System has an optical sensor (1), an aperture with the optical element (2) with the changeable permeability and an activation light (3) emitting radiation, which is detected by the optical sensor (1). The activation light is connected with the switch (4) and it is placed within the reach of the optical sensor (1). Within a device which realizes the technological process with the luminous manifestation the instruction for the beginning of a given technological process is detected and on the basis of this instruction the activation light (3) lights up. This activates the optical sensor (1) by means of the activation light (3) before the optical sensor (1) detects the luminous manifestation of the technological process itself. The activation light (3) can be a simple infrared LED diode. The advantage lies in the fact that the protective device itself does not have to be modified in any way and its reaction time can be shortened to zero, or negative reaction time can be achieved since we use time passing during the initiation of the technological process before the appearance of the luminous manifestation for the darkening.

In one aspect, a protective headwear is provided and includes a headgear, an outer shell, a duct and a manifold. The headgear is configured to engage a wearer's head and at least partially support the protective headwear on a wearer's head. The headgear includes a front, a rear opposite the front, a right side, and a left side opposite the right side. The outer shell is coupled to the headgear at a coupling location and includes a shield positioned to the front of the headgear. The duct is at least partially coupled to and at least partially positioned in an interior of the outer shell. The duct is located below the coupling location. The manifold is positioned to the rear of the headgear and configured to divert airflow into at least a first portion of airflow and a second portion of airflow

An automatic-darkening filter 10, 10 that comprises a first polarizer 14, a second polarizer 18, a first liquid-crystal cell 16, and a sensor 64. The first polarizer 14 has a first polarization direction, and the second polarizer 18 has a second polarization direction. The liquid crystal cell 16 is disposed between the first and second polarizers 14, 18 and contains first and second optically-transparent, flexible, glass layers 40 and 42 with the liquid crystal layer 48 being located between these layers. The sensor 64 detects incident light and causes a signal to be sent, which causes molecular rotation within the liquid crystal layer. The inventive automatic-darkening filter is beneficial in that overall product weight can be reduced and the view field can be increased.

The electro-optical glare protection filter includes a liquid crystal cell, which is a laterally extended liquid crystal cell defining a volume between two laterally extended sides. The volume containing liquid crystals and having, in a vertical direction perpendicular to lateral directions, a thickness being smaller than an extension of the volume in any lateral direction. The FFS cell includes a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure, which are arranged to change an orientation of the liquid crystals in the volume when a voltage is applied between them. Both the first and the second electrode structure are present at the same laterally extended side of the volume. The first electrode structure may include a plurality of electrically separate electrodes, and the second electrode structure may include a plurality of electrode lines.

Provided is a welding helmet control device comprising: a welding sensor or a light sensor configured to detect presence and intensity of welding light; a controller configured to count presence, intensity, and elapsed time of welding light, detected by the welding sensor or the light sensor, and to determine welding intensity, weld time, resting time, and weld number; a memory configured to store the welding intensity, the weld time, the resting time, and the weld number; a display configured to display the welding intensity, the weld time, the resting time, and the weld number, stored in the memory; a shutter driver configured to drive a shutter liquid crystal display (LCD) to vary a darkness concentration under control of the controller; and a setting unit configured to receive a setting value and a manipulation command, set by a user, and to transmit the received information to the controller.

Head worn devices having a variable shade component and a fixed shade component, and methods of operation, are disclosed. An example head worn device includes an auto-darkening lens configured to adjust a shade value within a first shade value range, a second lens having a fixed shade value greater than 0, the auto-darkening lens and the second lens overlapping in a field of view of the head worn device to result in a net shade value range in the field of view that is greater than the first shade value range, and a clear lens on an exterior of the auto-darkening lens and the second lens.

An illuminated welding helmet system for selectively illuminating a darkened area during welding operations includes a welding helmet that may be worn during welding and the welding helmet includes an auto lens. A light unit is coupled to the welding helmet and the light unit selectively emits light outwardly from the welding helmet thereby facilitating a darkened area to be visible. The light unit is in electrical communication with the auto lens. Moreover, the light unit is turned on when the auto lens does not detect light and the light unit is turned off when the auto lens detects light.

An optical glare protection filter for a glare protection device includes at least one liquid-crystal cell with at least one liquid-crystal layer and at least one first electrode layer for orienting crystal molecules of the at least one liquid-crystal layer, and with at least one first contact element for electrically contacting the at least one first electrode layer. The optical glare protection filter may also include at least one second contact element for electrically contacting the at least one first electrode layer, which is substantially spaced apart from the first contact element.

An example head-worn device includes a camera, a display device, weld detection circuitry, and pixel data processing circuitry. The camera generates first pixel data from a field of view of the head-worn device. The display device displays second pixel data to a wearer of the head-worn device based on the first pixel data captured by the camera. The weld detection circuitry determines whether a welding arc is present and generates a control signal indicating a result of the determination. The pixel data processing circuitry processes the first pixel data captured by the camera to generate the second pixel data for display on the display device, where a mode of operation of said pixel data processing circuitry is selected from a plurality of modes based on said control signal.

Provided is a light attached to a helmet where the light does not move when a face shield of the helmet is rotated up or down.