US3756703A

US3756703A - Sunglasses containing embedded louver means

Info

Publication number: US3756703A
Application number: US00213655A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Nelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-12-29
Filing date: 1971-12-29
Publication date: 1973-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-04
Also published as: AT343273B; DE2262055B2; ATA1102872A; NO135295B; CH571341A5; DE2262055C3; FR2166132A1; DE2262055A1; JPS4874855A; IT972997B; NO135295C; FR2166132B1; GB1396179A; ES410444A1; CA966000A

Abstract

A sunglass lens of a type to be worn by a person includes a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other wherein the panes are curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and horizontal planes. One of the panes is unobstructed so as to form an elongate viewing aperture. Longitudinally extending louvers are disposed within each of two other panes in a manner whereby the louvers are arranged in spaced relation one above the other to form partially transparent masking panes above and below the aperture pane. In manufacturing the sunglass lens of the foregoing type a method is provided for tipping the panes upwardly and downwardly progressively above and below the viewing aperture, the tipping becoming progressively increased with displacement from the plane of the viewing aperture pane.

Description

Oiuecu ounce Iauclu 1 3,756,703 Nelson Sept. 4, 1973 1 SUNGLASSES CONTAINING EMBEDDED 57 ABSTRACT LOUVER MEANS A sunglass lens of a type to be worn by a person in- [76] Inventor: Robert J. Nelson, 620 w, Fl A t, cludes a plurality of laterally extending, transparent 25, Stockton, Calif. 95203 panes disposed one above the other wherein the panes are curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and [22] Filed: horizontal planes. One of the panes is unobstructed so [21 App]. No.: 213,655 as to form an elongate viewing aperture. Longitudinally extending louvers are disposed within each of two other panes in a manner whereby the louvers are arranged in 4 1: spaced relation one above the other to form partially [58] Field S 4 transparent masking panes above and below the aperture pane. in manufacturing the sunglass lens of the foregoing type a method is provided for tipping the panes upwardly and downwardly progressively above [56] References C'ted and below the viewing aperture, the tipping becoming UNITED STATES PATENTS progressively increased with displacement from the 2,114,658 4/1938 Nofisinger 351/45 plane of the viewing aperture pane.

3,524,789 8/l970 Olsen 161/6 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant ExaminerPaul A. Sacher Attorney- Paul D. Flehr, Baylor G. Riddell et al.

. s, r f

SUNGLASSES CONTAINING EMBEDDED LOUVER the horizontal at positions defined respectively increas- MEANS ingly remote from the aperture pane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to a sunglass lens and method of manufacturing same and is particularly useful in making and providing sunglasses for skiers and other confronted with glare from below and bright sun from above.

Hertofore various types of louvered sunglasses have been attempted wherein the louvers in the glasses are disposed in a horizontal plane (when the wearer is standing). Sunglasses of this type have generally been too effective in masking out the sun from above and glare from beneath. Accordingly, such sunglasses have provided problems of the type wherein a driver operating a motor vehicle and wearing such sunglasses would have difficulty in glancing down to note the speedometer or other gauges normally positioned below the line of sight. Similarly, a skier will have difficulty in noting the tips of his skis as he looks ahead. The ski tips are masked entirely since the viewing angle in a vertical plane is quite narrow in these normal types of louvered sunglasses.

Other attempts have been made to provide a suitable sunglass which will mask off both direct rays of the sun and the glare of reflected light from beneath simply by providing a heavy or quite dense sunglass both above and below a narrow transverse slit through which the wearer views the scene. Glasses of this latter type have also suffered various shortcomings, mainly in the fact that unless the panes above and below the viewing aperture or transverse slit are opaque or substantially opaque, the wearer is again subjected to substantial glare from reflected light through the lower pane and considerable direct sunlight through the upper pane. If the panes are opaque, the wearer is then constricted to viewing simply through the sole region of the transversely extending viewing aperture. This, of course, would provide the problems noted above relative to being unable to notethe tips of skis, a speedometer when driving a car, etc.

Accordingly, there has been a substantial need for a sunglass lens of a type wherein direct rays of the sun are substantially masked out from above while permitting the wearer of the sunglass to have a considerable field of view upwardly through the sunglass and similarly to permit the wearer to provide a considerable field of view downwardly beneath the viewing aperture while again masking out the reflected glare from beneath.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS In general, sunglasses have been provided to be worn by a person wherein the lens thereof comprises a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other. The panes are curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and horizontal planes, one of the panes being unobstructed to form an elongate viewing aperture. Longitudinally extending louvers are disposed within each of two other panes flanking the viewing aperture, above and below. The louvers are disposed in their panes in spaced relation one above the other to form partially transparent masking panes above and below the aperture pane. The louvers of the panes above and below the aperture pane are tipped respectively upwardly and downwardly as viewed by the wearer at progressively increasing angles relative to It is anotherobject of the invention to provide an iinproved method of manufacture whereby louvers can be disposed at progressively different angles relative to a horizontal plane through the eyes of the wearer.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more readily evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective to the invention.

