Eyewear having a pivotable lens retainer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306468-B2
Application number	US-202217722113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Apr 15, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Eyewear of the present disclosure may include a frame having left and right rims, and a central bridge portion coupling the left rim to the right rim. A lens retainer has a first end pivotably coupled to an upper member of the central bridge portion and a second end releasably latched to a lower member of the central bridge portion. A lens is disposed on a front side of the eyewear frame and clamped to the frame by the lens retainer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Eyewear, comprising:
an eyewear frame including a left rim, a right rim, and a central bridge coupling the left rim to the right rim;
one or more lenses disposed on front-facing sides of the left and right rims; and
a lens retainer having a first end pivotably coupled to the central bridge and a body portion extending from the first end to a distal second end, the second end cooperating with the central bridge to form a releasable latch, wherein the distal second end of the lens retainer comprises a hook, wherein a lower portion of the bridge comprises an interface configured to mate with the hook of the lens retainer;
wherein the lens retainer is configured to transition between (a) a clamped position, in which the second end is latched to the bridge and the body portion traverses respective front faces of the one or more lenses, and (b) a released position, in which the second end is unlatched and pivoted away from the bridge and the one or more lenses are removable from the frame.

2. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the lens retainer is pivotably coupled to the central bridge by a hinge joint disposed at an upper portion of the bridge.

3. The eyewear of claim 2 , wherein the body portion of the lens retainer comprises two members, each of the two members extending from a respective lateral end of the hinge joint to the distal second end of the lens retainer, such that a space is formed between the two members.

4. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lenses comprise only a single shield-style lens engaging the left rim and the right rim.

5. The eyewear of claim 4 , wherein the lens retainer comprises an aperture, and the single lens fills the aperture when the lens retainer is in the clamped position.

6. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lenses comprise independent left and right lenses.

7. The eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lenses comprise a plurality of peripheral cutouts configured to mate with corresponding peripheral protrusions of the left and right rims.

8. The eyewear of claim 7 , wherein each of the peripheral protrusions of the left and right rims comprises a base portion configured to engage one of the cutouts and a distal flange configured to engage the front face of the lens.

9. Eyewear, comprising:
an eyewear frame including a left rim and a right rim;
a central bridge portion coupling the left rim to the right rim;
a lens retainer having a first end pivotably coupled to an upper member of the central bridge portion and a second end releasably latched to a lower member of the central bridge portion;
a portion of a lens disposed between and separating the upper member of the central bridge portion and the lower member of the central bridge portion, the lens disposed on a front side of the central bridge portion such that central bridge portion is disposed across a rear face of the lens, and the lens clamped to the frame by the lens retainer such that the lens retainer is disposed across a front face of the lens.

10. The eyewear of claim 9 , wherein the lens retainer is pivotably coupled to the upper member of the bridge portion by a hinge, and the lens retainer comprises a trapezoidal flap having a base formed by the hinge.

11. The eyewear of claim 10 , wherein the lens retainer comprises a pair of legs extending from respective ends of the hinge, such that at least one of the legs is disposed across a front face of the lens.

12. The eyewear of claim 11 , wherein an aperture is defined between the legs of the lens retainer.

13. The eyewear of claim 9 , wherein the lens is a unitary lens engaging both the left rim and the right rim.

14. The eyewear of claim 9 , wherein the lens retainer is configured to unclamp the lens by unlatching the second end and pivoting the second end away from the frame.

15. The eyewear of claim 9 , wherein the lens comprises one or more peripheral cutouts.

16. The eyewear of claim 15 , wherein the frame comprises one or more flanged protrusions configured to mate with the one or more peripheral cutouts.

17. A method for replacing an eyewear lens, the method comprising:
unlatching a hook of a first end of a lens retainer flap from an interface of a lower member of a bridge portion of an eyewear frame, wherein a second end of the lens retainer flap is pivotably coupled to an upper member of the bridge portion;
pivoting the lens retainer flap away from the frame;
removing a first lens of the eyewear disposed on a front side of the frame;
replacing the first lens with a second lens; and
clamping the second lens to the frame by pivoting the lens retainer flap onto the second lens and latching the first end to the bridge portion.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second lens is a unitary lens configured to cover left and right eyes of a wearer.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the lens retainer flap extends across a front face of the second lens when the first end is latched to the bridge portion.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first end latches to a nose portion of the bridge portion, and wherein the second end pivots about a brow portion of the bridge portion.

Assignees

• 100% Speedlab Llc

Inventors

• Boinnard Ludovic Francis
• Blanchard Marc Guy
• Mage Jerome Jacques Marie

Classifications

• G02C5/02

  Bridges; Browbars; Intermediate bars (nose engaging-surfaces G02C5/12) · CPC title

• G02C2200/04

  Junctions between frame elements having a click function · CPC title

• G02C5/12

  Nose pads; Nose-engaging surfaces of bridges or rims · CPC title

• G02C9/04

  by fitting over or clamping on · CPC title

• G02C1/10

  Special mounting grooves in the rim or on the lens · CPC title