Abstract:
Adjustable spectacles article and protection method include a novel adjustable spectacle kit positioned in the interior surface of a self contained breathing mask. In one aspect, the breathing mask covers a full face of a wearer and includes a face plate permitting a wearer to view a space outside the mask. The adjustable spectacle kit includes a bracket attached to the interior surface of the mask, a lug attached to the bracket, and spectacles connected with the lug. In one aspect, the bracket defines a slot for holding the lug. In one aspect, the slot is elongated in an anteroposterior direction. In one aspect, a resilient elastomeric grommet is inserted in the slot, and the grommet frictionally engages the lug.

Description:
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/919,682, filed Mar. 23, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to spectacle kits for use with protective masks. In one aspect, this invention relates to spectacle kits apparatus and method of providing spectacle kits using the spectacle kits apparatus. In one aspect, this invention relates to a method of making and manufacturing spectacle kits. In one aspect, the invention relates to a kit for adjusting the position of spectacles placed inside protective masks that are used in hostile environments. 
   2. Background 
   Firemen, safety and rescue personnel, and industrial professionals often require protective masks or Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (“SCBA”). The protective masks enable personnel to enter hazardous environments, such as areas filled with caustic gases or burning structures. Protective masks also are needed as a safety precaution when entering potentially hazardous environments. 
   Some sports also require protective masks. For example, a protective mask is needed for underwater diving. 
   Persons requiring corrective optical lenses for improving visual acuity under normal conditions need corrective lenses while using protective masks. Using contact lenses under a protective mask is impractical because most soft contact lenses are made with materials incorporating substantial water content. The soft contact lenses become contaminated by smoke and/or chemicals, thereby making the lenses uncomfortable to wear or structurally damaging them. 
   Those who must wear protective masks and also require corrective optical lenses may obtain a spectacle kit. Spectacle kits include optical lenses supported on the nose or face by a frame and they typically include thermal plastic lenses, e.g. CR39 monomer polycarbonate corrective lenses, to improve the wearer&#39;s vision. 
   One example of a spectacle kit suitable for use with SCBA is shown in Altemare, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,468 for “Spectacle Kit,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, and included herein as in set forth in its entirety, to the extent consistent with the present invention. 
   INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION 
   Spectacle kits developed in the prior art generally retain corrective optical lenses in a fixed position, or they include structurally complicated mechanisms. Structurally complicated mechanisms are difficult to install and to operate, sometimes requiring special tools for adjusting their position. Accordingly, there still remains a need for the improved adjustable spectacle kit of the present invention. 
   Some objectives of the present invention are to provide a spectacle kit for adjusting the position of spectacles while they are installed in a protective mask; simplicity of operation; having few parts in the kit; not requiring separate tools to adjust the spectacles; and adaptability to a wide variety of commercially available SCBA. 
   An object and advantage of the adjustable spectacle kit of the present invention is that it allows for positional adjustment of spectacles while they are installed in a protective mask. 
   Another object and advantage of the present invention is that spectacles are easily attached to the kit and easy to adjust the position of the eyewear frame. 
   A further object and advantage of the adjustable spectacle kit of the present invention is that it is easy to install so that a user can quickly position eyewear into a protective mask properly and put on the mask within a minimum allotted time. 
   An additional object and advantage of the present invention is that commercially available eyewear attached to the adjustable spectacle kit can be removed for use outside of the protective mask. This convenience is important for wearers requiring prescription lenses or tinted lenses. 
   Additional objectives and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments and the illustrations of the figures of the drawings which follow. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The apparatus and method of the present invention provide a combination of a self contained breathing mask with an adjustable spectacle kit. The breathing mask covers a full face of a wearer and includes a face plate permitting a wearer to view a space outside the mask. The mask has an exterior surface and an interior surface. 
   The adjustable spectacle kit includes a bracket attached to the interior surface of the mask, a lug attached to the bracket, and spectacles connected with the lug. The bracket preferably defines a slot for holding the lug. The slot preferably is elongated in an anteroposterior direction. In a preferred embodiment, a resilient grommet comprising an elastomer is inserted in the slot. The grommet frictionally engages the lug. 
   In one embodiment, the slot has opposed lateral walls extending convexly into the slot. Here, the slot has anterior and posterior ends wider than a central portion between the anterior and posterior ends. 
   The lug includes an upper portion above the bracket and a lower portion below the bracket. The lower portion of the lug includes a frame holder for connecting the lug with a frame of the spectacles. The lug is made from a polymeric material, preferably a polycarbonate. 
   The spectacles include a frame for supporting at least one eyeglass lens and a bridge. The frame holder connects the lug with the frame for positionally adjusting the frame within the mask. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a safety mask with an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention in place. 
       FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of the mask and spectacle kit of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a rear perspective view of a safety mask with an adjustable spectacle kit in place. 
