Stackable eye shields with selectively releasable snap-fit assembly

Abstract

A stack of eye masks includes: a plurality of eye masks, each having a frame having a receiver positioned along the frame and a latch positioned to engage the receiver, and spaced-apart raised support surfaces rising along and above an upper portion of the frame; and lenses mounted on the frame and having lens apertures extending through the lenses and aligned with the receivers of the frame, wherein the latches engage the receivers to secure the lenses to the frames. The eye masks are stacked one on top of the other, wherein each of the eye masks is oriented generally parallel to one another, wherein each of the raised surfaces of an upper frame in the stack is slightly forward of a corresponding raised surface of a lower frame in the stack, and wherein each frame of each eye mask in the stack has a gap therebetween except at a contact surface where the raised support surface contacts an adjacent lower surface of the upper eye mask. The raised support surfaces of the frames stabilize the stack of eye masks for transport and distribution of the stack of eye masks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to eye masks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to improved molded eye mask structures that are configured to be stackable and have improved selectively releasable snap-fit latches that provide improved functionality for facilitating assembly and disassembly, stacking, and improved aesthetics. Background Art

[0002] There is a need for improvements in the manufacture of disposable eye shields of the type having a molded plastic frame with ear pieces and lenses secured to the frame to provide the eye shield.

[0003] One need in the art is for eye masks that can be easily stacked on top of each other for shipping and dispensing, and that tend to remain parallel to each other in the stacked orientation. Conventional eye masks are provided in a stacked fashion in boxes, but the eye masks become tangled and move, making them difficult to dispense without the user handling multiple eye masks at a time.

[0004] The present disclosure advantageously provides aesthetically pleasing eye masks that are configured to facilitate stacking of eye masks so that the eye masks remain aligned and parallel to each other and untangled, so that a user can grasp only the topmost eye mask from the stack and does not have to handle the underlying eye masks.

[0005] The present disclosure also advantageously provides an eye mask with a snap-fit feature that allows lenses to be easily attached to the frame and also easily removed for cleaning or replacement. The snap-fit feature is also particularly configured to facilitate stacking of the eye mask.

[0006] Also provided in the present disclosure is a container that aesthetically and structurally conforms to stacked eye masks and facilitates transport and dispensing of the eye masks. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The above needs and other needs are met by an improved eye mask configured to be provided in a stack of similar eye masks for shipping and distribution.

[0008] In one aspect, a stack of eye masks according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of eye masks, each having a frame and a lens, the frame having a receiver positioned along the frame and a latch positioned to engage the receiver, and spaced-apart elevated support surfaces rising along and above an upper portion of the frame; the lens mounted on the frame and having a lens aperture extending through the lens and aligned with the receiver of the frame, wherein the latch engages the receiver to secure the lens to the frame.

[0009] The eye masks are stacked one on top of the other, with each of the eye masks oriented generally parallel to one another, with each of the raised surfaces of an upper frame in the stack slightly forward of a corresponding raised surface of a lower frame in the stack, and with each frame of each eye mask in the stack having a gap therebetween except at a contact surface where the raised support surface contacts an adjacent lower surface of the upper eye mask. The raised support surfaces of the frames stabilize the stack of eye masks for transport and distribution of the stack of eye masks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show details, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an eye mask according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 This is its exploded diagram.

[0013] Figure 3 This is its front view.

[0014] Figure 4 This is its rear view.

[0015] Figure 5 This is its top view.

[0016] Figure 6 This is its bottom view.

[0017] Figure 7 This is its left side view.

[0018] Figure 8 This is its right side view.

[0019] Figures 9 and 10 Depicts the latch of the eyepatch.

[0020] Figures 11 to 12 Depicts eyebrow latch with eye patch.

[0021] Figures 13 and 14 Depicted is the side latch for the eyecup.

[0022] Figure 15 Depicts the engagement of the guard with the latch.

[0023] Figures 16 and 17 An alternative embodiment of a latch according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0024] Figures 18 to 20 Depicts the stacking of eye patches.

[0025] 21A to 21D The contact locations between the stacked eye masks are shown.

[0026] Figures 22 to 23 Depicts the stacked ridges of the eyecup.

[0027] Figure 24 Eye masks are shown stacked for transport and display in a specially configured container suitable for transporting and dispensing the eye masks.

[0028] Figure 25 A container configured for transporting an eye mask is shown.

[0029] Figure 26 A container configured for dispensing eye masks is shown.

[0030] Figure 27 A blank for making a container is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Referring to the drawings, the present disclosure provides an eye mask 10. The eye mask 10 is desirably configured to facilitate vertical stacking of the eye masks 10 so that the eye masks 10 do not become tangled and so that a user can grab only the topmost eye mask from the stack without having to handle the eye masks below.

[0032] The appearance of the eye mask 10 is also configured to be aesthetically pleasing and include various decorative aspects and features.

[0033] The eye mask 10 has a lens 12 that is attached to the frame 14 in a releasable snap-fit relationship by hinged brow latches 16 and hinged temple latches 17 of the frame 14 .

[0034] The lens 12 is preferably a one-piece plastic lens die-cut from a flat plastic film or other suitable lens material. The lens 12 includes a plurality of spaced-apart lens apertures 12a, 12b defined adjacent an upper edge of the lens 12.

[0035] The frame 14 is preferably of molded plastic construction and has ear pieces 14a and a curved brow piece 14b. The brow piece 14b preferably has reduced material to allow for a good fit, but may include a raised central reinforcement 14c and gussets 14d to maintain desired rigidity. As described more fully below, the raised reinforcement 14c and other raised structures of the frame 14 desirably aid in stacking the eye mask 10. The ear pieces 14a meet the brow piece 14b at a joint 14e, which is ideally non-linear and angles the ear pieces 14a inward.

[0036] Brow piece 14b also includes a brow receiver 18 and a side receiver 19 formed thereon that are configured to mate with lens apertures 12a, 2b and latches 16, 17, respectively, as more fully described below.

[0037] The frame 14 also includes a plurality of elongated, narrow elevated members or ridges 20 defined along the upper surface of the ear pieces 14 a of the frame 14. As described in more detail below, the ridges 20 of the frame 14 cooperate to facilitate vertical stacking of the eye masks 10 and enable the stacked eye masks 10 to be maintained in a vertically stacked and generally parallel relationship for transporting and distributing the eye masks 10 in the stacked relationship.

[0038] The hinged brow latch 16 is specifically configured to cooperate with the receiver 18 and the lens aperture 12a and to retain the lens 12 in place on the frame 14. The hinged brow latch 16 is also configured to be easily unlocked from the receiver 18 for removal of the lens 12 and, if necessary, re-latched for replacement of the lens 12. The hinged brow latch 16 is preferably of unitary plastic construction formed with the frame 14.

[0039] The hinged side latch 17 is specifically configured to cooperate with the receiver 19 and the lens aperture 12b and retain the lens 12 in place on the frame 14. The hinged side latch 17 is also configured to be easily unlocked from the receiver 19 for removal of the lens 12 and, if necessary, re-latched for replacement of the lens 12. The hinged side latch 17 is preferably of unitary plastic construction formed with the frame 14.

[0040] As explained more fully below, the hinged brow latch 16 and the hinged side latch 17 are configured to rise above the frame 14 and facilitate stacking of the eye mask 10 .

[0041] The hinged brow latches 16 and the hinged side latches 17 are generally similar, except that, as explained more fully below, the hinged side latches 17 are even further configured to facilitate stacking of eye masks. The hinged brow latches 16 can be configured in the same manner, but it has been observed that the position of the hinged brow latches 16 does not cause them to be involved in stacking eye masks in the same manner as the hinged side latches 17.

[0042] Also refer to Figures 11 to 12 and Figure 15The hinged brow latch 16 includes a flap 16a hingedly attached to the upper edge of the brow piece 14b via a hinge 16b, which is preferably a living hinge. The flap 16a is desirably a thin, planar member configured to provide a continuous, flat surface, with the exception of a central void area or window 16c formed in the flap 16a. The window 16c provides a desired aesthetically pleasing appearance to the hinged latch 16 and also enables the flap 16a to desirably flex when force is applied, thereby facilitating disengagement of the hinged latch 16 from the receiving portion 18. An elongated gripping portion 16d is positioned to extend from the inner surface of the flap 16a and below the window 16c. The gripping portion 16d is configured to extend upwardly into the receiving portion 18 to engage the receiving portion 18 in a snap-fit relationship when the flap 16a is closed. The gripping portion 16d includes a protruding tooth 16dd positioned and configured to engage the receiving portion 18.

[0043] Reference Figures 13 to 15 The hinged side latch 17 includes a flap 17a hingedly attached to the upper edge of the brow piece 14b via a hinge 17b, which is preferably a living hinge. The flap 17a is desirably a thin, planar member configured to provide a continuous, flat surface, except for a central void area or window 17c formed in the flap 17a. The window 17c provides a desired aesthetically pleasing appearance to the hinged latch 17 and also enables the flap 17a to desirably flex when force is applied, thereby facilitating disengagement of the hinged latch 17 from the receiver 19. An elongated gripping portion 17d is positioned to extend from the inner surface of the flap 17a and below the window 17c. The gripping portion 17d is configured to extend upwardly into the receiver 19 to engage the receiver 19 in a snap-fit relationship when the flap 17a is closed. The gripping portion 17d includes a protruding tooth 17dd positioned and configured to engage the receiver 19.

[0044] As previously described, latches 16 and 17 are generally similar, except that the hinged side latches 17 are configured to further facilitate stacking of eye shields beyond that provided by latches 16. The difference between hinge 17 and hinge 16 is that the elongated grip 17d of latch 17 is longer than the elongated grip 16d of latch 16.

[0045] In this way, and with reference to Figures 13 and 14, which causes the lowermost rear surface of flap 17a to be spaced apart from lens 12 and angled at an angle α to provide recess 17e. When the eye masks 10 are not stacked, angle α is typically from about 10 degrees to about 15 degrees, wherein angle α of stacked eye masks decreases due to the weight of the stack. In explanation, when the eye masks 10 are stacked, angle α can approach zero because lens 12 can contact the rear surface of flap 17a, allowing the next adjacent frame / lens below to nest in place. Once frame 14 is removed from the stack, angle α of the frame's latch 17 will be about 13-14 degrees. The maximum angle α of latch 17 in the latched position is preferably about 15 degrees.

[0046] like Figure 20 As shown, the recess 17e is configured to receive the lower latch 17 of the lower eye shield 10 in the stack of eye shields 10. The recess 17e also advantageously provides space or clearance for the lens 12 to flex for stacking the eye shields 10, thereby reducing stress on the lens 12 caused by stacking.

[0047] The receiving portions 18 are spaced apart and positioned to correspond to the locations of the lens apertures 12a. Figures 11 to 12 and Figure 15 As shown, the receiving portion 18 defines an elongated cavity and is formed along the lower front edge of the curved eyebrow piece 14b. The receiving portion 18 is open at the bottom and front and has a rear wall 18a, opposing side walls 18b, an inclined entrance wall 18c, and a rear top wall 18d. A gripping wall 18e is positioned between the entrance wall 18c and the rear top wall 18d and is preferably substantially vertical. The lower portion of the gripping wall 18e provides a gripping surface 19ee for engaging the latch 16.

