Protective hood assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective hood arrangement comprising a protective hood (1) covering the user's head and shoulders, made of flexible, compliant material and with a viewing window (3), a support structure (7) for the protective hood (1), an active air exchange system, preferably with a blower and associated control arrangement, and a housing (5) for at least one component of the air exchange system, preferably the blower, which is preferably arranged inside the protective hood (1) and separate from the protective hood (1), with an intake port (6) for connection to a breathing air filter (4). The housing (5) is preferably attached to the support structure (7) inside the protective hood (1).The breathing air filter (4) is arranged on the outside of the protective hood (1) and is provided with an outlet nozzle (9) that passes through the protective hood (1) in a sealed manner. This outlet nozzle is designed to be complementary to the intake nozzle (6) and is provided with fastening structures for connection to it. Complementary fastening structures are provided on the intake nozzle (6).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a protective hood arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1, as well as a protective hood and a housing for such an arrangement.

[0002] Employees in aseptic cleanrooms or medical intensive care units must wear suits and hoods, cleanroom masks, respirators, and safety goggles – collectively known as "personal protective equipment" (PPE) or cleanroom clothing – to prevent contamination. Problems with comfort, cooling, and, for example, fogging of eyeglass lenses often arise. An additional risk when head protection is not completely closed is the danger of infection in both directions. This is particularly important when handling biological hazardous substances, where both the user of the PPE or cleanroom clothing and their environment must be protected from possible infection by the user of the PPE or cleanroom clothing. Conventional protective equipment cannot achieve this or can only achieve it with great effort, so widespread use of such personal equipment is hardly feasible due to the high costs.

[0003] For example, WO2022248341A1 discloses a protective hood assembly comprising a protective hood made of flexible, resilient material and covering the user's head and shoulders, with a visor fixed therein. Also described is a support structure for the protective hood and an active air exchange system with a fan and associated control arrangement, wherein the fan is installed in a housing arranged within the protective hood. This housing is attached to the support structure, separate from the protective hood, within the protective hood. Preferably, a filter for the used air is also integrated into the protective hood.

[0004] The objective of the present invention was to improve such an arrangement to make it easier for the user to put on or put on the protective hood assembly, as well as to remove and safely dispose of the contaminated components. At the same time, wearing the protective hood assembly should ensure a high level of comfort, safety, and as unobstructed a working environment as possible.

[0005] This object is achieved by an arrangement and by its individual components according to the claims.

[0006] The device according to the invention is characterized in that the breathing air filter is firmly and tightly connected to the protective hood on the outside and is provided with an outlet nozzle which is sealed and extends through the protective hood to the inside thereof, which outlet nozzle is designed to be complementary to the intake nozzle and is provided with fastening structures for connection to the intake nozzle, wherein complementary fastening structures are present on the intake nozzle, and wherein the fastening structures are designed in such a way that the outlet nozzle can be pushed onto the intake nozzle in any circumferential position, such that after coupling an axial relative movement of the breathing air filter and housing is prevented and a rotation in the circumferential direction of the intake nozzle is possible.This ensures simple and quick application of the protective hood assembly while simultaneously ensuring optimal hold of the breathing air filter, without the need for complex connection arrangements and / or complicated alignment procedures for the filter. The disadvantage of bayonet connections, namely the required correct positioning during application and the difficulties caused by wrinkling of the protective hood material due to the material becoming trapped in the area of ​​the bayonet elements, can also be avoided by the design according to the invention.

[0007] Preferably, the fastening structures of the housing and the breathing air filter form a snap-on connection that covers a maximum of half the circumference, preferably a maximum of one-quarter of the circumference. This allows for quick and easy attachment of the breathing air filter to the protective hood and / or the housing of the blower, while simultaneously providing a high level of security against accidental detachment of the filter.

[0008] An advantageous embodiment of a protective hood according to the invention for an arrangement as explained above consists of flexible, yielding material and is provided with a viewing window and is characterized in that a breathing air filter on the outside of the protective hood is firmly and tightly connected to the protective hood and is provided with an outlet nozzle which is sealed through the protective hood to the inside thereof, which outlet nozzle is designed to be complementary to the intake nozzle and is provided with fastening structures for connection to complementary fastening structures of the intake nozzle.

[0009] A preferred embodiment is one in which the distal edge area of ​​the outlet nozzle of the breathing air filter widens in a funnel shape toward the distal end. This facilitates the quick and easy connection of the breathing air filter and the connection to the intake nozzle, even without direct visual contact.

