Abstract: A face mask used by a firefighter and/or miner includes a seal between the mask interior surfaces and skin on the face of a user. A port on the sealed visor receives a hose for supplying a regulated amount of air from a compression air tank carried by the user. A portion of the mask in the form of a visor covering the eyes of the user is transparent to visible optical energy. The mask has a tendency while used to have condensate formed thereon, causing the transparent portion to be fogged. An electrically activated device in the form of a heater and/or fan, on the mask prevents formation of and/or removes the condensate. A battery in a housing carried by the user activates the electrically activated device. The housing includes heat insulation to prevent the battery from being damaged by high temperatures in the vicinity of the user. The power supply for the transparent visor energizes a temperature sensor for enabling a firefighter to be warned that he/she is in an unsafe, excessively hot environment, i.e.

Abstract: Protective eyewear is disclosed which comprises a sheet of transparent synthetic plastics material with means for attaching to the wearer's head with a viewing area of said sheet extending across the wearer's eyes. A protrusion extends along the top edge of the sheet, contacts the wearer's forehead in use and holds the viewing area away from the wearer's eyes. Slits are provided in the sheet to improve ventilation and the plastics material is coated with anti-fogging material to prevent misting-up. The slits also make it possible to use the protective eyewear over spectacles.

Abstract: Ski goggles are provided having circuitry for heating the lens by means of at least one solar cell held by the headband of the goggles to prevent or eliminate fogging and condensation on the surface of the lens of the goggles facing the wearer.

Abstract: An improved ski goggles is provided and includes a protective lens that has a fine grid of heat generating wire with sufficient resistance to produce enough heat to remove frost and fog from the lens. An external of self contained battery pack and switching device supplies electricity to the resistance wire grid.

Abstract: A shield comprising a thin elongated transparent flexible member having an upper flat edge, a pair of spaced convex edges spaced apart and located opposite the flat edge for forming a pair of spaced planar portions. The planar portions extend between the flat edge and the convex edges, with the convex edges being joined by a concave edge located opposite the flat edge and between the convex edges which defines a narrowed webbed portion extending integrally between the planar portions. An elongated deformable flexible sealing member extends along the flat edge between the distal ends of the flexible member and a second elongated deformable flexible sealing member extends continuously along the convex edges and the concave edge between the distal ends of the flexible member.

Abstract: An improved defogging and deicing shield structure suitable for use as a face shield in combination with a protective helmet or for use in goggles having at least two spaced coextensive lenses. The inner surface of one lens is imprinted with an electrical circuit in a predetermined pattern. The resistance of the circuit being sufficient to generate heat effective to defog or deice the exterior surface of the other lens when the circuit is connected to a direct current power source.

Abstract: Condensed breath vapor is removed from visors on helmets adapted to be used by drivers of open air outdoor vehicles, such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, and all terrain vehicles, by applying electric current to a resistance heater coil on the visor. The heating coil is electrically connected to a connector mounted on the visor. The connector is electrically connected by a helically coiled cable to an assembly mounted on the vehicle dashboard. The assembly includes a female jack for receiving a male jack at the end of the coiled helical cable. The assembly also includes a switch for connecting the jack to a power supply of the vehicle, so that electric energy from the power supply can be coupled selectively to the female jack at two power levels.

Abstract: A helmet device including a helmet body having an open front portion and a shielding mechanism attached to the helmet body so as to substantially shield such front portion of the helmet body. The shielding mechanism includes a see-through member permitting an outside view therethrough and a wiper mechanism for wiping the outer surface of the see-through member. The helmet device eliminates any need for manually wiping away raindrops or the like adhering to the outer surface of the see-through member, even when the helmet device is used in the rain or like conditions.

Abstract: A device for use in a helmet having a shield panel for preventing the shield panel from fogging by electric heating. A transparent electroconductive film is provided inside the shield panel for passing current through the film to generate heat. An assembly including the conductive film is removable from the shield panel for repeated use when the shield panel is to be replaced by a new one due to damage.

Abstract: A protective helmet, e.g. a motorcycle helmet has a chinpiece below its visor which defines an air passage with a member behind this chinpiece, permitting air to flow from an opening in this chinpiece uniformly over the interior of a visor to prevent fogging thereof by moisture.

Abstract: Fogging by the condensation of water vapor on optically transmissive surfaces of optical devices, such as the lens of goggles, is prevented by means of a transparent hydrophylic polymer integrated therewith and disposed in the moisture laden environment. A perfluorosulfonic acid polymer, such as is sold under the trademark Nafion by Du Pont, is used. The polymer is attached to the surface of the lens which faces the wearer of the goggles, as by being laminated to the lens. The polymer provides a transparent regeneratable dessicant, even though it is attached to the non-permeable lens, and removes water before it can condense as droplets to fog the lens. There also may be characteristics of the hydrophylic polymer other than that of a dessicant which is significant in the fog prevention (e.g. contact angle of water droplets on the surface).

Abstract: The invention is concerned with an improved underwater swimming mask or goggles having a lens with an inner surface, a frame mounting the lens in spaced relationship to a swimmer's eyes and a water-excluding face-fitting skirt peripherally extending from the frame. The improvement comprises wiper means mounted for sweeping movement across a viewing area of the lens and in wiping contact with the lens inner surface, and weight means connected to and displaceable with the wiper means for moving same in response to tilting movements of the mask or goggles when worn by the swimmer during swimming. The tilting movements resulting from the swimmer rotating his head from side to side cause the weight means to be displaced by gravity and to thereby move the wiper means therewith so as to dissipate mist or droplets of water collected on the lens inner surface and to clear the viewing area of the lens.