WO2015034575A1

WO2015034575A1 - Face protector lens assembly and method of use

Info

Publication number: WO2015034575A1
Application number: PCT/US2014/045039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jerry Dean WRIGHT
Original assignee: Wright Jerry Dean
Priority date: 2013-09-05
Filing date: 2014-07-01
Publication date: 2015-03-12
Also published as: TW201520461A

Abstract

A retainer lens of shape and dimensions configured to be releasably secured in the front opening of a face plate or helmet has a window opening configured for positioning in front of the eyes of a wearer of the face plate or helmet. An outer protective cover is configured to be secured over the window opening by means of scrap-book like frame corners located on the front surface of the retainer lens and spaced outwardly from respective corners of the window opening. The corners of the outer protective cover are releasably engaged with respective frame corners, so that the cover can be removed from the outside of the face plate as needed for replacement with a new outer protective cover, simply by removing the corners of the current outer protective cover from the respective frame corners, and then engaging a new outer protective cover into the frame corners.

Description

FACE PROTECTOR LENS ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF USE

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates, in general, to lenses of face protectors, and, in particular, to lenses of welding masks or helmets.

2. Related Art

[0002] Welding helmets or masks are headgear used when performing certain types of welding to protect the eyes, face and neck from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks and heat. Welding helmets are necessary to prevent arc eye, a painful condition where the cornea is inflamed. Welding helmets can also prevent retina burns, which can lead to a loss of vision. Both conditions are caused by unprotected exposure to the highly- concentrated UV rays emitted by the welding arc (which can also damage uncovered skin, similar to a sunburn).

[0003] All welding helmets include a small window, called a lens, through which the welder looks at the weld. In older helmets, the window can be made of darkly tinted glass, or perhaps a pair of polarized lenses. In more modern helmet designs, transparent material that darkens automatically when exposed to the flare of a welding arc are more common. Either type, however, is susceptible to damages such as cracks that can compromise the protection from ultraviolet rays. In addition to the lens shade, the helmet has a shroud around the face to protect it from hot metal sparks generated by the arc.

[0004] The hot metal sparks generated by the arc can ignite flammable objects in the welding area. Because the welding helmets include a small window directly in front of the welder's eyes and have obstructed peripheral vision or even no peripheral vision, a welder may not recognize that the hot metal sparks generated a fire in the area (e.g., to the sides) of the welder. The obstructed peripheral vision also prevents the welder from clearly seeing the future direction of their welding line, and they also may not see potential dangers such as people walking up to them from the side or objects moving or falling into their path. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] To solve these problems and others, the present invention involves a lens-in-a- lens assembly that protects a users eyes (e.g., during welding), while also allowing peripheral vision.

[0006] In one embodiment, a lens assembly for a face plate of a face protector has a first, retainer lens of shape and dimensions configured to be secured in a front opening of the face plate and having a curvature substantially matching the curvature of the face plate, and a second lens of smaller dimensions secured behind the first lens to provide a lens-in- a-lens configuration, with the second lens configured to extend across the eyes of a wearer of the face protector and the first lens extending around the sides of the wearer's face to provide peripheral vision. The lenses may be automatic darkening filter (ADF) lenses which darken automatically when exposed to increased light such as the flare of a welding arc, and one or both lenses may be selected from sets of interchangeable lenses having different shades.

[0007] In one embodiment, the ADF retainer lens has a window opening aligned with the ADF lens, and four "scrap book frame" type corners formed integrally in its front face around the window opening for engagement with corners of an outer protective lens or cover. This makes it easier for users to replace the outer protective lens or cover without needing to disassemble the cover from the inside of the welding helmet or face protector in which the lens assembly is mounted. Since the outer protective lens or cover is exposed to a welding environment in which scratching and damage is common, the cover sometimes needs to be replaced multiple times in one day of work. By making the outer protective lens replaceable quickly and easily from the front of the helmet or face protector simply by releasing it from the externally accessible scrap book frame corners, without requiring any disassembly, workers can be much more productive.

