Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Temples
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2004-11-16
Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Temples
C351S063000, C351S113000, C351S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817710
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to eyeglasses, such as for example sunglasses. More specifically, the invention relates to eyeglasses with rotatable temples where the temples can rotate to the front of the lens(es).
The lenses of eyeglasses typically need to be protected from abrasion, for example, to maintain an unobstructed view through the lenses for the user. Protection from abrasion can be particularly desirable for lenses that are coated, for example, with polarization-selective coatings. Such forms of protection include, for example, storage cases and anti-scratch lens coatings.
Such forms of protection, however, have limited effectiveness. For example, storage case can only protect eyeglasses from abrasion when the lenses are stored within the case. This cannot protect the lenses from abrasion when the eyeglasses are, for example, temporarily placed down on a surface. Similarly, anti-scratch lens coatings provide limited protection in such situations.
Eyeglass designs have been proposed in which the temples can be moved to the front of the eyeglasses frame. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,146 to Nannini discloses collapsible eyewear having temples that collapse in the same plane as the lenses. The Nannini eyewear uses two hinges for each temple where one hinge allows the temple to rotate 360°. The temples collapse to reduce the storage space needed when the eyewear is folded.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,515 to Vanderbeek discloses eyewear having temple pieces that are oppositely folding: one temple folds to the front of the eyeglasses and the other temple folds to the rear of the eyeglasses. The hinge of Vanderbeek allows the temples to pivot 270° so that the temple when folded is parallel to its location when unfolded. Correspondingly, the single temple folded to the front of the eyeglasses is parallel to the upper bar of the eyeglasses so that the lenses are only minimally shielded by the temple.
These known eyeglass designs suffer several shortcomings. They are typically designed to minimize the amount of space needed during storage, but provide little to no shielding of the front side of both lenses. Many of these known eyeglass designs require two hinges for each temple. In addition, they cannot position the temples adjacent to the center portion of the outer side (or front side) of the lens. The center portion of the lens is the portion that the user is most likely to look through and, because of the curvature of typical lenses, the portion of the lens most likely in need of protection from abrasion.
Thus, a need exists for eyeglasses with rotatable temples where the temples can rotate to the outer side (or front side) of the eyeglasses face.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Eyeglasses comprises a face and temple. The face has an outer surface including an outer edge. The face also has a first end portion and a first lens opening. The outer edge being proximate to the first end portion. The temple has a portion defining an inner surface. The temple is pivotably coupled to the first end portion of the face. The temple is movable between a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration so that the inner surface of the temple portion can move over the outer edge of the face without obstruction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2031771 (1936-02-01), Grier
patent: 3049974 (1962-08-01), Miwa
patent: 3361515 (1968-01-01), Vanderbeek
patent: 3476466 (1969-11-01), Hopkins
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patent: 4050785 (1977-09-01), Auge
patent: 4662729 (1987-05-01), Dobson
patent: 4820035 (1989-04-01), Kanda
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patent: 5137342 (1992-08-01), Jannard et al.
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patent: 5448317 (1995-09-01), Huang
patent: 5610669 (1997-03-01), Kuipers et al.
patent: 5638146 (1997-06-01), Nannini
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patent: B-48042/79 (1983-05-01), None
patent: 0 311 379 (1989-04-01), None
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patent: 458990 (1936-12-01), None
patent: 1372417 (1974-10-01), None
patent: 2001-004961 (2001-01-01), None
patent: WO 00/22475 (2000-04-01), None
Photographs of sunglasses (Briko models Zen, Shot.2, Radar, and Echoes) publicly available from Briko USA, West Lebanon, New Hampshire prior to Aug. 31, 2000 (pp. 1-29).
Benavides Nestor M.
Laine Matthew
Le Gette Brian E.
Reed Russell
Staley David B.
180s, Inc.
Cooley & Godward LLP
Dang Hung Xuan
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