Facemask

Claim 1

A facemask for use in a closed circuit breathing system comprising: a soft, flexible hood for closely covering the head of a user and having a cut-away portion at opposite side positions corresponding to the user's ears for exposing the user's ears when the facemask is worn; a transparent flexible eye piece secured to said hood for allowing the user to see therethrough, said eye piece being substantially flush with the hood for forming a continuous, low profile contour with said hood; a breathing mask secured to said hood and including means adapted to hermetically envelope the mouth and the nostrils of the user when the facemask is worn by the user for forming a closed breathing chamber between said breathing mask and the facial skin of the user, said breathing mask having means for connecting breathing hoses to said breathing mask for directly flow of breathing gas directly into and out of said breathing mask, a voice disc on said breathing mask for allowing voice communications by the user, and check valve means in said means for connecting breathing hoses for regulating the direction of flow of the inhalation and exhalation gases to and from said breathing chamber; and supporting means constituting part of said hood for firmly supporting said breathing mask on the oro-nasal portion of the user's face and constituted by inelastic straps integrally attached to said hood and extending across the top and down the back of said hood, and inelastic adjusting bands connected across said cut-away portion of said hood adjacent the lower edges of said hood and means for adjusting said bands to adjustably secure the hood to the head of a user.