Lighted reading glasses

• US 8,152,330 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/687,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/47, 351/158, 362103-108, 362418-422, 362/611, 362/612, 362/200, 362/210
• US Class Current: 362/200
• 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

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. In one form, 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. In another form, the light spacing is fixed and a clipping mechanism is provided for clipping to the eyeglasses in the area generally between the eyeglasses lenses.

Claims

1. A compactly sized, self-contained lighting module comprising:

a light source for generating a light beam therewith and having first and second terminals;

a power source for providing electrical power to the light source;

a housing having an internal space for the light source and power source with the first terminal extending between the light source and power source in engagement with the power source in the housing internal space;

a switch device for activating the light source having an actuator portion for being shifted by a user between on and off positions;

an inclined surface portion of the switch device which is shifted by shifting of the actuator portion to electrically connect the second terminal with the power source with the actuator portion shifted to the on position;

an external cover wall of the housing having inner and outer surface;

a through slot of the housing cover wall through which the switch device actuator portion extends for being shifted along the through slot; and

an internal elongate recess formed in the inner surface of the housing cover wall to extend along and beyond the through slot in the housing internal space so as to be longer than the through slot and having the switch device inclined surface portion received therein for being shifted along the internal elongate recess.

2. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the actuator portion is shifted in an actuating direction for activating the light source, and the inclined portion extends obliquely to the actuating direction.

3. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the light source terminals are resilient elongate rods extending outwardly from the light source and generally positioned on opposite sides of the power source.

4. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the first light source terminal is positioned in the housing to contact the power source and the second light source terminal is positioned in the housing to contact the inclined surface portion of the switch device.

5. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the actuator portion is a plastic material.

6. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the light source is a single light emitting diode.

7. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the power source is at least two coin sized batteries.

8. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the light source terminals are conductive leads from a single light emitting diode.

9. The lighting module of claim 1 wherein the external cover wall inner surface includes a bottom surface portion of the internal elongate recess that faces inwardly toward the housing internal space.

10. The lighting module of claim 1 wherein the through slot has opposite longitudinal ends, and the longer internal elongate recess extends beyond both ends of the through slot.

11. The lighting module of claim 10 wherein the external wall cover wall inner surface has a stepped construction and includes a pair of bottom surface portions of the internal elongate recess that both face inwardly toward the housing internal space and with each bottom surface portion extending longitudinally away from a corresponding one of the ends of the through slot.