[0010] A further advantageous embodiment of a protective hood according to the invention is characterized in that the fastening structures are formed by elastically deflectable tongues with locking knobs arranged linearly in the circumferential direction or locking ridges extending in the circumferential direction at the end of the outlet nozzle and / or in cutouts in the distal edge region of the outlet nozzle. This ensures a connection in the form of a locking connection with a good holding effect in the axial direction, i.e., secured against the breathing air filter being pulled off the intake nozzle of the fan housing. However, rotations in the circumferential direction are possible with less effort.

[0011] To ensure a good and even retention of the breathing air filter to the protective hood assembly, it is advantageous to provide at least two opposing fastening structures, with the peripheral area covered by the fastening structures being smaller than the peripheral area between the fastening structures. This allows the breathing air filter to be moved into a position in which the fastening structures are disengaged or can be easily disengaged by a simple rotary movement.

[0012] In order to ensure the breathing air filter for safe handling of the protective hood both when putting on and taking off and disposing of it, an advantageous embodiment of the protective hood according to the invention is characterized in that a bag-like protrusion is provided in the protective hood at a distance from the breathing air filter, which bulges from the outside to the inside of the protective hood and is designed to receive the breathing air filter from the direction of the outside of the protective hood.

[0013] To achieve the initially stated problem, a housing for at least one device within the protective hood of an arrangement as described in the preceding paragraphs, in particular a housing for a blower of an air exchange system, with an intake nozzle extending from the housing, is provided. The housing is characterized in that the distal edge region of the intake nozzle tapers conically toward the distal end. This enables the quick and easy connection of the breathing air filter and the connection to the intake nozzle, even without direct visual contact. It also provides a compact design that is resistant to wear and damage, even with extended periods of use and numerous connection processes with breathing air filters.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention is one in which the fastening structures are formed by circumferential grooves or groups of recesses extending in the circumferential direction. This ensures a connection in the form of a snap-in connection with a good holding effect in the axial direction, i.e., it prevents the breathing air filter from being pulled off the intake port of the fan housing. However, rotations in the circumferential direction are possible with less effort.

[0015] According to the invention, at least two opposing fastening structures are preferably provided, wherein the peripheral area covered by the fastening structures is smaller than the peripheral area located between the fastening structures. This allows a fitted breathing air filter to be moved by a simple rotational movement into a position in which the fastening structures are disengaged or can be easily disengaged.

[0016] For a better understanding of the invention, it is explained in more detail using the following figures.

[0017] They show in a highly simplified, schematic representation: Fig. 1 shows a protective hood assembly from the front; Fig. 2 shows a side view of a viewing window according to the invention and a support structure according to the invention for a protective hood assembly; Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detailed view of the connection area between the protective hood and the breathing air filter, seen from the inside of the protective hood; Fig. 4 shows an enlarged detailed view of the connection area between the protective hood and the breathing air filter, seen from the outside of the protective hood; Fig. 5 shows a further enlarged detail in the connection area between the breathing air filter and the intake nozzle; Fig. 6 shows one of the first phases when putting on the protective hood assembly; Fig. 7 shows a further phase when putting on the protective hood assembly; Fig. 8 shows one of the final phases when putting on the protective hood assembly; Fig. 9 shows the fully fitted protective hood assembly from the rear.

[0018] By way of introduction, it should be noted that in the variously described embodiments, identical parts are provided with identical reference symbols or component designations. The disclosures contained throughout the description can be applied analogously to identical parts with identical reference symbols or component designations. Furthermore, the positional information chosen in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., refers to the directly described and illustrated figure, and these positional information must be applied analogously to the new position in the event of a change in position.

[0019] The embodiments show possible embodiments, whereby it should be noted at this point that the invention is not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments thereof, but rather various combinations of the individual embodiments with each other are also possible and this possibility of variation lies within the skill of the person skilled in the art in this technical field due to the teaching of technical action by means of the objective invention.

