DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to eye wear with particular application to safety spectacles and goggles. Many users of safety eye wear normally wear spectacles and to cater for this safety eye wear is available which will accept prescription lenses. Our co-pending British Patent Application No. 2221551 describes a lens retention system which allows for simple secure assembly into and removal from a frame of a pair of prescription lenses as a alternative to one piano lens. By this means the safety spectacle can be tailored to a particular user and any subsequent changes in prescription catered for. It also allows ready replacement when the lenses become scratched or otherwise damaged and this is cheaper than replacement of the entire safety spectacle which is normally the case with other types of lens retention system. Such safety spectacles are far superior in terms of comfort and convenience than wearing protective goggles over ordinary glasses.

Nevertheless, replacement of the prescription lenses due to damage is more expensive than replacement of a non-prescription protection lens and accordingly it

is an aim of the present invention to provide safety eye wear which provides a facility of tailoring to specific prescription requirements whilst reducing the likelihood of damage to the prescription lenses and hence reducing replacement costs.

Accordingly, the present invention provides eye wear comprising a frame or holder adapted to receive simultaneously prescription lenses and protective lens means with the latter disposed in front of the former. The eye wear has particular application to such as safety spectacles and goggles.

According to one embodiment the frame and its lens retention system may follow the teaching of our co-pending U.K. Patent Applications Nos. 2221551 and 8917208. Accordingly, in one embodiment the frame is formed as a spectacle frame and apertured to receive a lens or lenses. Conveniently it has abutment means over at least part of the aperturing and presenting retention faces to inside and outside surfaces of said lens or lenses, and means cooperable with the lens or lenses to retain same in the spectacle frame in conjunction with the operation of said- abutment means. Said means may be clip means releasably locatably engageable with the frame as in our above mentioned applications providing retention at an upper location, preferably utilising one clip disposed centrally above the nose bridge. More

particularly the frame has a. single aperture to accommodate a single lens, said abutment means providing a retention to at least the lower boundary of the lens relative to each eye. Alternatively that single lens aperture can accommodate double lenses with the abutment means providing retention at a lower boundary of each lens and clip means again preferably centrally disposed to provide retention of both lenses. The abutment means preferably comprises a shoulder around the aperturing of the frame against which the rear face of the lens or lenses is pressed by the clip and additional retaining abutments for contacting and/or retaining the front face of the or each lens in the event of any forward movement. Those retaining abutments are conveniently disposed to the bottom edge and outer side of each lens opening.

In a preferred construction, a top rail part of the frame is apertured to receive a mating push-in part of the clip means, preferably in snap-fitting manner, provided by such as resilient lugs. The clip further provides a face to restrain outward movement of the lens or lenses, and in the case of the clip for the double lens embodiment, preferably has ribs or such like which abut either the edges or the front of the lenses or both to urge them into the frame aperturing for positive retention. In the former case those ribs preferably act

in a wedging manner being generally divergent to provide increased retention/wedging on insertion, and preferably also chamfered in a direction to urge the lenses rearwardly into the aperturing. That engagement is advantageous for restraining positively to prevent rattling in use, but it could suffice for the ribs to be in closely spaced overlying relation.

The aforementioned clip retention system has the advantage that one design of frame can be used for both single and double lens designs providing economies of scale and also making possible change from single to double lenses of piano or prescription type as desired.

That lens retention system or any other suitable lens retention system may be employed to retain the prescription lenses, and means provided for carrying safety lens means to be disposed in front of the prescription lenses in the manner of a shield. However, it is preferred that the aperturing in the frame carry the safety lens means and for the prescription lenses to be disposed behind them. The safety lens means is preferably a single piano lens. It is further preferred that the prescription lenses be fitted to the inner side of the frame and more preferably in a manner which is independent of the fitting of the safety lens means. Such a basic arrangement of prescription lens fitting separately behind a safety or primary lens also

has application to goggles. A typical goggle has a primary lens for safety accommodated in a frame having a periphery formed for close fitting, even contact, with the face of the wearer, compared with spectacles. The frame may be made from a resilient material for good fit and comfort.

Thus we propose prescription lenses received in their own frame-like holder which is in turn received within the goggle frame. That is preferably arranged as a push fit - say of snap-in type and configured for subsequent release as required.

Our preferred goggle frame has vents in a top part of the frame as recesses, and formations for application of elasticated strapping or side arms, also as recessing, and it is preferred for the prescription lens holder to have formations which cooperate with said recessing for retention purposes. The nose bridge area of the prescription frame is configured to cooperate with the relatively soft nasal area of the goggle. Thus the prescription holder may be inserted from the rear of the goggle aligning the four lug areas (two formations to the top and one each to opposite sides) between a rigid brow bar of the goggle and the front lens, whilst making sure it is pushed up as far as possible. The soft nasal area of the goggle may then be pulled from under the prescription holder manipulating it so that

it reverts back to its original form leaving the prescription holder sandwiched between "itself" and the front lens.

