Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2123375
INTRA-ORBITAL SWIM GOGGLES
Back~round of the Invention
The invention relates to protective eyegear for use in sports activities,
particularly sports involving water contact where it is desirable to seal the eye in a chamber
5 which is protected from the external aqueous environment.
Numerous goggle devices have been designed for use by swimmers in order
to limit exposure of the swimmer's eyes to water and other potential irritants, such as
chlorine, which are typically present in swimming pools. Most prior art swim goggles are
designed to fit "extra-orbitally", meaning that the back rim of a cup-shaped eyepiece rests
10 against the swimmer's external facial bones and soft structures which surround the eye orbit.
There are several significant limitations with this type of design.
One problem with extra-orbitally fitting swim goggles is that they protrude
outward from a swimmer's face creating water resistance when the swimmer moves
horizontally through the water. Water resistance decreases swim speed and can cause
15 goggle displacement when the swimmer pushes off from a wall or dives into a pool.
Another problem with most extra-orbitally fitting goggles is that they typically
utilize a suction me~h~ni~m to seal the eyes from the external environment. Suction
inducing goggles tend to cause pain, and in severe cases, tissue and lymphatic damage.
Others have attempted to restrict goggle size in order to reduce water
20 resistance. One approach is to reduce the lateral dimension of the goggle lens. A problem
with this approach is that it limits the swimmer's peripheral vision which is particularly
important in a competitive situation where the swimmer needs to be able to see other
swimmer's in adjacent lanes. Another approach which has been tried to reduce goggle water
resistance is to employ relatively shallow eyepiece walls in conjunction with a curved front
25 lens. There are at least two problems with this approach. First, the curved lens tends to
distort the swimmer's view. Second, excessively shallow eyepiece walls tend to position the
lens too close to the swimmer's eye, causing interference with the user's eyelid and/or lash.
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Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a comfortable pair of
swim goggles which produce minim~l water resistance when worn by a swimmer.
Another object is for the swim goggles to allow good peripheral vision without
distorting the swimmer's view.
Another object is for the goggles to seal the swimmer's eyes from the external
environment without inducing a significant suction effect.
Summary of the Invention
The objects stated above and other important objects are accomplished by the
swim goggles of the present invention including a set of left and right eyepieces connected
together by a bridge. Each eyepiece includes a planar eye-shaped lens, and a wall extending
backward from the lens clllmin~ling in an inwardly sloping intra-orbital eng~ging padded
rim. The upper rim portion of the wall is contoured to fit against the orbital roof portion
of the swimmer's frontal bone. A fastening mechanism such as a strap is provided for
securing the eyepieces over the swimmers eyes. When properly worn, the lens of each
eyepiece is positioned below and backward from the swimmer's brow.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower portions of the eyepiece wall
join along a lateral ridge which extends backward and perpendicularly from the lens toward
the swimmer's ear.
The swim goggle design of the present invention produces a seal around the
user's eye by conforming to the contours of the inner wall of the user's eye orbit without
producing a significant suction effect. The goggle design provides a beneficial balance
between the objectives of minim~l water resistance, good peripheral and substantially
distortion-free viewing, and comfortable non-suction sealing of the eye from the external
environment.
Brief Description of the Drawin~s
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a left eyepiece in an embodiment of the
present invention.
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Figure 2 is a side-sectional view of the eyepiece shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3_ is a top view of a pair of swim goggles in an embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 3_ is a bottom view of a pair of swim goggles of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a front view of a pair of goggles in an embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 5 is a back perspective view of the left eyepiece shown in Figures 1-4.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
The swim goggles of the present invention are different from previous goggle
designs in a number of respects. One important difference is that the upper wall of the
eyepiece in the present invention is configured to fit within the user's eye orbit so that the
lens and upper wall of the eyepiece do not extend substantially beyond the user's brow and
forehead. In order to comfortably fit within the user's eye orbit, a sloping upwardly facing
rim on the upper wall of each eyepiece forms an angle of at least about forty degrees,
preferably about sixty degrees, with the plane of the lens. The upper wall of the eyepiece
is shallow enough so that the lens can be positioned backward from the user's brow and
forehead. The bottom wall is deeper than the top wall so that the lens is sufficiently
displaced away from the eye to allow normal eyelid function. In contrast to prior goggle
designs, the intra-orbitally eng~ging feature of the present invention provides a more
streamlined profile relative to the user's head. Prior goggle designs which fit extra-orbitally
protrude beyond the user's facial plane and are subject to water resistance c~ in~ decreased
swim speed and possible displacement particularly when diving or pushing off from a pool
wall. The intra-orbitally fitting goggles of the present invention are substantially contained
within the profile of the user's face, thus minimi7ing water resistance.