[0008] In one embodiment, the second lens may be releasably secured behind the first lens by a retainer assembly having a rear retainer frame and a gasket between the retainer frame and second lens, and the rear retainer frame is secured to the first lens by one ore more releasable fasteners. This allows the second lens to be replaced by second lenses of different properties, while the flexible gasket allows second lenses of different depths to be secured in the assembly. [0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a prior art face protector incorporating a lens-in-a-lens assembly (lens assembly);

[0012] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the face protector of FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the face protector of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the face protector of FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the face protector of FIGS. 1 to 4;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a right side elevation view of the face protector of FIGS.1 to 5;

[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an ADF holder lens including a front mountable outer protective lens or cover for use with the face protector of FIGS. 1 to 6;

[0018] FIG. 8 is a front exploded and partially cut-away perspective view of a face protector including the modified ADF holder lens of FIG. 7; and

[0019] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the assembled face protector or helmet of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for a face protector having a face plate with a front opening which extends across the eye region of a wearer and rearwardly around the sides of the face towards the ears, and a lens-in-a-lens assembly ("lens assembly") secured in the front opening which has an outer protective lens or cover extending over the window of an ADF retainer of the lens assembly, where the outer protective cover is removable and replaceable from the front of the face protector when scratched or damaged, without requiring the wearer to remove the face protector in order to remove a damaged front cover of the lens assembly.

[0021] After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention.

[0022] FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a prior art face protector 400 which comprises a face plate 401 with a front opening 402 and a lens assembly or "lens-in-a-lens" assembly 100 mounted in the opening. FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate one embodiment of a face protector 650 with a modified lens-in-a-lens assembly 600.

[0023] Face protector 400 may be used in any application where face protection is desired, such as a welding application, safety applications, commercial applications, do-it- yourself (DIY) applications, grinding, splash guard, sand blasting, food preparation, fork lift operations, tile cutting, wood cutting, wood chopping, face protection from flying particles, forced high pressure washing applications, during boat travel in sport leisure and commercial fishing, snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, paint ball, law enforcement, fire fighting, motorcycling, dune buggy or rails, ATV, air soft, spectator sports (e.g., NASCAR car racing, NFL/college football, NHL/college hockey), commercial activities such as airline industry, landscaping, and governmental activities such as military, lake patrols, etc. [0024] The face protector 400 protects the front of a user's head (i.e., forehead, face, eyes, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, nose, ears) from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks, heat, and/or other elements associated with the activity/application. The face plate 401 may be made of an injection molded thin, plastic material. The face plate 401 has a configuration generally similar to the configuration of a human face and includes a forehead portion 120, a cheek portion 130, a jaw portion 140, a mouth portion 142, a nose portion 144, ear portions 146, a chin portion 148, and has a front opening 402 in which the replaceable/interchangeable lens assembly 100 is mounted. The face protector 400 thus covers and protects the forehead, cheeks, jaw, mouth, nose, ears, chin, and eyes, respectively, of a user. The lens assembly extends around at least 180 degrees to provide peripheral vision to the wearer.

[0025] The forehead portion 120 is just wider than the width of the head of the user, is curved rearwardly, and extends from the brow area to just above the forehead area of the user. Although not shown, in alternative embodiments, the forehead portion 120 may include one or more ventilation sections for ventilating the face protector 400. On a front or outer side of the forehead portion 120, the forehead portion 120 may include an insert and/or indicia (not illustrated) displaying a trademark, logo, or other insignia pertinent to the application of the face protector 400. The mold used to make the face plate 401 may include different mold inserts for the different indicia so that the same mold, but different mold inserts, may be used to manufacture the face protectors or helmets 400 for different applications. The cheek portion 130 is curved rearwardly from the nose portion 144 and the mouth portion 142 of the face plate 401, and protects the cheeks of a user.

[0026] The jaw portion 140 is curved rearwardly from the mouth portion 142 and the cheek portion 130 of the face plate 401, and protects the jaw area of a user. The jaw portion 140 includes the chin portion 148, which has a cupped configuration for receiving the chin of a user. The jaw portion 140 decreasingly tapers in width from the top of the jaw portion 140, just below the lens assembly 100, to the bottom of the chin portion 148.

[0027] The mouth portion 142 is disposed between the nose portion 144 and the jaw portion 140, and protects the mouth of a user. Although not shown, in an alternative embodiment, the mouth portion 142 may include ventilation holes in grooves or in other areas of the mouth portion 142 and/or nose portion 144. The mold used to make the face plate 401 may include different inserts for the different mouth and/or nose designs so that the same mold, but different inserts, may be used to manufacture the face protectors for different applications (e.g. face protectors with and without mouth/nose ventilation holes). The front side of the nose portion 144 may bow outward and the rear side of the nose portion 144 may be concave to accommodate the nose of the user. Although not shown, as discussed above, the nose portion 144 may include one or more ventilation holes in alternative embodiments.

[0028] The ear portions 146 extend rearwardly from the opposite ends of the lens assembly 100, and decreasingly taper in dimension progressing rearwardly, and protect the entire ears of the user. Holes 170 are disposed in upper portions of the ear portions 146 for attaching a suitable strap assembly 410 with connectors 412 connected through the holes 170 in the back side of ear portions 146 of the face plate. Strap assembly 410 is used to retain face protector 400 in position on the user's head. The straps 414 of assembly 410 may be elastic or adjustable to accommodate a range of different size heads. The face protector 400 may come in a one-size-fits-all configuration or may come in different sizes for different-sized heads (e.g., XL, L, M, S, child size).

[0029] Because of the face-forming, low profile of the face plate 401, especially in the jaw portion 140, the face protector allows the user to move their head from side to side more easily because the lower jaw area of a normal welding helmet or mask hits the user's shoulders and causes the helmet/mask to push up and/or off the user's face/head. Also, because of the rounded profile of the face protector, air flows better than other welding helmets because there is no 90-degree angle that the air has to move past. For example, the forehead portion 120 of the face protector has a rounded profile compared to the 90- degree angles of other welding helmets. Also, because of the rounded spherical lens assembly 100, which is described in more detail below, splatter, flying objects, and the like ricochet off the lens assembly 100 and the remainder of the face protector 400 with less impact and stress on the face protector, and scratching of the lens assembly 100 is reduced.

[0030] Lens assembly 100 protects the user's eyes from flash burn (e.g., causing arc eyes, retina burns), ultraviolet light, sparks, heat, and/or other elements associated with the activity/application. The lens assembly 100 also maximizes the user's general vision and peripheral vision, which helps the user to spot fires in the welding area (e.g., to the sides of the user) caused by hot metal sparks generated by the arc that ignite flammable objects. The lens-in-a-lens assembly 100 is replaceable/interchangeable with other lenses (e.g., for different welding applications or for other different applications) and includes an Automatic Darkening Filter ("ADF") retainer lens 200 which fits in opening 402 of face protector 400, and has an eye opening 310 in which a front cover 210, an ADF lens 220, a polycarbonate lens protector 230, and a back cover or rear retainer frame 240 are mounted, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6.

[0031] The ADF retainer lens 200 is partially spherical, toroidal, and/or cylindrical, providing the user with 180 degree viewing and unobstructed peripheral vision. Opposite peripheral/temple portions 270 of the ADF retainer lens 200 include crescent-shaped holes 280 that overlap crescent-shaped holes (not visible in drawings) in a recessed eye opening section or rim around eye opening section 402 of the face protector 400. Fasteners may extend through the aligned holes for connecting the ADF retainer lens 200 to the recessed eye opening section of opening 401 in face protector 400. The ADF retainer lens 200 includes a central section with a rectangular opening 310 having a recessed peripheral rim 320 for seating of the peripheral rim of front cover 210 of the lens assembly, side cut-outs 330 in rim 320, and a rearwardly extending receiving section 335 (not visible) which includes rearwardly extending upper horizontal member, lower horizontal member (part of which is visible in FIG. 3), and side vertical members that together form an air/space pocket between the ADF lens 220 and the front cover 210 when the lens assembly 100 is assembled. In one embodiment, the ADF retainer lens 200 is a # 10 shaded lens and is made of polycarbonate. In alternative embodiments, the ADF retainer lens 200 is a shaded lens in the range of #2- #12 shaded lens.

[0032] The front cover 210 protects the ADF lens 220 from impact. The front cover 210 is transparent, un-shaded, rectangular/spherical/torical/cylindrical, made of polycarbonate and has a slight curved configuration/shape. Although front cover 210 is a separate component secured in an opening in the retainer lens in the illustrated embodiment, it may alternatively comprise a transparent or substantially transparent cover portion formed integrally with the retainer lens. The front cover 210, when disposed in the ADF retainer lens 200, is flush with the outer surface of lens 200. Rearward extending latch projections 340 extend from opposite sides of the front cover 210 and extend through the side cut-outs 330 of the recessed opening 310 in ADF retainer lens 200 (see FIG. 1).

[0033] As indicated above, the lens assembly 100 has a lens-in-a-lens design with the ADF retainer lens 200 forming an outer holder lens and the ADF lens 220 forming an inner lens carried within/by the ADF retainer lens 200. Threaded inserts are injected/added into a rear/back side of the ADF retainer lens 200 and engaged by threaded fasteners such as flat head screws 250 (FIG. 5) which are inserted through holes in the corners of the back cover 240 and threadably engage the threaded inserts in the rear side of the ADF retainer lens 200 to connect/assemble the rectangular back cover 240, the polycarbonate lens protector 230, and the ADF lens 220, the ADF retainer lens 200, and the front cover 210 of the lens assembly 100 together. The rectangular back cover 240 includes a central rectangular opening 360 and has a front recessed section designed to receive/retains the polycarbonate lens protector 230 and the ADF lens 220. The rearwardly extending latch projections 340 of the front cover 210 latch into side cut-outs of the back cover 240.

[0034] The ADF lens 220 is substantially rectangular or square and has a rectangular frame portion and a rectangular lens portion held in the rectangular frame portion. The dimensions of the ADF lens 220 in one version of the face protector 400 may be approximately 4.0 in. X 4.0 in. or 4 in. X 5 in., with the height dimensions of retainer lens 200, the front opening 310 in the retainer lens, and the recessed opening 402 in the face plate in which lens 200 is mounted is of similar dimensions to accommodate the ADF lens 220. As in the previous embodiment, lenses 200 and 220 may be of any selected initial lens shade and darkened lens shades, and lens 200 and 220 may be replaced or interchanged with other lenses of equivalent shapes and dimensions but different lens properties, as desired. Lens assembly 100 may include rear gasket (not illustrated) of dimensions to match the dimensions of ADF lens 220, for placing between back cover 240 and lens protector 230, to allow the user to select ADF lenses of different depths, including generic ADF lenses.

[0035] ADF lens 220 may be a shade #3 normally and darken to shade #10 automatically when exposed to the flare of a welding arc, but is interchangeable with other ADF filters and shades. The outer ADF retainer lens 200 may be a shade which matches the shade of the ADF lens 220, but these lenses may be of different shades or may be different types of ADF lenses in other embodiments. A rectangular polycarbonate lens protector may also be disposed behind the ADF lens 220.

[0036] Lens assembly 100 protects the user's eyes from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks, heat, and the like encountered during the activity or application, and maximizes the user's peripheral/overall vision. Increased peripheral vision helps the user to spot fires or other objects in the welding area (e.g., to the sides of the user) caused by hot metal sparks generated by the arc that ignite flammable objects.

