Rechargeable lighted glasses

• US 8,979,295 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US13/337,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 362105-106, 362/103, 351/158
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/242 Means for mounting detecting, signalling or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means

Abstract

Rechargeable lighted glasses are provided having one or more light sources mounted thereto and powered by a rechargeable power source. The rechargeable power source can be recharged through a recharging interface mounted to at least one of the temple arm portions of the rechargeable lighted glasses.

Claims

1. Rechargeable lighted glasses comprising:

a pair of temple portions, each temple portion including a forward portion;

a cross-frame member extending between the pair of temple portions;

a pivotable connection between each of the forward portions of the temple portions and the cross-frame member;

a light source mounted to the forward portion of at least one of the temple portions for directing light forwardly of the one temple portion;

a rechargeable power source mounted to the one temple portion and coupled to the light source for providing power thereto; and

a recharging interface disposed along the one temple portion and electrically coupled to the rechargeable power source for providing power thereto.

2. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the one temple portion includes an opening in a forward end thereof, and the light source is mounted within the opening.

3. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the one temple portion includes an interior space in which the rechargeable power source is contained for energizing the light source.

4. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the rechargeable power source is closely positioned to the recharging interface to minimize length of electrical connections extending therebetween.

5. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the forward portion of the one temple portion has a power source compartment formed therein, and the rechargeable power source is disposed within the forward portion power source compartment of the one temple portion.

6. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 5 wherein the forward portion of the one temple portion has a generally rectangular configuration.

7. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 5 wherein the forward portion of the one temple portion has an enlarged thickness relative to a rear portion of the one temple portion for containing the rechargeable power source in the power source compartment.

8. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 wherein the recharging interface includes electrical contacts along the one temple portion for being connected to corresponding contacts of a charger device.

9. The rechargeable lighted glasses of claim 1 further comprising:

another light source mounted to the other one of the temple portions to the forward portion thereof for directing light forwardly the respective temple portion;

another rechargeable power source mounted to the other one of the temple portions and coupled to the other light source for providing power thereto; and

another recharging interface disposed along the other one of the temple portions and electrically coupled to the other rechargeable power source for providing power thereto.

10. Rechargeable illuminated eyewear comprising:

a pair of elongate temple arms each having forward and rearward end portions and inner and outer surface portions;

a cross-frame including a bridge portion and extending laterally between the forward end portions of the temple arms with the temple arms and bridge portion adapted to be supported on a user'"'"'s ears and nose, respectively;

a pivot connection between each of the forward end portions of the temple arms and the cross-frame for pivoting of the temple arms open and closed relative thereto so that when closed, the temple arms generally extend laterally along the cross-frame, and when open, the temple arms generally extend in a fore-and-aft longitudinal direction so that the rearward end portions are distal from the cross-frame;

a plurality of light sources each having a lens thereof with each temple arm having at least one of the light sources mounted thereto at the forward end portion thereof to generally face forwardly in the fore-and-aft longitudinal direction to project light forwardly from the forward end portion with the light sources pivoting with the temple arms so that when the temple arms are pivoted closed, the light sources generally face laterally in a lateral direction;

a plurality of rechargeable power sources for providing power to each of the light sources;

a narrow power source compartment of each of the temple arms between the respective inner and outer surface portions thereof, the narrow power source compartment having a thin lateral width between the temple arm inner and outer surface portions sized to receive the rechargeable power source therein;

and a recharging interface disposed in the each of the temple arms and electrically coupled to the rechargeable power source for providing power thereto, and exposed along each of the temple arms for being connected to corresponding contacts of a charger device for recharging the rechargeable power source.

11. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the recharging interface includes electrical contacts electrically coupled to the rechargeable power source, and the temple arms each include at least one opening aligned with one or more of the recharging interface electrical contacts for being connected to corresponding contacts of a charger device.

12. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the rechargeable power source is closely positioned to the recharging interface along each temple arm.

13. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the temple arms have upper and lower surfaces that extend between the inner and outer surface portions and which define a temple arm height therebetween that is larger along the power source compartment than the thin lateral width thereof.

14. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 13 wherein the temple arm height is substantially constant along the power source compartment.

15. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the rechargeable power source comprises a rechargeable battery having substantially flat, opposite main surfaces thereof and is received within the power source compartment so that each of the main surfaces of the rechargeable battery directly faces one or the other of the inner and outer surface portions of each of the temple arms.

16. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 15 wherein the rechargeable battery main surfaces each have a rectangular configuration.

17. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the temple arms have upper and lower surfaces that taper toward each other rearwardly of the forward end portion of the temple arms.

18. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the forward end portion of each of the temple arms includes a forwardmost end with an opening therein, and the light sources comprise an LED mounted in the opening of each temple arm.

19. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 18 wherein the forward end portion of each of the temple arms includes a curved support surface that extends about the opening to fixedly capture the LED therebetween.

20. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the inner and outer surface portions of the temple arms have a substantially flat configuration.

21. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 10 wherein the forward end portion of each temple arm at the power source compartment thereof is laterally thicker between the inner and outer surface portions than along the respective rearward portions of the temple arms.

22. Rechargeable illuminated eyewear:

a pair of elongate temple arm members each having forward and rearward ends;

a cross-frame member of a unitary one-piece construction having opposite ends at which the forward ends of the temple arm members are pivotally connected;

an opening in the forward end of each of the temple arm members;

a pair of LEDs, each including a lens received in a respective one of the forward end openings of the temple arm members;

a thin rear portion of each of the temple arm members;

opposite inner and outer surface portions of each of the temple arm members laterally spaced from each other and extending lengthwise along the respective temple arm members adjacent the forward ends thereof;

an enlarged forward portion of each of the temple arm members that is laterally thicker between the opposite inner and outer surface portions and vertically larger in a vertical direction along the opposite inner and outer surface portions than the temple arm member thin rear portion;

a tapered portion of each of the temple arm members that tapers from the vertically larger forward portion to the thin rear portion to transition therebetween;

a battery compartment between the opposite inner and outer surface portions of each of the temple arm members at the enlarged forward portions thereof;

a rechargeable battery for providing power to the corresponding LED and being disposed within the corresponding battery compartment;

a recharging interface disposed in the temple arm members adjacent to the power source compartment with the rechargeable battery therein and electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery for providing recharging power thereto; and

electrical contacts of the recharging interface exposed along the temple arm members.

23. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 22 wherein the rechargeable battery has substantially flat, opposite main surfaces thereof and is received within the battery compartment so that each of the main surfaces of the rechargeable battery directly faces one or the other of the inner and outer surface portions of the temple arm members.

24. The rechargeable illuminated eyewear of claim 22 in combination with a battery charger device operable to connect to an outlet of a power source and having contacts configured to cooperate with the contacts of the recharging interface so that with the battery charger device electrically coupled to the recharging interface, the rechargeable battery is in electrical communication with the power source for charging the rechargeable battery.