Decentered noncorrective lens for eyewear

• US 5,969,789 A
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oakley, Inc. (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Oakley, Inc. (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Inventors: Reyes, Carlos D., Jannard, James H., Houston, Malcolm Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US08/822,185
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159, 351/41, 351/43, 351/44
• US Class Current: 351/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/021 Goggles with prescription spectacle lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/02 Goggles breathing masks A62B18/00; swimming goggles A63B33/002; diving masks B63C11/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/025 Special attachment of screens, e.g. hinged, removable; Roll-up protective layers
• 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 5/00 Constructions of non-optical parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/02 Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses

Abstract

Disclosed is an optically corrected lens for nonprescription, dual lens eyeglasses. In a preferred embodiment, the anterior surface of the lens lies on a portion of a first sphere having a first center. The posterior surface of the lens lies on the surface of a second sphere having a second center. The first and second centers are offset from one another to provide a tapered lens. The lens is oriented on the head of the wearer by a frame that maintains the lens in a position such that a line drawn through the first and second centers is maintained substantially in parallel to the normal sight line of the wearer. Methods of making the lenses, and eyewear incorporating the lenses, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An oriented, optically corrected non-prescription dual lens to eyeglass, comprising:

a left non-glass lens body and a right non-glass lens body, said left lens body having a left mechanical center and said right lens body having a right mechanical center;

a frame for supporting the right lens in the path of a wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from a right eye and the left lens in the path of a wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from a left eye, each lens exhibiting an amount of wrap and an amount of rake in an as worn orientation with respect to the wearer'"'"'s right and left normal lines of sight;

a front surface and a rear surface on each of the right and left lens bodies, defining a lens thickness therebetween for each of the right and left lenses;

each of the front surface and rear surface of the right lens conforming substantially to portions of the surfaces of a front right sphere having a first center and a rear right sphere having a second center, respectively, such that the thickness of the right lens is tapered in both horizontal and vertical planes;

each of the front surface and rear surface of the left lens conforming substantially to portions of the surfaces of a front left sphere having a third center and a rear left sphere having a fourth center, respectively, such that the thickness of the left lens is tapered in both horizontal and vertical planes;

each of said first, second, third and fourth centers offset from one another;

a right optical centerline extending through the first and second centers of the right lens;

a left optical centerline extending through the third and fourth centers of the left lens;

wherein the right mechanical center is offset both horizontally and vertically from the right optical centerline, by a vertical distance which corresponds to the amount of rake exhibited by the right lens in the as worn orientation and by a horizontal distance which corresponds to the amount of wrap exhibited by the right lens in the as worn orientation, and the left mechanical center is offset both horizontally and vertically from the left optical centerline, by a vertical distance which corresponds to the amount of rake exhibited by the left lens in the as worn orientation, and by a horizontal distance which corresponds to the amount of wrap exhibited by the left lens in the as worn orientation to produce eyewear which is optically corrected for prismatic error which would otherwise have been induced by said rake and wrap.

2. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein each of said front right sphere and said front left sphere has a base curve of greater than about base 6.

3. An eyeglass as in claim 2, wherein each of said front right sphere and said front left sphere has a base curve of greater than about base 8.

4. An eyeglass as in claim 3, wherein each of said front right sphere and said front left sphere has a base curve within the range of from about 7.5 to about 10.5.

5. An eyeglass as in claim 4, wherein a horizontal component of the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye deviates in the as worn orientation by no more than about ±

10°

from parallel with a horizontal component of the corresponding optical centerline.

6. An eyeglass as in claim 5, wherein the horizontal component of the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye deviates in the as worn orientation by no more than about ±

5°

from parallel with the horizontal component of the corresponding optical centerline.

7. An eyeglass as in claim 6, wherein the horizontal component of the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye is parallel in the as worn orientation with the horizontal component of the corresponding optical centerline.

8. An eyeglass as in claim 4, wherein a vertical component of the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye in a vertical plane deviates in an as worn orientation by no more than about ±

10°

from parallel with a vertical component of the corresponding optical centerline.

9. An eyeglass as in claim 8, wherein the vertical component of the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye is within about ±

3°

from parallel in an as worn orientation to the vertical component of the corresponding optical centerline.

10. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye crosses the rear surface of the corresponding lens at an angle within the range of from about 100°

to about 135°

.

11. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the wearer'"'"'s normal line of sight from each eye crosses the rear surface of the lens at an angle which is greater than about 95°

.

12. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein each of said right and left lenses comprises polycarbonate.

13. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein each of the right and left lenses is cut from a lens blank.

14. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein each of the right and left lenses has a maximum horizontal arc length within the range of from about 1 1/2 inches to about 3 1/2 inches.

15. An eyeglass as in claim 14, wherein each of the right and left lenses has a maximum horizontal arc length within the range of from about 2 inches to about 3 inches.

16. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the right and left lenses are canted such that a medial edge of each of said right and left lenses falls outside of a circle and a lateral edge of each of the right and left lenses falls inside of said circle.

17. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the medial edge of each of the right and left lenses has a thickness within the range of from about 1 mm to about 2.5 mm.

18. An eyeglass as in claim 17, wherein the medial edge of each of the right and left lenses has a thickness within the range of from about 1.5 mm to about 1.8 mm.

19. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the radius of the front right sphere and the radius of the front left sphere are each about 60.57 mm.

20. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the eyeglass has a vertical plane of symmetry which is substantially parallel to the wearer'"'"'s right and left normal lines of sight.

21. An eyeglass as in claim 1, wherein the right optical centerline crosses the right lens at a point which is offset both horizontally and vertically from the wearer'"'"'s right eye normal line of sight, and the left optical centerline crosses the left lens at a point which is offset both horizontally and vertically from the wearer'"'"'s left eye normal line of sight.

22. An eyeglass as in claim 21, wherein the right optical centerline is substantially parallel with the wearer'"'"'s right eye normal line of sight, and the left optical centerline is substantially parallel with the wearer'"'"'s left eye normal line of sight.

23. A dual lens optically corrected eyeglass, comprising:

a first non-glass lens and a second non-glass lens;

a dual lens frame for supporting the first and second lenses in front of a wearer'"'"'s first normal line of sight corresponding to one eye of the user and the wearer'"'"'s second normal line of sight corresponding to the other eye of the user respectively, in an as worn orientation, each lens exhibiting a degree of wrap and a degree of downward rake in the as worn orientation such that each of the wearer'"'"'s first and second normal lines of sight cross the rear surface of the first and second lenses respectively, at a non normal angle in each of horizontal and vertical planes;

each lens having a posterior surface with a posterior center of curvature, an anterior surface with a separate and distinct anterior center of curvature, a thickness between the posterior and anterior surfaces, and a separate and distinct optical centerline passing through the respective posterior and anterior centers of curvature;

the thickness of each lens being vertically tapered on either side of a horizontal plane which includes the corresponding optical centerline, and horizontally tapered on at least one side of a vertical plane which includes the corresponding optical centerline, for optical correction of each lens in the as worn orientation,

wherein a mechanical center of each lens is spaced below the horizontal plane by a distance which corresponds to the degree of downward rake of each lens in the as worn orientation thereby minimizing prismatic shift which would have been induced by mounting each lens with said degree of downward rake.

24. An eyeglass as in claim 23, wherein each lens has a base curve within the range of from about 7.5 to about 10.5.

25. An eyeglass as in claim 24, wherein each lens has a base curve within the range of from about 8 to about 9.5.

26. An eyeglass as in claim 24, wherein each lens is oriented such that the corresponding straight ahead normal line of sight crosses the lens at an angle of greater than about 95°

in the as worn orientation.

27. An eyeglass as in claim 26, wherein each normal line of sight crosses the corresponding lens at an angle within the range of from about 100°

to about 135°

.