Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-07-03
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S445000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253387
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a goggles assembly, more particularly to a goggles assembly having different degrees of stiffness in its component parts, such as lens rims, a bridge interconnecting the lens rims, and protective pads.
2. Brief Description of the Related Prior Art
Owing to the growing popularity of swimming as a form of exercise, there is an increasing demand for personal articles, such as swimming suits, caps, goggles, etc. Swimming goggles have been commonly used by people in order to protect their eyes from intrusion of water and other undesirable matter while swimming in water. Generally, a typical swimming goggles is formed integrally via an injection molding method in which a molding material is placed in an extruding machine and then heated and injected into a mold to form a unitary goggles. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the goggles
1
formed by injection molding includes a goggles frame which includes a pair of rims
11
, a bridge
111
interconnecting the rims
11
, and protective pads
12
formed along the rims
11
. The goggles frame
1
is made from a single material by injection molding, and thus exhibits the same softness or hardness, the same characteristics and the same color in all parts of the rims
11
, the bridge
111
and the protective pads
12
. However, as the protective pads
12
formed along the rims
11
function to protect the eyes and prevent intrusion of water, they must possess a softness and flexibility necessary to render the former to contact intimately the user's face around the eyes. But, if the goggles frame is made of a material having a good softness for the protective pads
12
, the rims will accordingly have an increased softness so that, when the user wears the goggles, the goggles will be pulled and stretched and the soft rims would deform, thereby resulting in intrusion of water into the eyes. In case the goggles frame is made of a material having a hardness desirable for the rims
11
, the hardness of the protective pads
12
and the bridge
111
will increase, thereby resulting in discomfort when wearing the swimming goggles. In addition, as the conventional goggles are made from a single molding material, the color obtained therein is the same throughout the goggles and is therefore insufficient to fulfill the consumers' demand for colorful products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a unitary goggles frame which has high stiffness in its lens rims to provide resistance against deformation, and good flexibility in its protective pads to provide a comfortable feeling and a good watertight seal between the goggles frame and the wearer's face.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary goggles frame with different colors so as to present a good aesthetic appearance.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a goggles frame which can be assembled with a pair of lenses without creating any clearance susceptible of leakage.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a goggles assembly has a one-piece molded frame which includes a pair of lens rims, a bridge interconnecting the lens rims, and a pair of looped protective pads connected to and lining the lens rims. The lens rims have a stiffness sufficient to resist deformation when subjected to a pulling force applied to the lens rims in opposite directions. The bridge has a stiffness different from that of the lens rims. The protective pads have flexibility and softness sufficient for flexing so as to conform to the profile of a wearer's face around the eyes thereof. The molded frame is fabricated from at least two different molding compositions, one of which has high stiffness to impart rigidity to the lens rims, and the other one of which imparts good flexibility to the protective pads.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a goggles assembly has a one-piece molded frame which includes a pair of lens rims, a bridge interconnecting the lens rims, and a pair of looped protective pads connected to and lining the lens rims. Each lens rim has an inner periphery confining a lens opening, an inner peripheral flange projecting into the lens opening from the inner periphery, and a lens abutment surface formed on the inner peripheral flange at one side opposite to the protective pads. The inner peripheral flange has a plurality of angularly spaced apart holes. A pair of lenses each have a cross-section substantially equal to that of the lens opening, a marginal portion disposed in abutment with the lens abutment surface, and a plurality of resilient barbed legs extending from the marginal portion into the holes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5495623 (1996-03-01), Leonardi
patent: 5642178 (1997-06-01), Leonardi et al.
patent: 5644800 (1997-07-01), Leonardi
patent: 5650866 (1997-07-01), Haslbeck
patent: 5862529 (1999-01-01), Moodie et al.
patent: 5915542 (1999-06-01), Swiet
patent: 6119279 (2000-09-01), Haslbeck
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Calvert John J.
Moran Katherine
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