EYEWEAR WITH INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

ARTICLE DE LUNETTERIE AVEC VERRES INTERCHANGEABLES

English Abstract

Eyewear of the sunglasses type comprises a one-part interchangeable lens
and a lower frame therefore having an internal channel into which the
lens is receivable. The lens component has an upper support and
releaseably engages with the frame component to retain the lens and
frame into a unitary and flexible structure. The channel may be of
variable depth so as provide for a wide variety of design alternatives with
the same structural components.

Claims

CLAIMS
I claim:
1) ~Eyewear of the sunglasses type supported on temples when in use
with interchangeable lenses comprising:
a) ~A single lens component including a narrow nose bridge area,
2 extended optical areas and an integral upper support
element,
b) ~A single frame component including a channel along its inner
edge adapted to receive said lens component,
c) ~Engagement means adapted to releasably engage the lens
component to the said frame component at each lateral
extremity,
d) ~Means to releaseably retain said upper support element to
said frame component.
2) ~Eyewear as claimed in claim 1 further comprising engagement
means to releaseably engage the lens component to the said frame
component at the nose bridge area.
3) ~Eyewear as claimed in claim 2 wherein said frame component
includes a pair of sub-frames adapted to engage with each other and the
said lens component at the nose bridge.
-1-

Description

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
TITLE: EYEWEAR WITH INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to eyewear such as sunglasses and in particular
eyewear having a single lens component to engage a channel in a lower
frame component. The eyewear assembles into a relatively rigid frame
surrounding the lens component and is adaptable to style and shape.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There have been many proposals for eyewear which include
interchangeable lenses some of which are outlined in my United States
Patent 4,879,770.
Additionally, there is a proposal for goggles found in United States Patent
3,081,416 which provides a flexible outer seal which engages an edge of
a single lens component about its periphery.
Another is found in United States Patent 3,884,561 which provides a
special groove for fitment of individual lenses into a. sunglass frame.
It is an object of this invention to provide an interchangeable lens system
particularly adapted to the sunglasses type of eyewear which is suspended
on temples when worn by the user.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a lens system where a
single lens component is adapted to interact with a frame component to
provide for ready interchangability along with ease and low cost of
manufacture while maintaining a high degree of stx~ctural integrity with
both planar and curved lens material which utilizes the flexibility of the
nose bridge area to maintain user comfort. The centering provided by
-1-

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
the nose bridge area of a single lens component: along with an upper
frame support allows for ease of assembly without marking or scratching
sensitive optical areas.
It is a further objet of the invention to provide a frame component with
30 flexibility both in the nose bridge area and in the lateral extremities for
ease of repeated assembly and disassembly without damage or permanent
deformation.
A further object of the invention is to provide a high degree of design
variability within the structure of the eyewear.
35 A further object is to permit manufacture and assembly with a relatively
small number of standard parts formed of flexible plastic materials,
including a sheet lens material, while maintaining a useful degree of
rigidity in the product in use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
40 In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the eyewear of the
sunglasses type is supported on temples when in use with interchangeable
lenses includes a single interchangeable lens component including a
narrow nose bridge area, 2 extended optical areas and an integral upper
support element, and a single frame component including a channel along
45 its inner edge adapted to receive said lens component, engagement means
adapted to releasably engage the lens component to the said frame
component at each lateral extremity, and means to releaseably retain said
upper support element to said frame component.
-2-

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
In another aspect the eyewear of the invention further includes
50 engagement means to releaseably engage the lens component to the said
frame component at the nose hridge area.
In another aspect the frame component of the eyewear includes a pair of
sub-frames adapted to engage with each other and the said lens
component at the nose bridge.
55 The eyewear assembly is desirably rigidified by providing an interference
between the frame component and the single Iens component along the
internal channel in the frame component. Whether the lens component is
planar or curved, as its edge is moved into engagement with the channel
both the frame component and the lens component acquire additional
60 desirable strength and rigidity while maintaining overall flexability to
the
user by reason of the relatively narrow nose bridge area. The frame
component bends laterally to accommodate deten.ts within the channel
until a snap-fit is accomplished in at least 2 directions to provide a unitary
overall frame structure. 'The lens component upper support acts as a
65 hand hold for ready insertion and removal of the lens component.
The channel may be of variable depth and may have perforations in its
exterior face or irregularities in its face or inner edge, thereby providing
the a variety of design alternatives within a simple structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
70 Figure 1 is a plan view of the lens component of the functionally
interchangeable lens sunglasses of the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the frame component of the functional
interchangeable lens sunglasses of the invention.
-3-

