AU2002300907B2 - Eyeglass combination having auxiliary frame - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 DIVISIONAL APPLICATION NAME OF APPLICANT: David Yinkai Chao ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: "Eyeglass combination having auxiliary frame" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 P:\OPER\DH2568800 SPA3.do- O)4 A6 -1- EYEGLASS COMBINATION HAVING AUXILIARY FRAME Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pair of eyeglasses having an auxiliary frame for supporting auxiliary lenses.

Background of the Invention The closest prior art of which applicant is aware is US Patent 5,568,207, in which the primary frame are required to be engaged with magnets for actuating with the magnets engaged in the auxiliary frame, such that the auxiliary frame may not be attached to typical spectacle frame having no magnets therein.

Object of the Invention The invention aims to make it possible to provide an auxiliary frame for attachment to a typical spectacle frame having no magnets therein.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with the invention, there is provided an eyeglass combination including: a primary frame having a first bridge and two sides each having structure to which an auxiliary frame may be coupled, and an auxiliary frame for disposing in front of said primary frame, said auxiliary frame including a second bridge and two sides, each side having an extension arranged to extend rearwardly over the primary frame, wherein the extensions each include a rear end having a first flange adapted to extend downward and behind the respective structure to engage the primary frame from a rear side, to reduce the likelihood of the auxiliary frame being disengaged from the primary frame if the auxiliary frame is pulled forward relative to the primary frame, and wherein the frames are provided with magnets arranged with magnetic poles in an horizontal orientation so as to magnetically couple the frames together in an horizontal direction, in order to further secure the auxiliary frame to the primary frame.

P:\OPERDH 26880 SPA3.doc-0104A6 -2- Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an eyeglass combination having an auxiliary frame; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the eyeglass combination; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Detailed Discription Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an eyeglass combination comprises a primary frame 10 for supporting primary lenses 90 and including a bridge 11 formed in the middle and including two structures 12, to which an auxiliary frame may be coupled, formed in the side portions.

The bridge 11 and the structures 12 each include a magnet 14 disposed laterally having a pole (such as S as shown in Fig. 3) arranged in front of the other (N in Fig. 3).

An auxiliary frame 20 for supporting auxiliary lenses 91 and for disposing in front of the primary frame includes a bridge 21 and two extensions 22 disposed in the side portions and extended rearward for engaging over the bridge 11 and the structures 12 of the primary frame 10 respectively. The bridge 21 includes an arm 24 extended rearward. The extensions 22 and the arm 24 each include a rear end having a flange 23, 25 dependent downward. The flanges 23, 25 each include a magnet 26 disposed laterally having a pole (S in Fig. 3) arranged in front of the other (N in Fig. 3) for allowing the S pole to engage with the N pole of the magnet 14 of the primary frame It is to be noted that the flanges 23, 25 of the extensions 22 and of the arm 24 are extended downward for engaging with the structures 12 and the bridge 11 such that the flanges 23, themselves form a hook means for securing the auxiliary frame 20 to the primary frame In addition, the magnets 14, 26 are disposed laterally such that the flanges 23, 25 may further be stably and solidly attracted and retained in place.

It is further to be noted that the flanges 23, 25 may also be used to hook to the typical eyeglasses having no magnets engaged therein, such that the auxiliary frame 20 may be attached to any of the typical eyeglasses. Particularly, when the typical eyeglasses are P:\OPERMDDK2568800 SPA3.doc-104A6 -3made of metal or other magnetic materials, the magnets 26 of the auxiliary frame 20 may also be used for attracting the typical eyeglasses and may also be used for solidly securing the auxiliary frame to the typical eyeglasses.

It is also to be noted that with only the arm 24 and the magnet 26 therein, the auxiliary frame 20 may also be solidly secured to the primary frame 10. Without the arm 24 and without the magnets 26, the auxiliary frame 20 may also be secured to the primary frame by engaging the flanges 23 with the structures 12. The provision of the magnets 26 and 14 may further solidly secure the auxiliary frame 20 to the primary frame Accordingly, the eyeglass combination includes an auxiliary frame having a pair of extensions and/or an arm for engaging with the structures and/or the bridge of the primary frame, for allowing the auxiliary frame to be secured to various kinds of eyeglasses having no magnets therein. In addition, the provision of the flanges 23, 25 may also be used for solidly securing the auxiliary frame to the primary frame Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims (4)

1. An eyeglass combination including: a primary frame having a first bridge and two sides each having structure to which an auxiliary frame may be coupled, and an auxiliary frame for disposing in front of said primary frame, said auxiliary frame including a second bridge and two sides, each side having an extension arranged to extend rearwardly over the primary frame, wherein the extensions each include a rear end having a first flange adapted to extend downward and behind the respective structure to engage the primary frame from a rear side, to reduce the likelihood of the auxiliary frame being disengaged from the primary frame if the auxiliary frame is pulled forward relative to the primary frame, and wherein the frames are provided with magnets arranged with magnetic poles in an horizontal orientation so as to magnetically couple the frames together in an horizontal direction, in order to further secure the auxiliary frame to the primary frame.

2. An eyeglass combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein each side of the auxiliary frame includes a magnet for coupling with the primary frame.

3. An eyeglass combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein each flange includes an associated one of the magnets.

4. An eyeglass combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the horizontal orientation is a front-to-back orientation. An eyeglass combination, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. DATED 10 April 2006 David Yinkai Chao By DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant