Vented Goggles

Abstract

Vented goggles of the type having a frontal lens portion and a molded plastic frame extending about the lens portion and rearwardly to the face of the wearer. The vent structure is entirely of molded plastic comprising an oblong opening in the plastic frame having a surrounding wall extending outwardly from the frame, together with an oblong plastic cap which secures over the wall in sealing engagement with the front portion thereof. The cap has an opening along the lower part of its rear wall whereby venting air may pass through such opening and upwardly over the outwardly extending wall of the frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to safety goggles chiefly for industrial use and, more particularly, to goggles having novel venting means associated with frame portions thereof.

A form of safety goggle in general use comprises a flat plastic lens member which extends across both eyes of the wearer and which is enclosed within a flexible plastic frame which wraps around the lens member at its front edge and extends rearwardly and is shaped to fit the face of the wearer. The frame and lens thus combine to form an enclosed space in front of the wearer's eyes and the surrounding portions of his face. Goggles of this general type are shown in Sterne et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,770 dated Dec. 1, 1959.

With certain kinds of work and under certain temperature conditions it becomes desirable to vent this space and the advantage of such venting has been recognized.

In some prior goggles of this type the plastic frame members are perforated for ventilation but such perforations must be relatively small to prevent ingress of objects or particles which may be harmful to the eyes of the wearer. In other prior venting arrangements metallic grommets or other venting devices have been associated with the plastic frame members. These expedients also afford limited venting area and are objectionable because of the complications which arise in adequately securing metallic grommets or other metallic venting adjuncts to a plastic goggle frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention novel means for venting the space enclosed within goggles of this general type are provided by way of an all-plastic goggle frame venting structure which projects upwardly from the goggle frame and is closed entirely across its front surfaces to prevent ingress of objects or particles moving toward the wearer's face but has highly adequate venting area at the rear side of the vent structure where it is shielded against such ingress.

Further, due to the all-plastic structure the problem of assembling the protected vent means with respect to the goggle frame is greatly simplified and presents a much cleaner finished appearance than goggles employing metal grommets or the like for venting purposes.

Stated briefly, the plastic goggle frame is formed with an integral outstanding wall and a simple plastic cap fits over such wall to be located thereby and complete the protected vent structure, the interior front wall of the cap being cemented or otherwise bonded to the forward surface of the outward formation of the frame means proper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a general front elevational view of one form of the goggle of the present invention with portions broken away for clearer illustration;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the goggle of FIG. 1 with a portion thereof shown in cross section as indicated by the line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line III--III of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line IV--IV of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Speaking generally, the goggle illustrated herein by way of example comprises a flat, transparent plastic lens member 10 which is marginally encased by a flexible plastic frame by member designated generally by the reference numeral 11. Frame member 11 has a relatively flat front face as indicated at 12 and a rear face (not shown) which is contoured to fit the face of the wearer in a manner well known in this art, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,770, dated Dec. 1, 1959.

The interior of the frame 11 adjacent to the front face 12 has a channel formation shown at 13 in FIG. 4 for receiving the edge of lens member 10 and the lens member may be interlocked with the frame member in various ways common in the art, again as shown for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,770. FIG. 1 shows a frame comprising an endless loop but various open-ended frame members may be employed as may also the two-piece frame arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,770.

In the goggle structure shown in the drawing four vents, each designated generally by the reference numeral 16 are provided, two along the top surface of the frame member 11 and two adjacent to the bottom thereof. Similar reference numerals characterize the corresponding parts of each of the four vent structures as best shown in FIG. 4, each vent structure comprising a rectangular opening 17 which is defined by a continuous wall 18 molded integrally with and projecting outwardly from the wall of goggle frame 11.

In the present instance the wall structures 18 are reinforced by medial crossribs 19 which are likewise molded integrally with frame 11. Each vent opening 17 is provided with a cap 20 which is likewise generally rectangular in form and is provided with a base flange 21 which is cemented, heat-sealed or otherwise bonded to the outer surface of frame 11, as best shown in FIG. 4. One of the longer sidewalls of cap 20 is provided with a vent opening 23 which is directed rearwardly of the goggle, that is toward the face of the wearer.

It will be noted from FIG. 4 that the front wall of cap 20 abuts the front surface of wall 18 of the goggle frame and may likewise be cemented or bonded thereto. The rear wall of cap 20 which includes vent opening 23 is spaced rearwardly of the rear portion of wall 18. Since opening 23 is of less height than wall 18, a circuitous path is provided for air flowing through opening 17 and into or out of the space behind lens 10.

It will be noted that the front, top and sides of the vent structures 16 are completely enclosed and the only path for air flow is through the rear wall of cap 20, between such rear wall and adjacent wall 18, through opening 17, and thence to the space enclosed by the goggle structure and lying in front of the face of the wearer. This prevents to the greatest possible extent the possibility of spatter or spray material entering the space behind the lens and within frame 11, while still giving relative free access of ventilating air thereto.

While specific embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification, it is to be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and that many modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

In any event, the invention is to be considered as limited only as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a safety goggle, lens means at a front surface thereof and frame means extending about the lens means and extending rearwardly substantially to the wearer's face, said frame means forming an enclosing wall with respect to the space between the lens means and the wearer's face, and ventilating means comprising an oblong wall molded integrally with said frame means and extending outwardly therefrom rearwardly of said front surface and in a direction generally parallel thereto to define an oblong vent opening to said space, and a cap member of plastic material secured over said oblong wall in abutment with the front and side surfaces thereof and spaced above the upper edge of said oblong wall, the rear wall of said cap member being spaced rearwardly of the rear surface of said oblong wall and having an opening in its lower part below the upper edge of said oblong wall to define an indirect vent passage through said opening, upwardly over the rear surface of said oblong wall, and downwardly through said vent opening, the interior of the front wall of the cap member being bonded to the exterior of the front of said enclosing wall.

2. A safety goggle according to claim 1 wherein said cap member has an outwardly extending base flange bonded to the exterior of said frame means.