This application incorporates the entire contents of the foregoing application(s) herein by reference.
Various embodiments relate generally to eyewear accessories.
Persons may employ eyewear for various purposes including vision enhancement, protection, and aesthetics. Some examples of eyewear include glasses (sometimes also called eyeglasses and/or spectacles in various region), sunglasses, and contact lenses. Sometimes, eyewear may have utility, such as goggles (e.g., configured for impact protection, splash protection), glasses with vision corrective lens, and/or sunglasses (e.g., provided with UV filtering).
A headgear is a head covering worn for various reasons. For example, some hats are used for protecting a user against tough weather conditions, for ceremonial reasons, and/or as a fashion accessory. Various type of headgear may be worn. One kind of popular headgear is a baseball cap.
A baseball cap may be a soft hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front. The front of a baseball cap sometimes displays a design or a logo by printing and/or embroidery. Some baseball caps may be fitted to the wearer's head by having an elastic band, a plastic prong-in-a-hole, hook-and-loop material, a zipper, a tri-glide slide, or some combination thereof, in order to quickly adjust and fit different users' heads. Traditionally, a baseball hat is a part of the baseball uniform worn by players, with the brim pointing forward to shield the eyes from the sun. Since the 1980s, varieties of the baseball cap have become prevalent, both for utilitarian purposes of protecting the eyes from the sun and for fashion accessory purposes.
Apparatus and associated methods relate to an eyewear assembly for attaching to a brim of a headwear. In an illustrative example, the eyewear assembly may include a lens module that include at least one optical lens element and at least two coupling modules rotatably coupled to a distal end and a proximal end of the lens module. The coupling modules may, for example, be configured such that the lens module may be rotated, relative to the coupling modules, about a first axis. Each coupling module, for example, may include an engagement module configured to releasably engage the brim of the headwear and to independently rotate relative to the lens module. Various embodiments may advantageously be adjustably fitted to releasably attach on diverse headwear.
Various embodiments may achieve one or more advantages. For example, some embodiments may advantageously enable a user to releasably couple a selectively operated eyewear assembly onto various types of headwear with brims of different curvatures and shapes. Some embodiments may, for example, advantageously provide a selective operable interface for the user to operate the eyewear assembly in at least a deployed mode and a stowed mode. Some embodiments, for example, may be directed to providing various operation modes selectable for the user. For example, some embodiments may be directed to providing one or more additional degrees of freedom of the lens module (e.g., relative to a headgear).
The details of various embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
To aid understanding, this document is organized as follows. First, to help introduce discussion of various embodiments, an exemplary attachable eyewear is introduced with reference to
In various embodiments, the lens module 120 may be coupled to the coupling member 115 via a pivotable module (not shown). For example, the pivotable module may include a pivot joint connected to the lens module 120 and a pivot member connected to the coupling member 115. For example, the user may operate the attachable eyewear between a viewing mode by pivoting the lens module 120 into a view of sight and a stowing mode by pivoting the lens module 120 away from the view of sight. In some embodiments, the stowage mode may include the lens module 120 oriented such that it lies substantially in a plane that is substantially parallel and offset to a line bisecting the user's eyes while the user is symmetrically wearing, for example, a baseball cap with a brim of the cap disposed such that a symmetrically drawn chord line of the brim lies offset above and substantially parallel to the line bisecting the user's eyes.
As shown in a stowage mode 102, the lens module 120 is rotated, using the pivotable module, substantially about 90 degrees away from a viewing axis of the user. In the stowage mode, for example, the lens module 120 may be positioned substantially parallel to the brim 105 such that they are out of the user's line of sight. Various embodiments may advantageously allow a user to position the attachable eyewear 100 in a desired configuration and easily switch between the viewing mode and the stowage mode without changing the placement of the attachable eyewear 100.
In some implementations, the clips 110 may rotate in the coupling members 115 relative to a position of the pivot joints when the clips 110 are slidably engaging the brim 105. Advantageously, the attachable eyewear 100 may be adjustably fitted to attach on various types of headwear with brims of different curvatures and shapes.
As shown in
In the depicted embodiment, a user may advantageously rotate the lens module 120 about a rotating joint of the pivot member 215 to switch the eyewear assembly 200 from the viewing mode (e.g., in the user's line of sight) to the stowage mode (e.g., out of user's line of sight).
In some implementations, the lens module 305 may be rotated around the second pivot joint 325. The second pivot joint 325, which couples the pivot member 320 to the coupling member 330, may be provided with a plurality of pre-determined orientations. For example, the second pivot joint 325 may be configured to urge the pivot member 320 into one of two positions substantially perpendicular to each other.
In various embodiments, the second pivot joint 325 may, by way of example and not limitation, be formed as a ‘knuckle’ joint such that the joint is urged at any point in rotation towards one of at least two predetermined orientations. In some embodiments, the second pivot joint 325 may, for example, be provided with a cam and/or cam-like action. In some variations, the second pivot joint 325 may be provided, for example, with a ratcheting action with a plurality of stop points. Some embodiments may, for example, have a spring-loaded second pivot joint 325. In some embodiments the second pivot joint 325 may be provided with a clamping action. Various embodiments may, for example, be provided with a friction clutch action with respect to the second pivot joint 325.
In various embodiments, the lens module 305 may be advantageously transitioned between a plurality of predetermined orientations which may include at least a viewing mode and a stowage mode.
The pivot member 320 may be rotated about the first pivot joint 315. The pivot joint 315, which couples (as depicted) the pivot member 320 to the lateral attachment member 310, in some implementations may be omitted. For example, the first pivot joint 315 may non-rotatably connect the pivot member 320 to the lateral attachment member 310. In some examples, a fixed first pivot joint 315 may advantageously stabilize the lens module 305 at a desired position.
In various embodiments, when positioning on a mounting surface (such as, for example, a hat brim), the clips 345 may advantageously be oriented in a desired configuration on the surface by rotating the clip 345 and, thus, the coupling receiver 350, the coupling member 330, and/or the pivot member 320, about the pivot joint 315.
The coupling receiver 350 may, by way of example and not limitation, be a substantially hollow cylinder, as depicted. In some implementations, the coupling receiver may be a rectangular sleeve with retaining features. For example, the coupling receiver 350 may include internal or external protrusions, cavities, and/or other retaining features by employing various materials and/or mechanical/chemical configuration. In various embodiments, the coupling receiver 350 may advantageously permit the clip 345 to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the coupling receiver 350 and, thereby, relative to the coupling member 330. For example, when the clip 345 is attached to a curved hat brim, the clips 345 may advantageously be rotated in coupling receivers 350 relative to coupling members 330 such that flats of the clips 345 may advantageously align with and grip the curved hat brim.
In this example, the clip 345 includes a spring plate 355, a leading element 360, and an offset 365. When the clip 345 is slidingly assembled into the coupling receiver 350 with the coupling member 330, the spring plate 355 may pressingly engage the coupling receiver 350 and the coupling member 330. For example, the spring plate 355 may press the coupling member 330 against the coupling receiver 350 such that coupling member 330 is releasably coupled to the clip 345 by the coupling receiver 350 and the spring plate 355. In some examples, the spring plate 355 may be, by way of example and not limitation, a spring, a releasable fastener (e.g., pinned, bolted, screwed, or otherwise releasably fastened), integral to the clip, assembled with the clip, or some combination thereof.
The leading element 360 is depicted in
In this example, the clip 345 includes a spring element 370 for registering and engaging an attachment surface, such as a hat brim. The spring element 370, in this example, is integral to the clip 345. In various embodiments, at least some portion of the clip 345 may be spring steel or other suitable elastic material for expanding and fitting onto an attachable surface. In various embodiments, the spring element 370 may be, by way of example and not limitation, integrated as depicted. In some embodiments the spring element 370 may include and/or be configured as an integrated region of elastic material. In various embodiments the spring element 370 may be a separate spring component (e.g., extension spring, compression spring, torsion spring) in a clip assembly. In various embodiments, the spring element 370 may advantageously provide a clamping force to releasably couple the clip 345 to a surface such as, by way of example and not limitation, a hat brim, a sun visor, other suitable structure, or some combination thereof.
In some examples, the offset 365 may space the coupling member 330 and, thus, the lens module 305 after assembly, at a predetermined distance from an attachment surface of which the clip 345 is attached. The offset 365 may, by way of example and not limitation, be fixed, or be adjustable (e.g., a bendable offset, a reconfigurable or repositionable offset). In some examples, the offset 365 may be integrated to the clip 345 as depicted, include at least one component assembled to the clip 225, or some combination thereof. In various embodiments, the offset 365 may advantageously position the lens module 305, when attached to a surface via clip 225, in a user's desired line of sight in the viewing mode.
