DISPOSABLE FACE SHIELD AND BLANKS FOR FORMING SAME

FIELD

The following disclosure relates to protective gear, and in particular, to a disposable face shield and blanks for forming the same.

BACKGROUND

Personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect wearers from contaminants are known in the art. In the healthcare environment, face masks, shields, or guards are often worn by medical personal such as surgeons, doctors, nurses, etc. in operating rooms or other sensitive environments, where it is desired to protect the wearers from exposure to contaminants. Face masks, shields or guards are also typically worn by medical personal when examining subjects carrying or suspected of carrying contagions or suffering from highly contagious diseases.

For example, one common PPE is in the form of a face mask that comprises an air-permeable filter intended to cover the wearer's mouth and extend across the wearer's nose beneath the wearer's eyes. Bands, or straps that are intended to be tied behind the wearer's head or loops that are intended to encircle the wearer's ears are provided at each side of the filter to hold the filter in position on the wearer. Masks of this nature are sometimes used in conjunction with separate eyewear such as glasses or googles, although in this case, condensation and fogging of the eyewear can occur as a result of exhaled air traveling upwardly within the filter and into the eyewear above.

A mask of this nature with eye protection has been considered. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/095015 discloses an eye shield that comprises a window portion configured to be placed over an eye of a wearer, a lip edge disposed at a perimeter of the window portion and laterally extended outward from the perimeter of the window portion, and an adhesive portion coupled to the lip edge. The adhesive portion of the eye shield comprises a contoured shape which adheres to the malar, nasal, lateral periorbital, and forehead skin of the wearer.

Face shields that cover more of the wearer's face have also been considered. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/143378 discloses a medical face shield having a flexible front plate or shield, a foam forehead pad, and a flexible, stretchable headband. The front shield has a viewing window, which is positioned to be directly in front of a person's eyes wearing the face shield. The viewing window is surrounded by a translucent, peripheral margin, frame, or window surrounding portion, which provides an anti-glare characteristic or capability to the margin.

Disposable face shields have also been considered. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/237931 discloses a disposable face shield with a shield having a plurality of cuts therein. A foam member is connected to the shield to provide added comfort. The foam member may contain a plurality of openings extending through the member. The openings allow for increased air movement around the shield. The cuts in the shield may be above the foam member to create tabs which may be bent to at least partially cover the openings that extend through the foam member, Additionally, a pair of parallel cuts may be made on either side of the shield, the cuts adjustably engaging an elastic strap. This configuration allows the elastic strap to be comfortably adjusted to conform to a number of different sized heads.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/047614 also discloses a disposable face shield having an attachment mechanism for securing a band to attach the shield to a user's face. The disposable face shield includes a flexible transparent member having at least one slit therethrough. The slit edges have points that grab the elastic holding strap at a selected location to make a selected adjustment of the face shield to the user's head. A flexible forehead support member is provided on the upper portion of the transparent member to nestle against a user's forehead.

While these face shields are satisfactory in many situations, in healthcare emergency situations such as pandemics and epidemics, disposable face shields, which can be manufactured easily, and inexpensively, and that can be shipped or transported readily and in large quantities are desired.

It is therefore an object to provide a novel disposable face shield and novel blanks for forming the same.

SUMMARY OF THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be appreciated that this summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a disposable face shield comprising: a face covering portion, and a head band portion, the face covering portion and head band portion being formed of lightweight material.

In one or more embodiments, the face covering portion comprises substantially transparent material such as plastic material.

In one or more embodiments, the face covering portion and the head band portion are releasably connected to one another. The face covering portion and the head band portion may, for example, carry mating formations. In one form, the mating formations are in the form of spaced tabs carried by the face covering portion and spaced cuts provided in the head band portion through which the tabs pass. The tabs are shaped and dimensioned to resist removal from the cuts once the tabs have passed through the cuts. In one form, spaced fold lines or creases may be provided in the head band portion between the cuts.