[0020] The Fig. 1The exemplary embodiment of a protective hood arrangement according to the invention, shown in its entirety in an oblique front view, comprises a protective hood 1 covering the user's head and shoulders. The barrier of the protective hood 1 is preferably made of a material that is impervious to solid or liquid aerosols with negligible volatility and decomposition, as well as to germs and viruses, for example a nonwoven fabric made of high-density polyethylene (PE-D). For use in cleanrooms, a cleanroom fabric with defined filter properties and air permeability approved for cleanrooms according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1 can also be used as the material for the protective hood 1. The protective hood 1 preferably has a shoulder piece 2 adjoining the head section, which can preferably be sealed against the head section in the neck area, as well as a preferably curved, transparent viewing panel 3 at the front.A highly transparent polyester film is preferably used for the viewing window 3. In . Fig. 1 Also visible is the breathing air filter 4, which is preferably positioned in the crown area. The breathing air filter 4 is typically a commercially available, preferably screw-in P3 filter (according to EN 12941 with a very high degree of separation) for protection against solid or liquid aerosols with negligible volatility and decomposition, as well as against germs and viruses. The use of an FFP2 filter as the breathing air filter 4 is also possible. The protective hood 1 preferably also has a filter for the used air, preferably a large-area filter, which is preferably integrated in the rear part of the protective hood 1. However, a check valve for the used air could also be provided. All other embodiments explained below are functionally similar, with minor design differences.

[0021] The breathing air filter 4 is part of a preferably active air exchange system and is connected as in Fig. 2 shown in side view, with a housing 5 for a preferably controllable or adjustable blower, which housing 5 has a connection or intake port 6 for the breathing air filter 4. The drive for the blower is advantageously integrated into the housing 5, wherein an encapsulated unit can be provided. For connecting the breathing air filter 4 to the housing 5, the latter has an intake port 6. A self-closing dust cap (not shown, conventional embodiment) prevents contamination of the blower when the breathing air filter 4 is removed.

[0022] The housing 5 and the intake port 6 are arranged in the crown area or in the area of ​​the upper head, so that the breathing air filter 4 is also located in the area between the forehead and the crown of the protective hood 1 in order to optimize the weight distribution with the other components of the arrangement and thus achieve a more comfortable fit. The housing 5 can be an integral part of a support structure 7 or mounted thereon, which is also designed to support the protective hood 1 and also has a receptacle for a power supply unit 8 for the power supply of the fan and also a regulation and / or control arrangement, for example for a battery pack, preferably a commercially available Li-ion battery pack. Also attached to the support structure 7, preferably to a device that can be attached to or removed from the person's forehead.resting arched front part, the viewing window 3 can preferably be fastened detachably, for which purpose fastening structures are arranged on or in the viewing window 3 and corresponding thereto in a corresponding position and complementary in shape on the support structure 7, preferably on the sides of the front part, for example in the area of ​​the person's temples.

[0023] According to the present invention, the breathing air filter 4 is firmly and tightly connected to the outside of the protective hood 1. For connection to components in the interior of the protective hood 1 or on its inside, the breathing air filter 4 is provided with an outlet nozzle 9 that extends sealed through the protective hood to its inside. This outlet nozzle is designed to complement the intake nozzle 6 of the housing 5—or to complement a connection nozzle of any other component within the protective hood 1. Preferably, the distal edge region of the outlet nozzle 9 of the breathing air filter 4 widens in a funnel shape toward the distal end and is provided with fastening structures for connection to the intake nozzle 6. The corresponding complementary fastening structures are present on the intake nozzle 6 of the housing 5.The fastening structures are designed in such a way that the outlet nozzle 9 of the breathing air filter 4 can be pushed onto the intake nozzle 6 of the housing 5 in any circumferential position, whereby the fixation of the connection of both components is only effected in discretely distributed angular ranges, which can be assumed by slightly rotating the breathing air filter 4 relative to the housing 5. When the two components are in a relative position in one of these angular ranges and thus coupled, an axial relative movement of the breathing air filter 4 and the housing 5 is prevented, but rotation in the circumferential direction of the intake nozzle 6 is possible.

[0024] In this peripheral area, as in Fig. 3can be seen on an enlarged scale, as a preferred example of fastening structures, elastically deflectable tongues 10 with locking knobs arranged on the inside in a linear manner in the circumferential direction or locking ridges 11 running in the circumferential direction are provided. These elastically deflectable tongues 10, which can preferably be deflected radially outwards, are either provided as an extension of the outlet nozzle 9 or are provided in the edge region itself, separated from the remaining edge region of the outlet nozzle 9 by cutouts 12. For a good and uniform holding effect of the breathing air filter 4, it is advantageous if at least two opposing fastening structures are provided, wherein the circumferential area covered by the fastening structures is smaller than the circumferential area located between the fastening structures.

