HEADPIECE FOR A FACE SHIELD

Abstract

There is provided a headpiece for a face shield, the headpiece comprising a first section for extending across the forehead of a user during use, and a second section having a support for supporting a lens during use. The second section is rotatably mounted to the first section, such that the second section can be rotated from a first position in which it is in front of a user's forehead to a second position in which it is above a user's head. There is also provided a face shield comprising a headpiece according to the invention and an attached lens.

Claims

1. A headpiece for a face shield, the headpiece comprising: a first section for extending across the forehead of a user during use; and a second section having a support for supporting a lens during use; wherein the second section is rotatably mounted to the first section, such that the second section can be rotated from a first position in which it is in front of a user's forehead to a second position in which it is above a user's head.

2. The headpiece of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a releasable attachment means for supporting a lens.

3. The headpiece of claim 2, wherein the releasable attachment means comprises a plurality of protrusions for being received by a plurality of holes in a lens.

4. The headpiece of claim 1, wherein the headpiece is for a medical face shield.

5. The headpiece of claim 1, wherein the first section comprises a band for extending across the forehead of a user and a sponge layer attached to the inside surface of the band.

6. The headpiece of claim 5, wherein the support for supporting a lens is at a fixed distance from the band.

7. The headpiece of claim 5, wherein the first section further comprises a peak extending outwardly from the band.

8. The headpiece of claim 7, wherein the second section comprises a peak extending outwardly, and wherein when the second section is in the first position, the peak of the second section is supported by a recessed lip in the peak of the first section.

9. The headpiece of claim 1, wherein the headpiece comprises a rotation stop to prevent rotation of the second section past the second position.

10. The headpiece of claim 9, wherein the second section is rotated about 90-100 degrees between the first and second positions.

11. The headpiece of claim 9, wherein the rotation stop comprises a projection on the second section which abuts against an abutting projection on the first section when the second section is in the second position.

12. The headpiece of claim 11, wherein the rotation stop further comprises a rounded projection on the first section, with a recess formed between the rounded and abutting projections, and wherein the projection on the second section engages the recess when the second section is in the second position to inhibit rotation of the second section towards or away from the first section.

13. The headpiece of claim 12, wherein the rotation stop further comprises a second rounded projection on the first section, which abuts the protrusion of the second section when the second section is in the first position, to prevent unintended rotation of the second section from the first position.

14. The headpiece of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable elastic band which attaches to each end of the first section and wraps around the back of a user's head.

15. A medical face shield comprising: a first headpiece section for extending across the forehead of a user during use; a second headpiece section rotatably mounted to the first section; and a lens attached to the second headpiece section; wherein the second headpiece section can be rotated from a first position in which the lens is in front of a user's face to a second position in which a user's face is exposed.

16. The medical face shield of claim 15, wherein the lens comprises a plastic sheet.

17. The medical face shield of claim 15, wherein the second headpiece section comprises a releasable attachment means for supporting the lens.

18. The medical face shield of claim 17, wherein the releasable attachment means comprises a plurality of protrusions for being received by a plurality of holes in the lens.

19. The medical face shield of claim 15, wherein the first headpiece section comprises a band for extending across the forehead of a user and a sponge layer attached to the inside surface of the band.

20. The medical face shield of claim 15, wherein the lens is at a fixed distance from the band.

21. The medical face shield of claim 19, wherein the first headpiece section further comprises a peak extending outwardly from the band.

22. The medical face shield of claim 21, wherein the second headpiece section comprises a peak extending outwardly, and wherein when the second headpiece section is in the first position, the peak of the second headpiece section is supported by a recessed lip in the peak of the first headpiece section.

23. The medical face shield of claim 15, further comprising a rotation stop to prevent rotation of the second section past the second position.

24. The medical face shield of claim 23, wherein the second headpiece section is rotated about 90-100 degrees between the first and second positions.

25. The medical face shield of claim 23, wherein the rotation stop comprises a projection on the second headpiece section which abuts against an abutting projection on the first headpiece section when the second headpiece section is in the second position.

26. The medical face shield of claim 25, wherein the rotation stop further comprises a rounded projection on the first headpiece section, with a recess formed between the rounded and abutting projections, and wherein the projection on the second headpiece section engages the recess when the second headpiece section is in the second position to inhibit rotation of the second headpiece section towards or away from the first headpiece section.

27. The medical face shield of claim 26, wherein the rotation stop further comprises a second rounded projection on the first headpiece section, which abuts the protrusion of the second headpiece section when the second headpiece section is in the first position, to prevent unintended rotation of the second headpiece section from the first position.

