Eyeshield with Swinging Lens
At least certain embodiments describe an apparatus comprising a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for compact storage and ease of use, the eye shield dispensed in a compact, easy-to-assemble configuration, the eye shield including a protective lens and a frame coupled with the protective lens by one or more hinges, the one or more hinges configured to allow the protective lens to pivot with respect to the frame from a first substantially flat position to a second position assembled and ready for use.
Latest TIDI Products, LLC Patents:
The present patent application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/915,240 filed on Jun. 11, 2013, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/545,506 filed on Jul. 10, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,458,813, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/360,031 filed on Jan. 26, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,214,921, which claims priority to Application No. 61/024,533 filed on Jan. 29, 2008 and Application No. 61/115,880 filed on Nov. 18, 2008, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
BACKGROUNDProtective eyewear usually covers the eye area in order to prevent particulates, infectious fluids, or chemicals, or light and other harmful rays such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, lasers, and so on from striking the eyes. Commonly referred to as eye shields, protective eyewear comes in a variety of forms such as goggles, masks, glasses, et cetera and is useful in a number of different activities to protect a user's eyes from harm For example, protective eyewear is especially useful for splash protection in health and safety-related environments where the user's eyes may be exposed to chemicals, blood-borne pathogens or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Protective eyewear may also be used by workers in a construction zone to prevent harmful debris or other particles or materials from striking workers eyes. Protective eye wear is also important in sports and other outdoor activities like bicycling, running or sunbathing where a user's eyes may need protection from wind, dust or other air-born debris or from harmful light and ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Protective eyewear can he very expensive depending on the application. For example, cyclists use very expensive protective eyewear to protect their eyes from wind, sunlight and from dust and other debris striking a user's eyes at high speeds. A cyclist's protective eyewear can become damaged, lost or stolen and often has to be replaced on a regular basis, which can lead to significant expense due to the replacement value of the protective eyewear. Additionally, in certain industries eye shields may become contaminated or otherwise damaged after every use, which can lead to significant expense for eye shields with high replacement value. For example, eye shields used in a laboratory or emergency room environment may become contaminated due to exposure or potential exposure to OPIM.
As a result, certain eye shields are designed to be disposable after a single use. Disposable eye shields are useful in these cases since an eye shield may become contaminated or damaged during use and replacing the eye shield can be more cost-effective or practical than sterilizing a contaminated eye shield or repairing a damaged eye shield. In many cases it is safer and more time and cost efficient to simply discard the eye shields after use rather than attempt to disinfect or otherwise decontaminate them. Additionally, regulations may require protective eyewear to be disposable after a single use. For example, in an operating room environment it may be required by government regulations for users to dispose of their protective eyewear following surgery or other medical procedure.
Eye shields on the market today are also fairly cumbersome and difficult to store due to having a relatively large profile. These eye shields usually consist of a static, right-angle lens and frame design which can be cumbersome to carry around when not in use and must be stored in specially designed cases that are also quite cumbersome based on their larger profiles. These eye shields may be designed to be folded and stored in a case and require cleaning or wiping to keep the lens area clean. Additionally, packaging and transporting eye shields to the point of sale can be very difficult because of their cumbersome profile in the static, right-angle lens and frame design. For example, eye shields for use in a laboratory or medical-related environments are often packaged and sold in a preassembled configuration so that they may be easily used right out of the package. However, preassembled eye shields are often cumbersome to store and transport because they are packaged and shipped in the preassembled configuration which requires a large amount of space in their storage and/or shipping containers. These containers may only store a limited number of disposable eye shields. In addition these containers may require more space than is practically available at the eye shields point-of-use, such as in a medical treatment room.
SUMMARYAt least certain embodiments describe an apparatus comprising a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for efficient storage and ease of use, the eye shield dispensed in a compact, easy-to-assemble configuration, the eye shield including a protective lens and a frame coupled with the protective lens by one or more hinges, the one or more hinges configured to allow the protective lens to pivot with respect to the frame from a first substantially flat position for compact storage to a second position ready for use.
To maximize convenience for the user, a disposable eye shield should be easy to store and dispense and should require minimal effort to assemble. At least certain embodiments describe a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for efficient storage, convenient dispensing, and ease of assembly and use with minimal user effort. Such an embodiment includes a protective lens to protect the user's eyes and a frame coupled with the protective lens by one or more hinges to allow the protective lens to pivot with respect to the frame from a substantially flat position for easy storage and into a fully assembled position ready for wearing and use.
In
In at least certain embodiments, the eye shield 100 may be preassembled with the frame 102, lens 104, and hinges 106 in the substantially flat position. The hinges 106 may be fixed to the frame 102 in a pivoting relationship and connected to the lens 104 by a fastening mechanism such as a nipple and hole connection, a press pin, snap or any other fastening mechanism. One example of the hinges 106 are annular shaped hinges holding onto the frame 102 in a pivoting relationship. However, this is given by way of illustration and not of limitation as any other mechanism that provides the function of pivoting on the frame to change the angular position of the lens 104 relative to the frame 102 is contemplated within the teachings of this description.
In
However, other plastics, as described above, may also be used, and since, in at least certain embodiments, single use, disposable lenses are intended; less expensive plastics may be quite suitable. A preferred plastic may also be relatively thin and commonly available in flexible sheets from which the lens can be readily stamped or cut, without shattering, cracking, and etc. The lens material is also preferably flexible so that it can be bowed to conform to a users face without significant visual distortion. The lens may also be of a certain length such that, when secured in the frame 102, it extends over the eyes beyond the user's temples, thereby offering significant protection for the user's eyes from both the front and side directions with insignificant or virtually no visual distortion in the area of the bend or bow of the frame 102. Additionally, the lens 104 may be clear, polarized, or it may be treated for UV protection, tinted, smoked, mirrored, or coated for hardness. Lens 104 may also be non-reflective, anti-fogging, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment of
Although a rigid frame 200 could be used, the frame 200 is preferably formed of a light-weight, spring-like material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or PVC which retains its memory to a first unsprung position as shown in
Alternatively, the frame 200 may be made of other resilient materials of a similar shape such as metal, or of other suitable plastics having such a feature. The cross-sectional shape of the frame 200 may be varied, such as tubular, solid, flat, oval, or rectangular shape, as long as the aforesaid characteristics and features are present. The second sprung position 214 shown in
The disclosed eye shield offers several advantages and a variety of uses over previous eye covering devices. Because the eye shield is so light-weight, it is not as easily displaced or dislodged from the user's head even during exercise or similar activity. The eye shield also provides for easy packaging and storage when in the substantially flat position because of the low-profile the eye shield assumes, and yet it can be easily and readily locked into a position ready to use with minimal effort by a user. For specific applications, the user may choose from a flip-to-wear eye shield with a specific lens, such as clear, tinted, UV protected, polarized, and so on. The eye shield is also easily fitted on the user's head without the need for a fastener and provides a wrap-around, light-weight, distortion free viewing lens which extends substantially beyond the side of the user's eyes offering additional protection from fluids, dust, or other OPIM contacting or impinging on the user's eyes from the side. Such a feature is important, for example, for protecting healthcare professionals and patients from transfer of blood-borne pathogens and OPIM. The eye shield additionally offers protection during recreational use, such as bike riding, running, jogging, as well as in more casual recreational use regardless of the activity of the user.
Throughout the foregoing specification, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. When a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to bring about such a feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. Various changes may be made in the structure and embodiments shown herein without departing from the principles of the invention. Further, features of the embodiments shown in various figures may be employed in combination with embodiments shown in other figures.
In the description as set forth above and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” is used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.
Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow as well as the legal equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for compact storage and ease of use, the eye shield dispensed in a compact, easy-to-assemble configuration, the eye shield including:
- a protective lens; and
- a frame coupled with the protective lens by one or more hinges, the one or more hinges configured to allow the protective lens to pivot with respect to the frame from a first substantially flat position for compact storage to a second position ready for use.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield in the first substantially flat position is compact to store and transport and easily dispensed.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective lens is to protect a user's eyes and is configured to cover the user's eyes and temple area.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective lens is to prevent one or more of particles, infectious fluids, chemicals, blood-born pathogens, light or other harmful rays and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) from striking the user's eyes.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield is designed for comfort and convenience of the user.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective lens comprises a substantially transparent and flexible member having an upper edge extending along the user's forehead from opposite first and second side edges, the transparent and flexible member including a pair of notches located on each side.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises an elongated, flexible, spring-like shaft bowed along the frame's length between two opposite frame ends and biased toward a first un-sprung condition.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the protective lens is to be secured on the user's face with the frame extending along the user's forehead allowing the two opposite frame ends to contour with the user's head and to urge apart the two opposite frame ends from the first un-sprung condition to a second sprung condition, the two opposite frame ends grabbing each side of the user's head.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield is disposable and designed for a single use.
10. A method comprising:
- retrieving from a dispenser a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for compact storage and ease of use, the eye shield dispensed in a compact, easy-to-assemble configuration, the eye shield including a protective lens and a frame suitable for coupling with the protective lens, wherein the frame is coupled with the protective lens by way of one or more hinges configured to allow the protective lens to pivot with respect to the frame;
- readying the flip-to-wear eye shield for use by pivoting the lens with respect to the frame using the one or more hinges from a first substantially flat position for compact storage to a second position ready for use; and
- applying the flip-to-wear eye shield to a user's face for wearing and use
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield in the first substantially flat position is compact to store and transport, and easily dispensed.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the protective lens is designed for comfort and convenience of the user and to prevent one or more of particles, infectious fluids, chemicals, blood-born pathogens, light or other harmful rays and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) from striking the user's eyes.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield is disposable and designed for a single use.
14. A flip-to-wear eye shield comprising:
- a lens suitable for coupling with a frame comprising a substantially transparent and flexible member having an upper edge for extending along a user's forehead from opposite first and second side edges between the user's temples and a lower edge for extending across the user's face, and a pair of notches located on each side edge, each notch located between the upper edge and the lower edge of the lens;
- a frame suitable for coupling with the lens to secure the lens on the face of the user, the frame comprising an elongated, flexible, and spring-like shaft generally bowed along the frame's length between two opposite frame ends and biased toward a first un-sprung condition, wherein the frame's length contours to the user's forehead and temple area with a pair of opposite bends curving inward in the temple area and the pair of opposite bends forming connective mechanisms to be engaged with the notches of the lens; and
- one or more hinges coupled with the lens and the frame, wherein the one or more hinges are configured to pivot on the frame, wherein the lens is secured on the frame by the one or more hinges and the lens can be pushed down between the two opposite frame ends, pivoting on the hinge around the frame from a first substantially flat position for compact storage to be locked into a second position with the notches on the side edges of the lens catching the pair of opposite bends on the frame in the second position ready for use wherein the lens is capable of being secured on the user's face with the frame extending along the user's forehead with the two opposite frame ends resting behind the user's ears and urged apart from the first un-sprung condition to a second sprung condition against opposite sides of the user's head, and wherein the eye covering portion extends downwardly over the user's eyes.
15. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 14, wherein the frame has a grip area to assist the user to grab the frame for easy application and removal of glasses.
16. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 14, wherein the two opposite frame ends contour with the user's head to grab each side of the user's head in the second sprung condition.
17. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 14, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield is adapted to be preassembled in the first substantially flat position for compact storage with the lens flat against the frame.
18. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 14, wherein the lens comprises a sheet of plastic material having a notch located on a lower edge to overlay a bridge of the user's nose.
19. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 18, wherein the lens substantially overlays the user's facial cheeks and temples.
20. The flip-to-wear eye shield of claim 14, wherein the flip-to-wear eye shield is disposable and designed for a single use.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 29, 2014
Publication Date: Dec 11, 2014
Applicant: TIDI Products, LLC (Neenah, WI)
Inventors: Michael Grad (San Diego, CA), Gad Shaanan (La Jolla, CA)
Application Number: 14/264,929
International Classification: A61F 9/02 (20060101);