Advanced eye or sensor protection and high speed variable optical attenuation system

Light protection apparatus for an optical sensing element or elements such as the eyes or another optical sensor or sensors, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one optical shutter for protecting a corresponding optical sensing element, the number of optical shutters being equal to the number of sensing elements to be protected, at least one shutter comprised of a pair of coaxial rotatable disks each including alternating opaque and transparent sectors mechanical synchronizing means connected between said rotatable disks for limiting the deviation in phase between the disks during rotation of the disks;
• and
• a shutter control apparatus for controlling opening and closing of said at least one shutter so as to control the light admitted to said corresponding optical sensing element, said shutter control apparatus comprising light detector means for sensing the level of the light falling on said at least one shutter and for producing an output in accordance therewith;
• control means for controlling the operation of said at least one shutter such that the shutter is cyclically opened and closed at a operating frequency sufficiently high to provide integration of the light on the sensor being protected and for, responsive to the output of said light detector means, controlling the time during each cycle of said operating frequency that the shutter is opened based on the light level senses;
• said control means further including override means responsive to the output of said light detector means for providing closing of said shutter when the light level sensed exceeds a predetermined level wherein said mechanical synchronizing means comprises interdigitizing tabs providing loose interdigitation between the disks.

Eye protection goggles for providing light protection for the eyes of a wearer, said goggles comprising:

• a pair of optical shutters adapted to be disposed on front of the eyes of a wearer said shutters each comprise a pair of coaxial rotatable disks each including alternating opaque and transparent sectors further comprising mechanical synchronizing means connected between said rotatable disks for limiting the deviation in phase between the disks, during rotation of the disks;
• means for supporting the shutters on the face on the wearer so that the shutters are disposed in front of the eyes of the wearer;
• and
• a shutter control unit for controlling opening and closing of said shutters, said control unit including control means for controlling operation of said shutters such that the shutters are each opened and closed at an operating frequency sufficiently high to provide temporal integration of the light images received by the eyes of the wearer, and for providing that when one of said shutters is open, the other shutter is closed so that only one eye of the wearer is exposed at any one time, light detector means for detecting the light received by said optical shutters and for producing an output in accordance therewith and wherein said control means further comprises override means, responsive to the output of said light detector means, for providing that said shutters are both closed when said output exceeds a predetermined value said control means further comprises duty cycle control means responsive to the output of said light detecting means for controlling the time during each cycle that said shutters are opened based on said output said duty cycle control means comprises a pulse width modulator connected to said light detector for producing an output comprising pulses of a pulse width inversely related to the output of said light detector means, a voltage controlled oscillator for producing an output comprising a pulse train having a frequency which is a multiple of the operating frequency of said shutters;
• and a shutter control circuit for controlling said shutters responsive to the output of said pulse width modulation means and the output of said voltage controlled oscillator.