Bionic Wrench Inventor Creates Low-Cost Face Shield For Masses
T
o combat the nation's critical shortage of protective gear for essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic, Bionic-Wrench inventor Dan Brown Sr. and his son have developed an inexpensive face shield they can mass-produce quickly in the U.S.
The company can manufacture and distribute millions per week, starting late April.
InstaShield is a non-medical-grade face shield that fits securely around the bill of a cap. It covers the entire face and curves partially around the sides, helping provide eye, nose and mouth shielding from airborne droplets, such as those projected from sneezing and coughing. Wearing a shield discourages face touching, another way the virus can spread. It also adds a layer of protection over a mask.
Brown Sr. is a serial inventor, and he works closely with Dan Brown Jr., who runs LoggerHead Tools, a U.S. hand-tool manufacturer. When they saw news reports of people creating homemade protective face shields from 3-D printers -- a process that takes about 30 minutes per unit -- they were determined to use their design, manufacturing and commercialization knowledge to create a face protector they could mass-produce and get to essential workers and consumers right away.
We recognized there was not only a need for face shields for medical workers, but all the essential workers on the front line, said Brown Jr. The design had to be affordable and quickly mass-producible. We don't have six months to get to market. He added that they are developing a medical-grade version of the design.
Most face shields attach directly to the head with elastic or adjustable straps, or attach to glasses or specialized headgear. InstaShield is the first to be secured around the bill of a baseball-type cap without clips or other support. Because billed caps are commonly found and worn by many essential workers, InstaShield is an easy way to add protection.
I decided to focus on the shield versus the headgear because that is the solution, said Brown Sr. Eliminating the headgear enables us to mass-produce InstaShield from a single sheet of plastic with existing technology. And because the product ships flat, we have low distribution costs, and we can pass the savings on to the consumer.
For its launch, the company is offering a Million-Shield Challenge. For every InstaShield sold on its website, the company will donate a shield to a front-line worker or senior. InstaShield is available now in packs of 5 for $9.99 at InstaShieldUSA.com and soon at Amazon.com.
InstaShield is intended for workers who come in contact with others, such as delivery drivers, grocery employees, tradespeople, service providers, military and government personnel and those in retail environments. It also provides extra protection for anyone attending to daily tasks.
For best practices, InstaShield is most effective when worn with a mask and combined with hand washing, social distancing and sheltering at home. It can be cleaned and sanitized easily between wearings or recycled after use.
InstaShield LLC makes affordable face shields for the masses. The company is headquartered in Chicago and manufactures its products in the U.S.
✔️ Bionic Wrench Inventor Creates Low-Cost Face Shield For Masses
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