[0048] Receiving portion 19 corresponds in configuration to receiving portion 18 and is spaced and positioned to correspond to the location of lens aperture 12b. Figures 13 to 15 As shown in FIG, the receiving portion 19 defines an elongated cavity and is formed along the lower side edge of the curved eyebrow piece 14b. The receiving portion 19 is open at the bottom and front and has a rear wall 19a, opposing side walls 19b, an inclined entrance wall 19c, and a rear top wall 19d. A gripping wall 19e is positioned between the entrance wall 19c and the rear top wall 19d and is preferably substantially vertical. The lower portion of the gripping wall 19e provides a gripping surface 19ee for engaging the latch 17.

[0049] During assembly of eye mask 10, lens 12 is positioned so that aperture 12a of lens 12 covers receiver 18 and aperture 12b covers receiver 19. Hinged brow latch 16 is also positioned to engage receiver 18, and hinged side latch 17 is positioned to engage receiver 19.

[0050] To engage the latch 16 with the receiver 18, the flap 16a is rotated so as to insert the gripping portion 16d into the receiver 18 through the aligned lens aperture 12a and the opening of the receiver 18 between the sidewalls 18b of the receiver 18. As will be noted, the gripping portion 16d is angled to match the slope of the angled entry wall 18c, which angle is preferably from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees. The gripping portion 16d has a length that is configured such that when the flap 16a is flush with the lens 12, the teeth 16dd tightly engage the gripping surface 18ee in a snap-fit friction relationship and remain engaged with the gripping surface 18ee unless a force is applied to disengage the teeth 16dd from the gripping surface 18ee as described herein.

[0051] If it is desired to disengage the latch 16 from the receiver 18 so that the lens 12 can be removed from the frame 14, the lower edge of the flap 16a can be grasped (e.g., by a fingernail, etc.), and the lower edge of the flap 16a can be slightly bent backward to disengage the teeth 16dd from the gripping surface 18ee. In this regard, when a force is applied to facilitate the disengagement of the hinged latch 16 from the receiver 18, the window 16c of the flap 16a enables the flap 16a to bend as desired. The flexure provided by the window 16c avoids permanent bending of the flap 17a.

[0052] The angled configuration of the gripping portion 16d and the entrance wall 18c of the receiving portion 18, as well as the configuration of the teeth 16dd and gripping surface 18ee, also cooperate so that only a very small amount of flexing of the flap 16a is required to disengage the latch 16 from the receiving portion 18, which otherwise remains tightly engaged in the receiving portion 18. In conjunction with this is the configuration of the gripping portion 16d below the window 16c so that a concentrated force is applied to the lower edge of the flap 16a without permanently deforming the flap 16a, causing the flap 16a to return to its original flat shape to enable the latch 16 to be repeatedly engaged and disengaged from the receiving portion 18.

[0053] In a similar manner, latch 17 is engaged with receiver 19, and flap 17a is rotated so as to place grip 17d into receiver 19 through the aligned lens aperture 12b and the opening of receiver 19 between sidewalls 19b of receiver 19. As will be noted, grip 17d is angled to match the slope of angled entry wall 19c, which angle is preferably from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees. As described above, the length of grip 17d is greater than the length of grip 16d, such that the lowermost rear surface of flap 17a is away from lens 12 and angled away from lens 12 to provide recess 17e. However, as will be seen in the illustrations of FIG. Figure 13As noted in the drawings, the uppermost portion of the flap 17a above the window 17c engages the lens 12 such that the teeth 17dd are in tension and tightly engage the gripping surface 19ee in a snap-fit friction relationship and remain engaged with the gripping surface 19ee unless a force is applied to disengage the teeth 17dd from the gripping surface 17ee as described herein.

[0054] If it is desired to disengage the latch 17 from the receiver 19 so that the lens 12 can be removed from the frame 14, the lower edge of the flap 17a can be grasped (e.g., by a fingernail, etc.), and the lower edge of the flap 17a can be slightly bent backward to disengage the teeth 17dd from the gripping surface 19ee. In this regard, when a force is applied to facilitate the disengagement of the hinged latch 17 from the receiver 19, the window 17c of the flap 17a enables the flap 17a to bend as desired. The flexure provided by the window 17c avoids permanent bending of the flap 17a.

