US2385405A - Combination goggles and eyeshade - Google Patents

Description

p B. H. CROWTHER 2,335,405

COMBINATION GOGGLES AND EYE SHADE Filed July 14, 1943 J INVENTOR. 6 finmza/i Geo/1 mm Patented Sept. 25, 1945 v I I 2,385,405 COMBINATION GOGGLES AND EYESHADE Bayard H. Crowther, Wyncote, Pa.,, assignor to Bachmann Brothers, Inc., Philadelphia; Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application'July 14, 1943, Serial No. 494,599

f 4 Claims.

This invention'relates to face protective devices designed to protect the eyes and the region of the face immediately contiguous thereto; and it is concerned primarily with a device of the socalled goggles type in which the framework has been eliminated.

At the present, there are available certain plastic or thermoplastic materials having varying degrees of transparency, and'these materials may be appropriately colored whereby they constitute what is known as ray filters, that is; they filter light passing therethrough ,so as to renderharmless any light rays reaching the wearers eyes. Many of these available plastic materials also have properties of flexibility, resiliency, toughness, and are of form sustaining character. Thus, these materials, among whichmight be mentioned certain acetates, readily'lend themselves to the manufacture of face protective devices of this type in which any supporting framework has been eliminated. 1

In providing a protective-device of this nature, it is highly important that the device, itself, be, at all times, available for application to the face of the wearer. If too much inconvenience is' ex perienced by'a prospective wearer, in going to get the device when" occasion for its usezarises, there is a tendency for the person to dispense with its use, and liability of danger. to the eyes is created. This invention'is largely'predicated on the belief that it is of the utmost importance for the protective device to, at all times, be available to a likely user, and; following this thought, the invention has in view, as its foremost objective, the provision of a face protective device of' this character which maybe folded into a compact formation and thus carried conveniently about on the person of. the wearer.

A sheet of a transparent plas'tic'material of the type above noted may be fashioned so that it will. snugly fit the face of the wearer over and about the region of the eyes. However, in order to obtain this snug fit, it is essential that a curvature be imparted to the fashioned sheet. Obviously, the curvature is necessary only when the device is being worn, and need not be present while it is carried about in a persons pocket. With these ideas in mind, the invention has in view, as another important object, the provision of a face protective device of the character aforesaid in which means are associated with the goggle elements to impart the necessary curvature thereto when occasion arises.

More in detail, the invention has as an objective the provision of an eye shade which is associated with the'goggles and which ordinarily is connected thereto in a convenient manner. However, when the device is to be worn, a detachable connection between each end of the eye shade and the respective end of the goggles'is established to impart the necessary curvature to the goggles. L a i Still another important detailed object is the provision, in a device of this type, of an eye shade which is made of the same general class of materials as the'goggles', and in which the transparency is restricted toa'required degree to provide the eye shading properties."

,To the end of conveniently associating. the eye shade and goggles and providing for their being folded up into a compact formation that may be readily carried about ina users pocket, the eye shade is hingedly connected to the goggles. As above pointed out, the goggles are divided into two parts that are hingedly connected together, and the eye shade is correspondingly divided into two parts that are hingedly connected together. It has been foundthatfabric strips may beemployed tov establish the various hinge connec- When goggles, of-the type aforesaid, are'snugly fitted over the-wearers face in the region of the eyes, it is usually desirable to provide ventilation for the space'confinedby the goggles. Accordingly, a furtherobjective is the provision, in a device of the type. aforesaid, of goggle elements having event openings, and, .withthe thought of enhancing the protective character of. the device to as high a degreegas possible, the vent openings are located in close ,proximity tothe eye shade, where they are atjleast partially protected by the latter. l

In view of the goggle elements being fashioned from sheet materiat'and further in view of the end for a snug cornfortablefit on the .wearers face, the invention has asan object the provision of a device of this type including goggle elements made from sheet plastic having a slight outturned .fiange providing a bead or curved surface over those parts of theedge whichordinarilywo'uld tend'to bite or dig into'the wearers face. The plastic material used in the production of these goggles readily lends'itself to the formation of this head.

Obviously, it is necessary that a headband be employed to hold the protective device in position over the wearers eyes This headband may be of the elastic'ornon-elastic type as the occasion demands, butgi'heach instance, it'is necessary'that suita-ble anchorage to the goggle elethoughts in a practical embodiment, will in part 4 become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated, as a description of the invention proceeds.-

The invention, therefore, comprises a combination goggles and eye shade made from plastic ma l terial in sheet form, having required properties of transparency, flexibility, toughness and resiliency. The goggles part of the combination are divided into two elements, which are hingedly connected by a fabric strip. The eye shade'is also divided into two parts and hinge'clly connected by a fabric strip. Moreover, the-eye shade as an entirety is also connected to the goggles as an entirety by a fabric strip. Complemen-tal elements of a sna fastener device are carried by 5 each end of the eye shade and its respective goggle elements, and the part of the snap fastener which is on the goggle elements constitutes an anchorage for a headband. Vent openings are formed in the oggle elements in close proximity to the eye shade, and the lower edges of the goggle elements are provided with a slight outtur ned flange that forms a bead where the edges engage the wearersface.

Y For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein: 1

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a combination goggles and eye shade that is made accordance with the precepts of' this invention; and

Figure 2 is a side view showing the combination goggles and eye shade as applied to the head of a wearer.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts,

and first more particularly to Figure '1, a protective device which is providedby this invention is, shown as comprising a combination of a pair of goggles, which is referred to "in its entirety by the reference character G, and an eye shade which is designated generally E. Both the goggles G and the eye shade E may be made from any suit- W able plastic or thermoplastic, such as an acetate in which the degree of transparency may be controlled, and which has the required properties of flexibility, toughness and. resiliency.

The pair of goggles G comprisethe goggle elements I0 and I I which are vhingedly connected by fabric strips shown at I2. The fabric strips I2 may be secured to thegoggle elements I0 and II in any preferred manner, such as by using an appropriate adhesive.

It is evident that the pair of goggles G are shaped to fit over the nose of the'wearer and to snugly engage the face about the region of the eyes. The edges of the goggle elements which fit over the nose and which engage the face beneath the eyes ordinarily would tend to bite or dig into the wearers face. To guard against any discomfort which might arise from this tendency, the corresponding edgesof the'goggle elements I 0 and II are provided with slight outturn'ed flanges shown at H as being carried by the goggle element I I. The other end of the headband H is anchored to the goggle element II by this snap fastener part I5.

At'this point, it is well to note that the headband H may'take any form desired. It may be entirely non-elastic or include an elastic section, as is common practice in this art.

The eye shade E is divided into two halves l6 7 and I1, and these halves are hingedly connected fastener element 'use is required. When it isto by a fabric strip I8, which preferably is a continuation of the fabric strip I2. The eye shade E as an entirety is hingedly connected to the goggles G by a fabric strip I9. Obviously, the extent of the hinge connection is only a small proportion of the extent of the eye shade E. Hence, this fabric strip [9 is continued out on each side and extended beyond the hinge connections to pro vide binding over the edge of .the eye .shade E, where this edge engages the forehead of the wearer.

Being a fabric, the strip will have the ability to absorb moisture to some extent and definitely tends to, increase the degree of comfort with which the device may be worn.

In close proximity to the hinge connection I9,

I the goggle elements 10 and H are provided with vent openings which serve toventilate the space confined by the goggles, when they are applied to the wearers head. Being located close to the eye shade E, these vent openings 20 are partially protected by the eye shade and the danger of any flying particles coming through the openings and striking the wearer is reduced to a minimum.

The element of a snap fastener is shown at 2| as carried by the eye shade half I6. This snap fastener element 2I is complemental to the snap HI carried by the goggleelement I0. Likewise, a snap fastener element 22 is carried by theeye shade half I1, and is complemental to the snap fastener element-"I5 and the goggle element.

While the 'mode 'of usage of'th'e above described combination goggles and eye shade'iis believed to be obvious, it maybe briefly outlined by noting that during those times when the device is not required, it may be folded into a "compact formation because of the hinge strips I2, I8 and IS. In this compact formation, it may be readily placed in a persons pocket and carried about so that it is, at all times, conveniently available when its be worn, the snap fastener elements l4 and'ZI are connected as also are the snap fastener elements 15 and 22. With these detachable connections established, a curvature is imparted to the goggles G, and the device may 'nowbe placed over the wearers face in the'region of the eyes; and, when the headband is positioned, as illustrated in Figure the goggle elements l0 and H snugly engage the wearers face.

With the goggle elements In and H properly colored, they may be constituted ray filters so that any light rays reaching the wearers eyes are rendere harmless. At the same time, the eyes are adequately protected from dust and flying particles. Ordinarily, the transparency of the eye shade E will be appreciably reduced so as to afford the required eye shading properties. However, under certain conditions, it may be desirable to have the goggle elements It! and II substantially completely transparent in which event it might be desirable that the eye shade E be more transparent than would ordinarily be the case, so that the wearer may bow his head and look through the eye shade at strong light.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice, within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a protective device of the character described, a pair of goggle elements hingedly connected by a fabric strip, an element of a 'snap fastener on each of said goggle elements, an eye shade divided into halves with the halves hingedly connected by a fabric strip, an element of a snap fastener on each half of said eye shade, the element of a snap fastener on each eye shade half being complemental to the element of a snap fastener on the respective goggle element, and means for hingedly connecting said eye shade to said goggle elements.

2. In a protective device of the character described, a pair of goggle elements hingedly connected by a fabric strip, an element of a snap fastener on each of said goggle elements, a headband having its ends anchored to said goggle of a snap fastener on each half of said eye shade,

the element of a snap fastener on each eye shade half being complemental to the element of a snap fastener on the respective goggle element, and means for hingedly connecting said eye shade to said goggle elements.

3. In a protective device of the character described, a pair of goggle elements made from sheet material and adapted to snugly engage the face of a wearer about the region of the eyes, the edges of said goggle elements being provided with slight out-turned flanges to form face engaging curved surfaces, a fabric hinge connecting said goggle elements, an eye shade hingedly connected to said goggle elements, said eye shade being divided into halves that are hingedly connected together, and means for establishing a detachable connection between each eye shade half and the respective goggle element.

4. A protecting device, comprising hingedly related goggle elements, a shade hingedly related to said elements, said shade consisting of two sections hingedly related on an extension of said goggle element hinge and fasteners for securing each toggle element to the shade, whereby said shade can be folded onto said goggles and the goggle sections and shade sections folded onto one another to form a compact arrangement, on release of said fasteners.

BAYARD H. CROWTHER.

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