Positioning device for eyeglasses having bifocal lenses

A device positioned on the nose of a wearer of eyeglasses with bifocal lenses having the lens lower parts corrected for near vision. The device includes a housing that defines a nose cavity having an inner surface defining a matrix for receiving the upper nose portion of the nose of the wearer of the eyeglasses. The housing positions the lens bridge above the nose of the wearer so that the bifocal lenses are also raised relative to the eyes of the wearer, whereby when the sight lines of the wearer are directed in a generally horizontal direction, the sight lines are aligned through the lens lower parts. The housing includes a convex surface for supporting the lens bridge and the inner sides of the two lens rims. A keeper structure connected to the housing holds the eyeglasses in position relative to the housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the field of eyeglasses and more 
particularly to a device that aligns the sight lines of a wearer of 
eyeglasses having bifocal lenses. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Users of computers direct their vision in a generally horizontal direction 
in order to view the monitor, which requirement causes difficulties for 
wearers of eyeglasses provided with bifocal lenses. Each bifocal lens is 
provided with two focal lengths, one part that corrects for near vision, 
that is, for reading vision for far-sighted people; and another part that 
is either uncorrected or is corrected for distant vision. The lower, 
near-vision part enables a farsighted user to read printed material in a 
normal reading position with the wearer's sight lines aligned in a 
generally downward direction through the magnified bottom parts of the 
eyeglasses. The head of a wearer of bifocal eyeglasses who is using a 
computer monitor has to be tilted slightly backwards in order to direct 
the lines of sight through the bottom parts of the bifocal lenses so that 
focus can be accomplished at the monitor screen. Such a head tilt creates 
strain on the neck of the wearer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that 
when used in combination with eyeglasses with bifocal lenses, the sight 
lines of the wearer of the eyeglasses are aligned through the lower parts 
of the lenses when the sight lines are directed in a generally horizontal 
direction at a monitor screen. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that can 
be placed upon the nose of a wearer of eyeglasses; and that when used in 
combination with eyeglasses with bifocal lenses, the eyeglasses are raised 
upwardly to a certain distance with the result that the lower parts of the 
bifocal lenses are also raised upwardly so that the sight lines of the 
wearer are aligned through the lower parts of the lenses when the sight 
lines are directed in a generally horizontal direction at a monitor 
screen. 
In accordance with this and other objects that will become apparent in the 
course of this disclosure, there is provided a device positioned on the 
nose of a wearer of eyeglasses with bifocal lenses having the lower parts 
of the bifocal lenses corrected for near vision. The device includes a 
housing that defines a nose cavity that receives the upper nose of the 
nose of the wearer. The housing forms a convex surface that supports the 
lens bridge of the eyeglasses and the rims inner sides of the pair of lens 
rims. The convex surface has an apex that is positioned directly above the 
nose cavity at a distance, which is generally approximately one inch, 
which is the distance that the lens bridge is raised above the nose of the 
wearer so that the eyeglass lenses are also raised about one inch relative 
to the eyes of the wearer. Thus, when the sight lines of the wearer are 
directed in a generally horizontal direction, the sight lines are aligned 
through the lower parts of the bifocal lenses. 
A keeper structure unitary with the housing holds the eyeglasses in 
position relative to the housing. The keeper structure includes a pair of 
bottom walls connected to and extending laterally outwardly relative to 
the wearer from the housing lower portion on opposed sides of the nose 
cavity for supporting the rim bottom sides of the two lens rims of the 
eyeglasses. The keeper structure includes a bracing wall positioned on the 
front side of the housing and that extends laterally outwardly relative to 
the housing. The bracing wall includes a pair of bracing surfaces that 
face inwardly relative to the wearer laterally beyond the housing. The 
bracing surfaces extend perpendicular relative to the pair of bottom 
walls. A pair of biasable fingers extend upwardly from the pair of bottom 
walls at the housing rear side generally lateral to the bracing surfaces 
on opposed sides of the nose cavity and are spaced from the bracing 
surfaces so as to define a pair of slots for receiving the pair of lenses 
of the eyeglasses. 
The present invention can be better understood and the objects and 
important features, other than those specifically set forth above, will 
become apparent when consideration is given to the following details and 
description, which when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, 
describes, discloses, illustrates, and shows preferred embodiments or 
modifications of the present invention and what is presently considered 
and believed to be the best mode of practice in the principles thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Reference is now made in detail to the drawings wherein the same numerals 
refer to the same or similar elements throughout. 
In accordance with the present invention, a focusing device 10 is 
illustrated in FIG. 1 for a pair of eyeglasses 12 shown in phantom line 
positioned on the nose 14 of a wearer, also shown in phantom line. 
Eyeglasses 12 are provided with a pair of bifocal lenses 16 having lens 
upper parts 18 either corrected for far vision or uncorrected and lens 
lower parts 20 corrected for near vision. 
Focusing device 10 includes a support body 22 that includes a housing 24 
that defines a cavity 26, seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, that receives the upper 
nose 28 of nose 14. Housing 24 includes a convex surface 30 that supports 
the bridge 34 of the lens rims 36 together with the inner sides of lens 
rims 36 of bifocal lenses 16 of eyeglasses 12. Convex surface 30 has an 
apex 32 that is positioned directly above cavity 26 at a distance 38, 
which is generally approximately one inch, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. 
Bifocal lenses 16 of eyeglasses 12 are raised by distance 38 relative to 
the eyes of the wearer so that bifocal lenses 16 are raised at such 
distance 38 to the eyes of the wearer of the eyeglasses so that when the 
sight lines of the wearer are directed in a generally horizontal 
direction, the sight lines are aligned through lens lower parts 
A keeper structure 40 connected to housing 24 holds eyeglasses 12 in 
position relative to housing 24. A pair of bottom walls 42 extend 
laterally outwardly from the lower portion of housing 24 on opposed sides 
of cavity 26 support the rim bottom sides 44. When the head of the wearer 
is raised so that the sight lines of the wearer are generally horizontal, 
bottom walls 42 are also generally horizontal. Housing 24 includes housing 
front and rear sides 46 and 48, respectively, relative to the head of the 
wearer. Keeper structure 40 includes a bracing wall 50 that is connected 
to and extends upwardly from and generally perpendicular to bottom walls 
42 along housing front side 46. Bracing wall 50 extends above apex 32 of 
convex surface 30 of housing 24 so as to provide a stop 52 that prevents 
lens rim bridge 34 of eyeglasses 12 from forward movement relative to 
housing 24. Bracing wall 50 extends beyond housing 24 leaving open a pair 
of bracing surfaces 54 positioned on opposed sides of housing 24 that face 
rearwardly toward housing rear side 48. 
Keeper structure 40 further includes a pair of fingers 56 that are 
connected to and extend upwardly from each of pair of bottom walls 42 
generally lateral to bracing wall 50 on opposed sides of cavity 26 at 
housing rear side 48. Fingers 56 are spaced from bracing wall 50, 
particularly from pair of bracing surfaces 54 so as to define a pair of 
slots 58, seen in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, for receiving bifocal lenses 16 of 
eyeglasses 12. 
Support body 22 including housing 24 is preferably made of a plastic 
material including fingers 56, which are biasable. Fingers 56 include 
finger upper portions 60, which are convexly curved relative to bracing 
wall 50. Finger upper portions 60 are spaced from bracing wall 50 defining 
a pair of slots 58 having widths that are slightly less than the thickness 
of bifocal lenses 16 of eyeglasses 12, so that fingers 56 are pressed 
apart slightly from unbiased modes into biased modes when lens rims 36 and 
bifocal lenses 16 are slid into slots 58 when eyeglasses 12 are mounted 
onto focal device 10, and finger upper portions 60 are thereupon pressed 
against the inner surface of bifocal lenses 16 so that eyeglasses 12 are 
held in a gripped position. In particular, fingers 56 are movable between 
unbiased and biased modes, wherein in the unbiased mode finger upper 
portions 60 are spaced at a first distance from bracing wall 50 and in the 
biased mode finger upper portions 60 are spaced from bracing wall 50 at a 
second distance that is greater than the first distance. Biasable fingers 
56 are in the unbiased mode when eyeglass lenses 16 are not mounted to 
housing 24; and biasable fingers 56 are in the biased mode when eyeglass 
lenses 16 are mounted to housing 24 and positioned in said slot means. 
Also, both fingers 56 prevent movement of eyeglasses 12 inwardly relative 
to the housing 24. When eyeglasses 12 are removed from slots 58, Finger 
upper portions 60 self-bias back into their unbiased modes. 
Cavity 26 defines an elongated inner matrix 64 that is generally configured 
to receive upper nose 28 of nose 14. Cavity 26 including matrix 64 extends 
upwardly from housing front side 46 to housing rear side 46 of housing 24. 
Cavity 26 further includes bracing wall 50 defining an aperture 62 at 
housing front side 46 of bracing wall 50 generally configured in the 
outline of upper nose 28 of nose 14. 
Focusing device 10 and eyeglasses 12 are held in position by a mutual 
positioning relationship. That is, eyeglasses 10 are prevented from 
lateral movement relative to the eyes of the wearer by the positioning of 
lens rim bridge 34 upon convex surface 30 of housing 24. Eyeglasses 10 are 
prevented from forward movement relative to housing 24 by stop 52 at 
convex surface 30. Also, both eyeglasses 12 and focusing device 10 are 
prevented by temples 66 from lateral movement relative to the head of the 
wearer when glasses 12 are mounted to the head and over the ears of the 
wearer. Also, both focusing device 10 and eyeglasses 12 are prevented from 
forward movement relative to the head of the wearer when ear pieces 68 of 
temples 66 are placed behind the ears of the wearer. Eyeglasses 12 also 
creates a mutual positioning relationship with focusing device 10 by way 
of bifocal lenses 16 being gripped between fingers 56 and bracing wall 50 
in pair of slots 58, and by way of each of lens rims 36 resting upon each 
of bottom walls 42, and by way of lens rim bridge 34 and lens rims 36 
being held in position upon convex surface 30. Thus, eyeglasses 12 and 
focusing device 10 are held as a unit upon the head of the wearer. 
Although the present device has been described in some detail by way of 
illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it 
will, of course, be understood that various changes and modifications may 
be made in the form, details, and arrangements of the parts without 
departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following 
claims.