Safety hood with a visor size-independent fastening on the head strap

Abstract

A safety hood (1), with a head strap (7) for fixation on the head (6) of a user of the hood, has features for adjusting the head strap (7) to different head sizes and/or head shapes. The respirator hood (1) has, further, a visor pane (4) and a flexible hood outer skin (8), which are connected with one another and of which the visor pane (4) is indirectly or directly fastened to the head strap (7). The visor pane (4) is fastened indirectly or directly to the head strap (7) exclusively in the area (10) of the forehead of the user of the hood.

Claims

1. A safety hood comprising: a head strap for fixation on the head of a user of the hood, the head strap comprising an adjusting means for adjusting the head strap to different head sizes and/or head shapes; a visor pane; and a flexible hood outer skin, the visor pane being connected with the flexible hood outer skin, wherein the visor pane is fastened indirectly or directly to the head strap exclusively in an area of the forehead of the hood user, wherein an upper area of the visor pane has a visor pane strap connected with the visor pane and indirectly or directly fastened to the head strap, the visor pane strap having a groove, in which the upper area of the visor pane is arranged at least partially.

2. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one fastening element provided on the head strap for the indirect or direct fastening of the visor pane, said fastening element holding the visor pane at a spaced location from the head strap in an area of the forehead of the hood user.

3. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one locking and/or clamping element, which is in functional connection with the visor pane, is provided within the groove.

4. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, wherein the visor pane strap has at least one guide element at each of outer ends thereof.

5. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, wherein the visor pane is fastened on the head strap to define an at least partial shelter, of eyes of the user of the hood, from an air flow flowing into a facial space from above the forehead area between the outer skin of the hood and the head of the user of the hood.

6. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one fastening strut, which maintains the visor pane at a spaced location from the head strap, provided in the area of the forehead of the user of the hood between the head strap and the visor pane.

7. A safety comprising: a head strap for fixation on the head of a user of the hood, the head strap comprising an adjusting means for adjusting the head strap to different head sizes and/or head shapes; a visor pane; a flexible hood outer skin, the visor pane being connected with the flexible hood outer skin, wherein the visor pane is fastened indirectly or directly to the head strap exclusively in an area of the forehead of the hood user; at least one fastening element provided on the head strap for the indirect or direct fastening of the visor pane, said fastening element holding the visor pane at a spaced location from the head strap in an area of the forehead of the hood user; and at least one air guide element, by which an air flow flowing into a facial area from above the area of the forehead is deflected at least partially, is provided in an area of the fastening element on the head strap on the visor pane.

8. A safety hood in accordance claim 1, wherein the visor pane is connected with the flexible outer skin of the hood by means of a sewn seam, weld seam and/or bonded seam in at least some sections.

9. A safety hood in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a snap fastener or a loop and hook fastener, wherein the flexible outer skin of the hood is detachably fastened to the head strap by means of the snap fastener or the loop and hook fastener, at least at one point.

10. A protective hood comprising: a head strap for engaging a head of a user of the hood, the head strap being adjustable to different head sizes and/or head shapes, the head strap having a forehead portion in a region of a forehead of the hood user; a visor pane; a flexible hood element, the visor pane being connected with the flexible hood element; and a fastening device fixing the visor pane indirectly or directly only to the forehead portion of the head strap, whereby the visor pane is connected to the head strap exclusively in the region of the forehead of the hood user, the head strap further comprising a carrying ring at the head strap forehead portion and the fastening device being provided between the visor pane and the head strap at the carrying ring, in the forehead region of the user, with no fastening features on the head strap at outer edges of the visor pane, wherein the fastening device provides one or more fastening locations always acting at the carrying ring.

11. A protective hood in accordance with claim 10, wherein an upper area of the visor pane has a visor pane support element connected with the visor pane and indirectly or directly fastened to the head strap.

12. A protective hood in accordance with claim 11, wherein the visor pane support element comprises: a groove, in which the upper area of the visor pane is arranged at least partially; at least one locking and/or clamping element, which is in functional connection with the visor pane, is provided within the groove; and the visor pane support element has at least one guide element at each of outer ends thereof.

13. A protective hood in accordance with claim 10, wherein the visor pane is fastened on the head strap to define an at least partial shelter, of eyes of the user of the hood, from an air flow flowing into a facial space from above the forehead area between the flexible hood element of the hood and the head of the user of the hood.

14. A protective hood in accordance with claim 10, wherein the fastening device further comprises at least one fastening strut, which maintains the visor pane at a spaced location from the head strap, provided in the area of the forehead of the user of the hood between the head strap and the visor pane.

15. A protective hood in accordance with claim 10, further comprising at least one air guide element, by which an air flow flowing into a facial area from above the area of the forehead is deflected at least partially, is provided in an area of the fastening element on the head strap on the visor pane.

16. A protective hood in accordance claim 10, wherein the visor pane is connected with the flexible hood element via at least one of a sewn seam, weld seam and a bonded seam in at least some sections.