For example, the pivot joint 315 may be configured such that the lens module 305 to be rotated, relative to the coupling member, about a first axis, each coupling module comprising an engagement module configured to releasably engage a brim of a headwear and to independently rotate relative to the lens module.
In various implementations, when the attachable eyewear 300 is attached to a brim of a headwear, a user wearing the headgear may advantageously adjust the position of the lens module 305 relative to the coupling receiver 350, independent of the lens module 305, to a desired position such that, for example, the second axis 340 is substantially orthogonal to a viewing axis of the user. In some examples, the user can then selectively rotate the lens module 305 about the second axis 340. For example, the user may operate the lens module 305 about the second axis 340 to selectively operate the attachable eyewear 300 between a deployed mode and a stowed mode. For example, in the deployed mode, the lens module 305 may intersect the viewing axis of the user. For example, in the stowed mode, the lens module 305 may be substantially removed from the viewing axis of the user.
Although various embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, other embodiments are possible. For example, although various embodiments have been described in reference to clips adapted for mounting on surfaces such as hat brims, other appropriate mounting mechanism and surfaces may be implemented. By way of example and not limitation, mounting mechanisms may include clips, hooks, clamps, magnets, suction cups, inclined plane fasteners (e.g., screws), wedge fasteners (e.g., nails), other appropriate mechanisms, or some combination thereof. By way of example and not limitation, surfaces may include headwear (e.g., hats and helmets), sun visors, workstations (e.g., desks, shelves, and the like), other appropriate surfaces, or some combination thereof. In various embodiments, clips may, for example, be omitted or integrated into various headwear or other mounting surfaces.
In various embodiments, eyeglasses may include, by way of example and not limitation, magnifying glasses (e.g., reading glasses and jeweler's glasses), prescription glasses, or some combination thereof. Glasses may, for example, include safety glasses (e.g., ANSI-compliant impact glasses, laser safety glasses, shooting glasses, chemical safety glasses, oxy-fuel cutting glasses, and welding glasses), visors, face shields, goggles, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments glasses may include virtual reality glasses and/or goggles.
In some implementations, more than one set of lens may be used simultaneously in the attachable eyewear 100. For example, the attachable eyewear 100 may be flipped down in front of a pair of safety glasses. For example, a user may use the attachable eyewear 100 to see detail of an object while still protecting the eyes of the user. In some examples, reading glasses may be attached to a hat such that a user may selectively operate them to read instructions on a user manual without removing the user's safety glasses.
In various implementations, the user may protect the attachable eyewear 100 using the stowage mode in hazardous environment. For example, in a hazardous jobsite, the attachable eyewear 100 may be advantageously protected from wind, scratching from objects, folding debris, and other hazardous collision by being operating in the stowage mode.
In various implementations, the attachable eyewear 100 may be configured to hold more than one set of lenses. For example, the attachable eyewear 100 may include a pair of reading glasses and a pair of distance glasses. For example, a user may selectively operate one of the lens for viewing. In some examples, the user may adjust his/her point of focus by having several pairs of glasses which are selectively operable. In some embodiments, a single attachable eyewear system (e.g., attachable eyewear 100) may be configured to receive multiple lens assemblies (e.g., having multiple coupling modules). In some embodiments, multiple lens assemblies (e.g., attachable eyewear 100) may be deployed on a single hat (e.g., by translation and/or rotation of the coupling modules).
In various embodiments, for example, various components may be omitted, combined, separated, integrated, or some combination thereof. For example, a coupling receiver may be combined or integrated with a clip, a coupling member may be combined and/or integrated with coupling receiver. In some embodiments a coupling member may be combined and/or integrated with a clip. In various embodiments a coupling member may, for example, be integrated with a clip and having no coupling receiver. Such an assembly may be provided, for example, with at least some portion which is at least partially axially rotatable (e.g., a rotatable joint or a torsion spring).
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, advantageous results may be achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different sequence, or if components of the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner, or if the components were supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 63/106,259 titled “Flip-Up Glasses,” filed by William B. Finley, III, on Oct. 27, 2020.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63106259 | Oct 2020 | US |