FACE SHIELD WITH ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING
A face shield system and associated method are disclosed, the face shield system comprising a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet.
This patent application claims the priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/032,898 filed Jun. 1, 2020, entitled “FACE SHIELD WITH ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING.” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/032,898 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This patent application claims the priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/110,278 filed Nov. 5, 2020, entitled “ZIP STRAP TETHER.” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/110,278 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This patent application claims the priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/166,921 filed Mar. 26, 2021, entitled “ZIP STRAP TETHER.” U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/166,921 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDEmbodiments are generally related to the field of personal protective equipment. Embodiments are also related to cinch straps. Embodiments are further related to face shield with adjustable straps that allow the tension in the strap to be adjusted.
BACKGROUNDRecent developments have created an urgent need for personal protective equipment to help prevent the transmission of communicable diseases. One such device is a face shield. Some very expensive shields offer excellent protection and fit. However, their cost makes them impractical for widespread distribution.
Other, less expensive face shields have a suspect means of holding the shield in place over the user's face. Either the straps are insufficiently weak, or not adjustable, or both. As such, there is a need in the art for advanced face shield systems that are inexpensive but still provide excellent fit and adjustability, as disclosed herein.
SUMMARYThe following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
The present embodiments relate to personal protective equipment.
It is an aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide face shields.
It is an aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide medical face shields and facemasks.
It is an aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide straps for face shields.
It is an aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide adjustable cinching straps for face shields.
It is an aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide adjustable, reusable face shield systems.
Aspects and other advantages of the disclosed embodiments can now be achieved as further disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a face shield comprises a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the at least one mounting hole comprises two mounting holes formed on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises a chad configured in each of the at least one mounting hole. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises an adhesive disposed on the reinforcement tab. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises at least one hold point on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion and an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a planar, flat strap, In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises smooth distal ends. In an embodiment, the at least one reinforcement tab comprises a plurality of reinforcement tabs configured to be disposed one on top of the other on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the at least one reinforcement tab is further configured to be concave.
In another embodiment, a face shield system comprises a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, two mounting holes configured on the face shield sheet, at least one hold point on the face shield sheet, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion, an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion and a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a planar, flat strap, a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap, and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap.
In another embodiment, A face shield comprises a head covering, a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet and configured to be bound around the head covering. In an embodiment, the head covering comprises a helmet. In an embodiment, the cinch strap comprises two cinch straps, the two cinch straps being configured to attach to the face shield sheet and to be bound together at their respective tag ends. In an embodiment, the two cinch straps each further comprise a planar, flat strap, a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap, and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion and an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the embodiments disclosed herein.
The particular values and configurations discussed in the following non-limiting examples can be varied, and are cited merely to illustrate one or more embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments are shown. The embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. 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.
Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of example embodiments in whole or in part.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method, kit, reagent, or composition of the invention, and vice versa. Furthermore, compositions of the invention can be used to achieve methods of the invention.
It will be understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.
As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,599, titled “CINCHING AND BUNDLING TIE” filed Mar. 1, 2010, describes a cinching and bundling tie. U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,599 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A reinforcement tab 120 can be installed along a top portion 110 of the face shield sheet 105. In certain embodiments, multiple reinforcement tabs 120 can be overlaid or distributed on the face shield sheet 105 to improve the structural integrity of the system 100. The reinforcement tab 120, can be (but need not be) transparent. The reinforcement tab 120 can be configured of a stiff rubber or plastic material. In certain embodiments, the reinforcement tab 120 can be integrated in the face shield sheet 105, and can comprise a generally thickened section of material. In other embodiments, the reinforcement tab 120 can comprise an independent stiffened strip, such as a plastic strip, with adhesive 125 on one side. In such embodiments, the reinforcement tab 120 can be adhered to the upper area of the face shield sheet 105. The reinforcement tab 120 can be installed on the inner facing surface or the outer facing surface of the face shield sheet 105.
