Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – With support or holder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2001-12-04
Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
With support or holder
C351S155000, C002S452000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325507
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an over the head retention system which avoids contact with the lateral sides of the head while retaining eyewear in the wearer's field of view, and/or which provides a platform for supporting any of a variety of portable electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of improvements have been made in recent years in the eyewear field, particularly with respect to eyewear intended for use in active sports or as fashion sunglasses. For example, certain improvements have been incorporated into eyewear having a unitary lens, such as the Blades® design, (Oakley, Inc.) the M Frame® line, (Oakley, Inc.), and the Zero® line, also produced by Oakley, Inc. These eyewear designs accomplish a variety of functional advantages, such as maximizing interception of peripheral light, reducing optical distortion and increasing the wearer's comfort level, compared to previous active sport eyewear.
Lens geometry has also been the subject of a variety of innovations. The unitary lens of the Blades® eyewear incorporates the cylindrical geometry disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,048, issued to Jannard. This geometry allows the lens to closely conform to the wearer's face and intercept light, wind, dust, etc. from directly in front of the wearer (anterior direction) and peripherally (lateral direction). See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,550 to Jannard (toroidal lens geometry).
More precise control over prismatic shift induced by rake (or pantoscopic tilt) and wrap and other optical objectives in dual lens eyeglass systems has been achieved through the technology disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,648,832; 5,689,323; 5,969,789; and 6,010,218, all to Houston, et. al.
A variety of improvements in eyewear retention systems have also been made in recent years. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,342 to Jannard et al. (tubular traction device for dual earstem system); U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,001 to Jannard (earstem and frame adapted to provide a medially directed bias throughout a variety of head widths); U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,868 to Jannard, et. al (unitary hingeless eyeglass frame) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,261 to Houston, et al (biased eyeglass frames).
All of the foregoing retention system improvements relate generally to dual earstem designs, in which earstems or temples extend posteriorly along the sides of the wearer's head to achieve eyeglass retention. Notwithstanding these improvements, the need remains for new approaches to eyewear retention which would eliminate lateral pressure on the temples and yet provide comfortable eyewear retention.
In addition, there remains a need for a retention system which is capable of supporting and distributing the weight from loads attached to the retention system, such as eyeglass lenses, telecommunications systems, heads-up display electronics, and any of a variety of other audio and/or visual electronics components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an eyewear retention system. The system comprises an eyewear support, having an elongate arcuate frame. The frame comprises a frontal end and an occipital end, dimensioned to extend across the top of the head of a wearer from the wearer's face to the posterior of the head such as in the vicinity of the external occipital protuberance. The support includes a first component and a second component which are linked together in the frontal region and spaced apart in between the frontal region and the occipital region.
At least a portion of the first and second components are spaced laterally apart by a distance within the range of from about½ inch to about 6 inches. Preferably, at least a portion of the first and second components are separated laterally by a distance within the range of from about 1.5 inches to about 3.0 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum separation between the first and second components is within the range of from about 2 inches to about 3 inches, preferably at a location along the top of the head.
Preferably, at least one lens is provided at the frontal end of the frame. Alternatively, two lenses are provided. The frontal end of the support may be directly connected to the lenses or lens orbitals, or is connected to the bridge on a frame including a right and a left orbital.
Tile frame has an arc length from the frontal end to the occipital end which is sufficient to extend from the lens or orbital to the vicinity of the external occipital protuberance of an average human wearer of a desired market segment (e.g. adult male, adult female, child, Asian, European, etc.). The arc length from the frontal end to the occipital end is generally within the range of from about 8 inches to about 18 inches, and, in most adult embodiments, within the range of from about 14 inches to about 16 inches.
Preferably, the first and second components are connected together at or anteriorly to the occipital end. The occipital end of the frame may be further provided with a housing having electronics therein. Contemplated electronics include digital or other storage devices, receivers, transmitters, heads-up display driving circuitry, power supplies and related components.
In one embodiment, the frame further comprises a nose pad for resting on the nose of a wearer. The nose pad may be integrally formed with the orbitals, or may be attached as a separately formed nosepiece.
Generally, the arcuate frame extends posteriorly from the frontal end throughout an arc of greater than about 180°. A reference point may be identified on the inside surface of the frame at the greatest linear distance from a central point on the nose pad. The frame preferably extends along an arc of at least about 2 inches beyond the reference point to the occipital end. Generally, the frame extends along an arc having a length within the range of from about 2 inches to about 6 inches beyond the reference point.
A linear distance between the midpoint on the nose pad and the occipital end of the frame, when the frame is in an unstressed configuration, is preferably at least about 3 inches. Generally, the linear distance between the midpoint on the nose pad and the occipital end of the frame is within the range of from about 5 inches to about 8 inches. The occipital end of the frame is preferably positioned within the range of from about 1.5 inches to about 3.5 inches anteriorly of a posterior tangent through the reference point.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of stabilizing at least one lens in the wearer's field of view. The method comprises the steps of providing an eyeglass, having an arcuate frame for extending posteriorly across the top of the head of a wearer. The frame is placed on the head of the wearer, and stabilized by placing a first and a second supports spaced laterally apart along at least a portion of the top of the wearer's head.
Preferably, the first and second supports are separated laterally by a distance within the range of from about½ inch to about 6 inches. The width of each of the first and second supports is within the range of from about 0.002 inches to about three inches.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims.
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Jannard James H.
Julian Jeffrey J.
Dang Hung Xuan
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Oakley Inc.
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