Head protection device and respirator device

Abstract

A head protection device (2), for protecting the head, includes a head bracket (4), with a visor (8) fastened rotatably to the head bracket (4) via two swivel joints (6), and with a branched air duct (10), which has one air inlet (12) and a plurality of air outlets (14). At least one of the air outlets (14) is arranged as a chin air outlet (20) at a lateral section (22) of the visor. At least one of the swivel joints (6) forms an inner air channel (24) extending as a part of the air duct (10) from the head bracket (4) to the visor (8). In addition, a respirator device is provided with the head protection device (2).

Claims

1. A head protection device for protecting a head of a wearer, the head protection device comprising: a head bracket; a visor fastened rotatably to the head bracket via at least one swivel joint; and a branched air duct comprising one air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, wherein: at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a forehead air outlet at an upper visor section; at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a chin air outlet at a lateral section of the visor; the at least one swivel joint forms an inner air channel extending as a part of the air duct from the head bracket to the visor; the branched air duct comprises a visor air channel defined by the visor and extending from the inner air channel to the chin air outlet; and the branched air duct comprises a further air channel defined by the head bracket, or the visor or by both the head bracket and the visor and extending from the air inlet to the forehead air outlet; the at least one swivel joint is configured as a rotary throttle valve; the rotary throttle valve comprises a first passage opening providing fluid communication between the air inlet and the inner air channel and a second passage opening providing fluid communication between the inner air channel and the forehead air outlet, whereby in an opened state of the rotary throttle valve air passes through the first passage opening, the inner air channel, and the second passage opening to provide air flow from the air inlet to the forehead air outlet in parallel to air flow in the further air channel.

2. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one swivel joint comprises a hollow cylindrical joint housing and a hollow shaft held by the joint housing in a rotatably mounted manner, wherein the inner air channel leads through the hollow shaft.

3. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner air channel formed by the at least one swivel joint is at least one of coaxial and parallel to a corresponding axis of rotation of the at least one swivel joint.

4. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner air channel is configured to guide air to the chin outlet via the visor air channel.

5. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the visor is configured as a lever for adjusting the rotary throttle valve.

6. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rotary throttle valve is configured at least one of to modify an air resistance through the inner air channel and to open or close the inner air channel.

7. A head protection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the at least one swivel joint comprises a hollow cylindrical joint housing and a hollow shaft held by the joint housing in a rotatably mounted manner, wherein the inner air channel leads through the hollow shaft; and the first passage opening of the rotary throttle valve is formed by at least one jacket-side passage opening of the joint housing of the at least one swivel joint and the second passage opening is formed by at least one jacket-side passage opening of the hollow shaft of the at least one swivel joint.

8. A head protection device in accordance with claim 7, wherein: the jacket-side passage opening of the joint housing and the jacket-side passage opening of the corresponding hollow shaft are arranged in relation to one another in a circumferential direction of an axis of rotation of the swivel joint, whereby: the rotary throttle valve is in the opened state when the visor is in an opened position; and the rotary throttle valve is closed or in a throttling position when the visor is in a closed position.

9. A head protection device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the air duct is configured such that when the rotary throttle valve is in a closed or throttling position, between 60% and 80% of the air fed through the air inlet is led to the chin air outlet.

10. A respirator device comprising: an air supply unit for providing an air flow; a head protection device comprising: a head bracket; a visor fastened rotatably to the head bracket via at least one swivel joint; and a branched air duct comprising one air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, wherein: at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a forehead air outlet at an upper visor section; at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a chin air outlet at a lateral section of the visor; the at least one swivel joint forms an inner air channel extending as a part of the air duct from the head bracket to the visor; the branched air duct comprises a visor air channel defined by the visor and extending from the inner air channel to the chin air outlet; the branched air duct comprises a further air channel defined by the head bracket, or the visor or by both the head bracket and the visor and extending from the air inlet to the forehead air outlet the at least one swivel joint is further configured as a rotary throttle valve for the inner air channel or for another air channel leading to the forehead outlet; and the rotary throttle valve is configured to modify an air resistance through a bypass air channel of the air duct to the forehead outlet.

11. A respirator device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the at least one swivel joint comprises a hollow cylindrical joint housing and a hollow shaft held by the joint housing in a rotatably mounted manner, wherein the inner air channel leads through the hollow shaft.

