Background
In recent years there have been very many types of improvements in the field of spectacles, particularly with respect to spectacles intended for use in strenuous sports or as stylish sunglasses. For example, some improvements have been incorporated into eyeglasses having an integral lens, e.g.Structural (Oakley, lnc.),type (Dakley, lnc.) andtype, also manufactured by Oakley, lnc. These eyeglass designs achieve a number of functional advantages over previous strenuous exercise eyeglasses, such as maximum shielding of ambient light, reduced optical image distortion, and increased comfort levels for the wearer.
Lens geometry is also the subject of various improvements. TheSuch unitary lenses of eyeglasses incorporate a disc (post) geometry such as disclosed in U.S. patent No.4,859,048 to Jannard. This geometry allows the lens to conform closely to the face of the wearer and block light, wind, dust, etc. directly from the wearer's right ahead (anterior direction) and periphery (lateral direction). See also U.S. patent No.4,867,550 to Jannard.
By way of example these U.S. patent nos. 5,648,832, all to Houston et al; 5,689,323, respectively; 5,969,789 and 6,010,218 have implemented a number of sophisticated controls for the spectral shift (prism shift) due to saccadic (or wide-angle tilt) and look around and other optical objects.
Many improvements in eyeglass retention devices have also been made in recent years. See, for example, U.S. patent No.5,137,342 to Jannard et al (tubular pulling device for a binaural brace device); jannard No.5,249,001 (adapted to provide an earring and frame that is biased medially by various head widths); jannard et al, No.5,760,868 (Whole hingeless eyeglass frame) and Houston et al, No.5,805,261 (biased eyeglass frame).
All of these above-described retention device improvements generally relate to a binaural temple structure scheme wherein the earpieces or temples extend rearwardly along the wearer's head to achieve the retention state of the eyeglasses. Despite these improvements, there remains a need for new eyeglass retention solutions that eliminate lateral pressure on the temple and also provide comfortable eyeglass retention.
In addition, there remains a need for a holding device that can support and distribute the weight from loads attached to the holding device, such as eyeglass lenses, wireless communication devices, head-mounted display electronics, and any of a variety of other audio and/or video electronic components.
Disclosure of Invention
According to one aspect of the present invention, an eyeglass holder is provided. The apparatus includes a spectacle support having a frame with an elongated arcuate shape. The frame includes a forward end and an occipital end sized to extend across the crown of a wearer's head from a wearer's face to a rear portion of the head, such as in the vicinity of an outer occipital protuberance. The support includes a first component and a second component connected together in the anterior region and spaced apart between the anterior region and the occipital region.
At least a portion of the first and second members are laterally spaced apart a distance in a range from about 1/2 inches to about 6 inches. Preferably, at least a portion of the first and second components are laterally separated by a distance in a range from about 1.5 inches to about 3 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum spacing between the first and second members is in the range of from about 2 inches to 3 inches, preferably at a location along the crown of the head.
Preferably, at least one lens is disposed on the front end of the frame. As a variant, two lenses are provided. The forward end of the support can be connected directly to the lens rim or to the bridge on a frame that includes right and left rims.
The frame has an arcuate length from the front end to the occipital end sufficient to extend from the lens or rim to about the outer occipital protuberance of a typical wearer of a desired market share (e.g., adult male, adult female, child, asian, european, etc.). The arcuate length from the anterior end to the occipital end typically ranges from about 8 inches to 18 inches, and in most adult embodiments, from about 14 inches to about 16 inches.
Preferably, the first and second components are joined together at or in front of the occipital end. The occipital end of the frame may additionally be provided with a housing in which the electronics are contained. Contemplated electronic devices include digital or other storage devices, receivers, transmitters, head-mounted display drive circuitry, power sources, and related components.
In one embodiment, the frame further includes a nose pad for resting on a wearer's nose. The nose piece may be integrally formed with the frame or may be provided as a separately formed nosepiece attachment.
Typically, the arcuate frame extends rearwardly from the front end through an arcuate configuration of greater than about 180 degrees. A reference point can be calibrated on the inside surface of the frame at the maximum linear distance from the midpoint of the nose pads. The frame preferably extends to the occipital end along an arc of at least about 2 inches beyond the reference point. Typically, the frame extends along an arcuate structure having a length ranging from about 2 inches to about 6 inches beyond a reference point.
