Abstract
A device for producing an air curtain in front of a face of a user, wherein the device includes, inter alia, a pump for supplying air to produce the air curtain and at least one nozzle for forming the air curtain.
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14: A device for producing an air curtain in front of a face of a user, the device comprising: at least one pump for supplying air to produce the air curtain; at least one nozzle for forming the air curtain and capable of being arranged in a region of a nose of the user on a supporting device in such a way that a mouth-nose region of the user is covered by the air curtain.
15: The device as recited in claim 14 further comprising a filter.
16: The as recited in claim 14 further comprising the supporting device, wherein the supporting device is a protective helmet or safety goggles.
17: The device as recited in claim 14 further comprising a monitor for monitoring a function of the device.
18: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the at least one nozzle is supported at a distance d from a face of the user, wherein the distance d is in a range of 2 to 30 mm.
19. The device as recited in claim 18 wherein the distance d is 5 to 20 mm.
20: The device as recited in claim 19 wherein the distance d is 10 mm.
21: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the at least one nozzle is designed to emit an air flow at an angle alpha, wherein the angle alpha is in a range of from 10 to 30 degrees.
22: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the at least one nozzle includes two nozzles enclosing an angle beta with one another and wherein the angle beta is in a range of from 0 to 10 degrees.
23: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the at least one nozzle includes two nozzles enclosing an angle delta with a vertical plane, wherein the angle delta is in a range of from 10 to 30 degrees.
24: The device as recited in claim 14 further comprising an energy supply for supplying energy for the device.
25: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the pump is designed to produce a substantially pulsation-free air flow, with the result that a laminar flow is formed.
26: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the pump is designed as a piezoelectric pump.
27: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the pump operates in a frequency range of greater than 500 Hz.
28: The device as recited in claim 14 wherein the pump is designed to produce a volume flow in a range of from 1.0 to 1.5l/min.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] In the figures, identical components and components of identical type are designated by the same reference signs. In the figures:
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred configuration of the invention
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a preferred configuration of the invention
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a preferred configuration of the invention
[0033] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a preferred configuration of the invention
[0034] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a preferred configuration of the invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] FIG. 1 shows a preferred configuration of a protection device (1). It illustrates a supporting device (10), which, in particular, can be designed as safety goggles (8). The supporting device (10) supports a nozzle (5) or a nozzle assembly (5), wherein the nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5) is designed to form an air curtain (2) in front of the face (3) of a user of the protection device (1). The nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5) is preferably of sloping design, such that it is at a shorter distance d from the face (3) of the user in a lower region than in an upper region. In other words, the lower region of the nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5) is tilted in the direction of the face (3) of the user. This tilting or slope of the nozzle (5) or of the nozzle assembly (5) is described by the slope angle alpha, which is preferably in a range of from 10 to 30 degrees.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a preferred configuration of the proposed protection device (1). The preferred embodiment of the protection device (1) which is illustrated in FIG. 2 is designed as safety goggles (8), wherein the nozzle assembly (5) is preferably arranged below the goggle lenses or below a transitional region between the goggle lens sections. Running through this central region of the safety goggles (8) there is preferably also a vertical imaginary axis (9), which divides the face (3) of the user into two face halves.
[0037] In particular, FIG. 2 shows a nozzle assembly (5) which comprises two individual nozzles (5a, 5b). It is possible, for example, for the first individual nozzle (5a) to be arranged on the left-hand half of the face in relation to a vertical virtual axis (9), while a second individual nozzle (5b) is situated on the right-hand half of the face of the user in relation to the vertical virtual axis (9). The two individual nozzles (5a, 5b) are of sloping design in relation to the vertical virtual axis (9), wherein the two individual nozzles (5a, 5b) are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis. In this case, the vertical virtual axis (9) can preferably act as an axis of symmetry. The slope of the two individual nozzles (5a, 5b) is manifested, for example, by the fact that the individual nozzles (5a, 5b) are at a smaller distance from the vertical virtual axis (9) in a lower region than in an upper region. The slope of the two individual nozzles (5a, 5b) is preferably described by the slope angle beta, wherein the angle beta is in a range of from 0 to 10 degrees.
