Patent Publication Number: US-2016238858-A1

Title: Fluid-filled eyewear

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 104202841, filed on Feb. 17, 2015. 
     FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a fluid-filled eyewear, more particularly to a fluid-filled eyewear capable of automatically adjusting optical power. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional fluid-filled eyewear  1  has been disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,488,250 B2. The conventional fluid-filled eyewear  1  includes a fluid-filled lens  11 , a frame  12  having the fluid-filled lens  11  mounted thereon, a reservoir  13  disposed within the frame  12  for containing a fluid, and a power source  14  for providing an actuation signal (i.e., an electric potential) to the reservoir  13 . The reservoir  13  is a tube disposed around a perimeter of the fluid-filled lens  11 , and is made of a piezoelectric material. The reservoir  13  is in fluid communication with the fluid-filled lens  11 . When the power source  14  applies the electric potential to the reservoir  13 , the reservoir  13  flexes, causing the fluid to either inflate or deflate the fluid-filled lens  11  to change the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  11 . 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a fluid-filled eyewear capable of automatically adjusting optical power. 
     According to the disclosure, the fluid-filled eyewear includes a frame body, at least one fluid-filled lens mounted on the frame body, and at least one optical power adjusting device disposed within the frame body. The optical power adjusting device includes a reservoir for storing a fluid and disposed in fluid communication with the at least one fluid-filled lens, and an actuation module. The actuation module includes a tilt sensor that is configured to sense a tilt angle of the frame body and to output a signal indicative of the tilt angle, an actuator that is operable to cause the fluid to flow between the reservoir and the at least one fluid-filled lens, and a controller that is configured to receive the signal from the tilt sensor and to control operation of the actuator according to the tilt, angle indicated by the signal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective cut-away view illustrating a portion of a conventional fluid-filled eyewear disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,488,250 B2; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a fluid-filled eyewear according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view illustrating a tuba connecting a pair of fluid-filled lenses of the fluid-filled eyewear of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially cross-sectional fragmentary view of the fluid-filled eyewear of the first embodiment, for illustrating an optical power adjusting device; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the fluid-filled eyewear for illustrating a tilt angle of a frame body; and 
         FIG. 6  is a partially cross-sectional fragmentary view of a second, embodiment of a fluid-filled eyewear according to the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before the disclosure is described in further detail with reference to the accompanying embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted, by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the first embodiment of the fluid-filled eyewear capable of automatically adjusting optical power according to the disclosure includes a pair of fluid-filled lenses  2 , and an eyewear frame having the fluid-filled lenses  2  mounted thereon. 
     The eyewear frame includes a frame body  3  and an optical power adjusting device  4 . For example, each of the fluid-filled lenses  2  is a myopic lens. Alternatively, each of the fluid-filled lenses  2  may be a hyperopic lens. In other embodiments, the fluid-filled eyewear according to this disclosure may include only one fluid-filled lens  2 . 
     The frame body  3  has the fluid-filled lenses  21  mounted thereon, and includes a pair of temple pieces  31 , a rim  32  having the fluid-filled lenses  2  mounted thereto, and a tube  33  connected between the fluid-filled lenses  2  and allowing fluid communication therebetween. 
     The optical power adjusting device  4  is disposed within one of the temple pieces  31  of the frame body  3 , and is operable to adjust optical power of the fluid-filled lenses  2 . It should be noted that, since operations of the optical power adjusting device  4  for adjusting the optical powers of the fluid-filled lenses  2  are substantially the same, the following description discusses the optical power adjusting device  4  with respect to only one of the fluid-filled lenses  2  for the sake of brevity. Certainly, in other embodiments, the fluid-filled eyewear may include a pair of the optical power adjusting devices  4  for adjusting the optical powers of the fluid-filled lenses  2 , respectively, and the tube  33  can be omitted. 
     The optical power adjusting device  4  includes a reservoir  41  and an actuation module  42 . The reservoir  41  stores a fluid  5 , and is in fluid communication with the fluid-filled lens  2 . The actuation module  42  includes an actuator  421 , a controller  422  and a tilt sensor  423 . The actuator  421  includes a piston  425  disposed fittingly and movably in the reservoir  41 , a connecting rod  424  connected to the piston  425 , and a motor  426  meshed with the connecting rod  424  for driving the connecting rod  424  to move the piston  425  in the reservoir  41 , causing the fluid  5  to flow between the reservoir  41  and the fluid-filled lens  2 . The tilt sensor  423  is one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a level gauge. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the controller  422 , the tilt sensor  423  and the motor  426  of the actuator  421  are electrically connected to a printed circuit. board. In other embodiments, the tilt sensor  423  may be disposed at the rim  32 . 
