Protective headwear with airflow

• US 9,999,546 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Gardner, William P., Patel, Nishank R., Sommers, Eric T., Mehnert, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collier, Jameson
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANGINE, HEATHER N
• Application Number:
  US14/737,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20150359680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 2 82, 2 86, 2436, 2437, 2410, 2424, 2 9, 21713, 12820124
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/283 Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/286 with forced flow, e.g. by a fan
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/068 with supply or suction of gas, air or smoke inside or outside the welding hood

Abstract

In one aspect, a protective headwear is provided and includes an outer shell, a first shell duct coupled to the outer shell and including a first exhaust port, and a second shell duct coupled to the outer shell and spaced apart from the first shell duct. The second shell duct includes a second exhaust port. The protective headwear also includes a manifold positioned externally of the outer shell and configured to divert airflow into at least a first potion of airflow and a second portion of airflow. The manifold includes a first diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the first shell duct to provide the first portion of airflow to the first shell duct, and a second diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the second shell duct to provide the second portion of airflow to the second shell duct.

Claims

1. A protective headwear comprising:

an outer shell;

a first shell duct coupled to the outer shell and including a first exhaust port;

a second shell duct coupled to the outer shell and spaced apart from the first shell duct, wherein the second shell duct includes a second exhaust port; and

a manifold positioned externally of the outer shell and configured to divert airflow into at least a first portion of airflow and a second portion of airflow, the manifold including

a first diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the first shell duct to provide the first portion of airflow to the first shell duct, wherein the first diversion member is positioned externally of the outer shell, and

a second diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the second shell duct to provide the second portion of airflow to the second shell duct, wherein the second diversion member is positioned externally of the outer shell;

wherein the first exhaust port of the first shell duct is one of a first plurality of exhaust ports, and wherein the second exhaust port of the second shell duct is one of a second plurality of exhaust ports;

wherein at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct;

wherein the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct that is adjustable is rotatable to adjust air flow direction and includes a damper for adjusting airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct, and wherein the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct that is adjustable is rotatable to adjust air flow direction and includes a damper for adjusting airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct.

2. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is positioned in a top half of the outer shell and another one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell, and wherein one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is positioned in a top half of the outer shell and another one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell.

3. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein at least two of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct are adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least two of the first plurality of exhaust ports, and wherein at least two of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct are adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least two of the second plurality of exhaust ports.

4. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto a forehead of a wearer and another of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto a chin of the wearer, and wherein one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto the forehead of the wearer and another of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto the chin of the wearer.

5. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports is positioned in the bottom half of the outer shell.

6. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the protective headwear is a welding helmet.

7. The protective headwear of claim 1, further comprising:

a first flexible duct coupled to and between the first shell duct and the first diversion member to provide the first portion of airflow from the first diversion member to the first shell duct; and

a second flexible duct coupled to and between the second shell duct and the second diversion member to provide the second portion of airflow from the second diversion member to the second shell duct.

8. The protective headwear of claim 7, wherein one of a first end of the first flexible duct and an end of the first diversion member includes a projection and the other one of the first end of the first flexible duct and the end of the first diversion member includes an aperture, wherein the projection is at least partially received in the aperture to couple the first flexible duct to the first diversion member;

and

wherein one of a second end of the first flexible duct and an end of the first shell duct includes a projection and the other one of the second end of the first flexible duct and the end of the first shell duct includes an aperture, wherein the projection is at least partially received in the aperture to couple the first flexible duct to the first shell duct.

9. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the first shell duct is offset to a first side of a plane extending through a center of the outer shell from a front to a rear of the outer shell, and wherein the second shell duct is offset to a second side of the plane.

10. A protective headwear comprising:

an outer shell;

a first shell duct coupled to the outer shell and including a first exhaust port;

a second shell duct coupled to the outer shell and spaced apart from the first shell duct, wherein the second shell duct includes a second exhaust port; and

a manifold positioned externally of the outer shell and configured to divert airflow into at least a first portion of airflow and a second portion of airflow, the manifold including

a first diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the first shell duct to provide the first portion of airflow to the first shell duct, wherein the first diversion member is positioned externally of the outer shell, and

a second diversion member coupled to and in fluid communication with the second shell duct to provide the second portion of airflow to the second shell duct, wherein the second diversion member is positioned externally of the outer shell;

wherein the first exhaust port of the first shell duct is one of a first plurality of exhaust ports, and wherein the second exhaust port of the second shell duct is one of a second plurality of exhaust ports;

wherein at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct;

wherein the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct that is adjustable adjusts both airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct, and wherein the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct that is adjustable adjusts both airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct.

11. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is positioned in a top half of the outer shell and another one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell, and wherein one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is positioned in a top half of the outer shell and another one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell.

12. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein at least two of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct are adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least two of the first plurality of exhaust ports, and wherein at least two of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct are adjustable to adjust at least one of airflow direction and airflow volume exhaustible from the at least two of the second plurality of exhaust ports.

13. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein one of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto a forehead of a wearer and another of the first plurality of exhaust ports of the first shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto a chin of the wearer, and wherein one of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto the forehead of the wearer and another of the second plurality of exhaust ports of the second shell duct is configured to exhaust air onto the chin of the wearer.

14. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first plurality of exhaust ports is positioned in a bottom half of the outer shell, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of exhaust ports is positioned in the bottom half of the outer shell.

15. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein the protective headwear is a welding helmet.

16. The protective headwear of claim 10, further comprising:

a first flexible duct coupled to and between the first shell duct and the first diversion member to provide the first portion of airflow from the first diversion member to the first shell duct; and

a second flexible duct coupled to and between the second shell duct and the second diversion member to provide the second portion of airflow from the second diversion member to the second shell duct.

17. The protective headwear of claim 16, wherein one of a first end of the first flexible duct and an end of the first diversion member includes a projection and the other one of the first end of the first flexible duct and the end of the first diversion member includes an aperture, wherein the projection is at least partially received in the aperture to couple the first flexible duct to the first diversion member;

and

wherein one of a second end of the first flexible duct and an end of the first shell duct includes a projection and the other one of the second end of the first flexible duct and the end of the first shell duct includes an aperture, wherein the projection is at least partially received in the aperture to couple the first flexible duct to the first shell duct.

18. The protective headwear of claim 10, wherein the first shell duct is offset to a first side of a plane extending through a center of the outer shell from a front to a rear of the outer shell, and wherein the second shell duct is offset to a second side of the plane.