GB2277167A

GB2277167A - Night driving glasses

Info

Publication number: GB2277167A
Application number: GB9307738A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert David Faull
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-15
Filing date: 1993-04-15
Publication date: 1994-10-19
Also published as: GB9307738D0

Abstract

There is provided night driving glasses 10 having a shielded portion 14 in each vision area 11. The shielded portions have an angular displacement of about 90 DEG up to 120 DEG around the centre of vision 13, but do not include a section 17 immediately around the centre of vision 13. The glasses may be made by affixing shielding elements 14 to standard vision glasses. Preferably each shielded portion 14 absorbs about 70% of incident light. <IMAGE>

Description

NIGHT DRIVING GLASSES This invention relates to glasses for wear whilst driving at night or other times of poor visibility when headlights are being used.

Night driving glasses are known but suffer from distinct disadvantages such as darkening too large a portion of the vision area so as to be dangerous or being too complex in the shape or shapes of the darkened portion or portions so as to be too complex and expensive to manufacture.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided night driving glasses having a pair of vision areas for disposition, in use, in front of the eyes of the user, each vision area having an optical centre of vision and a shielded portion which transmits less light than the remainder of the vision area, each shielded portion extending only from generally vertically above the optical centre of vision through a clockwise (as seen by the user in left hand drive conditions and as seen by oncoming traffic in right hand drive conditions) angular displacement of up to about 1200, but excluding a section immediately around the optical centre of vision.

In some preferred embodiments the angular extent of said shielded portion of each vision area is about 90".

A preferred feature is that each shielded portion absorbs about 70% of incident light.

The unshielded section around the optical centre of vision may be part-circular and have a radius of up to say 7.5 mm, but is preferably 3 to 4 mm.

Conveniently the vision areas are separate and are mounted in a frame and the vision areas may be made from glass or plastic.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making night driving glasses as described above comprising the step of affixing shielding elements to standard vision glasses.

Preferably said shielding elements are in the form of self-adhesive plastic film or a coating applied to the glasses.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail. The description makes reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which is a view through night driving glasses according to the present invention.

The drawing shows a pair of night driving glasses 10 for use in left hand drive countries. In right hand drive countries figure 1 shows the glasses as seen by oncoming traffic. The glasses 10 have a pair of vision areas 11 which may be made of glass or some form of plastic as is known in the industry. The vision areas 11 may be in the form of corrective lenses for users with eyesight problems or plain for users with good eyesight. The vision areas 11 are held in a frame 12 to facilitate wear by the user. In an alternative the frame could be adapted to clip on to the users normal glasses.

Each vision area 11 has an optical centre of vision 13 which is intended to be located, in use, directly in front of the pupil of the user and a shielded portion 14 which absorbs about 70% of incident light. This absorption figure could, however, be varied depending on the choice of the user.

The shielded portion 14 of each vision extends through an angular displacement between a generally vertically extending line 15 above the optical centre of vision 13 clockwise through an angle of about 900 to horizontal line 16. The shielded portion 14, however, does not include the sector 17 immediately around the optical centre of vision 13. The radius of this sector 17 may be up to say 7.5 mm, but about 3 to 4 mm has been found to be a suitable size. Other shapes for the sector 17 may be possible.

The design is such that such darkened areas are perceived by the wearer as a single darkened area.

It will be appreciated that the shielded area substantially prevents dazzle from the headlights of oncoming vehicles, although in some cases it may be desirable to extend the angular extent of the shielded portions 14 to about 1200 clockwise from the vertical.

At the same time, by protecting the eye from the strong light from oncoming vehicles, the glasses help to preserve maximum vision directly ahead and to the nearside where it is most likely that an unlit obstruction will lie.

It would of course be possible to adapt standard vision glasses so as to produce night driving glasses. The shielded portions 14 could be constituted by pieces of self adhesive plastic film or maybe a coating painted on.

Claims

1. Night driving glasses having a pair of vision areas for disposition, in use, in front of the eyes of the user, each vision area having an optical centre of vision and a shielded portion which transmits less light than the remainder of the vision area, each shielded portion extending only from generally vertically above the optical centre of vision through a clockwise (as seen by the user in left hand drive conditions and as seen by oncoming traffic in right hand drive conditions) angular displacement of up to about 1200, but excluding a section immediately around the optical centre of vision.

2. Night driving glasses as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angular extent of said shielded portion of each vision area is about 90".

3. Night driving glasses as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each shielded portion absorbs about 70% of incident light.

4. Night driving glasses as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the unshielded section around the optical centre of vision is part circular and has a radius of up to 7.5 mm.

5. Night driving glasses as claimed in claim 4 wherein the radius is between 3 to 4 mm.

6. Night driving glasses as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the vision areas are separate and are mounted in a frame.

7. Night driving glasses as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the vision areas are made from glass or plastic.

8. A method of making night driving glasses having a pair of vision areas for disposition, in use, in front of the eyes of the user, each vision area having an optical centre of vision and a shielded portion which transmits less light than the remainder of the vision area, each shielded portion extending only from generally vertically above the optical centre of vision through a clockwise (as seen by the user in left hand drive conditions and as seen by oncoming traffic in right hand drive conditions) angular displacement of up to about 1200, but excluding a section immediately around the optical centre of vision comprising the step of affixing shielding elements to standard vision glasses.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said shielding elements are in the form of self adhesive plastic film or a coating applied to the glasses.