[0055] The angled configuration of the gripping portion 17d and the entrance wall 19c of the receiving portion 19, and the configuration of the teeth 17dd and gripping surface 19ee, also cooperate so that only a very small amount of flexing of the flap 17a is required to disengage the latch 17 from the receiving portion 19, which otherwise remains tightly engaged in the receiving portion 19. In conjunction with this is the configuration of the gripping portion 17 below the window 17c so that a concentrated force is applied to the lower edge of the flap 17a without permanently deforming the flap 17a, causing the flap 17a to return to its original flat shape to enable the latch 17 to be repeatedly engaged and disengaged from the receiving portion 19.

[0056] refer to Figures 16 and 17 , shows an alternative embodiment of the receiver 18 ′ and latch 16 ′. It will be appreciated that the modifications shown herein may also be applied to the latch 17 and receiver 19 , but the alternative embodiment has been observed to be most suitable for replacing the receiver 18 and latch 16 .

[0057] Latch 16' is generally similar to latch 16, except that it includes a rib 16e extending outwardly from grip portion 16d. Receiver 18' is generally similar to receiver 18, except that it includes a recess 18f defined to snugly receive rib 16e. Rib 16e, received in recess 18f, serves to prevent lens 12 from moving from side to side.

[0058] Figures 18 to 23 Depicted are vertical stacking of eye masks 10 and stacking spines 20. The spines 20 of the frames 14 cooperate to facilitate vertical stacking of the eye masks 10 and enable the stacked eye masks 10 to be maintained in a vertical stacked relationship for shipping and distribution of the eye masks 10 in the stacked relationship.

[0059] Furthermore, the raised upper surfaces of latches 16 and 17 facilitate stacking of the eye mask 10. Figure 20 As shown, the recess 17e of the latch 17 is configured to receive the lower latch 17 of the lower eye mask 10 in the stack of eye masks 10. The recess 17e also advantageously provides space or clearance for the lens 12 of the lower eye mask 10 to flex in order to stack the eye masks 10, thereby reducing the stress on the lens 12 caused by the stacking. The recess 17e also helps prevent the eye masks 10 from shifting and becoming tangled.

[0060] Additional references Figures 22 to 23 A ridge 20 is defined on the upper surface of the frame 14 at the nonlinear junction 14e where each ear piece 14a joins the brow piece 14b, so as to span along the ear piece 14a, the brow piece 14b, and a portion of the junction 14e. The ridge 20 is an elongated, narrow ridge that defines a curved, raised line along the top of the frame 14. The stacking arrangement of the ridges 20 also prevents the eye masks 10 in the stack from shifting and becoming tangled, allowing the user to simply grab the topmost eye mask from the stack to remove it without having to handle the eye masks below.

[0061] Now return to Figure 3 and Figure 4 It will be appreciated that the uppermost surfaces of the latches 16, 17, raised stiffeners 14c, and ridges 20 all lie in a common plane elevated above the frame 14. As such, the latches 16, 17, raised stiffeners 14c, and ridges 20 of adjacent eye shields 10 in a stack are the contact surfaces between the stacked eye shields 10.

[0062] As a result, each frame 14 of each eye mask 10 of the stack has a gap G therebetween, except at the raised contact surface provided by the latch 16, latch 17, raised reinforcement 14c, and ridge 20 of the lower eye mask, where the lower eye mask contacts and supports the lower surface of the frame 14 of the upper eye mask 10 at the contact point CP, as shown in FIG. 21A to 21D Thus, the raised contact surface provided by latch 16, latch 17, raised reinforcement 14c, and ridge 20 of frame 14 stabilizes the stack of eye masks for transport and distribution.

