Technical Field

This invention is in the field of eyeglasses and eyeglass lens support structures.

Background Art

Conventional eyeglasses comprise two lenses which are fitted into a metal, plastic, or other semi-rigid frame. They are usually held in place by means of metal or plastic surfaces which rest on the nose and ears. Such eyeglasses suffer from several drawbacks. They tend to be uncomfortable, and they often slide down the nose causing discomfort and improper focusing. Such problems are often aggravated by motion of the wearer as in walking or during sports activities, or particularly in sweaty conditions such as manual labor. They are structurally asymmetric to the head: this explains their fundamental structural unwieldiness in motion. In addition, many people regard them as illfitting and unattractive, since it is not convenient to fit asymmetrical frames to the inherent asymmetry of head shape.

In order to circumvent these difficulties, several patents describe eyeglasses which are suspended from headbands which encircle the head. See, for ex.,

U.S. Patents 104,216 (Sickles, 1870), and U.S. Patent 4,152,051 (Van Tiem et al, 1979). Similar patents are U.S. Patent 1,238,496 (Comer), U.S. Patent 1,289,998 (Yassukovitch) , U.S. Patent 1,118,719 (Wirth) , and U.S. Patent 2,999,426 (Hanke) . The apparent purpose of these devices is to allow the wearer to move the lenses from a position in front of the eyes to a

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position next to the forehead out of the line of vision. This Prior Art stresses lens placement adjustment criteria from forehead to eyes as the desirable controlling factor. But the various joints and mechanisms are at cross-puposes during violent motion. Dynamically, they are structurally cumbersome, being mainly adjustment mechanisms which hurt perfomance. In motion, these impedimentia become flaws which are functionally and aesthetically counterproductive. Consequently, they are not essentially stable, durable or reliable; that is, they are liable to the stresses of breaking down continually during operation.

Disclosure of the Invention

This invention relates to a modified functional form of headband eyeglasses. Such eyeglasses comprise the following elements: 1. A semi-rigid piece, hereinafter called the "core," which is pressed snugly against the forehead when in use. Two semi-rigid appendages of said core extend downward, arching over each eyebrow. Such appendages should be equipped at the bottom end with slots or other means by which lenses can be securely affixed in a claw, canope, or crane-type architecture.

2. Two lenses, which can be temporarily attached securely to said core, whereby when in use, each lens covers an eye of the wearer.

3. A headband which is attached to said core so that when the headband is placed around the head of the wearer, the core is held in place against the forehead of the wearer.

4. A matching vehicular piece, hereinafter called a "sleeve," comprising fabric, leather, or other various materials, which is snug, removable, and can tightly clothe the core, or any part of the core combined with a headband. It is functionally architectured to envelop these pieces with padding and other paraphernalia, such as contour/elevation factors for comfort and fashion; the core thus becomes a custom model every time you interchange sleeves. The sleeve also serves as a sweatband.

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5. A headband of any type, wherei said core may be exiguously attached to the exterior of said headband in any obvious lock-on manner (straps, buttons, lashes, sewn, etc.), or by a spurious, token, or vanity attachment. These embodiments offer solutions to bypass the major structural problems posed by the prior art. They are lightweight, convenient, fussless, firm, durable and reliable. , and free from the stresses of breaking down (maintenance-free) . These matching interiorly integrated units intrinsically lower the center of dynamic balance against the forehead in keeping with the various performance criteria. There are no moving parts, whereas the prior art has poorer equilibrium in motion due to raised, weighty, mechanistic adjustment impedimentia. Also, this scheme lends itself to aesthetic and craftsmanship options, while keeping sweat out of the visual area. It can be made small and snug, and as a natural extension of the forehead bone-an overhang- it can be brought into harmony with various head asymmetries in a fashionable manner, while retaining balance in motion.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a plastic core in combination with a strap.

Figure 2 illustrates the eyeglasses of this inven- tion on the head of a wearer.

Figures 3-5 indicate cross-sectional views of the core with alternate armature shapes.

Figures 6-8 indicate views of various core arrange¬ ments. Figure 9 illustrates a core with custom-cut lenses. Figures 10-17 indicate various methods of attaching the lenses to the armatures.

