BUSE DE SOUFFLAGE

AIR JET

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention provides a hat for use in maintaining
the vicinity of the body of the wearer free from insects or cool-
ing the upper body of the wearer as desired, comprising an outer
shell and an inner shell disposed inside the outer shell and,
defining a space between the shells, fan means disposed in said
outer shell so as on activation to create a flow of air in said
space between said shells, power source means adated to drive
said fan at a high speed to provide a flow of air completely
over the body of the wearer to remove any insects in the vicinity
of the wearer or at a lower speed to provide a flow of air over
the upper body of the wearer and nozzle means adapted to direct
the air from said fan exiting from said hat around said body of
said wearer.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION TO WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A hat for use in maintaining the vicinity of the body
of the wearer free from insects or cooling the upper body of
the wearer as desired, comprising an outer shell and an inner
shell disposed inside the outer shell and, defining a space
between the shells, fan means disposed in said outer shell
so as on activation to create a flow of air in said space
between said shells, power source means adapted to drive said
fan at a high speed to provide a flow of air completely over the
body of the wearer to remove any insects in the vicinity of the
wearer or at a lower speed to provide a flow of air over the
upper body of the wearer and nozzle means adapted to direct the
air from said fan exiting from said hat around said body of said
wearer.
2. A hat as claimed in Claim 1 in which the power source
is a battery located in the hat, the fan means comprising a fan
unit disposed in the hat so as to be on top of the wearer's head.
3. A hat as claimed in Claim 2 in which the battery is
located at the back of the wearer's head.
4. A hat as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the fan
is a dual-speed fan unit.
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Description

The present invention relates to head gear and, in
particular, to a hat for use in maintaining ~he vicinity of the
body of a wearer free from insects or cooling the upper body
of the wearer as desired.
According to the present in~ention therefore, there is
provided a hat for use in maintaining the vicinity of the body
of a wearer free from insects or cooling the upper body of the
wearer as desired, comprising an outer shell and an inner shell
disposed inside the outer shell, defining a space between the
shells/ fan means being disposed in said outer shell so as on
activation to create a flow of air in said space between said
shells, power source means adapted to drive said fan at a high
speed to provide a flow of air completely over the body of the
wearer to remove any insects in the vicinity of the wearer or
at a lower speed to provide a flow of air over the upper body of
the wearer and nozzle rneans adapted to direct the air from said
fan exiting from said hat around said bod~ of said wearer.
Suitably, the power source is a battery located in the
hat preferably so as to be at the back of the wearer's head, the
~0 fan means comprising a fan disposed in the hat so as to be on
top of the wearer's head. The fan is desirably a dual speed
fan unit.
Thus, the present invention is based upon the concept
of using a two--speed battery powered fan in a helmet cover
especially designed to produce air by deflection. When run at
high speed a balloon or cone of air is projected sufficiently
far with sufficient strength to keep bugs away from the body
in bug infested climates and, when run at a low speed a gentle
flow of air is projected on the face and o~ the upper body to
cool the body in hot weather, and thus the hat is essentially
a portable outside air conditioner. ~he battery unit is suitably
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placed above the neck at the back of the head and connected to
the fan unit which is suitably on the top of the head~ The
fan is desirably a noiseless, very light wei~ht fan, suitably
made of plastic, with a size and number o~ blades suitable for
use in such a hat, combined with the hat design cover, in
co-ordination ~ith the pitch and speed of the fan blades. A
balloon or a cone of air projected far enough, for example,
6 to ~ feet, keeps the bugs away from the head to the toe of the
person wearing the hat, and, with a small flow of air at the top
of the head to protect the body from top to bottom and around
without air-flow on the face. A balioon o~ air can be produced
by deflection on the shells of the hat to create multiple forces
of air, set up in such a way that it will make inter-crossing
twisted air-vents that will make a whirlwind of airflows that
-the bugs cannot fight. Alternatively, a cone of air will be
produced by deflection of the air between two shells of the hat
creating multiple air cones having a downward direction.
The hat is suitably a helmet which is set up to fit and
can be put in place very quickly. Essentially all that is
re~uired is putting on of the hat and wearing the hat as a
conventional one. The hat is no more cumbersome than a
conventional hat. The battery is suitably placed vertically
~t the back of the head, although it may be a little large in
size it does not feel heavy on the headO Thus, it will be
recognized that the hat of the present invention is useful
in many countries of the world sufferin~ from bugs and, is part-
icularly of use to fishermen, golfers, gardeners, farmers, and
children playing outdoors, who come into contact with such bugs.
At the present time insecticides are in general use which are
undesirable. The hat of the present invention is very useful
in hot countries and may be used both ways, i.e., at times as a
bug chaser and, at times as an air-conditioner. It is essential,
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of course, that the hat includes a shell to protect the hair and
fingers catching the blades of the fan in any possible fashion.
When used as an air conditioner, using the low-speed fan, the low
speed fan will generate a small flow of air on the face and on
thc upper body of the person to cool off in hot weather. It is,
of course, possible to have separate fan units connected to the
same battery unit to provide the high-speed and low-speed fans.
The battery used in driving the fan is desirably small
and light as possible and/ desirably no bigger than five inches
in len~th and two inches in width and, may be as deep as three-
quarters of an inch at the bottom to a quarter of an inch at the
top and, curved in such a way to fit the back of the head above
the neck as close as possible. This allows less weight on the
back of the head. However, the battery must be powerful enough
to power the fan as long as possible, desirably from six to
eight hours or more, before it requires recharging, automatically
or on a rechargeable unit. A set of batteries can, of course,
be used. The hat can be held on the head by adjustable plastic
straps devised to fit the head. The hat should be shaped around
2Q the head and down both sides to permit the wearer to place the
fan and the battery in the place which feels most comfortable.
The present invention will be further illustrated by way
of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the head of the wearer of tihe
hat;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hat o~ Figure l;
FIG. 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 with the head
removed and partially broken away to show the operation of
the fan.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, the hat 1 is
held on the wearer's head by the strap 2 and, comprises an outer
shell 3 and an inner shell 4, separated by equi-spaced struts 5
for rigidity. The outer shell 3 has air-intakes 6 secured

against bug entry, disposed above a 2-speed fan 7 including a
motor 8 so as to force air between through the passage 9 between
the ou~er and inner shells 3 and 4, and over the wearer's face
and body as required. The fan is driven from batteries and is
controlled by a three position twist switch 11 which in a
first position switches the fan 7 off, in a second position the
fan is driven at low speed and, in a third position the fan is
driven at high speed. Such switches 11 are well known in the
art~