ILLUMINATED EYEWEAR

• US 20140022765A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,513,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means

Abstract

There is provided illuminated eyewear having one or more light sources mounted thereto to project light forwardly thereof. The illuminated eyewear includes a cross-frame member or portion and temple arm members or portions extending rearwardly therefrom in a use configuration. The illuminated eyewear may include a pass-through portion of the cross-frame member that is oriented to be forwardly of the light source to allow light projected from the light source to pass therethrough to an area forwardly of the cross-frame member.

Claims

1. Illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of temple arm portions having rear end portions configured for resting on a user'"'"'s ears, opposite forward end portions, and a bottom surface extending therebetween;

a front support portion including opposite end portions and an intermediate bridge portion configured for resting on a user'"'"'s nose with the temple arm portion connected to the opposite end portions;

a light source mounted adjacent each of the front support end portions;

a battery compartment in each of the temple arm forward end portions sized for fitting a power source therein, the battery compartment having an opening in the bottom surface of each temple arm portion;

a slidable door mounted to each temple arm portion and configured to slide between a first position to close the battery compartment and a second position to allow access to the battery compartment.

2. The illuminated eyewear of claim 1 wherein the battery compartment is sized to receive a pair of coin-cell batteries in side-by-side relation.

3. The illuminated eyewear of claim 1 wherein the temple arm members include longitudinally extending grooves and the slidable door includes corresponding projections sized to be received within the grooves so that the slidable door can be longitudinally shifted along the grooves between the first and second positions.

4. Illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of temple arm members each having forward and rearward ends;

a front support extending laterally between the forward ends of the temple arm members and connected thereto;

a light source mounted to either the temple arm members or the front support for projecting light forwardly of the front support;

a power source mounted to each of the temple arm members for providing power to the light sources;

an adjustment mechanism mounted to each of the temple arm members for varying the light intensity of each light source.

5. The illuminated eyewear of claim 4 wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a rotary mechanism configured to rotate and vary the light intensity of the respective light source.

6. The illuminated eyewear of claim 5 wherein the rotary mechanism includes a wheel, the temple arm members includes an opening in a bottom surface thereof, and the wheel projects partially through the opening in the bottom surface of the temple arm member for manipulation by a wearer of the illuminated eyewear.

7. The illuminated eyewear of claim 4 wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a slide switch having a plurality of light intensity settings.

8. The illuminated eyewear of claim 4 further comprising a circuit board mounted to each temple arm member and operably coupled to the adjustment mechanism to vary the light intensity of the respective light source based on a position of the adjustment mechanism.

9. Illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of temple arm members each having forward and rearward ends;

a front support extending laterally between the forward ends of the temple arm members and connected thereto;

a light source mounted to each of the temple arm members for projecting a light beam therefrom;

a light altering material disposed on at least a portion of each light source, the material being selected so as to change a predetermined configuration of the light beam;

a power source mounted to each of the temple arm members for providing power to the light sources;

a switch mounted to each of the temple arm members for turning the light sources on and off.

10. The illuminated eyewear of claim 9 wherein the light altering material is configured to diffuse, refract, filter, or color the light beam of the light source.

11. The illuminated eyewear of claim 9 wherein the temple arm members are constructed from a material having a predetermined appearance and the light altering material is configured to alter the appearance of the light source to mimic the predetermined appearance of the temple arm member material.

12. Illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of temple arm members each having forward and rearward ends and an outer surface;

a front support extending laterally between the forward ends of the temple arm members and having opposite end portions having outwardly facing end surfaces and rear surfaces;

pivot connections pivotably connecting the pair of temple arm members to the opposite end portions of the front support so that the temple arm members can pivot between a use configuration where the forward ends are adjacent the front support opposite end portions at the rear surfaces thereof and extend rearwardly from the front support for being worn by a user and a storage configuration with the temple arm members generally extending along the front support;

a light source mounted to the temple arm members for projecting a light beam forwardly of the front support;

a power source mounted to each of the temple arm members for providing power to the light sources;

the temple arm members including an extension portion that projects forwardly of the forward end of the temple arm members and includes an outer surface that is flush with the outer surface of the temple arm member and an inner surface;

a switch mechanism mounted to the inner surface of the extension portion, the switch mechanism configured to be actuated by the outwardly facing surface of the respective front support end portion when the temple arm members are pivoted to the use configuration.

13. Illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of temple arm members each having forward and rearward ends;

a front support extending laterally between the forward ends of the temple arm members and having opposite end portions;

pivot connections pivotably connecting the pair of temple arm members to the opposite end portions of the front support so that the temple arm members can pivot between a use configuration where the forward ends are adjacent the front support opposite end portions at the rear surfaces thereof and extend rearwardly from the front support for being worn by a user and a storage configuration with the temple arm members generally extending along the front support;

at least one light source mounted to the front support for projecting a light beam forwardly thereof;

an electronic assembly including a power source mounted to at least one of the temple arm members for providing power to the at least one light source and a switch mechanism mounted to the at least one of the temple arm members for controlling power provided to the at least one light source; and

an electrical engagement assembly spanning the pivot connections for delivering power from the power source to the at least one light source.

14. The illuminated eyewear of claim 13 wherein the electronic assembly includes negative and positive contacts, the pivot connections comprise first and second hinge, which are constructed of a conductive material, the light source includes first and second leads, and the electrical engagement assembly comprises electrical connections connecting the negative contact with the first hinge and the positive contact with the second hinge and corresponding electrical connections in the front support connecting the first and second hinge to the first and second leads of the light source.

15. The illuminated eyewear of claim 13 wherein the temple arm member includes a forward surface, the front support end surface includes a rear surface, and the electrical engagement assembly comprises a first contact on the forward surface and a second contact on the rear surface, the first and second contacts configured to electrically contact one another with the temple arm members pivoted to the use configuration.