Patent Publication Number: US-2005128426-A1

Title: Goggles with replaceable lens

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to goggles, more particularly to goggles or a mask structure having a cushion pad and a supporting frame with a replaceable lens.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Goggles or masks including lenses, a cushion pad, and a hard frame are known. These goggles or masks maybe used as a swimming mask, goggles, a diving mask, sporting and protecting goggles, and will be referred to hereinafter as goggles.  
      In conventional goggles, for the sake of manufacturing and waterproofing the lenses of the goggles are fixed in a frame or directly provided on a cushion pad, and are not replaceable.  
      However, conventional goggles have a deficiency because the lenses of the goggles cannot be replaced depending on different users and different circumstances, such as, a user&#39;s eyesight (myopia, hyperopia, etc.), and a variety of lighting conditions and water clarity, and even to provide a sunshade above the water after swimming. In the past, to cope with these shortcomings, some manufacturers tried sticking paper on the lenses in an attempt to customize the lenses.  
      The structures of conventional goggles are generally classified as one of two types. In the first type, the cushion pad and lenses are clamped between a mainframe and a sub-frame, and a head belt is mounted on opposing sides. In the second type, the lenses are directly covered by a cushion pad, and the head belt is mounted on opposing sides of the cushion pad and located near the lenses. In both types of conventional goggles, lenses are designed to be fixed, therefore the conventional goggles would have to be redesigned to have a removable and replaceable lenses.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object of the present invention is to provide goggles including a frame, a cushion pad and at least a lens supporting frame, wherein the lenses are replaceable.  
      The object of the present invention is to make the lenses removable and replaceable so that lenses can be selected and used to satisfy a variety of conditions.  
      The supporting frame of the present invention has a receiving groove for mounting the lens and a removable fastener is provided on the supporting frame. The lens may be clamped within a receiving groove by the fastener.  
      A clearance between the lenses and the supporting groove should be provided with a waterproof washer.  
      A contact position between the lens and the receiving groove in the present invention may include a coating of a hermetical material, such as glue, to prevent the lens mounted in the receiving groove from leaking.  
      In another embodiment, the present invention can be further varied so that the goggles include a supporting frame covered by a cushion pad. The lenses and removable fasteners clamping the lenses are mounted on the supporting frame, and a head belt is fixed on both sides of the soft mask. In this embodiment, the frame in the present invention may be omitted, and the object of interchanging the lenses on a stable supporting frame may be achieved.  
      The present invention initiates a supporting frame structure, on which the replaceable lens can be mounted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional view of one side of the goggles according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area A in  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective exploded view illustrating another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the invention generally includes a frame  10 , supporting frames  20 , covering body or cushion pads  30 , a head belt  40  and lenses  50 . The lenses  50  are connected to the supporting frame  20  by fasteners  60 .  
      The frame  10  has two frame bodies  1   1  and a link  12  provided between the two frame bodies. Each frame body  11  has a lens aperture  13 . Opposing sides of the frame  10  have connecting portions  14 , which engage with connectors  41  on both ends of the head belt  40 , so as to connect the head belt to the frame  10 . The connectors  41  allow the tension of the head belt to be adjusted.  
      It is known to those skilled in the art to use the above-mentioned structure to connect the head belt  40  to the frame  10 . The connecting structure and the corresponding adjusting means of the present invention isn&#39;t limited to that shown in the drawings.  
      The supporting frames  20  are used to support the lenses  50 , which are simultaneously clamped by the fasteners  60  to firmly fix the lenses to the supporting frames  20 . Each supporting frame  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , comprises a main body  21  having a ring-shaped raised wall  23  surrounding a lens aperture  22  and a groove  24  located on a side of the raised wall  23 . An outwardly splayed sloped edge  25  is located on a front edge of an interior periphery of the raised wall  23  and the lens aperture  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and includes a plurality of mortises  26 . The groove  24  is used to position the fastener  60 . The sloped edge  25  and the mortises  26  are provided to connect the lens  50  to the supporting frame  20 . The lenses  50  are clamped in the supporting frames  20  by the fasteners  60 .  
