US 11,812,816 B2
Protective headwear with airflow
William P. Gardner, Appleton, WI (US); Nishank R. Patel, Appleton, WI (US); Eric T. Sommers, Appleton, WI (US); and John C. Mehnert, Madison, WI (US)
Assigned to ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on May 11, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/592,491.
Prior Publication US 2018/0325205 A1, Nov. 15, 2018
Int. Cl. A42B 3/28 (2006.01); A61F 9/06 (2006.01); F41H 1/04 (2006.01); A42B 3/32 (2006.01); A42B 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC A42B 3/286 (2013.01) [A42B 3/085 (2013.01); A42B 3/283 (2013.01); A42B 3/324 (2013.01); A61F 9/067 (2013.01); A61F 9/068 (2013.01); F41H 1/04 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A protective headwear comprising:
a headgear configured to engage a wearer's head and at least partially support the protective headwear on the wearer's head, wherein the headgear includes a front, a rear opposite the front, a right side, and a left side opposite the right side;
an outer shell coupled to the headgear at a coupling location about which the outer shell is rotatable, wherein the outer shell includes a shield positioned to the front of the headgear;
a pair of ducts coupled to and at least partially positioned in an interior of the outer shell; and
a manifold positioned to the rear of the headgear and configured to divert and receive airflow into each duct of the pair of ducts, wherein each duct of the pair of ducts includes a plurality of exhaust ports configured to exhaust airflow onto locations of a wearer's face, at least one of the exhaust ports on each duct of the pair of ducts being fixed with respect to each duct of the pair of ducts and positioned to exhaust air from at least a top-facing surface of each duct of the pair of ducts in at least an upward direction;
wherein each duct of the pair of ducts comprises a shell portion coupled to an interior surface of the outer shell and a flexible portion coupled to and between the shell portion and the manifold to provide one of first and second portions of airflow from the manifold to the shell portion of the duct,
wherein the flexible portion of each duct of the pair of ducts extends from the manifold towards the outer shell and connects to the outer shell at a portion of the protective headwear below the coupling location, and
wherein the at least one fixed exhaust port on each duct of the pair of ducts is located below the coupling location at which the outer shell is rotatably coupled to the headgear.