FACE SHIELD AND TRACKING SYSTEM

Abstract

A face shield includes a molded body portion configured to cover a wearer's eyes, nose, mouth, and chin. The body portion, which is secured to the wearer's ears by a pair of connector elements, includes at least one opening containing a replaceable filter. The face shield may part of a tracking system including multiple face shields, wherein each face shield includes a sensor that transmits data to a processor that in turn analyzes and interprets the data and transmits the results to a display device.

Claims

1. A face shield comprising: a molded body portion configured to cover a wearer's eyes, nose, mouth, and chin, the body portion including at least one opening containing a replaceable filter; and a pair of connector elements extending rearwardly from the body portion and configured to secure the mask to the wearer's ears.

2. The face shield according to claim 1, further comprising a seal surrounding the opening and configured to sealingly engage the wearer's nose, cheeks, and chin.

3. The face shield according to claim 1, wherein the body portion includes: a back edge; and the back edge includes a series of baffles configured to direct air flow through circuitous paths and stop or slow the movement of aerosols carried in the air flow.

4. The face shield according to claim 1, further comprising a hinged door formed in the body portion and configured to provide access to the wearer's mouth, allowing the wearer to eat and drink without removing the face shield.

5. The face shield according to claim 1, wherein the connector elements are adjustably secured to the body portion.

6. The face shield according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is formed of a transparent plastic material.

7. The face shield according to claim 1, further comprising an inertial motion capture unit embedded into the shield, wherein the inertial motion capture unit is configured to measure and record data about the face shield's movements.

8. The face shield according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor embedded into the face shield, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure the wearer's body temperature.

9. A face shield comprising: a molded body portion configured to cover a wearer's eyes, nose, mouth, and chin, the body portion including substantially planar eye regions configured to align with the wearer's eyes, a sloped nose region projecting outwardly relative to the eye regions and configured to align with the wearer's nose, cheek regions on either side of the nose region, each cheek region including a filtered opening, a fairing formed rearwardly of each cheek region, the fairing containing a virus containment chamber having a front end communicating with the filtered opening in one of the cheek regions and a rear end communicating with a filtered port in a rear portion of the fairing; a chin region configured to surround the wearer's chin; and a pair of temples extending rearwardly from the shield and configured to secure the mask to the wearer's ears.

10. The face shield according to claim 9, further comprising a seal surrounding both filtered openings and configured to sealingly engage the wearer's nose, cheeks, and chin.

11. The face shield according to claim 9, wherein the body portion includes: a back edge; and the back edge includes a series of baffles configured to direct air flow through circuitous paths and stop the movement of aerosols carried in the air flow.

12. The face shield according to claim 10, further comprising a hinged door formed in the body portion and configured to provide access to the wearer's mouth, allowing the wearer to eat and drink without removing the shield.

13. The face shield according to claim 10, wherein the temples are adjustably secured to the body portion.

14. The face shield according to claim 9, wherein the body portion is formed of a transparent plastic material.

15. The face shield according to claim 9, further comprising an inertial motion capture unit embedded into the shield, wherein the inertial motion capture unit is configured to measure and record data about the wearer's movements.

16. The face shield according to claim 9, further comprising a temperature sensor embedded into the face shield, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure the wearer's body temperature.

17. The face shield according to claim 9, wherein each fairing includes a side wall defining an entry scoop configured to direct incoming and outgoing air into the virus containment chamber.

18. A face shield tracking system comprising: a face shield; an inertial motion unit secured to the face shield, wherein the inertial motion capture unit is configured to measure, record, and transmit data about the face shield's movements, location, orientation, and angular rate; a processor programmed to interpret the data about the face shield's movements, location, and orientation and determine whether and how long the face shield is being worn; a display device having a graphical user interface programmed to receive output from the processor and to display messages indicating whether and how long the shield is being worn.

