Abstract:
An eyewear loupe which is adaptable to various types of eyewear frame and provides a sub-area of magnification. The loupe is easily removed from an eyewear frame and reattached. The loupe can be worn on either side of an eyewear frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to an eyeglass loupe or a magnifying device which attaches to an eyewear frame. The device is particularly useful for people who wear eyeglasses but need the use of a magnifier and do not wish to use a hand held device. 
     There are various types of magnifiers available to the public. Magnifiers can be used for reading, craftwork, material inspection and the assembly of small parts. 
     Magnifying glasses in the form of additional lenses can be attached to eyewear frames. U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,396 (Ulvio) discloses supplemental lenses mounted on arms supported by a clip on the eyewear bridge. The supplemental lenses can comprise a bifocal or monofocal lens. U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,959 (Walters) discloses a pair of plastic plates which are hinged to the top of an eyeglass frame. One or both of the plates can accept a monocular. The hinge allows the plates and monoculars to be flipped up out of the way for normal viewing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,263 (Nowak et al); U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,507 (Chang) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,291 (Caplan et al) disclose magnification devices mounted or attached to the bridge of an eyewear frame. The magnification devices disclosed comprise telemicroscopic loupes and are binocular in nature. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,609 (Matsui) is another example of a supplemental lens attaching to an eyewear frame. The attachment means provides for an adjustable loupe frame which may be retracted. 
     It is important that a device which attaches to an eyewear frame be able to fit any type of frame. In the eyewear market, frames can be made from plastic, metal or combination thereof. The temples can be thick and durable or thin and fragile. Plastic is usually used to produce sturdy, heavier type frames while metal frames are usually lightweight. There can be a wide variety in the temple and frame front dimensions. Metal may be used to produce temples that are wire-like and circular in dimension. Plastic temples are more likely to be thicker and flatter than those made from metal. 
     Other types of attachments which may be used with eyewear include rear view mirrors. In many activities in which glasses are worn, a need arises to also provide a rear view capability for the wearer. Rear vision spectacles are of particular importance to bicyclists, joggers, motorcyclists, security guards, etc. Many of these types of spectacles have mirrors which attach to the frame or are integrally part of the eyewear. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,246 (Binner) discloses a rear view mirror that attaches to eyewear by means of a clip. The clip has spring loaded tongues which clamp onto the temple bar. Each tongue is slitted on its end so as to form fingers that grasp more efficiently around cylindrical surfaces such as when a temple bar is rounded. The mirror is positioned by means of a ball and socket joint. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,165 (Lewis) also discloses a clip on optical device for bicycle riders and the like. The optical device consists of a pair of prisms that are positioned in front of the lenses; a mirror attaches to one of the prisms. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,964 (Berke et al) discloses eyewear that has slender shafts which project out from the front portion of each temple. A rear vision element attaches to the end of each shaft. The rear vision elements are slideable and rotatable. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,956 (Berke et al) discloses a pair of single-pivot, rear vision elements. The elements attach to the frame inward of the frame front and temple hinges, bend around the outside of the hinge and fit against the temples. The inside surface of the portion which lies against the temple is covered with a reflective surface. In use, the elements rotate forward such that the reflective surface allows the user to view objects at the rear. U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,806 (Berke et al) discloses dual-pivot, rear vision elements with the temples and arms rotatably attached to the outer portions of the frame front. The rear vision elements are rotatably attached to the arms. The arms have two sections which pivot forward and outward to provide the wearer with a wide range of adjustment for viewing objects at the rear. In all Berke patents, the rear vision elements are non-detachable parts of the eyewear. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,958 (Gorsich) discloses a lateral vision reflector attached to the eyeglass frame adjacent to the user&#39;s nose. The reflective mirror has a coating applied to each of the opposite faces of the substrate. This reflector is of particular use to people with defects in their lateral visual fields. 
     U.S. Pat. No. D286,395 (Greenlaw et al) shows a rear view mirror which attaches to a temple by a three pronged attachment means. The rear view mirror can then be adjusted to view objects behind the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,943 and D327,079 (both to Allen) also show a rear view mirror which pivots out from the temple. Upon storage, the mirror and arm retracts into the temple. In use, the arm pivots out and around toward the front, with the mirror being laterally adjustable to view objects. U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,454 (Hyun) also discloses a rear view mirror which extends from an eyewear temple. The temple has a channel from which a rod extends. The rod holds a rotatable mirror. 
     All of the above prior art represent permanent or semi-permanent attachment of magnifying devices to eyewear. None of the devices represent detachable devices which can be put on an eyewear frame or removed from a frame with relative ease. 
     Another issue for attaching a magnifying device is protection of the eyewear lenses. Any device that is attached and detached from eyewear must not scratch the lenses while being put on, removed or used. 
     Attaching a magnifying lens to an eyewear frame can provide the wearer with a magnified sub-area that can be used for precision work. Having the magnifying lens attached to an eyewear frame will free up the users&#39; hands to manipulate various objects. The magnifying lens must not obscure and interfere with the field of vision. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a magnifying loupe which may be used on either side of an eyewear frame, fit a wide range of eyewear frame styles, provide a sub-area of magnification for the user and be adjustable. The loupe may have one or two lenses and is comprised of a lens assembly, a pivotable boom and eyewear attachment means. 
     The present invention is adapted for cooperative use with an eyewear frame. As the magnifying lens is ideally suited for people who need to preserve their field of vision and yet have a smaller sub-area of magnification, the user is free to manipulate hand held work pieces or objects at all times. The magnifying loupe is easily adaptable to either side of the eyewear frame. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the eyewear magnifying loupe; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the eyewear magnifying loupe; 
     FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of the eyewear magnifying loupe; 
     FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the eyewear magnifying loupe; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the eyewear magnifying loupe; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the loupe; 
     FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the loupe attached to an eyewear frame, the eyewear frame shown in dotted lines; 
     FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the loupe, the arms in an open position shown in dotted lines, solid arrows showing the movement of the arms from open position to closed position; 
     FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the loupe, the lens in a central position shown in dotted lines, a solid arrow showing the movement of the lens from a central position to a downward position; 
     FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the loupe, the boom and lens assembly in a central position shown in dotted lines, a solid arrow showing the movement of the boom and lens assembly from an upward position to a central position; and 
     FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of an alternate embodiment in which the magnifying loupe has two lens assemblies and two booms. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the eyewear magnifying loupe  10  from a front perspective view. The eyewear magnifying loupe  10  comprises three main parts: a lens assembly  20 , a boom  40  and an attachment assembly  70  pivotally connected together by means which will be further described. 
     Lens assembly  20  consists of lens  22  and lens frame  30 . Lens frame  30 , shown in more detail in FIG. 6, consists of first frame portion  32 , second frame portion  34 , first portion opening  38 , second portion opening  38 ′ and screw  26 . First frame portion  32  and second frame portion  34  capture magnifying lens  22  about beveled edges  24 ,  24 ′, the beveled edges being located on opposite surfaces of magnifying lens  22 . On second frame portion  34  of lens frame  30  is washer  36  which can also be seen in FIG.  3 . Washer  36  may or may not be an integral part of frame  30  and allows for unhindered pivoting of lens assembly  20  in relation to boom  40 . As shown in FIG. 6, lens screw  26  extends through lens frame openings  38 , 38 ′, washer  36 , second end opening  52  and secures into lens frame bushing  39 . Lens bushing  39  extends into second end opening  52  at rear surface  44  (shown in FIG.  5 ). Lens frame screw  26  serves to secure lens  22  between two lens frame portions  32  and  34  and to attach the lens assembly  20  to boom  40 . In the preferred embodiment, lens  22  is a circular disk but may be other shapes. Lens  22  may be made of any optically clear material but is preferably made of glass. Single lens  22  can have any magnification power but is preferably 3×, 4×, 5× or 7× magnification. If the alternate embodiment of two lens assemblies are used (as shown in FIG.  11 ), the magnification power will increase but not double. For instance, combining two lens assemblies both having 4× magnification will give a total magnification of 7×. Two lens assemblies both having 3× magnification will produce 5× total magnification. 
