Air-conditioned head screen

Description of the invention

The subject of the invention is an air-conditioned helmet.

Various methods and devices for protection against inhalation of polluted air are known to date. Most of these methods rely on various types of filters to clean the air. Absorbers and combined filters are also used to clean the inhaled air. After removing the aerosol contaminants from it, the air is led to the breathing space of the user, isolated with a face mask. In many solutions, clean air is supplied to the mask interior from an independent source or purified outside air. There are also known solutions to protect against exhaled bioaerosol contaminants that can contaminate the outside air.

From the description of the patent applications US4807619A and US2004040561A1, face masks are known to protect the user against inhalation of polluted air. These masks are made of porous filter materials on which the inhaled outside air is cleaned. When the air is inhaled inside the mask, a negative pressure is created, which forces the external air to flow through the porous filter material of the mask and purify it from aerosols and bioaerosols.

Patent application US4488547A discloses a disposable surgical mask that changes color as its moisture content increases and bacteria filtering efficiency decreases.

In the patent description US7131442B1 a mask for filtering air pollutants is presented. The mask has a non-woven air-filtering layer and is placed over the face of the wearer using fastening straps. The air-filtering two-component non-woven layer is cup-shaped with a puffed surface.

The description of the patent application WO2011026515A1 describes a face mask made of a multi-layer filter material having a valve for exhaled air.

From the patent application CZ2001268A3 a filtering mask is known, which is equipped with an inhaled air filter and a valve with a filter for exhaled air.

A protective mask made of a non-porous material having a filter cartridge and an exhalation valve that opens when air is exhaled as the pressure inside the mask increases, is known from patent application US5062421A.

Some solutions, in addition to protecting against inhalation of aerosols and bioaerosols, also protect the eyes or the entire face of the user. Such masks are presented in the patent application EP0625344A2 and in the patent description PL186335B1. From the description of the utility model CN210019912U there is known a set consisting of a face mask detachably connected to an eye shield.

In the patent application AU2020100503A4 a face mask is disclosed which has at least one microorganism sensor mounted which, when detected in the inhaled air, turns on at least one microorganism destructive UV diode installed in the mask.

The description of the utility model application CN208193408U shows a respirator with two fans. One brings air under the face shield, and the other exhausts exhaled air.

The patent description US10687568B2 discloses solutions for surgical helmets consisting of a suitably shaped housing with a fan and a light source. The casing is equipped with a transparent face shield, and the front part is equipped with ventilation holes. The face shield is connected to the helmet shell by one or more Velcro fasteners.

A type of headband with the possibility of changing its fit and equipped with a face shield is described in the patent application CN105395314A.

From the patent description US10449397B2 a personal protection device in the form of a ventilated hood put on the head is known. The device is equipped with a source of ultraviolet radiation for disinfecting the supplied air. Similar devices for use in medical practice are disclosed in US10420386B1 and EP2517757B1. These devices consist of a helmet with a transparent face shield and the rest of the hood worn over the user's head. The devices are equipped with properly matched ventilation systems.

Patent description US8225421B1 discloses a face shield device which includes a frame support element consisting of an upper, a lower and a side part to which the shutter is attached.

PL 239 707 B1

The construction of a protective headgear with a transparent cover and a material layer insulating from the environment is found in US8453262B2.

Methods and devices for protection against inhalation of polluted air are known from the patents PL228222B1, PL235005B1. These methods consist of supplying purified air to the nose and mouth area of ​​the user. In turn, from the patents PL228223B1, PL228269B1, PL228270B1, methods and devices for protection against exhaled air pollutants are known. The devices consist of a vacuum generating unit that is connected to air inlet nozzles equipped with an adjustable slot or holes.

The problem of most of the known methods and devices for protection against air pollution, which has not been fully resolved, is ineffective protection and the discomfort experienced by the user.

The existing solutions protecting the respiratory system have several disadvantages. First of all, they are inconvenient and for most of them they do not provide effective protection against air pollutants. The latter applies in particular to filtering half-masks that are not tight, clog up over time, and do not guarantee adequate protection. In addition, the existing solutions do not allow you to regulate the temperature and humidity of the air breathed by the user. These parameters of the supplied air may, for example, cause fogging of the face, overheating of the face, dry eyes or watery eyes, or may cause other discomfort.

The object of the invention is to supply purified and thermally comfortable air to the breathing zone of the user in such a way that he does not feel discomfort and is as protected as possible against inhalation of contaminants present in the air outside the breathing zone. This is especially important in situations where it is necessary to protect the respiratory system against various types of air pollution, including viral, bacterial and fungal.

The essence of an air-conditioned helmet having a headband, an air band and a transparent face shield according to the invention is that it consists of an air band having a body that wraps the forehead of the wearer and is attached to the head piece and a transparent face shield attached to the body of the headband. There is a channel with an inlet in the body of the clamp. There are through holes in the wall of the channel. The inlet is connected with a cable through an air filter, air humidity controller, thermoelectric air conditioner with a blower fan.

It is recommended that the body of the band is attached to the side parts of the headband with hinges.

Preferably, through holes are provided in the lower wall of the channel body of the band.

Optionally, the air humidity controller is a dehumidifier or air humidifier.

Alternatively, the thermoelectric air conditioner is a thermoelectric air cooler or heater.

The advantageous effect of the application of the invention is that the air that is purified and thermally adapted to the user's requirements is fed directly to the area closest to his nose and mouth. The user is protected against contamination of the surrounding air and does not feel discomfort while breathing. The invention can be used in conditions where it is necessary to protect the respiratory tract against aerosol and bioaerosol contamination of the air. The solution according to the invention may be particularly advantageous in operating theaters and doctor's offices, where the personnel is exposed to the harmful effects of aerosol and bioaerosol pollutants emitted during the procedures performed.

The subject of the invention in an exemplary embodiment is shown in the drawing, in which individual figures show:

Fig. 1A - an air-conditioned helmet put on the user's head in perspective view from above and from the front,

Fig. 1B - air conditioning and cleaning module,

Fig. 2 - the air-conditioned helmet put on the user's head with the transparent face shield tilted in perspective view from above and from the front,

Fig. 3 - air-conditioned helmet in top view,

Fig. 4 - air-conditioned helmet, cross section along the AA line,

Fig. 5 - The air-conditioned helmet in a perspective view from below and from the user's forehead.

PL 239 707 B1

The air-conditioned helmet in the embodiment shown in the drawing consists of a blowing band having a body 1 encircling the forehead of the user and attached to the side parts to the headband 2 by means of hinges 8 and a transparent face shield 3 fixed to the body 1 of the headband by means of handles. The body 1 of the band is made of ABS resin - polyacrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene. The headband 2 is made of durable nylon, and the transparent face shield 3 is made of Portwest PRW-PW91CLR plexiglass. In the body 1 of the band, there is a channel 1a with a rectangular cross-section and dimensions of 7 x 12 mm. The channel 1a is connected to an inlet 1b located in the middle of the upper wall of the channel 1a. Along the channel 1a, in its lower wall, through holes 1c with a diameter of 4 mm are made, the edges of which are 4 mm apart. The inlet 1b is connected by a flexible polyurethane conduit with an air filter 4 coupled to an air humidity controller 5a, 5b, integrated with a thermoelectric air conditioner 6, which in turn is connected to a blow-in fan 7. The air filter 4 is a set of replaceable Hepa H14 filters made of glass fibers. The air humidity controllers 5a and 5b are respectively the Sichler NC-4809 dehumidifier and the ICOCO steam mini humidifier with USB, which can be manually switched on. As a thermoelectric air conditioner 6, a Peltier cell TES1-12704 14.6 V / 4.3 A with aluminum heat sinks is used, which cell, depending on the polarity of the connection to the power supply 9, acts as a thermoelectric cooler or air heater. The power supply 9 is the XL4015 power supply with USB. The blowing fan 7 is a 7530 DC 5V fan from Gdstime.

The operation of the air-conditioned helmet shown in the exemplary embodiment is based on the fact that the external air is supplied to a thermoelectric air-conditioner 6 by means of a blower fan 7, in which the air is cooled or heated depending on the user's requirements. Then the air is led to the air humidity controller 5a and 5b, where it is either dried or humidified. Next, the conditioned air is supplied to the air filter 4 and cleaned of impurities, and then the cleaned air is supplied through a conduit to the inlet 1b of the channel 1a in the body 1 of the clamp. From there, air is led through the openings 1c into the space around the nose and mouth of the user. Regulating the stream of supplied air and its thermal parameters - temperature and humidity is done manually with the multi-turn potentiometers of the power supply 9. The user is provided with an appropriate amount of purified and thermally comfortable air, which additionally prevents the surface of the transparent face shield from fogging up 3.

List of symbols:

- band body 1a - channel 1b - inlet 1c - hole

- on the head

- transparent face shield

- air filter a, 5b - air humidity controller

- thermoelectric air conditioner

- blower fan

- hinge

- charger