Face Shield

Abstract

A face shield made of a single sheet of transparent material. An example face shield includes a front face covering, a first side strap having a tab, and a second side strap having at least one slot. The slot is configured to engage with the tab on the first side strap to assemble the first side strap to the second side strap and form a band for positioning the face shield on a user's head. A cantilever tab is provided above the front face covering, and a slot is formed in the front face covering. The cantilever tab rolls back onto the front face covering and the cantilever tab connects into the slot to form an adjustable spacer to maintain a distance between the user's head and the front face covering when worn by the user.

Description

PRIORITY APPLICATIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims the priority filing benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/014,425 filed on Apr. 23, 2020, titled “Curved Latching Face Shield Manufactured As A Single Piece From Sheet That Can Be Flat-Packed” of Jeffrey Ackerman, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62,705,572 filed on Jul. 6, 2020, titled “Face Shield With Spring-Loaded Cantilever Curved Tab Surface To Forehead Interface Manufactured As A Single Piece From Sheet” of Jeffrey Ackerman, each hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND

Face shields are an important piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) in medical settings. They provide a physical barrier that helps prevent airborne particles and debris from attaching to the face, hitting the face, or being breathed in by the wearer. In medical settings, such as in the COVID-19 epidemic, face shields can help block bacterial and viral infections from spreading through droplets in the air. They can help lengthen the useful lifespan of other PPE (e.g., face masks) by blocking droplets from the PPE, and are critical in medical settings where coughing, sneezing, or other splatter is likely, such as during intubation or dental procedures.

Face shields can be worn by medical professionals, their patients, or anyone who is either sick or wants additional protection from airborne disease-carrying particles. A 2014 study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by Lindsley et al. showed that face shields can reduce the inhalation exposure of the wearer when exposed to a nearby cough by up to 96% and the contamination of the respirator by up to 97%. The authors report that “face shields are a useful adjunct to respiratory protection for workers caring for patients with respiratory infections.”

Face shields may also be implemented in manufacturing settings. Many manufacturing operations, such as welding, machining, drilling, mixing, spraying, or painting can cause large or small debris particles to splatter or fly into the air. Similarly, face shields may be used in households, e.g., when painting, sanding wood, or cleaning. Face shields can provide a physical barrier that helps prevent airborne particles and debris from hitting the face, attaching to the face or eyes, or being breathed in by the wearer, and can be used to enhance safety in these settings.

Existing face shields come in a few common varieties. Disposable face shields typically have a transparent plastic sheet with a foam forehead pad and elastic bands for attachment around the ears or head. Some face shields attach on top of or over other face masks (e.g., to protect more expensive medical grade face masks). Other common types of face shields have a hard-plastic strapping system that can strap to the head and rotate a transparent plastic face shield down over the face or up out of the way over the head.

Existing face shields are typically multi-component devices that strap or attach to the user's head. Since existing face shields are multi-component devices, they tend to require assembly labor that adds cost, do not pack down compactly for shipping and storage, and can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time because they strap around and compress the head or ears.

Further, in most existing face shields, the foam is pulled firmly against the forehead by the elastic bands or straps which reduces comfort due to the relatively high foam-skin contact pressure and can make the forehead itchy, increase perspiration underneath and near the foam-skin contact, trap heat, make them hard to clean and sterilize, and significantly increase the environmental impact because the plastic shield is not recyclable unless the elastic strap and foam are removed and thrown out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 2 shows the example face shield in an unassembled configuration, wherein the face shield is flat.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the example face shield in an assembled configuration.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the example face shield in an assembled configuration.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the example face shield showing a spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface configured as an adjustable spacer when worn against the wearer's forehead.

FIG. 7 is a back view of the example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of another example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of another example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of another example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of another example face shield as it may be worn by a person.

FIGS. 13-15 show other example face shields in an unassembled configuration, wherein the face shield is flat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There is a need for a new type of inexpensive mass-manufactured face shield that is made out of a single piece of largely transparent plastic that can pack and stack flat for optimal shipping and storage, require minimal assembly time or labor, be fully recyclable or biodegradable, and sit on top of the user's head more comfortably for many hours at time in medical and manufacturing settings. Additionally, there is a need for a face shield that can provide enhanced comfort, improved adjustability to fit different head sizes, provide some ventilation to reduce perspiration and trapped heat, and space the face shield sufficiently in front of the wearer's face to accommodate glasses, face masks, and other accessories or PPE.

The face shield can be made as a single piece from a single sheet of thin, lightweight and largely transparent material with at least one cantilever plastic tab on the top of the face shield that can be rolled or bent into a cylindrical or rounded configuration by securing it to at least one built-in tab, slot, or hole or with an adhesive to the inside of the face shield itself such that it creates a spring-loaded curved surface that presses against the wearer's forehead as an effective article of personal protective equipment (PPE). The face shield comprises an adjustable spring-loaded force that presses comfortably against the wearer's forehead to secure the face shield using at least one adjustable strap, band, or elastic that wraps portions of the material around the side and top of the head. The effective stiffness of the spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface is adjustable by changing the tab width, tab length, tab shape, tab curvature shape and radius, material thickness, or material properties. The adjustable spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface deflection comfortably secures the face shield to the head with a small contact area and acts as a spacer to adjustably position the face shield in front of the wearer's face to provide sufficient space from the face shield in front of the wearers face to accommodate face masks, glasses, safety glasses, magnifying loops, head coverings, sweat bands, and other accessories or PPE. The small contact area of the spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface to forehead interface and the resulting geometry of the face shield enables improved ventilation and reduces the buildup of heat and perspiration. This face shield design can be inexpensively mass-manufactured using high-volume sheet cutting manufacturing techniques and can be stacked and packed flat in boxes for inexpensive shipping and compact storage. The face shield material may have anti-fog, anti-glare, or UV filtering properties or have a coating applied that provides these properties. The face shield material can be readily cleaned using common cleaning materials, sterilized using typical medical sterilization techniques, fully recyclable, or biodegradable. The face shield can be further customized by taping, stapling, glueing, cutting holes, adding straps, or adding foam or rubber to clamp it, adjust the shape and comfort, or secure it to other personal protective garments.

Before continuing, it is noted that as used herein, the terms “includes” and “including” mean, but is not limited to, “includes” or “including” and “includes at least” or “including at least.” The term “based on” means “based on” and “based at least in part on.”

It is also noted that the examples described herein are provided for purposes of illustration, and are not intended to be limiting. Other devices and/or device configurations may be utilized to carry out the operations described herein.

The operations shown and described herein are provided to illustrate example implementations. It is noted that the operations are not limited to the ordering shown. Still other operations may also be implemented.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example face shield 10 as it may be worn by a person 1. The shape of the front face covering is designed to flare out due to the curved 3D bend shape and extend beyond the face to enable users to comfortably wear other articles of PPE such as medical-grade face masks, respirators, safety glasses, prescription glasses, illuminating devices, and/or medical caps. The shape allows for an open portion on top of the head which enables the head to breath and sweat, which is important for long term use where an enclosed portion could lead to excessive sweat build up. The top portion of the design could be covered by additional PPE such as a bendable plastic flap, cap, or hat if desired.

FIG. 2 shows the example face shield 10 in an unassembled configuration, wherein the face shield 10 is flat. FIG. 3 is a front view of the example face shield 10 in an assembled configuration. FIG. 4 is a back view of the example face shield 10 in an assembled configuration. An example of the face shield 10 includes a single sheet of transparent material 11. A front face covering 12 is formed of the single sheet of transparent material 11.

In an example, the single sheet of transparent material 11 is pre-cut. In an example, the single sheet of transparent material 11 is at least partially pre-cut. In an example, the single sheet of transparent material is at least partially perforated and features are formed by removing perforations from the single sheet of transparent material. For example, individual slots may be removed by the end-user for selecting a size adjustment.

In an example, the single sheet of transparent material 11 may include, or be coated with, an anti-fog coating at least on the front face covering 12. The single sheet of transparent material 11 may also include an anti-glare coating on the front face covering 12 and/or an anti-UV light coating on the front face covering 12.

In an example, the single sheet of transparent material 11 is recyclable and/or biodegradable.

A first side strap 14 is formed of the single sheet of transparent material 11. The first side strap has a tab 15 formed therein. In an example, the tab 15 may include a plurality of sub-tabs 15′ (for adjustment). A second side strap 16 is formed of the single sheet of transparent material 11. The second side strap 16 has at least one, and may have a plurality of, slots 17 formed therein. The slot(s) 17 is configured to engage with the tab 15 on the first side strap 14 to assemble the first side strap 14 to the second side strap 16 and form a band (see e.g., top view in FIG. 8) for positioning the face shield around a user's head.

The example face shield 10 is shown as it may include a cantilever tab 18 above the front face covering 12 and formed of the single sheet of transparent material 11. The body 19 of the cantilever tab 18 can be formed into a cylinder or partial cylinder (see, e.g., FIG. 1) and attached to the front face covering 12. In an example, the cantilever tab 18 is attached to the front face covering 12 with an adhesive. In another example, the cantilever tab 18 includes a tab portion 20 and is connected through a slot 21 formed in the front face covering 12. This assembly creates a spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface or spacer 22. In an example, the spacer 22 is adjustable to provide different characteristics, as explained in more detail below.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the example face shield 10 as it may be worn by a person 1 with the cantilever tab 18 forming an adjustable spacer 22. FIG. 6 is a close-up view of the example face shield 10 showing the cantilever tab 18 configured as the adjustable spacer 22 when worn against the wearer's forehead.

As explained briefly above, one or more slot 21 may be formed in the front face covering 12. During assembly, the cantilever tab 18 is rolled back onto the front face covering 12 and the cantilever tab 18 connects into the slot 21.

In an example, the spacer 22 maintains a distance between the user's forehead and the front face covering 12 when worn by the user 1. The cantilever tab 18 is configured to provide a spring-loaded force that presses against the user's forehead when the band is positioned on the user's head.

In an example, the cantilever tab 18 is adjustable to provide different characteristics of the adjustable spacer 22. For example, the adjustable spacer 22 reduces curvature and ocular distortion in front of the user's face.

By way of illustration, more than one slot 21 may be provided and the user may select from different slots 21 to provide different size spacings between the user's head and the front face covering 12. See, e.g., FIGS. 13 and 14.

In another illustration, the cantilever tab 18 provides different effective stiffnesses based on at least one of a width of the cantilever tab, a length of the cantilever tab, a shape of the cantilever tab, a shape of the cantilever tab, a radius of the cantilever tab, a thickness of the cantilever tab, and a material of manufacture of the cantilever tab.

In an example, these may all be selected by the end-user, e.g., by removing perforations in the single sheet of transparent material 11 during assembly. In another example, these characteristics may be preselected (e.g., provided during manufacturing).

The spacer 22 may also provide an adjustable amount of ventilation to reduce build-up of heat and perspiration on the wearer's face and forehead. For example, the spacer 22 may be made larger to provide a larger space or gap between the wearer's face and the front face covering 12.

A tighter or looser fit can be achieved by increasing or decreasing the circumference of the band formed by the straps 14 and 16 and/or by adjusting the spacer 22 for increased or decreased force. These adjustments can significantly enhance the overall custom fit of the face shield 10, e.g., to fit different head shapes and sizes as well as significantly increase overall wearer comfort when wearing the face shield 10 for long periods of time.

The adjustable spacer 22 is also important to sufficiently space the front face covering 12 at a proper distance from the wearer's face to better accommodate face masks, glasses, safety glasses, magnifying loops, head coverings, sweat bands, and other accessories or PPE.

The spacer 22 is configured to press against the wearer's forehead to create a small circular, elliptical, or line contact area between the face shield and the forehead. This small contact area localizes the generation of perspiration in a smaller area and allows the skin to breath and ventilate much more effectively than the larger distributed contact area from the foam or plastic-to-skin contact found in most existing face shields.

In an example, the spacer 22 is configured to press against the wearer's forehead to create a small circular, elliptical, or line contact area between the face shield and the forehead. The interface is shown between the spacer 22 and the wearer's forehead and can act as an adjustable spacer. This allows the user to comfortably wear additional PPE underneath the face shield, such as a face mask, glasses, safety glasses, magnifying loops, a head covering, a sweat band, and other accessories or PPE. This can be adjusted to provide ventilation to mitigate the build-up of heat and perspiration. The spacer 22 can be deflected by tightening or loosening the strap, band, or elastic around the back of the head to change the effective face shield circumference.

In an example, the stiffness of the spacer 22 also forms a flattened and largely rectangular viewing area directly in front of the face of the user 1. See for example, flattened viewing area of the front face covering 12 illustrated by outline 24 in FIG. 1. The width (and to some extent the length) of this flattened viewing area can be adjusted based on stiffness of the spacer 22 and the width 25 of the spacer 22 as seen in the top view of FIG. 8. This flattened area 24 extends down most if not all of the front face covering 12 and helps orient the face shield 10 into a more vertical position. This largely rectangular and flattened vertical viewing area in front of the eyes has a reduced curvature relative to the rest of the face shield 10 and can help reduce angular distortion when looking through the front face covering 12 relative to a curved viewing area without the spacer 22.

In an example, the transition between the largely rectangular surface 24 in front of the face and the curvature of the rest of the face shield 10 wrapped around the head creates a small pocket near the top sides of the forehead which improves the ventilation of trapped hot air from breathing and skin heat conduction, convection, and radiation in addition to reducing the accumulation of moisture and perspiration on the forehead and face. Ventilation can be further enhanced if additional tabs, slots, holes, or spacers are added to the design.

In an example, the tabs or latches and corresponding receptacles or slots can be implemented by the end-user to adjust the circumferential length of the face shield to fit different head sizes and increase or decrease the deflection of the spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface. The spacer 22 can be deflected by tightening or loosening the strap, band, or elastic around the back of the head to change the effective face shield circumference.

In another example, the spacer 22 may have alternative attachment points. By way of illustration, the tab 19 may be largely circular or cylindrical and the attachment points are higher on top of the face shield. In this example, the tab 19 is largely circular and the two attachment points or slots are higher on top of the face shield. The two slots with the attachment tab or tabs pull the spring-loaded cantilever curved tab surface into a more cylindrical shape. In this example, the tab is pulled into a largely circular or cylindrical shape when the attachment tab or tabs pulls the spring-loaded cantilever curved tab against the tab receptacles.

The features of the spacer 22 presents a significant improvement over existing face shield-to-forehead interfaces. The foam typically used on most disposable face shields may press firmly against the forehead, which reduces comfort due to the high foam-skin contact pressure. This can lead to an itchy foam-to-forehead interface, increases perspiration underneath and near the foam-skin contact area, traps heat, makes the face shield difficult to properly clean and sterilize, and significantly increases the environmental impact because the plastic shield is not recyclable unless the elastic strap and foam are removed and thrown out. Identical or very similar issues apply to other existing face shield designs that may not utilize foam and/or elastic straps like most existing disposable face shields but have similar design features.

FIG. 7 is a back view of the example face shield 10 as it may be worn by a person 1. FIG. 8 is a top view of the example face shield 10 as it may be worn by a person 1. In an example, the face shield 10 includes a plurality of slots formed in the front face covering for changing one or more properties of the adjustable spacer. In an example, the face shield 10 has a plurality of slots 17 formed in the second side strap 16 to engage with the tab 15 on the first side strap 14 to assemble the first side strap 14 to the second side strap 16 and form a size adjustable band.

In an example, the face shield 10 can be made as a single piece from a single sheet of thin, lightweight and largely transparent material. The face shield 10 can be bent in a curved 3D fashion and is adjustably secured with at least one built-in clasping, latching, interlocking, or elastic strap and strap receptacle that wraps and adjusts portions of the material around the side and top of the head so the face shield 10 is largely supported on the head by gravity.

A largely transparent face shield 12 or visor portion extends down from the forehead or top of the head which can cover the entire face (including the mouth, nose and eyes). In an example, this can be cut higher, or lower to extend below the chin towards the chest, depending on the desired level of protection.

In an example, the single sheet of transparent material 11 can be cut and shaped to customize fit or size of the front face covering 12. The examples shown in FIGS. 9-14 may be precut, or cut into these shapes by the user. FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of another example face shield 100 as it may be worn by a person. FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of another example face shield 120 as it may be worn by a person. FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of another example face shield 130 as it may be worn by a person. FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of another example face shield 120 as it may be worn by a person.

Although shown without the spacer 22 in the example of FIGS. 1-8, it is noted that the other example face shields 100, 110, and 120 may also include a spacer. Again, the spacer 22 may be formed with at least one cantilever plastic tab on the top of a face shield that can be rolled into a cylindrical or round configuration by securing it to at least one built-in tab, slot, or hole or to the inside of the face shield itself with an adhesive such that is creates a spring-loaded curved surface which presses gently against the wearer's forehead. This largely rectangular or curved spring-loaded cantilever tab surface is configured to press gently against the forehead to secure the face shield to the forehead. The force of the spring-loaded cantilever tab surface can be adjusted by strapping the face shield more or less tightly around the head using an adjustable clasping, latching, or interlocking and strap receptacle or an elastic strap.

FIGS. 13-15 show other example face shields in an unassembled configuration, wherein the face shield is flat. FIG. 13 shows a face shield 210 having cantilever tab 218 formed by body 219 and multiple tabs 220 and 220′ which may be inserted into slots 221 and 221′. FIG. 14 shows a face shield 310 having a plurality of cantilever tabs 318 and 318′ formed by body 319 and 319′ and multiple tabs 320 and 320′ which may be inserted into slots 321a, 321b and 321a′, 321b′. FIG. 15 shows a face shield 410 having a cantilever tab 418 formed by body 419 and multiple tabs 420 and 420′ which may be inserted into slots 421 and 421′.