The linear distance between the midpoint on the nose pads and the occipital end of the frame is preferably at least about 3 inches when the frame is in the relaxed configuration. Typically, the linear distance between the midpoint of the nose pads and the occipital end of the frame is in the range of from about 5 inches to about 8 inches. The occipital end of the frame is preferably positioned in a range of from about 1.5 inches to about 3.5 inches in front of a posterior tangent line passing through the reference point.
According to other aspects of the invention, a method of stabilizing at least one lens in the field of view of a wearer is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing a pair of eyeglasses having an arcuate frame extending rearwardly across the top of a wearer's head; the frame is placed on the wearer's head and then stabilized by positioning a first and a second support spaced apart laterally along at least a portion of the top of the wearer's head.
Preferably, the first and second supports are laterally separated by a distance in the range of from about 1/2 inches to about 6 inches. The width of each of the first and second supports is in a range from about 0.002 inches to about 3 inches.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
Detailed Description
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a front elevational view of an embodiment of the eyeglass 10 of the present invention including the retention device 12. While the present eyeglass holder assembly will be described below in the context of dual lens eyeglasses, such as sunglasses, clear and transparent eyeglasses, the present invention is broadly applicable to a wide variety of eyeglasses including unitary lens eyeglasses, protective or shutter glasses, electronic overhead displays, or other various products as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The support structure 12 is suitable for supporting any of a variety of portable electronic circuits or devices that have previously been difficult to incorporate in conventional eyeglass holders due to bulk size, weight, or other considerations. The over-the-head configuration of the frame 12 of the present invention allows for distribution of loads across the wearer's head and positioning of relatively bulky or heavy electronics along the length of the support structure 12 or in a posterior aspect of the support structure 12, such as at the occipital end 34. This enables the eyeglass holder 10 to carry the electronics in a streamlined fashion and out of the field of view of the wearer while distributing the weight across the head of the wearer so that the heel mirror does not cause displacement under its load and uncomfortable pressure does not fall on the nose, ears or temple region of the wearer.
Among the electronic devices contemplated by the present inventors are digital or other storage devices and retrieval circuitry, for example, for retrieving music or other information from MP3 format memory or other memory devices. Alternatively, any of a variety of receivers and/or transmitters, such as those used for music, communications, and global positioning, may be carried by the present support structure 12. Drivers and other electronics for driving a head mounted display, such as a liquid crystal display or other small display technology, may also be carried by the support 12. Replaceable or rechargeable power supplies and other electronic or mechanical components can additionally be carried by the support 12.
The support device 12 of the present invention may also be used solely to support any of the above or other electronic components or devices, and not one or more lenses in the wearer's field of view. Thus, in any of the embodiments of the support structure 12 disclosed herein, the lens rim can be omitted as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.
The spectacles 10 depicted in figure 1 comprise a support 2 in the form of an elongate curved frame having a front end for positioning at the front of the wearer's head and an end having an occipital or posterior for positioning at the rear side of the wearer's head. In one embodiment the support 12 extends through an arc sized to extend from the glabellar region above the nose generally across the top of the wearer's head to the outer occipital protuberance at the back of the head.
The arcuate length of the support 12 from the anterior end to the occipital end is typically in the range of from about 8 inches to about 18 inches, and typically in the range of from about 14 inches to about 16 inches to accommodate the head of most adults. The specific dimensions disclosed herein are for reference purposes and any of a variety of other specific dimensions may be selected to optimize a particular commercial product to fit a desired population. For example, different sized products may be produced corresponding to each average size for adult males, adult females and children or adolescents of various ages. In addition, adult male and female sizes may also differ for different asians, europe and other sales groups, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.
The support 12 preferably includes a first support member 28 and a second support member 30 and is configured to extend across the top of the wearer's head to the occipital end 34. Generally, the posterior ends of the first and second support elements 28 and 30 are connected at or about the occipital end 34, which may engage the outer occipital protuberance. The front ends 29, 31 of the first 28 and second 30 support members can be connected together either directly or through a portion of the eyewear, as will be described below.
Generally, the first and second support members 28 and 30 desirably have a sufficient resiliency or memory to enable them to be hingedly or resiliently deformably mounted on the head of the wearer and to maintain a biasing force in a direction toward their original raised configuration to achieve secure mounting on the head. Further functional requirements of the support 12 will be described later.
