Personal protection system with a fan that includes curved blades

摘要

H-:/ixp~nmenvoven/NRPDTtbInDCQIXP/505O692_l.DOC-4/5/20jD A personal protection system for fitting over a head, said system comprising: a head band shaped to be fitted around the head; 5 a shell connected to said head band so as to be located above the head, the shell having an inlet opening; a motor mounted to said shell that is disposed within said shell; a fan mounted to said motor for rotation by said motor, said fan including: a base plate having a center and an outer perimeter; and a plurality of arcuately spaced apart 10 blades that extend upwardly from a surface of said base plate, said blades having longitudinal axis that extend from ends of said blades adjacent the center of said base plate to ends of said blades adjacent the outer perimeter of said base plate, wherein said blade are further shaped so as to be curved such that the longitudinal axes of said blades are curved and being tapered such that, extending distally from the ends of said blades 15 adjacent the center of said base plate, the cross sectional thickness of said blade decreases and wherein said motor and said fan are collectively positioned so that when said motor actuates said fan, said fan draws air in through the shell inlet opening; at least one nozzle connected to said shell for receiving air discharged by said fan, said nozzle positioned to direct air downwardly towards the head or neck; 20 a hood that is disposed over said head band, said shell and said nozzle so as to extend over the head and neck, said hood having a transparent face shield that is positioned to be forward of a front of the head; and a fastening assembly connected to at least one of said shell or said hood for releasably holding said hood to said shell. /G106i FIG - 1