Patent ID: 8302599

Claim:
A protective headgear system comprising, a supportive shell, a facial shield attached to said supportive shell by conforming said facial shield to the perimeter of said supportive shell, a filtration device formed of an air-infiltratable fibrous material mounted on top of said supportive shell so as to be supported thereby, and at least partially secured thereto by said facial shield, a protective covering mounted to the lower portion of said facial shield, and a filter protector fabricated of a rigid material positioned on top of said filtration device so as to cover said filtration device positioned thereunder, said filter protector thereby inhibiting damage to said filtration device by contact originating from above said filter protector, said filter protector including a plurality of discrete standoff sections spaced about at least a portion of a periphery of said filter protector where said filter protector is mounted to selected portions of said facial shield, thereby providing a space intermediate adjacent ones of said plurality of discrete standoff sections, each space permitting airflow therethrough to said filtration device.