19. The face shield according to claim 18, further comprising a temperature sensor embedded into the face shield, wherein: the temperature sensor is configured to measure the wearer's body temperature, and to transmit the wearer's temperature data to the processor; the processor is programmed to determine when the wearer's temperature exceeds a predetermined maximum; and the graphical user interface is programmed to display a message indicating when the wearer's temperature has exceeded the maximum.

20. The face shield according to claim 18, wherein the graphical user interface is integrated into augmented reality glasses associated with the face shield.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is an outer side view showing a face shield.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 3 is an inner side view of the face shield shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a top view of the face shield.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a detail of a baffled edge of the face shield, viewed from the front.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a detail of a baffled edge of the face shield, viewed from the top.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a sample block diagram of a face shield tracking system.

[0023] FIGS. 8-11 show display screens for a display unit associated a face shield tracking system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a side view of an individual wearing one example of a face shield 10 according to the present disclosure. The face shield 10 is symmetrical about the wearer's face; thus, any element shown on this side of the viewer's face is repeated on the opposite side. The face shield 10 includes a molded body portion 12 that covers the wearer's eyes nose, mouth and chin, and is secured to the wearer's ears by connectors 14. In this embodiment, the ear connectors are in the form of a pair of relatively rigid temples, each of which includes an outwardly projecting adjustment pin that may be received in any one of a plurality of mating holes 16 formed along the upper edge of the body portion 12, thereby allowing the wearer to adjust the distance between the face shield 10 and her face. In other embodiments, the connectors may be flexible ear loops.

[0026] The body portion 12, which is preferably transparent and made from a strong, flexible, and easily cleanable plastic such as polycarbonate or polyethylene, is contoured to resemble a human face. It includes substantially planar eye regions 18 configured to align with the wearer's eyes, a sloped nose region 20 configured to align with the wearer's nose, cheek regions 22 on either side of the nose region 20, and a chin region 24 that completely or nearly completely surrounds the wearer's chin. In this example, openings 26, each containing a filter 28, are provided below and on either side of the nose region 20 and are configured to be laterally aligned with the wearer's mouth. However, the number of openings may vary; in another example, the body portion 12 may include a single opening located directly in front of the wearer's mouth.

[0027] Each filtered opening 26 communicates with an air flow channel 32 which in turn communicates with a virus containment compartment housed in a fairing 34 formed to the rear of the opening 26. The outer surface of the fairing 34 may include a recessed area 36 for receiving a label that personalizes the face shield. A port 38 formed in the rear of the fairing 36 also communicates with the virus containment channel and contains a filter 40. A series of baffles 42 runs along the entire back edge 43 of the face shield 10.

[0028] The inner surface of the body portion 10 includes a recess for receiving a padded, moisture-absorbent seal 44 configured to surround the wearer's nose, mouth, and chin. The seal 44 is removable, allowing it to be replaced or cleaned and reused.

[0029] A Bluetooth-enabled inertial motion capture unit (IMU) 46 may be embedded into one side of the face shield 10. The IMU measures and records data such as the location, acceleration, orientation, and angular rate, and may transmit the information to a processor in a face shield tracking system. The processor may be programmed to interpret the data recorded by the IMU to determine whether and how long the shield is being worn. Output from the processor may then transmitted to a display device, such as a mobile phone, laptop computer, tablet, or augmented reality (AR) glasses, having a graphical user interface programmed to receive output from the processor and to display messages about the status of the mask to a user.

[0030] A temperature sensor 48 may also be embedded into the face shield 10 at a location above and between the eye regions 18. The temperature sensor may measure the wearer's body temperature and may transmit it to the processor in the face shield tracking system, which then transmits an alert to the display device, notifying the user if the wearer has an elevated temperature.

[0031] Sensors for detecting specific types of viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens could also be incorporated into the face shield.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a front view of the face shield 10, showing the front filters 28, the fairings 34 containing virus containment compartments, baffles 42, seal 44, IMU 46, and temperature sensor 48, as described above. A bar code 50 or other electronically readable identifier is provided on the side of the mask opposite the IMU. The bar code 50 identifies the mask owner and can be scanned when the wearer enters their workplace, school, or other monitored location.

