Menu
Advanced Air Filtration Protection with a Wearable Helmet Assembly
Introduction
In industries where air quality is compromised—whether in healthcare, industrial environments, or hazardous operational settings—proper respiratory protection is essential. Ensuring that workers, healthcare professionals, or military personnel have access to clean, filtered air is critical not only for their safety but also for their efficiency and overall performance. Our air filtration system, integrated with a helmet assembly, provides an effective, comfortable, and reliable solution for safeguarding individuals in these environments.
The Problem
Airborne contaminants are a significant hazard in many industries, from healthcare settings where infectious diseases pose a risk, to industrial environments filled with harmful particles, chemicals, or gases. Traditional face masks or air filtration devices often lack the comfort, secure fit, and long-term effectiveness needed for extended use, especially in harsh or demanding conditions. Additionally, many available solutions provide limited protection, leading to health risks or reduced productivity due to discomfort or suboptimal filtration.
The Solution
This patented air filtration system, paired with a helmet assembly, addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive solution that delivers superior air quality and comfort. Designed to protect wearers in hazardous environments, this system uses advanced filtration technology to purify incoming air, ensuring that only clean, breathable air reaches the user. The helmet assembly offers a secure and comfortable fit, allowing the wearer to focus on their task without distraction or discomfort.
The combination of a filtration system and helmet ensures optimal protection against airborne contaminants, while the design prioritizes ease of use and long-duration wearability. This system is adaptable across multiple industries, making it an ideal choice for organizations that need reliable, user-friendly respiratory protection.
Key Advantages
- Enhanced Air Quality: The advanced filtration system effectively removes harmful particles, chemicals, and pathogens, providing the wearer with clean, breathable air in a range of hazardous environments.
- Comfortable, Secure Fit: The helmet assembly is designed for extended use, offering a comfortable, secure fit that ensures the filtration system remains effective even during prolonged periods of wear.
- Versatility Across Industries: Whether in healthcare, construction, mining, or military applications, this system is versatile enough to meet the air filtration needs of a wide variety of industries.
- Improved Productivity: By providing clean air and a comfortable fit, the system reduces the fatigue and distraction caused by inadequate air filtration or poorly designed PPE, allowing workers and professionals to focus on their tasks.
Why License This Technology?
Licensing this air filtration system with helmet assembly offers organizations across multiple sectors an advanced, reliable, and comfortable solution to air quality challenges. Whether protecting healthcare professionals from infectious diseases, ensuring worker safety in industrial settings, or providing military personnel with clean air in combat zones, this technology delivers the protection and peace of mind needed to perform critical tasks effectively.
An air filtration system and a helmet for use in the air filtration system are disclosed and utilized to filter air between a head and body of a user and an external environment. The air filtration system and helmet include inner and outer shells that define an air flow channel for channeling air about the user. A fan module is mounted between the inner and outer shells and a scroll housing is mounted adjacent the fan module. The scroll housing includes an air inlet for drawing air into the air filtration system and helmet, and at least one air outlet to distribute air flow to the air flow channel. The helmet includes air exits at front and rear sections that are in fluid communication with the air flow channel and the air outlet or outlets. The air filtration system includes a gown operating as a filter for filtering the air.
What is claimed is:
1. A helmet assembly of an air filtration system for mounting to a head of a user to minimize strain on the head and neck of the user, said assembly comprising:
a structural shell having a front section and a rear section;
a rear support rigidly extending from said rear section of said structural shell,
an adjustment segment disposed on said rear support and having first and second sides;
a strap flexibly connected to and extending from said front section of said structural shell, said strap including a first end disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment, and a second end disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment; and
an adjustment device mounted to said adjustment segment and engaging said first and second ends of said strap to manipulate said first and second ends toward each other to tighten said strap and to pull said strap from said front section as said rear support remains fixed relative to said rear section and said strap, and to manipulate said first and second ends away from each other to loosen said strap and to push said strap toward said front section as said rear support remains fixed relative to said rear section and said strap.
2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first end is movably disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is fixedly disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first end is fixedly disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is movably disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first end is movably disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is movably disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustment segment disposed on said rear support is further defined as an adjustment segment that is mounted to said rear support.
6. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustment segment disposed on said rear support is further defined as an adjustment segment that is integrally included within said rear support.
7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap further includes a frontal portion disposed between said first and second ends and opposite said adjustment segment.
8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 further including at least one hinge extending from said frontal portion of said strap to flexibly connect said strap to said front section of said structural shell.
9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 further including a gap defined between said frontal portion of said strap and said front section of said structural shell.
10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said at least one hinge flexes to increase said gap as said strap is tightened by said adjustment device.
11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said at least one hinge relaxes to decrease said gap as said strap is loosened by said adjustment device.
12. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustment segment of said rear support defines an adjustment aperture that receives said first and second ends of said strap.
13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said adjustment device is further defined as an adjustment knob rotatably mounted from and extending into said adjustment aperture to engage said first and second ends of said strap.
14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said adjustment knob includes a pinion extending into said adjustment aperture.
15. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first end of said strap includes a first rack and said second end of said strap includes a second rack, said pinion of said adjustment knob extending into said adjustment aperture to engage said first and second racks upon rotation of said adjustment knob.
16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said adjustment knob further includes an inner surface facing said rear support, said inner surface including a plurality of teeth.
17. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a fan module and a scroll housing disposed adjacent said rear section of said structural shell.
