US 11,883,331 B2
Arc time recording system for auto-darkening welding helmet
Paul H. Rumpke, Cleveland, OH (US); Richard D. Smith, Hudson, OH (US); and Bruce J. Chantry, Solon, OH (US)
Assigned to LINCOLN GLOBAL, INC., Santa Fe Springs, CA (US)
Filed by Lincoln Global, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/736,916.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/930,630, filed on Nov. 5, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/863,573, filed on Jun. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0397616 A1, Dec. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. B23K 9/09 (2006.01); A61F 9/06 (2006.01); B23K 9/095 (2006.01); G01D 5/12 (2006.01); G01J 1/18 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 9/067 (2013.01) [B23K 9/0956 (2013.01); G01D 5/12 (2013.01); G01J 1/18 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A welding helmet, comprising:
an analog optical sensor configured to detect incoming light and output a signal indicative of a light intensity level; and
an auto-darkening faceplate; and
a control circuit configured to:
receive the signal from the analog optical sensor, and
record a welding time based on the signal from the analog optical sensor and a configured light level, wherein the welding time corresponds to a duration of time the light intensity level indicated by the analog optical sensor exceeds the configured light level, and wherein the configured light level is higher than a threshold light level where the auto-darkening faceplate transitions between a reduced shaded state and a highly shaded state.