28. The medical face shield of claim 15, further comprising an adjustable elastic band which attaches to each end of the first headpiece section and wraps around the back of a user's head.

29. The headpiece of claim 1, wherein the second headpiece section is rotatably mounted to the first headpiece section by a hinge.

30. The headpiece of claim 29, wherein the first headpiece section, the hinge, and the second headpiece section are formed of a single piece of plastic.

31. A method of manufacturing the headpiece of claim 30, comprising the step of injection molding the first headpiece section, the hinge, and the second headpiece section as a single piece.

32. A method for manufacturing a headpiece for a face shield, the method comprising: providing a first section for extending across the forehead of a user during use; providing a second section having a support for supporting a lens during use; and rotatably mounting the second section to the first section, such that the second section can be rotated from a first position in which it is in front of a user's forehead to a second position in which it is above a user's head.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first section comprises a band and a sponge layer, and the method comprises attaching the sponge layer to the band.

34. The medical face shield of claim 15, wherein the second headpiece section is rotatably mounted to the first headpiece section by a hinge.

35. The medical face shield of claim 34, wherein the first headpiece section, the hinge, and the second headpiece section are formed of a single piece of plastic.

36. A method of manufacturing the medical face shield of claim 35, comprising the step of injection molding the first headpiece section, the hinge, and the second headpiece section as a single piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a headpiece according to the present invention and a lens, the combination of which forms a face shield according to the present invention. The face shield is shown in a first configuration in which the lens covers a user's face;

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the headpiece and face shield of FIG. 1, shown in a second configuration in which the lens of the face shield is rotated upwards to expose a user's face;

[0033] FIG. 2A shows an enlarged portion of the face shield of FIG. 2, which illustrates a rotation stop to prevent further rotation of the lens;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a side view of the headpiece and face shield of FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first configuration;

[0035] FIG. 3A shows an enlarged portion of the face shield of FIG. 3, which illustrates the rotation stop in further detail;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a side view of the headpiece and face shield of FIGS. 1-3, in the second configuration;

[0037] FIG. 4A shows an enlarged portion of the face shield of FIG. 4, which illustrates the rotation stop in further detail;

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the face shield of FIGS. 1-4, shown in the first configuration;

[0039] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a headpiece and face shield according to another embodiment of the present invention, shown in a first configuration in which the lens of the face shield covers a user's face;

[0040] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the headpiece and face shield of FIG. 6, shown in a second configuration in which the lens of the face shield is rotated upwards to expose a user's face;

[0041] FIG. 8. is a side view of a headpiece and face shield according to another embodiment of the present invention, shown in a first configuration in which the lens of the face shield covers a user's face;

[0042] FIG. 8A shows an enlarged portion of the face shield of FIG. 8, which illustrates the hinge in further detail;

[0043] FIG. 9 is a side view of the headpiece and face shield of FIG. 8, shown in the second configuration in which the lens is rotated up to expose the user's face;

[0044] FIG. 9A shows an enlarged portion of the face shield of FIG. 9, which illustrates the hinge in further detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The present invention provides a headpiece for a face shield, and a face shield including such a headpiece, and their methods of manufacture.

[0046] With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a headpiece 100 in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 1 also shows a face shield 1000 according to the present invention, which comprises the headpiece 100 of the present invention and a removeable lens 40 attached to the headpiece 100 (where the lens 40 is shown detached in FIG. 1, but attached and optional in FIGS. 2-7).

[0047] The headpiece 100 has a first section 10 for extending across the user's forehead when worn and a second section 20 having a support 25 for supporting the lens 40. The second section 20 is rotatably mounted to the first section 10 to allow the second section 20 to be rotated upwards, away from the first section 10. The second section 20 can be rotated between a first position (shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) in which it is in front of a user's forehead and aligned with the first section 10 to a second position (FIGS. 2 and 4) in which it is above a user's head. Thus, in use, a user can rotate the lens 40 of the face shield 1000 from a first position in which it covers their face (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) to a second position in which their face is exposed (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4). There are many reasons why a user might want to access their face, for example to eat or drink, to blow their nose, to put on make-up, or to put on or remove a surgical face mask. This is a user-friendly feature which has use in non-medical environments (for example, corporates) or medical environments (e.g. in hospitals or laboratories). This may be particularly useful in conferences where people need to drink water from time to time. When the user has finished and wishes to protect their face again, the lens 40 can be rotated back to the first position.

