The present invention relates to eyeglasses.
The use of eyeglasses to correct vision is well known as is the use of auxiliary lenses to add protection against the environment. The auxiliary lenses are typically tinted to protect against excessive sunlight. Use of an auxiliary lens avoids the need to physically change eyeglasses and avoids the expense and inconvenience of a second pair of eyeglasses.
The auxiliary lenses have previously been secured mechanically to the primary lens through a series a clips but these are relatively difficult to attach. More recently, the auxiliary lenses have been secured through the interaction of magnets that have rendered the installation much simpler and more convenient. Previous proposals are known in which the magnets are embedded within the bridge. With such an arrangement, the manufacture of the eyeglasses is complicated and the magnets are visible in use.
An alternative arrangement is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,207 to Chao in which the magnets are located in the temporal regions with arms extending rearwardly to the magnets. This arrangement enhances the aesthetic appeal by effectively hiding the magnets but relies on the magnetic attraction to locate the arms on the magnets.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide eyeglasses in which the above disadvantages are obviated or mitigated.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an eyeglass device comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame, at least one socket formed on one of the main frame or the auxiliary frame and sized to receive at least one tongue protruding from the other of the main frame or the auxiliary frame, at least one of the at least one tongue and at least one socket having a magnet associated therewith, wherein the auxiliary frame is attached to the main frame by inserting the at least one tongue into corresponding ones of the at least one socket and secured by magnetic attraction therebetween.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring therefore to
The auxiliary frame 14 similarly has a pair of lens openings 22 interconnected by a bridge 24.
As can be seen in greater detail in
As shown in
The magnetic member 40 is preferably a magnet with the socket 26 formed from a magnetizable material 80 that there is a force of attraction between the tongue 34 and socket 36. Alternatively, the tongue 34 may be made of magnetizable material and a magnet embedded within the socket. For maximum retention, a magnet will be embedded in both the tongue 34 and socket 36 so as to be juxtaposed when the tongue 34 is inserted. In each case the tongue 34 and socket 36 are retained by the magnetic force acting between them.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the tongue 34 is rectangular. Alternative configurations of the tongue 34 may be utilized as shown in
In the embodiment of
In the arrangements described above, the auxiliary lens is secured solely at the bridge 18. In a further embodiment shown in
It will be appreciated that the sockets 26 located at the temples may be used independently of the socket at the bridge.
A further arrangement of temple mounting is shown in the embodiments of
It will be appreciated that the socket 26 may also be formed on the auxiliary frame 14 whilst the tongue 34 is supported on the main frame 14, as desired. Accordingly, the socket 26 and tongue 34 may be supported on either a rearwardly directed surface of the frame by which it is supported or on a forwardly directed surface as desired. Likewise, the socket 26 may also be supported on either rearwardly or forwardly directed surfaces of the frame in which it is formed.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto. The entire disclosures of all references recited above are incorporated herein by reference.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/536,717 filed on Jan. 16, 2004.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60536717 | Jan 2004 | US |