The field of the invention is modular eyewear.
The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided in this application is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
While many devices exist in the field of modular eyewear, there has yet to exist a device that accomplishes simple disassembly, which achieves, e.g., simple changing of lenses, and re-assembly, in a manner that minimizes the number of parts that may be lost during disassembly and re-assembly and has other advantages that will become apparent in this application.
U.S. Pat. 9,454,017, for example, is directed to modular eyewear adapted to quickly release. But the disclosure includes lenses that require a specialized slot to quickly decouple, as well as a decoupling mechanism that includes many parts not designed to enable decoupling without specialized tools or in non-ideal environments. Further, the coupling of the temple frame pieces in the '017 Patent's disclosure are not described to audibly snap, thus failing to provide a human assembler with auditory feedback to confirm assembly.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0195747 describes temple holders each having recesses formed in the holders that are hinged to the extreme ends of an eyeglass front. This publication fails to teach a fully modular eyewear frame, and also fails to teach a magnetic male end on the temple frame that affixes to a female end on the upper eyewear frame, which enables a hingeless modular eyewear design and, even in cases where a design may include hinges, reduces the wear and tear caused by operating the hinge. Other teachings lacking in this patent publication are evident by comparison to the present invention.
As another example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0104562, describes affixing a temple frame to the eyewear frame through special design of a hinge. This publication, too, fails to teach a fully modular eyewear frame, and also fails to teach a magnetic male end on the temple frame that affixes to a female end on the upper eyewear frame, which enables a hingeless modular eyewear design and, even in cases where a design may include hinges, reduces the wear and tear caused by operating the hinge. Other teachings lacking in this patent publication are evident by comparison to the present invention.
Thus, the background materials discussed in this application fail to teach or suggest a fully modular eyewear apparatus. For example, the background materials fail to teach a main eyewear frame comprising an upper and a lower portion configured to magnetically couple to affix a lens. Other teachings lacking in the background materials are evident by comparison to the present invention. The invention described in this application provides several advantages over the prior art, including, e.g., enabling reduced wear and tear through elimination or lower use of mechanical hinges, greater customizability, improved user experience, and improved assembly and disassembly.
The foregoing discussion is for background purposes only; it is not an admission that any aspect of the background is prior art.
The present invention provides modular eyewear with magnetic couplings.
In one aspect of the inventive subject matter, the modular eyewear comprises a top bar, a bottom bar, a right temple frame, a left temple frame, wherein the top bar comprises a top bar left temple portion, a top bar bridge portion, and a top bar right temple portion, wherein the top bar left temple portion comprises a first magnet, wherein the top bar bridge portion comprises a first bridge top bar magnet, wherein the bottom bar comprises a mating bar left temple portion, a mating bridge portion, and a mating bar right temple portion, wherein the mating bridge portion is magnetized, wherein the left temple frame comprises a mating magnetic left temple frame portion, configured to couple with the top bar left temple portion.
In some embodiments, the first magnet has a U-shaped cross-section.
In some embodiments, the U-shaped cross-section is smaller than 4 mm in length and smaller than 4 mm in height.
In some embodiments, the first bridge top bar magnet has an oval-shaped cross section smaller than 4 mm in diameter.
In some embodiments, the mating left temple portion is magnetized.
In another aspect of the inventive subject matter, the top bar bridge portion further comprises a second bridge top bar magnet.
In some embodiments, the mating magnetic left temple frame portion, the mating bar left temple portion, and the top bar left temple portion are configured to magnetically couple at a point.
In another embodiment of the inventive subject matter, modular eyewear comprises an upper frame comprising a left upper magnet, a bridge upper magnet, and a right magnet, a lower frame comprising a left lower magnet, a bridge lower magnet, and a right lower magnet, a right temple frame comprising a mating right temple magnet, a left temple frame comprising a mating left temple magnet, and a lens.
In some embodiments, the left upper magnet, the left lower magnet, and the mating left temple magnet are configured to magnetically couple in a first coupling.
In some embodiments, the right upper magnet, right lower magnet, and mating right temple magnet are configured to magnetically couple in a second coupling.
In some embodiments, the bridge upper magnet and the bridge lower magnet are configured to magnetically couple in a third coupling.
In some embodiments, the first coupling, second coupling, and third coupling are configured to affix the lens between the upper frame and the lower frame.
In another aspect of the inventive subject matter, modular eyewear comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a temple frame, wherein the upper bar is configured to magnetically couple with the temple frame and the lower bar at a first point, wherein the upper bar is further configured to magnetically couple with the lower bar at a second point, wherein the upper bar and the lower bar form a lens frame when coupled, and wherein the second point is at the bridge of the lens frame.
In some embodiments, the temple frame comprises a right temple frame configured to magnetically couple with the upper bar.
In some embodiments, the right temple frame is further configured to mechanically couple with the upper bar.
In some embodiments, the right temple frame is configured to mechanically couple with a mating portion of the upper bar having a U-shaped cross-section.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
The following discussion provides example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
As used in the description in this application and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description in this application, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Also, as used in this application, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously.
In one embodiment of the inventive subject matter, modular eyewear comprises a top frame piece, a bottom frame piece, a right temple piece, and a left temple piece. The modular eyewear is configured to permit each piece to easily disassemble or reassemble, such that, when assembled, the top frame piece and bottom frame piece joined together affix lenses between them.
The assembly is accomplished through coupling points at the temples and bridge of the frame. In some embodiments of the inventive subject matter, the coupling point at the temples is accomplished through magnetic and mechanical coupling.
Embodiments of the inventive subject matter will now be described by reference to the Figures.
Thus, specific compositions and methods of the invention have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts in this application. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure. Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to the elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps can be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.