Protective hood made of an elastic material

#The present invention pertains to a protective hood made of an elastic, elastomeric, gas-impermeable material, with a head area and with a neck area joining the head area with its top end.

#A protective hood made of an elastic material has become known from DE 27 21 727 C2. The prior-art protective hood is used for protection against undesired substances in an outside atmosphere, and it has an oxygen-breathing apparatus, through which a user of the hood can breathe air or oxygen in a suitable manner. The hood consists of an elastomeric material, which is in tight contact with the head of the user of the hood and is provided for different sizes of heads. When a uniform hood size is used for different head sizes, compromises must inevitably be made in the case of the prior-art protective hood. Good fitting shape is achieved, in general, for an average head size. If the same hood is placed on a larger head, it is generally seated too tightly. Since the hood is also stretched more extensively when placed on the larger head, the material of the hood can undergo plastic deformation, and the hood will no longer be in uniform contact with the face of the user of the hood. If, in contrast, the hood is used by a person with a smaller head, it will frequently fit loosely. If the hood has undergone plastic deformation when put on, or it is generally seated loosely on the head of the user of the hood, an oxygen-breathing apparatus located in the hood usually must also be secured with additional straps. This reduces the wear comfort. In addition, the head area and the neck area are designed as separate components in the prior-art hood, and they are connected to one another at a seam area. Such connection areas are especially prone to tearing; thus, a tear may develop in the hood at the connection area when put on.

#The primary object of the present invention is to improve a protective hood of the above-described type in terms of the wear properties and to dimension it such that an oxygen-breathing apparatus can be held by the hood material alone, without any additional straps. In addition, the hood shall be able to be manufactured in a simple manner and at low cost.

#In the drawings:

#The only figure is a front view of a protective hood, folded (or lying) flat.

#The only figure shows a protective hood 1, folded up flat, which has a head area 2, a neck area 4, which joins the head area 2 with its top end 3 in one piece, and a flaccid, collar-like shoulder part 6, which originates from a lower end 5 of the neck area 4. Within the head area 2, the protective hood 1 has a first opening 7 for an eye-protecting lens, not shown in the figure, and a second opening 8 for an oxygen-breathing apparatus, likewise not shown in the figure. The oxygen-breathing apparatus may be welded to the hood material or be connected to the hood material by means of a clip.

#With the protective hood 1 folded up flat, the smallest width 9 of the neck area 4 is about 120 mm, the greatest width 10 of the head area 2 is about 287 mm, and the height 11 of the head area 2, measured from the top end 3 of the neck area 4, is about 330 mm.

#The protective hood 1 is made of an elastomeric material, which has an elongation at tear greater than or equaling 600% and an elastic modulus 100% within the range of 0.15 to 1.3N/ram.sup.2. Such material properties can be set by selecting the percentage of the plasticizer in the elastomer mixture. The percentage of the plasticizer is between 3% and 17%, and the plasticizer is paraffin-based. The thickness of the hood material of the protective hood 1 is 0.3 mm.