[0037] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an improved lens-in-a-lens assembly ("lens assembly") 600 that has an outer protective cover which is easily removable and replaceable from outside the face protector, without requiring removal of the face protector and disassambly from the inside of the face protector. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an embodiment of a face protector 650 including face plate 402 of FIGS. 1 to 6 and lens assembly 600 of FIG. 7. In FIGS. 8 and 9, lens-in-a-lens assembly ("lens assembly") 600 is installed in the opening 402 of face plate 401 of FIGS. 1 to 6 in place of lens assembly 200. In this embodiment, the ADF holder or retainer lens 200 of FIGS. 1 to 6 is replaced by ADF holder or retainer lens 605 to which a flat, flexible outer protective cover or lens 610 is releasably secured when the parts are assembled as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9. The parts are shown separate from one another in the exploded view of FIG. 8. In the prior art face protector or helmet 400 of FIGS. 1 to 6, as in most other prior art helmets or face protectors worn for protection when welding or the like, the protective lens or cover 210 can only be removed and replaced by disassembling the unit from inside the helmet. In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 9, an outer protective lens or cover 610 is provided which is secured to retainer members 615 on the outer surface of ADF retainer lens 605, as described in more detail below. Thus, the outer protective lens 610 can be replaced from the outside, requiring no disassembly of the remainder of the lens assembly. Other parts of the lens-in-lens assembly of this embodiment are similar or identical to those in FIGS. 1 to 6, and like reference numbers are used for like parts as appropriate.

[0038] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9, ADF holder lens 605 has four "scrap book"-like frame corners 615 on its outer face arranged around the lens opening or window 310. Scrap book frame corners 615 may be molded integrally on the front face of ADF holder lens 605, or bonded to the front face. Outer protective lens or cover 610 is a simple rectangular lens cover of larger dimensions than opening 320 and is of transparent or at least partially transparent material with some flexibility to allow for engagement of corners 616 with the frame corners or retainer members 615. The dimensions of the outer protective lens or cover 610 substantially match the rectangular dimensions defined by frame corners 615. The scrap book frame corners 615 are designed for releasable engagement with corresponding corners 616 of outer protective lens or cover 610. This allows the user to remove the lens 610 from the outside when it becomes too worn or scratched for good visibility, and replace it with a new lens cover engaged in the frame corners 615 as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9. Lens or cover 610 provides a second outer protective lens which extends over and protects the underlying front cover or first protective lens 210 which snaps into the opening 320 of the ADF holder lens 605 via fasteners 305. In an alternative embodiment, front cover 210 may be omitted altogether and replaced by outer protective lens or cover 610. In another alternative embodiment, the window opening and front cover 210 may be replaced by a transparent window portion formed integrally with the ADF holder lens, with the replaceable outer protective lens protecting the window portion from damage. Other parts of the assembly of FIGS. 7 to 9 are identical to parts of the prior art face protector of FIGS. 1 to 6, and like reference numbers are used for like parts as appropriate.

[0039] Although the scrap book frame holding the outer protective lens in FIGS. 7 to 9 is designed for use with the face protector of FIGS. 1 to 6, similar scrap book frame corners may be provided around the opening in a retainer lens forming part of any prior art welding helmet or face protector, and a similar flat or arcuate protective lens or cover may be snapped into the scrapbook frame corners from the outside, requiring no disassembly from the inside of the helmet or face protector in order to replace a worn front protective lens or cover. Although the opening 620, the frame defined by frame corners 615, and the outer protective lens or cover 610 in the illustrated embodiment are all rectangular, these parts may be of different shapes and dimensions in alternative embodiments, with suitable external retainer members on the outer face of the retainer lens arranged around the opening for snap engagement with edge portions of the outer protective lens cover.

[0040] Most if not all current welding helmets or face protectors are engineered to have the protective lens cover replaced by disassembling the unit from the inside, as is the case with the prior art face protector 400 described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 6, as well as other prior art face protectors such as those described in prior US Pat. Nos. 8,438,662 and 8,438,663. Outer protective lens covers typically become damaged with resultant reduced visibility relatively quickly, and welders often need to replace such covers five or more times per day. Disassembly of such lens covers from the inside takes time and energy, is not user friendly, and welders have to stop welding and take a significant amount of time to replace the protective lens cover, reducing productivity. The lens assembly 600 of FIGS. 7 to 9 overcomes this problem by allowing quick and easy replacement of a worn or damaged outer protective lens or cover, simply by snapping the cover out of the snap-book like frame corners and replacing it with a new cover snapped into the frame corners from the outside, eliminating any need for disassembly from the inside.

[0041] The above figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in any following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0042] Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term "including" should be read as mean "including, without limitation" or the like; the term "example" is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as "conventional," "traditional," "standard," "known" and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction "and" should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as "and/or" unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction "or" should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as "and/or" unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as "one or more," "at least," "but not limited to" or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.

Claims

1. A face protector, comprising:

a face plate having portions configured to protect the forehead, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, ears, and nose of a wearer, the face plate having a front opening configured for positioning over the eyes of a wearer and extending rearwardly over opposite sides of the face towards the ears of a wearer; a retainer lens secured in the front opening of the face plate, the retainer lens having front face and a rear face, a retainer lens opening configured for alignment with the eyes of a wearer of the face protector, and a plurality of retainer members on the front face of the retainer lens positioned around and spaced outwardly from the retainer lens opening to define a frame of larger dimensions than the opening; and an outer protective lens of shape and dimensions substantially matching the frame defined by the retainer members and larger than the dimensions of the retainer lens opening; the outer protective lens having edge portions releasably engaged with the spaced retainer members to secure the outer protective lens over the retainer lens opening.

2. The face protector of claim 1, wherein the retainer lens opening is of substantially rectangular shape and the retainer members comprise corner members spaced outwardly from respective corners of the retainer lens opening to define a rectangular frame of larger dimensions than the retainer lens opening, and the outer protective lens cover is of generally rectangular shape and dimensions substantially matching the rectangular frame, the edge portions of the outer protective lens comprising corners releasably engaged with the corner members of the retainer lens.

3. The face protector of claim 2, wherein the corner members are scrap-book like frame corners.

4. The face protector of claim 1, wherein the retainer lens comprises an automatic darkening filter (ADF) lens.

5. The face protector of claim 1, further comprising a second lens of smaller dimensions located behind the retainer lens and outer protective lens to provide a lens-in- a-lens configuration, a back cover behind the second lens, and a retainer assembly configured to releasably secure the second lens and back cover to the retainer lens to form a lens-in-lens assembly secured in the front opening of the face plate.

6. The face protector of claim 5, wherein the retainer lens and second lens are both automatic darkening filter (ADF) lenses, and the outer protective lens is of at least substantially transparent material.

7. The face protector of claim 6, further comprising a set of interchangeable automatic darkening filter (ADF) second lenses of identical shape and different shades for selectively securing to the first lens.

8. The face protector of claim 1, further comprising a front cover member secured in the retainer lens opening behind the outer protective lens.

9. The face protector of claim 8, wherein the front cover member is of at least partially transparent material.

10. A face protector, comprising:

a face plate having portions configured to protect the forehead, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, ears, and nose of a wearer, the face plate having a front opening configured for positioning over the eyes of a wearer and extending rearwardly over opposite sides of the face towards the ears of a wearer; a lens-in-lens assembly secured in the front opening of the face plate; the lens-in-lens assembly comprising a first, retainer lens secured in the front opening and substantially flush with at least the forehead portion of the face plate, the first lens being of shape and dimensions which substantially match the shape and dimensions of the front opening, a second lens of smaller dimensions behind the first lens to provide a lens-in-a-lens configuration, a back cover behind the second lens, and a retainer assembly configured to releasably secure the second lens and back cover to the first lens; the retainer lens having front face, a rear face, a window portion of at least substantially transparent material in front of the second lens, and a plurality of retainer members on the front face of the retainer lens positioned around and spaced outwardly from the window portion to define a frame of larger dimensions than the window portion; and an outer protective lens of shape and dimensions substantially matching the frame defined by the retainer members and larger than the dimensions of the window portion of the retainer lens; the outer protective lens having edge portions releasably engaged with the spaced retainer members to secure the outer protective lens over the window portion.

11. The face protector of claim 10, wherein the first, retainer lens has an opening in front of the second lens which has a periphery spaced inwardly from the frame defined by the retainer members, and the window portion comprises a separate protective cover member releasably secured in the opening behind the outer protective lens.

12. A lens assembly for securing in an opening in a face plate of a face protector, comprising: a retainer lens configured to be secured in a front opening of a face plate and having a curvature substantially matching the curvature of the face plate, the retainer lens having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a window; a second lens of smaller dimensions secured behind the retainer lens and aligned with the window to provide a lens-in-a-lens configuration;

a plurality of retainer members on the outer face of the retainer lens positioned around and spaced outwardly from the window to define a frame of larger dimensions than the window; and an outer protective lens of shape and dimensions substantially matching the frame defined by the retainer members and larger than the dimensions of the window; the outer protective lens having edge portions releasably engaged with the spaced retainer members to secure the outer protective lens over the window.

13. The lens assembly of claim 12, wherein the retainer lens and second lens are both automatic darkening filter (ADF) lenses, and the outer protective lens is of at least substantially transparent material in front of the second lens.

14. The lens assembly of claim 12, wherein the window is of substantially rectangular shape and the retainer members comprise corner members spaced outwardly from respective corners of the window to define a rectangular frame of larger dimensions than the window, and the outer protective lens is of generally rectangular shape and dimensions substantially matching the rectangular frame, the edge portions of the outer protective lens comprising corners releasably engaged with respective corner members of the retainer lens.

15. The face protector of claim 14, wherein the corner members are scrap-book like frame corners.

16. The face protector of claim 12, wherein the window comprises an opening in the retainer lens and an at least substantially transparent window member secured in the opening.

17. A method of using a face protector with an interchangeable lens assembly, comprising: securing a lens assembly in a front opening in a face plate configured to extend over the face of a wearer to protect the forehead, cheeks, jaw, chin, mouth, ears and nose of a wearer while the lens assembly protects the eyes and areas surrounding the eyes, the lens assembly comprising at least a first lens which fits the face plate front opening and has a smaller, at least substantially transparent window positioned to extend in front of the eyes of a wearer and retainer members on the outer surface of the first lens spaced outwardly from the window and defining a frame of larger dimensions than the window; engaging spaced edge portions of an outer protective lens of at least substantially transparent material with the retainer members to extend over and protect the window; applying the assembled face protector to a wearer's head with the outer protective lens extending over the window and in front of the wearer's eyes; wearing the face protector during an activity; removing the outer protective lens from the first lens after a period of activity by removing the edge portions of the outer protective lens from the retainer members; replacing the removed outer protective lens with a new outer protective lens by engaging spaced edge portions of the new outer protective lens with the retainer members; and repeating the steps of removing an outer protective lens and replacing the removed outer protective lens with a new outer protective lens at periodic intervals as needed as a result of wear on the outer face of the outer protective lens.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the window comprises an opening in the first lens.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising releasably engaging an at least partially transparent protective cover of smaller dimensions than the outer protective lens into the opening in the first lens before engaging the outer protective lens with the retainer members to extend over the smaller protective cover in the opening in the first lens.