3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovation Properties Company

Frank J Fabin

William A Mittelstadt

Floyd L Foslien

James A Burns

Robert J Mattila

Alan J Solyntjes

David P Knivsland

Joseph G Reischel

Michael J Bartholomew

A modular respirator system has interchangeable facial lenses and body seals such as a full facepiece seal or a hood. A method of conversion from a full facepiece respirator to a hood respirator, or vice versa, is also disclosed. In one embodiment, lens conversion is accomplished without changing the type of body seal. In another embodiment, a breathable gas delivery conduit is connected to the facial lens and interchanged between the body seals together with the facial lens.

Modular respirators and a method of conversion thereof

A jaw piece is attachable to a base edge of the helmet. The jaw piece and a portion of the base edge of the helmet define a user viewing window. A first face shield is pivotable between an open position and a closed position extending across the viewing window. A seal is provided to engage with a perimeter of the viewing window when the first face shield is in the closed position. The attaching assembly for attaching the first face shield comprises a helmet cam having first helmet cam surfaces configured to releasably attach the first face shield to the protective helmet system and second helmet cam surfaces configured to releasably attach a second face shield to the protective helmet. The attaching assembly generates a first biasing force to bias the seal toward the perimeter of the viewing window when the first face shield is in the closed position.

Protective helmet system

A jaw piece is attachable to a base edge of the helmet. The jaw piece and a portion of the base edge of the helmet define a user viewing window. A first face shield is pivotable between an open position and a closed position extending across the viewing window. A seal is provided to engage with a perimeter of the viewing window when the first face shield is in the closed position. The attaching assembly for attaching the first face shield comprises a helmet cam having first helmet cam surfaces configured to releasably attach the first face shield to the protective helmet system and second helmet cam surfaces configured to releasably attach a second face shield to the protective helmet. The attaching assembly generates a first biasing force to bias the seal toward the perimeter of the viewing window when the first face shield is in the closed position and a second biasing force to bias the first face shield away from the jaw piece when in the open position.

Protective helmet system with cam for attaching first and second face

Inlet port adaptor on a full-face respirator lens

A lens film is used in filtering visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light. The lens film has one or more metallized layers stacked together. Each metallized layer has a substrate with a metal coating covering one face of the substrate. One or more protecting layers are disposed over the stack of metallized layers to provide protection film. The lens film also has an ultraviolet absorbing material, such as an ultraviolet absorbing binder or substrate material. The lens film can be configured so that it meets the American National Standards Institute's shade standards for protection from harmful or intense light. The lens film can be mounted on a lens of an eye protection device. One method of mounting the lens is to provide an adhesive layer over a portion of the lens film and then binding the lens film to the lens with the adhesive layer.

Light filtering lens film

A self-registering piston for an pressure regulator that minimizes variability of the target regulated pressure. The pressure regulator valve includes a valve body having a valve seat interposed between an inlet port supplying unregulated pressure and an outlet port. A piston having a piston seat at a first end and a counter-force surface on the second end is positioned to translate axially from an engaged position when a piston seat is engaged with a valve seat and a disengaged position. A biasing mechanism is provided to bias the piston toward the disengaged position. The pressure regulator includes a passageway extending generally from proximate the piston seat to the counter-force surface to couple the counter-force surface with the regulated pressure. The regulated pressure acts on the counter-force surface in opposition to the combination of the unregulated pressure acting on the piston seat, the deformation force necessary to deform the piston seat and achieve an air-tight seal, and the biasing mechanism acting on the piston. A retaining mechanism is provided for releasably retaining the piston seat to the valve seat. A guide mechanism is provided for maintaining a fixed rotational orientation of the piston seat with respect to the valve seat so that a substantially identical rotational orientation is achieved when the piston is removed and reinserted into the valve body.

Growing community of inventors

Eagan, MN, United States of America

Frank J Fabin