Headwear for supporting a breathing apparatus

• US 5,542,128 A
• Filed: 04/19/1994
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christiane Lomas
• Original Assignee: Christiane Lomas
• Inventors: Lomas, Christiane
• Primary Examiner(s): OLEKSA, DIANA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/229,917
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 2/6.2, 2/171, 2/171.2, 2/171.3, 2/173, 2/202, 2/207, 2/209.13, 2/422, 2/418, 2/417, 2/195.2, 2/195.3, 602/65, 602/74, 604/305, 606/204.15, 128/207.11, 128/207.17, 128/201.22, 128/205.25
• US Class Current: 2/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0633 with forehead support
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/084 Means for fastening gas-masks to heads or helmets

Abstract

A hood or cap for a face mask breathing apparatus formed of flexible material having a narrow front piece which extends down the forehead of the wearer adjacent the nostril which merges into a wider back piece to encompass at least the rear of the head and the rear of the neck of the wearer the front piece and back piece being provided with straps to connect the hood to a face mask and correctly position and maintain the mask on the face of the wearer.

Claims

1. A hood of flexible material for use with a face mask, said hood being formed of two halves of substantially crescent shape having a concave edge and a convex edge, the convex edges of the respective halves being secured together to form an apex at one end providing a narrow front piece adapted to extend over the top of the head of a wearer and having a front edge extending towards the forehead of a wearer adjacent the nostrils, the convex and concave edges of each of said halves and said front edge merging into a longitudinally extending arm having vertical connection means whereby the hood is vertically connectable to the top of the face mask, said halves merging into a wider back piece having a bottom edge to encompass at least the rear of the head and the rear of the neck of a wearer, the hood being provided with transverse connection means whereby the hood is connectable to each side of the face mask.

2. A hood as claimed in claim 1 including means for adjusting the effective length of the connection means.

3. A hood as claimed in claim 2 wherein the connection means comprise multiple minihook and miniloop fasteners.

4. A hood as claimed in claim 1 wherein the back piece is provided with a medial slit extending from its bottom edge towards said front piece and connection means are provided which connect opposite edges of the slit whereby the width of the back piece can be adjusted to conform with the head of the wearer to facilitate the positioning and removal of the face mask from a wearer.

5. A hood as claimed in claim 4 wherein the connection means comprise multiple minihook and miniloop fasteners.

6. A hood as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hood is formed of non-elastic fabric wherein the warp threads are parallel to the transverse connection means and the weft threads are normal to the warp threads.

7. A hood of flexible material for use with a face mask, said hood being formed of two halves of substantially crescent shape having a concave edge and a convex edge, the convex edges of the respective halves being secured together to form an apex at one end providing a narrow front piece adapted to extend towards the forehead of a wearer adjacent the nostrils, said apex having connection means whereby the hood is vertically connectable to the face mask, said halves merging into a wider back piece having a bottom edge to encompass at least the rear of the head and the rear of the neck of a wearer, the concave edge of each of said halves and said bottom edge merging into transversely extending arms having connection means whereby the hood is connectable to each side of the face mask.

8. A hood as claimed in claim 7 including means for adjusting the effective length of the connection means.

9. A hood as claimed in claim 8 wherein the connection means comprise multiple minihook and miniloop fasteners.

10. A hood as claimed in claim 7 wherein the back piece is provided with a medial slit extending from its bottom edge towards said front piece and connection means are provided which connect opposite edges of the slit whereby the width of the back piece can be adjusted to conform with the shape of the head of the wearer to facilitate the positioning and removal of the face mask from a wearer.

11. A hood as claimed in claim 10 wherein the connection means comprises multiple minihook and miniloop fasteners.

12. A hood as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hood is formed of non-elastic fabric wherein the warp threads are parallel to the transverse connection means and the weft threads are normal to the warp threads.