12. A respirator device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the inner air channel formed by the at least one swivel joint is at least one of coaxial and parallel to a corresponding axis of rotation of the at least one swivel joint.

13. A respirator device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the inner air channel is configured to guide air to the chin outlet via the visor air channel.

14. A respirator device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: the visor is configured as a lever for adjusting the rotary throttle valve; and the rotary throttle valve is configured at least one of to modify an air resistance through the inner air channel and to open or close the inner air channel upon adjustment.

15. A respirator device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: the at least one swivel joint comprises a hollow cylindrical joint housing and a hollow shaft held by the joint housing in a rotatably mounted manner, wherein the air channel leads through the hollow shaft; and the rotary throttle valve is formed by at least one jacket-side passage opening of the joint housing of the at least one swivel joint and at least one jacket-side passage opening of the hollow shaft of the at least one swivel joint.

16. A respirator device in accordance with claim 15, wherein: the jacket-side passage opening of the joint housing and the jacket-side passage opening of the corresponding hollow shaft are arranged in relation to one another in a circumferential direction of an axis of rotation of the swivel joint, whereby: the rotary throttle valve is opened when the visor is in an opened position; and the rotary throttle valve is closed or in a throttling position when the visor is in a closed position.

17. A head protection device for protecting a head of a wearer, the head protection device comprising: a head bracket; a visor fastened rotatably to the head bracket via at least one swivel joint; and a branched air duct with one air inlet and with a plurality of air outlets, wherein: at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a forehead air outlet at an upper visor section; at least one of the air outlets is arranged as a chin air outlet at a lateral section of the visor; the at least one swivel joint forms an inner air channel extending as a part of the air duct from the head bracket to the visor; the at least one swivel joint is further configured as a rotary throttle valve for the inner air channel or for another air channel leading to the forehead outlet; and the rotary throttle valve is configured to modify an air resistance through a bypass air channel of the branched air duct to the forehead outlet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the head protection device with a partial section through the air duct ans showing an air supply line and an air supply unit;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a part of the visor frame;

(4) FIG. 3 is another schematic perspective view of the head protection device with another section through the air duct;

(5) FIG. 4 is another schematic perspective view of the head protection device with the visor opened and with a sectional view through the air duct corresponding to the section in FIG. 1; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a partial assembly unit comprising a part of the frame of the visor as well as a part of a helmet associated with the head protection bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the head protection device 2 according to the present invention. The head protection device 2 is used to protect the head of a person who is using the head protection device 2. The head protection device 2 has, for this, a head bracket 4. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the head bracket 4 is formed by a helmet 40. The helmet 40 has, at its inner wall, a head strap, with which the helmet 40 can be firmly fastened on the upper body of the person. The term head bracket 4 is consequently defined broadly.

(8) To protect the face of the person using the head protection device 2, a visor 8 is provided for the head protection device 2. The visor 8 is fastened rotatably at the head bracket 4 or at the helmet 40. Two swivel joints 6, which establish the mechanical connection between the visor 8 and the head bracket 4 or the helmet 40, are provided for this. The visor 8 can be pivoted by means of the swivel joints 6 between a closed position, as it can be seen in FIG. 1, and an opened position, as it can be seen in FIG. 4. In other words, the visor 8 is mounted pivotably at the head bracket 4 or at the helmet 40.

(9) Such a head protection device 2 is frequently used in dusty or dirty environments. To make fresh breathing air available to the user of the head protection device during use, the head protection device 2 has a branched air duct 10. The air duct 10 comprises for this an air inlet 12 and a plurality of air outlets 14. The air inlet 12 is connected to an air supply line 44 that is connected to an air supply unit 46. The air inlet 12 is preferably arranged at the rear part of the head bracket 4 or of the helmet 40, i.e., preferably on the side of the head bracket 4 or of the helmet 40 facing away from the visor. From there, the air duct 10 leads to the area of the head protection device 2 that corresponds to the forehead area thereof. At least one of the air outlets 14 is formed in this case as a forehead air outlet 16, as this can be seen in FIG. 3. The forehead air outlet 16 is arranged at an upper section of the visor of the head protection device 2. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the forehead air outlet 16 is formed by the helmet 40. The forehead air outlet 16 is characterized in that air flows at an upper visor section 18 into a space between the visor 8 and an area that is intended for the head of the user of the head protection device 2. Provisions may be made, as an alternative, for the forehead air outlet 16 to be formed by an upper frame section of the visor 8. However, this is not shown in the figures.

(10) Moreover, at least one of the air outlets 14 is arranged as a chin air outlet 20 at a lateral visor section 22. The chin air outlet 20 may be designed, in principle, independently from the position of the visor 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 5, the at least one chin air outlet 20 is formed, however, by a lateral frame of the visor 8. The chin outlet 20 is characterized in that air flows into a space between a lateral area 22 of the visor 8 and an area that is intended for the head of the user of the head protection device 2.

(11) Through the plurality of air outlets 14, 16 of the head protection device 2, air flows on a plurality of sides of the visor 8 into the space between the visor 8 and an area that is intended for the head of the user of the head protection device 2. This guarantees that the velocity of flow of the air flowing in through the aforementioned air outlets 14, 16, 20 can be kept especially low. The person using the head protection device 2 does not therefore feel the air flowing in to be unpleasant due to the low velocity of this air. At the same time, the person is continually supplied with fresh air, i.e., air not polluted with dust or dirt.

(12) It was determined in practice that it is comfortable for the user of such a head protection device 2 if the head protection device 2 is as small as possible and has the lowest weight possible. To achieve this, provisions are made for the head protection device 2 for at least one of the swivel joints 6 to form an inner air channel 24 extending from the head bracket 4 or the helmet 40 to the visor 8 as a part of the air duct 10. Both swivel joints 6 preferably have an identical design, so that they form each a corresponding air channel 24 as a part of the air duct 10. The swivel joints 6 thus assume a dual function, namely, the mounting fastening of the visor 8 at the head bracket 4 or the helmet 40, on the one hand, and the formation of a part of the air duct 10, on the other hand. The head protection device 2 may therefore have an especially compact design, which reduces the weight, on the one hand, and reduces the space needed for installation, on the other hand. The reduced space needed for installation does, in addition, offer a better angle of vision for the person using the head protection device 2.

(13) The swivel joints 6 are formed each by a hollow cylindrical joint housing 26 and a hollow shaft 28 held in a rotatably mounted manner by the joint housing 26, the respective corresponding air channel 24 passing through the hollow shaft 28. Such an embodiment of the swivel joints 6 is seen in FIGS. 1 through 5. The swivel joint housings 26 are associated with the head bracket 4 or the helmet 40. They are consequently stationary in relation to the head bracket 4 or the helmet 40. The hollow shafts 28 of the swivel joints 6 are associated with the visor 8 or a corresponding visor frame 42. The hollow shafts 28 are consequently stationary in relation to the visor 8 or the visor frame 42.

(14) The branched air duct 10 leads from the air inlet 12 with one branch through the air channels 24 of the swivel joints 6. Provisions are made in this connection for the air channels 24 of the swivel joints 6 to pass over at their respective visor-side end into an air channel 24, which is formed by the visor frame 42. The air channels formed by the visor frame 42 then lead to the chin air outlets 20, so that the air can flow out here laterally to the inner side of the visor. Another branch of the branched air duct 10 leads from the air inlet 12 through a corresponding air channel 32, as this can be seen in FIG. 3, to the at least one forehead air outlet 16, at which air can flow out on the inner side of the visor. Due to the swivel joints 6 being used as part of the air duct 10, it is possible that no additional air guide elements of a complicated design are needed to form a connection, which is, for example, a flexibly bendable connection, between the air inlet 12 and the chin air outlets 20.