In one or more embodiments, the face covering portion comprises a front panel, a pair of side panels extending rearwardly from side edges of the front panel, a top panel extending rearwardly from a top edge of the front panel and a viewing window provided at least in the front panel. In one form, the front, side and top panels are integrally formed and are joined at fold lines or creases. In one form, each side panel comprises a rearwardly extending wing adjacent an upper part of the face covering portion that terminates in the tab. In one form, the viewing window extends across the front panel and partially into each side panel.

In one or more embodiments, the head band portion comprises a strip of material having mating formations adjacent its opposite ends. In one form, the mating formations comprise a tab at one end of the strip of material, and at least one cut adjacent the other end of the strip of material through which the tab passes to allow the strip of material to be formed into a ring or loop. Alternatively, the strip of material may have a plurality of spaced cuts adjacent the other end thereof allowing the tab to pass through a selected one of the cuts. The tab is shaped to resist removal from the cut once the tab has passed through the cut. In another form, the mating formations comprise a plurality of spaced slits formed in the strip of material adjacent each end thereof that intermesh to allow the strip of material to be formed into a ring or loop. The slits at one end of the strip of material extend from the bottom edge and partially into the strip of material and the slits at the other end extend from the top edge and partially into the strip of material.

In one or more embodiments, the face covering portion and the head band portion are formed entirely of substantially transparent material. In one form, the face covering portion and the head band portion may be formed of the same type of material or different material.

In one or more embodiments, the disposable face shield may be of one-piece construction. In one form, the face covering portion comprises a front panel and the head band portion comprises a pair of interconnectable straps extending from opposite sides of the front panel. The straps carry mating formations that engage to allow the straps and front panel to form a ring.

According to another aspect, there is provided blanks for a disposable face shield, the blanks comprising a face covering blank and a head band blank, each of said blanks being formed of paperboard material, said face covering blank comprising a major panel, a top panel, and a pair of side panels, the panels being delineated by fold lines, each of the side panels having a wing portion adjacent the top panel that terminates in a tab, and said head band blank comprising a strip of material having mating formations adjacent its opposite ends and a pair of spaced cuts therein intermediate its length configured to receive the tabs of the wing portions.

In one or more embodiments, a plurality of spaced fold lines or creases are provided in the head band blank between the cuts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable face shield;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a front elevational view of a blank for a face covering portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of a blank for a head band portion of the disposable face shield of FIG. 21;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another disposable face shield;

FIG. 26 is another perspective view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 25; and

FIG. 27 is a rear elevational view of the disposable face shield of FIG. 26.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain examples will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. As used herein, an element or feature introduced in the singular and preceded by the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not necessarily excluding the plural of the elements or features. Further, references to “one example” or “one embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional examples or embodiments that also incorporate the described elements or features. Reference herein to “example” means that one or more feature, structure, element, component, characteristic and/or operational step described in connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment and/or implementation of the subject matter according to the subject disclosure. Thus, the phrases “an example,” “another example,” and similar language throughout the subject disclosure may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same example. Further, the subject matter characterizing any one example may, but does not necessarily, include the subject matter characterizing any other example.

Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, examples or embodiments “comprising” or “having” or “including” an element or feature or a plurality of elements or features having a particular property may include additional elements or features not having that property. Also, it will be appreciated that the terms “comprises”, “has”, “includes” means “including but not limited to” and the terms “comprising”, “having” and “including” have equivalent meanings.

As used herein, the term “and/or” can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements or features.

It will be understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “affixed” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc. another element or feature, that element or feature can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or feature or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element or feature is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly affixed” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element of feature, there are no intervening elements or features present.

It will be understood that spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “above”, “upper”, “front”, “back” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of an element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms can however, encompass different orientations in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Reference herein to “configured” denotes an actual state of configuration that fundamentally ties the element or feature to the physical characteristics of the element or feature preceding the phrase “configured to.”

Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of a lower-numbered item (e.g., a “first” item) and/or a higher-numbered item (e.g., a “third” item).

As used herein, the terms “approximately” and “about” represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs the desired function or achieves the desired result. For example, the terms “approximately” and “about” may refer to an amount that is within engineering tolerances that would be readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art.

