Patent ID: 6305797
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A rotating shutter system for eye/optics protection against in-band frequency agile lasers, said rotating shutter system having a predetermined configuration and design selected from the group of configurations and designs consisting of a disk configuration, a cylindrical configuration, and a conical configuration, adaptable for mounting in combination with a headgear of an operator to permit said rotating shutter to spin in front of an operator's field of vision while providing alternating low optical density sectors which are narrow enough and far enough apart to avoid simultaneous exposure of both eyes and high optical density sectors for passing separately each eye of operator on an alternate schedule, said high optical density sectors permitting the blocking of laser pulses which are incidence upon the outer surface thereof, said low optical density sectors, allowing sufficient ambient light to reach the retina of an operator's eyes to retain visual acuity to locate a laser source, said rotating shutter system comprising:(i) a rotatable shutter member having a major portion of high optical density material, said rotatable shutter having a predetermined number from 2 to 3 of low optical density sectors comprising from about 1% to about 2% of the total area of said rotating shutter member arranged in a predetermined position around the periphery of said rotatable shutter member for passing in front of the eyes of an operator to thereby allow sufficient ambient light to reach the retina of an operator's eye to provide visual acuity which enables the operator to locate said laser source;(ii) removable, mounting means for securing said rotatable shutter to said headgear to permit rotational operation; and,(iii) a variable speed electrically operated motor removably mounted to said rotatable shutter for spinning said rotatable shutter at a predetermined rotational speed in front of an operator's field of vision.