     Looking now at FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that boom  40  has front surface  42 , rear surface  44 , and first and second opposite end portions  46 ,  48 . First end portion  46  has first end opening  56  and second end portion  48  has second end opening  52 . The diameter of second end opening  52  on front surface  42  is large enough to accommodate internally threaded screw  26 . On rear surface  44 , second end opening  52  must be larger to accommodate bushing  39 . On first end portion  46 , first end opening  56  is continuous throughout telescoping sleeve  58  which extends from rear surface  44 . Inside front surface first end opening  56  is nut  59 . Nut  59  secures single lens screw  130  which will be discussed later. Boom cap  60  fits into front surface first end opening  56 , providing a smooth outer surface to the overall appearance of boom  40 . 
     Boom  40  has a slight curve which is evident when viewed from top or side views FIG. 3,  4  and  5 . The curve of boom  40 , along with telescoping sleeve  58 , also serves to maintain lens assembly  20  at a uniform distance to the user&#39;s line of sight. This curve of boom  40 , along with telescoping sleeve  58 , also allows for unhindered pivoting of boom  40  (and hence lens assembly  20 ) in front of an eyewear lens when magnifying loupe  10  is attached to an eyewear frame. This pivoting about axis BB′ formed by single screw  130  is shown in FIG.  10 . When not in use, boom  40  and lens assembly  20  can be raised up to above and out of the user&#39;s field of vision. 
     Turning to FIGS. 5 and 6, there can be seen in greater detail elements of the attachment assembly  70  which comprises puck  72 , upper arm  90 , lower arm  90 ′ and hinge  88  (hinge  88  seen in FIG.  3 ). Puck  72  is used to brace magnifying loupe  10  against the eyewear when in use. Puck  72  has first portion  76 , second portion  78 , opening  80 , inner surface  82  and outer surface  84 . Opening  80  is internally threaded (not shown). While puck  72  may have any shape, in the preferred embodiment, second portion  78  has a wider, flatter shape than first portion  76 . On inner surface  82  of the second portion  78  is puck pad  74 . Puck pad  74  may be adhered to puck  72  or may be overmolded on puck  72 . Puck pad  74  may be any soft rubber material that is non-abrasive and provides cushioning. It is important that puck pad  74  contact the eyewear frame and/or lens in order to allow the user to adjust the fit of magnifying loupe  10  to the eyewear frame. Puck pad  74  must not, however, scratch the lens or frame. Puck  72  screws onto telescoping sleeve  120  of upper arm  90 , which will be described later. 
     As seen in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  4 , and  6 , upper arm  90  and lower arm  90 ′ are similar to each other in many aspects of their construction. In the following discussion, only one arm will be discussed with the understanding that the other arm has the same corresponding parts, which are labeled in the Figures with a prime next to the identifying number. The differences between arms  90 ,  90 ′ will be discussed in more detail later. Upper arm  90  has curved hook  92 , first and second end portions  94 ,  96 , upper surface  98 , front surface  99  and lower surface  100 . As evident in FIG. 2, first end portion  94  flares upward, providing a fingerpress for hinge  88 , allowing the opening and closing of attachment assembly  70 . Second end portion  96  has outer arm portion  102  which consists of a two prong-like structure  104 . Attached to the two prong-like structure  104  is pad  106 , which may be adhered to or overmolded on the arms. Pad  106  may be made from any soft material such as rubber. Outer arm portion  102  is used to grasp the eyewear frame front when the eyewear loupe is in use. By having pad  106  attached to the two prong-like structure  104 , attachment assembly  70  can securely fit onto any size of eyewear frame front. Hook  92  is located on lower surface  100  and may be adhered to the surface or be part of the molded arm. When attaching the magnifying loupe  10  to an eyewear frame, hooks  92  and  92 ′ of both arms  90 ,  90 ′ must hook around the hinge of the eyewear. 
     Upper arm  90  and lower arm  90 ′ differ in the following aspects: on the lower surface  100  of the first end portion  94  of upper arm  90 , there are two inner arms  110 ,  110 ′ which are spaced on opposite sides of arm  90  (only inner arm  110  is visible in FIG.  6 ). On the lower surface  100 ′ of first end portion  94 ′ of lower arm  90 ′, there is only one inner arm  112  which has a more centered location. Inner arm  112  is threaded with tension spring  116 . All three inner arms  110 ,  110 ′ and  112  have a centered opening which align to form a continuous thoroughfare when inner arms  110  and  110 ′ of upper arm  90  are placed directly over inner arm  112  of lower arm  90 ′, forming hinge  88  (hinge  88  shown assembled in FIG.  3 ). By providing tension spring  116 , arms  90 ,  90 ′ are able to snugly grasp the eyewear frame front and stay attached. Additionally, upper arm  90  and lower arm  90 ′ differ in that front surface  99  of upper arm  90  has telescoping sleeve  120 , a portion which is externally threaded. Puck  72  screws onto telescoping sleeve  120  and can be adjusted to fit the eyewear frame front (puck pad  74  should contact the eyeglass frame or lens). When inner arms  110  and  110 ′ of upper arm  90  are placed over and aligned with inner arm  112  of lower arm  90 ′, single lens screw  130  can continue through the openings of the inner arms such that single screw  130  projects out from telescoping sleeve  120 . This is shown in FIG.  6 . 
     Attachment of boom  40  and attachment assembly  70  is accomplished by single lens screw  130 . As previously stated, single lens screw  130  inserts through the openings of upper arm  110 , inner arm  112  and upper arm  110 ′ to project out through telescoping sleeve  120 . Puck  72  has been attached by aligning the internally threaded opening  80  with the externally threaded sleeve  120 . Compression spring  62  is slid onto lens screw  130 . Lens screw  130  then screws into rear portion of first end opening  56  of boom telescoping sleeve  58 . In the front portion of first end opening  56 , nut  59  screws onto screw  130 . The attachment of nut  59  and screw  130  is recessed into first end opening  56  such that boom cap  60  fits over first end opening  56 . Compression spring  62  provides sufficient tension to maintain boom  40  in a position to be determined by the user. 
     As previously mentioned, by adjusting puck  72  so that puck pad  74  contacts the eyeglass lens, the magnifying loupe can be fitted to any type of eyewear frame. By turning puck  72  around single screw  130 , puck  72  can be moved either closer or away from the eyewear lens. This ensures a secure fit, regardless of frame type or temple thickness. 
     The lens assembly/boom also may be rotated around lens screw  130  to move magnifying lens assembly  20  closer to or away from the user. Once the correct distance is obtained, compression spring  62  keeps lens assembly  20  in position. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the placement of the magnifying loupe  10  on a pair of eyewear. Although shown attached on the right lens side of the eyewear, the magnifying loupe can easily be placed on the left lens side of the eyewear. This allows the user to switch magnifying loupe  10  to either side as his or her needs dictate. As shown, lens assembly  20  is centrally positioned to be in the user&#39;s line of sight. 
     FIG. 8 further illustrates the movement of attachment assembly  70 . By squeezing  94  and  94 ′ together, arms  90 ,  90 ′ are put in an open position and are ready to be placed on the front frame of an eyewear. 
     FIG. 9 shows the movement of lens assembly  20 . The user can pivot lens assembly  20  about axis AA′ formed by screw  26 . This allows the user to place lens assembly  20  directly in the center of the user&#39;s viewing area or in the lower or upper viewing quadrants. 
     FIG. 10 shows the movement of boom  40  and lens assembly  20 . Boom  40  pivots about an axis BB′ formed by single screw  130 . Boom  40  and lens assembly  20  can be raised up to above the viewer&#39;s line of sight. 
     FIG. 11 shows another embodiment wherein the magnifying loupe comprises two lens assemblies and two booms. FIG. 11 comprises all parts of FIG. 1 minus nut  59  and boom cap  60 . Additionally, this embodiment includes lens assembly  21 , boom  41  with telescoping sleeve  57  and boom cap  61 . Single screw  130  has also been replaced with a longer screw and nut  59  has been replaced with nut  63  (not shown). 
     As previously stated, magnifying loupe  10  may be used on either side of an eyewear frame and may be adjusted to fit nearly any style frame, regardless of material used to make the frame. It allows for the user to have a visual area of normal, corrected vision and a sub-area of magnified vision.