In the following, embodiments disposable face shields and blanks therefor are described with reference to the figures. In general, the disposable face shields are lightweight, formed of inexpensive, readily disposed of materials, and are configured in a manner that allows them to be easily packaged and shipped in bulk. Further specifics concerning the disposable face shields and blanks therefor will now be described.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 to 4, a disposable face shield to protect a wearer from exposure to contaminants is shown and is generally identified by reference character 50. Disposable face shield 50 in this embodiment comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 52, and a head band component 54. The face covering component 52 and the head band component 54 are releasably interconnected but are configured to resist separation as will be described.

The face covering component 52 comprises a front panel 60, rearwardly extending side panels 62 and a rearwardly extending top panel 64. The side panels 62 are joined to the front panel 60 at fold lines or creases 66 (hereinafter referred to as “fold lines”). The fold lines 66 also extend through the top panel 64 as best seen in FIG. 3. The top panel 64 is joined to the front panel 60 at fold line 68 and has an arcuate rearmost peripheral edge 64a conforming generally to the curvature of a wearer's forehead. The fold line 68 extends through the side panels 62 as best seen in FIG. 3. The extensions of the fold lines 66 through the top panel 64 and the extension of the fold line 68 through the side panels 66 define triangular bridges 70 that interconnect the side panels 62 and the top panel 64.

Adjacent the top panel 64, the side panels 62 comprise rearward extensions or wings 72 (hereinafter referred to as “wings”). Each wing 72 terminates in a formation 74 configured to releasably engage with a mating formation on the head band component 54 as will be described. In this embodiment, the formation 74 on each wing 72 is in the form of a tab or a tongue (hereinafter referred to as “tab”). Notches 76 are provided at the interfaces between the wings 72 and the tabs 74 to define retaining edges 78.

A generally rectangular viewing window 80 is provided in the face covering component 52 that extends across the front panel 60 and partially into the side panels 62 to provide a wearer with good peripheral vision. The viewing window 80 is defined by an aperture provided in the front panel 60 and side panels 62 that is covered by a generally transparent or clear pane 82 adhered to inner surfaces of the front and side panels 60 and 62. In this embodiment, the generally transparent pane 82 is in the form of a substantially transparent or clear plastic sheet or film such as polyester based plastic material (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polycarbonate plastic material or other suitable see-through material.

The head band component 54 comprises a strip or band of material 88 (hereinafter referred to as “strip of material”) configurable into a ring or loop 90 (hereinafter referred to as a “ring”) as shown in FIG. 2. A pair of spaced cuts 92 is provided in the strip of material 88 intermediate its length. Each cut 92 receives a respective one of the tabs 84 allowing the face covering component 52 and head band component 54 to interconnect at two circumferentially spaced attachment points. A series of spaced fold lines 94 is provided in the strip of material 88 between the cuts 92. Mating formations are provided on the head band component 54 adjacent its opposite ends to facilitate configuration of the strip of material 88 into the ring 90. In this embodiment, the mating formations comprise a series of spaced cuts 96 provided in the strip of material 88 adjacent one end thereof and a tab 98 that extends from the other end of the strip of material 88. The tab 98 is received by a selected one of the cuts 96 to allow the diameter of the ring 90 to be selected.

With the exception of the generally transparent pane 82, the remainder of the disposable face shield 50 is formed of paperboard (e.g. cardboard) or other suitable paper-based material. As a result, the disposable face shield 50 is constructed of recyclable material that can be easily manipulated thereby facilitating construction of the disposable face mask as will now be described.

The face covering component 52 and the head band component 54 are constructed from generally planar blanks 100 and 102, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This allows the blanks to be shipped readily in large quantities for quick and easy assembly on-site.

During assembly of the disposable face shield 50, the face covering component 52 is constructed from the blank 100, by folding the side panels 62 rearwardly with respect to the front panel 60 along the fold lines 66 and by folding the top panel 64 downwardly with respect to the front panel 60 along the fold line 68.