The reinforcement tab 120 or band stiffens and thickens the face shield sheet 105 at the forehead mounting point, which has multiple benefits. The reinforcement tab 120 keeps the entire face shield sheet 105 more stable on the forehead, decreasing deflection of the shield system 100. The reinforcement tab 120 can also stiffen the mounting holes 130 to allow for reusability of the shield and to avoid tearing of the face shield sheet 1-5. The reinforcement tab 120 allows for the use of thinner films for the face shield sheet while maintaining the face shield integrity.
The reinforcement tab 120 can generally be formed of a stiff but pliable material (such a plastic) and can extend from one of the lateral sides 135 of the face shield sheet 105 to the other. In certain embodiments, the reinforcement tab 120 can be biased with a curvature so as to be concave and match the contour of a human head.
Mounting holes 130 can be formed in the face shield sheet 105 and/or the reinforcement tab 120. The mounting holes 130 can include hole chads 140, that can be removed to reveal the mounting holes 130. The hole chads 140 can be “punched” into the face shield and/or reinforcement tab.
As illustrated in
The adhesive 155 on the head mount 150 can be configured so that the head mount 150 can be removed and reinstalled on the face shield sheet 105. The removal of the head mount 150 allows the components of the system 100 to be cleaned and sterilized individually before being reassembled for use.
The face shield system 100 further comprises a cinch strap 160, as illustrated in
The cinch strap 160 is illustrated in
The teeth 220 in the cinch strap 160 are specifically designed to engage in the mounting holes 130. In particular, the teeth 220 on either side of the strap 205 are configured to pass through the mounting hole 130 but not easily pull back out. The mounting holes 130 can thus be generally circular in design with a widest diameter that is wider than the body 230 of the cinch strap 205 but narrower than the width of the cinch strap 160 measured between opposing teeth 220. As such, the cinch strap 160 can be locked into place by grabbing the face shield sheet 105 at hold points 165 at the top of the face shield sheet 105, inserting the cinch strap 160 through the mounting hole 130, and then pulling the cinch strap 160 through the hole. In certain embodiments, the strap 205 can be used to pull the face shield 100 tight into place on a user's head.
The cinch strap 160 geometry is such that it can be threaded into the mounting holes 130 on the face shield sheet 105. The cinch strap 160 allows the system 100 to be fully adjustable with tightening by pulling on the cinch strap 160 while holding the shield edge hold points 165 and pulling on cinch strap 160. The cinch strap is loosened by slightly bending the edge of the shield to disengage the teeth on the cinch strap from the mounting hole edges.
Next, at step 415 the protective film on the head mount can be removed to expose the underlying adhesive on the outer surface of the head mount. The head mount can then be installed on the face shield, at step 420 by joining the head mount to an upper portion of the face shield sheet (approximately aligned with the reinforcement tab). This is accomplished by pressing the adhesive covered side of the head mount onto the face shield sheet.
Next, at step 425, the hole chads can be removed to expose the mounting holes on the edges of the face shield sheet and/or reinforcement tab. In certain embodiments, this can be accomplished by using a poking device, like a pencil or other such device to poke the hole chads out.
With the hole chads open, the ends of the cinching straps can be inserted into the mounting holes on the two sides of the face shield as shown at step 430 and step 435. In certain embodiments, the cinch straps ends can be inserted such that the perimeter of the strap and face shield is larger than the circumference of the user's head. This allows the assembly to be brought into position, as shown at step 440, with the head mount roughly resting on the user's forehead. At this point, the cinch strap ends can be pulled further through the mounting holes to create a snug fit around the user's head as shown at step 445, and the method ends at 450.
