Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a light state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a sensing circuit, a weld detect circuit, a positive voltage generator, and a negative voltage generator. The sensing circuit senses incident light and provides an output indicative of the incident light. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit, and enables a dark state drive signal to be delivered to the shutter assembly. The positive and negative voltage generators output the dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the light state to the dark state upon enablement by the weld detect circuit. The dark state drive signal includes a high voltage pulse followed by a stable AC waveform. The high voltage pulse is formed by a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit in electrical communication with the shutter assembly. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a microcontroller programmed to store a plurality of memory presets including at least one setting corresponding to the operation of the shutter assembly. At least two of the plurality of memory presets are individually configured for a specific type of welding. In another embodiment, an auto darkening eye protection device is provided, the device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit in electrical communication with the shutter assembly. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a microcontroller programmed to monitor and store at least one parameter corresponding to the operation of the auto darkening eye protection device.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a light state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a sensing circuit, a weld detect circuit, a positive voltage generator, and a negative voltage generator. The sensing circuit senses incident light and provides an output indicative of the incident light. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit, and enables a dark state drive signal to be delivered to the shutter assembly. The positive and negative voltage generators output the dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the light state to the dark state upon enablement by the weld detect circuit. The dark state drive signal includes a high voltage pulse followed by a stable AC waveform. The high voltage pulse is formed by a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal.

Abstract: The invention is for safety goggles to protect eyes of a user of the safety goggles. The safety goggles include a lens and a frame with a bridge. A goggle chamber is formed between the lens and the face of the user. The safety goggles have a lower ventilation assembly that admits air one either side of the bridge. The safety goggles also includes an upper ventilation assembly at an upper portion of the frame. Air enters the goggle chamber through the lower ventilation assembly, heats near a nose of the user and exits the goggle chamber through the upper ventilation assembly. Each of the lower and upper ventilation assemblies cover a corresponding lower and upper air path in such a manner that allows air to pass through the corresponding air path while preventing solid projectiles and splashed liquid from having a direct line of trajectory to the eyes of the user.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device including a shutter assembly, a light sensing circuit, a control circuit and a power source. The shutter assembly is adjustable to a plurality of shade levels. The phototransistor of the light sensing circuit senses light from a welding arc and provides an output of the light sensing circuit indicative of the shade level at which the shutter assembly should be operated. The phototransistor is configured for surface mount and has an external base connection connected to the base of the phototransistor. The control circuit is configured to receive the output from the light sensing circuit and provide a drive signal to the shutter assembly responsive to said output, drives the shutter assembly to one of said plurality of shade levels.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a sensing circuit, a weld detect circuit, and a delivery circuit. The sensing circuit senses incident light and provides an output indicative of the incident light. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit, and enables a dark state drive signal to be delivered to the shutter assembly. The delivery circuit outputs the dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the clear state to the dark state upon enablement by the weld detect circuit. The dark state drive signal includes a high voltage pulse followed by a stable AC waveform. The high voltage pulse is formed by a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal.

Abstract: An earmuff having anatomically correct ear cups, which are axially rotatable to ensure a proper fit over a person's ears and laterally rotatable when the earmuff is disposed in a storage position around the person's neck.

Abstract: The invention is for safety goggles to protect eyes of a user of the safety goggles. The safety goggles include a lens and a frame with a bridge. A goggle chamber is formed between the lens and the face of the user. The safety goggles have a lower ventilation assembly that admits air one either side of the bridge. The safety goggles also includes an upper ventilation assembly at an upper portion of the frame. Air enters the goggle chamber through the lower ventilation assembly, heats near a nose of the user and exits the goggle chamber through the upper ventilation assembly. Each of the lower and upper ventilation assemblies cover a corresponding lower and upper air path in such a manner that allows air to pass through the corresponding air path while preventing solid projectiles and splashed liquid from having a direct line of trajectory to the eyes of the user.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a light state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a sensing circuit, a weld detect circuit, a positive voltage generator, and a negative voltage generator. The sensing circuit senses incident light and provides an output indicative of the incident light. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit, and enables a dark state drive signal to be delivered to the shutter assembly. The positive and negative voltage generators output the dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the light state to the dark state upon enablement by the weld detect circuit. The dark state drive signal includes a high voltage pulse followed by a stable AC waveform. The high voltage pulse is formed by a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device including a shutter assembly, a light sensing circuit, a control circuit and a power supply source. The shutter assembly is adjustable to a plurality of shade levels. The phototransistor of the light sensing circuit senses light from a welding arc and provides an output of the light sensing circuit indicative of the shade level at which the shutter assembly should be operated. The phototransistor is configured for surface mount and has an external base connection connected to the base of the phototransistor. The control circuit is configured to receive the output from the light sensing circuit and provide a drive signal to the shutter assembly responsive to said output, drives the shutter assembly to one of said plurality of shade levels.

