Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HELMET ADAPTEV FOR USE BY HA~ FEVE:E~ SUFFERERS
This invention relates to a helmet which is adapted
for use by hay fever sufferers.
Drugs prescribed for hay fever sufferers to give
relief normally take a while after they have been ad-
ministered before they take effect to give relief.
Sometimes they can give rise to undesirable side effects.
The activities of a person who has taken such drugs can
be restricted for a while after the drugs have been
adminlstered, for example he should not drive a vehicle.
Whilst it is realised that drugs are deslrable and indeed
essential in many cases to provide long lasting relief,
there are cases where alternative and more quickly
effective remedies are desirable.
The present invention provides a means ~y which hay
fever sufferers may obtain some relief.
According to the present invention there is provided
in combination a helmet adapted for use by a hay fever
sufferer and portable filter means remote from the helmet
adapted to be carried by the helmet wearer and to supply
filtered air to the interior of the helmet for the wearer
to breath, the helmet being in the general form of a
globe which fits over and around the head and face of the
wearer generally in spaced relationship ther~to, being
transparent at least at the front opposite the face of
the wearer and being carried by support means adapted to
sit on the wearer's shoulders thereby to support the
helmet from the wearer's shoulders and leaving the wearer
free to move his head inside the helmet, and the portable
filter means comprisiny a housing, an air supply duct
ex-tendilly frorll the housing -to the helme-t, and accom~
modated in the housing at least one ~ilter, an electric
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motor and a fan driven by the electric motor which
operates to draw air from the atmosphere into the housing
and cause the air to pass through the filter and thence
by way of the air supply duct to the helmet, the filter
being adapted to remove pollen, dust and like airborne
matter from the air passed through it.
Thus the helmet wearer breathes purified air inside
the helmet and in so dolng it has been ~y experience that
the wearer is able to get relief from nasal and ocular
congestion. I have found that the wearer may begin to
get relief soon after starting to breath the filtered air
and that the relief can continue for some time after
removal of the helmet.
As the filter means is portable the wearer may walk
lS about and carry on other activities while he is wearing
the helmet. The housing of the filter means may be
adapted to be attached to a belt, or to a strap or other
suitable support which enables it to be slung from the
wearex's shoulder, or sho~llders. Conveniently the
~0 housing is readily detachable from the belt, strap or
other support so that, if desired, the wearer, whilst
still continuing to wear the helmet, may rest the housing
on the floor or other surface rather than support it
himsel~ when he is not movin~ about~ as when he is
sitting or Lying down.
Having the filter means remote from the helmet
enables the helmet to be kept light in weight so that it
is not an undue burden for the wearer to carry.
Furthermore the wearer is not subjected to, or is not so
conscious of, such noise as the electric motor may make
when in operation.
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The weight of the helmet is taken on the shoulders
of the wearer through the support means so that no strain
is imposed on the head and neck of the wearer.
The electric motor is preferably battery operated.
To enable the wearer o~ the helmet to have the most
freedom of movement it is desirable for the battery or
batteries to be readily portable. The battery or bat-
teries may be incorporated in the housing or in a
separate pack also adapted to be attached to a belt,
strap or other suitable support, suitable electrical
connection being provided between the battery or
batteries and the electric motor. Alternatively, or in
addition, the electric motor may be adapted to be
energised from a mains eiectricity supply, or other
lS electricity supply, as for example that of a motor
vehicle, although, of course, the helmet wearer would be
more restricted in his movements when the energy is
provided in this mannex.
Where the electric motor is battery operated the
battery or batteries is or are preferably of the re-
chargable type. Recharging means may be provided in
conjunction with the battery or batteries to enable the
battery or batteries to be readily re-charged from a
mains electricity supply, or from another suitable supply
2~ such as a vehicle electrical supply.
Conveniently the filter is of the disposable pad or
block-type which can be replaced by a fresh one when
necessary.
The helmet may be entirely transparent, or be for
the most part transparent, so that the wearer has un-
restricted vision. ~n access panel may be providecl at
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the front by way of which access may be gained to the
wearer's face without removing the helmet.
It is desirable for the air supply duct to be
flexible. It may, for example, be made of flexible
S corrugated hose or plastics or rubber tubing.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described
by way of example with reference to the accompanying
simplified perspective drawing.
In this embodiment a clear, rigid plastics helmet 1
is provicled in the general form of a globe having an
openi~g 2 at the bottom to enable it to be fitted over
the head of a wearer. The globe is constructed from
front and rear hemispherical sections 11 and l" joined
together by an oblique equatorial band 3. The front
section l' is a complete hemisphere whereas the rear
section l" contains the opening 2. The helmet affords
good all round unrestricted vision to the wearer. It is
of a size such that it is able to be generally in spaced
relationship to the head and face of the wearer. At
opposite sides of the opening 2 the rear section l" of
the helmet has supports 4 o~ inverted U-shape secured to
it which are arranyed to sit on the wearer's shoulders so
that the helmet is supported from the wearer's shoulders,
leaving the wearer free to move his head inside the
helmet.
A flexible corrugated hose 5 opening to the interior
of the helmet a~ the lower part of the back of the rear
section l" of the helmet, extends to a plastics box 6 in
which a fan 7 clriven by an electric motor 8 is housed and
disposable filters 9. ~he fan 7 draws air into the box 6
throu~h a yrille or o-t~er sui~able perforate inle-t lO o~
the box to pas5 through the filters 9. ~he filters
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remove dust, pollen and like matter from the air before
it passes into the hose 5 to be supplied to the helmet
for the wearer of the helmet to breath. A carrying
handle 11 is provided on the box 6 and also loops 12 by
which it may be attached to a belt to be worn by the
wearer~
The electric motor 8 is energised by a small,
relati~ely light-weight battery 13 which is housed in a
second plastics box 14 also provided with a carrying
handle 15 and loops, not shown, for attaching the box to
a belt. This second box 14 ls similar to the box 6
housing the motor, fan and filters. A flexible insulated
cable 16, which may be coiled, extends between the two
boxes 6 and 14 and contains the leads which electrically
lS connect the battery to the motor 8.
A connector 17 is attached to the battery box 14
whereby the battery can be connected to a mains elec-
tricity supply, or to a vehicle electrical supply, for
the battery to be re-charged. Alternatively the con-
nector 17 may be adapted for connection to a mains supplyor vehi~le battery for the motor to be energised by that
energy source.
Exhaled breath from the wearer of the helmet passes
out o~ the helmet through the opening 2.
The supports 4 may be attached to a harness adapted
to be strapped to the wearer's body to secure the helmet
on the wearerO This may be desirable at least for some
activities of the wearer to help in holding the helmet
more stably in position.
It will be apprecia-ted that -the helmet can readily
be fitted for use, and that it allows the wearer sub-
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stantial freedom of movement. The helmet is of a size
which enables it to be stored away wi~hout occupying too
much space when not in use, possibly with the two boxes,
cable 16, connector 17 and hose 5 packed inside it, and
5 which makes it easily transportable in a vehicle to be
available for use should an occupant of the vehicle feel
the need for it.
A helmet, and its associated equipment, in accord-
ance with the invention may be made light enough for it
to be worn by children. Different sizes may of course be
made ~or different ayes, or age groups, through to
adults.
Whilst the helmet is particularly intended for use
by hay fever sufferers it may be that sufferers from
asthma and some other respiratory conditions, and from
eczema and other such s~in complaints, may also obtain
some relief by wearing the helmet.
