Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2001-11-20
Nerbun, Peter (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S011000, C002S433000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317886
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a). Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a mask used for protecting a welder's eyes from light and materials sprayed while arc welding. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, to a welder's mask with a shaded lens portion that is made of slatted lens sections that are movable by the user.
(b). Discussion of Known Art
In the field of arc welding, the welder is required to wear eye and face protection to protect the welder from the intense light given off from the arc, and from flying debris given off while welding, such as bits of molten metal. A burdensome drawback to these masks, however, has been the fact that the lens used for eye protection must be extremely obscure. The obscurity of the lens prevents the wearer from seeing through the lens while not welding, requiring that the user remove the mask in order to better inspect the work piece or simply look around the work area.
The problem of allowing the worker to see through the lens when not welding has been approached in several different ways. One approach has been to provide a lens with means that are sensitive to the intense light given off by the welding operation. These masks offer important advantages in that they allow the user to keep the mask on between episodes of welding. Thus, the user can weld, inspect the weld, and continue welding without having to change positions or rearrange his equipment in order to continue welding.
Other approaches at the problem of allowing the user to view the workpiece between welds include the provision of a hinged head support, which allows lifting of the entire mask over the user's head. These devices, however, are cumbersome and are difficult to keep in place while lifted.
Thus, there remains a need for an inexpensive, reliable device that allows the user to view the workpiece between episodes of welding. Furthermore, there remains a need for a welder's mask which will allow the user to view the workpiece without having to lift the entire mask off of his face.
There remains a need for a welder's face mask that can be actuated quickly to provide the welder with nearly instantaneous protection for his vision while welding.
Still further, there remains a need for a welding mask that can be easily automated to provide with an inexpensive automated shading system for a welder's mask.
SUMMARY
It has been discovered that the problems left unanswered by known art can be solved by providing a welder's mask that includes a darkened lens portion made from several segments or slats mounted next to one another. The ends of each slat is pivotally mounted to allow pivoting of the slats from a closed position to an opened position in a manner that is similar to the operation of a Venetian blind.
According to one embodiment of the invention the slats of darkened lens material are connected to one another by a linkage mechanism that allows simultaneous pivoting of all of the slats between the open and closed position. The activation of this linkage mechanism may be accomplished through the use of a hand operated mechanism that includes a push-button that is mounted on a support mask-support handle. The push-button is accessible to the user while he holds the mask over his face, so that the user may simply squeeze the button to pivot the slats. Pivoting the slats will bypass the darkened lens and allow the user to see through the mask. Thus, the user will be able to inspect the work piece in between welding sessions by simply pressing the button.
Alternatively, it is contemplated that the disclosed slat system may be electrically actuated by incorporating a solenoid, stepping motor, or the like to the linkage which actuates or pivots the slats. This arrangement, although more expensive than other highly preferred embodiments of the invention, will allow the actuation or operation of the slats by providing an electrical connection to the welding electrode mechanism. Thus, the presence of a current or the pressing of a trigger or button to actuate current to the electrode will activate the solenoid and close the slats of the lens. Of course, it is contemplated that a delay mechanism may be incorporated into this system to provide a slight delay between the squeezing of the trigger that actuates the current to the electrode and the actual activation of the circuitry that allows current to flow to the electrode. This will provide time for the slats to close fully before allowing the electrodes to produce a spark or light from welding.
It should also be understood that while the above and other advantages and results of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, showing the contemplated novel construction, combinations and elements as herein described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it should be clearly understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included within the scope of the claims, except insofar as they may be precluded by the prior art.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2105018 (1938-01-01), Tatter
patent: 4130903 (1978-12-01), Van den Berg et al.
patent: 4945572 (1990-08-01), Rosen
patent: 4953231 (1990-09-01), Burnett
Crabtree Edwin H.
Nerbun Peter
Pizzarro Ramon L.
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