17. A protective hood in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a snap fastener or a loop and hook fastener, wherein the flexible hood element is detachably fastened to the head strap by means of the snap fastener or the loop and hook fastener, at least at one point.

18. A safety hood comprising: a head strap for fixation on the head of a user of the hood, the head strap comprising an adjusting means for adjusting the head strap to different head sizes and/or head shapes; a visor pane; and a flexible hood outer skin, the visor pane being connected with the flexible hood outer skin, wherein the visor pane is fastened indirectly or directly to the head strap only in an area defined exclusively by the forehead of the hood user.

19. A safety hood in accordance with claim 18, wherein an upper area of the visor pane has a visor pane strap connected with the visor pane and indirectly or directly fastened to the head strap, the visor pane strap having a groove, in which the upper area of the visor pane is arranged at least partially.

20. A safety hood in accordance with claim 18, wherein a curvature of the visor pane is maintained during adjustment of the head strap via the adjusting means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a respirator hood;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view showing the fastening of a visor pane on the carrying ring of a head strap;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top view showing the fastening of a visor pane on the carrying ring of a head strap; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a bottom front perspective view showing the carrying ring of a head strap with a strap fastened thereto for receiving a visor pane.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a side view of a respirator hood 1, which has a fastening of the visor pane 4 on a head strap 7, which said fastening is designed according to the present invention. The head 6 of a user is indicated by broken line in the interior space 3 of the hood. The outer skin 8 of the hood 1 surrounds the head 6 sealingly, such that the user is protected from polluted or contaminated ambient air, on the one hand, and purified air can be sent via the air inlet into the interior 3 of the hood, on the other hand.

(7) The visor pane 4, which is fastened to the head strap 7 of the respirator hood 1 carried on the head 6 exclusively in the forehead area 10, is provided in the field of vision of the user. The head strap 7 has a carrying ring made of plastic material 9, which surrounds the head 6 of the user and via which the forces acting on the respirator hood 1 are transmitted to the head 6. The strap 7 is connected with the visor pane 4 by means of suitable fastening elements 5.

(8) To guarantee removal of the exhaled air, which has a high CO.sub.2 concentration, from the interior space 3 of the hood, porous material, preferably a textile material, which assumes the function of an exhalation valve 17, is provided under the chin area in some sections. The air exhaled by the user can escape through this porous material, but no unpurified ambient air can enter the interior space 3 of the hood.

(9) The outer skin 8 of the respirator hood 1 has a flexible hood material, which is fastened, on the one hand, on the visor pane 4 such that it extends circumferentially around it, and is connected, on the other hand, with a rubber-like face seal 11, which surrounds the user in the area of the chin, neck and nape and is in contact there. Further, the strap 7 has suitable adjusting elements 16, by means of which a vertical adjustment of the strap 7 with the carrying ring made of plastic material 9 is made possible in order to adjust the strap 7 to the size of the head and the shape of the head of the user.

(10) An air guide component 2 passes through the flexible material of the hood in the occipital area 12 of the gas mask 1. An external flexible tube, which is in turn connected in a fluid-tight manner with a blower filter unit carried by the user on a belt or with another source of compressed air (not shown), is connected to the air guide component 2 during the use of the respirator hood. Purified air is sent by the blower filter unit into the interior space 3 of the hood via the flexible tube and the air inlet 14. The air subsequently flows from the occipital area 12 into the area of the user's face over the head 6, and the air flow flows downwardly from above over the forehead area.

(11) Two fastening elements 5 in the form of struts, which connect the strap 7 with the visor pane 4, are provided in the area 10 of the user's forehead. A connection between the strap 7 with the carrying ring 9 thereof and the visor pane 4 is provided exclusively in the area 10 of the user's forehead. It is ensured in this manner, on the one hand, that the curvature of the visor pane 4 and hence the free space 20 between the strap 7 and the visor pane 4 remain unchanged even in case of different adjustments of the strap 7.

(12) A visor pane strap (visor support element) 18 has a groove 21, into which the upper edge of the visor pane is inserted, is provided in the upper area of the visor pane 4. The visor pane 4 is fixed within this groove 21 by means of detents, which are pressed in some sections against the surface of the visor pane 4 in the mounted state. The two fastening elements 5, which establish a connection between the head strap 7 and the visor pane 4, are fastened to the carrying ring 9 of the strap 7, on the one hand, and to the visor pane strap 18, which receives the visor pane 4 in a groove 21, on the other hand. According to the exemplary embodiment being explained here, the visor pane 4 is consequently connected indirectly with the fastening element 5, which establishes the connection with the strap 7.

