Protective face shield

Abstract

A face shield to protect an individual from being spayed in the face and against inhaling germs and other foreign bodies is also disposable after use. The face shield is adapted to be mounted on the head of a user and provides sufficient space for the user to don eyeglasses and a mask. The face shield may be made of a disposable sheet of relatively thin paperboard and includes a window for viewing by the user. The face shield can be inexpensively and quickly manufactured in significant quantities. This enables the face shield to be removed and discarded after a single use and replaced by an identical face shield.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A face shield to be worn on a head of a user, the face shield comprising;
 a shield portion adapted to cover at least a portion of a face of the user when wearing the face shield;   a window aperture in the shield portion;   a windowpane mounted to the shield portion and covering the window aperture allowing the user to see through the window aperture when wearing the face shield;   a headband extending from the shield portion and adapted to surround the head of the user wearing the face shield; and   an offset member positioned between the shield portion and a forehead of the user to provide a spacing between the shield portion and the face of the user allowing at least one other article to be worn on the face in the spacing.   
     
     
         2 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the shield portion further comprises:
 a pair of side panels spaced on opposite sides of the window aperture; 
 a bottom panel positioned below the window aperture; and 
 a top panel positioned above the window aperture, the offset member being coupled to the top panel. 
 
     
     
         3 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the shield portion, the headband and the offset member are made of paperboard. 
     
     
         4 . The face shield of  claim 3  wherein the shield portion, the headband and the offset member are integral. 
     
     
         5 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the headband further comprises:
 a pair of headband arms each of which extends from an opposite side of the shield portion, each headband arm having a distal end, the distal ends of the pair of headband arms are overlapped around the head of the user to secure the face shield on the user. 
 
     
     
         6 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the offset member is integral with the shield portion. 
     
     
         7 . The face shield of  claim 2  wherein the offset member is integral with the top panel. 
     
     
         8 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the offset member further comprises:
 a plurality of serially connected panels folded relative to each other to form the offset member. 
 
     
     
         9 . The face shield of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a pair of gusset panels each foldably connected to the shield portion and the offset member on opposite ends of the offset member. 
 
     
     
         10 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the shield portion and the headband are distinct members mated together to form the face shield. 
     
     
         11 . The face shield of  claim 2  wherein the window aperture extends into each of the side panels to allow for peripheral viewing through the window aperture by the user. 
     
     
         12 . A face shield to be worn on a head of a user, the face shield comprising;
 a window aperture;   a pair of side panels spaced on opposite sides of the window aperture;   a bottom panel positioned below the window aperture;   a top panel positioned above the window aperture;   a windowpane mounted to the face shield and covering the window aperture allowing the user to see through the window aperture when wearing the face shield;   a headband extending from the shield portion and adapted to surround the head of the user wearing the face shield; and   an offset member positioned between the shield portion and a forehead of the user to provide a spacing between the shield portion and the face of the user allowing at least one other article to be worn on the face in the spacing;   wherein the entire face shield, except the windowpane, is made of and integral piece of paperboard.   
     
     
         13 . The face shield of  claim 1  wherein the headband further comprises:
 a pair of headband arms each of which extends from one of the side panels, each headband arm having a distal end, the distal ends of the pair of headband arms are overlapped with each other around the head of the user to secure the face shield on the user. 
 
     
     
         14 . The face shield of  claim 12  wherein the offset member further comprises:
 a plurality of serially connected panels folded relative to each other to form the offset member. 
 
     
     
         15 . The face shield of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a pair of gusset panels each foldably connected to the shield portion and the offset member on opposite ends of the offset member. 
 
     
     
         16 . The face shield of  claim 12  wherein the window aperture extends into each of the side panels to allow for peripheral viewing through the window aperture by the user. 
     
     
         17 . A blank for making a face shield to be worn on a head of a user, the blank comprising:
 a shield portion adapted to cover at least a portion of a face of the user when the blank is formed into the face shield and worn by the user;   a window aperture in the shield portion;   a windowpane mounted to the shield portion and covering the window aperture allowing the user to see through the window aperture when wearing the face shield;   a headband extending from the shield portion and adapted to surround the head of the user wearing the face shield; and   an offset member adapted to be positioned between the shield portion and a forehead of the user to provide a spacing between the shield portion and the face of the user allowing at least one other article to be worn on the face in the spacing.   
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 17  wherein the shield portion further comprises:
 a pair of side panels spaced on opposite sides of the window aperture; 
 a bottom panel positioned below the window aperture; and 
 a top panel positioned above the window aperture, the offset member being coupled to the top panel. 
 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 17  wherein the shield portion, the headband and the offset member are integral and made of paperboard. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 17  wherein the offset member further comprises:
 a plurality of serially connected panels foldable relative to each other to form the offset member; and 
 a pair of gusset panels each foldably connected to the shield portion and the offset member on opposite ends of the offset member.