In other embodiments, a face shield system 100 can be configured to interface with a helmet as illustrated in
In still other embodiments the face shield system can include the use of two cinch straps 160. The first cinch strap 160 can be inserted through one of the mounting holes 130 and the other cinch strap 160 can be inserted through the other mounting hole 130. The cinch straps 160 can then be tied together forming a loop with an overhand knot, or other such knot. The cinch strap ends can be pulled to tighten the assembly in place on a user. This embodiment is useful in situations where the user is wearing a head cover, as in
Based on the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a number of embodiments, preferred and alternative, are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a face shield comprises a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the at least one mounting hole comprises two mounting holes formed on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises a chad configured in each of the at least one mounting hole. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises an adhesive disposed on the reinforcement tab. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises at least one hold point on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion and an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the face shield system further comprises a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a planar, flat strap, In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises smooth distal ends. In an embodiment, the at least one reinforcement tab comprises a plurality of reinforcement tabs configured to be disposed one on top of the other on the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the at least one reinforcement tab is further configured to be concave.
In another embodiment, a face shield system comprises a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, two mounting holes configured on the face shield sheet, at least one hold point on the face shield sheet, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion, an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion and a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion. In an embodiment, the cinch strap further comprises a planar, flat strap, a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap, and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap.
In another embodiment, A face shield comprises a head covering, a face shield sheet, at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet, a head mount, and a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet and configured to be bound around the head covering. In an embodiment, the head covering comprises a helmet. In an embodiment, the cinch strap comprises two cinch straps, the two cinch straps being configured to attach to the face shield sheet and to be bound together at their respective tag ends. In an embodiment, the two cinch straps each further comprise a planar, flat strap, a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap, and a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap. In an embodiment, the head mount further comprises a cuboid cushion and an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, it should be appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
Claims
1. A face shield comprising:
- a face shield sheet;
- at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet;
- a head mount; and
- a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet.
2. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the at least one mounting hole comprises:
- two mounting holes formed on the face shield sheet.
3. The face shield of claim 2 further comprising:
- a chad configured in each of the at least one mounting hole.
4. The face shield of claim 1 further comprising:
- an adhesive disposed on the at least one reinforcement tab.
5. The face shield of claim 1 further comprising:
- at least one hold point on the face shield sheet.
6. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the head mount further comprises:
- a cuboid cushion; and
- an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
7. The face shield of claim 6 further comprising:
- a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
8. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the cinch strap further comprises:
- a planar, flat strap,
9. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the cinch strap further comprises:
- a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap; and
- a second plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap.
10. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the cinch strap further comprises:
- smooth distal ends.
11. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the at least one reinforcement tab comprises;
- a plurality of reinforcement tabs configured to be disposed one on top of the other on the face shield sheet.
12. The face shield of claim 1 wherein the at least one reinforcement tab is further configured to be concave.
13. A face shield system comprising:
- a face shield sheet;
- at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet;
- a head mount;
- two mounting holes configured on the face shield sheet;
- at least one hold point on the face shield sheet; and
- a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet.
14. The face shield system of claim 13 wherein the head mount further comprises:
- a cuboid cushion;
- an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion; and
- a protective cover overlaying the adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
15. The face shield system of claim 13 wherein the cinch strap further comprises:
- a planar, flat strap;
- a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap; and
- a plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap.
16. A face shield comprising:
- a head covering;
- a face shield sheet;
- at least one reinforcement tab affixed to the face shield sheet;
- a head mount; and
- a cinch strap inserted through at least one mounting hole in the face shield sheet and configured to be bound around the head covering.
17. The face shield of claim 16 wherein the head covering comprises a helmet.
18. The face shield of claim 16 wherein the cinch strap comprises:
- two cinch straps, the two cinch straps being configured to attach to the face shield sheet and to be bound together at their respective tag ends.
19. The face shield of claim 18 wherein the two cinch straps each further comprise:
- a planar, flat strap;
- a plurality of teeth formed on a first edge of the cinch strap; and
- a second plurality of teeth formed on a second edge of the cinch strap.
20. The face shield of claim 16 wherein the head mount further comprises:
- a cuboid cushion; and
- an adhesive disposed on one side of the cuboid cushion.
Type: Application
Filed: May 28, 2021
Publication Date: Dec 2, 2021
Inventors: Patrick Rome (El Paso, TX), Elizabeth S. Rome (El Paso, TX)
Application Number: 17/334,471