Figure 18 illustrates a sleeve which may be placed onto a core. Figure 19 illustrates a core, showing how one- quarter, one-half and full matching sleeves would be fitted onto said core.

Figures 20 and 21 illustrate a sleeve fitted onto a core. Figure 22 illustrates one embodiment of the eye¬ glasses of this invention.

Figure 23 illustrates a tin core enclosed within a sleeve.

Figure 24 illustrates an exterior attachment for a core.

Figure 25 illustrates a core with a strap hung by grappling hooks upon an exterior strap.

Figure 26 illustrates a core attached by studs to a modified one-piece core. Figure 27 is a table of some basic component combinations.

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Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention

The core serves as a complete frame unit midway between the lenses and headstrap, and is made specifically to match with a sleeve infrastructure. It is a custom pre-figured mold in one piece so that lenses have dynamic stability across the forehead. The lenses are placed so efficiently that elevation factors and angle of attack to the eyes are all taken care of within the design approach. It doesn't rest on the eyebrows, but arches over them. It is small and snug so as not to dominate the head except as a natural extension of the forehead bone, an overhang. Since the fit is so snug over the eyebrow, and placement so perfect over the eyes, the size of the lens can be drastically reduced; in addition to "weightless" plastic lenses, this reduces weight even further.

Large lenses are not expedient with this architecture. Thus the core grasps two custom-cut plastic lenses in a formation which suggests two airbubbles over the eyes. Some type of sleeve, strap or other padding combination is needed to fasten these cores variously around the head. One preferred embodiment of the core is shown in Figures 2-4 and 23, where Figures 2 and 23 are oblique views, and Figures 3-4 are side views illustrating some alternative armature shapes. A semi-stiff, extra-lightweight plastic strap circles the head just above the eyebrows snugly, being slight and nonelastic to distribute the tension evenly eithout pinching. In this particular embodiment the strap is molded unitary with the core; that is, cut from the same plastic (such items can be mass- produced in a number of head sizes and tilts) . Two rigid members or armatures of said-core arch over

each eyebrow and securely fasten two plastic lenses succinctly in a claw, canope, or crane-type architecture. This particular unitary polymer is functionally complete and comfortable without an optional sleeve or strap attachment.

Alternatively, the core's protuding, lens-grabbing members need not protrude from the exact bottom of the core, but perhaps protrude or "branch out" several millimetres above the bottom in a raised, oblique, "teardrop" crook structure (Fig. 5-6, oblique and side views) , so any sweat- avoids the lens area.

The core can be comprised of any suitable material, typically a polymer, aluminum or tin. If it is plastic, it can be heat-bent in the doctor's office for final calibrations of fitting. Thus in one version, you bend the headstrap to fit forehead, and heat-bend plastic to fit strap. The plastic never "wounds" forehead; it "floats" over eyes in an arch or bubble, and you never notice its presence. The protruberances which grab the lenses can be fluidly heatmolded as well for finer customer calibrations to ^" asymmetry of head, in keeping with visual acuity.

In addition to the plastic mold cores, feather¬ weight tin or aluminum cores have some structural advantages - instead of slightly modifying their forms and angles by heat, you could simply alter them by malleable physical force.

Subtle craftmanship variations (style, compositions, treatments and textures of material; derivative configurations, etc.) may be fertilely devised upon this scheme. One artistic configuration and treatment is Figure 7, a plastic core is subtly molded in a "highway lamp" structure; the treatment is a "nightly hue" color. A similar mold could be

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pearl-white and represent "bone joints" in the human body. Or, you could have seashell type configurations over the eyebrows, asymmetrically apportioned to the head for unusual projection symmetries, in ribbed or webbed design and color patterned to highlight the eyes. Thus a family of designs is not trestricted to alternative armature shapes, and varieties are infinite in number.

