US5091996A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Face mask
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1991-04-02
•
Granted: 1992-03-03
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Expires: 2011-04-02
Abstract
Abstract A face mask including a sheet of flexible material for concealing at least a portion of a hunter's face utilizes a wire secured to the sheet of material for positioning adjacent the eyes of the hunter and an elastic strap associated with the wire for securing the mask about the hunter's head. When the mask is operatively worn, at least a portion of the wire is positioned beneath and adjacent the hunter's eyes and is biased by the strap into close-fitting relationship with the skin of the hunter's face. The wire can be manually shaped along the length thereof to conform the contour of the wire to the general contours of the portions of the face across which the wire is adapted to overlie so that when the wire is biased against the wearer's face during wear of the mask, the mask is worn with relative comfort. The mask of this invention can be either in the form of a half-mask for covering only the lower portion of the hunter's face or in the form of a hood for concealing substantially the entire head of the hunter.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard C. Kirby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 22:21
CPC Classifications
A; A42; A42B; A42B1/00; A42B1/018; A42B1/0186; A42B1/0187; A01; A01M; A01M31/00; A41; A41D; A41D13/00; A41D13/05; A41D13/11; A41D13/1107; A41D13/1153; A42B1/04; A42B1/046; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/919
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
332 words
A face mask comprising: a) a sheet of flexible material having a camouflage pattern for partially concealing a hunter's face and positionable generally about the face of the wearer and depending generally downwardly from the bridge of the nose of the wearer when the mask is operatively worn so as to cover the end of the nose and the regions of the wearer's cheeks immediately beneath the eyes; b) elongate means associated with said sheet and including two side portions and a mid-portion extending between said side portions and possessing sufficient length so that when the mask is operatively worn, said elongate means generally spans the entire width of and overlies the wearer's face so that each of said side portions is positioned adjacent a corresponding side of the wearer's face, said elongate means being in the form of a loop for generally encircling both eyes of the wearer when the mask is operatively worn and for defining an unobstructed single open viewing space for both eyes; c) elastomeric means joined to said elongate means for securing said elongate means in operative position across the face and encircling the eyes of the wearer; d) said elongate means being manually shapeable along the length thereof and in conformity with the contours of the wearer's face and capable of retaining its shape once bent in conformity to the face contours so that the contours of said elongate means can be altered to conform to the contour of the portions of the wearer's face across which the elongate means is positioned to overlie and each of said side portions can be bent rearwardly of the face at the corresponding side of the wearer's head so that any part of said sheet of material located outboard of the wearer's eyes is effectively held by said side portions out of the wearer's peripheral field of vision; and e) sleeve means associated with said sheet of material and forming a sleeve within which said elongate means is positioned.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
332 words
A face mask comprising: a) a sheet of flexible material having a camouflage pattern for partially concealing a hunter's face and positionable generally about the face of the wearer and depending generally downwardly from the bridge of the nose of the wearer when the mask is operatively worn so as to cover the end of the nose and the regions of the wearer's cheeks immediately beneath the eyes; b) elongate means associated with said sheet and including two side portions and a mid-portion extending between said side portions and possessing sufficient length so that when the mask is operatively worn, said elongate means generally spans the entire width of and overlies the wearer's face so that each of said side portions is positioned adjacent a corresponding side of the wearer's face, said elongate means being in the form of a loop for generally encircling both eyes of the wearer when the mask is operatively worn and for defining an unobstructed single open viewing space for both eyes; c) elastomeric means joined to said elongate means for securing said elongate means in operative position across the face and encircling the eyes of the wearer; d) said elongate means being manually shapeable along the length thereof and in conformity with the contours of the wearer's face and capable of retaining its shape once bent in conformity to the face contours so that the contours of said elongate means can be altered to conform to the contour of the portions of the wearer's face across which the elongate means is positioned to overlie and each of said side portions can be bent rearwardly of the face at the corresponding side of the wearer's head so that any part of said sheet of material located outboard of the wearer's eyes is effectively held by said side portions out of the wearer's peripheral field of vision; and e) sleeve means associated with said sheet of material and forming a sleeve within which said elongate means is positioned.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said elongate means is of narrow cross-section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said elongate means is in the form of a wire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said wire is composed of metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said elongate means is a metal wire of twelve gauge size.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said elongate means includes an elongate body of deformable material capable of being bent along the length thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said elastomeric means includes an elastomeric member extending between the side portions of said elongate means so that when said mask is operatively worn, the elastomeric member is arranged in a stretched condition across the back of the head and biases the elongate means into a snug-fitting relationship with the front of the wearer's face.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A face mask according to claim 7, wherein said elastomeric member is in the form of an elastic strap having two opposite ends, each of said strap ends being joined to the corresponding one of the side portions of the elongate means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means includes means defining a relatively soft layer for positioning between said elongate means and the skin of the wearer's face.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means is of a material sized and shaped to accommodate the formation of said sleeve means into a loop about said open viewing space without appreciably wrinkling said sleeve means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A face mask according to claim 10, wherein the material out of which said sleeve means is constructed possesses a degree of stretchability.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A face mask according to claim 11, wherein the material out of which said sleeve means is constructed is a knitted material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means and said sheet material are constructed of dissimilar materials.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means includes a relatively thin wall so as not to appreciably contribute to the bulkiness of the mask adjacent said open viewing space.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means is constructed so as to provide a cushion of relatively uniform softness along the entire length of the elongate means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sheet of flexible material is net material which has an outer surface which bears said camouflage pattern.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A face mask according to claim 16, wherein said sleeve means is composed of a knitted material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A face mask according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve means is composed of a knitted material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-03-03 | 1995-09-02 | 1996-03-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-03 | 1999-09-02 | 2000-03-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-03 | 2003-09-02 | 2004-03-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |