Cranium-Covering Extension Device for a Face Shield

Abstract

An extension device for a face shield features a shell of at least partially dome-like form that delimits a hollow interior space for accommodating a cranial region of a user's head. At a lower marginal area of a frontal region of the shell that is worn over the user's forehead, and at an internal surface of the shell, one or more coupling elements are arranged for selective coupling to an outer side of the face shield to secure said shell onto the face shield in a manner fully supported thereby. An internal airflow channel in a scalp-covering part of the shell communicates with a chimney-like airflow space between two forehead depressions at the frontal region to exhaust warm air from the facial region. The scalp-covering part is angled at more than 90-degrees to the lower marginal area of the frontal region, so as to reside at a rearwardly inclined slope relative to the user's head when worn for greater ventilating effect. An out-turned flange is provided on a boundary edge of the shell to enable coupling of a flexible shroud to the shell.

1 . An extension device for a face shield, said device comprising:
 a shell of predetermined self-sustaining shape and at least partially dome-like form that delimits a hollow interior space for accommodating a cranial region of a user's head in a working position of said device when installed on said face shield in a worn position on said user's head, said shell having a boundary edge spanning around said hollow interior space at an open side thereof through which said cranial region of the user's head is receivable into said hollow interior space; and   at a lower marginal area of a frontal region of the shell that is worn anteriorly of a forehead of the user's head in the working position of the device, and at an internal surface of the shell that faces inwardly into said hollow interior space, one or more coupling elements arranged for selective coupling to an outer side of said face shield to secure said shell thereto in the working position.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  consisting solely of said shell and said one or more coupling elements. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said coupling elements at the lower marginal area of the frontal region of the shell are the sole means by which the device is couplable to the face shield. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said one or more coupling elements comprise one or more pieces of fastening material attached to said internal surface of the shell. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said one or more pieces of fastening material comprise hook or loop fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  in combination with said face shield, wherein said face shield comprises a transparent panel for protective coverage of a facial region of said user's head in visually unobstructive fashion, and supportive headwear attached to said transparent shield. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the device is configured for selective coupling solely to the panel of the face shield, independently of the supportive headwear thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the panel has one or more cooperative coupling elements thereon that are of matably compatible type to the coupling elements on the shell of the device, and are laid out in matching placement thereto to align therewith in the working position of the device. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the cooperative coupling elements comprises one or more pieces of cooperative fastening material attached to an outer side of the panel that faces away from the facial region of the user's head in the worn position. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the cooperative fastening material comprises loop or hook fastener. 
     
     
         11 . The device of any one of  claims 6  to  10  wherein said supportive headwear comprises padding that lines an inner side of the panel at an upper marginal area thereof that neighbours an upper boundary edge of the panel, and the panel is configured to receive selective coupling of the shell thereto also at said upper marginal area, but on an opposing outer side of the panel. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said supportive headwear comprises a flexible strap coupled directly or indirectly to the panel to span snuggly around a rear of the user's head to support the face shield in the worn position. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a scalp section of the shell is joined to a top of the frontal region and spans rearward therefrom to overly a user's scalp, and has an airflow channel on an interior side of said scalp section that runs lengthwise thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  wherein said airflow channel is neighboured on opposing sides by a pair of troughs that are recessed into an exterior of the cranial portion and have respective trough floors, relative to which a ceiling of the airflow channel is of elevated relation. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13  comprising a pair of forehead depressions residing above the lower marginal area of the frontal region, and an open airflow space left between said forehead depressions, and wherein a front end of the airflow channel fluidly communicates with said open airflow space to receive rising warm air therefrom, and channel said warm air rearwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein a width of said airflow space delimited between said forehead depressions, from a widened lower end of said airflow space, tapers upwardly to a lesser width than said widened lower end. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1  comprising a pair of forehead depressions residing above the lower marginal area of the frontal region, and an open airflow space left between said forehead depressions within the interior space of the shell, and wherein a width of said airflow space delimited between said forehead depressions, from a widened lower end of said airflow space, tapers upwardly to a lesser width than said widened lower end. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the boundary edge of the shell comprises a front segment spanning the lower marginal area of the shell, and the boundary edge comprises, at least at some areas thereof other than said front segment, has an out-turned flange thereon for use in coupling of a flexible shroud to the shell along said boundary edge. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method improving an effective coverage area of protective face shields, said method comprising:
 having an inventory of existing face shields each having a transparent panel and an associated supportive headwear by which said transparent panel is supportable in a worn position in front of a facial region of a user's head;   obtaining an inventory of supplemental extension devices for said existing face shields, each supplemental extension device comprising a shell of predetermined self-sustaining shape and dome-like form; and   attaching a respective one of said supplemental extension devices to one of said existing face shields by establishing a fastened interface between an inner lower marginal area of the shell of the extension device and an outer upper marginal area of the face shield, thereby securing the face shield and the supplemental extension together in an assembled state collectively forming a combined face and head shield, of which the panel of said face shield hangs downwardly from the interior space of the shell of the supplemental extension device, and the shell of the supplemental extension device is suitably positioned to cover a cranial region of the user's head in the worn position of the face shield.   
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A protective device for shielding cranial regions of a user's head against contaminants, said device comprising a shell made of a singular unitary piece of material of predetermined self-sustaining shape and at least partially dome-like form that delimits a hollow interior space for accommodating a cranial region of a user's head when said protective shell is worn thereover, said shell including a frontal region for overlying a user's forehead, and a scalp section that is joined to a top of the frontal region and spans rearwardly therefrom to overly a user's scalp, and wherein said shell is further characterized by at least one of the following features:
 (a) said front region has a pair of forehead depressions recessed into an exterior of the shell and protruding into the interior space thereof for placement against a user's forehead, an open airflow space resides between said forehead depressions, and a width of said airflow space delimited between said forehead depressions, from a widened lower end of said airflow space, tapers upwardly to a lesser width than said widened lower end;   (b) said scalp section has an airflow channel on an interior side of said scalp section that runs lengthwise thereof; and   (c) a boundary edge of said shell spans around an opening through which the user's head is accommodated entry to said interior space, and said boundary edge, at least at some areas thereof other than a front segment of the boundary edge at a frontal region of the shell, has an out-turned flange thereon for use in coupling of a flexible shroud to the shell along said boundary edge.   
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28  characterized by inclusion of at least feature (a). 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29  also characterized by inclusion of feature (b), and wherein a front end of said airflow channel fluidly communicates with the airflow space between the forehead depressions. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 28  characterized by inclusion of at least feature (b). 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 31  wherein said airflow channel is neighboured on opposing sides by a pair of troughs that are recessed into an exterior of the cranial portion and have respective trough floors, relative to which a ceiling of the airflow channel is of elevated relation. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 28  characterized by inclusion of at least feature (c). 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled)