Patent ID: 6953247

Claim:
A dive mask system for maximizing a diver's visibility as a function of the environment comprising, in combination: a mask assembly having two laterally spaced rigid circumferential frames, each frame having an interior edge and an exterior edge, the exterior edge having an upper horizontal area and two lower horizontal areas and two laterally spaced vertical areas, the mask assembly also including a clear primary lens supported by each of the frames in front of a wearer's eyes, the mask assembly also including a skirt fabricated of a flexible elastomeric material and having a forward edge coupled to the frames and extending rearwardly extending to terminate at a periphery positionable on the face of a wearer to encompass the area above the eyes and above the mouth and exteriorly of the eyes and nose; a strap assembly including a strap of flexible elastomeric material positionable around the back of the head of a wearer with free ends positionable adjacent to the temples of a wearer, the strap assembly also including support pieces secured to the vertical areas of the frames with vertical posts receiving there around the free ends of the strap for securement and adjustment purposes and with loop-like keepers for the free ends of the strap; a shield assembly fabricated of a transparent elastomeric material having limited flexibility and being a color selected from the colors including magenta and yellow, the shield assembly having a planar front area positionable in front of the frames and lenses and a rearwardly extending peripheral ledge positionable adjacent to the upper and lower horizontal areas and laterally spaced vertical areas of the frames, the shield assembly also including an upper projection extending rearwardly from the shield with a finger extending downwardly adjacent to the upper horizontal area of the frame and with two lower projection extending rearwardly from the shield each with a finger extending upwardly adjacent to the lower horizontal area of the frame, the projections and fingers adapted to releasably couple the shield assembly to the mask assembly, a large rectangular aperture 68 in the planar front area of the shield assembly adjacent to the upper projection and a small rectangular aperture in the planar front area of the shield assembly adjacent to each lower first projection, the apertures functioning to facilitate the molding of the shield assembly as a unitary component; a plurality of inserts including one large insert positionable over the large aperture with barbs extending rearwardly therefrom through the large aperture and two small inserts positionable over the small apertures with barbs extending rearwardly therefrom through the large aperture, the inserts adapted to preclude the leakage of water to interior of the mask during use of the system.