[0025] On the housing 5, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5As shown, an intake nozzle 6 extends therefrom, the distal edge region of which tapers conically towards the distal end in order to be able to easily and quickly and also very often repeatably place a funnel-shaped nozzle, in particular a breathing air filter 4, thereon. As a preferred example of fastening structures for the detachable connection to the breathing air filter 4 or any other component that is to be connected to the housing 5 from the outside, locking grooves 13 in the circumferential direction or groups of recesses running in the circumferential direction are provided on the outside of the intake nozzle 6. Locking ridges 11 or linearly arranged locking knobs of an attached nozzle or another connectable component can engage in these locking grooves 13 or recesses.Preferably, these grooves 13 or other fastening structures are also provided on the intake manifold 6 in a number of at least two fastening structures lying opposite one another, wherein the circumferential area covered by the fastening structures is smaller than the circumferential area located between the fastening structures.

[0026] The fastening structures, in particular the tongues 10 with their locking ridges 11, which engage in the locking grooves 13, form a connection in the form of a locking connection or snap connection with a good holding effect in the axial direction, i.e., secured against pulling the breathing air filter 4 off the intake port 6 of the housing 5 of the blower. Preferably, the fastening structures of the housing 5 and the breathing air filter 4 together form a snap connection that covers an area of ​​at most half the circumference, preferably at most one-quarter of the circumference.

[0027] However, rotations of the breathing air filter 4 relative to the intake port 6 in the circumferential direction are possible with less effort. During such a rotation, the tongues 10 reach the circumferential areas of the intake port 6, in which no grooves 13 are present, whereby a certain deflection in the radial direction occurs. The fastening structures are now disengaged, so that after this rotation in the circumferential direction alone, which can be performed without visual contact, with gloves, and without having to adhere to a precise angle of rotation, the breathing air filter 4 can be pulled off the housing 5 and the protective hood 1 can also be lifted off and removed from the support structure 7.

[0028] If necessary, the shapes of the intake port 6 and the outlet port 9 can also be interchanged, i.e. the intake port 6 is designed to widen distally in a funnel shape, while the outlet port 9 of the breathing air filter 4 tapers outwards and can be inserted into the funnel of the intake port 6. An embodiment would also be conceivable in which the intake port 6 and the outlet port 9 are both essentially hollow-cylindrical, and sliding them over one another is made possible by the outer diameter of one port corresponding to the inner diameter of the other port. In all embodiments, the arrangement of at least one seal between the two ports of the breathing air filter 4 and the housing 5 is advantageous.

[0029] The positions of the tongues 10 and the locking grooves 13 can also be reversed, i.e., the tongues 10 can also be formed on the intake nozzle 6, while locking grooves 13 are provided on the outlet nozzle 9 of the breathing air filter 4. Furthermore, the tongues 10, wherever they are located, could also be designed to be elastically deflectable inward, with the locking ridges 11 or locking knobs on their outer sides. In this case, locking grooves 13 or corresponding recesses are then machined on the inside of the complementary nozzle.

[0030] One in connection with the Fig. 6 to 9An embodiment of a protective hood 1 according to the invention which can be recognized as advantageous is further provided with a bag-like protuberance 14 which is present in the protective hood 1 at a distance from the breathing air filter 4 and which bulges from the outside to the inside of the protective hood 1 and has a size and a shape in order to be designed to receive the breathing air filter 4 from the direction of the outside of the protective hood 1.

[0031] As in Fig. 6 , which shows an early phase of putting on a protective hood 1 according to the invention, the protective hood 1 is initially folded up, with the inside facing out. The breathing air filter 4 is also housed in the protrusion 14, protected against dirt and contamination, so that the area of ​​the breathing air filter can also be easily touched when handling the protective hood 1.

[0032] When the protective hood 1 is then pulled over the head and the support structure 7, the breathing air filter 4 can still be left in the protrusion 14 and placed on the intake port 6 of the housing 5 as explained above. The protective hood 1 is then further extended and pulled over the head and support structure 7, whereby the protrusion 14 is lifted off the breathing air filter 4 and thus exposed. This phase is described in Fig. 7 or in a variant regarding the position of the breathing air filter 4 in relation to the support structure 7 in Fig. 8 shown.

[0033] Fig. 9 Finally, the fully fitted protective hood 1 with the breathing air filter 4 attached and fixed to the housing 5 is shown in a rear view, where the now inwardly directed protrusion 14 can also be seen, in which the breathing air filter 4 was accommodated when the protective hood 1 was folded.

