Abstract:
A sports glasses construction includes an eyeglass frame for semi-rimless lenses having a pair of channels for receiving a first pair of selectively removable lenses or lens adapter frames, and a pair of lens adapter frames having respective upper connection members sized and shaped to fit into the respective pair of channels in the eyeglass frame. The pair of lens adapters each has a lower portion sized and shaped to couple to a second respective pair of lenses leaving the lower edges of the lenses exposed to provide a semi-rimless construction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,615 filed Feb. 2, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,279. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
   Not applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Sports glasses are employed by many athletes in various sports activities. Typically, such sports glasses are of the “wraparound” variety, which provide lenses having a relatively small radius of curvature. Such lenses are called “Base 8” lenses and are frequently tinted or polarized. Sports, such as mountain biking, skiing, and other sports in which rapid motion is a factor, benefit greatly from wraparound sports glasses, which can reduce glare and provide protection from wind and dust. The more popular sports glasses are semi-rimless, which is more aesthetically pleasing and provides better visibility to the user. Semi-rimless sports lenses are typically affixed to a frame along their upper edges but have lower and side edges that are not enclosed by the frame. On conventional framed glasses, the lower portion of the frame blocks a portion of the user&#39;s field of view. Additionally, there is better ventilation for the eyes when there is no bottom rim, which would otherwise tend to act like a gasket or seal around the eyes. 
   The Base 8 curvature enables tinted lenses to extend around to the side of the wearer&#39;s eyes to provide greater protection from the elements than is attainable with stock prescription lenses, which are constructed according to a larger radius of curvature (known in the industry as “Base 6”). 
   Notwithstanding the advantages of wraparound lenses having Base 8 curvature, many athletes would like to be able to incorporate prescription lenses into wraparound sports glasses frames. Such frames are sturdier and better suited to certain types of physical activity than conventional prescription glasses frames. Heretofore however, it has been difficult to incorporate prescription lenses into sports glasses designed for Base 8 curvature lenses because prescription lenses are made from stock Base 6 curvature lens blanks and these will not fit into sports glasses frames made for Base 8 curvature lenses. 
   Adapter rings have been proposed for conventional rimmed sports glasses, which will permit a prescription lens to be secured to a sports glasses frame. An example is shown in Hernandez (Publication No. US2006/0050227). Hernandez shows an adapter ring, which may be press-fitted into a sports glasses frame. The Hernandez design suffers from the problem that it is a rimmed frame and, additionally, the adapter ring provides another obstruction to the peripheral vision of the wearer and blocks ventilation as discussed above. Furthermore, the Hernandez design more closely resembles goggles, which from an aesthetic point of view, are less visually pleasing to many sports enthusiasts. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A sports glasses construction includes an eyeglass frame for semi-rimless lenses having a pair of channels for receiving a first pair of selectively removable lenses or lens adapter frames, and a pair of lens adapter frames having respective upper connection members sized and shaped to fit into the respective pair of channels in the eyeglass frame. The pair of lens adapters each has a lower portion sized and shaped to couple to a second respective pair of lenses leaving the lower edges of the lenses exposed to provide a semi-rimless construction. 
   The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of an exemplary semi-rimless sports glasses construction. 
       FIG. 2  is a front, partly exploded and partially cut away view of the exemplary sports glasses configuration of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the sports glasses construction of  FIG. 1  including an adapter for using prescription lenses in the sports glasses frame of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front, partial cut-away, partially exploded, view of the sports glasses construction of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of an adapter for the sports glasses frame of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 8  is a partial front view of the adapter and lens shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of a second embodiment of an adapter and lens combination for use in the sports glasses frame of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 10  is a partial cut-away front view of an adapter employing an eyewire for coupling a lens to the adapter. 
       FIG. 11  is a partial cut-away view taken along the line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 12  is a front view of a third embodiment of an adapter and rimless lens combination. 
