Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Temples
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-07
2001-01-23
Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Temples
C351S111000, C351S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176576
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to protective eyewear and protective earwear devices, and in particular, to protective eyewear with combined protective earpieces, as well as to protective eyewear devices having attached audio capability.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desired to protect a person's eyes from being injured by flying debris at the workplace and to protect a person's hearing from being injured due to excessive noise at the workplace. Well-known solutions for this problem include providing separate safety glasses and earplugs. A problem occurs because a person, such as an employee, may use only one protective device when, in fact, both protective eyewear and protective earpieces are needed for proper protection in the work environment. Other well-known solutions for this problem include providing safety glasses with earplugs attached to the safety glasses in some manner, such as by cords. The problem with these solutions is that a user may wear the safety glasses without using the earplugs, thereby causing damage to his or her hearing. As an example, Leight, U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,925, provides a hearing protector assembly that attaches to the temples of safety glasses, in which the temples of the glasses are supported over the ear. The protector assembly can be completely removed from the safety glasses, and, in addition, the assembly includes a brake that can hold the earplug away from the ear, thereby allowing the safety glasses to be worn without utilizing the hearing protector.
It is therefore desirable to have an eyesight and hearing safety device that, by design, requires the wearer to use both the safety glasses and earplugs simultaneously, thereby ensuring that the eyes and the hearing of the wearer are protected from harm.
It is also sometimes desired to listen to an audio device such as a radio, cassette tape player, or compact disc player while wearing protective or corrective eyewear, and there are occasions, such as, for example, on the floor of a large factory, where it is desirable to have the added convenience of a microphone along with audio reception capability so as to permit two-way communication. Well-known solutions to this problem include the use of an audio headset with the headset possibly having a microphone, and often such headsets are worn by those who wear glasses. The problem with prior art solutions is the inconvenience of having to put on or take off the glasses and headset with microphone separately and then having to reposition both devices when either is disturbed.
Rickards, U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,479, discloses a pair of safety glasses having a boom microphone and having disposable speaker earplugs attached by a sound tube or wire to a radio receiver mounted to the safety glasses. However, safety glasses of the Rickards device are supported over the ears of the wearer by earloops on the rear of the temples, thereby allowing the speaker earplugs to be removed while the safety glasses are worn and thereby removing any protection to the wearer's hearing. Such prior art is undesirable because the wearer's ears can become completely exposed and unblocked while wearing the glasses, and wearing of the earpieces thus cannot be compelled.
It is also known to have eyeglasses that incorporate a hearing aid into the frame of the eyeglasses. However, such solutions are not capable of attachment to a two-way communications device, such as a radio, and such hearing aid glasses do not incorporate a microphone. Additionally, such hearing aid glasses do not provide protection from further hearing loss.
It is further desirable that the eye protection lenses or shield of the eyewear may be tinted or have a polarizing coating for serving as sunglasses, thereby protecting the eyes from harmful glare or rays from the sun when outdoors, and that such eyewear be provided with audio earpieces and/or microphones.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has many embodiments and improvements that accompany each of the succession of embodiments, but all embodiments are eyewear having a front transparent panel or single or dual lens (which may be clear or tinted for sunlight and glare protection and/or for eye protection during welding) that is supported on a wearer's head by a nose bridge and by at least one earpiece or earplug that is received into the concha of the wearer's ear and/or into the ear canal. The earpiece or earplug is attached to a rear end of its respective temple of the eyewear, and, unlike prior art, the temple for the earpiece or earplug is not supported over the wearer's ear, being only supported by the earpiece or earplug received into the wearer's ear without having any corresponding temple portion extending over the wearer's ear. Preferably both temples are only supported by their respective rear earpiece or earplug received into the wearer's respective ear, but some embodiments of the invention have a first temple on one side of the eyewear with a rear earplug or earpiece supported only by the receipt of the earpiece or earplug into the wearer's ear and, on the other side of the eyewear, have a well-known conventional second temple supported over the wearer's ear, without an earpiece or earplug.
The earpieces of some embodiments sealingly and protectively plug the ear canal of the wearer and thus protect the wearer's hearing.
Some embodiments of the present invention have a microphone, whether as a boom-mounted microphone or an ear microphone; some embodiments of the present invention have audio earpieces for reproducing sound from an audio signal source; and some embodiments of the present invention have both a microphone and audio earpieces for providing two-way communication for the wearer. The audio earpieces may either sealingly and protectively plug the wearer's ear canal or may rest in the wearer's concha and on the outer ear. Various earpiece attachment means are provided for attaching the earpieces and earplugs to the temples of the eyewear.
The temples may have sliding length adjustment means and may have sliding spread adjustment means to selectively adjust for various-sized wearers' heads. The temples of the various embodiments of the invention are substantially shape-retaining, as contrasted to string, cord, or length-elastic bands. The eyewear is constructed so that the temples preferably exert an inward pressure on the earpieces and earplugs so as to retain the eyewear on the wearer's head during physical activity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide eyewear and audio apparatus that requires a wearer to use both eyesight and hearing protection while wearing the apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an eyesight and hearing safety apparatus which can be firmly secured in place so that the human being can be very physically active while wearing the apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide eyewear (sunglasses or corrective lenses) and audio (from a separate cellular telephone, radio, tape cassette, compact disc player, or two-way radio), with a microphone when appropriate, for both recreational and business use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide eyewear in which at least one temple is, and preferably both temples are, supported from the wearer's respective ear only by the earpiece or earplug attached to the rear of the temple, without having a temple portion extending over that respective ear of the wearer.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 178620 (1956-08-01), Tresise
patent: D. 207919 (1967-06-01), Lui Fai
patent: D. 260774 (1981-09-01), Brown
patent: D. 262491 (1981-12-01), Ebert
patent: D. 342080 (1993-12-01), Cargle
patent: D. 352046 (1994-11-01), Kataoka
patent: D. 381414 (1997-07-01), Westerdal
patent: D. 384092 (1997-09-01), Hall et al
Bright Aaron L.
Green Robert W.
Tutor Michael S.
Dang Hung Xuan
Radians, Inc.
Walker, McKenzie & Walker P.C.
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