Patent Application
20070033716
Many goggles having a soft frame that molds well to the face and is very comfortable for a user. However, these goggles can have problems when used with high impact activities, such as paintball games, practicing military combat exercises, or participating in actual combat. The relatively soft frame can deform during or after impact of a projectile or debris. In addition, the soft frame can sometimes be unable to retain the lens within the frame during or after such impact. John, I chose to not combine these last two sentences because the idea expressed in these two sentences is broader that the idea expressed in one, combined sentence. Broader is good here.
Similarly many goggles are held on a user's head above his eyes or on a helmet when the user is not wearing the goggle to protect his eyes. In such situations, the goggle remains exposed to the environment and can be damaged by debris or other materials in the environment. For example, a person inside a tank having his goggles placed over his helmet and above his eyes can inadvertently scratch or otherwise damage the lens of the goggle by bumping the goggle into a component of the tank.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved goggle and related methods that remedy these and other problems.
One aspect of the invention provides a frame that is releasably attachable to a goggle having a lens and a frame that holds the lens, wherein the releasably attachable frame comprises a body sized and configured to protect the goggle frame from impacts when the releasably attachable frame is fastened to the goggle and a user wears the goggle with the lens positioned in front of an eye. The releasably attachable frame also comprises at least one attachment component sized and configured to engage the goggle to releasably fasten the body to the goggle. The releasably attachable frame is typically stiffer (harder) than the frame of the goggle and can protect the goggle from undesirable impacts by shielding the frame of the goggle from such impacts and by supporting the frame of the goggle during such impacts. Because the frame may be releasably fastened to the goggle, a user can modify, as desired, the degree of protection afforded the goggle by replacing a frame with a different frame having a different stiffness or coverage configuration.
In another aspect of the invention a releasably attachable frame may be fastened to a goggle to form an interface between the goggle and the user when the user wears the goggle with the lens positioned in front of an eye. In this aspect of the invention, the releasably attachable frame comprises a body having a face-contoured component that forms a substantially air-tight seal with the user's face. The releasably attachable frame is typically more flexible (softer) than the frame of the goggle and can provide a more comfortable fit for a user. Because the frame may be releasably fastened to the goggle, a user can modify, as desired, the goggle to change the fit of the goggle in response to a change in the environment or purpose for wearing the goggle, by replacing a frame with a different frame. In addition, a user can modify, as desired, the goggle to comfortably fit another's face by replacing a frame with a different frame having a different flexibility.
In yet another aspect of the invention a drape may be releasably fastened to a releasably attachable frame having a lens and a frame that holds the lens, to protect the goggle or a substantial component of the goggle when the goggle is held on a helmet worn by the user or on other equipment of the user, or placed away from the user, such as a duffel bag or work bench. The drape covers the goggle or just specific components of the goggle, such as the lens and then is releasably fastened to the goggle to keep the drape over the desired components of the goggle.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for making a goggle includes releasably attaching a frame to a goggle having a lens and a frame that holds the lens. The method also includes removing a releasably attachable frame from a goggle and fastening another releasably attachable frame to the goggle.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method for making a goggle includes releasably attaching a drape to a releasably attachable frame, covering one or more of the goggle's components with the drape, and hanging the drape from the goggle to protect a user's face.
Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present discussion. Thus, the present discussion is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
One aspect of the invention provides a removable goggle frame that may be releasably fastened to a goggle having a frame that retains a lens. In some embodiments, the removable frame is stiffer (harder) than the goggle frame, and, when fastened to the goggle, protects the goggle from damage cause by undesirable impacts by shielding the goggle frame and/or supporting the goggle frame. In other embodiments, the removable frame is more flexible (softer) than the goggle frame, and, when fastened to the goggle, provides a more comfortable fit for the user.
Another aspect of the invention provides a removable drape that may be releasably fastened to a releasably attachable frame. In some embodiments, the drape is configured to hang below the releasably attachable frame to protect the user's face when the releasably attachable frame is fastened to a goggle and the combination is worn, and configured to be releasably fastened over a lens of either the goggle, releasably attachable frame, or both to protect the lens when the user places the releasably attachable frame and goggle elsewhere, such on his/her helmet as he/she wears the helmet. In other embodiments, the drape covers substantially all of the releasably attachable frame and goggle.
In certain embodiments, the present application is directed to a removable frame alone, while in other embodiments, the application is directed to a combination of the removable goggle frame and a goggle that it may be attached to. Likewise, in certain embodiments, the present application is directed to a removable drape alone, while in other embodiments, the application is directed to a combination of the removable drape and a goggle that it may be attached to. The present application is further directed to methods of making the various elements of the systems and apparatus, as well as to methods of using the same.
The goggle 22 includes a lens 28 and a frame 30 that holds the lens 28. In some embodiments, the goggle 22 includes vents 32 to allow air to enter and exit a region between a user's eye, the lens 28, and the frame 30. The goggle 22 may also include a goggle-retention member 34 to hold the goggle 22 to a user when worn by the user. The frame 30 may be sized and configured to retain the lens 28 in front of an eye of a user when the goggle is worn by the user to protect his/her eye. The frame 30, often but not always, is made of material that substantially flexes under moderate pressure to allow the frame 30 to comfortably fit many different faces.
The releasably attachable frame 24 protects the frame 30, and thus the goggle 22, from undesirable impacts by shielding the frame 30 from such impacts and by supporting the frame 30 during such impacts. Examples of such undesirable impacts include a paint ball striking the frame 30 while participating in a paintball game, or debris striking the frame 30 while participating in military combat practice exercises or in actual combat exercises. Because the frame 30 is often substantially flexible, such impacts to the frame 30 can damage the goggle 22 by, for example, separating all or a portion of the frame 30 from the lens 28.
The releasably attachable frame 24 includes a body 36 that may be made of any desirable material having any desired stiffness to protect the frame 30. Stiffness is a measure of a material's ability to resist deforming or flexing when subjected to a force. For example, most paper clips are stiffer than most wood twigs having the same dimensions because more force is required to bend the paper clip than the wood twig. In this and other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 24, the body 36 is made of any desirable plastic having a stiffness at least 10 times greater than the stiffness of the frame 30. In other embodiments, the plastic material has a stiffness that ranges between slightly less than the stiffness of the frame 30 to less than 10 times the stiffness of the frame 30. In still other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 24, the body 36 is made of any desirable metal having a stiffness that ranges between slightly less than the stiffness of the frame 30 to more than the stiffness of the frame 30. In still other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 24, the body 36 may be made from any desirable combination of materials that provides any desired stiffness to protect the frame 30.
The body 36 may be sized and configured as desired to shield the frame 30 from undesirable impacts and to support the frame 30 during such an impact. For example, in this and other embodiments of the frame 24, the body 36 substantially covers the frame 30 (see
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In other embodiments of the goggle 20, the goggle 22 includes the attachment component 26, and the goggle 22 includes any desired number of the attachment components 26, each located as desired. In still other embodiments, the frame 24 may be releasably fastened to the goggle 22 using any desired fastening technique capable of retaining the frame 24 to the goggle 22 during and after an undesirable impact.
Because the frame 24 is releasably fastened to the goggle 22, a user can modify, as desired, the degree of protection afforded the goggle 22 by replacing a frame 24 with a different frame 24 having a different stiffness or coverage configuration.
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Other embodiments of the goggle 20 are possible. For example, the goggle 20 may include clips (not shown) or other elements (not shown) to retain the goggle 20 to other protective gear such as helmets, ear protectors and the like. In addition, the goggle 22 can be sized and configured to fit close to a user's eyes or further away from a user's eyes to accommodate glasses or other eyewear that a user may choose to wear. Also, the releasably attachable frame 24 can have a variety of different colors or other artistic schemes such that a user can switch external goggle frames for reasons related to stylistic choices (as opposed to, or in addition to, more functional reasons such as differences in protective configurations, wear factors, etc.).
In this and other embodiments of the goggle 20, the fan may be mounted to the frame 30 of the goggle under the grill 60 of the releasably attachable frame 24. The fan may be mounted to the frame 30 using any desired fastening technique. In other embodiments, the fan may be mounted to the releasably attachable frame 24 using any desired fastening technique. In some embodiments, the grill 60 includes vents 62 to allow air to enter or exit the fan.
The lens 74 can protect a user's eyes from bright or harmful light as well as particles suspended in the ambient air and other matter. The lens 74 is typically made of any desired light transmissive material. For example, if desired, the lens 74 can be substantially clear and transmit substantially all light that contacts the lens. However, when specific conditions like bright light, very low light or high intensity collimated light, e.g., laser beams, or objects with high kinetic energy exist, lenses specifically designed for the condition may be used. For example, a tinted or polarized lens may be made from a light tinting or light polarizing material, or made by attaching a tinted or polarized film to the lens 74. Furthermore, the tinting material or film may filter a narrow range of light wavelengths such as those corresponding to the light wavelengths emitted by lasers or welding torches. Also, the material of the lens 74 can be impact resistant as well as shatter proof like ballistic grade lenses. The lens 74 may also selectively attenuate infrared light or light having a wavelength greater than approximately 670 nanometers. In addition, the lens 74 may attenuate ultraviolet light or light having a wavelength less than approximately 420 nanometers. Or, the lens 74 may attenuate both infrared and ultraviolet light. In addition, the lens 74 can include “tear aways” (not shown)—removable sheets covering the outside surface of the lens. By simply pulling off a “tear away”, a muddied or oiled lens can be quickly and easily cleaned.
The lens 28 in
For example, in this and other embodiments, each attachment component 26 includes a detent 42, a cantilever 86, and a release tab 88. Each detent 42 is sized and configured to hold the frame 30 of the goggle 22 against the body 36 of the releasably attachable frame 24 when the detent 42 is positioned to releasably fasten the frame 24 to the goggle 22. Each cantilever 86 has an end from which a respective detent 42 extends, and is sized and configured to position the respective detent 42 to contact the frame 30 when the detent 42 holds the frame 30 against the body 36. Each release tab 88 is sized and configured to move a respective detent 42 relative to the frame 30 to release the detent's hold on the frame 30. As shown in
Because most conventional goggles have a frame that includes a back surface similar to the surface 90 of the goggle 22, the attachment component 26 may be used to releasably fasten the frame 24 to different goggles 22 as desired. In other embodiments of the goggle 20, the goggle 22 may include a receiver specifically designed to receive and hold a detent or other structure of the releasably attachable frame 24.
In this and other embodiments, a user can fasten a desired releasably attachable frame 24 to a goggle 22 that does not have a frame 24 already fastened to it by aligning the frame 24 with the goggle 22 and then moving the frame 24 toward the goggle 22. As the body 36 closes in toward the frame 30, each detent contacts an outer surface 92 of the frame 30, which causes a respective cantilever 86 to flex away from the frame 30. Then, when the body 36 contacts the frame 30, each cantilever 86 urges a respective detent 42 into a position where the detent 42 contacts the back surface 90. To release the detent's hold on the frame 30, the release tab 88 is moved away from the frame 30, which causes a respective detent 42 to separate from the back surface 90.
The vent cover 58 may be sized and configured to extend any desired length over the vent 32 and to be located any desired distance away from the vent 32. For example in this and other embodiments, the vent cover 58 extends from the body 36, covers the vent 32, and is located less than an inch from the vent 32. With the vent cover 58 covering the vent 32, substantial protection is afforded the frame 30, vent 32 and region 57. In this configuration, however, airflow through the vent 32 can be substantially impeded, causing inadequate ventilation of the region 57. Without adequate ventilation, condensation from perspiration can form on the inside surface of the lens and interfere with a user's vision. To reduce the restriction on the airflow, other embodiments may include a vent cover that extends over a portion of the vent 32, or that is located an inch or more away from the vent 32, or that is geometrically configured to urge airflow through the vent, or any combination of these.
In other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 24, such as the embodiment shown in
In this and other embodiments of the frame 100, the body 111 includes a cheek guard 104 to protect a user's cheek (not shown) when the releasably attachable frame 100 is fastened to a goggle (not shown) and the goggle is worn by a user (not shown). The cheek guard 104 may be sized and configured as desired to provide any desired degree of protection. For example, in this and other embodiments the check guard 104 extends over a portion of a user's cheek, and includes an opening 112 configured to align with a user's mouth. In other embodiments, the cheek guard 104 may not include the opening 112 for a user's mouth and may extend over a user's mouth to cover a portion or all of the mouth, or the cheek guard 104 may further extend to cover a user's cheek and lower jaw.
In this and other embodiments, the releasably attachable frame 100 includes a drape 102 to protect a user's face (not shown) and other desired body parts, and, when the releasably attachable frame 100 is fastened to the goggle 22 (shown in
The drape 102 may be made of any desirable material. For example in this and other embodiments, the drape may be made of a protective cloth such as ballistic cloth. In other embodiments, the drape 102 may be made of any soft, compliant material such as a thermoplastic rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer.
The drape 102 may be sized and configured as desired to provide any desired degree of protection. For example, in this and other embodiments the drape 102 is large enough to extend over the portion of a user's face not covered by the goggle 22 and releasably attachable frame 100, and the user's neck. In still other embodiments, the drape 102 may be sized and configured to just cover the lens 28 when the drape 102 is fastened over the goggle 22. In such a configuration, the drape 102 may or may not cover the user's face when the drape hangs from the releasably attachable frame 100. In still other embodiments, the drape 102 may extend over only a portion of a user's face as desired when the drape 102 hangs from the releasably attachable frame 100.
The drape 102 includes a drape-attachment component, and may be releasably fastened to the releasably attachable frame 100 at any desired location. For example, in this and other embodiments, the drape 102 includes a first drape-attachment component 150 that may be releasably fastened to the cheek guard 104, and a spaced apart second drape-attachment component 151 that may be releasably fastened to a top portion 152 of the body 111. The first drape-attachment component 150 may be Velcro that fastens to a corresponding Velcro strip 156 of the releasably attachable frame 100 when the drape 102 hangs from the frame 100 to protect a user, and when the drape 102 extends over the lens 28. The second drape-attachment component 151 may be Velcro that fastens to a corresponding Velcro strip 160 of the releasably attachable frame 100 when the drape 102 extends over the lens 28. In other embodiments, the Velcro strip 160 may be located adjacent the Velcro strip 156 and the second drape-attachment component 151 may be fastened to the strip 160 after the drape 102 has been wrapped around the goggle 22. In still other embodiments the drape may be releasably attached to the releasably attachable frame 100 with snaps.
