U.S. patent application number 10/988461 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for contact lens case having a lid with soft gripping surface.
Invention is credited to Bruce Christy, Reed Clevenger.
Application Number | 20060102496 10/988461 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35824579 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060102496 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Christy; Bruce ; et
al. |
May 18, 2006 |
Contact lens case having a lid with soft gripping surface
Abstract
A contact case is provided with a lid that allows for easy
gripping and opening of a contact lens case. The lid includes two
surfaces, a soft gripping outer surface and an inner surface. The
soft gripping outer surface provides friction between the user's
fingers and the lid, thus allowing a contact lens case to be easily
grasped and opened. Preferably, the inner surface is a hard
polypropylene and the soft gripping outer surface is a
thermoplastic elastomer that covers the entire inner surface. The
invention also provides a method of making the above described
lid.
Inventors: |
Christy; Bruce; (Draper,
UT) ; Clevenger; Reed; (Cary, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bryan G. Pratt, Esq.;Rader, Fishman & Grauer PLLC
Suite 150
10653 N. River Front Parkway
South Jordan
UT
84095
US
|
Family ID: |
35824579 |
Appl. No.: |
10/988461 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/5.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 11/005
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/005.1 |
International
Class: |
A45C 11/04 20060101
A45C011/04 |
Claims
1. A contact lens case comprising a base and a lid, wherein said
lid comprises a soft gripping surface.
2. The case of claim 1 wherein said lid further comprises an inner
surface and an outer surface and wherein said outer surface
provides said soft gripping surface.
3. The case of claim 2 wherein said soft gripping surface
completely covers said inner surface.
4. The case of claim 3 wherein said soft gripping outer surface and
said inner surface are comprised of different materials.
5. The case of claim 4 wherein said inner surface comprises
polypropylene.
6. The case of claim 4 wherein said soft gripping outer surface
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of styrenic
thermoplastic elastomers and styrene-butylene-ethylene-styrene
derived thermoplastic elastomers and styrene-butadiene
copolymers.
7. A contact lens case comprising a base and at least one lid
wherein said lid comprises an inner surface and a soft gripping
outer surface, wherein said inner surface is composed of a first
material and said soft gripping outer surface is composed of a
second material, and wherein said first material is different from
said second material.
8. The case of claim 7 wherein said outer soft gripping surface
completely covers said inner surface.
9. The case of claim 8 wherein said soft gripping outer surface is
a different color from said inner surface.
10. The case of claim 7 wherein said soft gripping outer surface
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of styrenic
thermoplastic elastomers and styrene-butylene-ethylene-styrene
derived thermoplastic elastomers and styrene-butadiene
copolymers.
11. The case of claim 7 further comprising two wells and two of
said lids and wherein lids sealingly engage said wells.
12. A contact lens case comprising two lids and a base, wherein
said base comprises two wells and a bridge connecting said wells
and wherein each of said lids comprises a soft gripping outer
surface and an inner surface, wherein said soft gripping outer
surface is composed of a first material and said inner surface is
composed of a second material, and wherein said first material is
different from said second material, and wherein said soft gripping
outer surface completely covers said inner surface.
13. A method of making a contact lens case comprising: a) injecting
a first material into a first mold to form a pre-lid; b) removing
said pre-lid from said first mold; c) placing said pre-lid into a
second mold; d) injecting a second material over said pre-lid to
form a lid, and e) providing a base; wherein said second material
completely covers said pre-lid and wherein said lid sealingly
engages said base.
14. The method of claim 14 wherein said first material is
polypropylene.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein said second material is a
thermoplastic elastomer.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said second material is selected
from the group consisting of styrenic thermoplastic elastomers and
styrene-butylene-ethylene-styrene derived thermoplastic elastomers
and styrene-butadiene copolymers.
17. A method of making a contact lens shipping and storage case
comprising: a) injecting a first material into a first mold to make
a pre-lid; b) removing said pre-lid from said first mold; c)
placing said pre-lid into a second mold; d) injecting a second
material over said pre-lid to form a lid; e) providing a contact
lens shipping and storage case base with at least one well; f)
inserting a contact lens and a hydration medium into said well; and
g) closing said well by placing said lid on said base.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first material is selected
from the group consisting of polypropylene.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein said second material is selected
from the group consisting of styrenic thermoplastic elastomers and
styrene-butylene-ethylene-styrene derived thermoplastic elastomers
and styrene-butadiene copolymers.
20. An improved contact lens case having two lids and a base, said
base having two wells connected by a bridge, said two wells being
cylindrically shaped with top regions that are threaded and which
taper down to a bottom, said lids of said contact lens case being
threaded on an inner wall surface to engage the threads on the
cylindrical wells, wherein the improvement comprises: the lids each
having a soft gripping outer surface.