[0033] The face shield 10 also includes a hinged door 52 bounded on its sides by the front filters 28 and on its upper edge by the wearer's nose. The door 52, which opens downwardly, allows the wearer to eat and drink without having to remove the face shield 10.

[0034] FIG. 3 is an inner view, with arrows A, B, C, and D showing the flow of air through the face shield 10. The inner side wall of each fairing 34 defines an entry scoop 54 that directs air entering through front filter 28 or traveling around seal 44 into the virus containment chamber 56 and through the associated rear filter 40.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the front filters 28, air flow channels 32, rear filters 40, baffles 42, seal 44, and entry scoops 54 leading to virus containment chambers 56. From here it can be seen that nearly all air exhaled from the mask wearer's mouth or nose will either exit directly through the front filters 28 or will pass through the entry scoops 54, air flow passages 32, and virus containment chambers 56 before finally exiting through the rear filters 40. Any air that instead leaks through the seal 44 will pass through baffles 42.

[0036] FIG. 5 is an enlarged front detail view showing baffles 42 of the face shield. The baffles 42 include a plurality of (at least four) rows and columns of plates 58 that are offset from one another to create circuitous flow paths, as shown by arrows A, B in the top view of FIG. 6. As the air flows through these circuitous paths, any virus-containing aerosols carried by the currents of air are likely to strike the surfaces of the plates 58 and to remain on these surfaces rather than escaping into the environment.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a tracking system which may incorporate a face shield of the type described above. The system includes face shields 10a,b,c, a processor 80, and a display device 60 such as a cell phone, laptop computer, or tablet having a graphical user display. The tracking system may be used by large institutions such as hospitals and schools that wish to monitor whether their staff and others are complying with regulations regarding personal protective equipment. Metrics may be collected and displayed for individual wearers or for the population as a whole. The system may allow user-to-user communication as well.

[0038] FIGS. 8-10 illustrate sample displays from a graphical user interface on the display device 60. The display of FIG. 8 includes an upper text area 62, a heading area 63, a graphical area 64, and a lower text area 66. The upper text area 62 includes identifying information such as the name of an individual such as an employee or student who has been assigned a face shield. The heading area 63 includes the title of the image shown in the graphical area 64, which in this case is a bar graph 65 showing the number of hours per day the wearer has worn the shield over the course of week. The display may also include several tabs 68, 69, 70 allowing the viewer to switch to different graphs, such as a graph showing the previous week's usage or a graph showing usage for the month. The lower text area 66 shows the wearer's average daily shield-wearing hours for the week compared to the hours for the previous week. The hours are also converted into percentages, showing how many hours the mask was worn in relation to the wearer's total number of hours at the institution being monitored.

[0039] The display of FIG. 9 retains the upper text area 62 of FIG. 8, but replaces the heading area of FIG. 8 with a status area 72. The graphical area 64 now displays a line graph 74 of the mask's activity over time. In this example, the line graph 74 has flattened, showing that the mask is not moving, which indicates that the individual to whom it has been assigned is probably no longer wearing it. This causes a “non-active” message to be displayed in the status area 72, and may also trigger an audible alarm, which may be accompanied by illumination of a speaker icon 76 in the status area.

[0040] The display of FIG. 10 is similar to that of FIG. 9 except that the line graph 74 now indicates that the mask is moving. This causes an “active” message to be displayed in the status area 72, and the speaker icon 76 to be dimmed.

[0041] The display of FIG. 11 shows the user number of the individual identified in the upper text area 62 and indicates that the individual's face shield has been activated.

[0042] Other types of information that may be collected by the processor of the face shield tracking may include geographic and historic data that can be analyzed to identify incipient or potential outbreak areas and to initiate preventative protocols before high levels of transmission occur. In some embodiments, data and analytics collected and generated by the processor may displayed on augmented reality (AR) glasses built into or worn with the face shield.

[0043] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.