[0038] The individual nozzles (5a, 5b) each emit an air curtain (2), wherein the two air curtains (2) together form the overall air curtain (2). The outer edge jets of the air curtain (2) start from the outlets of the nozzles (5) and define the air curtain (2), which is preferably of triangular design. The outer edge jets of the air curtain (2) are preferably symmetrical with respect to one another, wherein the vertical virtual axis (9) preferably acts as the axis of symmetry. The size of the air curtain (2) defined by the outer edge jets is determined by the opening angle gamma, wherein the angle gamma corresponds to the total opening angle enclosed by the two outer edge jets of the air curtain (2). The vertical virtual axis (9) preferably divides the opening angle gamma into two halves of equal size, which each amount to “gamma/2”. In other words, the “half opening angle gamma/2” extends between the vertical virtual axis (9) and each of the outer edge jets of the air curtain (2).
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a preferred configuration of the protection device (1). The preferred embodiment of the protection device (1) which is illustrated in FIG. 3 can be designed as a protective helmet, wherein the protective helmet is designed to be worn by a worker during work. The figure illustrates a nozzle (5) or a nozzle assembly (5), which is designed to produce an air curtain (2) in front of the face (3) of a wearer of the protection device (1). Here, the air flow with which the air curtain (2) is produced preferably comes from a pump (4), which can be secured on the helmet of the protection device (1) in the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 3. In other embodiments of the invention, it is also possible for the pump (4) to be arranged at other locations within the device (1). The pump (4) is preferably connected to the nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5) by conduit means, thus enabling the air flow which is produced by the pump (4) to be passed to the nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5). The conduit means can preferably be designed as air hoses. The pump (4) can furthermore be connected by conduit means to a filter (6). By means of the filter (6), the air drawn in by the pump (4) can be cleaned before it is blown into the mouth-nose region of the user as an air curtain (2). The air cleaned by the filter preferably also extends the operational life of the proposed protection device (1) since the filtering of the air protects the mechanism of the pump (4). The pump (4) is supplied with electric energy via an energy supply device (11). This is preferably a rechargeable storage battery, making it possible to dispense with the provision of a cable-bound mains connection for power supply. The energy supply device (11) and the filter (6) can preferably be connected to a function monitoring unit (7), wherein the function monitoring unit (7) is preferably designed to monitor the components of the device (1) in respect of their functionality, and optionally to control them.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a further preferred configuration of the protection device (1). The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 represents safety goggles (8) which a user wears in front of their eyes. Arranged below the goggle lenses is the nozzle (5) or the nozzle assembly (5) via which the air flow for producing the air curtain (2) can be blown into the mouth-nose region of the user. Further components of the protection device (1) can be arranged on a rear side of the head of the user. If the protection device (1) is designed as safety goggles (8)—as in FIG. 4—the device (1) can comprise a belt, which is formed by an elastic band, for example, that is placed or passed around the (back of the) head of the user and there comprises the further components of the protection device (1), while the front part of the protection device (1) is formed by the safety goggles (8). The further components of the protection device (1), which can be arranged in the region of the back of the head of the user, for example, can be the pump (4), the energy supply device (11), the filter (6) and/or the function monitoring unit (7), for example.
[0041] FIG. 5 shows the plan view of a preferred configuration of the protection device (1), i.e. an illustration of the invention from above. The exemplary embodiment of the protection device (1) which is illustrated in FIG. 5 is designed as safety goggles (8). The lenses of the safety goggles (8) can be used to define a vertical plane (not depicted), which is formed notionally substantially parallel to a surface of the face of the user. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the two nozzles (5a, 5b) of the nozzle assembly (5) of the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention can be designed to slope relative to this vertical plane and, for example, can be arranged like the arms of a letter “V”. The point of the letter “V” which is formed by the two individual nozzles (5a, 5b) preferably points away from the user, while the opening of the letter “V” faces in the direction of the face (3) of the user. The nozzles (5a, 5b) preferably follow the course of the alae of the nose of the user. The oblique positioning of the nozzles (5a, 5b) of the nozzle assembly (5) can be described by the angle delta enclosed by the vertical virtual plane and the nozzles (5a, 5b). The angles for the two nozzles (5a, 5b) preferably correspond in respect of their absolute value and are opposed as regards their sign. In other words, one nozzle (e.g. 5a) has a positive slope angle delta, while the other nozzle (e.g. 5b) has a negative slope angle delta or vice versa.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0042] 1 Device [0043] 2 Air curtain [0044] 3 Face [0045] 4 Pump [0046] 5 Nozzle [0047] 6 Filter [0048] 7 Function monitoring unit [0049] 8 Safety goggles [0050] 9 Vertical virtual axis [0051] 10 Supporting device [0052] 11 Energy supply device [0053] d Distance between nozzle and end of nose
