Title of Invention

A COLORED/TINTED CONTACT LENS PREVIEW DEVICE

Abstract

This invention relates to a colored/tinted contact lens preview device (10) which enables a prospective wearer of colored or tinted contact to preview the appearance of different color or tint patterns of contact lenses as they would appear as a colored or tinted contact lens on the eye of the person, comprising a transparent substrate (12) having a selection of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) thereon, each of which simulates a contact lens with that particular color or tint pattern, such that when a person views their eye in a mirror (20) with a particular color or tint pattern of interest superimposed over the eye, the preview devices simulates the appearance of that particular color or tint contact lens on the eye of the person.

Full Text

BACKGROUND Off THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a colored/tinted contact lens preview device, and more particularly pertains to a colored tinted contact lens preview device which is a beauty mirror sales aid to enable a person considering purchasing or wearing colored or tinted contact lenses to preview a particular color or tint pattern as it would appear as a colored or tinted contact lens on the eye of that person. Colored and tinted contact lenses have gained great popularity as a result of the rise in the general acceptance of contact lenses, greater public sensitivity to personal appearance and improved contact lens structures (soft contact lenses, oxygen permeable contact lenses, etc.). Colored and timed contact lenses can be of two general categories The first category includes contact lenses which use essentially transparent enhancement colors and allow the color of the contact lens to augment die natural color of the iris to produce a new appearance. Such tinted lenses might typically be used to turn a hazel eye to an aqua colored eye. This class of colored lenses may not be able to change an underlying dark colored iris to a different color, e.g. a brown iris to blue. The second category includes an opaque class of tinted lenses in which the color of the contact lens masks the natural iris color and presents a new color on the outside of the eye. This class of contact lenses is able to render a brown eye blue, etc. Presently, parsons fitting colored or tinted contact lens, such as ophthalimologists and optometrists, have to assist a patient to repeatedly try different tinted contact lenses by actually inserting, or having the patient insert, each pair into contact with the patient's eyes so that the patient can see the color which results from the combined tint of the contact lens and the patient's natural iris color. And often, previously tried tinted contact lens have to be retried in order for the patient to make a final decision as to which tint to order from the many colors which are offered Ranani U.S. Patent 4,703,964 discloses a tinted contact lens preview device and fitter having a scissors type support to vary the spacing between pairs of tinted contact lenses mounted in rotatable discs, or in plug in lens holders, or directly in openings in the support, so that the centers of the tinted contact lenses can be aligned with the centers of the patient's pupils in order for the patient to view in a mirror the combined color of the tinted contact lenses and the color of the patient's irises. Each pair of lens holders for each different tint must be prepared separately by placing a tinted contact lens in saline solution in a lens holder and then sealing the lens holder with a closure. Pairs of lens holders, each containing a pair of soft contact lens of the same tint, must be prepared for each different available color. To allow a patient to view different tints to obtain a desired color, an ophthalmologist or optometrist fitter must place into a lens receptacle different pairs of lens holders containing tinted contact tenses of different tints, and the patient then looks at the resulting colors and makes a decision as to which tint to order. In another embodiment a pair of discs, each including a plurality of mounted tinted contact lenses, are interchangeably attached to the scissors support so that different colors may be viewed by rotating the discs or by changing the discs. Each disc has three U-shaped openings spaced 120 degrees apart Each opening is adapted to receive a tinted contact lens in a contact lens holder. If the tinted contact lens is a soft contact lens, it is immersed in a saline solution. In operation, each of the openings contains a tinted contact lens of a different color, with pairs of discs having matching tints in corresponding openings. First, the patient, with the aid of an ophthalmologist or optometrist fitter, adjusts the angle between the levers of the scissors support so that the center of the contact lens in each of the vertical top openings is aligned with the centers of the patient's pupils. Then the resulting combined color of the tint of the contact lenses and the patient's iris color is examined in a mirror Then the patient or the fitter rotates the discs together to bring to the vertical top position a different pair of contact lenses having a matching tint, and checks the resulting combined color, until a desired tint is determined. Thus each disc permits the viewing of three different tints. And other pairs of discs, with contacts lenses of still different tints, can be substituted for the attached pair of discs. The Ranani approach requires an expensive instrument which uses actual contact lenses mounted in lens holders, and moreover requires a great deal of time by an ophthalmologist or optometrist fitter during fitting and trial of different color/tint contact lenses. The Ranani approach also requires a somewhat cumbersome and time consuming fitting process which includes placing a pair of colored or tinted contact lenses into the scissors support, aligning the pair of colored or tinted contact lenses with the eyes of the patient to view the appearance, aad then removing and replacing the previous pair of colored or tinted contact lenses with another pair of different colored or tinted contact lenses, and then repeating the fitting process for each different color or tint or pattern of interest Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a colored/tinted contact lens preview device as a contact lens beauty mirror sales aid which enables a person considering purchasing or wearing colored or tinted contact lenses to preview a particular color or tint pattern as it