WO2016159956A1

WO2016159956A1 - Protective cover for eyewear

Info

Publication number: WO2016159956A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/023352
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric M. CHALKO; Joseph M. SEXTON
Original assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Priority date: 2015-03-30
Filing date: 2015-03-30
Publication date: 2016-10-06

Abstract

An eyewear assembly having a lens which includes an outer surface and a frame attached to the lens, the frame having a right end and a left end and a connector pivotably attached to either the right end or the left end of the frame, a band attached to the connector, the band pivotable between a wearing position in which the band is configured to secure the frame to a user and a storage position wherein the band is positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens.

Description

PROTECTIVE COVER FOR EYEWEAR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to protective covers for eyewear, and more specifically to a protective cover for eyewear which is also the headband for the eyewear. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Eyewear can be essential to person's performance in a variety of activities, such as sports activities as well as work environments where multiple hazards are present. A common issue with eyewear is improper storage when not in use, which can result in scratches to the lenses and damage to the eyewear frame. Optimally, the eyewear is placed in a protective cover or case when not in use. However, it is not always practical as the eyewear case is separate from the eyewear and may not be close at hand when the eyewear is removed by the user. This can result in damage to the eyewear which renders it unusable.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention is directed to an eyewear assembly that includes a lens having an outer surface. A frame is attached to the lens, the frame having a right end and a left end. The frame extends around at least a portion of the lens, and one or more lenses may be present in the eyewear assembly. A connector is pivotably attached to either the right end or the left end of the frame, and in some embodiments a connector may be attached to each end of the frame.

A band is attached to the connector, the band pivotable between a wearing position in which the band is configured to secure the frame to a user and a storage position in which the band is positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens. In some configurations, the outer surface of the lens is fully covered by the band in its storage position.

The band may be adjustably attached to one or both of the connectors. The band may be formed of an elastic material so that the band can be extended in the wearing position to fit snugly around the user's head and in the storage position to securely protect the outer surface of the lens.

The band may also include an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface being protected from particulates and other contaminants to which the band is exposed when in the wearing position. The interior surface may be variously configured, and in one embodiment the band may include a first portion having a first edge, a central portion, and a second portion having a second edge. When the first edge and the second edge of the band are positioned proximate to each other, the interior surface is protected from contaminants while in the wearing position. Specifically, the interior surface of the central portion of the band is positionable over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens when the band is in the storage position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with the band in the eyewear-in-use position.

Figure 2 is another perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is an exemplary swivel connection useful in the present invention.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISLOSURE

Reference will now be made in detail to one or more embodiments of the invention, examples of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example and embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and is not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the invention include these and other modifications and variations as coming within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The present invention is directed to an eyewear assembly, and more specifically to an eyewear assembly that includes a band which is useful to both secure eyewear to a user and function as a protective cover for the eyewear when not in use. An example of such an eyewear assembly 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figures 1 and 4 depict the eyewear assembly in a wearing position.

The eyewear assembly 10 includes goggles 1 1 , although any type of eyewear could be utilized in the eyewear assembly 10. The goggles 11 include a lens 12 and a frame 16 which is secured to the lens 12. In some embodiments, the frame and lens may be formed as a single unit. In other embodiments, two lenses may be used rather than one lens, a bridge 36 being positioned between the lenses or in the middle of the lower edge of the goggles 16 to enable the user's nose to comfortably support the goggles 1 1. As the frame 16 rests on the user's face, the frame 16 has a left end 38 and a right end 40. The lens 12 includes an outer surface 14 which is, in most goggles and other eyewear, prone to scratching when the eyewear is not being worn by a user. The frame 16 includes a forward surface 18 that can extend slightly beyond the outer surface 14 of the lens 12. As shown in the figures, the edge of the lens 12 may be fully enclosed by the frame 16, while in other embodiments at least a portion of the edge of the lens 12 may not be enclosed by the frame 16. The frame 16 may be attached to the lens 12 in many different ways. For example, the frame 16 may encircle at least a portion of the lens 12 or may be attached to one or more specific points on the lens such as the ends of the lens and along the upper edges of the lens, and the like.

A connector 20 may be attached to the left end 38, the right end 40 or both the left and right ends 38, 40 of the frame 16. The connector 20 pivots with respect to the frame 16. In some embodiments and as shown in Figure 4, the connector 20 may be formed from one or more sections of flexible twistable material enabling the band 44 to move into the storage position.

An elongated band 44 having a left end 56 and a right end 58 is provided and may be attached to the frame 16 on one side and a connector 20 on the other side of the frame 16. In embodiments which include two connectors, the band 44 is preferably attached to both connectors 20. The band 44 may be attached to the connector 20 so that the length of the band 44 which extends between ends 38, 40 of the frame 16 may be lengthened or shortened. Figures 1 , 2 and 4 depict one or more openings 22 in the connector 20 through which the band 44 may be threaded or to which the band 44 may be attached. There are a multitude of commonly known methods by which the band 44 is attached to the connector 20 which will permit a user to adjust the length of the band 44.

Figures 1 -3 depict an embodiment of the band 44 which is folded in a manner that creates an interior surface 46 and an exterior surface 48. The band 44 may include a first edge 51 and a second edge 55. Extending between the first and second edges 51 , 55 of the band 44 are a first portion 50, a central portion 52 and a second portion 54. Each portion extends longitudinally along the band 44. The first portion 50 and second portion 54 are disposed on opposite sides of the central portion 52. When in use, the first and second portions 50, 54 are folded so that their edges 51 , 55 are proximate to each other. In some embodiments the edges 51 , 55 may overlap or may have a gap between them. The interior surface 46, as shown in Figure 3, may be positioned adjacent to the outer surface 14 of the lens 12. More specifically, the interior surface 46 of the central portion 52 may be positioned to protect the outer surface of the lens 12. The first portion 50 and second portion 54 are positioned below and above the goggles 11 to provide additional protection from damage.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 positions the first and second edges 51 , 55 of the band 44 adjacent to the user's head when the eyewear assembly 10 is worn by a user. In contrast, the embodiment shown in Figure 4 positions the first and second edges 51 , 55 of the band 44 on the side of the band 44 that is not positioned adjacent to the user's head when the eyewear assembly 10 is worn by a user. Both configurations permit the interior surface 46 to be positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the lens, as the band 44 may have sufficient flexibility to be twisted into the appropriate position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the band 44 may be positioned in a wearing position behind the goggles 11 so that the band 44 is useful to retain the goggles 11 in contact with the face of a user. When the eyewear assembly 10 shown in Figure 1 is positioned on a user's head, the band 44 extends around the user's head. The connector 20 pivots to move the band 44 from the wearing position to a storage position, in which the band 44 may be positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface 14 of the lens 12. Figure 2 depicts the pivoting of the connectors 20 with respect to the frame 16. Although many connector-and-frame configurations may be used to enable the connector 20 to pivot enabling the band 44 to cover the outer surface 14 of the lens 12, two exemplary

configurations are shown in Figures 5 and 6. A gap 24 may be present between the frame 16 and the connector 20, although in some embodiments the frame 16 and connector 20 may be in sliding contact with one another. An opening 26 may be formed in the connector 20, the opening 26 adapted to engage a pin 28. The pin 28 may be variously formed and may include a head 30. The opening 26 may be formed with a channel 34 and a recess 32, the recess 32 being adapted to engage the head 30 and permitting the connector 20 to pivot about the head 30 and pin 28.

At least a portion of the band 44 may be formed of an elastic material which stretches to encircle a user's head and retracts to hold the eyewear assembly 10 securely in position. As used herein, the term 'elastic' is generally used to refer to materials that, upon application of a force, are stretchable to a stretched, biased length which is at least about 125% of its relaxed, unstretched length and which will retract at least about 50% of its elongation upon release of the stretching, biasing force. Exemplary materials include elastic woven or nonwoven materials, films, combinations of such materials and the like. The band 44 may be formed of more than one type of material and may be formed of disparate materials. For example and as shown in Figure 4, the portions of the band 44 that are attached to the connectors 20 may be elastic while the remainder of the band 44 may be formed of a more rigid material that retains its shape. Such a configuration may enable the band 44 to remain sufficiently rigid to form a channel into which the goggles 11 are positioned, as shown in Figure 3.

When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. While the present invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of the present invention is not to be limited to those specific embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An eyewear assembly comprising:

a lens having an outer surface;

a frame attached to the lens, the frame having a right end and a left end;

a connector pivotably attached to either the right end or the left end of the frame;

a band attached to the connector, the band pivotable between a wearing position in which the band is configured to secure the frame to a user and a storage position wherein the band is positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens.

2. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the lens is fully covered by the band in its storage position.

3. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 further including an additional connector pivotably attached to either the left end or the right end of the frame.

4. The eyewear assembly of claim 3 wherein the band is adjustably attached to at least one of the connectors.

5. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame extends around at least a portion of the lens.

6. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the band further includes an interior surface which is positionable over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens when the band is in the storage position.

7. The eyewear assembly of claim 6, the band further including

a first portion having a first edge,

a central portion, and

a second portion having a second edge, and

wherein the first edge and the second edge of the band are positioned proximate to each other when the band is in the wearing position, and wherein the interior surface of the central portion of the band is positionable over at least a portion of the outer surface of the lens when the band is in the storage position.

8. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 wherein the band is adjustably attached to the connector.

9. The eyewear assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the band is elastic.