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(11) | EP 3 398 662 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
SWIMMING GOGGLES SCHWIMMBRILLE LUNETTES DE NATATION |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The present invention relates to swimming goggles, of the most well-known and widely-available type, in general comprising a support structure for the lenses, the support structure being made of a soft and elastic material, which surrounds the lenses and extends behind them in the form of a seal adapted to rest against the eye-sockets of the swimmer.
[0002] The two lateral ends of the support structure of the lenses are connected to a strap which serves to fix the goggles to the swimmer's head by means of buckles that enable regulation of its length and state of tension.
[0003] Goggles intended for competitive swimming must have special characteristics. Primarily, these goggles must have the smallest possible dimensions, as the dimensions thereof have a negative influence on resistance to forward motion.
[0004] Secondly, the support structure of the lenses, while enabling adaptation to the user's eye-sockets, must prevent the lenses from moving away or towards one another during use, thus remaining in the position fixed by the user by regulation of the connecting buckles between the goggles and said strap.
[0005] As the support structure of the lenses is generally made using elastic and soft material, this effect is difficult to achieve. Therefore, in a very well-known and widely available solution, the support structure of the lenses is made in two parts, the support frames for the lenses being connected to one another by a strip of non-extensible material which however is lacking in any torsional rigidity and therefore does not ensure that the initial position of the goggles in the user's eye-sockets is maintained.
[0006] The set task of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the drawbacks noted in the prior art, by realising high-performance swimming goggles that can be used in the competitive sphere.
[0007] Within the scope of this task, an object of the invention is to produce swimming goggles that are light, compact and constructionally adapted for maintaining, in use, the position fixed by the swimmer by regulation of the buckles connecting the goggles and the strap.
[0008] The set task, as well as these and other objects according to the present invention, are attained by producing swimming goggles as defined by independent claim 1. Other characteristics of the present invention are further defined in the claims herein below.
[0009] Further characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the swimming goggles according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying figures, wherein:
Figures 1-5 illustrate the swimming goggles according to the invention.
[0010] With reference to the figures cited above, reference numeral 10 denotes swimming goggles in their entirety.
[0011] The swimming goggles 10 comprise two lenses 11, a pair of support frames 13 of the lenses 11, made of a relatively rigid material that is thus able to provide a fixed support for the connecting buckles of the strap by means of blocks 22, a first connecting element 15 between said pair of support frames 13 of the lenses 11 distinct from the support frames 13 of the lenses 11, made using a material having lower rigidity and a soft second element 12 distinct from the support frames 13 of the lenses 11 and from the first element 15, made using a material having lower rigidity.
[0012] Each frame 13 is formed by a ring of rigid material, congruent with the perimeter of the lens 11 for resting of the lens perimeter.
[0013] The first element 15 has a rigidity that is lower than the rigidity of the material of the support frames 13 of the lenses 11, in order to provide greater adaptability to the user's nasal root while preventing a change in the distance between the support frames of the lenses and the relative displacement thereof.
[0015] The first element 15 in particular comprises a connecting bridge 14 for connecting the two frames 13 and preferably but not necessarily also comprises a reinforcing mesh 23 having annular parts that are congruent with the frames 13.
[0016] The first element 15 projects frontally of the front face of the frames 13 and in particular the reinforcing mesh 23 has a flat rear face positioned in a mark complementarily shaped thereto and located on the front face of the frames 13.
[0017] The second element 12 is formed by a seal comprising a pair of annular portions 16 for resting against the eye-sockets of the swimmer and a connecting bridge 24 between the annular portions 16.
[0018] The pair of annular portions 16 project posteriorly from the two support frames 13 of the lenses 11.
[0019] The connecting bridge 24, instead, is integral with the connecting bridge 14 from which it projects posteriorly so as to house the nasal root of the swimmer.
[0020] Special deposits of material can be included between the two connecting bridges 14, 24, which also facilitate the reciprocal mechanical grip there-between.
[0021] The distal ends of the two frames 13 have the engaging blocks 22 of the buckles (not illustrated) for regulating the strap of the goggles 10.
[0022] The first element 15, the second element 12 and the support frames 13 are each constituted by a different material.
[0023] By way of example, the frames 13 are made of elastomeric polypropylene having a modulus of elasticity (Young modulus)of 750 Mpa ±10%, the first element (15), having a lower modulus of elasticity, is made of a thermoplastic rubber (TPE) having a hardness comprised between 60 and 80 Shore A, while the second element 12, which must be very soft in order to comfortably rest on the user's eye-sockets, is made of silicone or a thermoplastic rubber having a hardness comprised between 30 and 60 Shore A.