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
Figure 3 is a plan view of the engagement of the components of the
75 invention of Figures 1 and 2 together.
Figure 4 is a plan view of completed sunglasses of the invention with the
functionally interchangeable lenses in place.
Figures 5a and Sb are cross-sections of the lens component of Figure 1
taken along lines A-A' and B-B' respectively.
80 Figure 6 is a cross-section of the frame component taken along line C-C'
in Figure 2.
Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of the lateral edge of the frame
component of Figure 2.
Figures 8 and 9 show alternate methods of engagement of the lens
85 component and the frame component of Figures 1 through 4.
Figure 10 is a plan view of a further embodiment.
Figures 11 and 11 a are a plan view and a partial perspective view of the
additional nose clip.
Figures 12a and 12b are an exploded view and a partial assembled view
90 of a 4-part alternative embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The sunglasses of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are
depicted as at 1 in Figures 1 through 4 inclusive. The sunglasses have a
functionally interchangeable lens component 2 which includes extended
95 optical portions 2a and 2b (Figure 1) and a nose bridge portion 3 along
with a corresponding frame component 8.
-4-

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
Lens component 2 includes an upper frame support 5 preferably
extending across the full width of the lens component 2 and which may
be formed on bonded in place.
100 Lens component 2 is preferably formed of sheet material as shown in
Figures 5a and 5b and may be planar as shown or curved as required for
shaping or style (curves not shown).
Frame component 8 includes a lens receiving channel 11 which is
adapted to engage the entire lower periphery of lens component 2 outside
105 of the upper support 5 to form a unitary structure. As shown in Figure 3
lens component 2 and frame component 8 are brought together in
direction D with the edge of lens component 2 sliding into and engaging
channel 11 around the inside edge of frame component 8 to form a single
structural component.
110 Detents 12 inside channel 11 on each lateral side 10 of frame component
8 engage recesses 6 in lens component 2 and retain lens component 2 in
contact with frame component 8 as at 14 and 15 in Figure 4.
Further recesses 7' on frame component 8 as at l~ engage detents 7 on
lens component 2 to resist outward expansion of the frame component 8.
115 Preferably lens component 5 engages frame component 8 in nose bridge
area 3 as at 13 in Figure 4.
As can be seen in Figure 4 with all 4 detents a;ngaged and the lens
component 2 in its channel 11 a complete unitary structure is formed with
a boundary frame for stability and extra strength which may be used for
120 attachment of arms at each lateral edge 10.
_5_

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
As shown in Figure 5a9 a cross-section along line A-A' in Figure 1, lens
component 2 may be planar and engages upper support 5 along channel
16 and may be bonded or formed in place or simply frictionally fit.
Upper support 5 also provides a convenient hand hold and storage cover
125 which permits interchange of lens components without contact on the
optical surfaces.
As shown in Figure 5b, a cross-section along line B-B' in Figure 1 detent
7 preferably extends on both the front and rear surfaces of the lens
component 2 as at 7' and 7"
130 Figure 6 shows a cross-section of frame component 8 as at C-C' in Figure
1 and depicts channel 1 l and internal detent 12.
Figure 7 shows a partial and enlarged plan view of frame component 8 as
shown in Figure 6.
Figures 8 and 9 show alternate configurations of lens component-frame
135 component interlocking.
In Figure 8 detent 7 is shown at 7a as a formed plug which engages a
receiving hole 7a' for vertical as well as lateral engagement.
In further alternative embodiment shown in Figure 9 detent 7 is shown as
at 7b located outboard of lens component 2 and adapted for frictional fit
140 with recess 7b.
A further embodiment is shown in Figure 10 where lens component 102
engages frame component 108 as at pin 106 and recess 112.
Further engagement may be provided in nose area 109 between detents
114 and recesses 113 on lens component 102 in nose area 103.
-6-

CA 02480532 2004-09-10
145 A still further embodiment is shown in Figures 1 l and 11 a. a nose clip
115 engages frame component 108 and lens component 105. Nose clip
1 I5 has an upper clip 117 which engages support 105 preferably at recess
I 16 while lower clip 119 engages frame component I08 in the nose area.
Another embodiment is shown in Figures 12a and 12b. Lens component
150 202 is shown as a separate piece from upper support 205 which engages
upper channel 205a. Frame component may be in separate and co-
operating sub frames 208 and 208a. Sub-frames 208 engage lens
component 202 as by channel 211 and a pair of detents 212 and 214 with
recesses 206 and 213. Preferably frame component 208 and 208a are
155 adapted to meet in nose area 203 as at 2I6 in Figure 12b.
It will be understood that this is by way of illustration only and that
various changes and modifications my be made within the contemplation
of the invention and within the scope of the following claims:

Representative Drawing