Technical Field

The invention relates to a lighting system that has a sensor that detects UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays emitted during the welding process to illuminate dark environments that can be used externally by mounting to protective helmet lamps, protective safety hat lamps, welding mask, welding cabin, welding room or the environment where welding will be performed, and that turns on and off automatically.

State of the Art

Welding is a manufacturing method used to join materials together. It is generally used on metal or thermoplastic materials. With this method, the part of the workpieces to be welded is melted and filling material is added to this part, then the joint is cooled and hardened. In some cases, the heat joining process is done under pressure.

Welding was known until the end of the 19th century as a method of joining metals by heating and forging used only by blacksmiths. With the developments, electric arc welding and oxygas welding began to be used at the end of the 19 ^th century. Welding technology has developed rapidly to meet the increasing demand after World War I and II. In the second half of the 20 ^th century, the use of it has increased gradually with the development of laser beam source and electron beam source.

It has been determined that during welding processes, people are exposed to various harmful chemicals, dust, noise and rays, and therefore occupational diseases occur. When the resultant dust enters the body, it has a toxic effect on various organs such as the nervous system, liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines, respiratory organs, and blood-forming organs. Dusts such as lead, chromium, cadmium, manganese, vanadium, beryllium and nickel compounds are carcinogenic and therefore toxic dusts.

Smoke and gases released into the environment during the welding process can cause lung diseases, skin disorders, allergic disorders, systemic toxic effects and cancer in people. People with underlying lung disease, heart disease, malnutrition, high blood pressure, and obese people are more susceptible to the effects of dusts. Smoking is one of the important factors that increase the effect of dust-related lung diseases.

These gases, dusts and fumes that form and spread to the working environment enter the body through the respiratory tract. Some of said air pollutants can cause both long-term (chronic) diseases and, depending on the level of exposure, sudden (acute) disorders.

There also are solid particles in the polluted air formed as a result of welding processes, ranging from 0.005 to 100 microns in size. These substances can be cleaned by using filters of different qualities through the use of various methods in filter devices. The harmful gases and vapours in the polluted air formed during the welding process are kept in the activated carbon filters enabling the working environment air to be prevented from the pollution.

During the welding process, the person performing the welding must surely be protected against all kinds of radiation and heat. Face masks, visors and safety glasses have been developed to provide the best protection. In recent years, especially with the improvements made in masks, the damages that people will be exposed to has begun to be prevented.

It is important to lighten the welding environment to complete the welding process correctly or to prevent work accidents. It is also very important to lighten the environment to be welded, especially during welding operations performed in closed areas and at night. Ambient lighting problems are tried to be solved with lighting elements such as lamps or torches that can be mounted on welding masks. It is also preferred to use hooked or magnetic flashlights in the working area.

Lighting elements placed on the welding mask generally work with on/off keys. During welding, when the person needs lighting, the welding process is interrupted, and the person switches the lighting element on to begin using it. People may have to interrupt welding frequently to operate the lighting elements, especially during operations that require delicate workmanship. This can cause faulty workmanship and injuries.

Although improvements have been made in the state of the art, it has been necessary to develop automatic lighting systems by detecting UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (InfraRed-Infrared) rays emitted during the welding process for the welding process to continue uninterrupted. Chinese utility model application with the publication number CN204909819U in the state of the art was reviewed. In the invention that is the subject of the application, a welder's head with a kind of electric and adjustable lamp suitable for night work is mentioned. The application discloses that it has an adjustable handle and a fixed light on the head and the user lightens the environment by switching it on via button in the cases where the lighting is low. However, a torch that can be switched on and of automatically, having a sensor and a micro controller that detects UV and IR rays emitted into the environment was not mentioned.

The US patent application with the document publication number US2011107491, which is another document in the state of the art, was reviewed. In the invention that is the subject of the application, a welding head light that can be attached to almost any welding head to create a well-lit work area is mentioned. With its adjustable structure, it allows the welderto position the light as needed. The features that make it easier for welders to work in poor lighting conditions without needing to raise and lower their helmets were mentioned. However, the structure that can be switched on and of automatically, having a sensor and a micro controller that detects UV and IR rays emitted into the environment was not mentioned.