In other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 100, the drape 102 may be releasably fastened to the body 111 using any desired fastening techniques. In still other embodiments, the drape 102 may be fastened to the frame 100 in a more permanent manner, such as adhesive or stitches.
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In this and other embodiments of the frame 100, the body 111 includes a nose guard 108 to protect a user's nose (not shown) when the releasably attachable frame 100 is fastened to a goggle and the goggle is worn by a user. The nose guard 108 may be sized and configured as desired to provide any desired degree of protection. For example, in this and other embodiments the nose guard 108 covers a user's nose, and includes an opening (not shown) to allow the user to breath through the nose while wearing the frame 100. In other embodiments, the nose guard 108 may not include the opening. In still other embodiments the nose guard 108 may extend over a portion of the user's nose.
The goggle 122 includes a lens 128 that is similar to the lens 74 in
The releasably attachable frame 124 includes a body 130 having a face-contoured component 132. The body 130 may be made of any desirable material having any desired flexibility to comfortably support the goggle 122 when a user wears the goggle 120, and the face-contoured component 132 may be made of any desirable material having any desired pliability to comfortably form a substantially air-tight seal with the face of different users. Flexibility and pliability are a measure of a material's ability to deform when subjected to a force. Compared to each other, a pliable material is very flexible, and a flexible material may not be pliable. For example, a rubber band is typically pliable because it substantially deforms when subjected to a small amount of force, and a plastic ruler is typically flexible but not pliable because the ruler will start to deform with a moderate amount of force. In this and other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 124, the body 130 is made of any desirable rubber or plastic that is more flexible than the goggle 122, and the face-contoured component 132 is made of any desirable rubber or plastic that is pliable or more flexible that the body 130.
The face-contoured component 132 may be sized and configured as desired. For example, in this and other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 124, the face-contoured component 132 forms a perimeter around both eyes of a user when the goggle 120 is worn with the lens 128 positioned in front of both eyes. Thus, the face-contoured component 124 can form a substantially air-tight seal around the users eyes to prevent paint, projectiles, undesirable debris or other undesired elements from entering the region between a user's eye, the lens 128, and the frame 124. In other embodiments of the releasably attachable frame 124, the face-contoured component 132 contacts one or more segments (not shown) of a user's face to form a substantially air-tight seal with the segment. For example, the component 132 may extend only across the top of the body 130 and contact the brow (not shown) of a user to form a substantially air-tight seal with the brow. As another example, the component 132 may include two separate pieces, one that extends across the top of the body 130 and contacts the brow of a user, and another one that extends across the bottom of the body 130 and contacts the nose of a user. This may be desirable to provide adequate ventilation to the region between a user's eye, the lens 128, and the frame 124.
Still referring to
In other embodiments of the goggle 120, the goggle 122 includes the attachment component 126, and the goggle 122 includes any desired number of the attachment components 126, each located as desired. In still other embodiments, the frame 124 may be releasably fastened to the goggle 122 using any desired fastening technique capable of retaining the frame 124 to the goggle 122.
Because the frame 124 is releasably fastened to the goggle 122, a user can modify, as desired, the goggle 120 to change the fit of the goggle in response to changes in the environment, or purpose for wearing the goggle 120 by replacing a frame 124 with a different frame 124 having a different body 130 and/or configuration for the face-contoured component 132. In addition, a user can modify, as desired, the goggle 120 to comfortably fit another's face by replacing a frame 124 with a different frame 124 having a different flexibility and or pliability in the face-contoured component 132.
Still referring to
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been discussed herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the discussion herein. Accordingly, the systems and methods include such modifications as well as all permutations and combinations of the subject matter set forth herein and are not limited except as by the appended claims.
This application claims priority from commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/682,793, filed 18 May 2005, and titled Goggles With Removable Frame And Methods Of Making And Using The Same, presently pending, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all its teachings and disclosures. Each of the following is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all its teachings and disclosures: U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,729 issued on 10 Dec. 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,340 issued on 23 Mar. 23, 2004; U.S. Publication No. US 2002/0157175 A1 published on 31 Oct. 2002; U.S Publication No. US 2004/0083540 A1 published on 6 May 2004; U.S Publication No.: US20050015862-A1 published on 27 January 2005; U.S Pat. No. 6,048,410 issued on 11 Apr. 2000; and U.S. Pat. No. 6038,707 issued on 21 Mar. 2000.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60682793 | May 2005 | US |