At least the surfaces of the contact heads of the first and second support members 28 and 30 are spaced apart from one another laterally along at least a portion of the arcuate length of the support 12 to impart lateral stability to the eyeglass 10. Such lateral spacing between the first support member 28 and the second support member 30 is at least at some point in the range of from about 1/2 inches to about 6 inches, and preferably in the range of from about 1.5 inches to about 4 inches. In certain embodiments, the spacing is between about 2 inches and about 3 inches at least some point along the crown of the head.
The width of each of the first and second support members 28, 30 may vary significantly depending on the load desired to be carried by the support 12 and aesthetic considerations. For example, in a reel embodiment adapted to carry relatively light loads in accordance with the present invention (e.g., carrying only light weight or no electronic components), the first and second supports 28 and 30 may each be fabricated from wire or strip material having a width in the range of from about 0.020 inches to about 0.25 inches or more. The molded or extruded polymeric component can have a width in the range of from about 0.125 inches to about 4 inches or more. Preferably, a molded or extruded first or second support member 28 or 30 has a width in the range of from about 0.25 inch to about 1.5 inches, and more preferably from about 0.25 inch to about 0.75 inch, except, of course, where a greater width is required to enclose the electronic device along the support 12.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the first and second support members 28 and 30 extend substantially parallel to each other from the front to the back of the wearer's head. The first and second support members 28 and 30 may also be inclined to each other either such that they are centrally inclined in a rearward direction so that the spacing is greater at the forward end than at the rearward end, or they are transversely inclined in a rearward direction so that they have a greater spacing at the rearward end than at the forward end. This latter configuration may be usefully employed in embodiments where the support 12 is attached to the eyeglass frame, as shown in fig. 4, for example, at a medial portion of the nosepiece 24.
The length of this spacing between the first and second support members 28 and 30 extends all the way from the front to the rear or over the entire head in the embodiment shown. This length can be significantly shortened from front to back. The anterior-to-posterior length of the space may generally exceed 20% of the overall anterior-posterior dimension of the lens and, more preferably, exceeds 50% of the overall anterior-posterior dimension of the lens to optimize the stabilization characteristics of the present invention. The location of maximum separation is preferably at the top of the wearer's head, preferably centered on the middle between the front and back or slightly forward of the midpoint between the front and back of the eyewear.
In one embodiment depicted in fig. 4, the first and second support members 28 and 30 are coupled together at about the top of the wearer's forehead and a single extension 33 extends downwardly to traverse the wearer's forehead for coupling to a bridge region 24 of a frame 18. Any of various other structural schemes for achieving the load distribution and balancing of the present invention may also be devised.
The eyeglass 10 preferably supports at least one lens positioned in the wearer's field of view. In the illustrated embodiment, the support 12 carries a first lens 14 and a second lens 16. The first lens 14 is supported in a first frame 20 and the second lens 16 is supported in a second frame 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second rims 20 and 22 are coupled by a bridge 24, which together form a frame 18. The nosepiece 24 in combination with the first and second rims 20, 22 forms a nose opening 26. The nose opening 26 may be provided with an integrally formed nosepiece or a removable nose piece or nosepiece as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure herein.
The support 12 can be attached to the frame 18 in any manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the first member 28 is coupled to the second rim 20 and the second support member 30 is coupled to the second rim 22. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the first and second support members 28 and 30 are preferably attachable to the nosepiece 24. In other embodiments, the first and second support members 28 and 30 are combined together into a single element 33 that extends across at least a portion of the glabellar region and forehead and is then coupled to the nosepiece 24 or other portion of the frame 18, see fig. 4.
Referring to fig. 30, a side elevational view of the eyeglass 10 of fig. 1 is shown. As seen therein, the first and second support members 28 and 30 are downwardly and forwardly recessed through an elongated arc structure (as presented) adapted to engage the outer inion protuberance at the occipital end 34; and extends across the top of the wearer's head to support a frame 18 in front of the wearer's field of vision. A horizontal reference line 36 is shown extending between a first contact point 38 located at the mechanical center of the nose piece 40 and a second contact point 42 located on the inner surface of the support 12 and at a maximum linear distance from the first contact point 38. Although this reference line 36 is defined as "horizontal" for convenience, it need not be related to true horizontal.
The relaxed linear distance between the first contact point 38 and the second contact point 42 is generally in the range of from about 5 inches or less for small size or highly elastic structures to about 8 inches. In one embodiment the linear distance between the first contact point 38 and the second contact point 42 is from about 7 inches toIn inches.
