US 5,854,667 A · Electrooptical filter cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

In the invention, an active electrooptical filter cartridge comprises a flat housing (10, 12, 16) forming a closed cavity, which is completely filled with an optical transmissive resin (44, 52, 56, 60, 62) and an active device (14). The active device (14) is completely surrounded and fixed by the resin and comprises as components an LC panel (30, 32) positioned between light-transmissive portions (24, 28) of opposite main walls (10, 16) of the housing, a sensor means (34, 36) for detecting incident light on the filter cartridge, a circuit means (38) for controlling the LC panel (30, 32) in response to an output from the sensor means (34, 36), and a power supply means (40, 42) for operating the active device (14). The filter cartridge can be manufactured with the same dimensions as a passive, darkened filter glass, e.g. for use in welding helmets.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An electrooptical filter cartridge, comprising an LC panel (30, 32) for controlling light transmission through the filter cartridge, characterised by a flat housing (10, 12, 16) forming a closed cavity, which is completely filled with an optical transmissive resin (44, 56, 62) and an active device (14), said device (14) being completely surrounded and fixed by the resin (44, 56, 62) and comprising as components said LC panel (30, 32) positioned between light-transmissive portions (24, 28) of opposite main walls (10, 16) of the housing, a sensor means (34, 36) for detecting incident light on the filter cartridge, a circuit means (38) for controlling the LC panel (30, 32) in response to an output from the sensor means (34, 36), and a power supply means (40, 42) for operating the active device (14).

A method for manufacturing an electrooptical filter cartridge, characterised by the steps of:

forming an open, flat cavity comprising a frame (12) and a bottom wall (10),
filling the cavity completely with an optical, transmissive resin (44, 52, 56, 62) and an active device (14), so that the latter is completely surrounded by the resin (44, 52, 56, 62), said active device (14) comprising as components an LC panel (30, 32) positioned in parallel with the bottom wall (10) for controlling light transmission through the filter cartridge, sensor means (34, 36) for detecting incident light on the filter cartridge, a circuit means (38) for controlling the LC panel (30, 32) in response to an output from the sensor means (34, 36), and a power supply means (40, 42) for operating the active device (14),
closing the cavity by sealingly connecting a top wall (16) to the frame (12), the LC panel (30, 32) being positioned between light-transmissive portions (24, 28) of the bottom and top walls (10, 16), and
curing said resin (44, 52, 56, 62) for fixing the components (30-42) of the active device (14) in the cavity.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrooptical filter cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Electrooptical filter cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15