Face shield system

Abstract

A frame extending from a first end to a second with a curved portion therebetween has a first dual hooking member at the first end and a second dual hooking member at the second end. Each dual hooking member has a strap hook, facing away from their respective ends, and an external hook, facing toward their respective ends. The strap hooks engage selected holes in a resilient elastomeric strap to bias the first end to the second end across a gap therebetween to frictionally hold the frame to a user's forehead. While the frame is frictionally held to the user's forehead, the external hooks extend externally from the strap to engage opposed strings of a face mask on the users face, and, a visor can be releasably secured to the frame in a visor functional position with a see-through area in front of the user's eyes.

1 . A face shield system, said face shield system comprising:
 a frame extending from a first end to a second end and having a curved portion therebetween with the first end separated from the second end by a gap therebetween, said frame having an exterior surface which faces away from the gap;   a visor having a see-through area and secured to the exterior surface of the frame;   a resilient elastomeric strap extending along a longitudinal axis and having at least two holes arranged along the longitudinal axis thereof;   a first dual hooking member associated with the first end of the frame, said first dual hooking member having a first strap hook and a first external hook;   a second dual hooking member associated with the second end of the frame, said second dual hooking member having a second strap hook and a second external hook;   wherein, when the first strap hook engages a first selected hole of the at least two holes on the elastomeric strap, and, the second strap hook engages a second selected hole of the at least two holes of the elastomeric strap, the elastomeric strap extends across the gap and resiliently biases the first end towards the second end to hold the frame to a user's forehead, and, the first external hook of the first dual hooking member and the second external hook of the second dual hooking member extend externally of the resilient elastomeric strap for engaging fastening elements of a face mask.   
     
     
         2 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 1 , the first strap hook is formed on a first forward facing side of the first dual hooking member facing away from the first end of the frame and the first external hook is formed on a first rearward facing side of the first dual hooking member opposed to the first forward facing side; and
 wherein the second strap hook is formed on a second forward facing side of the second dual hooking member facing away from the second end of the frame and the second external hook is formed on a second rearward facing side of the second dual hooking member opposed to the second forward facing side.   
     
     
         3 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first dual hooking member is formed on the exterior surface of the frame with a first perpendicular support extending perpendicularly from the exterior surface for supporting a first lateral member, said first lateral member having a first strap portion extending from the first perpendicular support over the exterior surface away from the first end to define a first strap cavity of the first strap hook, and, said first lateral member having a first external portion opposed from the first strap portion extending from the first perpendicular support over the exterior surface to define a first external cavity of the first external hook; and
 wherein the second dual hooking member is formed on the exterior surface of the frame with a second perpendicular support extending perpendicularly from the exterior surface for supporting a second lateral member, said second lateral member having a second strap portion extending from the second perpendicular support over the exterior surface away from the second end to define a second strap cavity of the second strap hook, and, the second lateral member having a second external portion opposed from the second strap portion extending over the exterior surface from the second perpendicular support to define a second external cavity of the second external hook. 
 
     
     
         4 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 3  wherein at least one of the first dual hooking member and the second dual hooking member further comprises a strap retaining member extending from at least one of the first lateral member and the second lateral member toward the exterior surface to form a strap gap between the strap retaining member and the exterior surface to frictionally retain the elastomeric strap within the corresponding one of the first strap hook and the second strap hook. 
     
     
         5 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first dual hooking member has the first strap hook facing a first forward tangential direction tangential to the exterior surface of the frame and away from the first end and, the first dual hooking member has the first external hook facing a first rearward tangential direction opposite to the first forward tangential direction; and
 wherein the second dual hooking member has the second strap hook facing a second forward tangential direction tangential to the exterior surface and away from the second end, and, the second dual hooking member has the second external hook facing a second rearward tangential direction opposite to the second forward tangential direction.   
     
     
         6 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 5  further comprising a releasable visor securing mechanism associated with the exterior surface of the frame for releasably securing the visor to the frame. 
     
     
         7 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 6  wherein the releasable visor securing mechanism comprises a number of protrusions extending from the exterior surface of the frame to mate with corresponding receiving holes in the visor; wherein each of the number of protrusions comprise a corresponding tab extending from the corresponding protrusion over the exterior surface which tab is received by the corresponding receiving hole in the visor to releasably secure the visor to the frame. 
     
     
         8 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 7  wherein at least one of the number of protrusions is located at an apex of the curved portion of the frame, at least one protrusion of the number of protrusions is located between the apex and the first end of the frame, and, at least one protrusion of the number of protrusions is located between the apex and the second end of the frame. 
     
     
         9 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 8  wherein the at least one of the number of protrusions located at the apex of the curved portion of the frame has the corresponding tab oriented in an upwards direction; and
 wherein the at least one protrusion of the number of protrusions located between the apex and the first end of the frame has the corresponding tab oriented in the first rearward tangential direction, and, the at least one protrusion of the number of protrusions located between the apex and the second end of the frame has the corresponding tab oriented in the second rearward tangential direction. 
 