Thus, in either application fitting of the prescription lenses is preferably by way of such secondary frame-like holder which has its external shape tailored to fit within the safety frame and preferably locating therein in a push fit manner allowing easy fitting and removal. Preferably, at least in the case of application to spectacles, the external periphery of the secondary frame corresponds to the shape an inner periphery of the aperturing in the frame to be received therein. Said secondary frames can be provided having apertures shaped to receive standard shaped lens configurations and receiving the lenses in the same manner as prescription lenses are received in moulded plastic frames, ie. by V-grooving the frame and bevelling the edges of the lenses. Several secondary frames may be offered with different spacing of the lens apertures making it possible to cater for different inter-pupillary distances and it has been found that four basic aperture spacings will cater for the most common inter-pupillary distances in conjunction with the manufacture of the prescription lenses. Of course, other spacings could be made to suit particular requirements.

Safety or protective eye wear according to the invention has the advantage that a basic frame can be adapted simply for use as a safety eye wear by fitting of a protective piano lens of suitable type for the required shielding function and where required prescription lenses can be provided in addition, with the protective lens means then shielding the prescription lenses from damage. Of course the piano lens can be replaced by prescription lenses where the likelihood of damage to the prescription lenses is low and thereby reduce overall weight of the safety eye wear.

The present invention will now be described further by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of protective wear according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the protective eye wear of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 taken on line AA,

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 taken on line BB,

Figure 6 is a rear view of an embodiment of the

invention applied to goggles,

Figure 7 is a plan view of the goggle of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a section on line XX of Figure 6. Referring firstly to the drawings of Figures 1 to

5, protective eye wear comprises a frame 1 moulded from plastics material and having an aperture 3 configured to receive a piano lens 5 held in place in conjunction with abutments of the aperturing and a retention clip 7. The aperturing is defined by boundary 9, forward facing shoulder 11 and also has abutments 13 for contacting the forward face of the piano lens 5. The frame is shown fitted with traditional spectacle side arms 15 although the connection of the arms with the frames allows for removal and replacement with either arms carrying ear muffs.

The clip 7 has a forward facing flange 17 which overlies the piano lens 5 and also has a leg part 19 fitting into aperturing in the frame 1. The leg 19 is spring-like and has a barb like part 21 which locates against a shoulder of the frame to prevent removal of the clip until the leg is deflected out of engagement with the shoulder.

Reference to Figure 4 will show the frame part 1 and the aperturing to receive the piano lens 5 and retention by the abutments and clip 17.

The drawings also show a secondary frame 27 which has two apertures 29 to receive a respective prescription lens 31 shown in dotted line in Figure 2. The outer peripheral edge 33 of the secondary frame 27 is dimensioned to be an interference fit with the inner boundary 35 of the aperturing for the piano lens 5. This has been found sufficient to hold the secondary lens in place. Retention may be aided by providing an additional lip to the inner boundary 35 past which the secondary frame is a snap-fit. It will be noted from Figure 5 that the prescription lenses 31 have a tapered bevel edge and that the frame aperturing is moulded in a V-shape to receive the prescription lens. This is a standard ophthalmic technique. Within the standardised periphery of the secondary frame the apertures for the prescription lenses 31 can be adjusted transversely so as to cater for different inter-pupillary distances (IPD).

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8, there is shown an embodiment of the invention applied to goggles. The goggle has a moulded body 50 shaped to suit close fitting to the face of the wearer and has a grooved aperture 52 having receiving a single protective lens 54. The goggle has a rigid brow beam 55 which in the illustrated embodiment has inwardly opening recessing as part of ventilation openings reflected by protrusions

56, 58. The nasal area 60 of the body is a pliable material. The side of the body has recessing 62, 64 facilitating attachment of such as elasticated strapping

(not illustrated) for holding the goggle in place. The recessing 56, 58, 62, 64 serves to receive respective formations 66, 68, 72, 74 of a holder 70 for prescription lens 76 whilst a nose bridge part 78 of the holder cooperates with the nasal .area of the goggle body so retaining the formations of the holder in the respective recessing.

Thus, to insert the prescription holder it is introduced into the goggle from the rear, aligning the four lug-like formations 66, 68, 72, 74 between the rigid brow bar and front lens whilst making sure it is pushed up as far as possible. The soft nasal area is pulled from under the prescription holder and manipulated so that it reverts back to its original form leaving the prescription holder sandwiched between the body of the goggle and the front lens.