AU5402501A - Auxiliary lenses for eyeglasses - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 DIVISIONAL APPLICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): CONTOUR OPTIK INC.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: S: "Auxiliary lenses for eyeglasses" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1oo ~i1 P:\pcrshX2I200-1 divisional spe.doc-21 Junc, 2001 -2- The present invention relates to auxiliary lenses for eyeglasses.

US Patent No. 5,568,207 to Chao comprise a primary spectacle frame having two magnet members provided on the upper side portions, and an auxiliary spectacle frame including a pair of arms for engaging over the upper side portions for preventing the auxiliary spectacle frame from moving downward relative to the primary spectacle frame and having two magnet members for engaging with the magnet members of the primary spectacle frame. Two hands are required for attaching the auxiliary spectacle frame to the primary frame.

The invention seeks to provide auxiliary lenses which may be easily engaged on the primary spectacle frames by only one hand.

According to the invention, there is provided an eyeglass device comprising first and second spectacles each having a bridge portion, wherein the second spectacles are releasably securable to the first spectacles by engagement with the bridge portion of the first spectacles which provides underlying support for the second spectacles via the bridge portion thereof, and the two spectacles are releasably securable one relative to the other via magnetic coupling means.

Further according to the invention, there is provided an eyeglass device comprising a primary frame including a bridge and an auxiliary frame including a bridge, the auxiliary frame being releasably securable to the primary frame such that an upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame provides underlying support for the auxiliary frame via the bridge of the auxiliary frame, and magnetic coupling means providing a magnetic coupling between the upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame and the auxiliary frame so as 64s. to allow the auxiliary frame to be secured to the primary frame with only one hand by a user.

25 Still further according to the invention, there is provided an eyeglass device comprising a primary frame including a bridge and an auxiliary frame including a bridge, the auxiliary frame being releasably securable to the primary frame, the bridge of the primary frame further including a first connector, wherein the bridge of the auxiliary frame extends above the bridge of the primary frame which thereby provides underlying support for the auxiliary frame and magnetically engages the connector of the primary frame so as to allow the auxiliary frame to be secured to the primary frame with only one hand by a P:\OPERURSH\21200-01 divisional spe.doc-21 une. 2001 -3user.

Still further according to the invention, there is provided an eyeglass device comprising first and second frames releasably secured one relative to the other by magnetic coupling means acting between adjacent bridge portions of the two frames to permit the frames to be engaged by only one hand of a user.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a spectacle frame and auxiliary lenses which are separated from each other; FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the spectacle frame and the auxiliary lenses combination; FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the spectacle frame and the auxiliary lenses combination; FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along middle bridge portions of FIG. 2; FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 are cross sectional views similar to FIG. 4, showing four applications of the middle e N:\OPER\RSH 1200.01(2) spe.dow-21 1sa 2001 bridge portions of the eyeglass device; and FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing another application of the eyeglass device.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, an eyeglass device comprises a primary spectacle frame for supporting primary lenses therein. The primary spectacle frame 10 includes two side portions each having an extension 11 extended rearwardly therefrom for pivotally coupling a leg 12 thereto. The primary spectacle frame includes a middle bridge portion 13 for supporting a magnetic or magnetizable connector member 14 therein. As shown the member 14 is operatively exposed to the upper surface of bridge portion 13. An auxiliary spectacle frame is provided for supporting the auxiliary lenses therein and includes a middle bridge portion 21 having a projection 22 extended rearward therefrom for extending over and for engaging with the middle bridge portion 13 of the primary spectacle frame 10 (FIGS. 2-4) The auxiliary spectacle oooo frame 20 also includes a magnetic or magnetizable connector 20 member 24 secured in the projection 22 thereof for engaging with the connector member 14 of the primary spectacle frame 10 such that the auxiliary spectacle frame 20 can be stably supported on the primary spectacle frame 10, best shown in FIGS. 2-4. As shown the member 24 is operatively exposed to 25 a lower surface of the projection 22.

It is to be noted that the projection 22 is engaged with and is supported on the middle bridge portion of the primary spectacle frame 10 such that the auxiliary spectacle frame 20 will not move downward relative to the primary spectacle frame and will not be easily disengaged from the primary spectacle frame when its user conducts jogging or jumping exercises.

It is further to be noted that the user is only required to engage the connector member 24 of the auxiliary spectacle frame 10 with the connector member 14 of the primary spectacle frame, such that the frames 20 can be easily secured with each other. The user can thus easily use only one hand to stably attach the auxiliary spectacle frame to the primary spectacle frame. Alternatively, only one of the connector members 14, 24 is required to be a magnet. For example, if only connector member 24 is provided as a magnet in the middle bridge member 21 of the auxiliary spectacle frame, the connector member 14 is not required to be a magnet, but could be composed typically of magnetic iron. It is only required to have the middle bridge member 13 made by magnetically attractive material such that the middle bridge member 21 of the auxiliary spectacle frame 20 may also be easily attached to the primary spectacle frame 10. Only one or one pair of magnetizable members are required to be a magnet for attaching the spectacle frames together.

.25 Referring next to FIG. 4, it is preferable that the connector member 24 is slightly extended downward toward the connector member 14 such that the auxiliary spectacle frame 20 may further be stably supported and secured to the primary spectacle frame As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the middle bridge members 13, 21 may be tilted (FIG. The middle bridge member 21 may include a flange 220 tilted downward (FIG. 6) for engaging with the middle bridge member 13 and for preventing the middle bridge member 21 from being disengaged from the middle bridge member 13. The magnetic member 24 may be extended downward from the middle bridge member 21 for engaging with a hole 131 of the middle bridge member 13 (FIG. The middle bridge member 21 may include a C-shape having two magnetic members 24 engaged above and below the magnetic member 14 (FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the middle bridge member 21 may include one or more hand grips 28 for facilitating the holding of the auxiliary spectacle frame, and may include a stop 29 extended downward from the middle bridge member 21 for engaging with the oo middle bridge member 13 and for preventing the middle bridge member 21 from being disengaged from the middle bridge member 13.

