Protective eyewear

Protective eyewear is disclosed which comprises a sheet of transparent synthetic plastics material with means for attaching to the wearer's head with a viewing area of said sheet extending across the wearer's eyes. A protrusion extends along the top edge of the sheet, contacts the wearer's forehead in use and holds the viewing area away from the wearer's eyes. Slits are provided in the sheet to improve ventilation and the plastics material is coated with anti-fogging material to prevent misting-up. The slits also make it possible to use the protective eyewear over spectacles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
THIS INVENTION relates to protective eyewear particularly, but not 
exclusively, for use by surgeons and other medical practitioners. 
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
During surgical procedures it is possible for blood and other body fluids 
to spurt up into the surgeon's face. With the advent of incurable blood 
carried diseases the need for surgeon's eyes to be protected has 
increased. 
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The main object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive 
protective eyewear which can be used once and then discarded. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide protective eyewear 
which provides for adequate ventilation to the space between the eyewear 
and the wearer's face. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided 
protective eyewear comprising a sheet of transparent synthetic plastics 
material, means for attaching said sheet to the wearer with a viewing area 
of said sheet extending across the wearer's eyes, and protrusion which 
extends along the upper edge of the rear face of said sheet and which 
engages the wearer's forehead and holds said viewing area away from the 
wearer's eyes. 
Said protrusion can in one form comprise a strip of foamed synthetic 
plastics material adhered to said sheet. In another form said protrusion 
comprises an extension of said sheet which is curled into the form of a 
roll. Said extension can be fastened into the form of a roll by means of 
adhesive. In an alternative construction said extension includes a locking 
tab with locking edges and said sheet has a slit in it, said locking tab 
being pushed through said slit as the extension is rolled and said locking 
edges thereafter engaging said sheet to prevent the tab being pulled 
through the slit in the opposite direction. 
In yet another form said protrusion comprises a corrugated strip which is 
attached to said sheet at the crest of each of its corrugations, said 
strip and said sheet bounding a series of vertically extending ventilation 
passages. 
To provide improved ventilation said sheets can be formed with slits which 
extend generally transversely with respect to said upper edge and which 
lie between said viewing area and end edges of said sheet. 
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided 
protective eyewear comprising a sheet of transparent synthetic plastics 
material, means for attaching said sheet to the wearer with a viewing area 
of said sheet extending across the wearer's eyes, and ventilation slits 
between said viewing area and vertically extending side edges of said 
sheet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 
Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective eyewear illustrated is 
generally designated 10 and comprises a sheet 12 of transparent synthetic 
plastics material. The polyester material which is commercially available 
under the name "Mylar" is suitable. It is coated with an anti-fogging 
compound thereby to minimize misting-up of the eyewear in use. The sheet 
12 has two C-shaped slits 14 therein, the slits being close to the ends of 
the sheet 12 and there being between them an uninterrupted viewing area 
16. Two flaps 14.1 are formed by the slits 14, the flaps 14.1 forming 
outward continuations of the area 16. 
A strip 18 of foamed synthetic plastics material is adhered to the sheet 12 
along the top edge thereof. An elastic band 20 has its ends secured to the 
sheet 12 by means of two studs 22 which pass through the sheet 12. 
The protective eyewear illustrated is intended to be used by surgeons and 
other medical practitioners whilst they work, the eyewear preventing bone 
chips, blood and any other body fluids from getting into their eyes. It 
will understood that, above the eyewear, the surgeon is generally 
protected by a cap and, below the eyewear, the surgeon has on a mask. 
The eyewear is used by pulling the band 20 away from the sheet 12 so that 
the sheet 12 and the band 20 both bow. The elliptically shaped eyewear can 
then be pulled down by the surgeon over his head so that the band 20 
passes around the back of his head and the sheet 12 lies across his face 
at the level of his eyes. He is thus able to see through the viewing area 
16. 
The sheet 12, whilst the eyewear is being worn, has a slightly bowed 
configuration. The flaps 14.1 tend to remain co-planer with the area 16 
rather that curling around the head of the wearer with the portions of the 
sheet 12 which are outwardly of the slits 14. Thus the slits 14 open up 
and provide for ventilation from each side to the space behind the area 
16. 
The slits 14 also facilitate the use of the protective eyewear over 
spectacles. When spectacles are worn under the eyewear, the outer parts of 
the spectacle frame lie behind the flaps 14.1 instead of distorting the 
eyewear. 
The eyewear 10.1 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 
and 2 and, where applicable, like reference numerals have been used to 
designate like parts. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the strip 14 is 
omitted and the sheet 12 has a generally rectangular extension 24. 
Perforations 26 are formed in the extension 24. 
To use the eyewear 10.1 of FIG. 3, adhesive is applied to the area 
designated 28 and the extension formed into a roll, the free edge of the 
extension 24 being attached to the area 28. The eyewear is now as shown in 
FIG. 4. The rolled extension 24 is ventilated both through its ends and 
through the perforations 26 which are arranged so as to register when the 
extension 24 is rolled. As the rolled extension 24 does not extend the 
full length of the eyewear there is also ventilation from above to the 
areas on each side of the rolled extension 24. 
An alternative to the use of adhesive is to heatseal the roll to the 
remainder of the frame. A heated bar or an ultrasonic horn can be used for 
this purpose. 
The protective eyewear 10.3 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is similar to that of FIGS. 3 
and 4 except in that an arrowhead-shaped locking tab 30 protrudes from the 
free edge of the extension 24. A slit 32 is formed where the extension 24 
joins the remainder of the sheet 12, the length of the slit being equal to 
the width of the tab 30 in the regions of the undercuts designated 34. The 
undercuts 34 result in the tab 30 having opposed locking edges 36. 
When the extension 24 of the eyewear of FIGS. 5 and 6 is rolled, the tab 30 
is pushed through the slit 32. The wings adjacent the undercuts 34 are 
deformed towards one another to allow the head of the tab 30 to pass 
through the slit 32. The wings then spring back to their original position 
and the locking edges 36 prevent the tab 30 pulling back through the slits 
32. Thus the extension 24 is held in its rolled condition without 
necessitating the use of adhesive. 
In FIG. 7 the sheet 12 has attached thereto a strip 38 of synthetic 
plastics material, the strip extending across the upper edge of the sheet 
12 in the same way that the foam strip 18 does in FIGS. 1 and 2. The strip 
38 can extend the full width of the sheet 12 or only across the centre 
portion of it as do the extensions 24 of FIGS. 3 and 5. The strip 38 and 
sheet 12 bound a series of vertically extending ventilation passages 40. 
The foamed plastics strip 18, the rolled extensions 24 and the strip 38 all 
have the function of holding the area 16 away from the eyes of the wearer 
thereby enhancing ventilation but, in addition, holding the area 16 clear 
of the eyes so that, should the wearer blink or close his eyes, his 
eyelashes do not encounter the area 16. The strip 18 has the additional 
function of preventing perspiration from running from the forehead into 
the wearer's eyes.