Another feature of the present invention representing an important
improvement over the prior art is the configuration of the eyepiece lens and wall. By
combining a planar elongate eye-shaped lens within a wall which has a lateral ridge
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extending perpendicularly backward from the lens, an optimal balance is obtained between
the competing goals of allowing good peripheral distortion-free viewing while minimi~ing
water resistance.
The inventors best mode of practicing the invention is illustrated in Figures
1-5. Figure 1 illustrates a left eyepiece component 12 including a lens 14, an upper wall 16
and a lower wall 18 both extending backward from the lens 14 toward the user's face. The
upper wall 16 joins the lower wall 18 along a lateral ridge 20 which extends backward and
perpendicularly from the lens 14 toward the user's ear (not shown). The left eyepiece 12
is connected to a right eyepiece by a nose bridge 22. A fastening mech~ m such as a strap
24 connects the lateral ends of the eyepieces in order to secure the eyepieces over the user's
eyes.
A strap support flange 25 extends laterally upward from the side of the
eyepiece. The flange 25 has rectangular apertures 26 which are perpendicular to a direction
slightly upward from horizontal. The configuration of the flange 25 and its apertures 26
orient the strap in an upwardly pulling position so that the eyepiece is urged up against the
inner side of the supra-orbital border.
When the goggles are properly worn, each eyepiece rests primarily on three
places around the intra-orbital border. First, as noted above, the upper rim of each
eyepiece rests inside of the supra-orbital border, exerting upward pressure against that upper
portion of the orbit. Second, each eyepiece rests against the inner and outer corners of the
bones which border the orbit, providing opposite lateral forces against the sides of the orbit.
Third, the lower rim of each eyepiece rests against the lower border of each orbit.
Figure 2 shows how the eyepiece fits against inner surfaces of the supra-orbitaland infra-orbital bones. The orbit has a roof 32 which is formed by a portion of the frontal
bone. A floor 34 of the orbit is formed primarily by the m~xill~ and zygomatic bones. The
eye orbit is bounded along the top by a supra-orbital ridge or border 36 and along the
bottom by an infra-orbital ridge or border 38. Figure 2 shows a sectional cut through the
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left eyepiece along an intermediate vertical plane which includes the center of the user's left
pupil.
The upper wall 16 of the eyepiece 12 has a back rim 40 which has a
substantially planar face angled to conform to the user's supraorbital ridge 36. A
conformable pad 42 is affixed to the rim 40. The thickness of the pad is between~proxi.llately 2.0 to 6.0 millimeters, preferably 4.0 millimeters. The pad 42 engages the
skin 43 which covers the forward roof portion of the orbit. The slope of the padded rim
face forms an angle a with the plane of the lens of between forty degrees and eighty
degrees. The angle ~ should be significantly less than ninety degrees in order to avoid
undesirable penetration of the eyepiece wall between the eyeball and the roof of the orbit.
Although the exact orientation of the supraorbital ridge may vary slightly between different
people, the conformable pad 42 compensates for small variations between the slope of the
bone 36 relative to the slope of the rim 40. It has been experimentally determined that the
most universally useful angle for the slope of the upper rim 40 relative to the lens plane is
approxim~tely sixty degrees.
The rim 44 of the lower wall 18 is sloped so that it faces the infra-orbital ridge
38. The slope of the rim 44 preferably forms an angle a with the plane of the lens of
appr-)xim~tely forty degrees.
Along the intermediate sectional plane shown in Figure 2, the width of the
upper wall 16 from the lens to the beginning of the rim 40, is approxim~tely 20% to 30~o
of the width of the bottom wall 18. This novel design feature allows the top of the eyepiece
to be nested substantially behind the user's forehead and brow in relatively close proximity
to the user's eye, while setting the bottom of the lens forward so that the entire lens is far
enough in front of the user's eye to allow normal eyelid functioning.
In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 2, the lens 14 is a separate
piece from wall portions 16 and 18. Lens 14 is planar so that it provides relatively
distortion-free viewing. The lens is bonded into a circumferential stepped edge 49. It is
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important that the stepped edge 49 precisely complement the lens circumference and that
a uniform bonding/sealing agent be used to secure the lens in the eyepiece so that no
leakage occurs between the lens 14 and the eyepiece wall.
Figures 3_ and 3b show top and bottom views respectively, of a pair of goggles
50 including the left eyepiece 12 and a right eyepiece 12_ connected by a bridge 22. These
figures demonstrate the differential wall widths with respect to the upper and lower walls
of the eyepiece, which allow the top of the lens to be nested inside the orbit backward from
the user's forehead and brow while simultaneously projecting the bottom of the lens forward
far enough in front of the user's eye to allow normal eyelid functioning. In the preferred
embodiment the intermediate width 51 of the upper wall is approximately 0.11 inch, whereas
the intermediate width 52 of the lower wall is approximately 0.45 inch.
In Figures 3a and 3k the pad has been removed from one of the eyepieces in
order to illustrate the relatively flat profile of the lower rim 44_ compared to the more
curved upper rim 40_. The lower wall 44_ is flatter than in prior goggle designs, providing
more boney support for the eyepiece. The profile of the upper rim 40_ is more curved so
that it fits snugly against the bone underneath the brow.
The nose bridge 22 protrudes forward from the plane of the lens. The nose
bridge 22 is preferably flexible and adjustable in length to accommodate noses of different
sizes and shapes.
In keeping with the goals of providing relatively distortion-free forward and
peripheral vision, the lens 14 is planar and extends laterally a sufficient distance to permit
good lateral viewing. The relatively flat planar shape of the lens allows the swimmer to view
the underwater environment with less distortion than prior goggles which employ curved
lenses. Peripheral viewing is particularly important for competitive swim~ers who need to
be able to see their opponents in adjacent lanes. Due to the curvature of the user's face
toward the lateral end of the eyepiece and the desire to use a relatively flat lens, the width
of the eyepiece wall increases to a m~ximllm along the ridge 20. In order to optimally
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accommodate the competing goals of allowing good peripheral distortion-free viewing while
minimi7ing water resistance, the length of the ridge 20 is preferably approxim~tely 30% of
the length of lens 14. In the preferred embodiment the length 53 of the ridge 20 is
approxim~tely 0.5 inches.
Figure 4 shows a front view of a pair of goggles including right eyepiece 12_
and left eyepiece 12. The right eyepiece 12a is a mirror image of the left eyepiece 12. It
can be seen in Figure 4 that the goggle lenses 14 and 14a are eye shaped forming distinct
points at their lateral ends coinciding with the lateral ridges 20 and 20a of their respective
eyepieces 12 and 12_. The length 56 of the lens 14 is approxim~tely 1.8 inches and the
width 58 of the lens 14 is approximately 1.1 inches. The ratio (l/w) of the eyepiece length
(l) 56 to the eyepiece width (w) 58 is approximately 1.6, thus producing an eye-shaped
eyepiece which provides more boney support compared to previous swim goggles. The
planar eye shaped lens has been found to allow good peripheral viewing while minimi7ing
undesirable water resistance when swimming or diving.
Figure 4 illustrates the upward orientation of strap support flange 25 and the
rectangular apertures 26. In a preferred embodiment the distal edge of the flange 25 and
the apertures 26 are perpendicular to an upward axis Z which forms an angle ,u of
approxim~tely eighteen degrees with the horizontal axis Y of the eyepiece. The flange
configuration orients the strap to pull the eyepiece upward against the inner side of the
swimmer's supra-orbital border creating a more comfortable and efficient goggle design.
In use, each of the upper rims 40 and 40a of the goggle eyepieces are
positioned significantly below and behind the user's eyebrow within the eye orbit. This is
different from most prior goggle designs in which the upper rim of the eyepiece contacts the
user's eyebrow. It has been found that the goggles of the present invention, by employing
intra-orbitally eng~ging upper rims which fit well below the user's eyebrow within the orbit,
are comfortable and significantly more efficient with respect to the goals of minimi7ing
leakage and water resistance.
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Figure 5 shows the back of the eyepiece 12, particularly the contour of
inwardly sloping rims 40 and 42 of the eyepiece walls 16 and 18 respectively.
The streamlined goggle design of the present invention provides several
notable advantages. First, swimming speed is enhanced by decreasing water resistance.
5 When a swimmer moves forward through the water in a horizontal position while diving,
swimming or pushing off from a pool wall, the top side of the goggle eyepiece leads the
bottom side. Conventional extra-orbitally fitting goggles, in which the upper wall protrudes
significantly beyond the user's face, causes substantial water resistance. Whereas, in the
present invention by limiting the width of the upper wall and by hiding a substantial portion
10 of the upper wall within the user's eye orbit, an improved hydrodynamic streamlined goggle
is produced. The streamlined feature of the goggles is particularly helpful for competitive
swimmers who are concerned with maximi7ing their swimming or diving efficiency.
Second, prior goggles which fit extra-orbitally and protrude beyond the user's
forehead are prone to dislodge from their optimal position when the user dives into a pool
15 or pushes off from a pool wall. When goggles dislodge other problems result. For example,
water may leak into the eyepiece around the eye. The swimmer may also be forced to
interrupt his stroke to manually reposition the goggles. Such an occurrence during a
competitive race could be disastrous. As explained above, in the intra-orbitally fitting goggle
of the present invention, protrusion of the upper wall beyond the user's forehead is
20 minimi7ed, thus also minimi7ing the probability that the eyepiece will be dislodged due to
water resistance forces.
The claimed invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred
embodiments discussed above. Other alterations and improvements which are consistent
with the spirit of the invention as described, are also claimed.