Turkish patent application no TR 2008/01464, which is another document in the state of the art, was reviewed. In the invention that is the subject of the application, a practical economical welding mask, which can operate in all kinds of welding light conditions by using rechargeable battery energy and has an electronic circuit with adjustable light sensitivity, and thus protects the worker from harmful welding rays by moving the welding glass by converting the light effect to motion energy with its electronic motor is mentioned. Yet again, a torch that can be switched on and of automatically, having a sensor and a micro controller that detects UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays emitted into the environment was not mentioned.

Conclusively, due to the insufficiency of the current solutions in the above-described inventions has made it necessary to make an improvement in the relevant technical field.

Aims of the Invention

The present invention is related to lighting system that can be switched on and off automatically, meeting the abovementioned requirements, eliminating all disadvantages and bringing some additional advantages. The most important aim of the invention is to provide a lighting system that can sense the UV (ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays emitted to the environment during the welding process and can be switched on and off automatically.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that provides lighting to the environment so that the person can instantly check the welding done when the welding process is done in dark environments.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that eliminates the necessity of switching the lamp and/or torch on/off by interrupting the welding during the process in environments where lighting is needed.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that reduces the loss of time by eliminating the necessity of switching the lamp and/or torch on/off by interrupting the welding during the process in environments where lighting is needed.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that eliminates the necessity of switching the lamp and/or torch on/off by interrupting the welding during the process in environments where lighting is needed and thereby reducing distraction and the occupational incidents that may occur due to distraction.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off which ensures that the lighting element remains on despite the start of the welding process, eliminating excess energy consumption.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that can be integrated into the protective helmet lamps and protective safety hat lamps used during welding in environments where lighting is needed.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that can be integrated into the welding mask used when welding in environments where lighting is needed.

Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that can be integrated into the lamp and/or torch used during welding in environments where lighting is needed. Another aim of the invention is to introduce a lighting system automatically switching on and off that can be integrated into the cabinet lighting lamp used while welding in welder's cabins.

Figures to Help Understand the Invention

Figure-1 is the representative view of the lightning system that can open and close automatically and is the subject of the invention.

Reference numbers

1. Sensor

2. Circuit

3. Micro Controller

4. Lamp

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a lighting system automatically switching on and off that can sense the UV (ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays emitted to the environment during the welding process.

The automatic lighting system that is the subject of the invention includes a sensor (1) that can detect UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays. Said sensor (1) is preferably BPW34 photodiode type. When the welding process begins, the data generated by the rays emitted into the environment coming to the sensor (1) are read by the software running on the micro controller (3) located under the circuit (2) on the lighting system and create commands that turn the system on or off. The transistor on the lighting system works with the command received from the micro controller (3) and ensures that the current is sent to or cut off lamp (4) that lightens the welding area. Said micro controller (3) is preferably Arduino nano type. Said micro controller (3) is connected to the circuit (2) by means of connection lines.

The person entering the environment where lighting is needed turns on the lighting system and makes it ready for use. When the welding process starts, by the rays emitted to the environment coming to the sensor (1), the data formed in the sensor is read by the software running on the micro controller (3) and generate the "welding started" command. With the command that occurs, the supply of current to the lamp (4) that lightens the area to be welded is interrupted and the lamp (4) remains off until the welding process is completed. As the UV (Ultraviolet) and IR (Infra-red) rays will cease to be emitted to the environment after the welding process is finished, no beam will reach the sensor (1). No data will come from the said sensor (1), and the "welding finished" command will be created when the software running on the micro controller (3) reads it. The aforementioned transistor will work with the "welding finished" command received from the micro controller (3) to provide current to the lamp (4) and to lighten the welded environment. By this way, it is ensured that the person can see the welded area clearly and control the condition of the weld. Said lamp (4) is preferably LED (Light Emitting Diode) type.

The lighting system that is the subject of the invention can be used by being integrated to protective helmet lamps, protective safety hat lamps, welding masks, to the external lamp (4) and/or torch used during welding processes, and to the lamps (4) used in the welder's cabins. It can work by using the energy of the system it is integrated to. Especially in the welder's cabins, it switches off as soon as the welding starts and automatically switches on when the welding is finished, thus preventing continuous energy use and saving energy.

Apart from the aforementioned structures, the lighting system that is the subject of the invention works alone by a power unit (battery, etc.).