TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a face shield and more particularly to a face shield made in part or wholly from bamboo.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

PH/1/2020/050441 (‘441) teaches a face shield comprising a forehead frame and a visor frame for the frame assembly, both made preferably from steambent bamboo strips, a protective transparent cover preferably made from A4-size, semi-rigid PVC plastic film, an adjustable cord to secure the face shield onto the wearer’s head, paddings on the forehead side and backhead side of the frame assembly, and lock pins for securing the visor frame onto the forehead frame enabling the face shield to be rotated upwards a wearer’s head.

However, face shield designs like ‘441 were unable to mitigate the brightness and glare perceived by the wearer in an open or well-lit environment, given that the transparent cover made of plastic often magnifies light intensity. This induces flash blindness that can cause temporary vision impairment which exposes the wearer to certain potential hazards. Thus, ‘441 failed to particularly disclose a film coating applied on the exterior surface of the transparent face cover which resolves the abovementioned problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention teaches a face shield that uses in whole or in part natural materials, preferably bamboo, and thus ensures that the wearers and manufacturers are compliant with the global effort encouraging the use of biodegradable materials, even during the time of the current pandemic.

Another object of this invention is to provide a low-cost personal protective equipment that can be easily manufactured by members of the micro-small- medium enterprises (MSME) segment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 provides a top view of the same embodiment.

Figure 3 shows a profile view of the same embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention teaches a face shield for protecting a wearer’s face from aerosol and other particles sprayed through air is composed of the following parts: a frame assembly further comprising of a forehead frame and a visor frame, both made preferably from steam-bent bamboo strips; a protective transparent cover preferably made from A4-size, semi-rigid PVC plastic film; adjustable cord preferably made from nylon to secure the face shield onto the wearer’s head; paddings on the forehead side and backhead side of the frame assembly; and lock pins for securing the visor frame onto the forehead frame.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a shield for protecting a wearer’s face from aerosol and other particles sprayed through air comprising of a frame assembly, that further comprises of forehead frame 21 and a visor frame 22; a transparent face cover 4 fixedly attached to said visor frame 22; a film coating 4a applied on the exterior surface of said transparent face cover 4; an adjustable cord 6 communicating with the distal ends of the forehead frame 21 for fastening securely to the wearer’s head; with the frame assembly, in part or in its entirety, being made from pliable natural materials such as but not limited to bamboo and other pliable wood. Paddings on the forehead side 81 and backhead side 82 are also provided to securely fasten the face shield on the wearer’s head while ensuring a comfortable use for long periods of time. Lock pins 10 are provided on the axes of forehead frame 21 and the visor frame 22 are also provided to allow said visor frame 22 to be rotatable upwards over the head of the wearer. Straps 12 preferably using plastic cable ties are used to secure cover 4 onto forehead frame 21.

The preferred embodiment of the face shield of this invention is made bamboo. Thin bamboo strips of about 3mm to 4mm thickness are curved using the steam bending (SB) method. The machined bamboo strips are initially loaded inside an electric or portable steamer for 15 to 30 minutes at 100°C following standard atmospheric pressure. The steamed strips, while still hot and moist, are then manually bent to its desired curvature using improvised molds, clamps, tie bars and nails. The bent materials are then left to set preferably for 24 hours. These are then dried to about 15% to 20% MC following air or kiln drying method.

The dried bent bamboo strips are then further machined and sanded to remove protruding bamboo slivers and rough edges. Holes are then bored on the strips to accommodate the nylon cord 6, lock pins 10 and cable ties 12. Sanding sealers and varnishes are then applied to prevent fungal attack on the bamboo.

To assemble the face shield, the bent forehead frame 21 is tied with adjustable nylon cord 6 with backhead padding 82 already installed. Forehead frame 21 with holes near the ends is then fastened to visor frame 22 with the use of aluminum lock pins 10 and friction washers (not shown) reinforced with metal flat washers (not shown). The gap between the centers of said frames is about 50mm. Protective transparent cover 4 is then affixed to visor frame 22 with the use of plastic strap cable ties 12. The film coating 4a is also applied to the surface of the transparent cover 4 for reducing glare or brightness of the surroundings perceived by the wearer. Finally, forehead padding 81 preferably made from 9mm foam is glued to the inner side of forehead frame 21.

The face shield disclosed by this invention is used to guard the face and eyes of the wearer from direct viral entry of aerosol droplets from a carrier. It is worn as a protective headgear with visor frame 22 positioned in front when in use. To give respite to the wearer when alone or when there is sufficient distance between individuals, visor frame 22 can rotate upwards on the axes of look pins 10 and thus placed on top of the wearer’s head. In this position, proper ventilation and comfort is given to the wearer. Adjustable nylon cord 6 tied at both ends of forehead frame 21 also gives comfort to the wearer.

The preferred embodiment of this invention teaches the use of an A4 size, semi-rigid polyvinylchloride plastic film of about 200 microns for cover 4 but other suitable transparent materials can also be used. Moreover, in its preferred embodiment, the film coating 4a is made from an A4 size film of about 28 microns. Said film coating 4a comes in different color tints for aesthetic purposes. Adjustable cord 6 is preferably made from 3.0mm diameter of nylon but natural materials (e.g., paper cord, woven fabric cord) may be provided. Forehead frame padding 81 preferably measures 2.54mm width x 9.00mm thickness and made from single foil roofing insulation although other lightweight sponge material can replace the use of foam. Backhead padding 82 is about 30.00mm width x 130.00mm (length) x 1.00mm made from pure abaca pulpboard but other soft foamy or spongy synthetic materials can also be used. Lock pins 10 are 12.50mm (length) x 3.2mm (diameter) aluminum blind rivets while securing straps 12 are made from 3.00mm x 15.00mm plastic cable ties.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is described in the above- mentioned detailed description. It is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the embodiment shown and described therein. Any such modifications or variations that fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included therein as well. Unless specifically noted, it is the intention of the inventors that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meanings to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art. The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention known to the applicant at the time of filing the application has been presented and is intended for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this invention to the precise form disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings.