Protective face mask

Claim 1

A protective face mask for snowmobilers and the like comprising: a. a flexible body portion having side edges and a bottom edge, said body portion being formed to cover substantially all portions of the face of a wearer that are exposed to the weather; b. a fitted chin portion formed in said flexible body portion c. eye and breathing openings formed in said body portion; d. means for securing said body portion in relatively tight abutting engagement with the face of a wearer to substantially prevent exhaled air from passing upwardly under said body portion toward the eye openings; e. a flexible skirt formed from a generally triangular piece of material, having a pair of side edges thereof affixed to the outer surface of said body portion from an apex of the skirt located between the breathing and eye openings, downwardly and outwardly along an inverted, generally V-shaped seam located on opposite sides of at least the breathing opening, to partially surround the breathing opening, said skirt being larger than the area within said V-shaped seam to thereby form a downwardly opening, generally conically shaped air duct between the skirt and the body portion, said skirt extending down to at least the chin of the wearer to direct exhaled air away from said eye openings; f. a flexible front neck portion extending generally downwardly from said chin portion to cover the front of a wearer''s neck; and g. a pair of flexible Ear flaps attached to said body portion by joining a first edge of each said flap to a side edge of said body portion generally opposite said eye openings, said flaps extending outwardly from said body portion to cover the ears of a wearer, and a second edge of said flaps being attached to an adjacent edge of said flexible neck piece.