Protective eyewear with at least one ventilation channel

• US 6,149,268 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Cabot Safety Intermediate Corporation et al
• Inventors: Hall, James D., Desy, Raoul
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US09/032,505
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 351/43, 351/41, 351/44, 351/62, 351/158, 2/426-429, 2/435-437, 2/448, 2/449
• US Class Current: 351/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/028 Ventilation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/029 Additional functions or features, e.g. protection for other parts of the face such as ears, nose or mouth; Screen wipers or cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/08 Anti-misting means, e.g. ventilating, heating H05B3/84 takes precedence; Wipers

Abstract

Safety eyewear is presented which is provided with particulate sealing around a frame containing lens/lenses and having temples that provide adjustment of the eyewear to a pantoscopic angle. The eyewear is provided with an adjustable strap assembly for better fit to the wearer'"'"'s head. The eyewear lens/frame includes a plurality of projections that define various pantoscopic angles. The temple end piece includes a set of recesses that engage the projections formed on the lens/frame which temple end piece is rotated relative to the lens/frame to set the pantoscopic angle. The adjustable strap assembly further adjust the fit of the eyewear and can be unbuckled for snaplocked attachment of the eyewear directly to other safety equipment such as noise suppression ear muffs, communication head phones, breathing masks and the like. A plurality of ventilation channels is disposed on the frame to provide indirect ventilation.

Claims

1. Eyewear comprising:

a frame having first and second sides, said first side having at least one ventilation channel formed therein;

a resilient sealing flange attached to said second side and along at least a portion of the periphery of said frame; and

a lens detachably coupled to said first side, said lens detachably receiving an end piece in a first position, wherein movement of said end piece to a second position causes said end piece to contact said frame and urge said lens against said frame to produce a secure fit between said lens and said frame.

2. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein:

said ventilation channel is a plurality of ventilation channels.

3. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein:

said ventilation channel is L-shaped.

4. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein:

said first side includes a lip extending outward therefrom, said lip being adjacent to the outer periphery of said lens when said lens is attached to said frame.

5. Eyewear as in claim 1, further comprising:

a strap holding element hingedly attached to said end piece.

6. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein:

said first side of said frame includes a surface; and

said ventilation channel is formed by a channel disposed on said surface.

7. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein:

said first side includes a lip extending outward therefrom, said lip being adjacent to the outer periphery of said lens when said lens is attached to said frame, said lip having a first surface adjacent to said outer periphery, said first side further including an outer surface;

said ventilation channel comprising two channel portions, a first channel portion being disposed on said first surface of said lip and a second channel portion being disposed on said outer surface of said first side, said first channel portion communicating with said second channel portion.

8. Eyewear as in claim 7, wherein:

said ventilation channel is a plurality of ventilation channels.

9. Eyewear as in claim 1, further comprising:

a temple hingedly attached to said eyewear.

10. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein the lens includes a pair of slots at ends thereof for receiving said end pieces for detachably coupling the end pieces to the lens.

11. Eyewear as in claim 1, wherein said first side of said frame includes a first lip extending outward therefrom adjacent an upper periphery of said first side and a second lip extending outward therefrom adjacent a lower periphery of said first side, said first and second lips having a first surface substantially perpendicular to said first side of said frame, said first surface including a first ventilation channel formed therein, said first ventilation channel communicating with a second ventilation channel formed in the first side of said frame, the first and second ventilation channels being substantially perpendicular to one another.

12. Eyewear comprising:

a frame having first and second sides, said first side having at least one ventilation channel formed in said first side, said frame including a lip extending outward from the first side around an outer periphery of said frame;

a resilient sealing flange attached to said second side and along at least a portion of the periphery of said frame; and

a lens detachably coupled to said first side of said frame, said lens detachably receiving an end piece, said lens being received between said lip.

13. Eyewear as in claim 12, wherein said lip includes a first surface having at least one second ventilation channel formed therein, said first surface being generally perpendicular to said first side of said frame.