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  Face protector and method of useUSPTO Application #: 20070192946Title: Face protector and method of use Abstract: A face protector including a face plate configured to protect a user's face and ears without protecting substantially the remainder of the user's head; and a lens removably connected to the face plate. (end of abstract) Agent: Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP - San Diego, CA, US Inventor: Jerry Dean Wright USPTO Applicaton #: 20070192946 - Class: 002424000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Guard Or Protector, For Wearer's Head, And Face The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070192946. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/083,573, filed Mar. 18, 2005, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,095 on Jan. 30, 2007, and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of the following provisional patent applications: U.S. Provisional Application 60/554,320, filed Mar. 18, 2004; U.S. Provisional Application 60/554,321, filed Mar. 18, 2004; and U.S. Provisional Application 60/606,948, filed Sep. 3, 2004. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates, in general, to devices and methods for protection of a wearer's face from outdoor environmental elements (e.g., cold, rain, wind, debris, hail, snow). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Current products on the market including, but not limited to, motorcycle helmets, snowboarding helmets, ski helmets, etc., all are meant to protect the entire head from falls or injury to the entire head and not used solely for front head and face protection. All are comprised of some type of hard material, are full-shelled helmets, are not compactable, and do not allow for efficient stowing, storage. These helmets are also heavy and are susceptible to mildew when used in wet environments and not dried or stored in dry environments (e.g., boats). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] To solve these problems and others, the present invention involves a face protector to protect the front of a user's head (i.e., forehead, face, eyes, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth and nose) from the elements associated with outdoor activities (or other activities) such as, but not limited to, during boat travel in sport leisure and commercial fishing, snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, paint ball, law enforcement, fire fighting, motorcycling, dune buggy or rails, ATV, air soft, spectator sports (e.g., NASCAR car racing, NFL/college football, NHL/college hockey), commercial activities such as airline industry, landscaping, and governmental activities such as military, lake patrols, etc. [0005] In an aspect of the invention, the face protector includes a face plate and a removable/interchangeable lens that together cover the forehead, eyes, face, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, ears, and nose. The face protector extends from the top of the forehead down to the just behind the ear portion and covers the front of the face. The removable/interchangeable lens may come in clear, smoked, yellow, and tinted versions to protect the eyes while allowing vision. A stretchable, elastic, water-resistant strap, which connects to the face plate at the ear portion with a strap clip, is used to hold the face protector in position in front of the user's face. The face protector is small, light-weight, stowable, comfortable, compactable, durable, and water-resistant. [0006] In another aspect of the invention, the face protector includes a face plate similar to that mentioned above pivotally connected to a stationary goggle frame. The frame is connected to the user's head with a stretchable, elastic, water-resistant strap. This allows the face plate to be pivoted upward and rearward, retracted to a position where the face plate is no longer in front of the user's face. When the user desires face protection, the face plate can be pivoted downward, to a deployed position in front of the user's face. [0007] Implementations of either or both of the face protectors described above may include one or more of the following: a face cushion, an insert between the face cushion and the face plate, the insert includes ventilation paths for providing ventilation to the inside of the face protector, a replaceable forehead logo insert, opposite headphone speakers in ear portions with a wire/plug (for plugging into a separate CD player, MP3 player, Apple IPOD (or other musical device with hard drive), AM and/or FM receiver/tuner, or two-way radio), an AM and/or FM receiver/tuner, a flashlight in the forehead portion, and a two-way radio in the face plate with an attached microphone in mouth portion. [0008] A further aspect of the invention involves a method of using a face protector. The method includes providing a face protector including a lens and a face plate configured to protect the forehead, eyes, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, ears, and nose of a user without protecting substantially the remainder of the user's head; applying the face protector to the user's head; wearing the face protector during an activity; and removing the face protector after the activity. [0009] Implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above may include one or more of the following: the face protector further includes a strap, and applying includes applying the face protector to the user's head by sliding the face plate and strap over the users head and securing the face plate in position in front of the user's face with the strap; providing includes providing the face protector with a goggle-shaped cushion member and a goggle-shaped insert disposed between the goggle-shaped cushion member and the face plate; and the goggled-shaped insert includes means for ventilating the face protector. [0010] Another aspect of the invention involves a face protector including a face plate configured to protect a user's face and ears without protecting substantially the remainder of the user's head; and a lens removably connected to the face plate. Implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above may include one or more of the following: The visor is removably connected to the face plate. The face protector further includes a forehead member removably connected to the face plate. The forehead member includes one or more ventilation sections for allowing air flow to and from the lens to prevent fogging of the lens. The face plate includes an integral forehead member. The face plate includes a mouth portion with ventilation openings therein. The ventilation openings include at least one dimension less than 6 mm. The face plate includes ear portions with openings therein. The openings in the ear portions include at least one dimension less than 6 mm. The face protector further includes separate top and bottom cushion members and separate top and bottom inserts disposed between the separate top and bottom cushion members and the face plate. The face plate includes an exterior and a protected interior, and the lens is removably connected to the face plate in the protected interior of the face plate and not exposed to the exterior. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a face protector. [0012] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0013] FIG. 3 is a right side-elevational view of the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1, the left side-elevational view being a mirror image thereof. [0014] FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0015] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the face plate protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0016] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the face plate protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0017] FIG. 7 is an exploded front perspective view of the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0018] FIG. 8 is an exploded rear perspective view of the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1. [0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an insert for the face protector illustrated in FIG. 1. Continue reading... Full patent description for Face protector and method of use Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Face protector and method of use patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Face protector and method of use or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Sports helmet Next Patent Application: Protective apparel with improved doffing Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Face protector and method of use patent info. 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