[0024] The assembly of the goggles can take place for example by multi-step moulding. In this case, in a first step the frames 13 are moulded onto the lenses 11 which perimetrally have small holes which are filled with the molten material of the frames 13 so as to facilitate the mechanical grip, and then the mould is rotated and the first element 15 is moulded on the front surface of the frames 13, and lastly the second element 12 is moulded on the rear surface of the frames 13 and on the rear surface of the connecting bridge 14 of the first element 15.
[0025] To summarise, according to the present invention the goggles, especially suitable for competitive swimming, are made of a multiplicity of elements that are distinct from one another and integral with one another, each of which, in order to carry out its specific function, is further made of a dedicated material.
[0026] The first element ensures maintenance of both the orientation of the relative lying planes of the two lenses and of the relative distance between the two lenses, notwithstanding the loads induced by the swimmer's movements, while the second element, intended for resting on the eye-sockets and the nasal root of the user, is made of a soft and elastic material.
- two lenses (11);
- a pair of rigid frames (13) for supporting the lenses (11), made of a first material having a rigidity configured to ensure the shape of the rim of the lenses (11) and to support end buckles for connection between said goggles and a support strap thereof;
characterised in that they comprise:- a rigid first element (15) connecting said pair of support frames (13) of the lenses (11) to one another, made of a second material different from said first material and having a lower rigidity than a rigidity of said support frames (13) of the lenses (11) and configured to adapt said first element (15) to the shape of a user's nasal root but to oppose traction forces tending to modify a distance between the lenses (11) and torsional torques tending to modify the relative lying planes of the two lenses (11);
- a soft second element (12) made of a third material different from said first and second material, said second element (12) comprising a pair of annular portions (16) for resting against the eye-sockets of a swimmer and a soft connecting bridge (24) between said annular portions (16), said pair of annular portions (16) projecting posteriorly from the two support frames (13) of the lenses (11).
- zwei Gläser (11);
- ein Paar starrer Rahmen (13) zum Tragen der Gläser (11) aus einem ersten Material mit einer Steifheit, die konfiguriert ist, um die Form des Randes der Gläser (11) sicherzustellen und Endschnallen für die Verbindung zwischen den Brillen und einem Tragegurt davon zu tragen;
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie umfasst:- ein starres erstes Element (15), das das Paar von Tragrahmen (13) der Gläser (11) miteinander verbindet, aus einem zweiten Material, das sich von dem ersten Material unterscheidet und eine geringere Steifheit als eine Steifheit der Tragrahmen (13) der Gläser (11) aufweist, das konfiguriert ist, um das erste Element (15) an die Form der Nasenwurzel eines Benutzers anzupassen, jedoch Zugkräften, die dazu neigen, einen Abstand zwischen den Gläsern (11) zu modifizieren, und Torsionsdrehmomenten, die dazu neigen, die relativen Liegeebenen der beiden Gläser (11) zu modifizieren, entgegenzuwirken;
- ein weiches zweites Element (12) aus einem dritten Material, das sich von dem ersten und dem zweiten Material unterscheidet, wobei das zweite Element (12) ein Paar ringförmiger Abschnitte (16) zum Aufliegen an den Augenhöhlen eines Schwimmers und eine weiche Verbindungsbrücke (24) zwischen den ringförmigen Abschnitten (16) umfasst, wobei das Paar ringförmiger Abschnitte (16) nach hinten von den beiden Tragrahmen (13) der Gläser (11) vorsteht.
- deux lentilles (11) ;
- une paire de cadres rigides (13) pour supporter les lentilles (11), constitués d'un premier matériau ayant une rigidité configurée pour assurer la forme du contour des lentilles (11) et pour supporter des boucles d'extrémité pour le raccordement entre lesdites lunettes et une sangle de support de celles-ci ;
caractérisées en ce qu'elles comprennent :- un premier élément rigide (15), reliant ladite paire de cadres de support (13) des lentilles (11) l'un à l'autre, constitué d'un second matériau différent dudit premier matériau et ayant une rigidité inférieure à la rigidité desdits cadres de support (13) des lentilles (11), configuré pour adapter ledit premier élément (15) à la forme de la racine du nez d'un utilisateur mais pour s'opposer aux forces de traction, tendant à modifier une distance entre les lentilles (11), et aux couples de torsion tendant à modifier les plans d'appui relatifs des deux lentilles (11) ;
- un second élément souple (12) constitué d'un troisième matériau différent desdits premier et second matériaux, ledit second élément (12) comprenant une paire de parties annulaires (16) destinées à reposer contre les orbites d'un nageur et un pont de raccordement (24) souple entre lesdites parties annulaires (16), ladite paire de parties annulaires (16) dépassant des deux cadres de support (13) des lentilles (11) vers l'arrière.