WO1990013277A1

WO1990013277A1 - Facial protector

Info

Publication number: WO1990013277A1
Application number: PCT/US1990/002272
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tearman Spencer, Jr.
Original assignee: Spencer Tearman Jr
Priority date: 1989-05-01
Filing date: 1990-04-25
Publication date: 1990-11-15

Abstract

A facial protector (10) is disclosed made from thin membrane material and conforming to the face of the wearer. It includes a protrusion (13) corresponding in location and size to the location of the tongue of the wearer. Straps (14, 15) are provided to secure the protector (10) to the wearer's face and sealing strips (12) are provided around the portion covering the wearer's mouth to prevent exchange of body fluids between a wearer and another person in contact with the protector.

Description

FACIAL PROTECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recently, there has been an awakening to the fact that a number of serious or life threatening diseases, in particular Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome, (AIDS) is most generally transmitted by exchange of body fluids between persons. With the increase in occurrences in heterosexual individuals, the possibility of infection merely through kissing or similar fondling produces a real danger of infection even among normally low risk classification individuals.

Faced with this growing problem, there exists a need for some form of protection for the facial area of an individual which is relatively unobtrusive, skin-like and yet effective in allowing normal jaw, mouth and particularly, tongue movement without the possibility of exchange of body fluids between the wearer and companion.

Protective shields of various types have been developed through the years. The common medical facial mask which covers the mouth and nose is necessarily porous and consequently in ineffective to prevent the exchange of body fluids. Likewise, it restricts or prevents movement of the tongue outside of the mouth.

Protective shields with protrusions have been produced in the past. Examples are disclosed in the following:

U. S. Patent Inventor ssued

1,196,250 A. O. Kuhn Aug. 20, 1916

1,491,011 E. E. Hodgin April 22, 1924

2,123,343 E. F. Rightsell July 12, 1938

2,406,600 J. A. Forestiere Aug. 27, 1946

2,591,783 D. L. Craddock April 8, 1952

3,636,066 R. 0. Ludwig Oct.27, 1970.

None of the foregoing protective devices are designed for facial protection and none provide the combination of straps for securing the protector plus sealing means around the protrusion area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Faced with this state of the art, I have invented a facial shield dimensioned to cover the lower face including the mouth, jaw and a portion of the cheeks. The shield included a flexible protrusion located in the mouth region and dimensioned to correspond to the extended tongue.

The protector includes straps to secure the protector or shield around the wearer's head and adhesive sealing material around the mouth region to provide a seal and prevent the interchange of body fluids.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This invention may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and by reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a facial shield in accordance with this invention, in place, on a wearer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shield in accordance with this invention with continuous straps;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the mask of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4A is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternate form of strap attachment of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a top elevational view, thereof;

Fig. 7 is a bottom elevational view, thereof; and

Fig. 8 is a tabular presentation of pertinent anthropological data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to Figs 1-4 wherein a facial shield or protector, generally designated 10, includes a facial mask portion 11 with an edge seal 12 and a tongue-like protrusion portion 13. the protector includes a pair of spaced head straps 14 and 15 which are dimensioned to fit around the rear of the wearer's head as shown in Fig. 1.

The protector 10 is formed of surgical grade latex or vinyl material in the order of 0.002mm to 0.030 mm in thickness so as to conform to the face and be virtually skin-like and unnoticeable. As an example, conventional latex gloves typically have a thickness of 0.005 mm. TKhe protector may be flesh colored or transparent. The straps are adjustable by either of two means. As shown In Figs 2 and 4, the straps 14 and 15 are of two part configuration with slots 20 and 21 on strap parts 14A and 15A respectively while strap parts 14B and 15B include a number of integral protuberances 22 and 23. The protuberances 22 and 23 are, for example, four in number, and spaced at approximately 1/2 inch spacing. The straps 14A, 14B, 15A and 15B are preferably 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 mm) in length each, in order to fit most adult males and females. The straps 14 and 15 regardless of whether they are continuous as illustrated in Fig. 3 or interrupted and joinable as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 4A are preferably of elastic material to insure close fit around the mouth portion of the head. Fig. 4A shows elastic strings 30 and 31 as the head fastening means.

A strip of adhesive sealing material 12 such as a rubber base adhesive of the type as used on sheer strips sold under the trade mark "Band-Aid" by Johnson & Johnson Products, inc. of New Brunswick, New Jersey is coated on the inner face 32 of the mouth shield portion to provide an effective seal for saliva from the wearer's mouth or that of the wearer's partner. The preferred adhesive has the following inghredients as indicated by the supplier identifed above:

Hifil 2-33 Silica white mineral oil Santovar anti-oxidant Agerite Stalite stabillizer C 8 adhesove standard malaysia rubber rubber vistanex synthetic rubber Eackifying resin Vistac Indopol antioxident

In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 2, the face shield includes a chin covering portion 25 which extends rearward on the wearer to extend clearly away from the wearer's mouth. On the other hand, the shield ends below the wearer's nostrils so as to avoid any interference with normal breathing.

The tongue protrusion portion preferably is semi-ogival in shape and conforms to the tongues sizes in the tabulation of Fig. 8. The length of the protrusion is greater than its width. The height is less than the width thereby conforming to the general shape of the human tongue. The membrane forming the facial shield is resilient whereby the tongue portion may be stretched outward as illustrated by the dashed lines in Figs.6 and 7 adjacent to the tongue-like protrusion portion 13. The preferred thickness of the shield material is 0.002 to 0.030 mm.

The foregoing constitutes the best mode of carrying out this invention. It is recognized that one with the foregoing description can conceivably develop other variations in the details of design without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Consequently, this invention is not defined by the foregoing specific embodiment but rather by the following claims or definitions of the invention including the protection afforded by the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A facial protector comprising:

a flexible sheet dimensioned to cover a portion of the adult face including the mouth, chin and at least a portion of the cheeks; said flexible sheet being body fluid impervious and including a tongue-like protruding portion in the area of the mouth of the adult wearer to allow protrusion of the tongue and relative movement of the tongue while covered by said flexible sheet; and means for temporarily securing said flexible sheet to the wearer's head.

2. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 including means temporarily sealing at least a portion of the edge of said flexible sheet to the wearer's skin.

3. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said temporary securing means comprises a pair of space bands extending around the rear of the head, said spaced bands being capable of drawing said flexible sheet into liquid sealing relationship with the wearer's skin.

4. a facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet is of latex material of sufficient thickness to maintain structural integrity and of sufficient thinness to be substantially skin-like in texture.

5. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet has a portion covering the wearer's chin.

6. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said protruding section is generally semi-ogival in shape when extended to correspond to the adult tongue when extended fully from the mouth.

7. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said tongue-like protruding portion is of sufficient resilience to be stretched outward by the adult tongue.

8. A facial protector in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet extends in the order of 1/2 to 3/4 inch above the protruding section to cover the upper lip portion without covering the wearer's nostrils.