Personal protection system including a helmet and a hood, the helmet including a ventilation system that blows air on the neck of the wearer

• US 7,752,682 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Proulx, Marshall K., VanDerWoude, Brian J., Huyser, Richard F., Henniges, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Welch; Gary L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson; Amber R
• Application Number:
  US11/277,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 241/0, 2/7, 2/81, 2/82, 242/4, 217/13, 128/863, 128/201.22, 607/96, 607/104, 607/108, 607/109, 607/110, 607/112
• US Class Current: 2/410
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0025 by means of forced air circulation
• 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: A42B 3/286 with forced flow, e.g. by a fan
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/045 with fans for delivering air for breathing mounted in or on the helmet

Abstract

A personal protection system is mountable to a user for distributing air to the user includes a shell providing structure. A fan module is supported by the shell for generating a flow of air. Cushioning is provided between the fan module and the shell to reduce vibrations and noise. The fan module includes a fan with blades having an airfoil shape for added noise reduction. An air flow channel is in fluid communication with the fan module for routing the flow of air. A pair of nozzle tips are in fluid communication with the air flow channel and are rotatably adjustable to allow directional adjustment of the flow of air toward a neck of the user. The personal protection system also includes a face shield with multiple removable layers which are sterilized as a unit using gamma radiation.

Claims

1. A personal protection system for fitting over a head and a neck, said system comprising:

a head band having a rear section that extends around a back of the head;

at least one support member mounted to said head band;

a shell attached to said at least one support member, wherein said at least one support member and said shell are collectively shaped so that said shell is located above the head and above said head band rear section;

a fan mounted in said shell that draws air into said shell;

a nozzle assembly connected to said shell for receiving air discharged by said fan, said nozzle assembly including;

a conduit that receives the air discharged by said fan, said conduit extending downwardly from said shell so as to extend at least partially over said rear section of said head band; and

a tip located at an end of said conduit distal to said shell, said tip having an exit located below said headband opening through which air can be discharged below said rear section of said head band onto the back of the neck;

a hood that is disposed over said head band, said shell and said nozzle so as to extend over the head and the neck, said hood having a transparent face plate that is positioned to be forward of a front of the head; and

a fastening assembly connected to at least one of said shell or said hood for releasably holding said hood to said shell.

2. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly conduit is rigidly connected to said shell.

3. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein:

said head band has a front section that extends around the front of the head;

at least one first support member extends upwardly from said front section of said head band to support said shell above the head; and

at least one second support member extends upwardly from the rear section of said head band to support said shell above the head.

4. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly is separate from said head band.

5. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly conduit and said tip are dimensioned so that the tip exit opening is located below the rear section of said head band.

6. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein:

said head band has a front section that extends around the front of the head; and

an outlet duct extends from said shell to a position forward of said front section of said head band, said outlet duct receiving air discharged by said fan and having an opening through which the air is discharged forward of said front section of said head band.

7. The personal protection system of claim 6, wherein said fastening assembly includes a fastening component attached to said outlet duct for releasably holding said hood forward of said outlet duct.

8. The personal protection system of claim 6, wherein said outlet duct is a rigid structure.

9. The personal protection system of claim 1, wherein said tip of said nozzle assembly can be rotated relative to said nozzle assembly conduit.

10. The personal protection system of claim 1, further including:

a rotating knob with a shaft, said shaft being connected to said head band and extending outwardly from said back portion of said head band, said knob and said shaft cooperating with said head band for adjusting said head band; and

wherein

said nozzle assembly is constructed so as to flow air around opposed sides of said shaft.

11. A personal protection system for fitting over a head and a neck, said system comprising:

a head band that extends at least partially around the head, said head band having a front portion that extends around a front of the head and a back portion that extends around a rear of the head;

a plurality of spaced apart support members that extend upwardly from said head band;

a shell mounted to said support members, said support members and said shell being shaped to hold said shell above the head, said shell being located above said back portion of said head band;

a fan mounted to said shell for drawing air into said shell;

an outlet duct that extends forward from said fan that receives air discharged from said fan, said outlet duct extending in front of said head band front portion and having an opening through which air is discharged to below said head band;

a duct assembly located below and rearward of said shell, said duct assembly having;

a duct structure that extends over said back portion of said head band that is connected to said shell for receiving air discharged from said fan; and

a tip located below and in fluid communication with said duct structure, said tip having an exit opening located below said head band through which air can be discharged therefrom across a bottom edge of said back portion of said head band towards the back of the neck;

a hood removably disposed over said head band, said shell, said outlet duct and said duct assembly, said hood having a transparent face shield located forward of said head band front portion; and

a fastening assembly connected to at least one of said shell or said hood for releasably holding said hood to said shell.

12. The personal protection system of claim 11, wherein said duct structure is rigidly connected to said shell.

13. The personal protection system of claim 11, wherein said duct structure and said tip are collectively shaped so that said tip exit opening is located below said head band back portion.

14. The personal protection system of claim 11, further including:

a rotating knob with a shaft, said shaft being connected to said head band and extending outwardly from said back portion of said head band, said knob and said shaft cooperating with said head band for adjusting said head band; and

wherein

said duct structure is constructed so as to flow air around opposed sides of said shaft.

15. A personal protection system for fitting over a head and a neck, said system comprising:

a head band that extends at least partially around the head, said head band having a back portion that extends around a rear of the head;

at least one support member that extends upwardly from said head band;

a shell mounted to said at least one support member, said support member and said shell being shaped to hold said shell on the head, said shell being located above said back portion of said head band;

a fan mounted to said shell for drawing air into said shell;

a duct assembly located below and rearward of said shell, said duct assembly having;

a duct structure that extends over said back portion of said head band that is connected to said shell for receiving air discharged from said fan; and

a tip located below and in fluid communication with said duct structure, said tip having an exit opening located below said back portion of said head band through which air can be discharged therefrom across said back portion of said head band and towards a back of the neck;

a hood removably disposed over said head band, said shell and said duct assembly, said hood having a transparent face shield located forward of a front portion of said head band; and

a fastening assembly connected to at least one of said shell or said hood for releasably holding said hood to said shell.

16. The personal protection system of claim 15, further including an outlet duct that extends forward from said fan that receives air discharged from said fan, said outlet duct extending in front of said head band front portion and having an opening through which air is discharged to below said head band.

17. The personal protection system of claim 15, wherein said duct structure is rigidly connected to said shell.

18. The personal protection system of claim 15, wherein:

said duct structure includes a plurality of nozzles; and

said duct assembly includes a plurality of tips, each said tip being attached to a separate one of said duct structure nozzles.

19. The personal protection system of claim 15, further including:

a rotating knob with a shaft, said shaft being connected to said head band and extending outwardly from said back portion of said head band, said knob and said shaft cooperating with said head band for adjusting said head band; and

wherein

said duct structure is constructed so as flow air around opposed sides of said shaft.

20. The personal protection system of claim 15, wherein said duct structure is separate from said head band.