An alternate preferred embodiment is depicted in Figure 8, the "flyweight" variety of core, oblique angle. This particular version is practical for exterior strap attachments. It could grasp two almond-shaped lenses the size of fingernails close to the eyes, but not touching the eyelashes. Such cores are interchangeable for any occasion. In slightly different embodiment versions, the core is conveyed by numeral 2 in Figures 2-4. In Figure 10, it is the custom mold of choice, where from the side, 6, it fastens to strap; 7, it arches over eyebrow; 8, the lens attachment area. From this perspective it can be shown, in general, how the core attaches to the custom-cut plastic lenses. See Figure 9. An optional "tab" area is cut above custom contour from oversize plastic lens: where 3 is oversize, basic plastic lens; 4 is custom contour- cut from basic lens - any desired size/shape; 5

(thatched area) is optional tabl to connect with core; 2 is the core area, stopping more or less where arches over eyebrows; so that now, any type of custom mold core can cleanly be attached. (Or, alternatively, architectural "coupling sheath-joints" with inputs at both ends, for lens-tab and core, could be employed for the same technical purpose, simultaneously rendering

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a smoothed-out, "mold effect," although this intermediary step can be circumvented solely with a core) .

The core attaches to lens or lens-tab with adhesive pr screws by "interfacing" at some potent angle. You can interface at any angle: Figure 11 is directly from above; Figure 12, behind-above, with say a glue or screwhole attachment, then possibly a piece of covering trim, or fabric cover of sleeve slips over; or Figure 13, fix-glue a piece of trim to top-behind of lens, thus gluing into or screwing into a "track" on core unobtrusively (that is, trim glued to lens fits into slot-track on core); Figure 14, core glued from top and behind, etc. Or the lens-tab could be beveled (or vice versa) to fit into corresponding slots of the core armatures, then glued or screwed, in inconspicuously (the advantage with screws being that collections of cores can be used interchangeably with one or more sets of lenses) . In these respects, Figure 15, lens is glued into slot on core armature; or variation, such as an "insert joint" connecting both the lens and core. (Figure 15 B illustrates two versions of such a "coupling joint," with serrated or waffled groove recepticle in lower half for lens, the same for core is upper half; or alternatively, an output on upper half for corresponding core groove) . In Figure 12 the possibility of using screws once the lens is inserted into the conforming slot on the core. Such attachment processes are simple, variable, and straightforward. Although normally with a core there is no frame to speak of in the lens projection area (since the core is attached to the top of the lens, thereby cutting away the drame from the face entirely) , of course

the lens can be framed around any of its remaining perimeters in any appropriate mechanical manner, to blend artfully with the core. Such a contour frame may be an integral part of the core if this is desired. Contouring trim is an example. An optional rearward head-encircling strap may be attached to any permutation of the invention. This entails severing the forehead portion from, the rearward portion, and simply splicing in a custom rearward portion (since the demands of each portion vary) . Any appropriate attachment and adjustment mechanisms, such as buckle rings or velcro pads, may be selected. The core by itself, or in combination with any sleeve or exterior strap attachment, nay thus be modified for craftsmanship variations, if this option is desired. For example, an infinite spectrum of straps such as rawhide, terrycloth, knapsack cloth- knits or any variety of strings and ropes can be applied haphazardly to interlock with any frontal segment. The interchangeable sleeve is a versatile, functional vanity device with various usages. It is tailored to function with the core in a matching unit. The simplest embodiment unit tightly clothes a semi- pliable plastic core whose head-encircling strap is cut unitary from the same mold. The sleeve is wrapped around so compactly (i.e., the core is inserted and zipped in, sewn in, buttoned in, snapped or other) it appears woven in a cacoon. It may be comprised of fabric, leather, knits, or any combination of handicraft materials, it serves for comfort, for a sweatband, and is interchangeable for fashion. It can clothe the entirety of the core and headstrap (1/1 full version) , or just the frontal segment (1/2 version) .

Depending upon the materials, it could blend in any such manner. If comprised of harsh material, it could have a cushion comfort pad on the underside; the core and the sleeve should retain strength and balance as an integrated unit. Figure 18 depicts a full sleeve disembodied from a plastic core unit. Figure 19 shows a complete 1-piece plastic core unitary with a strap, demarcated into 1/1, 1/2, 1/4 matching sleeve areas. If the core has no head-encirculing strap, the 1/1 sleeve functions as a unit.