The extensions of the fold lines 66 and 68 that define the triangular bridges 70 facilitate folding of the side panels 62 with respect to the top panel 64. As will be appreciated, the face covering component 52 can be constructed from the blank 100 quickly and with ease.

With the face covering component 52 constructed, a first of the tabs 74 is inserted through a respective one of the cuts 92 in the strip of material 88. Once the tab 74 has been inserted through the cut 92, the retaining surfaces 78 inhibit the tab 74 from being pulled back through the cut 92. This same procedure is then performed with the second of the tabs 74 and the other cut 92 thereby to secure the face covering component 52 to the head band component 54. As will be appreciated, the fold lines 94 facilitate forming the strip of material 88 into an arcuate shape to align the second of the tabs 74 with its respective cut 92. With the face covering component 52 secured to the strip of material 88 at the two attachment points, the strip of material can be formed into the ring 90 by bringing the ends of the strip of material 88 into proximity. The tab 98 is then inserted through the selected cut 96 (chosen so the diameter of the ring 90 fits the head of the intended wearer of the disposable face shield 50). Once the tab 98 has been inserted through the selected cut 96, the tab 98 is inhibited from being pulled back through the cut 96 by virtue of its shape thereby to avoid unwanted opening of the ring 90.

In use of the disposable face shield 50, the head band component 54 is worn around the wearer's head above the wearer's ears and across the wearer's forehead and oriented so that the face shield component 52 extends downwardly in front of the wearer's face. Because the head band component 54 is formed of paperboard material, it is generally nonabrasive allowing a user to wear the disposable face shield 50 comfortably for extended periods of time. Furthermore, the configuration of the face shield component 52 provides the wearer with good protection against exposure to contaminants. The front panel 60 protects the entire front of the wearer's face from exposure to contaminants with the pane 82 offering good direct and peripheral vision. This is complimented by the side panels 62 and top panel 64 which protect the wearer's face from side and top entry of contaminants.

Turning now to FIGS. 5 to 8, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 150. Disposable face shield 150 in this embodiment also comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 152, and a head band component 154. The face covering component 152 and the head band component 154 are releasably interconnected but are configured to resist separation. The disposable face shield 150 is similar to disposable face shield 50 with the exception of the head band component 154. Thus, the face covering component 152 of the disposable face shield 150 is the same as in the previous embodiment. The head band component 154 comprises a strip of material 188 configurable into a ring 190. A pair of spaced cuts 192 is provided in the strip of material 188 intermediate its length. Each cut 192 receives a respective one of the tabs 74 of the face covering component 152 allowing the face covering component 152 and head band component 154 to interconnect at two circumferentially spaced attachment points. A series of fold lines 194 is provided in the ring 190 between the cuts 192. Mating formations are provided on the head band component 154 adjacent its opposite ends to facilitate configuration of the strip of material 188 into the ring 190. In this embodiment, the mating formations comprise a pair of spaced slits 210 formed in the strip of material 188 adjacent one end thereof that define a finger 212 and a series of spaced slits 214 formed in the strip of material 188 adjacent the other end thereof that define fingers 216. The slits 210 extend from the top edge of the strip of material 188 downwardly and partially into the strip of material 188. The slits 214 extend from the bottom edge of the strip of material 188 upwardly and partially into the strip of material 188.

During assembly of the disposable face shield 150, with the face covering component 152 constructed as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a first of the tabs 74 is inserted through a respective one of the cuts 192 in the strip of material 188 and then the second of the tabs 74 is inserted through the other cut 192 thereby to secure the face covering component 52 to the head band component 154. With the face covering component 52 secured to the strip of material 188, the strip of material can be formed into the ring 190 by positioning the ends of the strip of material 188 so that the slits 210 and 214 are in vertical alignment, and then bringing the aligned ends of the strip of material 188 into engagement so that the finger 212 and selected fingers 216 intermesh. As will be appreciated, the diameter of the ring 190 can be adjusted by varying with which fingers 216, finger 212 intermeshes.

