MIA4
`
`3
`
`US 20070116
`
`as) United States
`a2) Patent Application Publication (0) Pub. No.: US 2007/0116314 Al
`(43) Pub. Date: May24, 2007
`
`Grilliot et al.
`
`(54) FACEMASK-EARPIECE COMBINATION
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: William L. Grilliot, Dayton, OH (US);
`Mary I. Grilliot, Dayton, OH (US)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`WOOD, PHILLIPS, KATZ, CLARK &
`MORTIMER
`500 W. MADISON STREET
`SUITE3800
`CHICAGO, IL 60661 (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: Morning Pride Manufacturing, L.L.C.
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`11/247,061
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Oct. 11, 2005
`
`(51)
`
`OVI
`
`(57)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`HO4AR Wed
`(2006.01)
`HOAR 17A2
`(2006.01)
`HO4R 19/04
`(2006.01)
`HO4R 21/02
`(2006.01)
`HOAR 9/08
`Lichachc la
`Bereererenensercerterstetrersesrenesettmeerereetseerereeeeeers 381/367
`
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`As wornbya firefighter or by an emergency rescue worker,
`a facemask is combined with an earpiece, which is mounted
`to the facemask, via an arm, so as to extend into anear canal
`of a wearer wearing the facemask. The earpiece comprises
`a temperature sensor, whichis arranged to measure a tem-
`perature in the ear canal of the wearer. Via knowntechnol-
`ogy, the temperature can be then used to calculate, deter-
`mine, or approximate body core temperature ofthe wearer.
`The earpiece comprises a microphone and a speaker, which
`provide for audible communication between the wearer and
`another.
`
`
`
`42
`
`0001
`
`Apple Inc.
`APL1052
`U.S. Patent No. 8,652,040
`
`Apple Inc.
`APL1052
`U.S. Patent No. 8,652,040
`
`0001
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`

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`«i GSI
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`Si
`147°
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`42
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`0002
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`US 2007/0116314 Al
`
`May24, 2007
`
`FACEMASK-EARPIECE COMBINATION
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`TECHNICALFIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`{0001] This invention pertains to a facemask of a type
`wornbya firefighter or by an emergency rescue worker, as
`combined with an earpiece, which is mounted to the face-
`mask.
`
`FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, pictorial view illustrating
`(0009]
`a firefighter, whois wearing a face mask connected by a hose
`to an air tank (not illustrated) of a self-contained breathing
`apparatus and whoalso is wearing a hood, a helmet, and an
`earpiece, which is mounted to a frame of the facemask, via
`an arm.
`
`BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION
`
`1, is a
`FIG. 2, on a larger scale compare to FIG.
`{0010]
`fragmentary, pictorial view of whatis illustrated in FIG. 1,
`as seen from a different vantage without
`the hood and
`without the helmet.
`
`[0002] Measuring body core temperature or measuring a
`temperature enabling body core temperature to be calcu-
`[0011] FIG. 3, onalarger scale compared to FIG. 2, is a
`
`lated, determined, or approximated can be very important to
`perspective view of the earpiece.
`a firefighter or to an emergency rescue worker, either of
`whomcan become overheated to a potentially fatal condi-
`tion.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
`
`In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US
`[0003]
`2004/0242976 A1, it is disclosed in FIG. 55 and in paragraph
`0439 to mount a temperature sensor on a nosepiece of a
`mask, such as a mask for a firefighter. The temperature
`sensor is used to sense, on an external region on the nose of
`a wearer, a temperature approximating body core tempera-
`ture,
`
`In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US
`[0004]
`2005/0177034 Al, the disclosure of which is incorporated
`herein by reference, an ear canal sensing deviceis disclosed.
`The ear canal sensing device, which is inserted into an ear
`canal of a wearer, is employed to monitor physiological
`factors, which can include a temperature approximating
`body core temperature. Furthermore, it is disclosed that the
`ear canal sensing device can be also adapted to provide full
`duplex (two-way) communication, via a speaker and a
`microphone.
`
`{0005] As exemplified in numerous priorpatents including
`US. Pat. No. 4,993,419, No. 5,012,813, No. 5,199,436, No.
`5,445,158, No. 5,381,796, No. 5,653,238, No. 6,047,205,
`and No. 6,219,573 Bl; technology is known, by which to
`calculate, determine, or approximate body core temperature
`from a temperature sensed in an ear canal.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0006] This invention provides, for a firefighter or for an
`emergency rescue worker, a novel combination comprising
`a facemask and an earpiece, which is mounted to the
`facemask so as to extend into an ear canal of a wearer
`wearing the facemask.
`
`[0007] Preferably, the earpiece comprises a temperature
`sensor, whichis arranged to measure a temperaturein the ear
`canal of the wearer. Via knowntechnology, the temperature
`can be then used to calculate, determine, or approximate
`body core temperature of the wearer. Preferably, the earpiece
`comprises a microphone, a speaker, or both so as to provide
`for audible communication between the wearer and another.
`
`to
`the facemask comprises a frame,
`[0008] Preferably,
`which the earpiece 1s mounted. Preferably, the combination
`comprises an arm, by which the earpiece is mounted to the
`frame.
`
`[0012] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a firefighter is
`wearing a face mask 10, which is connected by a hose 12 to
`an air tank of a self-contained breathing apparatus and also
`is wearing a hood 20, a helmet 30, and an earpiece 40, which
`is mounted to a frame 12 ofthe facemask 10, via an arm 42
`mounted to a side portion 14 of the frame 12. The arm 42 is
`a telescoping arm, which can be lengthwise adjusted and
`which can be upwardly and downwardly adjusted along the
`side portion 14 of the frame 12, so as to enable the earpiece
`40 to be properly positioned where a projecting portion 42
`ofthe earpiece 40 can enter the ear canal of one ear ofthe
`firefighter. Except as illustrated and described herein, the
`earpiece 40 is similar to the ear canal sensing device
`disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US
`2005/0177034 Al, supra.
`
`[0013] Onthe projecting portion 42, the earpiece 40 has a
`temperature sensor 50, which is useful to sense a tempera-
`ture continuously, intermittently, or whenever polled, at a
`location at or near a surface of the firefighter’s ear canal
`entered by the projecting portion 42. Via knowntechnology,
`the sensed temperature is used to calculate, determine, or
`approximates the body core temperature of the firefighter
`wearing the earpiece 40. The sensed temperature can be
`electronically transmitted, either via a wired connection (not
`illustrated) or wirelessly, e.g., via Bluetooth technology, to a
`monitor carried by thefirefighter in a pocket. Desirably, the
`monitor is equipped with an alarm, which emits an audible
`signal wheneverthe sensed temperature equals or exceeds a
`preset temperature. The sensed temperature can be wire-
`lessly transmitted, e.g., via simplex (one-way) radio com-
`munication, to a monitor being monitored by a safety officer,
`who may be located at a command center.
`
`(0014] Onthe projecting portion 42, the earpiece 40 has a
`microphone 60, which enables the firefighter wearing the
`earpiece to speak to anotherfirefighter, a safety oflicer, or an
`incident commander, who may be located at a command
`center. On the projecting portion 42, the earpiece 40 has a
`speaker 70, which enables another firefighter, a safety
`officer, or an incident commander, who may be located at a
`command center,
`to speak to the firefighter wearing the
`earpiece 40. The microphone 60 and the speaker 70 may be
`components of a duplex (two-way) radio communications
`system. in a preferred embodiment, the earpiece 40 has a
`programmable microchip 100, which is programmed (a) to
`store a preset
`temperature, (b) to receive a temperature
`
`0003
`
`0003
`
`

`

`US 2007/0116314 Al
`
`May24, 2007
`
`sensed by the temperature sensor 50, (c) to compare the
`sensed and preset temperatures, and (d) if the sensed tem-
`perature equals or exceeds the preset temperature, then to
`sound an alarm via the speaker 70, but (e) if the sensed
`temperature does not equal or exceedthe preset temperature,
`then not to sound the alarm.
`
`Inanalternative embodiment, the temperature sen-
`(0015]
`sor 50 is not employed in step (b) but the microchip 100 is
`programmed in step (b) to receive a temperature sensed by
`one of the temperature-sensing means disclosed in U.S.
`Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0177034 Al,
`supra.
`
`1. For a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, a
`novel combination comprising a facemask and an earpiece,
`which is mounted to the facemask so as to extend into an ear
`
`canal of a wearer wearing the facemask.
`
`2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the earpiece
`comprises a temperature sensor, which is arranged to mea-
`sure a temperature in the ear canal ofthe wearer.
`3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the earpiece
`comprises a microphone, a speaker, or both so as to provide
`for audible communication between the wearer and another.
`4. The combination of claim 2, wherein the earpiece
`comprises a temperature sensor, which is arranged to mea-
`sure a temperature in the ear canal of the wearer.
`5. The combination of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the
`facemask comprises a frame,
`to which the earpiece is
`mounted.
`6. The combination ofclaim 5, wherein the combination
`comprises an arm, by which the earpiece is mounted to the
`frame.
`
`0004
`
`0004
`
`