Abstract:
There is provided an improved protective face mask for use in hockey, or other sports requiring facial protection, comprising a plurality of wire members defining a grid of a plurality of apertures of a size and configuration sufficient to prevent penetration of a hockey stick through the grid to contact the face of a wearer when the mask is in place and yet to maintain very good vision for a wearer and to comply with safety and strength requirements due to the use of relatively thin wire members of a particular form and placement within the grid.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a protective face mask for use in hockey or other sports requiring face protection.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The sport of hockey is a very popular sport for boys and men of all ages, and to an ever increasing extent, with girls and women. As with many other sports, hockey carries with it significant risk of injury for the participants. Many of the risks arise from errant sticks coming in contact with the head and face of the players. This can result in lacerations to the face, loss of teeth or in unfortunate cases, loss of vision due to a stick coming in contact with an eye.  
           [0003]    In other sports such as lacrosse, ringette, baseball and the like, there exist similar risks to the face of the participant. For example, in baseball the participant must be protected from the ball and the bat, in lacrosse, from both ends of the stick and the ball, and in ringette from both ends of the stick.  
           [0004]    As a result of this significant risk of injury, participants in hockey and many other sports, at virtually all levels, are required to wear protective head gear and face masks. The field of protective head and face wear has undergone various changes over the years and there is currently widespread use of protective wire cages attached to helmets to protect the head and face of the player. Accordingly, standards bodies, such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the ASTM, CEN and ISO, have established testing and performance requirements for the wire cages, depending on the expected use and the age of the players. The testing includes impact, visibility and penetration tests and these requirements provide the framework within which wire cage designers and manufacturers work.  
           [0005]    The use of a protective wire cage is preferred to other means such as a plastic visor as it allows for ventilation and is not prone to fogging. Visibility suffers somewhat because the wires used in the protective wire cages have typically been relatively thick, and therefore relatively heavy for the wearer, in order to ensure that the wire cages would withstand impact from pucks, hockey sticks and other players. Thinner wires have been proposed but require expensive manufacturing or curing treatments to ensure that the strength of the wires meets the established standards and performance requirements.  
           [0006]    Although one might expect that the majority of impacts would affect the front portion of a protective face mask, this is not in fact the case. The majority of impacts occur in the lateral regions of the mask, which is also the area where the wire masks are most likely to break down when in use. The strength of the wires is therefore particularly important in this area. Protective masks using steel wires of a small diameter have typically failed to meet the CSA standards for strength in this lateral area. Thicker wires have therefore been used, with the resulting loss in lateral or peripheral visibility and increase in weight of the protective mask.  
           [0007]    Canadian Patent 2,056,790, issued to Martinitz on Nov. 07, 1995, provides for a method of manufacturing a steel mesh sports face mask. An integral part of the disclosed manufacturing process is the heat curing of the wire mesh structure, which allows for the use of a medium carbon steel for easier weldability but attains the hardness of a higher carbon steel. Therefore, a smaller diameter of wire may be used which permits greater visibility and reduced weight for the mask. This curing process is slow, however, and requires high temperatures, up to approximately 1600° C. (with resultant instability of the mask structure), and significantly increases the cost of production.  
           [0008]    Canadian Patent Application No. 2,228,336, filed by Pernicka on Jul. 30, 1999, corresponds to the issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,347. This application relates to a wire mesh mask for hockey or the like and discloses a wave-like configuration for the wires. This configuration, rather than a decrease in the diameter of the wires, is the method proposed to decrease the obstruction to lateral vision. The process of manufacture suggested is that of the Martinitz patent, which requires time-consuming heat curing in order to conform with the CSA requirements.  
           [0009]    There thus exists a need in the field of protective head gear and face masks for a wire cage suitable for use in sports which will prevent unwanted penetration of the stick butts and blades, balls, pucks and the like, according to the established standards of bodies such as the CSA, ASTM, CEN and ISO, but will still meet the standards of visibility and strength put forward by such standards bodies with respect to face protectors and may be produced efficiently using steel wire of a smaller than usual diameter without the need for time-consuming and expensive heat curing. In addition to passing the established standards of these bodies, the mask or face protector must provide sufficient visibility to the wearer with a minimum number of wires and a minimum overall mass. Particularly, the need exists for a wire cage mask which can use thinner than normal wires at the traditionally weaker lateral regions of the mask without compromising strength or impact resistance.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved face mask for use in sports requiring face protection.  
           [0011]    There is provided a protective face mask comprising a plurality of wire members defining a grid of a plurality of apertures. The grid is defined by a top and a bottom and first and second sides and a convex wire mesh structure defined by a plurality of substantially horizontal transverse wire members from the first side to the second side and a plurality of substantially vertical wire members from the top to the bottom affixed to the horizontal transverse wire members. The mask further possesses at least one laterally disposed arcuate wire member at each of the first and second sides over the horizontal transverse wire members, these arcuate wire members each defining a substantially semicircular area and disposed such that the arcuate members are in a position proximate to an ear of a user of the mask when the mask is in use.  
           [0012]    In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a protective face mask which is further equipped with metal plates within the semi-circular areas for greater strength and resilience.  
           [0013]    In another aspect of the invention, the grid is composed of wire members having a diameter of at least 0.075 and not more than 0.225 inches.  
           [0014]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wire members have a diameter of 0.092 to 0.110 inches.  
           [0015]    In another aspect of the invention, the mask is coated with marine grade paint or nylon or PVC plastic or equivalent coatings and is equipped with a means to attach the mask to a helmet.  
           [0016]    In another aspect of the invention the two vertical wire members located close to the centre of the wearer&#39;s face when the mask is in place are positioned relatively close to one another or are fused together to form a single thicker central wire member to allow for greater strength and improved visibility. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon referring to the drawings in which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the protective face mask in accordance with the present invention attached to a helmet and in position on a wearer&#39;s head;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
       [0023]    While the invention will be described in conjunction with illustrated embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals.  
         [0025]    Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a protective face mask  2  for use in hockey. The mask  2  is comprised of a plurality of wire members defining a grid  4  of a plurality of apertures  6 . Each of the apertures  6  is of a size and configuration sufficient to prevent penetration of a hockey stick (not shown) through the grid  4  to contact the face  43  of a wearer when the mask  2  is in place.  
         [0026]    For convenience for the purpose of this description, reference will be made to the hockey mask illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  4 . The skilled person in the art will recognize, however, that the principles extend to masks suitable for use in other sports such as lacrosse (FIG. 5), baseball, football, ringette and the like.  
         [0027]    The grid  4  is defined by a convex top wire member  10  and a similarly convex bottom wire member  12 . These top  10  and bottom  12  wire members are framed at their ends by first  14  and second  16  oppositely facing side wire members. This defines the periphery of the grid  4  and the mask  2 .  
         [0028]    The grid  4  is further defined by a plurality of horizontal transverse wire members  18  which are similarly convex in configuration to top  10  and bottom  12  wire members. These horizontal transverse wire members  18  are preferably parallel and terminate at the periphery of the grid  4 , and particularly at the first  14  and second  16  side wire members, or at the bottom wire member  12 . A plurality of vertical wire members  20  which are similarly convex in configuration to conform to the grid defined by the horizontal transverse wire members  18 , are preferably laid over and fixedly attached to the horizontal transverse wire members  18 . The vertical wire members  20  may also underlay the horizontal wire members  18 . These vertical wire members  20  are preferably parallel and terminate at the periphery of the grid  4 , and particularly at the top  10  and bottom  12  wire members.  
         [0029]    Central vertical wire members  30 ,  32 , may be positioned such that they are relatively close to one another in the grid  4 , to avoid obstruction of the vision of the wearer (as shown in FIG. 2). The central vertical wire members  30 ,  32  may also be fused to form a double relatively thick central wire member  33  (as shown in FIG. 4). Alternatively, a single central wire member may be used to replace the central vertical wire members  30 ,  32 .  
         [0030]    The grid  4  is further equipped with at least one lateral arcuate wire member  22 , which (as shown) commence at the top wire  10 , at either side of the grid  4  and terminate at the bottom wire member  12 . Alternatively, the arcuate wire members  22  may commence at the first  14  and second  16  side wire members respectively and terminate at either the bottom wire member  12  or a bottom portion of the first  14  or second  16  side wire members respectively. In either embodiment, the arcuate wire members  22  thereby define a substantially semi-circular area  24 . This semi-circular area  24  is positioned near a wearer&#39;s ear  42  when the mask is in use (see FIG. 1). The shape and position of the semi-circular wire members  22 , allow for the use of relatively thin steel wires (in the range of 0.075 to 0.225 inches in diameter) to form the wire members  10 ,  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  of the grid  4  and the arcuate wire members  22  while retaining the strength necessary for effective protection. Tests have shown that a diameter of between 0.090 and 0.120 is preferable, and of between 0.092 and 0.110 may be optimal for most applications. At such diameters, steel of a grade in the range of C1008 to C1032 may be used.  
         [0031]    This semi-circular area  24  may be further equipped with metal plates  26 ,  28 , to further increase the strength of the grid  4 .  
         [0032]    In use, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the mask  2  is affixed to a helmet  36  by conventional fasteners  38  in a conventional fashion. The helmet  36 , with the mask  2  secured thereto can then be placed over the head of a wearer. The grid  4  of mask  2  is spaced apart from the face  43  of the wearer by the convex configuration of the top  10  and bottom  12  wire members and the horizontal  18  and vertical  20  wire members. When thus in place, the central vertical wire members  30 ,  32  are positioned proximate to the eyes  44  of the wearer. This provides improved visibility through the mask  2 , while at the same time meeting the crucial penetration standards for the mask.  
         [0033]    Thus the size of the apertures,  6 , constituting the grid  4 , must be of a size and configuration sufficient to prevent penetration of a hockey stick or puck (not shown), while still providing the maximum visibility for the wearer with the minimum number of wires. These requirements affect the positioning of the wire members which constitute the grid  4  and the arcuate wire members  22 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention whereby a mask  50  is configured to be used as a protective mask by a wearer while playing lacrosse. The mask of this embodiment is comprised of a plurality of wire members defining a grid  52  of a plurality of apertures  54 . The mask  50  is equipped with an arcuate wire member  60  at each lateral side of the mask, in accordance with the same principles explained above with regard to the embodiment of the invention for the hockey mask. As seen in FIG. 5, the mask comprises a single central wire member  56  which effectively replaces the central wire members  30 ,  32  illustrated in relation to the hockey mask.  
         [0035]    Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the invention a protective face mask for use in hockey and other sports that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with illustrated embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the invention.