping the face by the object is avoided.

During welding, heat is generated, whereby the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 "used by the welder is heated, which means that the temperature in the welding mask 8, 8', 8" is increased. The temperature rise can be minimized by providing a reflective layer in front of the welding mask 8, 8', 8 ". To increase the flow of the exhaled air u in the exhaust channel 12, 12 ', 12 "and its ability to escape from the outlet openings 13, 13 ', 13", a heat absorbing layer, for example black paint, may be applied to parts of the outer side edges of the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 ", i.e. the area around the outlet openings 13, 13 ', 13", for the purpose of convection and thermal insulation from the outer surface of the welding mask 8, 8 ', 8 ".

Due to the movement of thermal radiation or other hot gases, the positions of the exhaust channel and the outlet aperture should be adjusted for the purpose of facilitating the exhaust of exhaled gases. To increase the flow of exhaled air from the mouth and nose, the positions of the exhaust channels and outlet holes should be adjusted to take advantage of the heat in the hot exhaled air (thermal force).

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown but comprises many conceivable modifications within the scope defined by the claims. It is then conceivable that the gas guides with common features in the above-described embodiments terminate in outlet openings, for example in the top or bottom or in the surface of a welding mask. It is also conceivable that the gas guiding means could be a separate piece that can be mounted on an existing mask.

The shape of the mask shown is symmetrical along a line of symmetry so that gas can be discharged to both sides simultaneously, but it is naturally also conceivable to construct the mask asymmetrically.

The gas guiding means may also be provided with e.g. one-way valve means preventing gas flow in the opposite direction to the exhaled gas or increasing its flow resistance. The gas directing means in the mask may also be designed to be adjustable to different positions to adapt the mask to different users.

Claims (15)

1. An inner wall (10 ') for a mask to be worn in front of a user's face, comprising a front portion (18) having a light-transmitting portion (9 ') for mounting a protective glass, and side wall portions (19), said side wall portions (19) being curved inwardly in the direction of the position of the user's face from the region of the user's mouth to the region of the user's eyes, in which region said front portion (18) of said inner wall (10 ') is arranged in the direction of the position of the user's face, said inwardly curved front portion and said inwardly curved surrounding side wall portions (19) together forming at least one air discharge channel (12 ') in combination with a cover (20), said cover (20) being adapted to be detachably mounted on said inner wall (10 ') and together with said inner wall (10 ') forming air guide means (3) for guiding exhaled air (u) away, at least one opening (11') is formed at a portion of the front portion (18) bent inward, i.e., a position where a nose and a mouth of a user are located; the method is characterized in that: at least the front portion is adapted to receive the cover (20) such that a light-transmitting portion (24) of the cover (20) is arranged at the light-transmitting portion (9 ") of the inner wall (10").

2. The interior wall of claim 1, wherein: the mask is a welding light shield.

3. -a mask (20) adapted to be removably mounted on an inner wall (10 ") of a mask, for forming gas guiding means (3) for the exhaled gas (u), said mask (20) comprising a lower portion adapted to form, together with said inner wall (10"), at least one exhaust channel (12 "), characterized in that: it also comprises an upper portion having a light-transmitting portion (24) adapted to be arranged at the light-transmitting portion (9 ") of said inner wall (10").

4. The cover of claim 3, wherein: the mask is a welding light shield.

5. Mask to be worn in front of the face of a user, comprising an inner wall (10 ') having a front portion (18) with a light-transmitting portion (9') for mounting a protective glass, and side wall portions (19), said side wall portions (19) being arranged curved inwards towards the position of the face of the user from the region of the mouth of the user to the region of the eyes of the user, in which region said front portion (18) of said inner wall (10 ') is arranged towards the position of the face of the user, said inwardly curved front portion and said inwardly curved surrounding side wall portions (19) together forming at least one exhaust channel (12') in combination with a cover (20), said cover (20) being adapted to be detachably mounted on said inner wall (10 ') and together with said inner wall (10') forming gas guiding means (3) for guiding the exhaled gas (u) away, at least one opening (11') is formed at a portion of the front portion (18) bent inward, i.e., a position where a nose and a mouth of a user are located; the method is characterized in that: at least the front portion is adapted to receive the cover (20) such that a light-transmitting portion (24) of the cover (20) is arranged at the light-transmitting portion (9 ") of the inner wall (10").

6. The mask of claim 5, wherein: said light-transmitting portion (9 ") comprises a protective glass; and the outer surface of said mask is coated with a layer reflecting the thermal radiation, except in the area of the exit opening (13 "), while a heat absorbing layer is arranged in the area of said exit opening (13"), so as to obtain convection and heat.

7. The mask of claim 5, wherein: the gas guiding means (3) comprises at least one guiding contour (4), the guiding contour (4) constituting at least one guiding surface (5) for the exhaled gas (u), said guiding contour (4) being arranged in the area on which the exhaled gas of the user acts.

8. The mask of claim 7, wherein: the guide profiles (4) are arranged substantially symmetrically on both sides of a line of symmetry.

9. The mask of claim 8, wherein: the line of symmetry is constituted by a diverging edge (7) facing the position of the user's face; guide surfaces (5) for the exhaled air (u) extend from both sides of the aforementioned diverging edges (7).

10. The mask of claim 9, wherein: the guide contour (4) is arranged at the opening (11').

11. The mask of claim 6, wherein: the gas guiding means (3) comprises at least one guiding contour (4), the guiding contour (4) constituting at least one guiding surface (5) for the exhaled gas (u), said guiding contour (4) being arranged in the area on which the exhaled gas of the user acts.

12. The mask of claim 11, wherein: the guide profiles (4) are arranged substantially symmetrically on both sides of a line of symmetry.

13. The mask of claim 12, wherein: the line of symmetry is constituted by a diverging edge (7) facing the position of the user's face; guide surfaces (5) for the exhaled air (u) extend from both sides of the aforementioned diverging edges (7).

14. The mask of claim 13, wherein: the guide contour (4) is arranged at the opening (11').

15. A mask as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein: said mask is a welding mask and said light-transmitting portion (9') comprises an infrared and/or ultraviolet filter or a fast filter.