Rigid air ducting for respirator hoods and helmets.

Abstract

A respirator hood 1 that has an air chamber 6 arranged above the head of a user for delivery of breathable air. The air chamber 6 has an air inlet 13 connected to an air supply hose 5 and an air outlet 17 The outlet 17 is arranged to direct air away from the eyes of the user. The air chamber 6 forms an air duct 12 that substantially covers the top of the hood 1 above the user's head. The duct 12 is collapse-resistant so that the duct shape is maintained in use and air flow through the duct 12 is substantially unrestricted. As a result, a substantially uniform air flow can be achieved in use, which air flow pattern is repeatable from day to day and from hood to hood.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention pertains to respirator masks and hard hats which are worn on the head of a user to supply breathable air to the interior of the mask / hard hat. Background technique [0002] Respirator masks and hard hats are well known and have many applications. For example, face masks may be used to allow a user to breathe safely in polluted air (such as smoke-laden air), in fire or dust-laden air, in mine or toxic air, or in a laboratory. [0003] Respirator masks and hard hats can also be worn where it is necessary to prevent the user from contaminating the surrounding air, such as when the user is working in a clean room to produce silicon wafers. [0004] The respirator hard hat has a hard outer shell that provides head protection from impact when the user is working in a hazardous environment at risk of being struck by falling debris, for example in a mine or on a construction site. [0005] Respirator masks can be used where head protect...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This problem is exacerbated when the user wears glasses that further direct the airflow into close contact with the eyes

The time the user is able to work before the user has to remove the mask is reduced, resulting in increased work interruptions when the user moves to a safe environment, resulting in lost time

[0016] Another problem associated with known respirator masks is that they can provide areas where contaminants can collect that can be difficult or inconvenient to clean effectively

For example, air channels are often corrugated hoses that are permanently affixed to the mask and cannot be easily cleaned in place

Where cleaning is done at the end of each workday, this is a prominent issue for mask use in toxic environments

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