[0048] The second section 20 may be mounted to the first section 10 by the receipt of cylindrical protrusions 22 on the ends of the second section 20 in matching grooves 12 on the ends of the first section 10, or vice versa. Any other suitable mounting can be used which allows the second section 20 to rotate relative to the first section 10. For example, the second section 20 may be mounted to the first section 10 via a hinge (as illustrated in FIGS. 8, 8a, 9 and 9a, and discussed below when referring to those figures).

[0049] The first section 10 has a band 15 and an inner foam or sponge layer 14. The sponge layer 14 sits against the user's forehead during use, aiding comfort and fit (by reducing slippage and ensuring an even fit across the forehead due to the compressible sponge).

[0050] The headpiece 100 also comprises an elastic band 30 to secure the headpiece 100 to a user. The band 30 attaches to the ends of the first section 10 and wraps around the back of a user's head. The band 30 is adjustable to enable a secure fit to the user. For example, buckles 13 (or any other type of attachment means which allows adjustment) may be located at the ends of the first section 10, through which the ends of the band 30 are pulled. The buckles 13 and band 30 may be orientated in the horizontal plane, which may reduce the volume of stacked headpieces 100 during transport. Alternatively, the buckles 13 and band 30 may be orientated in the vertical plane.

[0051] The support 25 supports a lens 40. The lens may be attached to the support 25 by non-releasable means, but is preferable attached by releasable attachment means. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, in a preferred embodiment, the support 25 has attachment protrusions or juts 27 for receiving corresponding holes in the lens 40 to detachably secure the lens 40 to the headpiece 100 easily and quickly. Any suitable number of projections or juts can be provided. The lens 40 may be formed from a flat plastic sheet with holes corresponding to the attachment protrusions or juts 27. The flat plastic sheets can be stored and shipped in a neat stack, separately to the headpieces 100 (which can also be neatly stacked with one another), reducing shipping volume and cost. The user or an assistant can attach the plastic sheet 40 to the headpiece 100 to form the face shield. The plastic sheet 40 then adopts the curved shape shown in FIG. 1, which protects the front and sides of the user's face. The plastic sheet 40 can also be detached from the headpiece easily and quickly for replacement. By providing detachable lenses 40, it is possible to replace the lens 40 more regularly than the headpiece 100 which can be reused (with or without sterilisation as required), which may provide an economic and environmental benefit.

[0052] The headpiece 100 may comprise a rotation stop to prevent rotation of the second section 20 beyond the second position. The rotation stop may comprise backward facing protrusions 21 on the ends of the second section 20 and abutting protrusions 11a on the first section 10. The backward facing protrusions 21 abut against the abutting protrusions 11a when the second section 20 has been rotated to its second position, as seen in FIGS. 2, 2A, 4 and 4A. The preferred angle at which rotation is stopped may by 90-100 degrees.

[0053] The rotation stop may comprise additional rounded protrusions 11b and 11c provided on the first section 10 to inhibit unintentional rotation of the second section 20, as seen in FIGS. 3A and 4A. In particular, on each side of the headpiece, a rounded protrusion 11b is positioned next to but spaced from an abutting protrusion 11a, providing a gap between the protrusions 11a, 11b to accommodate a backward facing protrusion 21 of the second section 20. The backward facing protrusion 21 can be rotated past the rounded protrusion 11b, but it takes a bit of force, and thus once rotated past it, the protrusion 21 is held in the gap between the projections 11a, 11b, and the second section 20 is therefore held in the second position. By tugging on the second section, it is possible to move it back past rounded protrusion 11b to rotate it back to its first position. The second rounded protrusion 11c is placed to engage the backward facing protrusion 21 when the second section 20 is in the first position, as shown in FIG. 3A. The rounded protrusion 11c thus inhibits unintentional rotation of the second section 20 from the first position. If a user pulls the second section backwards, it is possible to rotate protrusions 21 past the rounded protrusions 11c to rotate the second section to the second position. The rounded protrusions 11c, 11b therefore retain the second section in the first or the second position, respectively, to prevent unintentional rotation of the second section 20 as the user moves their head around. FIGS. 3A and 4A illustrate all three protrusions 11a, 11b, 11c, but in alternative embodiments, only one or two of these protrusions may be provided, or none at all.

[0054] Returning to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, both the first and section sections 10, 20 have peaks 16, 26 at the front, The peaks 16, 26 of the first and second sections 10, 20 are configured to partially overlap when the second section 20 is in its first position, with the peak 26 (upper peak) of the second section 20 resting on a portion of the peak 16 (lower peak) of the first section 10. The lower peak 16 therefore prevents the second section 20 from rotating downwards, past its first position. The lower peak 16 may comprise a recessed lip 17 (see FIG. 2), which supports the upper peak 26 when the second section 20 is in the second position, providing a flush fit of the second peak 26 on the first peak 16, to form a combined peak as seen from the side in FIG. 3 and from above in FIG. 5. The peaks 16, 26 provide a barrier or shield to protect the user's face from hazards from above, extending from the band 15 of the first section 10 to the outer edge of the peak 26 of the second section 20.

[0055] The support 25 for supporting the lens 40 is spaced at a fixed distance from the band 15 of the first section 10, ensuring an almost fixed distance of the lens 40 from the user's face (with a small amount of variability in the distance being provided by the thin compressible sponge layer 14), enabling a user of face shield 1000 to comfortably wear a mask or respirator under the lens 40, and reducing the risk of condensation building up on the lens 40. The peaks 16, 26 maintain this fixed distance, whilst also protecting the face from hazards from above.

[0056] The second peak 26 preferably extends beyond the support 25, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0057] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first section 10′ comprises a band 15′ and attached sponge layer 14′. The second section 20′ comprises a band 23′, which is nested with the band 15′ of the first section 10′ when the second section 20′ is in the first position (see FIG. 6). The second section 20′ also comprises a peak 26′ which extends from the band 23′. This headpiece 100′ may be simpler to make, and provides the distancing of the lens 40 from the user's face (at an almost fixed distance) and the same barrier from above, although the headpiece 100 of FIGS. 1-5 has the advantage of the second section 20 being spaced further from the user's head to provide greater clearance for the rotational movement. All other features of the headpiece 100′ and face shield 1000′, including the rotation stop, are as described above for the headpiece 100 and face shield 1000 shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8, 8a, 9 and 9a, the second section 220 is rotatably mounted to the first section 210 via a hinge 211. In particular, a hinge 211 between one end of the first section 210 and one end of the second section 220, on each side of the headpiece 200, allows for rotation of the second section 220 relative to the first section 210. This embodiment therefore provides a simplified embodiment relative to that shown in FIGS. 1-5, since the mounting means of FIGS. 1-5 (comprising cylindrical protrusions 22 in matching grooves 12), has been replaced with a hinge 211. Although not illustrated, this embodiment could have a rotation stop as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1-5. All other features of the headpiece 200 and face shield 2000, are as described above for the headpiece 100 and face shield 1000 shown in FIGS. 1-5. Although illustrated as an alternative embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the hinge mounting is equally applicable to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-7, i.e. by replacing 12′ and 22′ with a hinge. The hinge embodiment provides for simplified manufacture, since the first section 210, hinge 211, and second section 220 can be formed from a single integral piece. For example, the first section 210, hinge 211, and second section 220 can be formed from injection molding. This provides an advantage over the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 and FIGS. 6-7 due to ease of manufacture because there are less steps in the manufacturing process saving time and cost.

[0059] The first and second sections 10, 10′, 210 20, 20′, 220 of the headpieces 100, 100′, 200 are preferably plastic, other than for the inner sponge layer 14, 14′. The sponge layer 14, 14′ can be made from a thin layer of sponge, because the headpiece 100, 100′, 200 provides an almost fixed distance between the lens 40, 40′, 240 and the user's face.

[0060] The first and section sections 10, 10′, 210, 20, 20′ 220 can be molded (e.g. injection molded) or 3D printed (either separately for the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 and 6-7 or as a single piece with a hinge therebetween for the embodiment of FIGS. 8-9). To assembly the headpiece 100, 100′, 200 the sponge layer 14 is attached (e.g. glued or taped) to the band 15, 15′, 215 of the first section 10, 10′, 210 and, for the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 or 6-7, the second section 20, 20′ is rotatably mounted to the first section 10, 10′ by placing the protrusions 22, 22′ in the grooves 12, 12′. The elastic band 30, 30′ can then be threaded through the buckles 13, 13′ to provide a complete headpiece 100, 100′, 200. The headpieces 100, 100′, 200 can be shipped in this form, with plastic sheet lenses 40, 40′, 240 being shipped separately to the headpieces, and attached before use to form the face shields 1000, 1000′, 2000 of FIGS. 1-9. Additional features of the method of assembly will be understood by reference to the above-described headpieces 100, 100′, 200.

[0061] Throughout this specification and the claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” and its variations, such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

[0062] Throughout this specification and the claims, the words “outwardly”, “upwards”, “horizontal” and “vertical” will be understood to be with reference to the headpiece and face shield when worn on the head of a user and, as such, “outwardly” is outwards relative to the user.

[0063] It will be appreciated that this description is by way of example only; alterations and modifications may be made to the described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.