JP7757171B2 - Lid member - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lid member.

Conventional eye care technologies include attaching a device to eyewear that sprays a mist toward the eyes. Examples include technology that attaches a device that ejects minute droplets to eyewear (see, for example, Patent Document 1), technology that attaches a device that atomizes and sprays eye drops to eyewear (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and a healthcare device that fires a jet of mist toward the eyes (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-510668 Jitsuto No. 3055480 Publication No. 3104861

However, in the prior art, no particular consideration was given to the lid of the liquid storage section that holds the liquid. Here, the inventor conducted an experiment in which he formed a lid for the liquid storage section using a soft, elastic material such as silicone, and provided a liquid refill port on the lid to refill the liquid. In this experiment, the inventor discovered a new issue: depending on the shape and material of the lid, the lid may deform and come off when refilling the liquid.

The present invention therefore aims to enable stable replenishment of liquid through the lid member of the liquid storage section.

In one aspect of the present invention, the lid member comprises a lid portion that covers the opening of a liquid storage portion in a spray mechanism provided in eyewear; a refill port provided on the flat surface of the lid portion that allows liquid to be refilled into the liquid storage portion; and an extension portion that extends from the flat surface of the lid portion toward the liquid storage portion and follows the inner wall of the liquid storage portion.

This invention makes it possible to provide a lid member for a liquid storage portion that allows stable replenishment of liquid through the lid member for the liquid storage portion.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of eyeglasses according to an embodiment, viewed from the front. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view (part 1) illustrating an example of a cartridge according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view illustrating an example of a cartridge according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view (part 2) showing an example of a cartridge according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating an example of a cartridge and a cover member according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a first example (part 1) of mounting a cartridge according to an embodiment. 10A and 10B are side views illustrating an example of an exploded view of a liquid storage portion and an extension portion according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an exploded view of a liquid storage portion and an extension portion according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a cover member according to an embodiment as viewed from the back side.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or technological applications not explicitly stated below. In other words, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of its spirit. Furthermore, in the following descriptions of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, proportions, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or proportions.

[Embodiment]
<Eyewear>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of eyeglasses 100 according to an embodiment, viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 1, eyeglasses 100 are an example of eyewear, and include a pair of lenses 110 and a frame 120. Note that, in this embodiment, the lenses 110 are described as a pair, but they do not necessarily have to be a pair. Also, in this embodiment, the lenses 110 are described as a component of eyeglasses 100, but the lenses 110 themselves are not necessarily a component required for eyeglasses 100.

The frame 120 includes, for example, a front 140, a pair of temples 180 rotatably connected to both the left and right ends of the front 140, and a pair of end pieces 160 attached to the rear of the pair of temples 180. The frame 120 also holds a pair of lenses 110 and holds the lenses 110 and front 140 in an appropriate position relative to the user's eyes and head.

The front 140 supports a pair of lenses 110. The temples 180, together with the end pieces 160, press against the temporal region of the user's head, clamping this area. The end pieces 160 also come into contact with the upper and rear portions of the user's ears, preventing the eyeglasses 100 from falling off. Note that the end pieces 160 are not necessarily a necessary component of the eyeglasses 100.

For the sake of convenience, in the following description, the longitudinal direction of the front 140 shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as the "left-right direction." Furthermore, when the eyeglasses 100 are worn, the left side as seen by the user will be referred to as the "left side" (X2), and the right side as seen by the user will be referred to as the "right side" (X1). Furthermore, the short direction of the front 140 will be referred to as the "up-down direction," with the direction above the head being referred to as the "upward direction" (Z1) and the direction below the head being referred to as the "downward direction" (Z2). Furthermore, the thickness direction of the front 140 will be referred to as the "front-to-back direction," with the front 140 side being referred to as the "forward direction" (Y1) and the end piece 160 side being referred to as the "rearward direction" (Y2).

The eyeglasses 100 to which this embodiment is applied are formed symmetrically with respect to the glabella (bridge) 142. For this reason, in the following description, no distinction will be made between the left and right sides of the symmetrical configuration, and only the components on one side of the drawings will be described using reference numerals.

The front 140 is, for example, a plate-like structure extending in the left-right direction, and is curved to protrude forward to fit the user's face. The front 140 also has a central glabella 142, a pair of nose pads 144 attached to the left and right sides of the back surface of the glabella 142, a pair of rims 146 formed on both the left and right ends of the glabella 142, a pair of end pieces 147 formed on each end of the pair of rims 146, and a pair of first hinge portions (not shown) attached to the back surfaces of the pair of end pieces 147.

The glabella portion 142 connects the left and right portions of the front 140 (glasses 100). The glabella portion 142 may be, for example, a curved plate-like member, and may be formed from resin or the like.

The nose pads 144 support the front 140 by pinching the sides of the user's nose, maintaining the height of the front 140 relative to the user's eyes. The nose pads 144 are, for example, a cling type with a resin pad portion and a metal support portion. Deformation of the pad portion and support portion allows for fine adjustment of the position of the front 140 relative to the user's nose and eyes (for example, the vertex distance).

The rim 146 holds the lens 110. The rim 146 is, for example, a ring-shaped member formed to fit the shape of the lens 110, and is made of resin or the like.

A first hinge portion (not shown) is formed on the end piece 147. The end piece 147 is, for example, a curved plate-like member made of resin or the like.

The first hinge portion functions as an example of a connecting portion, and when combined with a plate-shaped second hinge portion (not shown) formed on the temple 180 side, it rotatably connects the temple 180 to the front 140. In other words, the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion form a hinge.

The temples 180 are L-shaped components that are curved to fit the temporal region of the head. The temples 180 are rotatably connected within a range from a folded position where they form the smallest angle with the front 140 to an open position where they form the largest angle with the front 140.

A spray mechanism is also provided on the end piece 147 or the temple 180. In the embodiment, a cartridge 200 that is detachable from the end piece 147 or the temple 180 is described as an example of a spray mechanism. An example is shown in which the cartridge 200 is attached along the longitudinal direction of the temple 180, but this example is not limiting. The cartridge 200 also has a liquid storage section that stores mist liquid, a spray element that sprays the mist using the liquid, and a control circuit board that controls the spray element. The cartridge 200 may also be configured without a spray element or control circuit board, in which the liquid in the liquid storage section evaporates into gas, and this gas is released to the outside.

<Cartridge>
An example of the cartridge 200 will be described using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view (part 1) showing an example of the cartridge 200 according to the embodiment. The example shown in Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view from above of the area where components for spraying mist are housed. The cartridge 200 has a main body housing section 220, a spray component cover section (or main body lid section) 210, and a lid member 222. The cartridge 200 may be formed, for example, from resin. The lid member 222 may also be formed from a soft material such as elastic silicone or rubber. The cartridge 200 shown in Figures 2 to 4 shows an example attached to the right (X1) temple 180, for example, and is a type that sprays toward the eye.

In the example shown in FIG. 2 , a lid member 222 is fitted into the opening of the liquid storage portion 230 in the main body storage portion 220, and a spray component cover portion 210 is attached to cover the spray element 300 and the control circuit board 400 on the spray component side. Furthermore, when the lid member 222 and the spray component cover portion 210 are attached to the main body storage portion 220, they may be collectively referred to as the main body storage portion. While the cartridge 200 is provided in the eyewear, it may be literally provided by being attached and connected, or it may be provided as a spray mechanism that is integrally formed with a part of the eyewear, such as the temple 180 or end piece 147, and cannot be removed. As an example, the main body storage portion 220 has a connection mechanism that can be detachably connected to the temple 180 or end piece 147 of the eyewear, as described below. By providing the cartridge 200 that is detachable from the temple 180 or end piece 147 of the eyewear, the frame 120 does not get in the way when refilling the liquid, making the refilling process easier.

The spray component cover portion 210 has one opening 202 at a position corresponding to the position of the spray element 300. The mist sprayed by the spray element 300 is released to the outside through this opening 202. The lid member 222 has two openings 204, one of which functions as a liquid supply port (e.g., an inlet), and the other functions as an air vent for adjusting the pressure inside the liquid storage portion 230. Note that the lid member 222 may have only one opening, which may function as both a supply port and an air vent. The lid member 222 also has an extension portion 2221. Details of the extension portion 2221 will be described later.

The cartridge 200 has a width, height, and depth direction, and has a polyhedral shape (e.g., a hexahedral shape). For example, the cartridge 200 is shaped like a roughly rectangular parallelepiped. The cartridge 200 also includes a main body storage compartment 220, the width of which is its longitudinal direction. For example, when the temples 180 are unfolded (worn), the width of the cartridge 200 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the temples 180, the depth is aligned with the left-right direction of the front 140, and the height is aligned with the vertical direction of the face. The shape of the main body storage compartment 220 shown in Figure 2 is one example, and it does not have to be roughly rectangular. It may also be trapezoidal in plan view in the width and height directions, for example. The shape can be determined appropriately depending on the position at which it is attached to the eyewear 100 main body.

The spray component cover 210 also has a wall 212 that forms an opening 260 (see Figure 3) in the main body housing 220 when attached. For example, the wall 212 may be U-shaped so that it protrudes from the spray component cover 210 side. The opening 260 may have a protruding connection mechanism from the main body housing 220 to the temple 180 or end piece 147, or may have a recess formed to receive a protruding connection mechanism provided on the temple 180 or end piece 147.

The spray component cover part 210 also has protrusions 214 (see Figure 4) at each of its four corners, which are press-fit into the corresponding recesses 224 (see Figure 2) of the main body housing part 220, thereby securing the spray component cover part 210 to the main body housing part 220 (see Figure 3). The protrusions 214 include, for example, bosses. The protrusions 214 may also have different lengths or shapes, and the protrusions 214 and recesses 224 on the housing area 250 side that houses the control circuit board 400 may be replaced with a screw-fastening structure.

Figure 3 is an external perspective view showing an example of a cartridge 200 according to an embodiment. The cartridge 200 is formed with an opening 202 that allows the mist to pass to the outside, an opening 204 that serves as a liquid supply port and ventilation port for the liquid storage section 230, and an opening 260 that forms a connection mechanism with the temple 180 and end piece 147. A connection terminal (e.g., a USB connector) that can also be used for power supply may protrude from the opening 260.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view (part 2) showing an example of a cartridge 200 according to an embodiment. Unlike Figure 2, the example shown in Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view from above on the liquid storage section 230 side. In the example shown in Figure 4, protrusions 214 are formed on each corner on the back side of the spray component cover section 210. One or more ribs 216 may also be provided extending inward from the wall 212 that forms the opening 260. For example, these ribs 216 may press down on the connection terminals protruding from the opening 260, ensuring stable positioning of the connection terminals.

<Spray element>
The spray element 300 is an element that sprays the liquid contained in the liquid container 230 as a mist. The mist is, for example, a moisture mist, and includes at least minute liquid particles. The spray element 300 is either an ultrasonic oscillation element that can vibrate the liquid to generate at least minute liquid particles, or an atomizing element that can generate a reduced pressure state using an airflow to turn the liquid into a mist of minute liquid particles.

The structure and shape of the spray element 300 are not particularly limited, but a thin, flat shape is preferable. It is also desirable for the size and shape of the spray element 300 to correspond to the location where it will be attached. The spray element 300 is housed in a storage area 240 that is arranged in parallel with the liquid storage section 230.

<Liquid storage section>
Liquid storage section 230 is a section that stores liquid to be atomized by spray element 300. There are no particular limitations on the structure or shape of liquid storage section 230, as long as it is configured to have the function of supplying liquid to spray element 300. In the example shown in Figures 2 to 4, liquid storage section 230 is provided inside cartridge 200.

The liquid storage section 230 may contain the liquid as is, or may contain a liquid-absorbing or liquid-retaining material such as a sponge or felt that has been soaked in liquid. The bottom of the liquid storage section 230 may also be configured to have a supply port that supplies liquid to the spray element 300.

<Cover member>
5 to 9 , an example of the lid member 222 will be described. The lid member 222 includes a lid portion (flat portion on the upper surface) 2220 that covers the opening of the liquid storage portion 230 provided in the cartridge 200 that can be attached to the eyewear 100, a refill port (or opening) 204 provided on the flat surface of the lid portion 2220 that allows liquid to be refilled into the liquid storage portion 230, and an extension portion 2221 that extends from the flat surface (e.g., the back surface) of the lid portion 2220 toward the liquid storage portion 230 and follows the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230. For example, the lid portion 2220 is a substantially flat surface with a predetermined thickness, and its shape is not particularly limited, as it is determined by the opening of the liquid storage portion 230. The cartridge 200 may be provided integrally with the eyewear 100.

Figure 5 is a top view showing an example of a cartridge 200 and lid member 222 according to an embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 5, a cross-shaped notch is formed as a supply port 204 on the top surface of the lid portion 2220 of the lid member 222. For example, the filler port of a bottle containing liquid is inserted into the cross portion of the cross-shaped notch to fill the liquid. At this time, it is necessary to prevent the lid portion 2220 from deforming and collapsing when the bottle's filler port is inserted into the supply port 204, or for the lid member 222 to come off. Therefore, the lid member 222 according to this embodiment is provided with an extension portion 2221 that extends, for example, in a substantially perpendicular direction from the plane (e.g., the back surface) of the lid portion 2220 and follows the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a cartridge 200 when the lid member 222 according to the embodiment is fitted into the liquid storage portion 230. As shown in Figure 6, the extension portion 2221 of the lid member 222 is formed to fit along the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230. As a result, frictional force is generated when the extension portion 2221 comes into contact with the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230. As a result, the force acting on the peripheral portion of the lid portion 2220 due to deformation of the lid portion 2220 is distributed to the extension portion 2221, allowing the force associated with this deformation to be offset by the frictional force with the inner wall and the resistance (repulsion force). This prevents the lid portion 2220 from deforming, collapsing, or coming off, enabling stable liquid replenishment. Furthermore, the above-described configuration eliminates the need to increase the number of parts in the lid member 222. Furthermore, the lid member 222 can be simply configured and molded as a single unit.

The extension portion 2221 may also be formed by a wall that extends circumferentially along the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230. Alternatively, the extension portion 2221 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 6. This makes the frictional force between the extension portion 2221 and the inner wall of the liquid storage portion 230 uniform, maximizing the frictional force and enabling more stable liquid replenishment.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the thickness of the lid portion 2220 in a predetermined region including the opening 204 of the lid portion 2220 may be thinner than the thickness of the lid portion 2220 in other regions. For example, if the thickness of the lid portion 2220 in other regions is 2 mm, the thickness of the lid portion 2220 in the predetermined region may be 1 mm. This reduces the resistance when inserting the bottle's inlet into the opening 204, and reduces the force applied to the lid portion 2220.

Figure 7 is a side view showing an example of an exploded view of the liquid storage portion 230 and extension portion 2221 according to an embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 7, the positional relationship between the liquid storage portion 230 inside the cartridge 200 and the supply port 232 to the spray element 300 is indicated by a dotted line. In addition, in the example shown in Figure 7, it is preferable to provide a slope on the bottom of the liquid storage portion 230 so that the supply port 232 to the spray element 300 is at the deepest part. The liquid storage portion 230 is provided with a supply port 232 that supplies liquid to the spray element 300, and the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230 is sloped so that the liquid flows toward this supply port 232.

Furthermore, as the bottom surface of the liquid storage section 230 is inclined, the end of the extension direction of the extension section 2221 also inclines along the inclination of the liquid storage section 230. For example, the length of the extension direction of the extension section 2221 gradually increases from one longitudinal end of the lid section 2220 to the other. Furthermore, since the length in the extension direction is determined by the inclination of the bottom surface of the liquid storage section 230, the position where the length of the extension direction of the extension section 2221 is longest is the deepest position of the liquid storage section 230, and this deepest position may be any position in the longitudinal direction of the lid section 2220.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of an exploded view of the liquid storage portion 230 and the extension portion 2221 according to the embodiment. For ease of explanation, the spray element 300 and other components that are not part of the liquid storage portion 230 and the extension portion 2221 are omitted from Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 8, the wall representing the extension portion 2221 may have an opening 2222 that allows liquid in the liquid storage portion 230 to pass to the outside. For example, the opening 2222 may be located at a position corresponding to the opening 202 of the cartridge 200, and the size of the opening 2222 of the extension portion 2221 may be determined according to the size of the opening 202 of the cartridge 200. As a result, the liquid stored inside the wall passes through the opening 2222 and is ultimately released into space as gas through the opening 202 of the cartridge 200. The amount of liquid that flows out can be adjusted by the size or position of the opening 2222 of the extension portion 2221.

The wall of the extension 2221 may also have a window that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 230 to be confirmed. For example, the window may be a slit or a rectangular opening extending from the tip of the extension 2221, and its shape is not particularly important as long as it allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 230 to be confirmed. In this case, at least the portion of the cartridge 200 that corresponds to the window is made of a transparent material so that the window can be seen from the outside. This allows the user to check the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 230 from the outside and know when to refill the liquid. Note that the window may be unnecessary if the lid 222 is made of a transparent soft material. In this case, the cartridge 200 has a transparent material, slit, opening, etc. in the portion that corresponds to the window, allowing part of the interior of the liquid storage portion 230 to be seen from the outside.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the extension portion 2221 may extend to the bottom edge of the liquid storage portion 230. In this way, the bottom surface of the extension portion 2221 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230, so that the pushing force from the top surface of the lid portion 2220 when inserting the bottle's inlet can be offset by the repulsive force from the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230, allowing for more stable liquid replenishment. Furthermore, by having the bottom surface of the extension portion 2221 come into contact with the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230, it is possible to prevent the lid member 222 from sinking into the liquid storage portion 230. Furthermore, if the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230 is inclined (see Figure 7, for example), the end of the extension direction of the extension portion 2221 may be formed along this inclination. As a result, even if the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 230 is inclined, the length of the extension portion 2221 in the extension direction extends to the bottom surface along the inclination, and the lid member 222 can also receive a repulsive force from the inclined surface.

The thickness of the lid portion 2220 shown in Figure 8 is designated as W1. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the lid member 222 according to this embodiment as viewed from the back. The thickness of the extension portion 2221 shown in Figure 9 is designated as W2. In this case, the thickness W2 of the extension portion 2221 may be thinner than the thickness W1 of the lid portion 2220. This makes it possible to ensure a larger amount of liquid is contained within the liquid storage portion 230 (in the extension portion 2221). Note that the thickness W2 of the extension portion 2221 does not need to be uniform; it is sufficient that the thickness W2 of at least a predetermined region is thinner than the thickness W1 of the lid portion 2220.

The opening 204 of the lid portion 2220 is not limited to the openings shown in Figures 2 to 4 and Figures 5 to 9. For example, the size and shape can be changed as appropriate. The shape of the extension portion 2221 is not limited to the cylindrical shape shown in Figure 9, etc. For example, it may be a columnar shape placed at the corner of the liquid storage portion 230, or a lattice shape. The length of the extension portion 2221 in the extension direction does not have to extend to the bottom of the liquid storage portion 230, as long as there is sufficient friction and resistance (repulsion) with the inner wall.

The present invention has been described above using various embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

100 Eyeglasses 120 Frame 140 Front 147 End piece 180 Temple 200 Cartridge 202, 204, 260 Opening 206 Connection mechanism 220 Main body storage section 222 Lid member 230 Liquid storage section 2220 Lid section 2221 Extension section 2222 Opening

Claims (6)

A cover member for a liquid storage section in a spray mechanism provided in eyewear,
a lid portion for covering an opening of the liquid storage portion ;
a refill port provided on a flat surface of the lid portion, through which the liquid can be refilled into the liquid storage portion;
an extension portion that extends from a plane of the lid portion toward the liquid storage portion and includes a wall body that is formed along a circumferential direction of an inner wall of the liquid storage portion ,
the wall has an opening at a supply port for supplying the liquid in the liquid storage portion to the spray element of the spray mechanism, through which the liquid passes;
Lid member. The lid member according to claim 1, wherein the spray mechanism is a cartridge that is detachable from the eyewear. The cover member according to claim 1 , wherein the wall has a window through which the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion can be confirmed. The cover member according to claim 1 , wherein the extension portion extends to a bottom side of the liquid storage portion. The cover member according to claim 4 , wherein when the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion is inclined, an end portion in the extension direction of the extension portion is formed along the inclination. The lid member according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the extension portion is thinner than the thickness of the lid portion.