21. The improved contact lens case of claim 20 wherein said inner
surface of the lids comprise polypropylene and said soft gripping
outer surface comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.
22. The improved contact lens case of claim 20 wherein said inner
surface of the lid is completely covered by said soft gripping
outer surface.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of contact lens
cases, specifically, contact lens storage cases.
[0002] Contact lens cases are available in a variety of shapes,
sizes and colors. Typically, contact lens cases consist of a hard,
molded plastic base and an accompanying lid, made of a similar
material, that is either threaded or press-fit onto the base.
Further, a contact lens case has two compartments with two lids to
accommodate and enclose two contact lenses.
[0003] Inherent in the process of inserting or storing contact
lenses is the need for solutions that clean or hydrate the contact
lenses. These solutions frequently get onto the contact lens case
and lid as well as the hands of the contact lens wearer. As the
typical contact lens case lid is made of a hard plastic, it is
slippery when it is wet, which can make it difficult to open and
close the contact lens case. The slipperiness of the case also
increases the likelihood of dropping the case and potentially
displacing the contact lens therein. While others have made
improvements to contact lens case lids to make them less slippery
or easier to grip, by adding grooves or indentations on the sides
of the lid, these efforts have not solved the problem.
[0004] Even when the contact lens case is dry, it can be difficult
to open, particularly for children and elderly users.
[0005] Therefore, there is needed in the art for a contact lens
case that is easy to handle and open, particularly when the contact
lens case is wet.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0006] An advantage provided by the contact lens case of the
present invention is a lid that is easy to grip. This easy to grip
lid provides the advantage of making the contact lens case easier
to open and close, as the surface of the lid provides friction
between the lid and the fingers of the user. Further, as the lid is
easy to grip, it is less likely that it will be dropped or slip
from the fingers of the user, particularly when the user's fingers
are wet.
[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a contact
lens case including a base and a lid with a soft gripping
surface.
[0008] In another embodiment, the present invention provides a
contact lens case including a base and at least one lid. The lid
includes an inner surface and a soft gripping outer surface, and
the inner surface is composed of a first material and the soft
gripping outer surface is composed of a second material. The first
material is different from the second material.
[0009] In another embodiment, the present invention provides a
contact lens case including two lids and a base. The base has two
wells and a bridge connecting the wells. The lid has an inner
surface and a soft gripping outer surface. The inner surface is
composed of a first material and the soft gripping outer surface is
composed of a second material, and the first material is different
from the second material. Further the soft gripping outer surface
completely covers the inner surface.
[0010] In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of
making a contact lens case. The method includes injecting a first
material into a mold to make a pre-lid; removing the pre-lid from
the first mold; placing the pre-lid into a second mold; and
injecting a second material over the pre-lid to form a lid and
providing a base. The second material completely covers the pre-lid
and the lid sealingly engages the base.
[0011] In another embodiment, a method of making a contact lens
storage and shipping case with lids having a soft gripping outer
surface is provided. The method includes injecting a first material
into a first mold to make a pre-lid; removing the pre-lid from the
first mold; placing the pre-lid into a second mold; injecting a
second material over the pre-lid to form a lid; providing a contact
lens shipping and storage case base with at least one well;
inserting a contact lens and hydration medium into a well; and
closing the well by placing the lid on the base.
[0012] In another embodiment, the invention provides a contact lens
case having two lids and a base, where the base has two wells
connected by a bridge and the two wells are cylindrically shaped
with top threaded regions and then taper to a bottom. The lids of
the contact lens case are hard and threaded on an inner wall
surface. The invention provides the improvement of a lid with a
soft gripping outer surface and an inner surface, preferably where
the inner surface is made of polypropylene and the soft gripping
outer surface is a thermoplastic elastomer and where the inner
surface is completely covered by the soft gripping outer
surface.
[0013] A further advantage of the preferred contact lens case of
the present invention is that the lid has not only a soft gripping
surface, but also a hard under surface that sealingly engages the
wells of the base. This arrangement provides a good connection
between the lid and the base and therefore the lens therein is held
in a secure, fluid-tight compartment. Therefore, the addition of
the soft gripping surface adds the advantages described above,
without compromise to the structural integrity and usefulness of
the contact lens case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a contact
lens case having a base with two wells for contact lenses and two
lids in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, partially in cross-section,
of the contact lens case of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a
pre-lid in accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid used in the
contact lens case of FIG. 1 showing both the pre-lid and the soft
gripping surface;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the
pre-lid of FIG. 3;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the lid FIG. 4;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a contact
lens storage and shipping case with lids having a gripping surface
in accordance with the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
contact lens storage and shipping case with lids having a gripping
surface in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a contact
lens case 2 is provided with two wells 7, each designed for housing
one contact lens, and two lids 4. The two wells 7 are independent
of one another and are cylindrically shaped. The interior of the
wells provides a cavity for housing a contact lens. The exterior of
the wells are cylindrical and threaded at the top region in order
to accept a screw-type lid 4 that also has a threaded region 12
(best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4). Each lid 4 with a threaded region 12
may turn on the threaded region of the well 7 approximately 2-4
times in order to secure lid 4 on the well 7. The wells 7 taper,
from the top region, down to a curved or flat bottom 9. The wells 7
are connected by a bridge 20 region at the exterior convergence of
the upper cylindrical portion and the bottom 9 portions of the
wells 7. The width and length of the bridge 20 may vary. Together,
the two wells 7 and the bridge 20 form the base 6 of contact lens
case 2.
