Eyeglasses

• US 4,202,609 A
• Filed: 02/21/1978
• Issued: 05/13/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gabor L. Szekeres, Suspension Eyewear Enterprises Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Suspension Eyewear
• Inventors: Reese, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): de los Reyes, B. W.
• Application Number:
  US05/879,459
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 351/110, 351/111, 351/57, 351/41-45, 351/114, 351/117, 350/179, 2/10, 2/11, 2/12-15, 2/424, 2/426, 2/427, 2/15, 2/10, D 2/10-15, D 2/424, D 2/426, D 2/427, D 2/110, D 2/263, D 2/277, D 2/231, D 2/41, D 2/233
• US Class Current: 351/111
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/06 Locking elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/10 Frame or frame portions made from wire
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 3/003 Arrangements for fitting and securing to the head in the position of use
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/143 having special ear pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/146 having special front end
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/16 resilient or with resilient parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/20 adjustable, e.g. telescopic

Abstract

Suspension Eyewear consists of a pair of ophthalmic lenses attached to a metal centerpiece in the manner of conventional rimless eyeglasses. Instead of hinges and temples there are two suspension lines attached to each lens near the outer edges, and at points sufficiently separated to provide stability. The plane of the front assembly to the face is controlled by adjusting the length of these lines in a device positioned just in front of and about midway the ear. A wirebound springwire attached to the adjusting device extends over and behind each ear to below the mastoid. These spring earwires will return the front assembly to proper alignment when it is lightly pushed or pulled, in any direction, and released.

Claims

1. An improved eyeglasses and support combination which comprises:

a first transparent member and a second transparent member attached to the first transparent member, the combined first and second transparent members being configured to be disposed in front of a person'"'"'s eyes in a desired plane substantially parallel with a plane defined by the front surface of the person'"'"'s eyes;

a first pair of suspension lines attached at two spaced apart points to the first transparent member;

a second pair of suspension lines attached at two spaced apart points to the second transparent member;

first and second earpiece members, each earpiece member being configured to be positioned over and behind a respective ear of the person and attached to a respective pair of suspension lines, and

means for fastening the first and second pair of suspension lines to the respective earpiece members to adjustably position the combined first and second transparent members in said desired plane, a result of said combination being that the combined first and second transparent members are held to occupy said desired plane and are forced to return thereto after an inadvertent dislocation.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein each ear piece member has a portion disposed in front of the person'"'"'s respective ear, and wherein the means include a locking member fastened to said portion of the ear piece member, each pair of suspension lines being held between the locking member and said portion of the ear piece member.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the locking member is a plate, and the plate is fastened to said portion of the ear piece member by at least one screw.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein the spaced apart points on the first and second transparent members are disposed substantially at respective outer edges of the transparent members.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the spaced apart points on each transparent member are separated from one another by a distance of approximately 20-60 milimeters.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein each ear piece member comprises wirewound spring wire.

7. A combination of a pair of eyeglasses with an improved mounting assembly, said combination comprising:

a first and a second lens held by a connecting piece in a substantially fixed spatial relationship relative to one another;

a pair of earpiece members, each earpiece member configured to be disposed over and behind one ear and reaching below the mastoid of a person using the eyeglasses, and

a suspension assembly including a first pair of suspension lines fixedly attached at one end to the first lens at two spaced apart points located substantially at the outer edge of the first lens and a second pair of suspension lines fixedly attached at one end to the second lens at two spaced apart points located substantially at the outer edge of the second lens;

the other end of the suspension lines being attached to respective earpiece members to provide a predetermined length for each line to permit a positioning of the eyeglasses relative to the person'"'"'s eyes whereby a plane of the first and second lenses is maintained in an optimal position substantially parallel with a plane defined by the person'"'"'s eyes and whereby a coaction of the earpiece members with the suspension lines causes the pair of eyeglasses to be repositioned to the optimal position after an inadvertent dislocation of the eyeglasses.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein each ear piece member comprises a spring earwire.

9. The invention of claim 7 further including a pair of keeper members, one of said keeper members being fixedly attached to each ear piece member for disposition in front of the person'"'"'s ear, and a pair of locking members, one of said locking members being attachable to each of said keeper members with an adjustable force, each keeper member and locking member receiving one of said pair of suspension lines.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein each locking member is a plate adapted to interface with the keeper member and is attached thereto by a plurality of screws.

11. In a combination of a pair of eyeglasses having a pair of transparent members attached to one another in a spatially fixed relationship and a mounting assembly adapted for mounting the eyeglasses in front of a person'"'"'s eyes, the improvement comprising:

first and second pair of suspension lines, each pair of suspension lines being attached to a respective transparent member at two points spaced at a distance of at least 20 milimeters from each other and being located substantially at respective lateral edges of the respective transparent members;

a pair of earpiece members having spring like properties, each earpiece member being configured to be disposed over and behind one ear and reaching below the mastoid of a person, each earpiece member having a front portion to which one of the pairs of suspension lines is adjustably attached so that respective lengths of the suspension lines may be adjusted whereby the transparent members are maintained in an optimal position relative to the person in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the person'"'"'s eyes.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the front portion of each earpiece member to which one pair of suspension lines is attached is a substantially flat plate having a locking member attached to it by at least one screw, the pair of suspension lines being kept between the flat plate and the locking member.

13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein the locking member is a substantially flat member attached to the first plate by a pair of screws.