The cantilever tab configurations illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 include wider tab configurations to further reduce curvature and ocular distortion in front of the user's face by providing a wider flattened viewing area (e.g., area 24 illustrated in FIG. 1).

Of course it is noted that still other configurations, shapes, and/or number of components are also contemplated as being within the scope of the disclosure herein.

The face shields described herein can be inexpensively mass-manufactured out of a single flat piece of material using high-volume sheet cutting manufacturing techniques such as laser cutting, stamping, water jetting, and machining. The high-volume sheet cutting can cut one single-piece face shield at a time out of a single sheet, or many face shields could be cut at a time by stacking many sheets on top of one another and cutting through many at once using high-volume sheet cutting manufacturing techniques.

In an example, the single sheet of material may be made out of an easily recyclable or biodegradable material and have a significantly lower environmental impact than most existing face shields.

Further, face shields described herein can be very easily cleaned and sterilized with common cleaning materials for continual re-use. The face shields described herein may also be autoclaved if it's made from an appropriate autoclave-compatible material.

It is noted that the examples shown and described are provided for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. Still other examples are also contemplated.

Claims

1. A face shield comprising:

a single sheet of transparent material;

a front face covering formed of the single sheet of transparent material;

a first side strap formed of the single sheet of transparent material, the first side strap having a tab formed therein; and

a second side strap formed of the single sheet of transparent material, the second side strap having a slot formed therein, the slot configured to engage with the tab on the first side strap to assemble the first side strap to the second side strap and form a band for positioning the face shield on a user's head.

2. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising a cantilever tab above the front face covering and formed of the single sheet of transparent material.

3. The face shield of claim 2, further comprising a slot formed in the front face covering, wherein the cantilever tab rolls back onto the front face covering and the cantilever tab connects into the slot formed in the front face covering to form an adjustable spacer to maintain a distance between the user's head and the front face covering when worn by the user.

4. The face shield of claim 3, wherein the cantilever tab is configured to provide a spring-loaded force that presses against the user's forehead when the band is positioned on the user's head.

5. The face shield of claim 3, wherein the cantilever tab is adjustable to provide different effective stiffnesses of the adjustable spacer.

6. The face shield of claim 3, wherein the cantilever tab is adjustable to provide different spacings between the user's head and the front face covering.

7. The face shield of claim 3, wherein the cantilever tab provides different effective stiffnesses based on at least one of a width of the cantilever tab, a length of the cantilever tab, a shape of the cantilever tab, a radius of the cantilever tab, a thickness of the cantilever tab, and a material of manufacture of the cantilever tab.

8. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the adjustable spacer reduces curvature and ocular distortion in front of the user's face.

9. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the adjustable spacer provides an adjustable amount of ventilation to reduce build-up of heat and perspiration on the wearer's face and forehead.

10. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of transparent material is pre-cut.

11. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of transparent material is at least partially pre-cut.

12. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of transparent material is at least partially perforated and features are formed by removing perforations.

13. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slots formed in the front face covering for changing one or more property of the adjustable spacer.

14. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slots formed in the second side strap to engage with the tab on the first side strap to assemble the first side strap to the second side strap and form a size adjustable band.

15. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising an anti-fog coating on the front face covering.

16. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising an anti-glare coating on the front face covering.

17. The face shield of claim 1, further comprising an anti-UV light coating on the front face covering.

18. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of transparent material is recyclable and/or biodegradable.

19. The face shield of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of transparent material can be cut and shaped to customize fit or size of the front face covering.

20. A face shield comprising:

a single sheet of transparent material;

a front face covering formed of the single sheet of transparent material;

a first side strap formed of the single sheet of transparent material, the first side strap having a tab formed therein;

a second side strap formed of the single sheet of transparent material, the second side strap having a plurality of slots formed therein, the plurality of slots configured to engage with the tab on the first side strap to assemble the first side strap to the second side strap and form a band for positioning the face shield on a user's head;

a cantilever tab above the front face covering and formed of the single sheet of transparent material,

a slot formed in the front face covering, wherein the cantilever tab rolls back onto the front face covering and the cantilever tab connects into the slot formed in the front face covering to form an adjustable spacer to maintain a distance between the user's head and the front face covering when worn by the user.