Lens seal for headgear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848667-B2
Application number	US-93428209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2009
Priority date	Apr 4, 2008
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An article of headgear that has a head-covering article, a lens moveably attached to the head-covering article, and a seal attached to the lens, the seal comprising a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a greater tensile modulus than the second material. In an exemplary embodiment, the lens is moveable from a first, lowered position to a second, raised position, and when in the first, lowered position, the seal sealingly engages the head-covering article. In some embodiments, the tensile modulus of the first polymeric material is at least about 5× greater or even about 10× greater than the tensile modulus of the second material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of headgear comprising:
a head-covering article;
a lens moveably attached to the head-covering article by a frame; and
a seal attached to the lens, the seal comprising a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a greater tensile modulus than the second material;

wherein the lens is moveable from a first, lowered position to a second, raised position, and when in the first, lowered position, the seal engages the head covering article.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the tensile modulus of the first polymeric material is at least about 5× greater than the tensile modulus of the second material.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein each of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is a polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a sealing portion and an attachment portion, and the second material is present in the sealing portion.

5. The article of claim 4 , wherein the second material is present on a surface of the sealing portion.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a sealing portion and an attachment portion, and the second material is present in the attachment portion.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a groove therein, with an attachment portion of the seal inserted into the groove.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the attachment portion of the seal is mechanically anchored in the groove.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the seal is removably attached to the lens.

10. An article of headgear comprising:
a head-covering article;
a lens moveably attached to the head-covering article by a frame, the lens having a curve associated therewith;
a seal attached to the lens, the seal being curved and comprising a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a greater tensile modulus than the second material;

wherein the lens is moveable from a first, lowered position to a second, raised position, and when in the first, lowered position, the seal engages the head covering article.

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the curved seal comprises a sealing portion and an attachment portion, and the second material being present in the sealing portion.

12. The article of claim 11 , wherein the second material is present on a surface of the sealing portion that faces the head-covering article.

Assignees

• Brace Thomas J
• Kilmer Sean R
• Solyntjes Alan J
• Stavos Steven W
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Brace Thomas J
• Kilmer Sean R
• Solyntjes Alan J
• Stavos Steven W

Classifications

• Y10T29/4998

  Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material · CPC title

• A62B18/082

  Assembling eyepieces, lenses or vision-correction means in or on gas-masks · CPC title

• A42B3/225 Primary

  with full face protection, e.g. for industrial safety applications · CPC title