(15) To make it possible to affect the distribution of the air flowing out through the air outlets 14, it proved to be advantageous to design the swivel joints 6 as rotary throttle valves 30 each. Each swivel joint 6 of the two swivel joints 6 of the head protection device 2 is consequently designed as a rotary throttle valve 30. These rotary throttle valves 30 may be designed, in principle, in such a way as to modify the air resistance through the air channel 24 of the corresponding swivel joint 6. However, an alternative embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5. Provisions are made here for arranging a bypass channel 34, whose air resistance can be modified by the rotary throttle valves 30, in at least some sections to the air channel 32, which leads from the air inlet 12 to the at least one forehead air outlet 16. Each rotary throttle valve 30 is formed for this by two jacket-side passage openings 36 of the joint housing 26, which said passage openings 36 are located at spaced locations from one another in the circumferential direction U, as well as by at least two jacket-side passage openings 38 of the hollow shaft 28 of the corresponding rotary joint 6, which said passage openings 38 are located at spaced locations from one another in the circumferential direction U. Passage openings 36 of the joint housing 26 and passage openings 38 of the hollow shaft 28 may be opened each in pairs in the same radial direction. Corresponding statements can consequently be made for both pairs of the respective passage openings 36, 38. By rotating the hollow shaft 28 relative to the joint housing 26, the passage openings 38 of the hollow shaft 28 and the passage openings 36 of the joint housing 26 can consequently be caused to overlap, so that the bypass channel 34 is formed in at least some sections through the passage openings 36, 38 and the interior space of the hollow shaft 28. If the bypass channel 34 is released by the rotary throttle valves 30, air will also flow through the bypass channel 34 from the air inlet 12 to the forehead air outlet 16. Based on the released bypass channel 34, the resistance for the air that is flowing from the air inlet 12 to the at least one forehead air outlet 16 is reduced. A larger quantity of air will thus flow through the at least one forehead air outlet 16 and a smaller quantity of air will correspondingly flow through the chin air outlets 20. The distribution of the air flow to the air outlets 14, 16, 20 can consequently be controlled by the rotary throttle valves 30. The person using the head protection device 2 can adjust the rotary throttle valves 30, since the hollow shafts 28 are preferably stationary in relation to the visor 8. The visor 8 may consequently be designed as a lever for adjusting the rotary throttle valves 30. As a function of the opening angle, the valve 30 opens, closes or throttles the bypass channel 34, which is associated with a corresponding distribution of air to the air outlets 14, 16, 20.

(16) It proved to be advantageous in practice if a reduced quantity of the air flowing in through the air inlet 12 flows out through the chin outlets 20 when the visor 8 is opened since the head protection device is frequently used in dusty areas. If a corresponding dust settles on the top side of the helmet 40, this would be moved down from the top side of the helmet 40 if the discharge of air from the chin air outlets 20 were not reduced with the visor 8 opened, and at least a certain percentage of this dust would then flow past the face of the person using the head protection device 2. To reduce the risk of contamination of the face of the aforementioned person, which is associated herewith, the air flow to the chin outlets 20 is markedly reduced or even completely prevented when the visor 8 is opened. Thus, the above-mentioned risks will not occur. To guarantee a corresponding distribution of air, the swivel joints 6 have a corresponding design. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the bypass channel 34 is opened through the passage openings 36, 38 when the visor 8 is opened, so that two parallel air volume flows V1, V2 will be formed in the area of the bypass channel 34, one of the volume flows, V1, flowing through the original air channel 32 to the forehead air outlet 16 and the second air volume flow, V2, flowing to the forehead air outlet 16 through the bypass channel 34. Another air volume flow, V3, from the air inlet 12 to the chin outlets 20 can be kept especially small, so that the velocity at which the air leaving the chin air outlets 20 is at least essentially not suitable for removing dust on the front top side of the helmet 40.

(17) If, as is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the visor 8 is folded down again, the bypass channel 34 closes. This leads therefore to a change in the distribution of the air flow to the air outlets 14, 16, 20, and a larger percentage of air will again flow to the chin air outlets 20. The velocity at which the air leaving the forehead air outlet 16 is discharged decreases correspondingly, so that an especially small air flow can be felt in the face by the person using the head protection device 2 when the visor 8 is closed.

(18) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(19) D Axis of rotation U Circumferential direction 2 Head protection device 4 Head bracket 6 Swivel joint 8 Visor 10 Air duct 12 Air inlet 14 Air outlet 16 Forehead air outlet 18 Upper visor section 20 Chin air outlet 22 Lateral visor section 24 Air channel in swivel joint 26 Joint housing 28 Hollow shaft 30 Rotary throttle valve 32 Air channel to forehead air outlet 34 Bypass channel 36 Passage opening of the joint housing 38 Passage opening of the hollow shaft 40 Helmet 42 Visor frame 44 Air supply line