[0063] like Figures 18 to 20 and 21A to Figure 21D As depicted in FIG, when the eye masks 10 are stacked, the stack is generally vertical, and the eye masks 10 are aligned in a generally parallel P in the stack, but are not stacked directly vertically. This is because of the thickness of the lenses 12, and each upper lens 12 in the stack overlaps the lower lens 12. Therefore, each latch 16, latch 17, reinforcement 14c, and upper ridge 20 in the stack is slightly forward of the latch 16, latch 17, reinforcement 14c, and lower ridge 20.

[0064] Providing ridges 20 at side locations of the frame 14 enables the weight load of the eye mask to be at a location away from or away from the lens 12 to avoid stress on the lens 12 due to stacking of the eye mask 10. Thus, the ridges 20 provide a primary load bearing location for eye mask stacking.

[0065] Now see Figures 24 to 26 , a dispensing container 30 for stacking eye masks 10 is shown. The dispensing container 30 is desirably configured for storage and transport such as Figure 24 The eye mask 10 is shown in a stacked configuration and is used to distribute the eye mask 10 to the user of the eye mask, such as Figure 26 The dispensing container 30 is also configured to be aesthetically pleasing and include various decorative aspects and features. The container 30 is also configured to facilitate stacking and dispensing of eye masks in a manner such that a user can simply grab the topmost eye mask 10 from the stack to remove it and does not have to handle the eye masks below.

[0066] The upright container includes a front portion 30a, side portions 30b and 30c, a rear portion 30d, a bottom portion 30e, and a top portion 30f. The front portion 30a, side portions 30b and 30c, and the rear portion 30d are vertical surfaces perpendicular to the bottom portion 30e and rise upward from the horizontal bottom portion 30e. The top portion 30f slopes downward from the front portion 30a to the rear portion 30d and is arranged at an angle b of about 10 to about 35 degrees relative to the horizontal, most preferably between about 20 and 25 degrees.

[0067] like Figures 21A-21D and Figure 24 As shown, the eye masks 10 are generally aligned substantially parallel to one another in the stack and are stacked in an inclined configuration, with the ear pieces 14 generally aligned with one another and disposed at an angle c of approximately 10 to 35 degrees, most preferably between approximately 20 and 25 degrees, relative to the horizontal bottom 30e. Thus, the top 30f is desirably inclined substantially parallel to the generally uniformly inclined ear pieces 14 of the stacked eye masks 10. It has been observed that the stacking feature of the eye masks 10 tends to prevent at least a majority of the eye masks from shifting and becoming tangled in the stack. That is, while a small number of the eye masks could potentially shift slightly from the stacked orientation shown, it has been observed that the majority of the eye masks do not shift and the stack does not become tangled, allowing a user to simply grab the topmost eye mask from the stack to remove it without having to handle the underlying eye masks.

[0068] The dispensing container 30 may be of cardboard construction and formed from a one-piece blank 40, such as Figure 27 The dispensing container 30 may be suspended from a wall or the like, and the dispensing container may be supported by a wire hanger 50 that may be attached to the wall ( Figure 26 ).

[0069] return Figure 27 The blank 40 includes a front panel 42 , opposing side panels 44 , 46 foldable relative to the front panel 42 , and a back panel 48 foldable relative to the side panels 46 .

[0070] The front panel 42 includes a tear-away section 42a having a perforated border and configured to be removed to access the stack of eye masks 10; a foldable top flap 42b; and a folded edge 42bb extending from the top flap 42b, wherein a slot 42bb is formed along the edge 42bb. The tear-away section 42 is generally T-shaped and includes portions extending into the top flap 42b and the side panels 44, 46 to facilitate access by a user's fingers into the container 30 for removing the eye masks 10, generally one at a time, from the stack of eye masks in the container 30.

[0071] Side panels 44 include bottom flaps 44a having folded edges 44aa, side flaps 44b, and upper flaps 44c. Side panels 46 include bottom flaps 46a having folded edges 46aa, and upper flaps 46b. Back panel 48 includes bottom flaps 48a and upper folded tabs 48b configured to engage slots 42bbb.

