Pair of goggles for animals of the equine species
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023748545
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-08-04
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing equine spectacle designs fail to provide adequate visual comfort, ease of use, and protection for horses, leading to potential clumsiness and injury, and do not adequately adapt to the horse's anatomy or protect against environmental elements, which can hinder their ability to perform tasks.
A pair of glasses with adjustable straps and shells featuring a sleeve with a collar forming specific angles and channels for better retention, ventilation, and the option of a corrective lens, designed to fit the horse's head comfortably and protect its eyes from wind, dust, and UV rays, while allowing for tasks like dressage and agricultural work.
The improved design enhances visual comfort, ease of wear, and protection, enabling horses to perform tasks without hindrance, reducing the risk of injury and improving their quality of life by providing effective eye protection and adaptability.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] PAIR OF GOGGLES FOR EQUINES
[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The invention relates to a pair of glasses for equines, such as horses, donkeys, ponies or the like. Its subject is a pair of glasses intended to equip an equine.
[0004] PRIOR TECHNIQUE
[0005] Document US 2010 / 0083914 describes a pair of goggles intended to equip an equine animal, particularly a horse. The pair of goggles is intended to protect the horse's eyes from impacts. The pair of goggles comprises two shells designed to cover a respective eye of the horse. The shells are held on the horse's head by a set of straps that connect the shells together and allow them to be held on the horse's head. Each shell may be equipped with an anti-insect grid or a lens.
[0006] TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0007] Considering the above, one problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to improve such a pair of glasses to provide better visual comfort to an equine, such as a horse, a donkey, a pony or the like, hereinafter referred to as a horse. Indeed, a horse suffering from visual deficiencies is prone to making clumsy mistakes that may injure itself or those around it. In some cases, this results in euthanasia of the horse, which is absolutely desirable to avoid.
[0008] Thus, it is desirable to improve a conformation of each of the shells to better adapt it to a physiognomy of the horse's head. It is also desirable to improve the conformation of each of the shells, so that an arrangement of a lens carried by a shell is improved in relation to the eye of the horse that the shell equips.
[0009] It is also desirable to improve the comfort of wearing such a pair of glasses for the horse who is naturally reluctant to wear such a pair of glasses.
[0010] It is also desirable that such a pair of glasses be able to protect sensitive eyes or those suffering from eye pathologies, such a pair of glasses being designed to protect the horse's eyes from natural elements, wind, dust, ultraviolet rays.
[0011] It is also desirable that such a pair of glasses be adapted to allow a horse to perform tasks common to a horse, such as dressage, riding, work in the agricultural field, forestry in particular, fishing, work with disabled people or similar, these fields being rapidly expanding. In other words, it is desirable that such a pair of glasses improves the life of the horse by allowing it to continue to perform tasks that the horse is accustomed to performing without glasses.
[0012] TECHNICAL SOLUTION
[0013] The present invention relates to a pair of glasses intended to equip an equine head. The pair of glasses comprises a set of straps and two shells, each shell comprising a sleeve which extends between a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end. The first sleeve end is provided with a first orifice and the second sleeve end is provided with a second orifice.
[0014] According to the present invention, the second sleeve end is provided with a collar fitted around a perimeter of the second orifice.
[0015] The pair of glasses advantageously includes at least one of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination:
[0016] - the collar and the sleeve form a first angle which is between 90° and 120°.
[0017] - the collar extends between an upper face and a lower face which is equipped with a crown.
[0018] - the collar is provided with a plurality of channels which extend between the upper face and the lower face of the collar.
[0019] - the channels are radially interposed between the crown and the periphery around a general extension axis of the sleeve.
[0020] - the collar has two tabs which are diametrically opposed to each other in relation to the general extension axis.
[0021] - a first tab is provided in a first plane and a second tab is provided in a second plane which form between them a second angle which is between 70° and 120°.
[0022] - the sleeve extends between at least one pair of distant points and one pair of close points, the pair of distant points being that of the respective pairs of points of the first sleeve end and the second sleeve end for which a first distance between a first distant point and a second distant point is the greatest, the second pair of close points being that of the respective pairs of points of the first sleeve end and the second sleeve end for which a second distance between a first close point and a second close point is the smallest, a ratio of the first distance to the second distance is between 8 and 16.
[0023] - the pair of distant points and the pair of close points are diametrically opposed with respect to the general extension axis.
[0024] - the pair of distant points is arranged at an equal distance from the first tab and the second tab. - the pair of close points is arranged at an equal distance from the first tab and the second tab.
