User-friendly welding helmet assembly

Abstract

User-friendly welding helmet assembly configurations to be worn on the head of a welder are disclosed. The welding helmet assembly configurations include various advanced features including a spatter shield that is easily replaceable from an external front portion of a shell of the helmet assembly configuration, and an adjustable ratchet headgear within the shell having a repositionable lever adapted to easily adjust a detent position of the ratchet headgear with respect to the shell. Other user-friendly features are also provided, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

1 . A welding helmet assembly to be worn on a head of a welder, the welding helmet assembly comprising:
 a shell having a first open window at a front portion of the shell;   a filter lens configured to cover the first open window at an interior front portion of the shell, wherein the filter lens is removable from an interior of the shell;   a front bezel having a second open window and being configured to attach to and detach from an exterior front portion of the shell, wherein the second open window aligns substantially with the first open window when the front bezel is attached to the shell; and   a spatter shield configured to be positioned externally to the shell proximate the front portion of the shell by, at least in part, the front bezel, wherein the spatter shield is accessible from the external front portion of the shell for replacement upon detachment of the front bezel from the shell.   
     
     
         2 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an interior retaining mechanism configured to retain the filter lens over the first open window. 
     
     
         3 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the interior retaining mechanism comprises an interior retaining frame configured to retain the filter lens at the interior front portion of the shell over the first open window. 
     
     
         4 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 1  wherein the filter lens comprises one of a fixed filter lens and an automatic darkening filter shade cartridge. 
     
     
         5 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 1  wherein the spatter shield is held in position between the first open window of the shell and the second open window of the front bezel when the front bezel is attached to the shell, and wherein the spatter shield is accessible from the external front portion of the shell for replacement by detaching the front bezel from the shell and without having to remove the filter lens from the welding helmet assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an adjustable ratchet headgear adjustably mounted within an interior of the shell, via headgear mounting hardware, to fit a head of a welder and to allow the shell to tilt upward and downward with respect to the ratchet headgear. 
     
     
         7 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 6  further comprising a repositionable lever adjustably attached to one side of the ratchet headgear and configured to adjust a detent position of the ratchet headgear with respect to the shell, wherein the detent position determines a centering of the shell with respect to the ratchet headgear by defining how far upward and how far downward the shell can tilt with respect to a reference plane through the ratchet headgear. 
     
     
         8 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 7  wherein the repositionable lever may be locked into one of a plurality of detent positions. 
     
     
         9 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 6  wherein the headgear mounting hardware includes at least two washers, one mounted on each side of the shell, configured to provide friction between the shell and the ratchet headgear to set a speed of tilt. 
     
     
         10 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 6  further comprising a sweatband removably attached to a front portion of the ratchet headgear, whereby the sweatband touches and spans a forehead of a welder when the welding helmet assembly is fitted to and worn by the welder. 
     
     
         11 . A welding helmet assembly to be worn on a head of a welder, the welding helmet assembly comprising:
 a shell having a first open window at a front portion of the shell;   a filter lens configured to cover the first open window at an interior front portion of the shell, wherein the filter lens is removable from an interior of the shell;   a front bezel having a second open window and being configured to attach to and detach from an exterior front portion of the shell, wherein the second open window aligns substantially with the first open window when the front bezel is attached to the shell; and   a spatter shield configured to be held in position between the first open window of the shell and the second open window of the front bezel when the front bezel is attached to the shell, and wherein the spatter shield is accessible from the external front portion of the shell for replacement by detaching the front bezel from the shell and without having to remove the filter lens from the welding helmet assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 11  wherein the filter lens comprises one of a fixed filter lens and an automatic darkening filter shade cartridge. 
     
     
         13 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 11  further comprising an adjustable ratchet headgear adjustably mounted within an interior of the shell, via headgear mounting hardware, to fit a head of a welder and to allow the shell to tilt upward and downward with respect to the ratchet headgear. 
     
     
         14 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 13  further comprising a repositionable lever adjustably attached to one side of the ratchet headgear and configured to adjust a detent position of the ratchet headgear with respect to the shell, wherein the detent position determines a centering of the shell with respect to the ratchet headgear by defining how far upward and how far downward the shell can tilt with respect to a reference plane through the ratchet headgear. 
     
     
         15 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 14  wherein the repositionable lever may be locked into one of a plurality of detent positions. 
     
     
         16 . A welding helmet assembly to be worn on a head of a welder, the welding helmet assembly comprising:
 means for removably retaining a filter lens at an interior front portion of a shell of the welding helmet assembly; and   means for removably retaining a spatter shield at an external front portion of the shell without having to remove the filter lens from the shell.   
     
     
         17 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising means for adjusting a detent position of an adjustable headgear mounted within the shell, wherein the detent position determines a centering of the shell with respect to the headgear. 
     
     
         18 . A welding helmet assembly to be worn on a head of a welder, the welding helmet assembly comprising:
 means for removably retaining a spatter shield at an external front portion of a shell of the welding helmet assembly; and means for removably retaining a filter lens at an interior front portion of a shell of the welding helmet assembly without having to remove the spatter shield from the shell.   
     
     
         19 . The welding helmet assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising means for adjusting a detent position of an adjustable headgear mounted within the shell, wherein the detent position determines a centering of the shell with respect to the headgear. 
     
     
         20 . An adjustable headgear for a welding helmet assembly, said headgear comprising:
 a ratchet knob at the back of the headgear configured to adjust a fit of the headgear to a welder's head; and   a repositionable lever adjustably attached to one side of the headgear and configured to adjust a detent position of the headgear.   
     
     
         21 . The adjustable headgear of  claim 20 , wherein the headgear is configured to be mounted within an interior of a helmet shell of a welding helmet assembly to allow the shell to tilt upward and downward with respect to the headgear, and wherein the detent position determines a centering of the helmet shell of a welding helmet assembly with respect to the headgear. 
     
     
         22 . The adjustable headgear of  claim 20 , wherein the repositionable lever is configured to be locked into one of a plurality of detent positions. 
     
     
         23 . The adjustable headgear of  claim 20 , further comprising a sweatband removably attached to a front portion of the headgear, whereby the sweatband is configured to touch and span a forehead of a welder. 
     
     
         24 . An adjustable headgear for a welding helmet assembly, said headgear comprising:
 a ratchet knob at the back of the headgear configured to adjust a fit of the headgear to a welder's head;   a repositionable lever adjustably attached to one side of the headgear and configured to adjust a detent position of the headgear and to be locked into one of a plurality of detent positions; and   a sweatband removably attached to a front portion of the headgear, whereby the sweatband is configured to touch and span a forehead of a welder,   wherein the headgear is configured to be mounted within an interior of a helmet shell of a welding helmet assembly to allow the shell to tilt upward and downward with respect to the headgear, and wherein the detent position determines a centering of the helmet shell of a welding helmet assembly with respect to the headgear.