     
     
         10 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 7  wherein, during use, when the first strap hook engages the first selected hole of the at least two holes on the elastomeric strap, and, the second strap hook engages the second selected hole of the at least two holes of the elastomeric strap, the elastomeric strap resiliently biases the first end towards the second end to hold the frame on the user's forehead at a visor functional position with the see-through area of the visor in front of the user's face, and, wherein in the releasable visor securing mechanism releasably secures the visor from the exterior surface of the frame while the elastomeric strap resiliently biases the first end to the second end to hold the frame to the user's forehead. 
     
     
         11 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 6  wherein the at least two holes arranged along the longitudinal axis of the elastomeric strap comprise at least 15 holes arranged along the longitudinal axis, and, the first selected hole and the second selected hole are selected by the user to resiliently bias the first end towards the second end to hold the frame on the user's forehead at a visor functional position with the see-through area of the visor in front of the user's face. 
     
     
         12 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 11  further comprising a comfort foam fixed to a portion of an interior surface of the frame coincident with an apex of the curved portion of the frame for resting against the user's forehead when the frame is at the visor functional position on the user; and wherein the interior surface of the frame, an interior surface of the comfort foam, and an interior surface of the elastomeric strap define an interior perimeter that frictionally contacts a user's head when the frame is at the visor functional position on the user. 
     
     
         13 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 12  wherein the apex of the curved portion of the frame is located mid-point on the frame from the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         14 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 13  wherein, when the frame is at the visor functional position on the user, the gap extends across a back portion of the user's head to permit the first end and the second end of the frame to be located near and behind corresponding left and right ears of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 13  wherein the fastening elements of the face mask comprise strings extending from opposite sides of the face mask and the first external hook and the second external hook can engage the strings. 
     
     
         16 . A face shield system for use with personal protective equipment, said system comprising:
 a frame extending from a first end to a second end and having a curved portion therebetween with the first end separated from the second end by a gap, said frame having an exterior surface which faces away from the gap;   a releasable visor securing mechanism associated with the exterior surface of the frame for releasably securing individual replacement visors to the exterior surface of the frame, each of said replacement visors having a see-through area;   a first dual hooking member associated with the first end of the frame, said first dual hooking member having a first strap hook and a first external hook;   a second dual hooking member associated with the second end of the frame, said second dual hooking member having a second strap hook and a second external hook;   wherein, when the first strap hook engages a first selected hole of at least two holes on a elastomeric strap, and, the second strap hook engages a second selected hole of at least two holes of the elastomeric strap, the elastomeric strap extends across the gap and resiliently biases the first end towards the second end to hold the frame to a user's forehead, and, the first external hook of the first dual hooking member and the second external hook of the second dual hooking member extend externally of the resilient elastomeric strap for engaging fastening elements of personal protective equipment independent of the visor.   
     
     
         17 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 16  wherein the releasable visor securing mechanism comprises a number of protrusions extending from the exterior surface of the frame to mate with corresponding receiving holes; wherein each of the number of protrusions comprise a corresponding tab extending from the corresponding protrusion parallel to the exterior surface of the frame which tab is received by corresponding receiving holes in each of said replacement visors to releasably secure a selected one of the replacement visors to the exterior surface of the frame. 
     
     
         18 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 16  wherein the first dual hooking member has the first strap hook facing a first forward tangential direction tangential to the exterior surface of the frame and away from the first end and, the first dual hooking member has the first external hook facing a first rearward tangential direction opposite to the first forward tangential direction; and
 wherein the second dual hooking member has the second strap hook facing a second forward tangential direction tangential to the exterior surface and away from the second end, and, the second dual hooking member has the second external hook facing a second rearward tangential direction opposite to the second forward tangential direction. 
 
     
     
         19 . The face shield system as defined in  claim 18  wherein an apex of the curved portion of the frame is located mid-point on the frame from the first end and the second end, and, the gap is opposite the apex of the curved portion of the frame with the strap extending across a back portion of the user's head when the elastomeric strap extends across the gap and resiliently biases the first end towards the second end to hold the frame to a user's forehead, and, with the first end and the second end of the frame located near and behind corresponding left and right ears of the user; and
 wherein the fastening elements of personal protective equipment comprise strings extending from opposite sides of a face mask, and the first external hook and the second external hook can engage the strings. 
 
     
     
         20 . A frame for use with personal protective equipment, said frame comprising:
 a first end extending to a second end and having a curved portion therebetween with the first end separated from the second end by a gap;   a releasable visor securing mechanism associated with an exterior surface of the frame for releasably securing visors to the exterior surface of the frame;   a first dual hooking member having a first forward facing side facing away from the first end and a first rearward facing side facing the first end, said first dual hooking member having a first strap hook on the first forward facing side and a first external hook on the first rearward facing side;   a second dual hooking member having a second forward facing side facing away from the second end and a second rearward facing side facing the second end, said second dual hooking member having a second strap hook on the second forward facing side and a second external hook on the second rearward facing side;   wherein, when the first strap hook engages a first selected hole of at least two holes on a elastomeric strap, and, the second strap hook engages a second selected hole of at least two holes of the elastomeric strap, the elastomeric strap extends across the gap and resiliently biases the first end towards the second end to hold the frame to a user's forehead, and, the first external hook of the first dual hooking member and the second external hook of the second dual hooking member extend externally of the resilient elastomeric strap for engaging fastening elements of a face mask.