       FIG. 13  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 14  is a partial cut-away view of a second embodiment of the adapter and lens shown in  FIG. 12  using a grooved rimless lens. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A sports glasses construction  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  and includes a frame  8  having a pair of articulated retainers  9   a  and  9   b . As is conventional in such constructions, the frame  8  has a nosepiece  14  and the retainers  9   a  and  9   b  are curved to engage the ears of the user (not shown). The frame  8  is fitted with a pair of sports lenses  12   a  and  12   b . Sports lenses, such as lenses  12   a  and  12   b , are known as wraparound lenses and typically have a small radius of curvature, which is known in the industry as a “Base 8” curvature. Such lenses are typically non-prescription lenses and may be tinted so as to reduce glare under different types of lighting conditions. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the lenses  12   a  and  12   b  are selectively replaceable in the frame  8 . On each side of the frame  8 , there is a channel  16   a ,  16   b  and the lenses  12   a  and  12   b  each have an upper edge  18   a ,  18   b  that cooperatively fits into the respective channels  16   a  and  16   b . To help retain the lenses in the channels, the lenses have tabs  19  at each end that mate with correspondingly shaped portions of the channels  16   a  and  16   b.    
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the frame  8  is now fitted with lenses  13   a  and  13   b  having a larger radius of curvature, conventionally know as “Base 6” curvature. For example, prescription lenses, because of the requirements for thicknesses in certain prescriptions, are thicker than tinted sports lenses (such as the lenses  12   a  and  12   b ) and cannot easily be made with Base 8 curvature. To do so requires an expensive process that may make the cost of such lenses prohibitive. 
   The frame  8  is designed for a semi-rimless configuration, which means that the bottom edges and at least a portion of the side edges of the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  are exposed and not enclosed by a rim. In order to fit the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  into the frame  8 , a pair of adapters  20   a  and  20   b  are provided. As shown best in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the adapters  20   a ,  20   b  each have an upper portion comprising ribs  22   a  and  22   b . These ribs are shaped and sized the same as the upper portions  18   a  and  18   b  of lenses  12   a  and  12   b . Thus, the ribs  22   a  and  22   b  fit easily into the channels  16   a  and  16   b  of the frame  8 . The lower portion of each of the adapters  20   a  and  20   b  is shown best in  FIG. 6 . Each of the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  fits into adapter channels, such as channel  24   b  shown in  FIG. 6 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , an eyewire arrangement (as shown best in  FIG. 10 ) is used to secure the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  to the adapters  20   a  and  20   b . In this embodiment, each of the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  have a peripheral groove  31  in the outer portion of the lens which is not supported by a rim. An eyewire  27  runs through the groove  31  and is secured to the adapter  20   a  by a locking channel guide  29 . Such locking channel guides are well known in the art and are a conventional way of connecting eyeglasses to spectacles frames using a nylon eyewire or the like. Additionally, with some types of guides, the channels (see channel  24   b ) may not be necessary and the lenses  13   a ,  13   b  may bear directly against the underside of the adapters  20   a ,  20   b.    
   An alternative method of construction is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 11 . In  FIG. 9 , the adapter  20   a  has been modified to provide a pair of widened side portions  26 . The side portions  26  provide enough inner surface area in this portion of the adapter to receive a pair of screws  25 , which are inserted through apertures  30  in the lens  13   a . Inner surfaces of side portions  26  contain complimentary screw holes  21  having a spacing matched to the apertures  30 . As shown best in  FIG. 11 , the front lower portion  23  of the adapter  20   a  protrudes downwardly forming a rib with an inner lower surface  28 . In this embodiment, the inner lower surface  28  of the adapter  20   a  is curved to conform substantially to the radius of curvature of the lens  13   a . One advantage of this embodiment is to eliminate the need to provide a channel of the exact thickness of the lens because prescription lenses differ in thickness. 
   Yet another variation of a sports glasses construction is shown in  FIGS. 12 ,  13  and  14 . Referring to  FIG. 12 , an adapter  40  includes a pair of side arms  44  that flex to receive the lens  13   a  securely within a channel  46  as shown in  FIG. 13 . In another variation of this construction, the lenses  13   a  and  13   b  (not shown) are grooved so as to receive a rib portion  48  protruding from the bottom of the adapter  40 , which fits into a groove  45  in the periphery of the lens  13   a.    
   In the embodiments of  FIGS. 9-14 , the adapter includes either a lower surface or a channel or a protruding rib whose radius of curvature substantially corresponds to that of the larger radius of curvature of the prescription lenses. 
   The precise manner of securing the lenses to the adapters is unimportant for purposes of the invention and a number of such securing methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition to the means of securing the rimless lenses to the adapters as shown herein, other mechanisms such as spring-loaded clamps, pegs or adhesives could be employed. 
   While the conventional designations for radius of curvature as used herein are the industry known standards (Base 8 and Base 6 curvatures), the disclosed sports glasses construction may be used for any lenses which have differing radii of curvature. 
   The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.