Patent Publication Number: US-2022218050-A1

Title: Face shield with integrated safety lens

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to personal protective equipment, and more particularly to a face shield device having an integrated safety lens. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has ushered in a new era of everyday use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as facemasks and face shields, for example. To this end, many local governments mandate that users wear some type of face covering at all times when leaving their home. Moreover, employers are increasingly requiring their employees to wear both a cloth facemask and a transparent face shield at all times while on company property. 
     Although this requirement helps to reduce the spread of contagions, there are increasing numbers of complaints by workers that such a requirement interferes with other requirements pertaining to different types of safety devices that must be worn while performing certain activities. One such instance is found in manufacturing, and fabrication-type jobs, which require users to wear OSHA compliant eyewear/safety glasses at all times. In this regard, many users note that when looking through both the safety glasses, and the face shield, their vision is impacted owing to the differences in materials. Moreover, wearing such glasses beneath the face shield is uncomfortable as the distal end of the glasses engages the inside surface of the face shield which leads the user to constantly adjust one or both of the devices. 
     Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a face shield having an integrated safety lens that is capable of providing satisfying both OSHA and COVID-type concerns, so as to overcome the drawbacks described above. Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide a neck enclosure which can function to protect the neck of a wearer from lightweight debris and/or mosquitoes when working outdoors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a face shield device. One embodiment of the present invention can include a lightweight, flexible, and fluid impervious transparent shield body that is sized to cover an entirety of a human face. A headband can be secured along the top of the shield for securement to a user&#39;s head, and a foam member is positioned along the top inside portion of the face shield for securement onto a forehead of the user. 
     In one embodiment, a safety lens is positioned within an elongated horizontal opening along the face shield at a location beneath the foam member. The safety lens can be secured onto the face shield by a frame and can provide impact resistance onto the device. In the preferred embodiment, each of the face shield, the foam member and the safety lens can include a curved shape. 
     In one embodiment, a neck enclosure that is constructed from a breathable mesh material can be permanently or removably secured onto the outer edges of the face shield. The neck enclosure can include a drawstring and cord stop for allowing a user to adjust and selectively tighten the enclosure about their neck while wearing the face shield device. 
     This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
         FIG. 1  is a back view of a face shield with integrated safety lens that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the face shield with integrated safety lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the face shield with integrated safety lens in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the neck enclosure of the face shield with integrated safety lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the face shield with integrated safety lens in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. 
     Definitions 
     As described herein, the term “removably secured,” and derivatives thereof shall be used to describe a situation wherein two or more objects are joined together in a non-permanent manner so as to allow the same objects to be repeatedly joined and separated. 
     As described throughout this document, the term “complementary shape,” and “complementary dimension,” shall be used to describe a shape and size of a component that is identical to, or substantially identical to the shape and size of another identified component within a tolerance such as, for example, manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances or the like. 
     As described herein, the terms “connector” and “complementary connector” include any number of different elements that work together to repeatedly join two items together in a nonpermanent manner. Several nonlimiting examples include opposing strips of hook and loop material (i.e., Velcro®), attractively oriented magnetic elements, flexible strips of interlocking projections with a slider (i.e., zipper), tethers, buckles such as side release buckles, and compression fittings such as T-handle rubber draw latches, hooks, snaps and buttons, for example. Each illustrated connector and complementary connector can be permanently secured to the illustrated portion of the device via a permanent sealer such as glue, adhesive tape, or stitching, for example. 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate one embodiment of a face shield with integrated safety lens  10  that are useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. In each of the drawings, identical reference numerals are used for like elements of the invention or elements of like function. For the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the device  10  can include a shield  11  having a headband  12 , a forehead engaging surface  14  and an integrated safety lens  21 . 
     In one embodiment, the shield  11  can be constructed from a single piece of transparent material having an outside facing surface  11   a , an inside facing surface  11   b , a top end  11   c , a bottom end  11   d  and a pair of side edges  11   e  and  11   f . In the preferred embodiment, the shield can include a one-size-fits all shape and size that is suitable for covering the face of an adult user. 
     The shield  11  can preferably be constructed from a thin (e.g., 1 mm to 3 mm) piece of flexible, transparent, and fluid impervious material such as polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET), for example, so as to allow a user to easily see through any portion of the shield body  11 . Of course, other embodiments are contemplated wherein the shield is constructed out of different materials, and/or includes an opaque or semi-opaque surface. 
     In one embodiment, a retention strap  12  can be connected to the shield and can function to secure the shield onto the head of a user. In one embodiment, the retention strap can include two elongated bands that are joined together by an adjustable clip  13  or other such device so as to be adjustable in nature. Of course, other embodiments are contemplated where the retention strap can be constructed from a single elastic band that can stretch to accommodate a user. 
     Although illustrated with regard to a horizontal orientation, other embodiments are contemplated wherein a plurality of elastic or adjustable straps are provided so as to engage the head of a user horizontally and vertically (e.g., over the crown of the wearers head) as are known in the art. 
     In one embodiment, the forehead engaging surface  14  can comprise a foam member that is secured to the inside surface  11   b  of the shield along the top end  11   c . The foam member  14  can be made from any number of different pieces of generally soft, cushioned materials such as polyurethane foam, for example, and can function to provide a separation distance between the shield body  11  and the face of the user. The foam member  14  may be secured to the main body via any number of connectors such as glue or resin, for example, and can extend downward in a substantially vertical position without obstructing the vision of a user while looking forward. 
     In one embodiment, a plurality of openings  14   a  may be provided along the foam member  14  in order to allow air to circulate. Such a feature beneficially reducing the tendency for the inside surface of the shield  11   b  and the below described lens  21  to fog. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the shield  11 , the foam member  14  and the below described safety lens  21  will include a curved orientation so as to protect the front and sides of a user&#39;s face from being exposed to spraying liquids, such as bodily fluids expelled by a sneeze from a nearby person, along with the eyes of the user. 
     In one embodiment, an elongated opening  15  can be positioned through the shield at a location beneath the foam member  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the opening includes a generally rectangular shape; however, any number of other shapes and sized openings may be provided. 
     As shown best at  FIG. 2 , a generally rectangular-shaped safety lens  21  can be positioned within, through or along the opening  15  of the shield  11 . As described herein, the safety lens can be constructed from any number of thin (e.g., 1 mm to 3 mm) transparent and impact resistant materials such as Polycarbonate plastic, for example. In various embodiments, the lens may include optical features such as tinting, magnification viewing, or may be customized to a vision prescription of a user. 
     In either instance, the safety lens can include a shape and a size that is complementary to the shape and size of the opening  15  so as to be secured therein. In one embodiment, the safety lens  21  can be secured onto the shield body  11  by a frame  22  such as tape or clear plastic braces having resin or other such connectors thereon to prevent movement and/or separation of the lens  21  from the main body  11 . In this regard, the safety lens can be removable in nature or can be permanently connected to the face shield  11 . 
     Although described above as including particular shapes or materials, this is for illustrative purposes only. To this end, the safety lens can include any number of different shapes, sizes and materials, and can be placed at any desirable location along the shield body so as to be positioned adjacent to the eyes of the wearer. Likewise, the opening  15  can include any number of complementary shapes so as to receive the lens  21 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of the device  10  in operation with a user  1 . As shown, when the device is secured onto the user&#39;s head by the strap  12 , the shield will be separated from the users face by the foam member  14  and the safety lens  21  will be directly in front of the users eyes. While wearing the device  10 , the entire users face will be shielded against fluid splatter owing to the curved surface of the shield, thus reducing risk of contracting a virus, and the user&#39;s eyes will be protected against impacts from foreign objects, thus remaining compliant with various safety regulations. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate one embodiment of the device  10  that further includes a neck enclosure  40  that can provide a breathable enclosure along the sides and bottom of the facemask. In this regard, the enclosure  40  can function to protect the face of a user from contact with external flying objects such as debris encountered in a construction setting and/or insects such as mosquitoes when working outdoors. Additionally, the net-style enclosure can be used by workers in the food services industry to prevent facial hair, sweat and other contaminants from contaminating food that a user is handling. 
     As shown, the enclosure  40  can include a body section having an inside-facing surface  41   a , an outside-facing surface  41   b , a top end  41   c , a bottom end  41   d , and a pair of side edges  41   e  and  41   f . The main body will preferably be constructed from a lightweight breathable mesh material such as cotton, polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, or nylon netting, for example. 
     In various embodiments, the enclosure  40  can be permanently or removably secured to the shield body  11 , via connectors  42  such as opposing strips of hook and loop material, or via adhesives such as glue or resin, for example. In the preferred embodiment, the top end  41   c  will be secured onto the retention strap  12 , a portion of the sides  41   e  and  41   f  of the net body can be secured along the entire length of sides  11   e  and  11   f  of the shield body  11 , and the middle portion of the net body can be secured along the entire bottom end  11   d  of the shield body, so as to allow the lower half of the shield body to extend below and beneath the face shield. 
     Additionally, the bottom end  41   d  of the net body can include a channel  43  into which an elongated drawstring  44  can be positioned. The ends of the drawstring being connected to an adjustable cord stop  45  for allowing a user to selectively tighten the net during use. Alternatively, or in addition to the drawstring, the bottom end  41   d  may also include a resilient band, for selectively closing the net around the neck of the wearer. 
     Although illustrated with regard to having both the safety lens  21  and enclosure  40 , those of skill in the art will recognize that embodiments of the presently claimed invention are contemplated wherein only one of these features are provided. 
     Accordingly, the above-described face shield having an integrated safety lens provides a novel way to satisfy workplace and virus-type concerns, in a manner that is not rendered obvious by previously known face shield devices. 
     Although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individually identified elements may be formed together as one or more continuous elements, either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of a singular piece of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof. 
     As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Likewise, the term “consisting” shall be used to describe only those components identified. In each instance where a device comprises certain elements, it will inherently consist of each of those identified elements as well. 
     The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.