Abstract:
Eyeglasses with an eye shield for protecting a wearer&#39;s eyes from airborne liquids, debris or contaminants. The eye shield is removably attached to the inner surface of the eyeglass frame at the left and right ends of the frame. The eyeglass frame has a pair of risers that slide into a pair of channels on the eye shield to securely and reliably attach the eye shield to the eyeglasses.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/222,892 filed Jul. 2, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to eye shields for attachment to eyeglasses so that the combination functions like goggles to protect the eyes from airborne pollutants. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,688 discloses a detachable eye shield for glasses that uses a variety of retaining mechanisms to attach a forward side of a shield to a rearward side of an eyeglass frame. Four types of retainer mechanisms are disclosed: pin-hole, magnetic, hoop and loop, and adhesive layer. The eye shield utilized is an air-permeable foam material. 
         [0006]    The eye shield retaining mechanisms described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,688 have several problems. They are difficult to integrate into existing eyeglass designs because they require extensive and obtrusive modifications to the eyeglass frame. The pin-hole, hoop and loop, and adhesive layer attachment mechanisms render the eyeglasses very uncomfortable, if not impossible to wear when the eyeglass shield is removed. Attachment mechanisms on the inner surface of the eyeglass frame around the eyes creates this problem. Furthermore, the pin-hole attachment mechanism is unreliable because the pins tend to break with use. The hoop and loop and adhesive layer attachment mechanisms wear out over time. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art attachment mechanisms by using a simple and elegant attachment that allows the eye shield to be attached and removed many times and does not interfere with wearing of the eyeglasses when removed. The attachment mechanism has a pair of risers on one end of the inner surface of the eyeglass frame. A pair of channels, one on each end of the outer surface of the eye shields, are sized to fit snuggly over the riser on the frame. The risers have a pair of indentations, one on the upper surface and one on the lower surface of the riser. The channels have a pair of nubs, one on the upper surface and one on the lower surface of the channel. The eye shield is attached to the frame by sliding the channels over the risers until the nubs are located in the indentations. The eye shield is then securely and reliably attached to the eyeglass frame to protect the wearer&#39;s eyes from liquids, debris or other airborne contaminants. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The exact nature of this invention, as well as the objects and advantages thereof, will become readily apparent from consideration of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the eyeglasses and eye shield; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective, partially in cross-section, of the left channel and left riser attachment mechanism; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, partially in cross-section, of the left channel and left riser attachment mechanism; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the eyeglasses and eye shield, showing how the eye shield can be detached from the eyeglass frame. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the eyeglasses and eye shield. An eyeglass frame  2  has a left temple connector  4  joined to the left side of the frame  2  at a left hinge  8 . A left riser  10  is located on the left inner surface  12  of the frame  2  between the left hinge  8  and a left lens  14 . A right temple connector  16  ( FIG. 4 ) is joined to the right side of the frame  2  at a right hinge  18 . A right riser  20  is located on the right inner surface (not shown) of the frame  2  between a right lens  22  and the right hinge  18 . 
         [0014]    An eye shield  30  having a substantially rigid base  34  which conforms in shape to the contours of the frame  2  carries foam sealing elements  36 ,  42 . A left channel  32  is located at the left end of the left outer surface  31  of the base  34 . A left upper slot  60  is located along a left upper edge  62  of the base  34 . A right upper slot  64  is located along the right upper edge  66  of the base  34 . A right channel  40  is located at the right end of the right outer surface  41  of the base  34 . The base is preferably made out of a rigid lightweight plastic material. 
         [0015]    The foam shielding elements  36 ,  42  attached to the base  34  are preferably made out of closed-cell foam. A left foam shielding element  36  that conforms to the contours of the left side of the base  34  is permanently attached to the inner surface  38  of the base  34 . The closed-cell foam shielding element  36  has a plurality of slits  37  around the periphery of the foam shielding element. A right foam shielding element  42  that conforms to the contours of the right side of the base  34  is permanently attached to the inner surface  44  of the base  34 . The closed-cell foam shielding element  42  has a plurality of slits  43  around the periphery of the foam shielding element. These slits, along with the slots  60  and  64  in the base  34  provide for air circulation to the eye without allowing airborne particles in. 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates a detailed view of the left riser  10  and the left channel  32 . A left top nub  46  is located on the upper surface  48  of the left channel  32 . A left bottom nub  50  is located on the lower surface  52  of the left channel  32 . A left top indentation  24  is located on an upper surface  26  of the left riser  10 . The top nub  46  fits into the top indentation  24 . A left bottom indentation  28  is located on a lower surface  29  of the left riser  10 . The bottom nub  50  fits into the bottom indentation  28 . This structure locks the eye shield  30  to the eyeglass frame  2 . 
         [0017]    The right riser  20  and right channel  40  are similar in structure and function to the left riser  10  and the left channel  32 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the right channel  40 , has a right top nub  47  located on an upper surface (not shown) and a right bottom nub  51  located on a lower surface  53 . The right riser  20  has a right top indentation  25  on an upper surface  27  and a right bottom indentation (not shown) on a lower surface (not shown). 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , to attach the eye shield  30  to the frame  2 , the left outer surface  31  of the substantially rigid member  34  is placed against the left inner surface  12  of the frame  2  so that the left channel  32  is aligned with the left riser  10 . While, the right outer surface  41  of the substantially rigid member  34  is placed against the right inner surface (not shown) of the frame  2  so that the right channel  40  is aligned with the right riser  20 . 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , once aligned, force is applied to the left shielding element  36  and the left outer surface  6  of the frame  2  to push the left riser  10  into the left channel  32  until the nub  46  and  50  fit into the indentations, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0020]    In a similar manner, force is applied to the right shielding element  42  and a right outer surface  7  of the frame  2  ( FIG. 1 ), until the right riser  20  fits into the right channel  40 , causing the right top nub  47  to fit into the right top indentation  25  and the right bottom nub  51  to fit into the right bottom indentation. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates how easy it is to detach the eye shield  30  from the frame  2 . A user simply grasps the frame  2 , placing a fingernail in the right upper slot  64  and pulls rearwardly. The user then places his finger in the left upper slot  60  and pulls rearwardly. Once the eye shield  30  is detached from frame  2 , the frame appears to be a regular eyeglass frame without any readily apparent indication of its dual function as eye protecting goggles.