Cleanroom Hood Visor Sealing and Anti-Fog Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleanroom gowns with visors suffer from reduced field of view, fogging, poor particle filtration, and high CO2 concentrations, making them uncomfortable and inefficient for operators, especially in stringent pharmaceutical environments.
Innovation Solution
A hood design featuring elastic sealing devices, a releasable pressing mechanism, and an inclined visor with anti-fog coating, along with an integrated inhalation and exhalation system, ensures a clear and secure environment by preventing fluid connections between the mouth and nose area and the visor, while maintaining comfort and ease of cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the visor is strapped around the head and in the form of goggles, then the visor can be easily positioned, but it is difficult to manipulate and does not seal the head completely off the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The visor is made movable relative to the hood, allowing it to be adjusted between different positions (retracted and extended). This dynamic configuration enables the visor to be positioned for easy access when not in use and extended when sealing is required, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective assembly is divided into separate components: the hood, the visor, and the sealing device. The visor can be independently positioned and adjusted, while the sealing device can be independently activated. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the visor opening has fixed borders, then the structure is stable, but the field of view is reduced and the visor tends to fog up
Solution Approach 1:
The lower border of the visor opening is made flexible instead of rigid, allowing it to adapt to the operator's face contours and move with facial expressions. This dynamic flexibility maintains structural stability through the rigid frame while improving the field of view and preventing fogging by accommodating better sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the visor opening have different properties: the upper and lateral borders are rigid for structural stability, while the lower border is flexible to adapt to the face and improve visibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural stability and field of view.
3Reliability
If the visor is positioned close to the face for sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but CO2 concentration increases and fogging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaled air is extracted and directed away from the visor area through a dedicated exhalation opening. This separation prevents CO2 accumulation and fogging while maintaining the close positioning of the visor for effective sealing. The harmful factor (exhaled air) is extracted and removed from the problematic area.
Solution Approach 2:
A nose bridge element is introduced as an intermediary component between the visor and the operator's face. This element creates a controlled pathway for exhaled air to escape laterally, preventing it from reaching the visor and causing fogging, while still allowing the visor to maintain close contact for sealing.
4Reliability
If multiple sealing devices are added to improve sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lower border of the visor opening serves multiple functions: it provides structural support as part of the visor assembly, acts as a sealing element against the operator's face, and allows flexibility for adaptation. This multi-functionality achieves effective sealing without requiring additional separate sealing components, thus avoiding increased device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances operational security, comfort, and visibility for operators by reducing fogging and CO2 levels, improving particle filtration, and ensuring effective sealing, thus meeting stringent industry standards.
Implementation Method 1
each sealing device is elastically stretchable in a longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
an inclined visor with anti-fog coating
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention concerns a hood (4, 4', 4", 4"') for a cleanroom gown (1), the hood comprising a base body (8) defining an outside (16) and an inside (12) adapted to receive a head of an operator (10), the base body having a visor opening (18) having a lower border (22) and an upper border (28) and two lateral borders (24, 26), wherein the hood includes a visor (30) fixed in the visor opening (18), wherein the visor comprises a visor circumference (52) with an upper border (34) and a lower border (32), the lower border (32) of the visor (30) comprising a nose cut-out (40) or a nose bulge provided for a nose of the operator (10), characterized in that the hood further comprises at least one sealing device (66, 67, 68) adapted to seal a space between at least one of the borders (22, 24, 26, 28) of the visor opening (18) and a portion of the face of the operator (10) and to position the visor (30) on the operator (10).