Exemplary embodiments generally relate to an eyewear system design for enhanced user comfort and slip resistance.
Eyewear is generally designed to fit a pre-determined face shape and anatomical structure, which causes many wearers to experience a poor fit, which is particularly the case for people who lack prominent facial and nasal bridge structures. Conventional eyewear typically relies on two hard nose pads that rest on either side of the nose to support the eyewear; however, many wearers find these hard nose pads to be uncomfortable and inadequate to hold the eyewear in a proper position without slipping, sliding, or leaving marks on the user's nasal bridge after removal.
Implementations of a slip-resistant eyewear system may comprise a nose pad comprising a securing member configured to couple to a portion of an eyewear frame and a flap pivotally coupled to the securing member, wherein an angle formed between the securing member and the flap is an acute angle.
Particular aspects may comprise one or more of the following features. The flap may be configured to pivot toward the securing member when the eyewear frame is worn by a user. The flap may be comprised of a material having a durometer range of less than about Shore 40A on the Shore A hardness scale. The securing member and the flap may be integrally formed. The securing member may be substantially planar and may further comprise an adhesive configured to adhere to the portion of the eyewear frame. The securing member may be configured to seat within a notched indentation on the eyewear frame. The nose pad may be comprised of a core comprised of a material having a durometer range greater than about Shore 40A on the Shore A hardness scale. The nose pad may be comprised of an outer layer comprising a material having a durometer less than about Shore 40A on the Shore A hardness scale. The flap may comprise a bulbous tip. The flap may comprise a tapered tip. The securing member may comprise a plurality of slots. The securing member may comprise a pocket configured to house a pre-existing nose pad coupled to the eyewear frame. The securing member may comprise a hollow portion. A hinge between the securing member and the flap may comprise one or more notches. A hinge between the securing member and the flap may comprise one or more slots. The flap may further comprise one or more ribs on a surface of the flap that faces the securing member.
Implementations of a method of making a slip-resistant eyewear system may comprise forming a nose pad, the nose pad comprising a securing member configured to couple to a portion of an eyewear frame and a flap pivotally coupled to the securing member, wherein an angle formed between the securing member and the flap is an acute angle. The method may further comprise coupling the securing member to the eyewear frame.
Particular aspects may comprise one or more of the following features. The flap may be configured to pivot toward the securing member when the eyewear frame is worn by a user. The method may further comprise adhering the securing member to the portion of the eyewear frame using an adhesive. The method may further comprise seating a pre-existing nose pad of the eyewear frame within a pocket of the securing member.
Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are described below in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly set forth the “special” definition of that term and explain how it differs from the plain and ordinary meaning. Absent such clear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventors' intent and desire that the simple, plain and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.
The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar. Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be further characterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term, or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.
Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Brief Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of [insert function]”), without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of . . . ” or “step for performing the function of . . . ,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, or that perform the recited function, then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.
The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from the DETAILED DESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.
Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference characters, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the example embodiments herein. Elements and acts in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence or embodiment.
This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to the specific components or assembly procedures disclosed herein. Many additional components and assembly procedures known in the art consistent with the intended eyewear systems and/or assembly procedures for eyewear will become apparent for use with implementations of the eyewear systems of this disclosure. Accordingly, for example, although particular eyewear systems are disclosed, such eyewear systems and implementing components may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version, measurement, concentration, material, quantity, and/or the like as is known in the art for such eyewear systems and implementing components, consistent with the intended operation of eyewear.
Contemplated as part of this disclosure are various embodiments of comfort fit and slip resistant eyewear systems and their respective components. It is noted that although some figures provided herein depict retrofitting existing eyewear systems while other depict custom eyewear frames, the disclosures described herein may be applied to any of a variety of eyewear frames and eyewear systems.
Because of the unique anatomical structure of each person's face, a need exists for a customizable and personalized comfortable eyewear fit. The inventions disclosed herein focus on providing enhanced eyewear comfort, fit, and performance. Any of the inventions disclosed herein may be comprised of an inner core comprising one or more materials having a higher durometer relative to an outer layer or may be comprised solely of the higher durometer material or solely of the soft, lower durometer material. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term higher durometer material is intended to refer to materials within, but not limited to about the following durometer ranges within the Shore A Hardness Scale: greater than about Shore 40A; greater than about Shore 50A; greater than about Shore 60A; greater than about Shore 70A; greater than about Shore 80A; greater than about Shore 90A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 100A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 90A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 80A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 70A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 60A; about Shore 40A-about Shore 50A; about Shore 50A-about Shore 100A; about Shore 50A-about Shore 90A; about Shore 50A-about Shore 80A; about Shore 50A-about Shore 70A; about Shore 50A-about Shore 60A; about Shore 60A-about Shore 100A; about Shore 60A-about Shore 90A; about Shore 60A-about Shore 80A; about Shore 60A-about Shore 70A; about Shore 70A-about Shore 100A; about Shore 70A-about Shore 90A; about Shore 70A-about Shore 80A; about Shore 80A-about Shore 100A; about Shore 80A-about Shore 90A; about Shore 90A-about Shore 100A. An outer layer comprising a soft, low durometer material may surround at least a portion of the inner core of the nose pad or nosepiece to enhance the grip of the nose pad or nosepiece on the user's nasion and/or nasal bridge. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms soft, low durometer material or low durometer material are intended to refer to materials within, but not limited to, about the following durometer ranges within the Shore A Hardness Scale: Less than about Shore 40A; Less than about Shore 35A; Less than about Shore 30A; Less than about Shore 25A; Less than about Shore 20A; Less than about Shore 15A; Less than about Shore 10A; Less than about Shore 5A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 25A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 20A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 15A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 10A; about Shore 0A-about Shore 5A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 25A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 20A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 15A; about Shore 5A-about Shore 10A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 25A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 20A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 15A; about Shore 15A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 15A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 10A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 15A-about Shore 25A; about Shore 15A-about Shore 20A; about Shore 20A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 20A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 20A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 20A-about Shore 25A; about Shore 25A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 25A-about Shore 35A; about Shore 25A-about Shore 30A; about Shore 30A-about Shore 40A; about Shore 30A-about Shore 35A; and about Shore 35A to about Shore 40A and/or the following durometer ranges within the Shore 00 Hardness Scale: less than about 80 Shore 00; less than about 70 Shore 00; less than about 60 Shore 00; less than about 50 Shore 00; less than about 40 Shore 00; less than about 30 Shore 00; less than about 20 Shore 00; less than about 10 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 50 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 40 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 30 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 20 Shore 00; about 0 Shore 00-about 10 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 50 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 40 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 30 Shore 00; about 10 Shore 00-about 20 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 50 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 40 Shore 00; about 20 Shore 00-about 30 Shore 00; about 30 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 30 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 30 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 30 Shore 00-about 50 Shore 00; about 30 Shore 00-about 40 Shore 00; about 40 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 40 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 40 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 40 Shore 00-about 50 Shore 00; about 50 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 50 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; about 50 Shore 00-about 60 Shore 00; about 60 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00; about 60 Shore 00-about 70 Shore 00; and about 70 Shore 00-about 80 Shore 00.
When this low durometer material is in contact with the user's nasion and/or nasal bridge, gravitational force is acting on the eyewear frame. The vector components of the gravitational force cause the nose pads and/or nosepiece to drag slightly across the skin thereby creating tiny wrinkles known as Schallamach waves on the surface of the low durometer material. These tiny wrinkles reduce slippage of the eyewear down the nasal bridge due to the enhanced frictional forces that they provide. It is to be understood that any of the embodiments of nosepieces or nose pads described herein may be comprised of the aforementioned higher durometer inner core and lower durometer outer layer.
Nose pad flaps 103 may comprise different lengths and/or shapes to allow a user to select a nose pad 101 that best fits the user's particular anatomy, some non-limiting examples of which are provided in
It will be understood that implementations are not limited to the specific components disclosed herein, as virtually any components consistent with the intended operation of a method and/or system implementation for eyewear may be utilized. Accordingly, for example, although eyewear systems may be disclosed, such components may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version, class, grade, measurement, concentration, material, weight, quantity, and/or the like consistent with the intended operation of a method and/or system implementation for eyewear may be used. In places where the description above refers to particular implementations of eyewear, it should be readily apparent that a number of modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and that these implementations may be applied to other eyewear systems.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/985,210 filed on Mar. 4, 2020, entitled “Comfort Fit Slip-Resistant Eyewear System” to Loo, et al., the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62985210 | Mar 2020 | US |