18. An air filtration system for filtering air between a head and body of a user and an environment external to the user and for minimizing strain on the head and neck of the user, said air filtration system comprising:
a helmet assembly adapted to be mounted on the head of the user and including a structural shell having a front section and a rear section;
a gown including a body portion for covering at least a portion of the body of the user and a head portion for covering said helmet assembly, said head portion of said gown operating as a filter medium to filter air between the user and the external environment;
a face shield mounted to said head portion of said gown to cover a section of said helmet assembly thereby permitting the user to view through said head portion of said gown;
a rear support rigidly extending from said rear section of said structural shell,
an adjustment segment disposed on said rear support and having first and second sides;
a strap flexibly connected to and extending from said front section of said structural shell, said strap including a first end disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment, and a second end disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment; and
an adjustment device mounted to said adjustment segment and engaging said first and second ends of said strap to manipulate said first and second ends toward each other to tighten said strap and to pull said strap from said front section as said rear support remains fixed relative to said rear section and said strap, and to manipulate said first and second ends away from each other to loosen said strap and to push said strap toward said front section as said rear support remains fixed relative to said rear section and said strap.
19. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said first end is movably disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is fixedly disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
20. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said first end is fixedly disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is movably disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
21. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said first end is movably disposed within said first side of said adjustment segment and said second end is movably disposed within said second side of said adjustment segment.
22. A helmet assembly of an air filtration system for mounting to a head of a user to distribute air about the head of the user, said assembly comprising:
an inner structural shell;
an outer structural shell extending from said inner structural shell to define at least one air flow channel between said inner and outer shells for channeling air about the head of the user, wherein said inner and outer shells define a base section having a front section approximate a front of the head of the user and a rear section approximate a back of the head of the user;
first and second helmet air exits for distributing air from said air flow channel toward the head of the user, said first helmet air exit being disposed at said front section of said base section for distributing air from said air flow channel toward the front of the head of the user, and said second helmet air exit being disposed at said rear section of said base section for distributing air from said air flow channel toward the back of the head of the user; and
a fan module mounted to at least one of said inner and outer shells and including at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, said fan module drawing air in through said at least one air inlet and distributing the air out through said at least one air outlet into said air flow channel and to said first and second helmet air exits.
23. An air filtration system for filtering air between a head and body of a user and an environment external to the user, said air filtration system comprising:
a helmet assembly adapted to be mounted on the head of the user and including a base section and a facial section, said base section of said helmet assembly further including an inner structural shell and an outer structural shell extending from said inner structural shell to define at least one air flow channel between said inner and outer shells for channeling the air about the head of the user;
a gown including a body portion for covering the body of the user and a head portion for covering said base section of said helmet assembly, said head portion of said gown operating as a filter medium to filter air between the user and the external environment;
a skirt removably attached to said body portion of said gown exclusively at a front of said gown; and
a fan module mounted to at least one of said inner and outer shells and including at least one air inlet and at least two air outlets, said fan module drawing air in through said at least one air inlet and distributing the air out through said air outlets into said at least one air flow channel for distributing air about the head of the user.
24. A helmet assembly of an air filtration system for mounting to a head of a user to distribute air about the head of the user, said assembly comprising:
an inner structural shell;
an outer structural shell extending from said inner structural shell to define at least one air flow channel between said inner and outer shells for channeling air about the head of the user;
a fan module mounted to at least one of said inner and outer shells and including at least one air inlet and at least two air outlets, said fan module drawing air in through said at least one air inlet and distributing air out through said air outlets into said at least one air flow channel for distributing air about the head of the user; and
an integral power supply mounted to at least one of said inner and outer shells for powering said fan module.
25. An assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said integral power supply is a battery.
26. A hood that is adapted to cover a helmet assembly used in an air filtration system wherein said hood assists a single user of the air filtration system in self-gowning as the user maintains sterility, said hood comprising:
a filter medium for filtering air between the user and an environment external to the user; and
a face shield mounted to said filter medium of said hood to permit the user to view through said hood, said face shield including a mounting mechanism that is adapted to automatically center said face shield relative to the helmet assembly and to support said face shield and said filter medium on the helmet assembly as the user self-gowns such that the user maintains sterility.
27. A hood as set forth in claim 26 wherein said mounting mechanism of said face shield is adapted to interlock with the helmet assembly to automatically center said face shield relative to the helmet assembly and to support said face shield and said filter medium on the helmet assembly.
28. A hood as set forth in claim 26 wherein said mounting mechanism is centered on said face shield.
29. A hood as set forth in claim 28 wherein said mounting mechanism of said face shield is adapted to interlock with the helmet assembly to automatically center said face shield relative to the helmet assembly and to support said face shield and said filter medium on the helmet assembly.
30. A hood as set forth in claim 26 wherein said mounting mechanism of said face shield is further defined as an aperture.
31. A hood as set forth in claim 30 wherein said aperture of said face shield is adapted to interlock with the helmet assembly to automatically center said face shield relative to the helmet assembly and to support said face shield and said filter medium on the helmet assembly.
32. A hood as set forth in claim 30 wherein said aperture is centered on said face shield.
33. A hood as set forth in claim 32 wherein said aperture of said face shield is adapted to interlock with the helmet assembly to automatically center said face shield relative to the helmet assembly and to support said face shield and said filter medium on the helmet assembly.
34. A hood as set forth in claim 26 wherein said face shield is sewn into said filter medium to maintain a complete barrier between the user and the environment external to the user.
35. A hood as set forth in claim 26 wherein said face shield of said hood is defined by a single curvilinear surface.
Share
Title
Air filtration system including a helmet assembly
Inventor(s)
Luis A. Diaz, Bruce D. Henniges, Mark A. Wasserman, Karen L. Smit
Assignee(s)
Stryker Corp, Stryker Instruments
Patent #
6622311
Patent Date
September 23, 2003