[0072] As will be appreciated, the present disclosure advantageously provides eye masks that are configured to facilitate stacking of eye masks so that the eye masks remain aligned and parallel to each other and untangled, thereby allowing a user to grasp only the topmost eye mask from the stack and not have to handle the underlying eye masks.

[0073] The present disclosure also advantageously provides an eye mask with a snap-fit feature that enables lenses to be easily attached to the frame and also easily removed for cleaning or replacement. The snap-fit feature is also specifically configured to facilitate stacking of the eye mask.

[0074] A container that conforms to the stacking of eye masks is also provided, which facilitates the transport and distribution of the eye masks.

[0075] The above description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed. In view of the above teachings, obvious modifications or variations are possible. The embodiments have been chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, and thereby enable those skilled in the art to utilize the present disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications suitable for the specific use contemplated.

Claims

1. A stack of eye masks, comprising: Multiple eye masks, each eye mask having: a frame having at least two latches and at least two receivers positioned along the frame, each of the latches positioned to engage one of the receivers, one of the latches including an outwardly extending rib and one of the receivers including a recess configured to closely receive the rib, the frame having a plurality of spaced-apart elevated support surfaces rising along and above an upper portion of the frame; as well as a lens mounted on the frame and having at least two lens apertures extending therethrough, each of the lens apertures being aligned with one of the receivers of the frame, wherein each of the latches engages one of the receivers to secure the lens to the frame, the rib and the recess cooperating to prevent movement of the lens from side to side; wherein the plurality of eye masks are arranged in a stack, wherein the eye masks are stacked one on top of another, wherein each of the eye masks is oriented perpendicular to and parallel to another of the eye masks, wherein each of the raised surfaces of a frame above one of the frames of the eye masks in the stack is slightly in front of and overlaps with a corresponding raised surface of a frame immediately below one of the frames of the eye masks in the stack, wherein each frame of each eye mask in the stack has a gap between the frames except at contact surfaces of the frames where the raised support surfaces contact an adjacent lower surface of the frame of the eye mask above it, whereby the raised support surfaces of the frames stabilize the stack of eye masks for transporting and distributing the stack of eye masks.

2. The stack of eye masks according to claim 1, wherein The raised support surface includes an elongated narrow ridge defining a curved raised line along an upper portion of the frame.

3. The stack of eye masks according to claim 2, wherein: The raised support surface further includes an uppermost surface of the latch elevated above the frame in a common plane with the elongated narrow spine.

4. The stack of eye masks according to claim 2, wherein: The raised support surface further includes a reinforcement member raised above the frame, the reinforcement member lying in a common plane with the elongated narrow spine.

5. The stack of eye masks according to claim 1, wherein: The raised support surface is located at a side position of the frame.

6. The stack of eye masks according to claim 1, wherein: The latch includes a lowermost rear surface that is angled away from the lens to provide a recess that provides clearance for a lens of a lower eye mask in the stack.

7. The stack of eye masks according to claim 1, wherein: The stack is in an inclined configuration in which the ear pieces of the eye mask frames are aligned with each other and arranged at an angle of 10 to 35 degrees relative to a horizontal base.

8. The stack of eye masks of claim 7, further comprising a container into which the stack of eye masks is received for shipping and distribution, the container having a top portion of the earpieces angled parallel to the stack of eye masks.

9. The stack of eye masks according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the receiving portions includes an elongated cavity having an open front, the open front having an inclined entrance wall and a gripping wall, the inclined entrance wall extending upward from the open front at a certain angle, the gripping wall being located behind the inclined entrance wall, the gripping wall defining a gripping surface, and each of the latches includes a flap hingedly connected to the frame and a gap area formed on the flap, the gap area being configured to cause the flap to bend when pressure is applied to the lower edge of the flap, an elongated gripping portion extending upward from the inner surface of the flap at an angle, the angle at which the elongated gripping portion extends upward corresponding to the angle of the inclined entrance wall, and teeth protruding from the distal end of the elongated gripping portion and configured to engage the gripping surface of the gripping wall.

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