An alternate embodiments, particularly where the core is comprised of brittle plastics, tin or aluminum, the sleeve may be functionally architectured to accommodate these pieces with padding and other paraphernalia, such as contour/elevation factors for various projection symmetries. The frontal segment which serves as a "pouch/pocket" infrastructure for the core is a 1/2 sleeve with layers of plastic/ rubber or other composites glued in at appropriate angles. The architecture of the core combined with the architecture of the sleeve thus yields the proper lens placement over the eyes. Figure 20 is a side view illustrating such mixed architecture: 1 is a sleeve (any type) , 2 is core (any type) , e is the slot-stops for core recepticle over each eye, f is attachment screw area, g is lens, h is stretch strap, i indicates compositional layering (any type) , j is the pouch/pocket for core, k is zip or similar.

See Figure 21 for one typical interior/type embodi- ment where, obliquely: a, any core (2) slips in through top and zips up, or similar; 1, cloth pounch/pocket or leather pouch/pocket (sleeve); h, stretch color elastic-clother strap; 3, core stops in slots over eyes, locked within the confines of the sleeve.

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In Fig. 22 (oblique and side views) : the core (2, clear plastic, heatbent to fit forehead) c-arries the bulk of the architectural bubble formation; slipped in and zipped, k; e, rest-slot; 1, fashionable cloth sleeve with an ultrasoft rubber underlayer. Based on this fundamental scheme, such cores and sleeves can be used interchangeably in terms of craftsmanship options.

The core-encompassing sleeve, in an alternate embodiment, may be composed (in a single head-encircling sculpture) of an ultrasoft, sparse "marshmallow"-type rubber (or rubber/plastic compound) , with a projecting midlayer a malleable tin core (or perhaps a paper- graphite core) , such as Fig. 23. It could be perfectly formed, snug and streamlined, and cross-bred with any other structural component.

Cores may be attached to the exterior of any fashionable headstrap; such attachments should be subtle and simple, lightweight and strong as possible, with guaranteed rigid placement over the eyes and no sway factor. Cores may bolt to the exterior .of straps in any obvious, convenient manner: for example; a spare leather strap, slightly wider over eyes (and cushioned) , where a plastic mold core is heat-bent, then locks on, being held simply by brackets, latches, clasps, mini- straps, snaps, staples, glue, sewn, clamps, screws, studs, sockets, joints and the like, or is otherwise wedged or machined. Fig. 24 is exemplary - a core is attached by sewn vertical leather bars. Such exiguous exterior attachments may be recombined with other structural components. For example, a sleeve with an interior pouch/pocket for a core could have optional exterior attachment modes in the "piggyback" fashion. Conversely, any sleeve can be wrapped around an exterior attachment. Another component mixture would combine any core with any strap, this unit then

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being looped around the circumference of an exterior leather strap, locked on by bracket latches, grappling hooks, or any other exterior attachment mode. Fig. 25 illustrates such a combination with grappling hooks. Exterior strap demarcation areas, in such combinations, may be applied analogous to sleeve demarcation areas.

One limitation of the 1-piece, featherweight, semi-pliable plastic core with a head-encircling strap cut unitary from the same mold is that its armatures, of whatever shape, cannot normally be composed of clear plastic. In a simple permutation (Fig. 26) the armatures are stripped and replaced with a series of raised 2-5 mm. wide plastic studs (3) , then any "bubble" clear plastic core (2) , or any core model (with corresponding holes drilled in it) can be heat-bent, overlayed, and snapped on, with a 1/2 removable sleeve (1) serving to weld the unit together. The core can be glued to the studs, or attached in a removable manner. Sleeves and cores can be inter- changed. Alternately, the core could be latched down in any obvious "lock-on" manner, such as any exterior attachment.

Figure 27 is "A Table of Some Basic Component Combinations". Sleeves and exiguous exterior strap attachments can be variously permuted or blended into artistic arrays, i.e., interior "landscaping" with analogous exterior features. Any mechanical mixing of the various components yields variety.- These components yield the greatest variety, however, by simply mixing craftsmanship variations: i.e., selection, composition and substitution of materials; artistic configurations, contours, styles; and various treatments.

Equivalents

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experi¬ mentation, numerous equivalents to the specified

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vehicles and procedures described herein ^, Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention, and are covered by the following claims.