Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-31
2004-04-20
Dang, Hung X. (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Combined
C351S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722766
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in eyeglasses that enables the wearer to remove moisture or other detritus from the surface of lenses without removing said eyeglasses. The mechanisms employed by the present invention will accomplish this in a cost effective and efficient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the greatest inconveniences related to the use of eyeglasses is the need for regular cleaning to maintain adequate vision. Most wearers will have to remove and clean their glasses several times a day. This is normally done with a cloth specially designed for cleaning lenses or by using one of several cleaning fluids on the market. This can be very inconvenient since the wearer has to carry one of these items with them. In addition, when weather conditions are poor, eyeglasses may need wiping so often that it would be impractical. For example, when it is raining the lenses will constantly be exposed to water and no amount of wiping by hand will afford the wearer clear vision for sustained time. This can render people with poor vision virtually helpless when exposed to such conditions. Thus a design that would incorporate a mechanism for cleaning lenses automatically while being worn would greatly improve the field of vision enhancing eyewear.
The most efficient mechanism for cleaning glass to maintain translucence is a wiper. Tins mechanism includes a malleable material such as rubber, mounted on an arm that is held so that the material is flush with the glass. The material is then swept across the surface of the glass removing any unwanted materials on the surface. While there are a variety of designs in the prior art, which attempt to make it possible for eyeglass wearers to use this mechanism, none of these designs are as efficient or convenient as the present invention. The present invention represents a novel design that will facilitate cost effective production. It will also allow the mechanism to be relatively inconspicuous.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,298 to Raymond Louis Menil is for a pair of glasses that incorporate wipers. The design for these glasses comprises a motor located at the center of the frames. This motor comprises a cam that drives a gear. As the gear rotates it shifts a top-mounting arm back and forth. There are wiper arms mounted at either end of the top-mounting arm, which sweep back and forth on a pivot as the mounting arm pushes them back and forth. The motor is wired to a battery that is stored at a location outside of the frames. This design requires a large cumbersome compartment located at the center of the glasses which would be highly unattractive. It is also awkward since the battery would have to be stored elsewhere. Furthermore the wipers mounted in the center of the lens will be highly visible. While this design may be appropriate for a novelty item, it would be highly impractical for everyday use. This design also incorporates several more moving parts then the present invention, which would increase risk of wear and tear as well as increase the cost of production.
The eyeglass wiper design in U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,128 to Thomas P. Doyle is for a wiper that is not attached to the eyeglasses at all. It is a squeegee-like wiper that is attached to a chain or thread and is worn by the user separate of the glasses. When the wearer wants to use the wiper to clean their glasses, they must grasp the wiper and manually swipe the wiper across the surface of the lenses. This is much more inconvenient then the internal wiper design of the present invention since the wearer would have to carry separate item. It also would not be practical if the wearer were involved in a task that required use of both hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,233 to Edna M. Arsenault is for a wiper mechanism that is entirely manually driven. The wearer grasps a knob located at the pivot point of the wiper so that the wearer can rotate the knob back and forth causing the wiper to sweep across the surface of the lenses. This once again would not be practical if the wearer needs to use both hands for other tasks. Furthermore this design would require noticeable knobs protruding in front of the glasses, which would be highly unattractive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,524 is for a portable cleaning device that may be carried to clean eyeglasses. The inconvenience of having to carry an extra item is not alleviated by this device. While it employs wipers for its cleaning mechanism, these wipers are not incorporated in the design of eyeglasses. Nor are these wipers automated, requiring the manual movement of the wipers in the cleaning action of the device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,071 a pair of eyeglasses is disclosed that includes a mechanism for illumination. As with the present invention, the Feldman '071 patent comprises a battery operated device. However, in the Feldman '071 design the battery is stored on the arm of the eyeglasses rather then the lens frame. This design requires the wiring of the device to pass through the joint of the eyeglasses and will eventually lead to wear and tear on the wire. Also, the lighting mechanism does not incorporate a motor driven system as with the present invention. Nothing in the design of the Feldman '072 patent will address the need for a cleaning mechanism; rather its sole purpose is to provide illumination.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 421,040 to Joseph L. Berke is for a pair of glasses that incorporates arms that pivot from the center of the glasses and mount mirrors. The mirrors may be situated so that the wearer may see behind him while looking forward. The Berke '040 design does disclose a pair of eyeglasses that incorporate a separate mechanism. This mechanism however is not designed for cleaning. Nor is this mechanism automated; rather the wearer must mechanically operate it.
Therefore a need exists for a novel and enhanced device for cleaning eyeglasses. Making this action automated would allow the wearer to maintain use of their hands in all conditions and eliminate the need for carrying extra items. In this respect, the eyewear with attached wiping apparatus according to the present invention substantially depart from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provide an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of cleaning eyeglasses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of devices for cleaning eyeglasses now present in the prior arts the present invention provides an improved combination of convenience and utility, and overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved design for eyewear with attached wiping apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in eyewear with attached wiping apparatus which are not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in combination thereof
In furtherance of this objective the eyewear with attached wiping apparatus comprise a power source. A connection from said power source to a motor mounted within said eyeglasses. An arm mounted at a right angle to the shaft of said motor is flush with the surface of the lens of said glasses.
The abovementioned power source may in addition be a battery, which may be stored in a compartment integral to said eyeglasses. Said compartment may in addition be located at the joint between the arms of said eyeglasses and the frame of said eyeglasses.
Said eyeglasses may in addition comprise a power switch intermediate to the connection between said motors and said battery so that the wearer may control the power access of the battery to the motor.
Another feature of the present invention is that said arms may be attached to said shaft of said motor at the outer corners of the frames of said eyeglasses.
Numerous objects, features and
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