FIG, 2 is aside elevation section view of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2. Y

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged detailed portions of FIG. 2 taken respectively along the lines 33 and 4-4 thereof for demonstrating the masking effect of the increasingly angled louvers. FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic end elevation view of a laminated substrate blank to be used in making the lens 10 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of FIG. 5 taken along the line 6-6 thereof. 1 FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a drape molding form and heating means for molding substrate blank 31 therearound.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of sunglasses have been shown in condition to be worn characterized by a lens assembly 10 comprising a plurality of three laterally extending, transparent, panes 11, 12, 13 disposed one view of sunglasses according above the other as worn-by the wearer. All of the panes ll, 12, 13 are curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and horizontal planes.

Pane 13 is constructed'of entirely transparent material, preferably thermoplastic. The other two panes 1 l, 12 are also made of transparent plastic material, but

' are formed with

opaque louvers

14, 16. Thus, longitudinally extending, extremely thin louvers, on the order of 0.0003 inch, form the central layer 17 of lens 10.

7 Louvers 14, 16 of the central layer 17 are disposed in spaced relation one above the other at spacings of the order of 0.010 inchto form partially transparent masking panes above and below the aperture pane 12. In this regard, it is readily evident that if

louvers

14, 16 are all horizontal, they will restrict the foreground and overhead viewing from the eye as it looks straight forward through aperture pane l2. Layer 17 runs on the order of 0.003 inch thick.

The material of lens 10 can be provided by using the method and techniques shown by US. Pat. No. 3,524,789 or others. According to such patent, a numher of circular, transparent plastic wafers are supported upon a billet or spindle, such wafers having alternately occurring opaque surfaces as stacked upon the billet. Then, upon applying heat and compression to the mass of plastic material, a substantially solid cylindrical block of such alternately occurring material is provided having similarly oriented, alternately occurring, opaque surfaces. Then a skiving knife is employed to peel off a web from the cylindrical roll of material while simultaneously applying heat from heating lamps to soften the material. Portions of this web are employed as a unitary lens blank comprised of several laterally disposed panes, one above the other. Thus, it is relatively simple to provide louvers in portions where desired and where a transparent aperture pane is desired, totally transparent wafers of plastic material are introduced having no opaque surfaces.

By providing a number of wafers upon a billet as described in the above identified patent, the opaque surfaces provide louvers perpendicular to the surface of the web of material peeled from the cylindrical roll thereof.

A method is pursued as described further below in order to direct the plane of louvers l4 downwardly and forwardly and to direct louvers l6 upwardly and forwardly so as to provide the upper and lower sets of louvers at progressively increasing angles relative to the horizontal at those positions defined respectively increasingly remote from the mid-plane through the aperture pane 12. This expands the foreground view through the lens and expands the overhead view through the lens while the wearer directs his gaze directly via the mid-plane of aperture pane 12.

The central layer 17 provides the louvered portions to the upper and lower panes 13, 11 as well as the unobstructed clear pane 12. The back or rear surface of lens is covered with a grey tinted sheet 18 forming a body layer of suitable semi-pliant plastic such as cellulose acetate butyrate or polycarbonate for diminishing the internal reflections from the sunglasses originating from rays coming from behind the head of the wearer. The thickness of sheet 18 is on the order of 0.060 inch so as to provide some substantial protective and supporting body strength to the lens.

The front surface layer of lens 10 is also similarly covered with a sheet 19 of protective plastic such as the above thermoplastics for preventing scratching of the lens surface, etc., and is on the order of 0.005 inch thick. In the manufacture of the sheet material employed with regard to lens 10, the three layers are laminated together by conventional means such as bonding, adhesives, and the like.

In order to tip louvers l4, 16, respectively downwardly and upwardly, the laminated substrate construction or blank 3] (FIG. 5) consisting of sheets l8, l9, and the central layer 17 of louvers is provided with its louvers essentially perpendicular to the plane of the sheets, when formed as flat sheets. The preformed thermoplastic flat substrate or blank 31 is heated by heat lamps 32 to a temperature sufficient to render the substrate or blank 31 pliant and subsequently it is bent about a form 33 to curve the substrate in vertical and horizontal planes thereby forming a complex curve of the kind shown so as to dispose the louvers at angles corresponding to the degrees of bending of the substrate blank.

Having thus formed lens 10, the lens is arranged to be strapped to the head of a skier, for example, by means of a pair of interconnecting

straps

21, 22.

Straps

21, 22 may have end portions arranged to confront each other ofa type to interlock as, for example, as sold under the trademark Velcro which is characterized by a number of interlocking hooks and which holds securely against longitudinal pulling forces but which will readily release upon peeling one of the strap ends away from the other.

Thus,

straps

21, 22 are threaded through substantially vertical slots 23 formed through the trailing ends of lens 10.

Behind and along the upper edge margin 24 of pane 13 a foam or other pliant sealing material is attached by means of adhesives or otherwise so as to be adapted to engage the forehead of the wearer of the sunglasses. Accordingly, a sealed interface is provided between the forehead of the wearer and along the inner surface of the upper seal portion 26. The seal is continued down wardly along the trailing side portions of lens 10 in a similar manner whereby the foam or other pliant sealing material is disposed substantially vertically in a band or strip 27 located immediately in advance of slots 23. A lower seal is similarly formed by means of a foam or other resilient sealing material located along the bottom edge margin 28. A silicone rubber or molded-vinyl nose piece 29 supports lens 10 comfortably upon the wearers nose in a manner whereby the mid-plane of viewing aperture pane 12 will be disposed at the level of the eyes of the wearer.

Thus, FIG. 4 illustrates the masking effect of louvers 14 taken at the lower portions of pane 11 while louvers l4 taken at the upper portion of pane 11 provide limited masking with increased visibility as shown in FIG. 3.

Having the foregoing general explanation in mind, specific dimensions of one operable lens construction and its composition according to the invention consists of a body layer 18 of grey tinted cellulose acetate butyrate or polycarbonate having a thickness on the order of 0.060 inch, a central thickness or layer 17 of louvers on the order of 0.003 inch thick and a front cover sheet 19 of cellulose acetate butyrate of the order of 0.005 inch thick. The spacing between louvers prior to bending or drape molding the flat laminated material runs on the order of 0.010 inch and the thickness of the louvers runs on the order of 0.0003 inch.

Accordingly, there has been provided an improved sunglass of a type wherein the lens serves to shield the eyes of the wearer completely from rays of the sun at high angles and glare from the immediate foreground while otherwise generally enlarging the vertical angle of observation through the louvered portions of the lens. a

I claim:

1. A sunglass lens to be worn by a person including a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other, longitudinally extending louvers disposed in spaced relation one above the other extending transversely of and embedded in one of said panes to form a partially transparent masking portion and another of said panes being disposed contiguous to the last named said pane to form an unobstructed viewing portion vertically adjacent said masking portion, the first named pane being curved in a vertical plane, and said louvers being tipped at progressively increasing angles to the horizontal at positions located respectively progressively remote from the second named pane.

2. A sunglass lens to be worn by a person including a plurality of laterallyextending transparent panes disposed one above the other, longitudinally extending louvers disposed in spaced relation one above the other extending transversely of and lying in one of said panes to form a partially transparent masking portion and another of said panes being disposed contiguous to the last named said pane to form an unobstructed viewing portion vertically adjacent said masking portion, the first named pane having its said louvers disposed at progressively increasing angles to the horizontal at positions located respectively progressively remote from the second named pane.

3. ln sunglasses of a type to be worn by a person, a lens comprising a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other, said panes being curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and horizontal planes, one of said panes being unobstructed to form an elongate viewing aperture, longitudinally extending louvers disposed within each of two others of said panes, said louvers being disposed in spaced relation one above the other to form partially transparent masking panes above and below said aperture pane.

I 4. A lens for sunglasses according to claim 3 wherein said louvers of the panes above and below said aperture pane are tipped respectively upwardly and downwardly as viewed by the wearer at progressively increasing angles relative to the horizontal at positions defined respectively increasingly remote from said aperture pane. -5.In sunglasses of a type tobe worn by a person, a lens comprising a plurality of laterally extending, trans parent panes disposed one above the other, said panes being curved in a horizontal plane about the face of the wearer, one of said panes being unobstructed to form an elongate viewing aperture pane, longitudinally extending louvers disposed within one of said panes, said louvers being disposed in spaced relation one above the other to form a partially transparent masking pane vertically adjacent said aperture pane.

Claims

2. A sunglass lens to be worn by a person including a plurality of laterally extending transparent panes disposed one above the other, longitudinally extending louvers disposed in spaced relation one above the other extending transversely of and lying in one of said panes to form a partially transparent masking portion and another of said panes being disposed contiguous to the last named said pane to form an unobstructed viewing portion vertically adjacent said masking portion, the first named pane having its said louvers disposed at progressively increasing angles to the horizontal at positions located respectively progressively remote from the second named pane.

3. In sunglasses of a type to be worn by a person, a lens comprising a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other, said panes being curved about the face of the wearer in vertical and horizontal planes, one of said panes being unobstructed to form an elongate viewing aperture, longitudinally extending louvers disposed within each of two others of said panes, said louvers being disposed in spaced relation one above the other to form partially transparent masking panes above and below said aperture pane.

4. A lens for sunglasses according to claim 3 wherein said louvers of the panes above and below said aperture pane are tipped respectively upwardly and downwardly as viewed by the wearer at progrEssively increasing angles relative to the horizontal at positions defined respectively increasingly remote from said aperture pane. 5.In sunglasses of a type to be worn by a person, a lens comprising a plurality of laterally extending, transparent panes disposed one above the other, said panes being curved in a horizontal plane about the face of the wearer, one of said panes being unobstructed to form an elongate viewing aperture pane, longitudinally extending louvers disposed within one of said panes, said louvers being disposed in spaced relation one above the other to form a partially transparent masking pane vertically adjacent said aperture pane.