Welding helmet

#This invention relates to welding helmets.

#Welding helmets generally have a smoothly shaped exterior based on their requisite function to protect the welder's head and neck from sparks. Welding helmets have a viewing device which protects the welder's eye from sparks and also provides protection from the damaging brightness of the welding.

#Welding helmets are equipped to be able to rotate from an in-use position in front of the welder's face to an open position. The assemblies used for this in general are headgear which the welder wears on his head and which pivotally attach to the helmet. One type is made of straps fitting the welder's head and another fits on a hard hat worn by the welder. All welding helmets must pass the ANSI Z87.1 standard.

#This application contains at least one drawing executed in color.

#FIG. 1 shows a welding helmet of the prior art.

#FIG. 2 shows a generalized outline of a welding helmet of the present invention.

#FIG. 1 shows a typical welding helmet 10 of the prior art which has a helmet portion 12, a lens system 14, and pivotable headgear assembly 16 (most of which is not seen). A group of commercially available welding helmets can be found in the 1993 Granger General Catalogue No. 383 at page 1777. Welding helmets are made with a lens system. Sometimes a single lens is built into the helmet. In other models the helmet is adapted to have attached to it a lens retention system made by another manufacturer. These allow exchanging of the lens. A variety of these are seen in the Granger Catalogue.

#Welding helmets are also made to accept various headgear assemblies to enable the welder to mount the helmet on his head or on his hard hat, and to allow it to rotate from an in-use position in front of his face to an open position generally over his head. Headgear assemblies made by Huntsman Welding Corp. will work.

#One issue in the design and use of welding helmets is to protect the welder's neck and upper chest area from sparks. Therefore some accommodation is made to have the helmet rest or seal against the upper chest such as with a bib portion. Also, welders need protection at the side of their face, even as far back as the ears. This is especially the case where the welder has to maneuver around his work, such as to get his head under a pipe. Therefore the helmet should extend sufficiently to the rear of each side of the welder's head to avoid sparks.