(13) The two fastening elements 5 are arranged each above the user's eyes and have an air guide element 19, which is made in one piece with the respective fastening element 5. The air guide element 19 has a triangular or arrow-like cross section, with the tip being directed against the direction of flow of the air flow. The air flow reaching the air guide elements 19 of the fastening elements 5 from the area 10 of the forehead is split by the air guide elements 19, so that the user's eyes are not reached directly by the flow, but they are mostly on the side of the fastening elements 5 that is sheltered from the flow. Drying out of the eyes as well as eye irritations are reliably avoided or at least greatly reduced in this manner.

(14) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a front view and a top view of a head 6 with a head strap 7 fixed thereon, to which a visor pane 4 is fastened in the area 10 of the user's forehead. To achieve greater clarity, the flexible outer skin 8 is not shown in this figure. The flexible outer skin 8 of a respirator hood 1, as is shown as an example in FIG. 1, surrounds the head 6 as well as the neck of the user and is fastened on the circumference to the visor pane 4 by means of a sewn seam.

(15) The visor pane strap 18, which has the groove 21, into which the upper edge area of the visor pane 4 is inserted and is fixed there, is provided at the upper edge of the visor pane 4. The strap 18 has an arc-shaped design and its shape follows the shape of the head of a user, and a distance is provided as a free space 20 between the head 6 of the user and the strap 18. Two fastening elements 5, which are fastened to the head strap 7, on the one hand, and to the visor pane strap 18, on the other hand, are provided between the carrying ring 9 of the head strap 7 and the strap 7. These fastening elements 5 are arranged exclusively in the area 10 of the user's forehead, so that the free space 20 between the forehead and the strap 18 or the visor pane 4 fastened thereto can be kept unchanged even in case of different users and consequently different head sizes and head shapes. The strap 18 is not fastened in the lateral outer area.

(16) The fastening elements 5 are arranged above the eyes of a user, so that an air flow entering the area of the face from above is split by the fastening elements 5 and the eyes are quasi on the side of the fastening elements 5 that is sheltered from the flow. Exposure of the user's eyes to the flow, which often leads to drying of the eyes as well as eye irritations, is avoided in this manner at least to a great extent.

(17) In addition to FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 4 shows an oblique view from the bottom of a carrying ring 9 of a head strap 7, to which ring the visor pane strap 18 is fastened for receiving the visor pane 4. The flexible outer skin 8 and the visor pane 4 are likewise not shown in this view.

(18) Two fastening elements 5 are in turn provided between the carrying ring 9/head strap 7 and the strap 18, and these fastening elements 5 are located exclusively in the area 10 of the user's forehead, namely, above the eyes. The visor strap or visor support 18 has a groove 21, into which the visor pane 4 can be inserted. Locking elements are located within this groove 21, so that the visor pane 4 is fixed in its position when inserted into the groove 21 of the strap 18. At its two opposite lateral ends, the strap 18 has two essentially triangular guide elements 22. These elements 22 fulfill essentially two tasks. On the one hand, they are designed such that the visor pane 4 is guided during insertion on at least one side during the mounting of the visor pane 4, so that the insertion of the visor pane 4 into the groove 21 of the strap 18 is simplified. On the other hand, the two guide elements 22 provided at the ends of the strap 18 ensure that the visor pane 4 will have a defined lateral contour. This is especially significant because the strap 18, which holds the visor pane 4, is connected with the carrying ring 9 of the head strap 7 exclusively in the area 10 of the user's forehead and is thus fixed exclusively in this area. Changes in the contour of the visor pane 4 in the lateral areas are reliably prevented from occurring due to the additional guide elements 22.

(19) The strap or support 18 and hence the visor pane 4 arranged therein are again fastened to the carrying ring 9 of the head strap 7 exclusively in the areas 10 of the user's forehead. Fastening of the visor pane 4 independently from the size of the head as well as the shape of the head is ensured by this type of fastening. The free space 20 between the visor pane 4 and the user's face thus always remains the same even in case of different adjustments of the head strap 7. The flow conditions in the area of the user's face are thus also always almost identical and independent from the particular adjustment of the head strap 7.

(20) It can, in turn, be clearly recognized that the two fastening elements 5 are arranged above the user's eyes. The user's eyes are thus on the side of the two fastening elements 5 that is sheltered from the flow, so that an air flow, which flows into the facial area from above the area 10 of the forehead, is directly largely around the eyes of the user. To achieve a corresponding deflection of the air flow, the fastening elements 5 have suitably designed air guide elements 19. Drying out as well as irritation of the eyes are thus reliably prevented even in case of prolonged use of a respirator hood 1.

(21) 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.

APPENDIX

List of Reference Numbers

(22) 1 Respirator hood 2 Air guide component 3 Interior space of hood 4 Visor pane 5 Fastening element 6 Head 7 Strap 8 Outer skin of hood 9 Carrying ring 10 Forehead area 11 Face seal 12 Occipital area 13 Connection piece 14 Air inlet 15 Air duct 16 Adjusting element 17 Exhalation valve 18 Strap 19 Air guide element 20 Free space Groove Guide element