Accordingly, the eyeglass device includes an auxiliary spectacle frame that may be easily secured to the primary spectacle frame with only one hand.

o P:pr shUI\200 1 divisional p.doc-21 June, 2001 -7- Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

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Claims (19)

1. An eyeglass device comprising first and second spectacles each having a bridge portion, wherein the second spectacles are releasably securable to the first spectacles by engagement with the bridge portion of the first spectacles which provides underlying support for the second spectacles via the bridge portion thereof, and the two spectacles are releasably securable one relative to the other via magnetic coupling means.

2. An eyeglass device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic coupling means effects magnetic coupling of the second spectacles to an upper surface of the bridge portion of the first spectacles.

3. An eyeglass device according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic coupling means comprises at least one magnet mounted in the bridge portion of the first spectacles and operatively exposed to the upper surface of said bridge portion.

4. An eyeglass device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the magnetic coupling means comprises at least one magnet mounted in the bridge portion of the second •spectacles and operatively exposed to a lower surface of said bridge portion.

An eyeglass device comprising a primary frame including a bridge and an auxiliary frame including a bridge, the auxiliary frame being releasably securable to the primary :""frame such that an upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame provides underlying support for the auxiliary frame via the bridge of the auxiliary frame, and magnetic coupling means providing a magnetic coupling between the upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame and the auxiliary frame so as to allow the auxiliary frame to be secured to the primary frame with only one hand by a user.

6. An eyeglass device according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic coupling means comprises at least one magnet mounted in the bridge of the primary frame and operatively exposed to the upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame, and the auxiliary frame includes a rearwardly extending bridge projection extending over the upper surface of the P:\OPER\RSHU 120D-0I divisional spe.dc-2 Jme 2001 -9- bridge of the primary frame to be supported thereby and to be retained by magnetic engagement with said magnet.

7. An eyeglass device according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic coupling means comprises at least one magnet mounted in a rearwardly extending bridge projection of the auxiliary frame and operatively exposed to a lower surface thereof, the rearwardly extending bridge projection extending over the upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame to be supported thereby and to be retained by magnetic engagement therewith.

8. An eyeglass device according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic coupling means comprises at least one magnet mounted in the rearwardly extending bridge projection and operatively exposed to a lower surface thereof for magnetic engagement with the bridge of the primary frame.

9. An eyeglass device comprising a primary frame including a bridge and an auxiliary frame including a bridge, the auxiliary frame being releasably securable to the primary frame, the bridge of the primary frame further including a first connector, wherein the bridge of the auxiliary frame extends above the bridge of the primary frame which thereby provides underlying support for the auxiliary frame and magnetically engages the connector of the primary frame so as to allow the auxiliary frame to be secured to the primary frame with only one hand by a user.

10. An eyeglass device according to claim 9, wherein a second connector is secured to the bridge of the auxiliary frame for magnetically engaging with the first connector of the primary frame.

11. An eyeglass device according to claim 10, wherein one of the first and second connectors comprises a magnet, and the other of the first and second connectors comprises a magnetisable substance.

12. An eyeglass device according to claim 10, wherein the first and second connectors each comprise a magnet. PAOPERSHU 212C01 divisional ~p.doC-21 Jlme. 2001

13. An eyeglass device according to claim 12, wherein the first and second connectors each comprise a pair of magnets spaced along the bridges of the respective frames.

14. An eyeglass device according to any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein the first connector is operatively exposed to the upper surface of the bridge of the primary frame.

An eyeglass device as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the bridge of the auxiliary frame includes a stop for engaging the bridge of the primary frame and for preventing the bridge of the auxiliary frame from being disengaged accidentally from the bridge of the primary frame.

16. 16. An eyeglass device comprising a first frame including a bridge portion, the bridge portion of the first frame including a magnetic connector for releasably magnetically engaging with an upper side of a bridge portion of a second frame which thereby provides underlying support for the first frame when the first frame is magnetically engaged to the second frame, the arrangement being such that when the first frame and the second frame are secured one to the other, a part of the bridge portion of the auxiliary frame extends over and engages with at least a part of the bridge portion of the primary frame. 20

17. An eyeglass device comprising a first frame including a bridge portion and a first magnetic connector operatively exposed to an upper side of the bridge portion for releasably magnetically engaging an underside of a bridge portion of a second frame whereby the first frame provides underlying support for the second frame when the second frame is magnetically engaged to the first frame.

18. An eyeglass device comprising a first frame including a bridge portion and a second frame including a bridge portion, the second frame being releasably securable to the first frame, the bridge portion of the first frame further including a first connector, wherein the first connector is an aperture and the bridge portion of the second frame extends above the bridge of the first frame which thereby provides underlying support for the second frame and magnetically engages the first frame so as to allow the second frame P:\ophU120001 divisional spedoc-21 Jm -11 to be secured to the first frame with only one hand by a user, wherein a second connector is secured to the bridge portion of the second frame for engaging' within the aperture of the first frame.

19. An eyeglass device comprising first and second frames releasably secured one relative to the other by magnetic coupling means acting between adjacent bridge portions of the two frames to permit the frames to be engaged by only one hand of a user. DATED this 21st day of June, 2001 CONTOUR OPTIK INC. By its Patent Attorneys: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE i o oo* o *oo o o*