       FIG. 4  shows a front perspective view of a safety mask including an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 5  shows a rear perspective view of the mask of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an exploded perspective view of an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 7  shows an exploded perspective view of an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 8A  shows a top elevational view of an assembled adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 8B  shows a front elevational view of the assembled kit of  FIG. 8A . 
       FIG. 8C  shows a side elevational view of the assembled kit of  FIG. 8A . 
       FIG. 9  shows several fragmentary cross-sectional views of an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 10  shows several different embodiments of a lug for an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 11  shows three (3) spectacle frames suitable for use with an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 12A  shows a fragmentary rear perspective view of a commercially available spectacles suitable for use with an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention. 
       FIG. 12B  shows a side perspective view of the spectacles of  FIG. 12A . 
       FIG. 12C  shows a fragmentary side perspective view of the spectacles of  FIG. 12A . 
       FIG. 13  shows a side perspective view of a protective mask having a frame attached to an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 14  shows a side perspective view of a safety mask having a spectacle frame attached to an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 15  shows a side perspective view of a protective mask with a frame attached to an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 16  shows a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 17  shows a side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 18  shows a rear, exploded view of an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 19  shows a rear perspective view of an assembled adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 20A  shows a side perspective view of a protective mask installed with an adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 20B  shows a front perspective view of the protective mask of  FIG. 20A . 
       FIG. 21A  shows a rear perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 21B  shows an exploded perspective view of the kit of  FIG. 21A . 
       FIG. 21C  shows a side cross-sectional view taken along the lines C-C of  FIG. 21A . 
       FIG. 22  shows a side perspective view of a mask which has minimum horizontal clearance, with an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention in place which permits primarily vertical and angularity adjustments. 
       FIG. 23  shows a rear perspective view of the mask of  FIG. 22   
       FIG. 24  shows an exploded prospective view of another adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 25  shows an exploded prospective view of another adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 26A  shows a top elevation view of an assembled adjustable spectacle kit. 
       FIG. 26B  shows a front elevational view of the assembled kit of  FIG. 26A . 
       FIG. 26C  shows a side elevation view of the assembled kit of  FIG. 26A . 
       FIG. 27  shows several fragmentary cross-sectional views of an adjustable spectacle kit as sections taken from  FIG. 26 . 
       FIG. 28  shows several different embodiments of a lug for an adjustable spectacle kit. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention includes novel apparatus and novel method for providing and using spectacle kits for use in protective safety masks. In one aspect, the present invention includes novel spectacle kits apparatus and method of providing a kit for adjusting the position of spectacles placed inside protective masks that are used in hostile environments. In one aspect, the present invention includes a method of making and manufacturing novel spectacle kits. 
     FIGS. 1-5  illustrate various protective safety masks with an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention in place. 
     FIGS. 1-3  show an MSA Elite mask  50  fitted with an adjustable spectacle kit. The kit includes an insert  16  defining a slot holding a grommet  14  engaged with an adjustable lug  18   a . The lug  18   a  holds large frame eyewear or spectacles  30  having lenses  52 . 
     FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a Draeger mask  56  with a small full face plate  68 . The mask  56  is fitted with an insert formed integrally with a bracket  16  with a slot containing a grommet holding an adjustable lug  18   a . The lug includes a clip  19  for attaching eyewear frame  30 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  include an MSA Elite mask  50  having a permanent bracket  20  cemented in place on an interior surface  51  of the mask. The bracket  20  supports an adjustable spectacle kit including a downwardly extending lug  18   a  attached to a frame  30  for eyeglass lenses. 
     FIGS. 6-8  are detailed views of an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention. 
   The embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  includes a bracket  20 ; a grommet  14 ; and a lug  18   a . The bracket  20  and lug  18  a are both polycarbonate moldings. The grommet  14  is a molded Neoprene™ elastomer. The lug  18   a  extends through elongated openings defined by the bracket  20  and grommet  14 . The bracket  20  is permanently adhered to an interior surface of a mask, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
   In  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the adjustable kit  10  includes an insert  16  which is formed integrally of a polycarbonate material for removable attachment to a mask interior surface, for example as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     FIG. 9  includes several schematic views showing how the lug  18   a  is adjusted angularly while held by a grommet  14  inserted in the insert  16 . 
     FIG. 10  shows five (5) different embodiments of the lug of the adjustable spectacle kit. Each lug  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c ,  18   d ,  18   e  is distinctively sized and shaped for quick attachment to and detachment from a commercially available spectacle frame, for example the frames  30  shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     FIG. 11  includes front and side views of some commercially available eyewear, including an ALTEK® frame  28  (bottom), an MSA frame  34  (middle), and a TRISPEC frame  36  (top). 
     FIG. 12  shows in greater detail the ALTEK® eyewear  38  apart from the spectacle kit of the invention. The ALTEK® eyewear  38  includes a frame  42  and fastening straps  40  attached to opposite ends of the frame  42 . The fastening straps  40  include Velcro™ strips. The Velcro™ strips may be connected to form a ring, enabling the ALTEK® eyewear  38  to be worn outside of a protective mask. 