[0034] When removing the protective hood 1, the sequence described above is essentially reversed, whereby the breathing air filter 4 is finally received again in the protuberance 14 and can thus be handled easily and without having to come into contact with its contaminated surface.

[0035] Since the contaminated outer side of the protective hood 1 has been turned inward by folding it, the protective hood 1 can be safely grasped for packaging and / or disposal by the uncontaminated inner side, which is now on the outside. The protective hood assembly 1 can thus be put on and / or taken off in the shortest possible time and is easy and quick to handle. It also allows for simple and contamination-free removal of the lining without additional assistance from assistants. Reference symbol list

[0036] 1Protective hood 2Shoulder piece 3Viewing window 4Breathing air filter 5Housing for blower 6Connection for filter 7Support structure 8Power supply unit 9Outlet nozzle 10Tab 11Locking ridge 12Cutout 13Locking groove 14Protrusion

Claims

1. A protective hood assembly comprising a protective hood (1) covering the head and shoulders of the user, made of flexible, yielding material and having a viewing window (3), a support structure (7) for the protective hood (1), an active air exchange system, preferably with a fan with associated control arrangement, a housing (5) preferably arranged within the protective hood (1) and separate from the protective hood (1) for at least one component of the air exchange system, preferably for the fan, with an intake port (6) for connection to a breathing air filter (4), wherein the housing (5) is preferably fastened to the support structure (7) within the protective hood (1), and optionally a filter for the used air integrated into the protective hood (1), characterized in thatthe breathing air filter (4) is firmly and tightly connected to the protective hood (1) on the outside and is provided with an outlet nozzle (9) which is sealed and extends through the protective hood (1) to the inside thereof, which outlet nozzle is designed to be complementary to the intake nozzle (6) and is provided with fastening structures for connection to the intake nozzle (6), wherein complementary fastening structures are present on the intake nozzle (6), and wherein the fastening structures are designed such that the outlet nozzle (9) can be pushed onto the intake nozzle (6) in any circumferential position, such that after coupling an axial relative movement of the breathing air filter (4) and the housing (5) is prevented and a rotation in the circumferential direction of the intake nozzle (6) is however possible.

2. Protective hood arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe fastening structures of the housing (5) and the breathing air filter (4) form a snap connection which covers an area of ​​at most half the circumference, preferably at most a quarter of the circumference.

3. Protective hood (1) for an arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, made of flexible, resilient material and with a viewing window (3), characterized in that a breathing air filter (4) on the outside of the protective hood (1) is firmly and tightly connected to the protective hood (1) and is provided with an outlet nozzle (9) which is sealed through the protective hood (1) to the inside thereof, which outlet nozzle is designed to be complementary to an intake nozzle (6) of a housing (5) in the interior of the protective hood (1) and is provided with fastening structures for connection to complementary fastening structures of the intake nozzle (6).

4. Protective hood according to claim 3, characterized in thatthe distal edge area of ​​the outlet nozzle (9) of the breathing air filter (4) widens in a funnel shape towards the distal end.

5. Protective hood according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the fastening structures are formed by elastically deflectable tongues (10) with locking knobs arranged linearly in the circumferential direction or locking ridges (11) running in the circumferential direction at the end of the outlet nozzle and / or in cutouts of the distal edge region of the outlet nozzle (9).

6. Protective hood according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that at least two fastening structures lying opposite one another are provided, wherein the circumferential area covered by the fastening structures is smaller than the circumferential area located between the fastening structures.

7. Protective hood according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in thatin the protective hood (1) at a distance from the breathing air filter (4) there is provided a bag-like protuberance (14) which bulges from the outside to the inside of the protective hood (1) and is designed to receive the breathing air filter (4) from the direction of the outside of the protective hood (1).

8. Housing (5) for at least one component arranged within the protective hood (1) of an arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, in particular for a fan of an air exchange system, with an intake nozzle (6) extending from the housing (5), characterized in that the distal edge area of ​​the intake nozzle (6) narrows conically towards the distal end.

9. Housing according to claim 8, characterized in that the fastening structures are formed by locking grooves (13) in the circumferential direction or groups of recesses extending in the circumferential direction.

10. Housing according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in thatat least two fastening structures lying opposite one another are provided, wherein the circumferential area covered by the fastening structures is smaller than the circumferential area located between the fastening structures.

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