GB2262617A - Sunglasses - Google Patents

Abstract

Sunglasses for use by fishermen comprise a spectacle frame 10 with two lens elements 11 of light polarising material journaled therein for rotation about their respective optical axis. A bar 12 couples the two lenses 11 together, being spigotted into a hole 14 in the respective lens 11 at either end. The spectacle frame 10 has an arcuate bridge 15 above the usual bridge piece 16. A hook element 17 is fixed to the bar 12 and extends under, up and around the arcuate bridge piece 15 which serves a guide rail for it. The wearer engages the hook element 17 with his finger to move it along the guide rail whereby to adjust the angular orientation of the lenses. <IMAGE>

Description

SUNGLASSES DESCRIPTION This invention relates to sunglasses having lenses formed of a light polarising material. Such sunglasses are useful to fishermen who want to see fish below the surface of water as they are capable of cutting out the plane polarised component of sun light reflected by the surface of the water.

Conventional light polarising sunglasses are not an ideal solution for fishermen to the problem of reflected sunlight because the angle of the sun relative to the surface of the water changes up to about 11 am and from about 3 pm to sunset. The rate of change is at its greatest near to dawn or dusk which are often favourable times of day for fishing. Hence the fisherman is forced to reposition himself every few minutes in order to reorientate the lenses of his glasses so that the plane polarised component of the reflected light continues to be cut out by them.

GB-A-2204709 describes and illustrates polarised sunglasses comprising a frame in which one pair of lenses of polarising material, one for each eye, are fixedly mounted and another pair of lenses of polarising material are mounted each overlying a respective one of the lenses of said one pair with a space therebetween, for rotation in unison within the frame without substantially altering the spacing of each of the lenses of the other pair from the lens of said one pair that it overlies.

Means are provided for effecting angular movement in unison of the lenses of said other pair relative to the lenses of said one pair and the frame whereby to attenuate the intensity of the ultra-violet range of radiations transmitted by the lenses. GB-A-1542485 and GB-A-2228341 both disclose similarly arranged pairs of glasses each comprising one pair of lenses of polarising material each in line with a respective one of another pair of lenses of polarising material which are fixedly mounted in the frame, the lenses of said one pair being rotatable in unison relative to the frame and the fixed pair.

According to this invention there is provided sunglasses for use by fishermen comprising a spectacle frame with one pair of lenses only, each of the pair of lenses being operable to cut out the plane polarised component of light reflected from the surface of water so as to enable the fishermen to see fish below the surface, wherein each of the single pair of lenses is mounted within the frame for rotation substantially about its optical axis, the arrangement being such that the angular orientation of the lenses within the frame can be adjusted to cater for a change in the angle of the rays of the sun.

The pair of glasses described and illustrated by GB-A-1542485 includes a bar which is pinned at either end to a respective one of the moveable pair of lenses whereby limited angular movement of that pair of lenses relative to the other pair of fixed lenses in the same frame is effected by moving the bar along its length in one direction or the other.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the single pair of lenses of polarising material are coupled together by a bar whereby limited angular movement of the pair of lenses together in the frame by substantially the same amount and in the same sense can be imparted to them by the fisherman by moving the bar along its length in either direction.

Preferably the bar carries a hook element between its ends, the hook element projecting laterally from the bar and extending around an arcuate bridge piece portion of the spectacle frame whereby the arcuate bridge piece serves as a guide rail which guides or constrains the intermediate portion of the bar from which the hook portion extends, to follow a pre-set arcuate path similar to that to be followed by each end of the bar at its coupling to the respective one of the single pair of lenses of polarising material as the bar is moved along its length to effect angular movement of the single pair of lenses in unison within the spectacle frame.The preferred form of bar is a length of rod, conveniently of metal, which is bent at either end to form a lateral spigot which is spigotted into a respective hole in the polarising material of the respective lens whereby to form the coupling between the bar and that lens.

Conveniently the hook portion is formed from similar rod material so that it extends from the bar under the arcuate bridge piece portion and is bent back over the top of that bridge piece portion, that part of the hook portion above the bridge piece portion being adapted to be engageable by the fisherman to effect adjustment of the angular orientation of the single pair of lenses of polarising material relative to the frame.

Conveniently a pair of shield elements are carried by the frame, each depending from a respective one of the pair of arms of the spectacle frame, adjacent the hinge of that arm. Desirably the shield elements are curved so that they follow the perimeter of the adjacent part of the spectacle frame in which a respective one of the single pair of lenses of polarising material is mounted for angular movement. Each of the shield elements may be mounted detachably on the respective arms, conveniently by being provided with spaced aperture means adapted to receive the respective arm so that each shield element can be slid onto the arm into position adjacent the hinge of that arm.

One form of sunglasses for use by fishermen in which this invention is embodied is described now by way of example with reference to the accompanying sketches, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spectacles as seen from the front; and Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective from a different angle to better illustrate the engagement of the bar with the lens at either end and of the hook portion with the arcuate bridge piece.

The drawings show a spectacle frame 10 with two lens elements 11 journalled therein for angular rotation about their respective optical axis. Each lens element 11 comprises a lens of light polarising material.

A bar 12 formed of a straight length of metal rod couples the two lenses 11 together, extending between them in front of the frame 10. The bar 12 is bent at either end to form angled laterally projecting end portions. The outer end 13 of each of the angled end portions comprises a spigot 13 which is spigotted into a hole 14 formed directly in the respective lens element 11.

The spectacle frame 10 has an arcuate bridge piece 15 above the usual bridge piece 16 that is designed to rest upon the nose of a wearer.

A hook element 17 projects laterally from the bar 12 to which it is fixed and extends under, up and around the arcuate bridge piece 15 so that the latter serves as a guiderail which guides it and thereby guides the intermediate portion of the bar 12 to which it is joined, to follow a preset arcuate path similar to that to be followed by the interengaged spigot 13 and hole 14 during angular movement of the lenses 11 together with movement of the bar 12 along its length. The upper end 18 of the hook element is adapted to be engaged by a finger of the wearer whereby it can be moved along the guiderail that comprises the arcuate bridge piece 15.

A pair of shield elements 19 are carried one on each arm from which they are detachably suspended by being formed with a spaced pair of holes through which the arm can be passed, the portion of the shield element between the pair of holes being deformed relative to the remainder of the shield element 19 so that it is on one side of an arm and the remainder of the shield element from which it is separated by the holes is on the other side of the arm. Conveniently the shield element is curved so that it follows the perimeter of the adjacent part of the spectacle frame as it depends from the respective arm.

In operation, the fisherman wears the spectacles so that the shields shield his eyes from light from either side. He manipulates the finger engageable top portion 18 of the hook element 17 to position it along the arcuate bridge piece 15 to set the lenses 11 so that they are both oriented so that the polarised components of sunlight reflected from the water does not pass through them. Periodically the fisherman is able to adjust the angle of orientation of the lenses 11 by manipulating the upper part 18 of the hook portion 17, as the sun rises or falls so that the polarised component of light reflected from the water continues to be prevented from passing through the lenses 11.

The load exerted by the fisherman as he manipulates the finger engageable portion 18 of the hook element 17 is transferred to the arcuate bridge piece 15 from where it is distributed through the frame 10. As a result any tendency for the lenses to bind in the frame 10 that could follow if that load was applied directly to the bar 12 is reduced so that the lenses are more likely to rotate freely in the frame 10.

Although each lens is directly mounted within the respective aperture formed by the frame so that the frame provides a bearing surface for the respective lens around the respective aperture, each lens could be mounted in the frame by means of a respective ball race.

Claims (10)

1. Sunglasses for use by fishermen comprising a spectacle frame with one pair of lenses only, each of the pair of lenses being operable to cut out the plane polarised component of light reflected from the surface of water so as to enable the fisherman to see fish below the surface, wherein each of the single pair of lenses is mounted within the frame for rotation substantially about its optical axis, the arrangement being such that the angular orientation of the lenses within the frame can be adjusted to cater for a change in the angle of the rays of the sun.

2. Sunglasses as claimed in claim 1 wherein the single pair of lenses of polarising material are coupled together by a bar which is coupled at either end to a respective one of the pair of lenses whereby limited angular movement of the pair of lenses together in the frame by substantially the same amount and in the same sense can be imparted to them by the fishermen by moving the bar along its length in either direction.

3. Sunglasses according to claim 2, wherein the bar carries a hook element between its ends, the hook element projecting laterally from the bar and extending around an arcuate bridge piece portion of the spectacle frame whereby the arcuate bridge piece portion serves as a guide rail which guides or constrains the intermediate portion of the bar from which the hook element extends, to follow a preset arcuate path similar to that to be followed by each end of the bar at its coupling to the respective one of the single pair of lenses of polarising material as the bar is moved along its length to effect angular movement of a single pair of lenses in unison within the spectacle frame.

4. Sunglasses according to claim 3 wherein the bar is a length of rod which is bent at either end to form a lateral spigot which is spigotted into a respective hole in the polarising material of a respective lens whereby to form the coupling between the bar and that lens.

5. Sunglasses according to claim 4 wherein the hook element is formed from a similar rod material to the bar so that it extends from the bar under the arcuate bridge piece portion and is bent back over the top of that bridge piece portion, that part of the hook element above the bridge piece portion being adapted to be engageable by the fisherman to effect adjustment of the angular orientation of the single pair of lenses of polarising material relative to the frame.

6. Sunglasses according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein a pair of shield elements are carried by the frame, each depending from a respective one of the pair of arms of the spectacle frame, adjacent the hinge of that arm.

7. Sunglasses according to claim 6, wherein the shield elements are curved so that they follow the perimeter of the adjacent part of the spectacle frame in which a respective one of a single pair of lenses of polarising material is mounted for angular movement.

8. Sunglasses according to claim 7 wherein the shield elements are detachable.

9. Sunglasses according to claim 8 wherein the detachable shield elements are provided with aperture means adapted to receive an arm of the spectacle frame whereby a shield element can be slid onto that arm and positioned adjacent the hinge of that arm so as to depend therefrom.

10. Sunglasses substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.