     FIG. 13  is a side view of a mask  50  fitted with the TRISPEC eyewear  36  of  FIG. 11 . A removable insert  16  inside the mask  50  supports an adjustable lug  18   e  attached to a frame of the eyewear  36 . 
     FIG. 14  is a side view of an MSA mask  50  fitted with the MSA eyewear  34  of  FIG. 11 . A removable insert  16  inside the mask  50  supports an adjustable lug  18   b  attached to a frame of the eyewear  34 . 
     FIG. 15  is a side view of a small SCBA  56  having a removable insert  16 . The ALTEK® eyewear of  FIGS. 11 and 12  includes a frame  42  attached to an adjustable lug  18   a  depending downwardly from the insert  16 . 
     FIGS. 16 and 17  show masks  50  including an adjustable spectacle kit of the invention without eyewear frames installed therein. The kit of the invention does not interfere with or limit the wearer&#39;s viewing through a face plate of the mask. 
   An alternative adjustable spectacle kit  44  having differently shaped components is shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . The kit  44  includes a lug  46  and a bracket  48  to be permanently affixed to an interior surface of a mask  58  as shown in  FIG. 20 . Referring now to  FIG. 18 , the bracket  48  defines a slot  49  that is elongated in an anteroposterior direction, with both lateral walls extending convexly into the opening so that the slot has a double-concave shape. The slot  49  is wider at its anterior and posterior ends than in a central portion between those ends. Similarly the lug  46  defines a vertically elongated opening having side walls extending convexly into the opening. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 19 , when the lug  46  is inserted into the slot  49  of the bracket  48  the lateral walls of the slot  49  become parallel rather than convex and thus the opening in the lug  46  is narrowed. Both the lug  46  and bracket  48  are molded from polycarbonate having sufficient flexibility to allow movement of the lug  46  within the slot  49  while tight enough to retain an adjusted position as desired. This configuration of the slot  49  and lug  46  allows for a spring type action allowing for adjustable movement of the lug  46  similar to when the lug  46  is inserted into a grommet. The grommet is eliminated in this embodiment. The double convex sides of the slot  49  minimize frictional wear on both components so that the kit is long lasting. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 21 , there is shown another kit for adjusting the position of an eyewear frame  60 . The kit includes a bracket  62  defining a slot for retaining a lug  66 . A locking device or lock  64  is included to keep the lug  66  more firmly in a preselected position. The generally U-shaped lock  64  includes arms clamping onto exterior sides of the bracket  62  and a bight extending between the arms. Arms of the lock  64  resist lateral expansion of the bracket  62  thereby holding the lug  66  more firmly therein. This is accomplished by pivoting the lock  64  upward which in turn compresses the exterior sides of the bracket  62  which in turn clamps the lug  66  in place. 
     FIGS. 22 through 28  illustrate an adjustable spectacle kit installation in an extremely tight enclosed full face mask. 
     FIGS. 22 and 23  show perspective views showing the utilization of a spectacle kit which includes adjustments vertically and angularity based on the adjustable lug as shown in  FIG. 28 . 
     FIGS. 24 ,  25 , and  26  show detail views of an adjustable spectacle kit used in confined full face masks. This space allotment eliminates horizontally adjustment therefore requiring special adjustment lugs  68   a - 68   e  shown in  FIG. 28 . 
     FIGS. 27 and 28  depict the use of various adjustable lugs  68   a  through  68   e  giving the ultimate angularity as required. While these lugs are movable vertically, they can reflect various angles by any degree required. These lugs can be distinctively sized and shaped for quick attachment to and detachment from commercially available spectacle frames as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
   The adjustable spectacle kit of my invention may be left inside the protective masks in a fire department or an industrial safety department without impairing vision of any user. This universal aspect of the kit is desirable for organizations having many different individuals who may wear the same mask. The spectacles having lenses of a user&#39;s customized prescription may be kept in the user&#39;s possession until the next use. 
   My invention is described in conjunction with several preferred embodiments. Persons skilled in the art understand that changes and variations can be made in light of the foregoing detailed description. The invention embraces all such changes and variations falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims. 
   In the foregoing specification and in the figures of the drawings, a detailed description has been provided and set down and further includes specific embodiments of the present invention for the purpose of illustration. In respect to the figures of the drawings of the specification of the present invention, like items are identified by like numerals. As the invention has been illustrated by the preceding detailed description and in the figures of the drawings, the apparatus and method of the present invention are not intended to be construed as being limited to the specific examples of the preferred embodiments. Variations may be made to include aspects of the complete disclosure as set forth in the figures of the drawings and in the detailed description without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed in the specification and as defined in the appended claims which follow. 
   The apparatus and method of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the descriptions of specific embodiments herein above, but rather the apparatus and method of the present invention should be viewed in terms of the complete specification and claims which follow and equivalents thereof.