Adjustable focal length eye glasses

• US 6,076,927 A
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond L. Owens
• Original Assignee: Raymond L. Owens
• Inventors: Owens, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US09/291,674
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/111, 351/118, 351/158
• US Class Current: 351/118
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/10 Intermediate bars or bars between bridge and side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/20 adjustable, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/2263 Composite hinges, e.g. for varying the inclination of the lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/08 Auxiliary lenses; Arrangements for varying focal length

Abstract

Eyeglasses including a stationary frame and a lens frame mounted slidably on the stationary frame between an initial position in which each of interconnected pair of lenses of the lens frame is secured within a respective eyepiece of the stationary frame and an extended position in which the pair of lenses are in front of the eyepieces, and an actuator linearly displacing the lens frame between the normal and extended positions.

Claims

1. Eyeglasses comprising:

a pair of eyepieces connected to one another and spaced equidistantly from an axis of symmetry;

a pair of temple pieces each formed with a respective front portion operatively connected to the respective one of the eyepieces and extending axially rearwardly therefrom;

a lens frame formed with a pair of lenses attached to one another and a pair of elongated side rails flanking said pair of lenses therebetween and fixed to the lenses, each of the side rails being slidably received by the respective one of the front portions of the temple pieces in a normal position of the lens frame in which the pair of lenses is secured within the eyepieces; and

an actuator operatively connected to said temple pieces and to said side rails and synchronously moving the lens frame between an extended position thereof in front of the eyepieces and the normal position.

2. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein said actuator mechanism includes:

an axle extended between the temple pieces and formed with opposite ends mounted on the front portions of the temple pieces;

two pinions mounted on the opposite ends of the axle to rotate synchronously thereon upon starting the actuator, and

two rack teethings each formed on the respective side rail and synchronously meshing with the pinions.

3. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator includes at least one power source and at least one battery-operated pulse motor mounted on one of the temple pieces and synchronously displacing the lenses between the normal and extended positions thereof at the push of a button mounted on one of the temple pieces.

4. Eyeglasses defined in claim 3 wherein the actuator further includes second power source and second pulse motor mounted on the other temple pieces, the actuator being provided with a rocker switch.

5. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein each of the temple pieces is formed with a respective interior, the actuator including:

a pair of gear racks each formed in a respective one of the side rails,

a pair of battery-operated gearmotors each received in the interior of the respective temple piece and formed with a respective rotatable shaft, and

a pair of worm gears each mounted rotatably fixed on the shaft of the respective gearmotor and rotatably engaging the gear rack of the respective side rail to synchronously displace the side rails with lenses between the normal and extended positions.

6. Eyeglasses defined in claim 5 wherein the actuator further includes a programmable controller operatively connected with the gearmotors to controllably select a preferable position previously chosen by a wearer.

7. Eyeglasses defined in claim 5 wherein each gear rack is molded into a bottom of the respective side rail having a U-shaped cross-section, each front portion of the respective temple piece being formed with a pair of spaced apart guide surfaces receiving therebetween the respective side rail for synchronously axially guiding the pair of lenses.

8. Eyeglasses defined in claim 5 wherein each temple piece is formed with a respective pair of inner base and outer cover defining the interior of the temple piece therebetween, each one of the opposite end flanges of the axle being formed with at least one formation received in a respective notch of the outer cover of the respective temple piece.

9. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator is provided with a battery-operated programmable controller for automatically operating displacement of the side rails according to a selected sequence of operations.

10. Eyeglasses defined in claim 9 wherein the actuator further includes a pair of switches each mounted on the respective temple piece and connected in parallel to synchronously actuate two battery packs, each of which is received in the respective temple piece, the programmable controller controlling a direction of rotation the motors, which enable displacement of the guide rails in a previously selected position of the pair of lenses.

11. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein the cross axle is provided with opposite end flanges extending angularly therefrom and a pair of nose pads centered on the axis and extending generally parallel to the opposite end flanges, each one of the end flanges of the axle and nose pad defining a respective one of the eye pieces therebetween, each end flange and the front portion of the respective temple being provided with formations molded thereon and detachably interengageable.

12. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a power source and a battery-operated depth perception circuitry automatically actuating displacement of the pair of lenses.

13. Eyeglasses defined in claim 1 wherein each temple piece is formed with a respective pair of front and rear frames pivotally interconnected with each other to bring the rear frames in a folded position of eyeglasses.

14. Eyeglasses comprising:

a pair of eyepieces attached to one another;

a pair of temple pieces each formed with a respective front portion;

a pair of lenses attached to one another,

a pair of side rails flanking said pair of lenses therebetween and fixed thereto, each of the side rails being slidably received by the front portion of the respective one of said pair of the temple pieces;

a pinion and rack mechanism mounted between the respective one of said pair of the temple pieces and the side rail for axial displacement of the side rails relative to the temple pieces; and

a cross axle carrying the pinion on opposite ends thereof for synchronous rotation thereof, the pair of lenses being displaceable between the normal position thereof in which the lenses are secured within the eyepieces and an extended position thereof in front of the eyepieces upon synchronous motion of the side rails.

15. Eyeglasses comprising:

a pair of eyepieces connected to one another;

a pair of temple pieces each formed with a respective front portion;

a pair of lenses,

a pair of elongated side rails flanking said pair of lenses therebetween and fixed thereto, each of the side rails being slidably received by the front portion of the respective temple piece; and

an actuator formed between a respective one of said pair of the temple pieces and the side rail and including;

a pair of rack teething each formed in a respective one of the side rails,

a pair of battery-operated gearmotors each received in the interior of the respective temple piece and formed with a respective rotatable shaft, and

a pair of worm gears each mounted rotatably fixed on the shaft of the respective gearmotor and engaging the rack teething of the respective side rail to synchronously displace the pair of lenses between the normal position thereof and an extended position in front of the eyepieces, and

a programmable controller adapted to controllably operate displacement of the pair of lenses according to a preprogrammed sequence.