Patent Publication Number: US-2012038878-A1

Title: Decorative Eyewear

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to fashion design, and more particularly to decorative design of eyewear. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Eyewear design can include the design of glasses for vision correction, protection and/or comfort (e.g., sunglasses), and fashion. Eyewear is available in various shapes and sizes. Typical eyewear includes a lens, an eyewire (i.e., the part of the frame surrounding the lens), and a temple. Temples are manufactured in shapes including straight, bowed, skull (e.g., shaped like a hockey stick), and cable (e.g., a J-shaped wire that wraps around the ear). Temples are also available in various colors and widths. The eyewire is also available in various colors, materials (e.g., plastic, metallic, or wireless), thicknesses, and shapes (e.g., round, oval, rectangular, and aviator). Additionally, lenses are available in various tints and gradient of tints. 
     Eyewear, whether functional or a fashion statement, is selected and worn based on appearance and the wearer&#39;s sense of style. Accordingly, further developments and expansions in the design of eyewear are desirable. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, eyewear can include a frame a lens and a decorative element coupled to the lens. 
     These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of eyewear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a an illustration of eyewear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is an illustration of eyewear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is an illustration of the eyewear of  FIG. 3A  configured in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is an illustration of eyewear in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4B  is an illustration of the eyewear of  FIG. 4A  configured in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While certain stylistic designs and accessories are known for the temples and eyewire of eyeglasses, little, aside from the tinting of lenses, is known with respect to the decorative and stylistic design of eyewear lenses. The present invention is generally directed to the design, styling, and decoration of such eyewear lenses by attaching decorative elements to the lens. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates eyewear  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Eyewear  100  includes an eyewire  110  surrounding a lens  120 . While eyewear  100  is illustrated having a single eyewire  110  forming a continuous perimeter around a single lens  120 , in view of the description herein, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other styles of eyewire can be incorporated into an embodiment of the present invention, including for example round, rectangular, aviator, and frameless eyewear (i.e., eyewear having no eyewire). Lenses corresponding to the shape of the eyewire are available with various tints and corrective attributes including correction of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and bi-focal or transitional lenses. 
     Eyewear  100  includes six mounts  130 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160 ,  170 , and  180  coupled to the lens  120 . Each mount  130 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160 ,  170 , and  180  can by coupled to the lens chemically, such as by an adhesive or by fusion to the lens. Alternatively, mounts  130 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160 ,  170 , and  180  can be coupled to the lens  120  by passing through holes in the lens. For example, a mount can include a nut and bolt, screw, rivet, pin, peg, or other known fastener. The mounts  130 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160 ,  170 , and  180  can be arranged in a pattern on the lens  120  or placed randomly. As illustrated by  FIG. 1 , mounts  130 ,  140 , and  150  are arranged in a diagonal line near the top of the lens, and mounts  160 ,  170 , and  180  are arranged relatively randomly on the lower portion of lens  120 . One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other patterns and arrangements of mounts could be created on the lens using one or more mounts. 
     Attached to each mount  130 ,  140 ,  150 ,  160 ,  170 , and  180  is a decorative element. Specifically, as illustrated with respect to eyewear  100 , a link (i.e., chain link)  135  is attached to mount  130 , a link  145  is attached to mount  140 , a link  155  is attached to mount  150 , a link  165  is attached to mount  160 , a link  175  is attached to mount  170 , and a link  185  is attached to mount  180 . While certain decorative elements are illustrated in the Figures and described herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other decorative elements and combinations of elements could be attached to the mounts of such decorative eyewear. 
     Certain mounts can be rotatably attached to the lens  120  such that the mount rotates with respect to the lens. For example a nut and mount type mount can rotate within a hole made through the lens  120 . Alternatively, the mount can include a rotatable element top (e.g., cap or head) that can rotate with respect to a body of the mount coupled to the lens  120 . By configuring the eyewear  100  with a rotatable mount, the decorative element attached to the mount (e.g., links  135 ,  145 ,  155 ,  165 ,  175 , and  185 ) can rotate and move. 
     Furthermore, certain rotatable mounts can be held in specific positions, such that the decorative element can be positioned and maintained at specific angle. These specific angles can be maintained by friction or by mechanical stops (e.g., radial ridges or grooves, or an interlocking saw tooth pattern) in the mount. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of eyewear  200  in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. As similarly discussed with respect to eyewear  100 , eyewear  200  includes eyewire  210  and lens  220 . Eyewear  200  includes mounts  230 ,  260 ,  290 , and  295 . Attached to mounts  230  and  260  are rings  240  and  270 , respectively. Rings  240  and  270  are illustrated as fixedly attached to mounts  230  and  260 . Alternatively, rings  240  and  260  could be coupled to mounts  230  and  260  by passing each ring through a hole in the mount. Attached to rings  240  and  270  are bars  250  and  280 , respectively. Bars  250  and  280  are movable with respect to rings  240  and  270  because the bars  250  and  280  are loosely attached to rings  240  and  270  by passing each ring  240  and  270  through a hole in the bars  250  and  280  or by wrapping the bars  250  and  280  around the rings  240  and  270 . 
     Decorative elements can be removed, added, or interchanged. As illustrated, eyewear  200  further includes mounts  290  and  295 . No decorative elements are attached to mounts  290  and  295 . However, if desired, decorative elements can be added using the available mounts  290  and  295 . Additionally, rings  240  and  270 , which are attached to mounts  230  and  260 , could be interchanged with other decorative elements, such as those illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 A,  3 B, and  4 . 
     Interchangeability of decorative elements can also be provided by incorporating a magnet into the decorative element, the mount, or both. For example, mounts  290  and  295  can include a magnetic portion to which a decorative element could be attached. The decorative element can include either a ferromagnetic portion or a magnetic portion, which can be placed adjacent the magnetic mount such that the decorative element is attached to the mount. If the decorative element includes a magnetic portion, the mount can include a ferromagnetic portion or a magnetic portion. It should be noted that by using a magnetic mount rather than mechanical mount, the mount can be disposed on the inside of the lens (i.e., the surface of the lens nearest the wearer) or embedded in the lens such that if no decorative element is attached, a third party would not be aware the eyewear included a mount. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are illustrations of eyewear  300  in two configurations accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. As similarly discussed with respect to eyewear  100 , eyewear  300  includes eyewire  310  and lens  320 . Attached to mount  330  is ring  340 , and attached to mount  350  is ring  360 . 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates rings  340  and  360  rotated about mounts  330  and  350  such that the rings  340  and  360  are positioned over the front surface of lens  320 .  FIG. 3B  illustrates rings  340  and  360  rotated about mounts  330  and  350  such that rings  340  and  360  are position away from the lens  320 . While  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate rings  340  and  360  as rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to the front surface of lens  320 , in an alternative, rings  340  and  360  could be configured to rotate about and axis substantially in a plane of the lens  320 . That is, the rings  340  and  360  could pass through a hole in mounts  330  and  350  (e.g., a hole made radially through the mount) and rotated away from the lens  320  such that in an intermediate position, rings  340  and  360  are substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the lens  320 , and as the rings  340  and  360  are further rotated about this axis, the rings  340  and  360  are moved into the position illustrated in  FIG. 3B . 
       FIG. 4A  is an illustration of eyewear  400  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As similarly discussed with respect to eyewear  100 , eyewear  400  includes eyewire  410  and lens  420 . Mounts  430  and  450  are coupled to lens  420 , and attached to mounts  430  and  450  are decorative elements  440  and  460 . As discussed above, decorative elements  440  and  460  can be rotated about mounts  430  and  450 . For example, decorative elements  440  and  460  can be rotated so as to be positioned in line with the front surface of the lens  420 . 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the static friction between mount  430  and decorative element  440  and the static friction between mount  450  and decorative element  460  can be used to position the decorative elements  440  and  460  at various angles. 
     In yet a further aspect of the present invention, eyewear  400  can include positioning elements  435  and  455 . These positioning elements  435  and  455  can be embedded in the lens  420 , on the outer surface of the lens  420 , on the inner surface of the lens  420 , and/or through the lens  420 . Positioning elements  435  and  455  can use magnetic forces to hold decorative elements  440  and  460  in specific orientations. 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates eyewear  400  in a configuration where decorative elements  440  and  460  are rotated, relative to their orientation in  FIG. 4A , approximately 90° about mounts  430  and  450 , respectively. In this orientation, magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  of decorative elements  440  and  460  are attracted to positioning elements  435  and  455  by magnetic forces, so as to maintain the orientation of decorative elements  440  and  460  as being inline with the lens  420 , as shown in  FIG. 4B . As illustrated, decorative elements  440  and  460  include open spaces within its structure so that even when positioned inline with the lens  420 , a wearer of the eyewear  400  will be able to see through the lens  420  and the decorative elements  440  and  460 . 
     As discussed above with respect to magnetic mounts, positioning elements  435  and  455  can include a magnet and/or magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  can include a magnet. If positioning elements  435  and  455  include a magnet, magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  can include a magnet or a ferromagnetic material. Alternatively, it magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  include a magnet, positioning elements  435  and  455  can include a magnet or a ferromagnetic material. 
     It should be noted that the inclusion of magnets in positioning elements  435  and  455  and magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  can be used to create additional configurations and motion effects and limitations of the decorative elements. For example, while illustrated as having two positioning elements  435  and  455  (i.e., one positioning element on each side of the eyewear  400 ) multiple positioning elements and differing numbers of positioning elements could be attached to lens  420  to provided for multiple, symmetrical and/or asymmetrical orientations of the decorative elements. 
     Additionally, if magnets are included in positioning elements  435  and  455  and magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465 , rather than utilizing the attractive forces between opposite magnetic poles, the repelling forces created between common magnetic poles can be used to affect or control the movement of the decorative elements  440  and  460  as they move about mounts  430  and  450 . That is for example, if dipole magnets in positioning element  435  and magnetically interactive portion  445  are oriented such that, when in the configuration of  FIG. 4B , the same pole of each magnet is juxtaposed, then the magnetically interactive portion  445  will be repelled from the positioning element  435 . In this manner, the movement of the decorative element  440  can be restricted and/or influenced such that the decoratively element is less likely to obstruct the wearer&#39;s vision as in the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 4B . Thus, the magnetically interactive portions  445  and  465  and the positioning elements  435  and  455  can be placed in various locations to create varying influences and restrictions on the movement of decorative elements  440  and  460 . 
     The foregoing Detailed Description is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive. It is to be further understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The various modules that are shown are for illustrative purposes only, and may be combined, rearranged and/or otherwise modified.