Abstract: An earmuff comprising a headpiece and a circuit. The headpiece supports the earmuff on the head of an individual. The circuit has an input device for receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly adjustable between a clear state and a dark state and a control circuit. The control circuit is provided with a microcontroller, a delivery circuit, a sensing circuit and a weld detect circuit. The microcontroller is switchable between a sleep mode and a wake-up mode. The delivery circuit outputs a dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the clear state to the dark state upon enablement of the delivery circuit. The sensing circuit senses the occurrence of a welding arc and provides an output indicative of the occurrence of the welding arc. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly adjustable between a clear state and a dark state and a control circuit. The control circuit is provided with a microcontroller, a delivery circuit, a sensing circuit and a weld detect circuit. The microcontroller is switchable between a sleep mode and a wake-up mode. The delivery circuit outputs a dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the clear state to the dark state upon enablement of the delivery circuit. The sensing circuit senses the occurrence of a welding arc and provides an output indicative of the occurrence of the welding arc. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit.

Abstract: A sensor circuit for detecting the occurrence of welding is disclosed. The sensor circuit uses a phototransistor operative to receive a light input and produce an output representative thereof. A resistor is coupled between the phototransistor's base and emitter to control the phototransistor's response to low intensity and high intensity light. An amplifier may be coupled to the output of the phototransistor so as to provide a gain for the output of the phototransistor; and feedback means may coupled to the phototransistor to bias the phototransistor, the feedback means comprising a resistor capacitor circuit for following the output of the phototransistor, a feedback transistor to provide a feedback signal to the phototransistor, and a resistor coupled between the base and the emitter of the phototransistor. Preferably the phototransistor is a planar phototransistor having a surface mount.

Abstract: An auto darkening eye protection device comprising a shutter assembly and a control circuit. The shutter assembly is adjustable between a clear state and a dark state. The control circuit comprises a sensing circuit, a weld detect circuit, and a delivery circuit. The sensing circuit senses incident light and provides an output indicative of the incident light. The weld detect circuit receives the output of the sensing circuit, and enables a dark state drive signal to be delivered to the shutter assembly. The delivery circuit outputs the dark state drive signal to the shutter assembly to switch the shutter assembly from the clear state to the dark state upon enablement by the weld detect circuit. The dark state drive signal includes a high voltage pulse followed by a stable AC waveform. The high voltage pulse is formed by a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal.

Abstract: A sensor circuit for detecting the occurrence of welding is disclosed. The sensor circuit uses a phototransistor operative to receive a light input and produce an output representative thereof. A resistor is coupled between the phototransistor's base and emitter to control the phototransistor's response to low intensity and high intensity light. An amplifier may be coupled to the output of the phototransistor so as to provide a gain for the output of the phototransistor; and feedback means may coupled to the phototransistor to bias the phototransistor, the feedback means comprising a resistor capacitor circuit for following the output of the phototransistor, a feedback transistor to provide a feedback signal to the phototransistor, and a resistor coupled between the base and the emitter of the phototransistor. Preferably the phototransistor is a planar phototransistor having a surface mount.

Abstract: A one-piece adjustable headgear strap is constructed of lightweight material, for example plastic, and therefore is inexpensively manufactured and comfortable to wear. The strap is constructed with an adjustment mechanism that enables it to be easily adjusted around the head of wearer with just one hand. The adjustment mechanism is also integrally formed with the headband of the headgear support and is therefore inexpensive to manufacture due to its one-piece construction.

Abstract: A welding helmet includes a connector for connecting the head gear and the protective shell and is comprised of an external finger knob allowing for user adjustment of the friction developed by the connector, a conical pivot stop having a conical surface, a strap member having a matching conical surface with the frictional forces being developed between these two conical surfaces, and a bolt which joins the parts of the connector and mounts them between the head gear and shell. A guide pin and guide slot in the stop and strap member control and guide the movement between these two parts as the shell is moved with respect to the user's head. A locator pin in the stop is inserted into one of a series of holes in the helmet to locate the angular orientation between the stop and the helmet, and thereby helps to fix the limits of relative movement between the shell and the user's head.

Abstract: A device for applying night-visible road markings includes a material hopper, a floor gate, a pair of side runners and a plurality of vertically oriented shutters. When the floor gate is moved away from an outlet extending through a bottom side of the hopper, marking material flows from the hopper, through the outlet and onto the surface of a road. The vertically oriented shutters are positioned between the side runners, which serve as side forms for marking material dispensed onto the road surface, and rearwardly of the hopper outlet. The distance between the bottom edges of the shutters and the road surface determines the amount of marking material that passes thereunder, thereby determining the thickness of the road marking. By positioning the shutters at different relative elevations, road markings of various patterns including markings having varying thicknesses across their width can be produced for increased reflectivity of the road markings.

Abstract: A welding helmet includes a removable lens cartridge assembly which is slidingly received by a slot at the front of the welding helmet. The lens cartridge assembly includes a picture frame slot into which a face lens may be friction fit by insertion from the side. Additional filters and lenses may be held in place within the cartridge by a removable frame assembly that has a plurality of integrally formed but resilient finger extensions which press against the filters as they are placed within the cartridge. The frame assembly mechanically interlocks with the removable cartridge with a plurality of locating tabs and slots. The cartridge assembly itself is also mechanically positively interlocked to the welding helmet with a locating nib and receiving hole near the bottom of the slot.