would appear as a colored or timed contact lens on the eye of that person. The preview device of the present invention substantially reduces the amount of time required by an ophthalmologist or optometrist to fit tinted contact lenses, and thus reduces the fitting cost, and also provides a preview device for fitting tinted contact lenses which is relatively inexpensive to construct and easy to use. More specifically, the preview device of the present invention is sufficiently easy and simple to use and inexpensive that a person in an ophthalmologist's or optometrist's office can preview different color and tint contact lenses without requiring the assistance of the ophthalmologist or optometrist (as in a waiting room). In accordance with the teachings herein, the present invention provides a colored/tinted contact lens preview device which is a beauty mirror sales aid to enable a prospective purchaser or wearer of colored or tinted contact lenses to preview the appearance of different color or tint patterns of contact lenses as they would appear as a colored or contact lens on the eye of the person. The preview device comprises a transparent substrate with a selection of different color or tint circular or annular/toroidal patterns, each of which simulates a con act lens with that particular color or tint pattern. In usage, a person views their eye in a mirror with a particular color or tint pattern of interest superimposed over the eye, such that the preview device simulates the appearance of that particular color or tint contact lens on the eye of the person. BRIFE DISCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention for a colored/tinted contact lens preview device may be more readily understood by one skilled in the art with reference being had to the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like dements are designated by identical reference numerals throughout the several views, and in which: Figure 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the preview device of the present invention. Figure 2 is a sectional view through the preview device of Figure 1 taken along arrows 2-2 in Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates a second more basic embodiment of the present invention which comprises only a transparent substrate preview device. The colored/tinted contact lens preview device of the present invention enables a prospective purchaser or wearer of colored or tinted contact lenses to preview the appearance of different color or tint patterns of contact lenses as they would appear as a colored or timed contact lens on the eye of the person. The preview device comprises a transparent substrate with a selection of different color or tint circular or annular/toroidal patterns, each of which simulates a contact lens with that particular color or tint pattern. In usage, a person views their eye in a mirror with a particular color or tint pattern of interest superimposed over the eye, such that the preview device simulates the appearance of that particular color or tint contact tens on the eye of the person. Several different embodiments on a colored/tinted contact lens preview device are disclosed and illustrated herein. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the preview device of die present invention wherein Figure 1 is a front plan view of the preview device 10, and Figure 2 is a sectional view through the preview device 10 taken along arrows 2-2 in Figure 1. The preview device 10 comprises a rotatably mounted, disc shaped, transparent substrate 12 which has a plurality of different color or tint circular or annular/toroidal, contact lens simulating patterns 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e. 14f and 14g printed thereon so as to be periodically spaced around its circumference. In one designed embodiment, the transparent disc substrate 12 is formed of BX 188 Pentaclear vinyl film having printed thereon color contact lens simulating patterns to showcase each of 7 different color or tint contact lens patterns with their respective opaque and enhancer names on a 4" diameter, 0 012" thick uncoated disc. Pentaclear BX 188 is commercially available from Klockner Pentaplast of America, Inc. and is a rigid homopolymer vinyl film with very high impact strength which provides excellent cosmetic, clarity and high gloss qualities. The plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns 14 can include any selected combination of colors and tints and patterns. One disclosed plurality of patterns includes an annular/toroidal shaped green opaque pattern 14a, an annular/toroidal shaped honey opaque pattern 14b, an annular/toroidal shaped blue opaque pattern 14c, an annular/toroidal shaped gray opaque pattern 14d, a circular shaped aqua enhancer pattern 14e, a circular shaped blue enhancer pattern 14f, and a circular shaped green enhancer pattern 14g. In general, the enhancer patterns 14e, 14f and 14g are presented as circularly shaped, lightly colored patterns, while the opaque patterns 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d are presented as annular/toroidal shaped darker colored patterns with a transparent central circular opening 17 through which light can pass to the retina of the eye. A rectangular shaped viewing aperture 16 is formed in the front side 18 of the preview housing, such that any one of the plurality of circurnferentially spaced different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns 14 can be selectively rotated into an operative preview position in the viewing aperture 16 formed in the front side 18 of the preview device, with a Green opaque pattern 14a being shown in the viewing aperture in Figure 1. A mirror 20 is also positioned in the viewing aperture 16, behind the transparent rotatable disc 12 at 22, and to one side of the transparent rotatable disc 12 at 24, such that a person can rotate the disc to selectively position a color or tint pattern of interest in the viewing aperture, and can then preview in the mirror 20 the appearance of that particular color or tint pattern contact lens on the eye of the person. A second identification aperture 34 can also be formed in the front side 18 of the preview housing, through which the previewing person can identify the color and name 15 of the particular pattern being previewed, e.g. green opaque identifier printing 15a being associated with the annular/toroidal shaped green opaque pattern 14a, and etc for 15b-14b, 15c-14c, 15d-14d, 15e-14e, 15f-14f and 15g-14g. The identifier printings 15 are also printed on the rotatable disc 12 such as to be visible through the identification aperture when the named pattern is properly positioned in the viewing aperture, such that the identifier printings 15 are printed on the rotatable disc with different angular orientations as shown in Figure 1. In a preferred embodiment, the preview housing is formed of a stiff paperboard or plastic preview housing which substantially encloses most of the disc. However, one edge 36 of the disc extends beyond one edge 38 of the preview housing such that the disc can be easily selectively manually rotated The preview device housing can be simply formed of a single stamped piece of stiff paperboard having symmetrically shaped front 18 and rear 26 sides, which are folded 180º at the upper edge 28 of the preview device housing, such that one half forms the front side 18 of the preview housing and the second half forms the rear side 26 of the preview housing. The preview housing preferably includes a downwardly extending handle 30 for ease of handling and usage. The front and rear sides can be secured together by a suitable adhesive at a lower portion of housing, such as at the lower handle portion 30. The rotatable disc is suitably mounted for rotation between the front and rear sides of the previewer housing, as by a simple metal rivot eyelet or pin 32 passing through the center of the routable disc 12 and also through the rear side 26 of the previewer housing. Decorative or advertising printing, such as colored logos and trademarks, and/or instructions for usage of the previewer device can be printed upon either or both of the front and back surfaces of the previewer housing. The embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 functions well when the previewer device and mirror are positioned approximately 12-18 inches in front of a face, such that both eyes can be seen in the mirror, and is designed for placement of the color or tint contact lens simulating patterns over the right eye which is the dominant eye in most people In one designed embodiment, the hand held paperboard sleeve presents a 6 1/16" wide by 4 11/16 ' high rectangular body which is 7 3/8" high including the handle (folded size), and is formed of diecut 0.024" SBS coated paperboard printed with trademarks, logos and instructions by a four color process. The viewing aperture is 2 3/16" wide and 1" high, ami the identification aperture is 13/16 wide and 6/16 high. A 3" x 1 ½" acrylic mirror is mounted via adhesive mstde the sleeve as seen on window side to reflect the user's eyes from a distance of 12-18." The sleeve is spot glued after folding to close in appropriate locations. Figure 3 illustrates a second more basic embodiment of the present invention which comprises only a transparent substrate preview device 40 having a plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns 42a - 42g printed thereon with associated identifier legends 44a - 44g at different positions on the transparent substrate, wherein the color or tint contact lens simulating patterns 42a - 42g are generally larger than the corresponding patterns 14a - 14g of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. The preview housing preferably includes a downwardly extending handle 46 for ease of handling and usage. In usage, a previewing person holds the transparent substrate in front of a selected eye such that a selected color or tint contact tens simulating pattern of interest is positioned in front of the eye while the person is spaced a suitable distance (e.g. 1 -3 feet) from an external mirror 48. The arrangement is such that the person can view the appearance of a particular selected color or tint contact lens pattern of interest 42 on the eye, and by moving the preview device slightly can compare the appearance of the person's natural eye color with the selected color or tint contact lens simulating pattern The previewing person can also selectively move the preview device to position any one of the plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns 42a - 42g in front of the eye to compare and evaluate each different contact lens simulating pattern in turn. While several embodiments and variations of the present invention for a colored/tinted contact lens preview device are described in detail herein, it should be apparent mat the disclosure and teachings of the present invention will suggest many alternative designs to those skilled in the art WE CLAIM 1. A colored/tinted contact lens preview device (10) which enables a prospective wearer of colored or tinted contact to preview the appearance of different color or tint patterns of contact lenses as they would appear as a colored or tinted contact lens on the eye of the person, comprising a transparent substrate (12) having a selection of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) thereon, each of which simulates a contact lens with that particular color or tint pattern, such that when a person views their eye in a mirror (20) with a particular color or tint pattern of interest superimposed over the eye, the preview devices simulates the appearance of that particular color or tint contact lens on the eye of the person. 2. The preview device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent (12) comprises a rotatably mounted (12) disc which has a plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) circumferentially spaced around the circumference of the disc. 3. The preview device as claimed in claim 2, comprising a preview housing a front side (18) and a rear side (26), and the transparent substrate disc (12) is rotatably mounted between the front side (18) and the rear side (26) of the preview housing. 4. The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a viewing aperture (16) is formed in eth front side (18) of the preview housing, such that any one of the plurality of circumferentially speed different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) can be selectively rotated into a preview position in the viewing aperture (16). 5. The preview device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a minor (20) is positioned in the viewing aperture (16) behind the transparent substrate disc (12), such that a person can rotate the transparent substrate disc (12) to selectively positioned a color or tint pattern of interest in the viewing aperture (16), and can then preview in the mirror (20) the appearance of that particular color or tint pattern contact lens on the eye of the person. 6. The preview device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the minor (20) is positioned in the viewing aperture (16) behind the substrate disc (12) and also to one circumferential side of the transparent substrate disc (12). 7. The preview device as claimed in claim 4, wherein an identifying aperture (34) is formed in the front side (18) of the preview housing, through which a previewing person can identifying by an identifier printed legend (15) the color and name of a particular pattern being previewed in the viewing aperture (16), and the identifier printed legends (15) are printed on the rotatable substrate disc (12) such as to be visible through te identification aperture (34) when the named pattern is positioned in the viewing aperture (16). 8. The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the preview housing is formed of a single stamped piece of material having symmetrically shaped front and rear sides (18, 26), which are folded 180° at an upper edge of the preview device housing such that one half of the piece of material forms the front side (18) of the preview housing and the second half of the piece of material forms the rear (26). 9. The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the preview housing is formed of a single stamped piece of paperboard having symmetrically shaped front an drear (18, 26) sides, which are folded 180° at an upper edge of the preview device housing, such that one half of the piece of paperboard forms the front side (18) of the preview housing and the second half of the piece of paperboard forms the rear side (26) of the preview hosing. lO.The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotatable substrate disc (12) is mounted for rotation between the front and rear sides (18, 26) of the preview housing by a river6t eyelet (32) which passes through the center of the rotatable substrate disc (12) and also through the rear side (26) of the preview housing. 11.The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotatable substrate disc (12) is mounted for rotation between the front and rear sides (18, 26) of the preview housing by a pin (32) which passes through the center of the rotatable substrate disc (12) and also the preview housing. 12.The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotatable substrate disc (12) is mounted for rotation between the front and rear sides (18, 26) of the preview housing by a pin (32) which passes through the center of the rotatable substrate disc (12) and also through the preview housing. 13.The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the preview housing comprises a lower downwardly extending handle (30, 46) provided for ease of handling and usage. 14.The preview device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the front and rear sides (18, 26) are secured together at the lower downwardly extending handle (30). 15.The preview device as claimed in claim 3, wherein one edge of the preview housing such that the disc can be selectively manually rotated. 16.The preview device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patents (14a to 14g) comprises both circular shaped patterns (14a, to 14c) and annular/toroidal shaped patterns (14c to 14g). 17.The preview device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) comprises annular/toroidal shaped, darkly colored opaque patterns (14e to 14g) and circular shaped, lightly colored enhancer patterns (14a to 14c). 18.The preview device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) comprises an annular/toroidal shaped green opaque pattern (14a), an annular/ toroidal shaped green opaque pattern (14a), an annular/toroidal shaped honey opaque (14b) pattern, an annular/toroidal shaped blue opaque (14c) pattern, an annular/toroidal shaped gray opaque pattern (14d), a circular shaped aqua enhancer (14e) pattern, a circular shaped blue enhancer pattern (14f)/ and a circular shaped green enhancer pattern (14g). 19.The preview device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a transparent substrate preview device (40) having a plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (42a to 42g) printed substrate (12), such that a previewing person holds the transparent substrate (12) in front of a selected eye such a selected color or tint contact lens simulating pattern of interest (42) is positioned in front of the eye while the person is spaced a spaced a distance from an external mirror (48), such that a person can view the appearance of a particular selected color or tint contact lens pattern of interest (42) on the eye, and by moving the preview device (40) slightly can compare the appearance of the person's natural eye color with the selected color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (42a to 42g) and the previewing person can also selectively move the preview device (40) to position any one of the plurality of different color or tint contact lens simulating pattern in turn. This invention relates to a colored/tinted contact lens preview device (10) which enables a prospective wearer of colored or tinted contact to preview the appearance of different color or tint patterns of contact lenses as they would appear as a colored or tinted contact lens on the eye of the person, comprising a transparent substrate (12) having a selection of different color or tint contact lens simulating patterns (14a to 14g) thereon, each of which simulates a contact lens with that particular color or tint pattern, such that when a person views their eye in a mirror (20) with a particular color or tint pattern of interest superimposed over the eye, the preview devices simulates the appearance of that particular color or tint contact lens on the eye of the person.

Documents:

227-kol-2003-granted-abstract.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-assignment.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-claims.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-correspondence.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-description (complete).pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-drawings.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-examination report.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 1.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 18.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 2.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 26.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 3.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-form 5.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-specification.pdf

227-kol-2003-granted-translated copy of priority document.pdf