Ventilated hood for firefighter

• US 5,090,054 A
• Filed: 11/21/1990
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norcross Safety Products LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mary I. Grilliot, William L. Grilliot
• Inventors: Grilliot, William L., Grilliot, Mary I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Biefeld, Diana L.
• Application Number:
  US07/616,617
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 2/5, 2/7, 2/8, 2/171, 2/202, 2/203, 2/204, 2/205, 2/410, 2/423
• US Class Current: 2/5
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/048 Detachable hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/105 with additional protection for the neck protective garments for neck or shoulder area A41D13/0512
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/28 Ventilating arrangements A42B3/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 17/04 Hoods

Abstract

A firefighter'"'"'s hood which covers the upper portion of a firefighter. The hood normally has a shoulder section and a neck section and a head section, to cover those portions of the firefighter. The head section covers the head of the firefighter and has an opening to expose the face of the firefighter. The major part of the head section is made of thermal barrier material having given heat insulation qualities. However, the head section has an upper part which is adapted to be positioned at the upper portion of the head of the firefighter who wears the hood. The upper part of the head section of the hood has significantly less heat insulation qualities, so that heat can escape from the head of the firefighter and thus stress upon the firefighter which results from heat is reduced.

Claims

1. A firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination for the head of a firefighter who wears a firefighter'"'"'s helmet, the firefighter'"'"'s helmet including a rigid shell, the rigid shell having an internal portion, spacer means within the internal portion of the rigid shell and attached to the rigid shell, the spacer means including an annular part within the internal portion of the rigid shell and spaced from the rigid shell, the spacer means including a cross member within the internal portion of the rigid shell and spaced from the rigid shell and extending between opposed portions of the annular part, the annular part being adapted to encompass the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination, the cross member being adapted to extend over the head of the firefighter who wears the hood and helmet combination, whereby the spacer means provide a space between the rigid shell and all portions of the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, whereby the rigid shell is spaced from the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet and whereby a channel is provided between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell, the firefighter'"'"'s hood comprising thermal barrier material having given thermal insulation qualities to protect the firefighter against environmental heat, the firefighter'"'"'s hood including an enclosure section which closely encompasses the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood, the enclosure section having a facial exposure portion, the firefighter'"'"'s hood also including an upper section which is positioned at the upper part of the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood and whose head is encompassed by the enclosure section of the firefighter'"'"'s hood, the upper section of the firefighter'"'"'s hood having thermal insulation qualities which are significantly less than the given thermal insulation qualities, whereby the head of the firefighter has thermal insulation protection and whereby heat escapes from the upper part of the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood as the heat flows through the upper section of the firefighter'"'"'s hood, the heat escaping into the channel between the rigid shell and the head of the firefighter, whereby the heat flows from the head of the firefighter and from the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, and whereby stress upon the firefighter which results from heat is minimal.

2. The firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination of claim 1 in which the upper section of the firefighter'"'"'s hood has an opening therein.

3. The firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination of claim 1 in which the upper section of the firefighter'"'"'s hood comprises mesh material having a multiplicity of openings therethrough.

4. A firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination for the head of a firefighter, the firefighter'"'"'s helmet including a rigid shell having an internal portion, spacer means within the internal portion of the rigid shell and attached to the rigid shell and spaced from the rigid shell, whereby the spacer means encompasses the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, whereby a space is provided between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell and whereby a peripheral channel region is formed between the rigid shell and the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood and firefighter'"'"'s helmet, the firefighter'"'"'s hood including thermal barrier material which protects the firefighter against high heat conditions, the firefighter'"'"'s hood including a neck portion which closely encompasses and covers the neck of the firefighter, the firefighter'"'"'s hood also including a shoulder portion which closely encompasses and covers the shoulders and upper back and upper chest portion of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood, the firefighter'"'"'s hood also including a head portion which closely encompasses and covers the entire head of the firefighter but which has a facial portion which exposes a part of the face of the firefighter, the firefighter'"'"'s hood having an upper part which includes means providing a flow passage region positioned at the top of the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood, whereby the head of the firefighter has heat insulation protection while also being ventilated for escape of heat from the head of the firefighter as heat flows through the flow passage region and into the peripheral channel region between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell and outwardly from the helmet through the peripheral channel region, whereby stress upon the firefighter which results from heat is minimal.

5. A firefighter'"'"'s hood and helmet combination for the head of a firefighter who wears a firefighter'"'"'s helmet, in which the firefighter'"'"'s helmet includes a rigid shell, having an internal portion, spacer means attached to the rigid shell within the internal portion of the rigid shell and spaced from the rigid shell, whereby the spacer means encompasses the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, whereby a space is provided between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell and whereby a peripheral channel region is formed between the rigid shell and the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood and firefighter'"'"'s helmet, the firefighter'"'"'s hood including thermal barrier material having given thermal insulation qualities as the firefighter'"'"'s hood protects the firefighter against high heat conditions, the firefighter'"'"'s hood also including a head portion which closely encompasses and covers the entire head of the firefighter but which has a facial portion which exposes a part of the face of the firefighter, the firefighter'"'"'s hood having an upper part which includes means providing a flow passage region positioned at the top of the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s hood, the flow passage region having thermal insulation qualities less than the given thermal insulation qualities, whereby the head of the firefighter has heat insulation protection while also being ventilated for escape of heat from the head of the firefighter as heat flows from the head of the firefighter through the flow passage region and into the peripheral channel region between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell and outwardly from the helmet through the peripheral channel region, whereby stress upon the firefighter which results from heat is minimal.

6. A method of constructing a firefighter'"'"'s helmet and hood combination which is adapted to be worn upon the head of a firefighter, comprising providing a rigid shell having an internal portion, attaching spacer means to the internal portion of the rigid shell, the spacer means including an annular portion within the internal portion of the rigid shell and spaced from the rigid shell, the spacer means also including a cross portion spaced from the rigid shell and within the internal portion of the rigid shell and extending between opposed parts of the annular portion, whereby the annular portion encompasses the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, and whereby the cross portion extends over the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, the spacer means thus spacing all portions of the rigid shell from the head of the firefighter who wears the firefighter'"'"'s helmet, whereby a peripheral channel region is provided between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell, the method also comprising forming thermal barrier material having given insulation qualities into a cover element which closely encompasses the entire head of the firefighter to protect the head of the firefighter against environmental heat, providing the cover element with a facial portion which exposes at least a part of the face of the firefighter, providing the cover element with an upper section which is positioned at the upper part of the head of a firefighter whose head is encompassed by the cover element, providing the upper section of the cover element with means having significantly less insulation qualities than the given insulation qualities, whereby the head of the firefighter is protected by the rigid shell and by the cover element against atmospheric heat and whereby the upper part of the head of the firefighter is ventilated and heat escapes from the head of the firefighter through the upper section of the cover element into the peripheral channel region between the head of the firefighter and the rigid shell, and whereby the heat flows from the rigid shell through the peripheral channel region, and whereby stress upon the firefighter which results from heat is minimal.

7. The method of claim 6 which includes providing the cover element with a neck section which is adapted to closely cover the neck of the firefighter whose head is encompassed by the cover element.

8. The method of claim 6 which includes providing the upper section of the cover element with mesh material having a multiplicity of openings through which heat escapes from the head of the firefighter whose head is encompassed by the cover element.