US2435243A - Eye protector - Google Patents

Description

Feb, 3, 1948. E, M. sPLAlN ooo oooh" nooo oooon "ooo Gaan j EYE PROTECTOR Filed Sept, 7, 1944 noe vs o eee.

wooo ceca` `I woo 0 ooo ne o o o o o 0N INVENTOR. EDWD M. JPL H /VE' HTTOENE Y Patented Feb. 3, 1948 EYE PROTECTOR Edward M. Splaine, Southbridge, Mass., assgnor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass., a voluntary association of Massachusetts Application September 7, 1944, Serial No. 553,014

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in eye protectors and has particular reference to a novel and improved construction of protector embodying eyecups for use in the industries.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character which shall satisfactorily protect the eyes from ilying particles and the like and at the same time permit free and clear lateral vision when the protector is in position on the face.

Another object is to provide an eye protector of the above character with eyecups each having an opening in the side wall thereof covered with a shield having a plurality of perforations therein, with the perforated area of the shield cupped outwardly to afford means for ventilating the eyecups and to increase the ventilated area internally of the eyecups and with said cupped portion being more resistant to impact and also enabling the wearer to have a wider field of lateral vision.

Another object is to provide side shields of the above character which will allow air to flow in a direction substantially transversely of the inner surfaces of said shields and thereby aord greater ventilation.

Another object is to provide eye protectors of the above character with means adjacent the lenses for preventing the fogging of said lenses during use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts as the preferred form only has been given by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawings:

, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said device; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Providing goggles or eye protectors of the character described with perforated side shields functioning as baille means overlying an opening in the side wall of the eyecup is not new in the art. Such prior art Side shields, however, were in 2 most instances formed from flat sheet material and were merely placed in overlying relation with the opening substantially in the plane of the outer surface of the eyecup. Such prior art side shields, in some instances, would afford lateral vision through the perforations, but such vision was restricted to the direction of the axis of the openings in said relatively flat plane.

Further diiilculty has been encountered with prior art goggles of this nature in that the side shields were not suiiiciently resistant to impact and the direction of flow of the air inwardly of the goggles and the area internally of the goggles was not sufiicient to introduce the proper ventilation.

One of the principal objects, therefore, of the present invention is to overcome all of the above diiculties in an extremely simple, efcient and inexpensive manner through the forming of a side shield with a central cupped or outwardly bulged perforated portion with the said shield having openings in the side walls of said cupped or bulged portion whereby air may enter the openings in the side walls and traverse the inner surface of the cupped or bulged portion substantially laterally thereof and with said openings in the side walls affording increased vision in a. direction rearwardly of the eyecup as indicated by the arrows A and in a direction forwardly of the eyecup as indicated by the arrows B as well as affording lateral vision as indicated by the arrows C. This increasedrearward and forward vision greatly increases the area of lateral vision through the side shield while the outward bulged or cupped portion increases the ventilated area internally of the goggle and renders the side shield more resistant to impact.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the device embodying the invention comprises a pair of eyecups Il having a face engaging edge portion 5 shaped substantially to the contour shape of the face about the eyes. The eyecups are preferably formed of a non-metallic material resistant to heat and heat conduction. The said eyecups #i are each provided with .a forward edge 6 on which a suitable lens i may be seated. The said lens is retained on said edge through the provision of suitable screw threads or the like 8 adjacent said edge and a lens retaining ring 9 threadedly connected with said screw threads: The lens supporting edge E is provided with a plurality of slots I0 extending throughout the thickness of the walls of the eyecups in a direc-A tion oblique to the tangence of said adjacent inner and outer surface portions and extend substantially throughout the entire circumference of said edge in progressively spaced relation with each other. The lens retaining ring 9 is provided with a pllu'ality of spaced circumferential slots l I communicating Vwith said slots .l 0. 'l `he eyecups are provided 4irte'rnally thereof and adjacent the' slotted lens retaining edge 6 "with a reinforcing ring i2 preferably formed of metal. This ring is seated in place during the molding of the eyecup to the shape desired. The lens retaining ring 9 is also preferably formed otfrelativelythin material having the threaded rtih thereof preferably formed by a rollingjprocssand an inwardly deilected lip IS'adaptel'to engage a bevelled edge I4 formed ontl'ieco'ntour of the' lens. r il. i Each of the eyecups is formed with an 'opening l5 in the temporal Wall portion thereof and exF tending "throughout "the maj or area of said Awall. Ilie "contour of the opening outwardly 'of 'the eyecupis 'provided with' asunke'n "seat or 'shou lderedrecess i6 shaped "to receive thebontour edge portion .H ofthe side shield i8. The said side shielo isis provided with @plurality f'vent openings 'i9 'therein and 'extending "substantially throughout'the areaof the shield'-overl3'fi1fi`g lthe openingk `5^wth-"`saigd alea 'being Clippd'or blllged otwardly'as shown best in'lig. 3. The outward lycupping or bulging vof the shield'cause'sthe nield'tohave side waliportions'n andl with openings I9 ther/ein- This outward cuppingor bulging of the side shield increase'sthe'ventilated area internally of the eyecup and also perfnits vision through theopenings IS inthe front Wall prtionZll in the* direction indicated by the arrows B Aand Simultaneously increases lateral visinfin th'edrectionof 1the arrows A through theopening's i9 inthe rear side wallportionfgl'. It `i`s v'also to be noted that air may'enter the satdopenings t9 vin the'front and rear walls 20 and 2l in the directionof the arrows 22 and23 asf'well as through the openings |9 inf the direction ofthe arrows C` thereby permitting air to traverse the inner surface of the hulged portion substantially laterally of said "inner surface depending upon the direction of now of the current of "air vto which the eyecups are exposed 'during use. If the current of air isv flowing in `a r e ar ward diectionthe air will enter in the direction of thfe 1Varrows 22 'and vwill be exhausted i'lrcugh the openings in the rear Wall portion 2l. On the otherhandif the current ofair -is from fadirection earwa'rdlyof the goggle, air will enterthe openings 1 9 through vthe rear Wall `2l inthefdirection 4of the Aarrows 23 and will be exhausted through the openings i9 in the front Wall portion 2li thereby affording a ventilating action notlobtained with prior art flat types'ide shields.

