Welding operation liquid crystal protection mask

• US 20040031903A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kiyoshi, Shunsuke, Kiyoshi, Miyashita
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/067 with variable transmission

Abstract

A welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask for protecting the eyes of a human operator from an arc light generated during a welding operation, comprises a liquid crystal protection mask main body adapted to be attached to the face of a human operator; a detecting means disposed in the vicinity of the liquid crystal protection mask main body and capable of detecting an incident arc light generated during the welding operation and thus producing a detection result; a liquid crystal light blocking section that is disposed in a position corresponding to the eyes of a human operator wearing the protection mask with the human face being covered by the protection mask main body and that has a liquid crystal member that is capable of blocking the incident light by instantaneously reducing the light transmittance of the liquid crystal in accordance with the detection result output from the detecting means and by means of a liquid crystal driving power source; and a polarizing plate that is provided in front of the detecting means to cover up the detecting means and that is capable of controlling the orientation of the incident light.

Claims

1. A welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask for protecting the eyes of a human operator from an arc light generated during a welding operation, which mask comprises:

a liquid crystal protection mask main body that is adapted to be attached to the face of a human operator;

a detecting means that is disposed in the vicinity of the liquid crystal protection mask main body and that is capable of detecting an incident arc light generated during the welding operation and thus producing a detection result;

a liquid crystal light blocking section that is disposed in a position corresponding to the eyes of a human operator wearing the protection mask with the human face being covered by the protection mask main body and that has a liquid crystal member that is capable of blocking the incident light by instantaneously reducing the light transmittance of the liquid crystal in accordance with the detection result output from the detecting means and by means of a liquid crystal driving power source; and

a polarizing member that is provided in front of the detecting means to cover up the detecting means and that is capable of controlling the orientation of the incident light.

2. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection of claim 1, further comprising:

a cover plate that is disposed so as to cover up at least the front surface of the liquid crystal light blocking section, thereby protecting the liquid crystal member from sputters and mechanical stress during the welding operation.

3. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the polarizing member is a polarizing film formed by two pieces of plastic films with a louver device interposed therebetween.

4. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the polarizing member is so constructed that when lights are incident on the polarizing member, only the lights having incidence angles of 24 degrees or smaller (right and left with respect to the rectilinearly propagating light) are allowed to pass through the polarizing member, thereby effecting the control of the orientation of the incident arc light.

5. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes an open-ended cylindrical member disposed in a predetermined position adjacent to the liquid crystal light blocking section, and a light receiving member disposed on the bottom of the open-ended cylindrical member for receiving an incident light.

6. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal member is a liquid crystal plate.

7. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal driving power source is a solar battery.

8. The welding-operation, liquid crystal, protection mask of claim 1, wherein the cover plate is a transparent protection plate.