In the above embodiments, although the viewing window is shown as extending across the front panel and partially into the side panels, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the viewing window may extend further into the side panels to provide wider peripheral vision to the wearer, may only extend across the front panel or may only extend partially across the front panel. Also, the shape of the viewing panel need not be rectangular but may take other shapes. For example, the viewing panel may be square, circular, oval etc.

Although in the above embodiments, the head band components 54 and 154 are described as being formed of paperboard material, those of skill in the art will appreciated that other materials may be employed. For example, the headband components may be formed of plastic material similar to that used for the pane 82. Depending on the flexibility of the plastic material, the fold lines 94 and 194 may be omitted. Also, a strip of foam or other resilient material may be provided on the ring 90 and 190 that bears against the wearer's forehead when the disposable face shield 50 and 150 is worn.

Turning now to FIGS. 9 to 12, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 250. Disposable face shield 250 in this embodiment also comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 252, and a head band component 254. The face covering component 252 and the head band component 254 are releasably interconnected but are configured to resist separation.

The face covering component 252 in this embodiment comprises a single panel 260 of unitary one-piece construction that is formed of generally transparent or clear plastic material such as polyester based plastic material (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polycarbonate plastic material or other suitable see-through material. The panel 260 is curved so that the panel not only covers the front of the wearer's face but also partially covers the sides of the wearer's face. Rearward extensions or wings 272 (hereinafter referred to as “wings”) are provided near but spaced downwardly from the top of the panel 260 at each of its side edges. Each wing 272 terminates in a tab 274 configured to releasably engage with a mating formation on the head band component 254 as will be described. Notches 276 are provided at the interfaces between the wings 272 and the tabs 274 to define retaining edges 278. A hat-shaped cut is also provided in each wing 272 that defines a tab 279.

The head band component 254 comprises a strip of material 288 configurable into a ring 290 and is formed of the same material as the panel 260. A pair of spaced cuts 292 is provided in the strip of material 288 intermediate its length. Each cut 292 receives a respective one of the tabs 274 allowing the face covering component 252 and head band component 254 to interconnect. A series of spaced fold lines 294 is provided in the strip of material 288 between the cuts 292. A pair of cutouts 295 is formed in the strip of material 288. Each cutout 295 is positioned between one of the cuts 292 and the fold line 294 nearest the cut 292 and is configured to receive a respective one of the tabs 279. In this manner, each side of the face shield component 252 is secured to the head band component 254 at two points of attachment. Mating formations are provided on the head band component 254 adjacent its opposite ends to facilitate configuration of the strip of material 288 into the ring 290. In this embodiment, the mating formations comprise a series of spaced cuts 296 provided in the strip of material 288 adjacent one end thereof and a tab 298 that extends from the other end of the strip of material 288. The tab 298 is received by a selected one of the cuts 296. As will be appreciated, in this embodiment, as the wings 274 are positioned lower relative to the top of the panel 260 as compared to previous embodiments, when the disposable face shield 250 is worn, the panel 260 extends higher relative to the wearer's forehead.

Turning now to FIGS. 13 to 16, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 350. Disposable face shield 350 in this embodiment also comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 352, and a head band component 354. The face covering component 352 and the head band component 354 are releasably interconnected but are configured to resist separation. The disposable face shield 350 is similar to disposable face shield 250 with the exception of the head band component 254. In this embodiment, rather than mating formations comprising a series of spaced cuts adjacent one end of the strip of material and a tab at the other end of the strip of material, mating formations similar to those of head band component 154 are employed. Thus, the mating formations comprise a pair of spaced slits 310 formed in the strip of material 388 adjacent one end thereof that define a finger 312 and a series of spaced slits 314 formed in the strip of material 288 adjacent the other end thereof that define fingers 316. The slits 310 extend from the top edge of the strip of material 288 downwardly and partially into the strip of material 288. The slits 314 extend from the bottom edge of the strip of material 288 upwardly and partially into the strip of material 288.

Turning now to FIGS. 17 to 20, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 450. Disposable face shield 450 in this embodiment also comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 452, and a head band component 454. The face covering component 452 and the head band component 454 are releasably interconnected but are configured to resist separation. The disposable face shield 450 is very similar to disposable face shield 250 with the exception of the face covering component 454. In this embodiment, the face covering component 452 also comprises a rearwardly extending top panel 466 that is joined to panel 462 by fold lines 468.

Although the disposable face shields of FIGS. 9 to 20 are described as having face covering and head band components formed of the same material, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the face covering and head band components may be formed of different materials. Also, in these embodiments, the face covering and head band components may be interconnected at two attachment points similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 8 rather than at four attachment points.

Turning now to FIGS. 21 to 24, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 450. Disposable face shield 450 in this embodiment also comprises two separate components, namely a face covering component 452, and a head band component 454 that are secured to one another using adhesive, tape and/or other suitable binding material. The face covering component 252 comprises a single panel 460 of unitary one-piece construction formed of generally transparent or clear plastic material such as polyester based plastic material (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polycarbonate plastic material or other suitable see-through material. The panel 260 is curved so that the panel not only covers the front of the wearer's face but also partially covers the side's of the wearer's face.

The head band component 454 is very similar to the head band component 54 with the exception that the cuts 92 and fold lines 94 are omitted and that the head band component is formed of the same material as the face shield component. A series of spaced cuts 496 is provided adjacent one end of the strip of material 488 and a tab 498 is provided at the other end of the strip of material 88 that is configured to be received by a selected one of the cuts 496 to allow the strip of material to be formed into a ring 490 of desired diameter. Alternatively, mating formations in the form of slits, similar to those of the head band component of FIGS. 5 to 8, may be employed.

Turning now to FIGS. 25 to 27, another disposable face shield is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 550. In this embodiment, disposable face shield 550 is of unitary one-piece construction formed of generally transparent or clear plastic material such as polyester based plastic material (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polycarbonate plastic material or other suitable see-through material. Disposable face shield 550 comprises a curved face covering panel 560. Straps 588 extend from the upper corners of the face covering panel 560. One of the straps 588 has a series of spaced cuts 596 provided therein adjacent its distal end. The other strap 588 has a tab 598 provided at its distal end that is configured to be received by a selected one of the cuts 596 to allow the straps 588 to form a ring of desired diameter. Alternatively, the cuts 596 and tab 598 may be replaced by slits formed in the straps similar to previous embodiments. A strip of foam or resilient material 601 is provided on the face covering panel 560 that bears against the wearer's forehead when the disposable face shield 550 is worn. The strip of foam or resilient material may be provided on the panel 560 prior to shipping, or may be included separately for attachment on site. Alternatively, provisioning of the strip of foam or resilient material may be left up to the wearer. If desired, markings delineating the location for the strip of foam or resilient material may be provided on the panel 560.

As will be appreciated, the disposable face shields described above and shown in the figures are formed on lightweight, and inexpensive material that can be readily disposed. The disposable face shields when not in use can take a generally flat configuration allowing them to be easily shipped in bulk.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that although specific materials have been referenced above, other suitable materials may be used to form the disposable face shields provided the materials provide adequate protection for the wearer against contamination and are readily disposable.

The dimensions of the blanks may be varied as required so that upon construction of the face covering and head band portions, disposable face shields of various sizes suitable for a variety of wearers result.

Although mating formations carried by the face covering and head band portions of particular configurations are described, those of skill in the art will appreciate that mating formations of other shapes may be employed. For example, the wings of the side panels may be adhered to the strip of material via adhesive or secured thereto by tape or other suitable retaining mechanism.

As will be appreciated, the materials used to form the disposable face shields are inexpensive yet provide good protection for a wearer to guard against exposure to contaminants. This allows disposable face shields to be mass produced inexpensively. Also, the planar nature of the blanks that are used to construct the face covering and head band components of the disposable face shields facilitate wide distribution, which is desired in pandemic and epidemic situations.

While specific reference to the healthcare environment is made, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the disposable face shields may be used in other industrial and work environments where it is desired to protect a wearer from unwanted exposure to chemicals, particulates etc.

Although embodiments have been described, those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

DISPOSABLE FACE SHIELD AND BLANKS FOR FORMING SAME

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