Lighted glasses

• US 8,540,364 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/232,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158, 351/41, 351/124, 351/126, 351/128, 351/129, 362/419, 362/103, 362/105, 362/800, 362/492, 362/545, 362/546, 362/230, 362/234, 362/184, 362/185
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/128 Pince-nez

Abstract

Lighted glasses are provided that selectively project light forwardly of the glasses while also having a thin profile by avoiding the use of temple arms. The lighted glasses include a central light mount and a pair of lenses connected to the light mount by resilient arms. The arms allow a user to pull the lenses generally away from each other to fit on a wearer'"'"'s nose. The light mount is configured to house a light assembly that includes a battery, a light source, and a switch to control operation of the light source.

Claims

1. Lighted glasses comprising:

a pair of lenses each having a thin profile;

a light assembly comprising a power source, a switch, and a light source;

a light mount configured to receive the light assembly; and

a pair of resilient arms connecting the pair of lenses to the light mount, the arms configured to resiliently flex so that the pair of lenses can be generally pulled apart for fitting on a person'"'"'s nose with the light mount and resilient arms each having a thin profile similar to that of the pair of lenses and being arranged and configured so that the lenses, the light mount and the resilient arms have a generally planar configuration for fitting in a thin profile receptacle.

2. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the resilient arms are at least partially arcuate.

3. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a surface mount light emitting diode.

4. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the light mount comprises a base portion and a removable cover portion.

5. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the switch comprises a slide switch.

6. The lighted glasses of claim 5 wherein the light mount further comprises a power source compartment for receiving the power source therein, a switch compartment for receiving the slide switch, a light source compartment for receiving the light source, and channels interconnecting the light source compartment to the power source compartment and the switch compartment.

7. The lighted glasses of claim 6 wherein the light mount further comprises a side contact and a face contact configured to electrically engage a power source inserted into the power source compartment, and the light source comprises a pair of leads, one of the leads connecting the light source to the side contact along one of the channels and the other of the leads connecting the light source to the switch along the other of the channels.

8. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the light mount comprises an outer wall having an opening therein, and the switch comprises an actuator extending through the opening in the light module outer wall for actuation by a user.

9. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the pair of resilient arms comprise a strip of spring steel extending through the light module and connected to the pair of lenses at distal ends thereof.

10. The lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the light mount is positioned above and centrally between the pair of lenses.

11. Lighted glasses comprising:

a pair of lenses;

a light assembly comprising a power source, a switch, and a light source;

a light mount configured to receive the light assembly; and

a pair of resilient arms connecting the pair of lenses to the light mount, the arms configured to resiliently flex so that the pair of lenses can be generally pulled apart for fitting on a person'"'"'s nose, wherein the light mount comprises a base portion and a removable cover portion, and the lenses, the resilient arms, and the light mount base portion are integral with one another.

12. Lighted glasses comprising:

a pair of lenses;

a light assembly comprising a power source, a switch, and a light source;

a light mount configured to receive the light assembly; and

a pair of resilient arms connecting the pair of lenses to the light mount, the arms configured to resiliently flex so that the pair of lenses can be generally pulled apart for fitting on a person'"'"'s nose, wherein the switch comprises a slide switch, the light mount comprises a power source compartment for receiving the power source therein, a switch compartment for receiving the slide switch, a light source compartment for receiving the light source, and channels interconnecting the light source compartment to the power source compartment and the switch compartment, the light mount further comprises a side contact and a face contact configured to electrically engage a power source inserted into the power source compartment, and the light source comprises a pair of leads, one of the leads connecting the light source to the side contact along one of the channels and the other of the leads connecting the light source to the switch along the other of the channels, and

wherein the light mount comprises an upstanding wall extending across an end portion of the channel connecting the light source compartment and the power source compartment, and the side contact comprises a generally U-shaped mounting portion configured to fit over the upstanding wall.

13. Lighted glasses comprising:

a pair of lenses;

a light assembly comprising a power source, a switch, and a light source;

a light mount configured to receive the light assembly; and

a pair of resilient arms connecting the pair of lenses to the light mount, the arms configured to resiliently flex so that the pair of lenses can be generally pulled apart for fitting on a person'"'"'s nose, wherein the switch comprises a rotary switch.

14. The lighted glasses of claim 13 wherein the rotary switch comprises an arcuate arm portion configured to grip a side surface of a battery disposed within the power source compartment, and rotation of the arcuate arm controls operation of the light source.

15. The lighted glasses of claim 13 wherein the light mount comprises a base portion and a rotatable cover portion having an arcuate wall configured to project into the power source compartment with placement of the cover portion on the base portion for at least partially surrounding a battery disposed within the power source compartment, and the cover portion further comprises a face contact configured to electrically couple a face surface of the battery to the light source with rotation of the cover portion.