Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controls its own optical systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2003-04-22
Allen, Stephone B. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controls its own optical systems
C349S014000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06552316
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glare protecting device and a method of controlling thereof, more particularly, for automatically controlling the transmission of light generated by a welding or cutting torch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A glare protecting device is used to protect a worker's eyes from light generated by a welding or cutting torch. With this glare protecting device, radiation above 780 nm(IR) and below 365 nm(UV) are filtered, and only the radiation in the visible range is dimmed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,099 discloses a glare protecting device comprising a glare protecting plate, an electronic circuit connected to the glare protecting plate for applying an electric operating voltage thereto, and a light sensor which detects a light and applies a signal corresponding to the detected signal to the electronic circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,232 discloses a glare protecting device comprising a glare protecting plate, an optical signal detector for producing a dimming signal, an evaluating circuit for controlling the glare protecting plate, and a controller for controlling the brightening time of the glare protecting plate and detecting the intensity of the light impinging on the light sensor. The controller is connected to a timing generator to detect the duration of the dimming signal produced by the detector, and comprises means to interlink the acquired data with respect to logic and/or time.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,232 detects the light intensity or the amount of light, and the welding duration, and interconnects these parameters with respect to logic and/or time by means of a suitable controller, thereby optimizing the brightening time.
The configuration of this device is simple, but time is delayed from an input of the welding light to an operation of a glare protecting device, and the power consumption is increased to operate a controller including a microcomputer for detecting a consistent change of the input light.
Products having an automatic off function for preventing continuous current consumption should manipulate an on-switch to restart, and should control the sensitivity of input light according to the condition of the welding.
Also, in an arrangement involving detecting the welding state by using a photo signal, a conventional glare protecting device can malfunction since a different signal would be detected depending on the welding and the kind of a welding machine.
Therefore, a glare protecting device using a non-optical detector composed of a transformer has been developed. But, when a magnetic field caused by surrounding noise impacts this device, the noise magnetic field continuously causes an unintentional malfunction and generates the light shutting phenomenon in the glare protecting plate, so that a worker cannot perceive the welding light with his eyes and cannot check the welding state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a glare protecting device with reduced power consumption.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a glare protecting device which can prevent malfunction and protect a worker's eyes safely by detecting light, electromagnetic waves, and temperature.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a glare protecting device to accomplish the above objects.
To accomplish the above objects, pursuant to the present invention, a glare protecting device for protecting eyes from a light is provided which comprises:
a solar cell which generates a solar voltage when the light is applied thereto;
an optical detector for generating a light detecting signal by detecting the light;
a non-optical detector for generating an electromagnetic wave detecting signal by detecting an electromagnetic wave;
a controller shifting to an operating mode when the light detecting signal is changed, disabling a driving control signal when the driving control signal is enabled, generating a starting signal and enabling the driving control signal in the event that the light and/or electromagnetic wave detecting signal is produced when the driving control signal is disabled, and then shifting to a stop mode;
a driving means for generating a driving signal by inputting a starting voltage in response to the starting signal and a driving voltage in response to the driving signal; and
a glare protecting plate which is driven in response to the driving signal;
to accomplish still another of the above object, pursuant to the present invention, a method of controlling a glare protecting device is provided comprising:
a light detector which detects a light and generates a light detecting signal;
an electromagnetic wave detector which detects an electromagnetic wave and generates an electromagnetic detecting signal;
a glare protecting plate for protecting eyes from the light; and
a controller which inputs the light and the electromagnetic wave for controlling on/off of the glare protecting plate,
wherein the method comprises steps of:
shifting to an operating mode when the light detecting signal is changed;
operating the glare protecting plate to be turned on in the event that the glare protecting plate is turned off in the operating mode and the light and/or electromagnetic wave detecting signals are generated, and to be turned off in the event that the glare protecting plate is turned on; and
shifting to a stop mode after the operating step of the glare protecting plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5444232 (1995-08-01), Gunz et al.
patent: 5751258 (1998-05-01), Fergason et al.
patent: 5793449 (1998-08-01), Lagerwall
patent: 5825441 (1998-10-01), Hornell et al.
patent: 5857215 (1999-01-01), Fergason et al.
patent: 5880793 (1999-03-01), Gunz et al.
patent: 5930047 (1999-07-01), Gunz et al.
patent: 5959705 (1999-09-01), Fergason
Allen Stephone B.
Hill Bradford
Otos Co., Ltd.
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