Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-02-13
Neas, Michael A. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light shielding helmet which includes a helmet shell and one or more lens assemblies to be mounted on the shell.
The invention has been developed primarily for use in welding operations and will be described hereinafter with reference to that application. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to that particular field of use and is also applicable to helmets used during cutting or grinding operations, in metal production, or other applications where an operator using the helmet is subjected to high intensity radiation and particle splatter (e.g., molten metal fragments).
Many welding helmets are known. A common helmet includes a shell with a fixed lens for protecting the eyes of a user during a welding operation. It is also known to use a filter lens which automatically darkens in response to high intensity light from the welding operation, thereby attenuating that light to avoid damage to the user's eyes. In another known arrangement, referred to as a “lift front” helmet, the filter lens is moveable between filtering and non-filtering positions, and must be manually toggled between the two positions by the user in response to the timing of the steps of the welding operation. It is also known to releasably mount a lens cartridge to a helmet, such as that manufactured and sold by Hornell Elektrooptic AB and designated the Speedglas® 9000 helmet.
As will be understood by those skilled in the welding industry, different lens sizes are used for different welding applications and according to personal preference. For example, lens sizes of 133×144 mm (5×4 in.) and 83×108 mm (2×4 in.) are commonly used in the United States and Australia. Each lens size usually requires a helmet shell having a specific configuration. As a result, helmet shells of multiple configurations must be made and stocked. This increases the expense of manufacture because different helmet configurations require different tooling, the expense of distribution because multiple helmet configurations must be stocked, and user expense because more than one helmet configuration is typically required to meet different applications. Also, storing and handling multiple helmets is often inconvenient to the user.
Conventional welding helmets also have other drawbacks. For example, with respect to welding helmets having lift-front style lens holders, the pivoting frame carrying the filter lens typically includes an overcenter spring and cam mechanism which functions to urge the frame toward its up (non-filtering) and down (filtering) positions. Different helmets use different mechanisms but most involve the use of numerous separate parts. This increases production and assembly costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the several objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved welding helmet system which includes a helmet shell and multiple interchangeable lens holders which have different lens-holding configurations (e.g., 2×4 in. fixed front, 5×4 in. fixed front, 2×4 in. lift front) but which have the same mounting configuration so that the lens holders can be releasably mounted in interchangeable fashion on the same helmet shell; the provision of such a system which reduces manufacturing costs and the number of helmet shell configurations which need to be stocked; the provision of such a system which allows a user to use only one helmet shell for multiple lens sizes and styles; the provision of such a system which is designed so that the lens holders may be readily installed and removed; the provision of such a system in which each lens holder has a light-sealing fit with the helmet shell; the provision of such a system which is lightweight; the provision of such a system which allows for the convenient use and height adjustment of a magnifying (“mag”) lens in the helmet; the provision of a welding helmet having a lift-front lens holder with an improved spring mechanism for urging the lens frame toward its filtering and non-filtering positions; the provision of such a spring mechanism which minimises the number of separate parts to reduce production and labor costs; the provision of such a spring mechanism which is easy to assemble; and the provision of such a spring mechanism which wears well for a longer life.
In a first aspect of this invention, a light shielding helmet system of the present invention comprises a helmet shell configured for placement on the head of a user. The helmet shell has an opening therein at a front of the shell for providing the user with a field of vision beyond the helmet, and a rim around the opening. A first lens holder is provided having a first lens-holding configuration for holding a first set of one or more lens plates, the first lens holder being releasably mountable on the helmet shell in a working position in which the first lens holder engages the rim of the helmet shell, in which the first lens holder is disposed in front of the opening in the helmet shell, and in which the one or more lens plates of the set are generally aligned with said opening. The system also includes a second lens holder having a second lens-holding configuration different from the lens-holding configuration of the first lens holder for holding a second set of one or more lens plates. The second lens holder is releasably mountable on the helmet shell in a working position in which the second lens holder engages the rim of the helmet shell, in which the second lens holder is disposed in front of the opening in the helmet shell, and in which the one or more lens plates of the second set are generally aligned with said opening. Each of the first and second lens holders has a mounting system which enables the lens holder to be mounted on the helmet shell so that the lens holders can be used interchangeably with the same helmet shell.
A second aspect of the invention involves a lens system separate and apart from the helmet shell. The system includes first and second lens holders of the type referred to above. The lens holders are configured so that they can be used interchangeably with the same single helmet shell.
A third aspect of this invention involves a light shielding helmet comprising a moulded plastic helmet shell configured for placement on the head of a user. The helmet shell has a front, top, opposite sides and an exterior surface, an opening in the front of the shell for providing the user with a field of vision beyond the helmet, and a rim projecting forward from the front of the shell around the opening. The rim has a top exterior surface and opposite side exterior surfaces recessed relative to the exterior surface of the helmet shell. The helmet also includes first and second lens plates, and a lens holder for holding the first and second lens plates generally parallel to one another with one plate behind the other. A mounting system is provided for releasably mounting the lens holder on the helmet shell in a working position in which the lens holder has a close fit with the rim of the helmet shell substantially to prevent the passage of light therepast, in which the lens holder is disposed in front of the opening in the helmet shell, and in which the lens plates held by the lens holder are generally aligned with the opening. The lens holder comprises a front panel having top, opposite sides and a bottom, and a peripheral skirt extending rearward from the front panel along its top and opposite sides. The front panel and skirt are formed as a moulded plastic unit, the skirt having a top, opposite sides and an exterior surface. The skirt of the lens holder is configured to be inserted over the top and opposite sides of the forwardly projecting rim of the helmet shell to mount the lens holder in its working position. The skirt of the lens holder is further configured to have an overlapping telescoping fit with the exterior surface of the rim so that the exterior surface of the skirt has a substantially flush fit with the exterior surface of the helmet
Schiebold Hans G.
Verkic Ivan
Comweld Group Pty. Ltd.
Neas Michael A.
Senniger Powers Leavitt & Roedel
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