Headgear

Abstract

This invention relates to headgear for protecting the wearer against facial injury, especially eye injury, and in particular eye injury caused by flying particulate matter, such as may be ejected or expelled from a work-piece, the headgear comprising a first, transparent and substantially non-porous eye-protecting membrane and a fabric wall which substantially surrounds the first membrane. The wall is preferably flexible and porous and is attached to the first membrane at its periphery so as to support the first membrane in a vision-facilitating position adjacent the eyes of a wearer in use, wherein the first membrane provides eye protection against particulate projectiles while allowing the wearer to see through it, and the wall provides protection to the wearer against ingress of particulate projectiles from around the transparent first membrane.

The claims defining the invention are: 
     
         1 . Protective headgear, suitable for a workplace, comprising: a first, transparent and substantially non-porous membrane having a periphery; means for supporting the first membrane in a vision-facilitating position adjacent the eyes of a wearer in use; a fabric wall comprising a second, flexible and porous membrane; and attachment means attaching the first membrane at the periphery to the wall; wherein the first membrane provides eye protection against particulate projectiles while allowing the wearer to see through it and wherein the wall provides protection to the wearer against ingress of particulate matter to the wearer's eyes around the periphery of the first membrane. 
     
     
         2 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the wall at least partially surrounds the head of the wearer in use. 
     
     
         3 . The headgear of  claim 2  wherein the wall depends to cover the wearer's mouth. 
     
     
         4 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the wall substantially surrounds the transparent membrane. 
     
     
         5 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the transparent membrane comprises a flexible plastics sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The headgear of  claim 5  wherein the sheet comprises a plurality of stacked peelable layers. 
     
     
         7 . The headgear of  claim 1  comprising a breathing aperture located in the wall below the first membrane. 
     
     
         8 . The headgear of  claim 7  comprising a third membrane substantially covering said breathing aperture, wherein the third membrane is selected to facilitate breathing through it by the user and is connected to the wall by connecting means. 
     
     
         9 . The headgear of  claim 8  wherein the third membrane defines a displaceable flap. 
     
     
         10 . The headgear of  claim 8  wherein the third membrane comprises fabric meshing. 
     
     
         11 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the supporting means for the first membrane extends generally around the head of the wearer in use, to be supported thereby, and supports the wall. 
     
     
         12 . The headgear of  claim 11  wherein said supporting means comprises elongate band means tensioned against the wearer's head in use to resist displacement therefrom. 
     
     
         13 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the supporting means comprises a hood portion extending from the wall over the head of the wearer in use. 
     
     
         14 . The headgear of  claim 13  wherein the hood portion comprises a crown panel integrally formed with the wall, the hood portion in use being at least partly supported by the head of the wearer. 
     
     
         15 . The headgear of  claim 1  having a brim portion arranged to extends generally radially from the wearer's head in sun-shielding orientation. 
     
     
         16 . The headgear of  claim 1  having orientation-assisting means proximate a lower end of the wall when in use, said orientation-assisting means being weighted and arranged to urge said lower end to a position in proximity with the wearer's neckline. 
     
     
         17 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the wall additionally comprises a pocket. 
     
     
         18 . The headgear of  claim 17  wherein the pocket is dimensionally adapted to contain a sachet charged with a functional substance. 
     
     
         19 . The headgear of  claim 18  wherein the functional substance comprises lens-cleaning means. 
     
     
         20 . The headgear of  claim 1  wherein the wall comprises hanging-eye means.