[0023] In an alternative embodiment, the top region of the wells 7
may be non-threaded or smooth and engage a smooth lid 4. In this
embodiment, the lid 4 engages the well 7 in a press-fit manner to
securely close the cavity.
[0024] The lid 4 with a soft gripping outer surface layer 10,
described below, may be used with the contact lens case 2 described
above, or with any conventional contact lens case. For instance, an
exemplary contact lens case is described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,679,373, incorporated herein by reference.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment, each lid 4 of the contact lens
case 2 has a soft gripping outer surface 10 and an inner surface
(or pre-lid) 8 that is hard and engages the wells 7 of the base 6.
The pre-lid 8 is made of a hard, conventional thermoplastic-type
material. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the pre-lid 8 has a top 26 and a
wall 28 that extends down there from. The inside of the wall 30 of
the pre-lid 8 is threaded 12 and engages the threaded surface of
the well 7. The top 26 of the pre-lid 8 has an upper surface and an
under surface 19. The under surface 19 faces the cavity of the well
7 of the base 6. The upper surface of the top 26 of the pre-lid 8
engages the under surface of the soft gripping outer layer 10 of
the lid 4. In a preferred embodiment, the pre-lid 8 has a flange 24
at the bottom of the pre-lid 8 that provides a place upon which the
bottom of the soft gripping outer layer 10 may rest. This creates a
lid 4 with a smooth, flush meeting of the pre-lid 8 and soft
gripping outer layer 10. The soft gripping outer layer 10 of the
lid 4 are irreversibly joined to the pre-lid 8 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The
soft gripping outer layer 10 covers the entire top 26 and wall 28
of the pre-lid 8 around the entire circumference of the pre-lid 8,
as shown in FIG. 4. The soft gripping outer layer 10 is not as hard
as the pre-lid 8, which thus makes it easier to grasp and maintain
a grip on the lid 4. The soft gripping outer layer 10 is
compressible and somewhat resilient, particularly when compared to
the hard pre-lid 8. This gives the soft gripping outer surface of
layer 10 a different tactile sensation than the hard inner surface
or pre-lid 8. The soft gripping outer layer 10 is gripped by the
contact lens wearer and provides a surface that is easy to grasp
and hold. The soft gripping outer layer 10 makes it less likely
that, when wet or dry, the lid 4 (and contact lens case 2, if
attached) will slip out of the hands of the user. The soft gripping
outer layer 10 further provides friction between the fingers of the
user and the lid 4 which makes it easy to open and close the
contact lens case 2.
[0026] In addition, the soft gripping outer layer 10 may include
additional elements to facilitate grasping, opening and closing of
the contact lens case. Examples of these additional elements
include, grooves 22 (as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5-6), and raised
features such as bumps, lines or logos.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, the pre-lid
8 of the contact lens case 2 has a height (H.sub.1) of
approximately 9 to 13 mm, and a diameter (D.sub.1) of approximately
32 to 36 mm. The total lid 4 (including the pre-lid 8 and soft
gripping outer surface layer 10) has a height (H.sub.2) of 0.75 to
1.75 mm, and a diameter (D.sub.2) of from about 32 to 36 mm.
Preferably, the height of the pre-lid 8 is approximately 11.5 mm
(see FIG. 5) and the diameter is approximately 34.5 mm. The
preferred soft gripping outer surface layer 10 is approximately 1.0
mm thick, giving the preferred lid 4 a total height of
approximately 12.5 mm and a diameter of 34.5 mm, as shown in FIG.
6.
