Head gear apparatus

• US 6,370,695 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DePuy Orthopaedics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Orthopaedics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Trick, Stacy A., Long, Jack F., Guzman, Jose F., Clupper, Christian H., Paris, Carmen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsey, Rodney M.
• Application Number:
  US09/897,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 217/13, 242/4, 242/2, 2/7, 2 8/4, 220/2, 241/0, 290/6, 128/201.25
• US Class Current: 2/171.3
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/11 Protective face masks, e.g. for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres eye-masks A61F9/04 ; hoods affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents A62B17/04
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1153 with a hood
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1209 Surgeons' gowns or dresses
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/286 with forced flow, e.g. by a fan
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 17/04 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/045 with fans for delivering air for breathing mounted in or on the helmet

Abstract

A head gear apparatus (10) is provided that moves air to cool a caregiver'"'"'s head. The head gear apparatus (10) includes a helmet (12) that has a shell (114) configured to rest upon a head of a user and a fan housing (120) movably coupled to shell (114), a fan (122) is positioned to lie within fan housing (120) and moves with fan housing (120) relative to shell (114), and a garment (14) selectively coupled to helmet (12). Garment (14) includes a face shield (20).

Claims

1. A head gear apparatus comprising:

a helmet including a shell configured to rest upon a head of a user and a fan housing movably coupled to the shell;

a fan positioned to lie within the fan housing; and

a garment selectively coupled to the helmet, the garment including a face shield.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a front end and a back end and the fan housing is movable between the front and back ends.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shell is formed to include an aperture extending between the front and back ends and the fan housing is movable in the aperture between the front and back ends.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the aperture is defined by at least one guide track and the fan housing engages the at least one guide track.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fan housing includes a floor portion formed to include at least one boss that rides along the at least one guide track.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fan housing includes guides that extend through the aperture.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface, the aperture extends between the inner and outer surfaces, and the helmet further includes a shield coupled to the inner surface of the shell adjacent to the aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shell includes an inner surface and an outer surface and the helmet further includes an inner panel spaced apart from the inner surface of the shell to define a passageway extending between the inner panel and the inner surface of the shell.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the passageway extends between the fan housing and the front end of the shell.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a front end, a back end, and a shield mount adjacent to the front end that is formed for attachment with the garment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the shield mount includes hook-and-loop type fasteners.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the shield mount includes a flange that is formed for engagement with the face shield.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shell of the helmet defines a cavity and the fan housing is positioned to lie within the cavity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the helmet includes an air duct that is coupled to the fan housing and defines a channel.