The said sideshield's l8 are secured to theeyencpsmby rivetsor the like '24. `The tempola'llsides of Vthe eyecups are Jeach provided with a 'realivvjardiy extending end 25 having anppemng 2t therein through which a suitable headband or th like 21 L,is threaded 'ine said headband 21 is A'provided with enlarged ends ,28 for anchoring the said headband to the rearwardly extending portions 25.

The eyecups are preferably joined with each other by `a "flexible ball-chain member 2S .having its ends extended through openings 3o formed in the nasal wall portions of the eyeoups. The ends 29 are secured or anchored with the eyecups by pivoted clips 3| having a slotted portion 32 adapted to straddle the link portions 33 connecting the ball portions 29 together. The said clip 3| is pivoted to the eyecup as illustrated at 34. The portion of the chain intermediate the eyecups is preferably covered by a tubular member 35 preferably formed of heat resistant material.

From the foregoing descriptionY it Awill be seen that simple, efficient andeconomical means have been provided'in'an extremely ecient and in- `c :spensive manner. The outward bulging or cupping of the side shields greatly increases the .strength of the said shields against impact and permitsrelativelyrough usage of the goggle withoutdager of injury to said side shields.

Tolai'ml. i, i

`1.'In"a"devce of the character described an eyecup member having an edge portion shaped to enga-ge the face and having a forwardly extending `w`all portion terminating in an outer supporting edge, said wall portion, on the temporal sidethereof, having an opening thereimand a shield 'overlying' said opening, said shield having a rcentrally disposed dome-like portion cupped outwardly from the plane of its surrounding outer edge portion and shaped 'substantially t'o `the outer contour sh'ap'eof the opening and extending substantially'throughout the area of said opening, saidouter edge portionof the shield constituting a'lan'gelike portion angularly disposed withfrespect to the side Walls of the'dome-like portion and Alying substantially parallel withthe top of said dome-like portion, said `flange-like portion being shaped substantially to the'contour of the adjacent outer Wall Vof the eyecup surrounding the `opening and to ,iit in contiguous relation therewith, said'dome-like portion havingsp'a'ced openings Vextending substantially throughout the area thereof with some of saidopenings lying lin the side walls of the dome-like portion andbeing so disposed relative to each otherfa-s to aiord increased lateral vision and simultaneouslyintroduce ventilation in a direction, transversely of the inner Surface o f thedome-like portion, end means connect'ngsaid flange-like portion with said eyecup member. 2. Ina device of the character vdfes'crib'el'gl an eyecnp member having an edgeportion VShaped 4to engage the face and havinga forwardlyextending wall 'portion terminating in an outer` sup;- porting edge, saidwall portion, onthe temporal side theteothaving anopenilg thereimand `a shield overlying said opening, 4said shield having a centrally disposed domevlike, portioncupp'ed outwardly from the plane ot its surrounding outer edge; portion substantiallylto the Vouteri .contour shape o f the Vopening and extendin'gsubstantially throughout the area of said opening, said ,out`er edge .portion of the shield constitutingafllaiiglike'portion angularly disposedjwth'respect to the side Yv valls -of the, `donielikejprtion and ,lying substantially samuel with the top of s' like portion, said flange-,like portion being shaped substantially tothe` contour [of the vadjacent outer wan of the eyecup surrounding tneopenmjg and to t in contiguousrelationtherewith, s; d'dorn'elike portion having spaced openings extending substantially throughout .the V area thereof. with s'orneof said,A 3p e'1f1` i n gs lying in the sidewalls of the dome-like portion and being so disposed .relative to each other as to afford increasedlaral vision and simultaneously introduceventilation in a direction transversely of the ,inner surface of the dome-like portion, said Vwan portion farther having 4a shouldered reeess about the edge of said opening with 'the flange-like 'portionoi the shield lying within said shouldered recess and means securing said ange-like portion in said position.

EDWARD M. SPLAINE.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Tillyer June 18, 1940 Shindel Nov. 25, 1919 Baker July 6, 1937 Morse Nov. 29, 1864

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