      The lens  50  may be customized for numerous conditions including correcting the vision of a user&#39;s eyes, optimizing a user&#39;s vision for a variety of lighting conditions and water clarity, and providing sunshade above the water.  
      The cushion pads  30  are used to seal the goggles with a user&#39;s face and are generally composed of a soft elastic colloid such as silica gel. In the present invention, the supporting frame  20  may also receive and seal the replaceable lens  50 , the structure of which is designed to be waterproof. As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the cushion pad  30  may be two separated parts, one on a left side and one on a right side. However, the two cushion pads  30  may also be an integrated covering structure covering eyes, a nose, and even a mouth. The cushion pads  30  have openings  32  in a center and aprons  31 . The apron  31  is provided for close-contacting with face, and the opening  32  is used for positioning and sealing the supporting frame  20 . The cushion pad  30  and the supporting frame  20  are held in place by the frame  10  (referencing to  FIG. 3 ).  
      The lenses  50  allow a user to see outwardly and each includes a lens body  51  having a peripheral edge  52  that is sloped or angled and a tenon  53  corresponding to the mortise  26 . The slope of the peripheral edge  52  corresponds with the sloped edge  25  of the supporting frame  20 . A sealing layer  54  is applied on or near the peripheral edge  52 , so that the lens  50  and the supporting frame  20  are connected with a waterproof seal when the peripheral edge  52  of the lens  50  is positioned adjacent to the sloped edge  25  of the supporting frame  20 . Once the lens  50  is engaged with the supporting frame  20 , a pressure produced from outside to inside (i.e., in direction of user&#39;s eyes) on the lens  50  allows the lens  50  to be connected with the supporting frame  20 . Once the fastener  60  is removed, to remove the lens  50 , a pressure can be applied from inside to outside against the lens  50  in the lens aperture  22  of the supporting frame  20  so that the lens  50  may be removed and replaced by another appropriate lens.  
      The fastener  60  may be inserted into and removed from a side surface of the raised wall  23  of the supporting frame  20  to secure the lens  50 . The fastener  60  generally includes a body  61  having a projection  62 , and a retaining plate  63  provided on an end of the body  61 . When the projection  62  is inserted into the groove  24  of the supporting frame  20 , the retaining plate  63  secures the lens  50  in the supporting frame  20 .  
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are a partial cross-sectional view and a partial enlarged view of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a connection between the supporting frame  20  and the cushion pad  30  is protected by the frame  10 . Further, a part of the fastener  60  may also be protected by the frame  10 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , a sealing layer  54  is provided between the slope of the periphery  52  of the lens  50  and the sloped edge  25  of the supporting frame  20 . The sealing layer  54  may be a colloid layer formed on the peripheral edge  52 , a washer, or a colloid layer formed on the sloped edge  25  of the supporting frame  20  used for sealing and buffering.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, wherein a frame  10 ′, a supporting frame  20 ′, a cushion pad  30 ′, and a lens  50 ′ are each integrally formed as one piece. Fasteners  60 ′ are located on both sides of the supporting frame  20 ′ respectively. A head belt  40 ′ is a commonly known component. The lens  50  may also be removed and replaced when the fastener  60 ′ is removed from the above-mentioned structure, so as to provide a removable lens  50 ′.  
      Furthermore, the cushion pad of the present invention may be sealingly connected to the supporting frame with the lens and the corresponding removable fastener and the head belt may be located on both sides of the cushion pad to cover the supporting frame. This structure provides a replaceable lens without a frame body.  
      In summary, the present invention provides goggles with a replaceable lens, wherein a replaceable lens  50  is connected to and removed from the supporting frame  20  located between the frame  10  and the soft cushion pad  30 . Further, a slope structure is also provided between the lens  50  and the supporting frame  20  to enable the lens  50  to be secured in place and to withstand an external pressure. The lens  50  may be sealed with the supporting frame  20  by the sealing layer  54 .  
      The disclosed embodiments of the present invention are only the preferred embodiments. Any minor changes or modifications partially or wholly to the present invention conducted by other professional and made publicly known or familiar shall be deemed to be derived from the present inventive concept and will be within the scope of the claims of the present invention.