Lighted reading glasses

• US 20030086054A1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,612,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/084 Head fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0885 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Lighted reading glasses are provided to enable clear reading of normal sized text to occur when the reading material is held at usual distances from the reader in poorly lit locations. The lighted glasses have high intensity lights, such as in the form of LEDs that generate narrow light beam cones and which are oriented in light modules to inwardly cant the light beam cones to meet and overlap so high brightness light is generated in a conical overlap area of light which is maximized in size in the range of normal reading distances. In another form, a clip-on light apparatus is provided that includes a spacer frame having opposite end portions each mounting lights, preferably constructed as described above. Retainers at the end portions are adapted to releasably engage outer sides of the eyeglass lenses. The frame preferably incorporates a draw spring assembly to allow adjustments for different size glasses.

Claims

1. A clip-on light apparatus for being removably secured to eyeglasses having a pair of lenses, the clip-on light apparatus comprising:

a pair of lights;

an elongate spacer frame assembly having opposite end portions that carry the lights; and

retainers at the end portions that are configured to grip the eyeglass lenses with the lights adjacent thereto to emanate light forwardly for providing illuminated viewing with the eyeglasses.

2. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongate spacer frame assembly includes an adjustable length to allow the end portions and lights carried therewith to be shifted toward and away from each other for different sizes of eyeglasses.

3. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lights each comprise a light module having a compact housing and a small, high-power light-emitting diode positioned at a predetermined orientation by the housing.

4. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 3 where in the lights modules further include a small disc-shaped power source mounted in the housing, and a light switch for energizing the light via the power source for lighting a predetermined area forwardly of the eyeglass lenses.

5. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the retainers include at least one small, generally U-shaped member at either end portion for engaging the adjacent eyeglass lens to resist fore and aft shifting of the lights relative to the lenses.

6. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 5 wherein the retainers include arms to which the U-shaped members are mounted with the arms being malleable to allow the members to be repositioned for different configurations of lenses.

7. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one U-shaped member includes a pair of spaced U-shaped members at either end portion to fit along the adjacent lens above and below each other.

8. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongate spacer frame assembly comprises elongate rods that are spring loaded to draw the end portions toward each other so that the retainers grip onto the eyeglass lenses.

9. The clip-on light apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the eyeglasses including a pair of temple arms extending rearward from outer sides of the lenses.

10. An adjustable clip-on light apparatus comprising:

a clip-on frame for being removably secured to eyeglasses;

light modules carried by the frame and including small lights arranged in the modules to project light in a predetermined area forwardly of the eyeglasses when the frame is secured thereto; and

a light module spacer frame including end portions to which the light modules are mounted and a draw spring assembly that biases the end portions toward each other to allow the frame to adjust for being removably secured to different sizes of eyeglasses.

11. The adjustable clip-on light apparatus of claim 10 wherein the spacer end portions include retainers configured to be tightly engaged against lenses of the eyeglasses.

12. The adjustable clip-in light apparatus of claim 10 wherein the draw spring assembly includes a coil spring having an extended state with the spacer end portions at a closest position relative to each other and a compressed state with the spacer end portions at a furthest position relative to each other.

13. The adjustable clip-on light apparatus of claim 12 wherein the draw spring assembly includes rods that shift relative to each other for adjusting the frame and having a stop that defines a predetermined limit of rod shifting at the closest position of the end portions.

14. The adjustable clip-on light apparatus of claim 10 wherein the small lights comprise high intensity light emitting diodes that project exteriorly from the light modules, and blinder extensions of the light modules that are disposed between the light-emitting diodes and adjacent lenses of the eyeglasses with the frame secured thereto.

15. The adjustable clip-on light apparatus of claim 10 wherein the light modules comprise a housing having mounting surfaces configured to orient the lights so that light emanating therefrom has an inward cant to form a double-lit area at a predetermined normal reading distance from the eyeglasses.

16. The adjustable clip-on light apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housings have a longitudinal axis and the mounting surfaces are inclined relative to the axis to project light inwardly toward each other.

17. A lighted eyeglass apparatus, the combination comprising:

eyeglasses including lenses and a pair of temple arms that extend rearwardly from the lenses;

a clip-on frame for being removable secured to the eyeglass lenses; and

lights carried by the clip-on frame for projecting light forwardly from the lenses with the clip-on frame secured thereto.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein the clip-on frame includes end retainers, the retainers gripping the lenses to position the lights adjacent to the temple arms with the clip-on frame secured to the eyeglass lenses.

19. The combination of claim 17 wherein the eyeglass lenses include outer frame portions spaced at a predetermined distance, and the clip-on frame includes an adjustable spacer assembly having end portions to which the lights are mounted with the lights being positioned adjacent the outer frame portions by adjacent of the spacer assembly so that the end portions are spaced by approximately the same as or slightly greater distance than the predetermined distance between the lens outer frame portions.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein the end portions include flange arms having U-shaped retainer members that fit about front and rear sides of the lenses to resist fore and aft shifting of the clip-on frame as secured to the eyeglasses.