     Further referring to  FIG. 5 , in operation, the tilt sensor  423  is operable to sense a tilt angle (X) of the frame body  3  with respect to a reference line (e.g., the ground level), and to output a signal indicative of the tilt angle (X). The tilt angle (X) of the frame body  3  can be used as reference information for determining whether a wearer of the fluid-filled eyewear is reading. For example, when the wearer bows his/her head and reads an article, the tilt angle (X) should be greater than a tilt angle of the frame body  3  in the case where the wearer&#39;s viewing angle is horizontal. 
     The controller  422  is configured to receive the signal from the tilt sensor  423 , and to control operation of the actuator  421  according to the tilt angle (X) indicated by the signal. The controller  422  stores a threshold angle value, a first threshold time length and a second threshold time length. In particular, the controller  422  is programmed to actuate the actuator  421  for causing the fluid  5  to flow into or out from the fluid-filled lens  2  when the tilt angle (X) is greater than the threshold angle value. In this embodiment, once a duration in which the tilt angle (X) is greater than the threshold angle value reaches the first threshold time length, the controller  422  is programmed to control the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow between the reservoir  41  and the fluid-filled lens  2 , rendering optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  equal to a first diopter value. Further, once a period equal to the second threshold time length has elapsed after the duration reaches the first threshold time length, the controller  422  is programmed to control the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow between the reservoir  41  and the fluid-filled lens  2 , rendering the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  equal to a second diopter value smaller than the first diopter value. The second diopter value may be a default diopter value of the fluid-filled lens  2  in accordance with the degree of myopia of the wearer, or a different diopter value that is smaller than the first diopter value for different requirements. 
     For example, for a fluid-filled lens  2  with a default diopter value less than +2.0 diopters, in order to decrease progression of myopia, the first threshold time length is 20 minutes, the second threshold time length is 20 seconds, the threshold angle value is 15 degrees, and the first diopter value is 42.0 diopters. When the wearer bows his/her head for reading, the tilt angle (X) of the frame body  3  is greater than the threshold angle value. Once the tilt angle (X) is greater than the threshold angle value, the controller  422  is programmed to start timing the duration in which the tilt angle (X) continues to be greater than the threshold angle value. When the duration reaches 20 minutes (i.e., the first threshold time length), the controller  422  controls the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow out from the fluid-filled lens  2 , increasing the optical, power of the fluid-filled lens  2  from the default diopter value to the first diopter value (i.e., +2.0 diopters). The increase in the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  may remind the wearer to stop reading for a while and to take a break by looking at a distant view 20 feet away. The controller  422  re-starts timing once the duration reaches the first threshold time length and the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  is adjusted to the first diopter value, and controls the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow into the fluid-filled lens  2  once a period equal to the second threshold time length (i.e., 20 seconds) has elapsed. As a result, the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  is reduced to the second diopter value. 
     In other embodiments, the second threshold time length may be greater than the first threshold time length. For example, the first threshold time length is 20 minutes, and the second threshold time length is 20 minutes and 20 seconds. The controller  422  is programmed to start counting a time period once the tilt angle (X) is greater than the threshold angle value. If the tilt angle (X) continues to be greater than the threshold angle value for a duration that equals the first threshold time length from the beginning of the counting of the time period, the controller  422  is programmed to control the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow out of the fluid-filled lens  2 , rendering the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  equal to the first diopter value. Meanwhile, the controller  422  continues counting the time period, and upon the time period reaching the second threshold time length (i.e., 2′20″), controls the actuator  421  to cause the fluid  5  to flow from the reservoir  41  into the fluid-filled lens  2 , rendering the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2  equal, to the second diopter value, 
     It should be noted that the controller  422  can be programmed by connecting the controller  422  to a computer through a transmission cable or wireless communication. The computer can be installed with a specific program interface for programming the controller  422 . Alternatively, a mobile device, such as a smart phone or a tablet computer, can communicate with the controller  422  through Bluetooth©, and can be installed with an application for programming the controller  422 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the second embodiment of the fluid-filled eyewear according to the disclosure is similar to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the actuator  421  further includes a screw gear  427  connected to the motor  426  and meshed with the connecting rod  424  for driving the connecting rod  424 . 
     In sum, by virtue of the tilt sensor  423 , the controller  422  is operable to control operation of the actuator  421  according to the tilt angle (X) indicated by the signal from the tilt sensor  423 . Accordingly, the fluid-filled eyewear according to the disclosure is capable of automatically adjusting the optical power of the fluid-filled lens  2 . 
     While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass ail such modifications and equivalent arrangements.