A rear tangent 46 is shown passing through the second contact point 42 on the inner side of the support 12. An occipital tangent line 48 extends parallel to posterior tangent line 46 and through occipital end 34. Occipital tangent line 48 forms an intersection 50 with horizontal reference line 36.
Generally, the linear distance along the horizontal reference line 36 between the occipital tangent line 48 and the posterior tangent line 46 is greater than about 0.5 or 1 inch and preferably from aboutIn the range of inches to about 3 inches. Generally, the distance between the intersection point 50 and the second contact point 42 is determined by the desired arcuate length of the first and second support members 28 to allow the occipital end 34 to be securely positioned at the rear of the wearer's head. In one embodiment, the arcuate length is designed to be sufficient to position the occipital end 34 in an orientation behind and below the external occipital protuberance in a normal adult male (exemplified by the 50 th percentile male Alderson's head shape) to provide the desired retention, as will be readily appreciated in light of the aspects disclosed herein.
The linear distance between the intersection point 50 and the occipital end 34 is generally from aboutIn the range of from about 4 inches, and preferably from aboutInches to aboutIn inches.
The linear distance from the first contact point 38 to the occipital end 34 in the relaxed configuration is generally in the range of from about 3 inches to about 8 inches and typically in the range of from about 5 inches to about 7 inches for an adult. In general, the resting distance between the second contact point 38 and the occipital end 34 can vary significantly depending on the range of movement of the occipital end 34 relative to the frame 18 and the degree of elasticity or memory of the support 12.
Preferably, the support 12 is flexibly deformable over a wide range to accommodate a wide range of head sizes and yet maintains a bias in the direction towards its original configuration to provide a retaining bias on the wearer's head. The resiliency of the support 12 can be achieved from the material and cross-sectional thickness and configuration of the first and second components 28 and 30. Alternatively, the first and second support members 28 and 30 may be provided with one or more spring elements, such as a spring wire or strip extending therethrough, to increase the engagement bias on the support 12. Any of a variety of spring materials may be positioned on or within the first and second members 28 and 30 such as spring steel, Nitinol, or other materials that may be selected by one skilled in the art with routine experimentation.
One or more biased hinges, such as spring-loaded hinges, may also be provided along the length of the support 12 to provide a radially-directed bias on the occipital end 34 of the support 12. See, for example, the biased hinge disclosed in applicant's Houston et al, U.S. patent No.5,805,261, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Wherein a compressible material is positioned between two adjacent components to bias the directional positioning of the two components.
The support 12 described above may be further modified to accommodate a variety of head sizes by achieving an elongation of the support 12 along the arcuate length of the support 12. For example, one or more attachment structures 52 may be provided. Wherein a first part 54 and a second part 56 are movable towards and away from each other along the arc structure of the support 12. The telescopic connection may be achieved in any of a variety of ways, for example by providing a projection on a first of the two adjacent members which is slidably received in a corresponding aperture on the second of the two adjacent members. The wearer can adjust the relative position of two adjacent components of support 12 to optimize wear. Movement between two adjacent components, such as 54 and 56, may be prevented, such as by a friction fit, or by any of a variety of locking structures. In this manner, the actual arcuate length of the support 12 can be shortened or lengthened to effect adjustment of the eyeglass 10 so that the nose piece 40 is properly positioned over the nose of the wearer and the occipital end 34 is sufficiently spaced along the arcuate configuration of the support 12 to provide effective retention.
The eyeglass 10 can be manufactured using any of a variety of techniques, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the disclosure herein. For example, the first and second support members 28 and 30 may be injection molded into their final desired configuration. The rims 20 and 22 and nose piece 24 (when employed) may be molded as one piece with the first and second support members 28 and 30. Preferably, the support 12 can be formed separately from the frame 18 and then secured together in a second manufacturing step.
In an embodiment in which electronic components are included, additional functional mounting structures can be provided anywhere along the length of the frame, the lenses or the rim, as desired. For example, the earphones may be directed towards the wearer's ears from one or both earphone supports, which may extend rearwardly from the front of the eyeglasses, or downwardly from the top of the support 12 or forwardly from the rear of the support 12. Similarly, one or more microphones may be directed from one or both microphone supports toward the mouth of the wearer, with the microphone supports being attached to the rim or other portion of the frame.
While the present invention has been described in particular preferred embodiments, other embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the disclosure contained herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited by the disclosed embodiments, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims.