Face mask with detachable eye shield

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/285,453 filed Apr. 23, 2001.

[0002] This invention relates to goggles and protective masks, and more particularly to face shielding devices used in the practice of some sporting activities such as skiing, motor cycling and paint-ball war games.

[0003] Masks and face shields of the prior art used in connection with certain sporting activities such as skiing, motorcycling and paint-ball war games often suffer from a reduced field of vision and poor visibility due to fogging and soiling of the eye shield. During activities such as motor cross and paint-ball war games, the lens acting as an eye shield is subject to scratching and soiling by mud or paint splashes which cannot be effectively wiped out, and may require replacement of the eye shield. Players may also wish to interchange shields depending on playing conditions. For example, a tinted or polarizing shield may be preferred in bright sunlight.

[0004] Because of the rigorous nature of play, the shield attachment mechanism must be rugged and non-bulky.

[0005] The principal and secondary objects of this invention are to provide a face shield including a wide angle lens which is protected against fogging by the breath of the user, imposes no restriction upon the field of vision, and can be quickly replaced by a simple one-hand manipulation in the course of a competition or game.

[0006] It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple to operate, rugged, sleek and inexpensive to manufacture mechanism to releasably attach eye shields to masks.

[0007] These and other valuable objects are achieved by providing a face mask made of a soft pliable plastic material having a broad central opening extending from the brow to the chin and from one temple to another that is covered by a single arcuate lens devoid of any frame which could restrict the field of vision. A conical breath deflector extends over the nose and downward, toward the chin of the wearer in intimate contact with the cheeks in order to deflect the breath away from the lens and toward a series of slits in the neck area of the mask. The lens is attached to the temple areas of the mask by a simple mechanism that allows for single-handed removal. Improvements provide a latch mechanism which mounts on the inside surface of the mask and a self-biasing, snap-in-place function.

[0015] Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1, a face mask 1 which comprises a hollow frame 2 shaped and dimensioned to protect the forehead, ears, chin and, partially, the neck of a user. A median arcuate aperture 3 is covered by a unitary plastic transparent lens 4. The aperture extends from the brow to the chin of the user and from one temple to the other. A breath deflector 5 having a generally semi-conical shape extends from the area of the nose bridge of the user down to the lower edge of the aperture at the level of the chin. The breath deflector upper edge 6 is contoured to intimately contact the nose and cheeks of the user so that his or her breath is deflected toward a series of slits 7 in the lower part of the frame 2.

[0016] Due to the broad dimension of the aperture 3 and the slanted orientation of the breath deflector, the field of vision is practically unobstructed. The upper part of the frame 2 extends forward to form an eye shade 8.

[0017] As more specifically illustrated in dotted line in FIG. 2, the lens is removably attached to the inner temple area 9 of the frame by means of a easily and quickly manipulable locking mechanism 10. Alternately, the attachment of the lens 4 can also be implemented on the outer side of the temple areas. Inner implementation provides greater protection from inadvertent disengaging of the lens from outside causes.

[0018] In a first embodiment of the lens attachment mechanism 10 illustrated in FIGS. 3–5, the rear edge of the lens 4 is provided with a keyed hole 11 which is shaped and dimensioned to be engaged by a rotatable nib 12 mounted on a flap 13 hingedly secured to the temple area of the mask. The nib 12 is associated with an oval button or lever 14 which can be easily rotated with the thumb from a vertical unlocked position shown in FIG. 4 to a locked position illustrated in FIG. 3. An arcuate ridge 15 extending around the tip of the lever 14 from the surface of the mask, prevents the lever from rotating away from its locked position. The ridge can be conveniently depressed with the nail of the thumb or with the tip of another finger to free the lever due to the soft flexible material used in the fabrication of the mask.

[0019] In the second embodiment of the lock mechanism 10 illustrated in FIGS. 6–8, the rear edge of the lens 4 is provided with a slot 16 which is shaped and dimensioned to be engaged by a cam 17 extending radially from a shaft 18 rotatively secured in a vertical position against the temple area of the mask. A small handle 19 projecting angularly from the shaft 18 is used to rotate the cam 17 into the slot 16. A nib 20 on the mask surface having a concave under surface and is used to immobilize the lever in the locked position. The lever can be freed from its locked position by a downward movement away from the nib 20.

[0020] In a third embodiment of the locking mechanism 10 illustrated in FIGS. 9–11, the rear edge of the lens 4 is provided with a small hole 21 dimensioned to engage a nib 22 protruding from the temple area of the mask. A locking cover 23 hinged to the mask surface immediately behind the nib 22 can be flipped over the edge of the lens engaged by the nib 22, then slid back until a ledge 24 in the distal end of the cover engages into a slot 25 in the forward side of the nib. The hinged part of the cover comprises a pin 26 slidingly engaged into a pair of slots 27 practiced into protrusions in the surface of the mask.

[0021] In a fourth embodiment of the locking mechanism 10 illustrated in FIGS. 12–13, the rear edge of the lens 4 is provided with a hole 30 shaped and dimensioned to engage a nib 31 protruding laterally from the hook end of an articulated latch 29. The latch body has a lever section 32 hingedly attached to the inner surface 33 of the mask frame at a hinge post 34 engaging an inwardly projecting tang 35. The lever section has a handle 36 and a crook 37 hingedly engaging the loop end 38 of a strap section 39 of the latch. A laterally extending depression 40 in the inner surface of the frame provides for a non-obtrusive locked position for the latch handle 36.

[0022] In a fifth embodiment of the locking mechanism 10 illustrated in FIGS. 14–16, the rear edge of the lens 4 is provided with a hole 50 shaped and dimensioned to engage a nib 51 protruding inwardly or medially from the hook end of a spring-loaded auto-locking latch 49. The latch is formed from a generally oblong body 52 hingedly mounted as a lever to the inner surface 33 of the mask frame at a hinge post 54 penetrating a vertical post hole in the body between a straddling pair of tangs 55 inwardly projecting from the mask frame inner surface. The body has a handle end 56 opposite the nib end. A cantilevered spring prong 57 extends laterally from a lateral surface 58 of the body to contact the frame inner surface and thereby bias the nib end inwardly or medially toward a locked position. The nib has a sloped surface 59 to facilitate snapping the lens into place and automatically lock it.

[0023] By mounting the locking mechanism on the inside of the mask, it is protected from inadvertent unlocking through contact from outer contacts.

[0024] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, modifications can be made and other embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.