[0028] The pre-lid 8 and soft gripping outer surface layer 10 of
the lid 4 are made of different materials. The pre-lid 8 may be
made of any suitable conventionally used material currently known
in the art, such as polypropylene.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the soft gripping outer surface
layer 10 of the lid 4 is made of any suitable thermoplastic
elastomer, such as styrenic thermoplastic elastomers and
styrene-butylene-ethylene-styrene (SEBS) derived thermoplastic
elastomers, such as a thermoplastic rubber made from a
styrene-butadiene copolymer and combinations thereof. Other
non-limiting examples include: Aaroprene.RTM. (Aaron Industries,
Leominster, Mass.), Centron.RTM. (Centerplast s.r.l., Via
Granarolo, Italy), Chemiton.RTM. (Franplast s.r.l., Provaglio
d'lseo, Italy), Dryflex.RTM. (VTC Elastoteknik AB, Sweden ),
Dynaflex.RTM. (GLS Corp, McHenry, Ill.), Ektar FB.RTM. (Eastman,
Kingsport, Tenn.), Elexar.RTM.) (Teknor Apex, Pawtucket, R.I.),
Epofriend.RTM. (Daicel Chemical Industries, Tokyo, Japan),
Evoprene.RTM. (Alpha Gary, Leominster, Mass.), Heraflex.RTM.)
(Radici Plastics, Blacksburg, S.C.), J-Flex.RTM. (J-Von,
Leominster, Mass.), Kraton G.RTM. (Kraton Polymers, Houston, Tex.),
Lacbloc.RTM. (Silac, Champlitte, France), Laprene.RTM. (DTR s.r.l.,
Arese, Italy), Monprene.RTM. (Teknor Apex, Pawtucket, R.I.),
Nexflex.RTM.) (Solvay Engineered Polymers, Mansfield, Tex.),
Ponoflex.RTM.) (Pongs & Zahn, Frankfurt, Germany), Sevrene.RTM.
(Vi-Chem Corporation, Grand Rapids, Mich.), Tefabloc.RTM.
(Tessenderlo Group, Belgium), Tekbond.RTM.) (Teknor Apex,
Pawtucket, R.I.), and other thermoplastic rubbers as well as any
other suitable materials so long as the materials chosen produce a
soft gripping outer surface layer 10 that is able to be permanently
adhered to a hard material from which the pre-lid 8 is made.
[0030] Methods of making the lid 4 include any injection molding
process including: dual injection molding, co-injection molding,
two-shot molding, multi-injection molding, as well as any other
conventional means. The soft gripping outer surface layer 10 and
pre-lid 8 of the lid 4 may be formed independently and subsequently
irreversibly joined after each is fully formed. Alternatively, the
soft gripping outer surface layer 10 and pre-lid 8 may be formed
during the same molding process and joined as each material is
added to a mold. A preferred method of producing a lid 4 is dual
injection molding. In a preferred embodiment, a dual injection
molding technique is employed where a first mold is injected with a
first material, preferably polypropylene, to create the pre-lid 8.
While the pre-lid 8 is still hot, it is removed by pushing it out
of the first mold and then it is subsequently placed in a second
mold. In the second mold, a second material, preferably a
thermoplastic rubber material, is injected around the pre-lid 8
such that the entire top 26 and outer wall 28 are completely
covered with the thermoplastic elastomer material. Thus, the two
parts, the soft gripping outer surface layer 10 and the pre-lid 8,
are adhered to one another within the second mold. Other dual
injection molding methods are also possible, such as those where
only one mold is used, however this method is more expensive than
the presently preferred dual injection method utilizing two molds.
These techniques are well known in the art and may be chosen and
adapted to best suit the needs of the user.
[0031] In one embodiment, the lid 4, made by the above described
methods, is placed on a base 6 to provide a contact lens storage
case 2. In another embodiment (FIG. 7), a contact lens shipping and
storage case 30 having a lid 34 with a soft gripping outer surface
layer 40 is provided. The case 30 includes a base 36 that can snap
together with a similar case to form a complete contact lens
storage case for both left and right contact lenses. In this
embodiment, a contact lens and hydration medium are placed in the
cavity of the well at the time of manufacture, and the lid 34 with
a soft gripping outer surface layer 40 is subsequently placed onto
the well to enclose the contact lens and hydration medium
therein.
[0032] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of a combined contact lens
storage and shipping case 50 having a lid 54 with a soft gripping
outer surface 60. In this embodiment, two cases 50 snap into a base
56 to form a complete contact lens case. Examples of contact lens
shipping and storage cases 30 and 50 are shown in WO 2004/024573,
which is incorporated by reference herein.
[0033] The soft gripping outer surface 10 may be a variety of
colors and textures. As a contact lens case 2 typically has wells 7
for two contact lenses, the soft gripping outer surfaces 10 of the
two lids 4 may be the same or different. That is, the colors and
textures of the two lids 4 of a contact lens case 2 may be
different colors or the same color. They may both be textured or
only one may be textured. Further, when both are textured, the
texturing may be the same or different for each contact lens case 2
lid 4. It is also contemplated that the soft gripping outer surface
10 may be the same or a different color as the pre-lid.
[0034] It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed
description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and
that it be understood that it is the following claims, including
all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope
of this invention.
* * * * *