1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to swimming goggles, and particularly to swimming goggles with a nose-bridge which can be simply adjusted to adjust the space between lenses of the goggles and which is safe to the user even when the swimming goggles are stripped inadvertently.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional swimming goggles have a pair of lens parts disposed within a predetermined distance right and left, and a nose-bridge interconnecting the midline ends of the lenses. Such nose-bridge function to maintain a given distance between interconnecting, midline ends of the pair of lenses, and for adjusting the appropriate space between the pair of lenses.
Referring to
The ends of connecting band 122 of the swimming goggles are stretched over the top of the bridge of the nose of a user when connecting band 122 is adjusted to narrow the space between lenses 110. As such, the sharp, curved portion of the rigid connecting band 122 may injure the user's skin at the ridge of the nose, especially softened by exposure to water when the swimming goggles 100 are inadvertently (or intentionally) stripped from the user's head.
In addition, as inserting hole 121 has a size that does not allow the portion of connecting band, on which projections 122a, 122b are formed, to pass easily, it is not easy to adjust the space between the lenses.
The present disclosure describes solutions to the problems in the prior art as identified above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide swimming goggles with a connecting band that is easily detachable to facilitate adjustment of the space between the lenses of the swimming goggles, which overcomes the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide swimming goggles having a connecting band with a support member which reliably supports the connecting band to prevent the connecting band from becoming detached from the connecting band-supporting member while in use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide swimming goggles in which the connecting band supporting member is of a conformation and compositional make-up which are safe in preventing injury to a user's face even when the swimming goggles are stripped inadvertently.
Essentially, the swimming goggles or visual protective apparatus for swimming, of the present invention has the requisite pair of lenses connected with a nose-bridge at the midline ends of each lens. As the term is used herein, the “midline” is that portion of the claimed apparatus corresponding to the human midline that runs vertically from head to toe and parallel to the vertical, central surface of the nose. The longitudinal displacement of each lens and nose bridge should be considered perpendicular to this vertical midline. Thus, if a lens has two longitudinal ends, the “midline end” of a particular lens is the end towards the anatomical midline of the user and the “lateral end” is the end away from and opposite to the midline end.
In one aspect, the nose-bridge of the present invention is comprised of an independent flexible connecting band and two support members, each on respective lenses. The flexible connecting band can be made of such pliable materials of relatively soft texture as polyurethane.
The connecting band should have at least a first pair of through-holes each situated on the two lateral longitudinal ends of the band and at least a second pair of through-holes spaced towards the midline and away from the first through-holes. As already mentioned, a “lateral” disposition refers to a spatial relationship away from the vertical midline in a perpendicular, horizontal direction.
The supporting members are formed at the midline side end of each of said pair of lenses, and are adapted to connect the lenses with the flexible connecting band therebetween. Each supporting member further comprises a knob, a supporting hook member and a bar member connecting the knob to the hook member. Each knob extends from the midline side end of each lens, and each knob has a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface. As used herein, the terms “front” or “outer” or “outside” refers to the surface facing away from the user when the present goggles are worn, and the terms “rear” or “inner” or “inside” refers to the surface facing towards the user's face when the present goggles are worn.
Each supporting member also has a hook member, which has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the outer surface, a blunt end and a hook end. The hook end is disposed opposite to the blunt end and extends laterally and a bar member connects the rear surface of the knob to the outer surface of the hook member. The hook end is integrally formed so that it is inclined towards the outer surface and away from the user's nose when the swimming goggles are worn. The remainder of the knob and hook member which are also integral to the lens taper follow the hook end and taper away from the user's nose.
Each of the two lateral longitudinal ends of the flexible connecting band are supported by corresponding supporting members on respective lenses by passing each blunt end of each supporting hook members through the first through-holes of the flexible connecting band, and then pushing each hook end of the supporting hook members through the second through-holes of the flexible connecting band by stretching a portion of the flexible connecting band between each first and second through-holes such that each first through-hole comes to rest around a respective bar member.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Nose-bridge 420 according to the present invention comprises first through-hole 422a formed adjacent either lateral ends of flexible connecting band 422 which also has second through-hole 422b formed and spaced apart from the first through-hole 422a, and connecting band supporting members 421 formed on midline ends of lenses 410, which are connected by the flexible connecting band 422.
Referring to
Extending knob 421a extends towards the midline from the midline end of lens 410, and has a rear surface which faces the surface of the user's face when swimming goggles 400 are worn, and a front surface opposite to the rear surface. Supporting hook member 421b has an inside surface which faces the user's face when wearing the swimming goggles, and an outside surface opposite to the inside surface, a blunt end 421b′, and a hook end 421b″. Connecting bar member 421c connects the outside surface of hook member 421b with the rear surface of extending knob 421a.
The hook end 421b″ is integrally formed so that it is inclined towards the outer surface and away from the user's nose when the swimming goggles are worn. The remainder of the hook member 421b and the knob 421a, which are all also integral with the lens, and are adapted to taper away from the user's nose as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, extending knob 421a inclines away from the center line of the nose of the user in order to provide more space away from the user's face. In this way, there is little danger of connecting with the nose of a person with a high nose ridge or otherwise. Also, there is little probability that the nose-bridge will contact the user's face if the swimming goggles fall off inadvertently. Therefore, there is little risk that the user will suffer injury.
Through use of components which make up the nose bridge 420 of the present invention, connecting band 422 can be easily installed onto supporting member 421. Once installed, connecting band 422 is not easily dislodged from the supporting member as the hook end 421b″ holds it in place with second through hole 422b held firmly around bar member 421c.
The elements of the supporting member 421 are designed such that compact integral manufacture in relatively smaller dimensions compared to the prior art, are possible and thus occupy only a small space in the overall swimming goggles configuration. Thus, the overall design of the swimming goggles is varied to provide a safe structure that avoids injury to the user's face when the swimming goggles is inadvertently displaced or intentionally removed.
In order for easy installation of connecting band 422 onto swimming goggles 400, the connecting band should have some resilience. However, to conduct the function of adjusting the space between the lenses, the resilience should not be excessively high. Thus, the connecting band according to present invention is preferably made of polyurethane. Other materials which can provide such requirements as ease of installation, but not excessive resilience for adjustment, and provide safe texture, can also be substituted by one skilled in the art. All such substitutions, which will become apparent after having the benefit of this disclosure, are considered to be within the scope of this patent.
The illustrative embodiment has been shown with four through-holes in connecting band 422 (FIG. 4). First and second through holes 422a, 422b are formed towards the lateral longitudinal ends of the connecting band in the illustrated embodiment.
The length of the flexible connecting band 422 which connects the gap between lenses 410 can be properly adjusted by preparing a set of flexible connecting band 422 whose lengths are varied such as long, medium or short, and marketing a choice for fit depending on the variable space between the user's eyes.
Illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described, and it will be understood that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2000-11714 | Apr 2000 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCTKR01/00682 | 4/24/2001 | WO | 00 | 10/23/2002 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO0180956 | 11/1/2001 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030106139 A1 | Jun 2003 | US |