Abstract:
A hard hat which provides the safety integrity of a hard hat, but includes an integrated face shield manipulable from a non-use position to a use position and vice versa by the wearer utilizing one hand without the necessity of removing the hard hat from the head of the wearer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to protective wear, and in particularly, to a hard hat typically worn by contractors and construction people, the hard hat having an integrated face shield assembly.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Hard hats are worn by contractors and construction people on construction sites, and in particular on construction sites where construction is taking place at elevated levels, such as a high rise or the like. The hard hat is designed to protect the head of an individual from falling objects or to protect the head from being struck by overhanging construction beams or construction materials. A typical hard had consists of a one piece polymer shell having either a circumferential visor or a front visor for shielding the eyes from glare. A harness is disposed within the hard hat on snap fit receptacles, the receptacles being integral with the hard hat. The interior harness is adjustable to the size of the head of the individual wearing the hard hat. The hard hat harness is adjusted so that the harness is in communication with the top and circumferential portion of the head such that there is a space between the harness and the polymer shell so that a blow to the polymer shell is not directly imparted to the head of the individual.  
         [0005]     In many construction situations a construction person requires the use of a face shield as a result of certain construction practices. Once such practice would the clearing of particulate matter in advance of laying a concrete slab which would result in particulate matter being blown into the air and possibly into the face and eyes of individuals in the vicinity. Another situation would be where pneumatic drilling was occurring. Such face shields are available in the prior art which include a strap or connector which stretches around the circumference of the head and supports a depending face shield which depends from the forehead across the face of the individual. On a construction site the individual would still require a hard hat to be worn, and therefore the individual now must attend to two articles of safety equipment.  
         [0006]     Applicant&#39;s invention eliminates the need for two articles of safety equipment by incorporating an integrated face shield with the hard hat which allows the user to move the integrated face shield from a non-use position to a use position while still remaining integrated with the hard hat an not effecting the integrity for safety for which the hard hat was intended.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly slidably positionable from a use position to a non-use position.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly which does not affect the safety integrity of the hard hat.  
         [0009]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel hard hat with an integrated face shield which can be manipulated from a use position to a non-use position and vice versa with one hand without having to remove the hard hat from the head of the individual.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     A hard hat which provides the safety integrity of a hard hat, but includes an integrated face shield manipulable from a non-use position to a use position and vice versa by the wearer utilizing one hand without the necessity of removing the hard hat from the head of the wearer. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical hard hat of the prior art;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an interior view of a typical hard hat of the prior art;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the hard hat with integrated face shield assembly;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the hard hat with integrated face shield assembly;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a hard hat with an integrated face shield assembly; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the face shield and tension knob. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]      FIG. 1 a  perspective view of a typical hard hat  10  of the prior art and  FIG. 2  is an interior view of the hard hat of  FIG. 1 . The hard hat  10  is typically molded of polymer in a unitary construction having a dome portion and a visor portion. The hard hat  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a visor  12  portion extends about the entire periphery  13  of the dome portion  14 . However hard hats are also constructed with a front visor only. The hard hat  10  may be reinforced in the molding process by forming stiffeners  18  in the dome portion  14  so as to provide extra strength and greater protection for the head of the individual.  
         [0019]     Unitarily formed on the interior of the dome portion  14  are a plurality of clip receptacles  20 . Clip receptacles  20  are cooperative with clips  22  formed on the head band  24  of the interior harness  26  which circumscribes the head of the individual with various elements of the harness  26  in contact with the head of the individual in a cross hatch manner. The head band  24  of the harness  26  is adjustable to fit heads of varying circumference and the head band  24  and harness  26  are designed such that when properly adjusted, the harness  26  and head band  24  are in communication with the head of the individual thereby supporting the hard hat  10  a spaced apart distance from the head of the individual around the complete circumference of the head and the top of the head. In this fashion, the force of an object striking the hard hat  10  is not directly transmitted to the head of the individual, but is absorbed by the head band  24  and harness  26 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hard hat  10  incorporating an adjustable face shield.  FIG. 4  is a front view of the hard hat  10  and face shield assembly and  FIG. 5  is a side view of the hard hat  10  and face shield assembly.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the face shield and tension knob assembly. In this configuration, the head band  24  and harness assembly  26  on the interior of the hard hat is structured and secured the same as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . However, in this configuration, on the front or forward facing portion  30  of the hard hat  10 , a slot  32  is formed in the visor  12  portion where the visor  12  portion and the dome portion  14  would normally abut. Centrally positioned between the ends of the slot  32  so formed and slightly above it, there would be formed in the dome  14  of the hard hat  10  a recessed groove  34 . Recessed groove  34  serves as a guide and frictional receptacle for a unitary threaded fastener  36  secured to a tension knob  38  (see  FIG. 6 ) so as to allow for the facile tightening or loosening of the tension knob  38  and threaded fastener  36  within the recessed groove  34 . The threaded fastener  36  and tension knob  38  are cooperable with a facial shield  40  which is slidably positionable within slot  32  formed between the visor  12  and the dome  14  of hard hat  10 . The facial shield  40  itself is formed with a threaded aperture  42  (see  FIG. 6 ) centrally disposed thereon, proximate its upper edge  41  through which the threaded fastener  36  passes before frictionally engaging the recessed groove  34  in the dome  14  of hard hat  10 . In this configuration, when the facial shield  40  is not required, the tension knob  38  can be loosened allowing the wearer of the hard hat to push the facial shield  40  upwardly to a non-use position and retightened.  
         [0021]     The lower end  37  of threaded fastener  36  is of sufficient surface area to engage the lower surface of recessed groove  34  in order to provide sufficient frictional engagement to secure facial shield  40  in a desired position.  
         [0022]     When a situation arises where facial shield  40  is required, the wearer merely rotates the tension knob  38  to release frictional engagement with recessed groove  34 . Facial shield  40  can then be lowered in front of the eyes or face of the individual. The user would then tighten the tension knob  38  securing the facial shield  40  in a lower or eye or face protecting orientation with the threaded fastener  36  frictionally engaging recessed groove  34 .  
         [0023]     Facial shield  40  itself would be constructed of a transparent safety material similar to that of the hard hat material. The design of the hard hat  10  by incorporating the partially circumferential slot  32  in the front visor  30  portion proximate the dome  14  portion and the recessed groove  34  for receipt of the threaded fastener  36  and tension knob  38  would not affect the integrity of the hard hat  10  with respect to its safety purpose. The incorporation of the face shield  40  with the hard hat  10  allows for construction personnel to quickly and easily adapt to changing work conditions where a face shield  40  may be required or a face shield  40  may not be required. The user or wearer is not required to remove the hard hat  10  in order to make the adjustment and therefore his safety is not jeopardized. The wearer would use one hand to adjust the tension knob  38  to slide the face shield  40  into an upright position or to lower the face shield  40 , and subsequently tightening the tension knob  38 .  
         [0024]     While the present invention has been described with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof.