Eye shield

Inventors

Barmore, Christopher Kent • Winters, Nathan

Assignees

Gentex Corp Carbondale

Abstract

An eye shield has an attachment device configured to be coupled to an optical device. The attachment device includes a clamping ring that has an open position and a closed position. The eye shield further has a shield coupled to the clamping ring to pivot away and towards the clamping ring, the shield extends laterally from the attachment device and a locking element that is disposed on the clamping ring and configured to lock the clamping ring in the closed position. The locking element has a locked and an unlocked position, and when the locking element is in the locked position the clamping ring is in the closed position.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an eye shield comprising an attachment device configured to be coupled to an optical device, where the attachment device includes a clamping ring having an open position and a closed position. A shield is coupled to the clamping ring, or to a coupling mechanism pivotally coupled to the clamping ring, to pivot away and towards the clamping ring, and the shield extends laterally from the attachment device. A locking element disposed on the clamping ring is configured to lock the clamping ring in the closed position.

The eye shield further includes a clamping ring aperture having a diameter, with the diameter of the aperture being greater when the clamping ring is in the open position than when the clamping ring is in the closed position. In additional embodiments, the locking element includes a lip and a latch, where the latch secures the lip in place when the locking element is in the locked position.

In other embodiments, the locking element includes a channel and an extending member, where the channel is sized and shaped to receive the extending member. In embodiments having a pivotally coupled coupling mechanism, the shield is coupled to the coupling mechanism and is configured to pivot away and towards the clamping ring while extending laterally from the attachment device, and the shield can be optically opaque to lasers and/or light.

Claims Coverage

The provided independent claims cover three core claim groupings centered on an eye shield with a clamping-ring attachment having open and closed positions, a laterally extending shield that pivots away and towards the clamping ring directly or via a pivotally coupled coupling mechanism, and a locking element that locks the clamping ring in the closed position. Across the independent claims, inventive features focus on aperture diameter change between open and closed positions, locking-element structure using lip and latch or tab, lip channel, and extending member arrangements, and optically opaque shielding to lasers and/or light.

Overall, the independent claims emphasize a clamping-ring attachment that transitions between open and closed positions using a locking element, a pivotable laterally extending shield, and locking geometry defined by lip and latch or tab, lip channel, and extending member structures. One independent claim further requires a clamping-ring aperture diameter that is greater in the open position than in the closed position, and another requires the shield to be optically opaque to lasers and/or light.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications