Diving mask with lenses and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

A diving mask having hemispherically-shaped lenses mounted on a flexible gasket or portion and fitted to the contours of a user's face. Laser scanning or topographic mapping is used to determine the contours of the user's face. Edges of the hemispherically-shaped lenses are then shaped to fit the contours of the face. As a result, the spherical center of the lenses substantially coincides with the optical nodal point of the user's eyes, or the center of rotation of the eyes. This virtually eliminates the phenomenon of underwater magnification-distortion caused by the difference in refractive indices of water and air. The diving mask may also have hemispherically-shaped lenses mounted on a support portion. The support portion, in turn, is mounted on a flexible gasket of selected size. A secure seal is provided between the diving mask and a user's face by the flexible gasket. The diving mask may be provided with at least one purge valve. The diving mask may be used with retractable corrective lenses, if desired. The diving mask may be used with bottom lenses which provide vision both above and below water. Hemispherically-shaped meniscus lenses may be used with the diving mask. The meniscus lenses are designed to provide optimal peripheral vision, while reducing weight and facilitating drainage of water from the mask.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to underwater face masks and, more particularly, to underwater diving masks having eyepieces or lenses mounted on a flexible gasket.In the past, a variety of underwater face masks have been used for sporting and other activities such as skin and scuba diving. Early underwater face masks typically had several common features, including a contiguous air space shared by the diver's nose and eyes, generally flat, glass or plastic windows, eyepieces or ports fixed approximately perpendicularly to the wearer's straight-ahead viewing axis, and a flexible rubber or plastic support structure for holding the ports in position and trapping an air pocket against the wearer's face. A contiguous air pocket over both the wearer's nose and eyes, as opposed to a mask covering the eyes only, allows for equalizing pressure inside the mask with ambient water pressure as the wearer ascends and descends in the water. Such equalization is ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a diving mask which furnishes improved viewing characteristics under water.

In still another embodiment of the mask, hemispherically-shaped meniscus lenses are used to provide reduced weight and a reduced air volume inside the mask. The curvatures of the inner and outer surfaces of the meniscus lenses are chosen to produce an effective zero diopter value under water. The spherical centers of curvature of the meniscus lenses are located beneath the centers of a diver's eye in order to reduce the weight of the mask and to improve drainage.

Problems solved by technology

Above and below water, the wearer's horizontal and vertical fields of view are severely limited by the flexible rubber or plastic structures providing such support, thereby creating a sense of "tunnel vision" and a closed-in, claustrophobic feeling.

Additionally, conventional flat-window masks suffer quite significant magnification-distortion problems from the difference in refractive indices between water and air.

Further, conventional flat-window masks create a significant amount of hydrodynamic drag and present a significant risk of slipping off the wearer's face if hit by an unanticipated or oblique-angle wave or current.

These and other flat-window mask problems have attempted to be overcome, with less than satisfactory results, by spherically-shaped eyepieces or lenses used for underwater masks.

As such, these masks do not provide optimum viewing characteristics under water without the use of additional corrective lenses.

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