PROTECTIVE MASK WITH THROAT GUARD FOR PHYSICAL GAMES

MASQUE PROTECTEUR AVEC UN PROTEGE-GORGE POUR JEUX PHYSIQUES

English Abstract

A protective mask adapted to be worn by persons engaging in
physical games comprises a body formed of rigid plastic material including
a nose portion, a chin portion, a brow portion, opposite cheek portions and
opposite side temple portions; an opening is provided between the brow
portion and the nose portion and cheek portions to be covered by a flexible
transparent lens. A throat guard is pivotally mounted to the opposite cheek
portions and extends inwardly of the chin and cheek portions; the throat
guard is pivotal between two vertical positions relative to the chin and cheek
portions and includes a tongue that extends towards the inner face of the
mask and is adapted to contact an inner lower edge area of the mask to
define the lowermost vertical position; the throat guard further includes a
lower outwardly projecting area to contact the lower edge of the mask to
define the uppermost vertical position for the throat guard.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A protective mask adapted to be worn by persons
engaging in physical games comprising:
a main body formed of rigid plastic material including a nose
portion, a chin portion, a brow portion, opposite cheek portions and opposite
side temple portions to cover the front and sides of a person's head; said
body displaying an opening between said brow portion and said nose and
cheek portions;
a transparent lens mounted to said body and extending over
said opening;
a throat guard pivotally mounted to said opposite cheek
portions and inwardly of said chin and cheek portions; said throat guard
being pivotable between two vertical portions relative to said chin and cheek
portions; said throat guard having a tongue portion extending towards said
main body and adapted to contact a lower edge area of said main body to
define a lowermost vertical position for said throat guard; said throat guard
further including a lower outwardly projecting area adapted to contact said
lower edge area of said main body to define an uppermost vertical position
for said throat guard.
2. A protective mask as defined in claim 1, comprising a
pair of opposite pins connecting said throat guard to said cheek portions and
allowing pivotal movement of said throat guard between said lowermost and
uppermost positions.
3. A protective mask as defined in claim 2, further
comprising a strap having its opposite ends freely connected to said pins.

4. A protective mask as defined in claim 3, wherein each
said pin means has a slotted extremity shaped to enable a snap-in
engagement of said throat guard and of said strap with the said main body.
5. A protective mask as defined in claim 1, wherein said
lower edge area of said body is inwardly curved.
6. A protective mask as defined in claim 5, wherein said
throat guard has an outwardly curved lower edge area contacting said lower
edge area of said body to define said uppermost position.

Description

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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Protective mask with throat guard for physical games.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a protective mask adapted to
be worn by persons engaging in physical games.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Protective masks are typically used in an environment in which
flying objects or projectiles may be present. Examples of such an
environment are the game of ice hockey or the game of paint ball shooting
where paint balls are projected onto players in order to display a hit. In
order
to protect the player's eyes, a lens assembly is used in association with a
mask in order to fully cover the front face and sides of the player's head. In
most cases, the lens is removable so that it can be easily replaced either for
washing or for replacement should it become damaged.
It is also important to protect the throat of the player during
such games and, especially in the game of ice hockey, a throat guard is
mounted at the base of the mask to protect the player's throat. This throat
guard cannot be fixedly mounted to the mask since it must follow vertical
movements of the player's head during the game. In most face masks
equipped with throat guards, the latter are usually mounted to the mask by
means of strings or cords.
OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
protective mask to be worn by persons engaging in physical games with an
improved throat guard pivotally mounted to the mask.

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It is also an object of the present to provide a protective mask
with a throat guard which can be easily removed from the face mask. This
is achieved by a means of a quick snap-in engagement with or snap-out
disengagement from the main body of the mask.
The present invention therefore relates to a protective mask
adapted to be worn by a person engaging in physical games which
comprises:
a main body formed of rigid plastic material including a nose
portion, a chin portion, a brow portion, opposite cheek portions and opposite
side temple portions to cover the front and sides of a person's head; the
body displays an opening between the brow portion and the nose and cheek
portions;
a transparent lens mounted to the body extending over the
opening;
a throat guard pivotally mounted to the opposite cheek portions
and inwardly of the chin and cheek portions; the throat guard is pivotable
between two vertical portions relative to the chin and cheek portions; the
throat guard has a tongue portion extending towards the body and is
adapted to contact a lower inner edge area of the body to define the
lowermost vertical position for the throat guard; the throat guard further
includes an outwardly projecting portion adapted to contact the lower edge
area of the body to define an uppermost vertical position for the throat
guard.
In one form of the invention, the pivotal movement of the throat
guard relative to the main body of the mask is achieved by a pair of pins
which, in addition to hingedly connect the throat guard to the main body of
the face mask, will also enable the quick engagement to and disengagement
of the throat guard from the face mask.

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Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description,
while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of
illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit
and
scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective mask made in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines
2-2 of figure 1 showing the throat guard in its lowermost position;
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to figure 2
showing the throat guard in its uppermost position; and
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of figure
3.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there is shown a protective mask,
generally denoted 10, made in accordance with the present invention. The
mask comprises a main body made of rigid plastic material that includes a
first part consisting of a brow portion 12 integral with a pair of opposite
side
temple portions 14 and 16, and a second part consisting of a lens receiving
portion 17, a nose portion 18, a chin portion 20 and opposite cheek portions
22. The lens receiving, nose, chin and cheek portions are provided with a
series of openings 17a, 18a, 20a and 22a to provide ventilation for the user's
face. Similar ventilation openings 14a are provided on the side temple
portions 14 and 16 and, although not shown, could also be provided on the
brow portion 12.

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A throat guard 26 is shown mounted to the lower part of the
mask body.
A transparent flexible plastic lens 30 covers the opening formed
in the lens receiving portion 17 of the mask which extends between the brow
portion 12, the nose portion 18 and the cheek portions 22.
A pair of pins 32 and 34 is provided on each side of the mask
to secure the first part of the mask to the second part. More particularly,
and
referring also to figure 2, the lens receiving portion 17 has a pair of side
extensions 36 that lies behind the side temple portions 14 and 16 and are
provided with holes to receive pins 32. Similarly, the lower edge of each
temple portion 14 has a frontwardly extending portion 14b (see figure 4) that
lies behind the cheek portions 22 and is provided with a hole to receive pin
34.
The lens receiving portion 17 displays a pair of opposite
vertically extending bridge portions 40 which serve to retain the opposite
side
extremities 30a of the lens. An anchor clamp 42 is provided to secure the
inter-engagement of the lens extremities 30a to the bridge portions 40. A
detailed description of this clamp construction does not form part of the
present application; however, it does form part of a patent application filed
concurrently herewith.
Referring to figures 2 and 3, the throat guard 26 has a flared
crescent-shaped body which is pivotally mounted with respect to the axis of
both opposite pins 34. The lower edge 50 is outwardly curved. The upper
edge of the throat guard has a tongue-like projection 52 which contacts a lip
54 of the inwardly curved lower edge area 56 of the chin portion 20 of the
mask to thereby limit the lowermost pivotal position of the throat guard
(figure
2). The lower edge 50 extends outwardly slightly beyond the vertical plane

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passing through the lower edge 56 of the chin portion of the mask to define
the uppermost pivotal movement of the throat guard (figure 3).
Each pin 34 has a rounded head portion 34a and a split stem
portion 34b defining two semi-circular segments 60 and 62, the outer contour
of which is slightly greater than the circular holes extending through the
throat guard 26, the temple portion 14 and the cheek portion 22. Thus, to
insert pins 34 through the holes of the throat guard, the cheek portions 22
and the extensions 14b, segments 60 and 62 are inwardly flexed, and once
engaged, they snap outwardly to provide engagement of the throat guard to
the mask.
As shown in figures 3 and 4, a strap 64 is provided with its
extremities mounted to each pin 34 by means of a connecting element 66
which has, at one end thereof, an opening adapted to receive therein the
split stem portion 34b of the pin in a manner similar to that described above
for the throat guard.
Therefore, the removal of the strap as well as the throat guard
can be easily effected by a simple snap-out movement of these two
components of the face mask. Hence, the dimensions of the pin segments
and their associated connecting parts are such as to enable such snap-in
and snap-out without undue force. .
Although the invention has been described above with respect
with one specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that
it
may be modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have
it understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope,
except by the terms of the following claims.

Representative Drawing