[0025] - the pair of distant points is arranged at an equal distance from the first tab and the second tab.
[0026] - each shell comprises at least two longitudinal bosses which extend between the first sleeve end and an outer collar edge and which jointly border an inflection line which also extends between the first sleeve end and an outer collar edge.
[0027] - the first orifice is provided with a corrective lens.
[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] The invention and the advantages resulting therefrom will be better understood upon reading the description and the non-limiting embodiments which follow, with regard to the appended figures in which:
[0030] Figure 1 is a side view of a horse's head fitted with a pair of goggles of the present invention.
[0031] Figure 2 is a front view of the horse head shown in Figure 1 and which is wearing the pair of glasses of the present invention.
[0032] Figure 3 is a side view of a shell constituting the pair of glasses illustrated in the preceding figures.
[0033] Figure 4 is a sectional view of the hull shown in Figure 3.
[0034] Figure 5 is a bottom view of the hull shown in Figures 3 and 4.
[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] The present invention relates to a pair of glasses 1 intended to equip a head 100 of an equine, the pair of glasses 1 comprises a set of straps 20 and two shells 11, 12, each shell 11, 12 comprising a sleeve 3 which extends between a first sleeve end 31 and a second sleeve end 32, the first sleeve end 31 being provided with a first orifice 41 and the second sleeve end 32 being provided with a second orifice 42.
[0037] Said second end of the sleeve 32 is provided with a collar 5 equipping a periphery 4 of the second orifice 42.
[0038] In Figures 1 and 2, a head 100 of an equine is equipped with a pair of glasses 1 according to the present invention. It is noted that such an equine is indifferently a horse, a donkey, a pony or a similar equine. The following description focuses on a pair of glasses 1 intended to equip the head 100 of a horse but is transposable to any equine. The pair of glasses 1 comprises two shells 11, 12, including a first shell 11 intended to equip a right eye of the horse and a second shell 12 intended to equip a left eye. The first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are usually symmetrical to each other with respect to a plane of symmetry P interposed between one and the other. In other words, one of the shells 1 1 , 12 is obtained from an orthogonal symmetry with respect to the plane of symmetry P interposed between the two shells 1 1 , 12. When the pair of glasses 1 equips the horse, the plane of symmetry P is preferably a sagittal plane of the horse.According to another variant, the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are not symmetrical with respect to the sagittal plane of the horse.
[0039] A set of straps 20 is provided to hold the shells 11, 12 on the head 100 of the horse in a reliable, precise and robust manner without causing discomfort to the horse, and a fortiori without risk of injuring it. More particularly, the set of straps 20 is provided to hold each shell 11, 12 around an eye 101, 102 of the respective horse that the shell 11, 12 equips. The set of straps 20 comprises a front strap 21 which is intended to connect the two shells 11, 12 together on a front line 210 substantially connecting the two eyes 101, 102 of the horse. The front strap 210 is in particular adjustable according to a width of the horse's nose. The set of straps 20 also includes a lower strap 22 which is intended to also connect the two shells 11, 12 together by extending along a lower line 220 which passes under a throat latch 103 of the horse. The lower line 220 extends substantially in the extension of the front line 210.The set of straps 20 also comprises an upper strap 23 which extends between two ends 231 provided with loops 232 inside which the lower strap 22 slides. It is understood that each loop 232 delimits an internal space 234 capable of receiving a portion of the lower strap 22. Each loop 232 is for example produced from a fold of the end 231 of the upper strap 23 on itself, the end 231 of the upper strap 23 being provided with first attachment elements 231 a cooperating with second attachment elements 231 b equipping the upper strap 23 to form said loop 232. It is understood that the attachment elements 231 a, 231 b are reversible connecting elements to facilitate installation and removal of the upper strap 23 on the lower strap 22.It is also noted that each of the straps 21, 22, 23 is provided with means 2 for adjusting a length of the strap 21, 22, 23 to facilitate and optimize the placement of the pair of glasses 1 on the head 100 of the horse as well as the stability of the pair of glasses 1 on the head 100 of the horse.
[0040] In Figures 3 to 5, one of the two shells 11, 12 are shown, and in particular in this case the first shell 11. It is noted at this stage of the description that what will be said for the first shell 11 is transposable for the second shell 12 due to the symmetry mentioned according to the variant above. Each shell 11, 12 comprises a sleeve 3 which extends axially between a first sleeve end 31 and a second sleeve end 32. It is understood from this that the sleeve 3 extends mainly along a general extension axis A1. The first sleeve end 31 is provided with a first orifice 41 and the second sleeve end 32 is provided with a second orifice 42. The first orifice 41 and the second orifice 42 are arranged opposite each other. The general extension axis Al passes through each of the orifices 41, 42. The general extension axis Al is arranged at an equal distance from the edges which delimit each of the orifices 41, 42.It is noted that the first orifice 41 has a first surface area S1 which is less than a second surface area S2 of the second orifice. Preferably, the first surface area corresponds to 60% of the second surface area S2, to within + / - 10%.
[0041] The second orifice 42 is delimited by a perimeter 4 which is provided with a collar 5. At each point of the perimeter 4, the collar 5 and the sleeve 3 form a first angle a which is between 90° and 120°, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus, the collar 5 forms a bearing surface for the shell 11, 12 on the head 100 of the horse. More particularly, the collar 5 is shaped to fit a skeleton and / or musculature of the head 100 of the horse, for optimized maintenance of the pair of glasses 1 on the head 100 of the horse. Thus, the collar 5 comprises at least one inflection point and / or a convolution allowing such adaptation of the shell 11, 12 on the head 100 of the horse.
[0042] The collar 5 extends axially between an upper face 51 which adjoins an external face 61 of the sleeve 3 and a lower face 52 which adjoins an internal face 62 of the sleeve 3. The collar 5 has a thickness which is identical to that of the shell 11, 12.
[0043] The lower face 52 of the collar 5 is provided with a crown 6 which extends around the second orifice 42 along the periphery 4. The crown 6 is preferably made of a cellular material, such as foam or the like, to form a buffer element between the shell 11, 12 and the head 100 of the horse. Thus, the crown 6 prevents any irritation, discomfort or injury that the lower face 52 of the collar 5 could cause by friction against the skin of the horse. Also, the crown 6 preferably has a parallelepiped section to facilitate its attachment, by gluing in particular or the like, on the lower face 52, and to facilitate its placement against the skin of the horse. The crown 6 is preferably made of a material chosen to be flexible, non-irritating and physiologically suitable for being in contact with the skin of the horse.
[0044] The collar 5 is provided with a plurality of channels 7 which extend between the upper face 51 and the lower face 52 of the collar 5. These channels 7 form ventilation channels to allow air to circulate between an environment 71 external to the shell 11, 12 and an interior volume 72 of the shell 11, 12. These arrangements are intended to prevent condensation or fogging inside the shell 11, 12. According to a preferred embodiment, these channels 7 are distributed along the periphery 4 at a constant distance therefrom, the channels 7 being moreover equally distributed around the periphery 4. The channels 7 are radially interposed between the crown 6 and the periphery 4 around a general extension axis A1 of the sleeve 3. Referring more particularly to the figure, the collar 5 comprises two tabs 81, 82 which are diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the general extension axis Al.The tabs 81, 82 are radial protrusions of the collar 5. A first tab 81 is substantially formed in a first plane PI and a second tab 82 is substantially formed in a second plane P2. It is noted that the first plane PI and the second plane P2 are intersecting and form, for example, a second angle P which is between 70° and 120°.
[0045] Each tab 81, 82 is provided with a window 91, 2 for the passage of one end of one of the front straps 21 or lower straps 22. Each window 91, 92 opens through the upper face 51 and the lower face 52 of the collar 5. It is thus understood that the first tab 81 is provided with a first window 91 and the second tab 82 is provided with a second window 92. The windows are for example of an oblong conformation centered on the general extension axis A1.
[0046] It is noted that the sleeve 3 extends between at least one pair of distant points 31 1 , 312, including a first distant point 31 1 and a second distant point 312, and a pair of close points 321 , 322, including a first close point 321 and a second close point 322. The first distant point 31 1 and the first close point 321 constitute the first end of the sleeve 31 and delimit the first orifice 41. The second distant point 312 and the second close point 322 constitute the second end of the sleeve 32 and delimit the second orifice 42.The pair of distant points 31 1 , 312 is that of the respective pairs of points of the first sleeve end 31 and the second sleeve end 32 for which a first distance DI between the first distant point 31 1 and the second distant point 312 is the greatest, such a first distance DI being taken between these points orthogonally to the first sleeve end 31 and to the second sleeve end 32. The pair of close points 321 , 322 is that of the respective pairs of points of the first sleeve end 31 and of the second sleeve end 32 for which a second distance D2 between the first close point 321 and the second close point 322 is the smallest, such a second distance D2 being taken between these points orthogonally to the first sleeve end 31 and to the second sleeve end 32.
[0047] It is noted that a ratio of the first distance DI to the second distance D2 is preferably between 8 and 16, preferably still in the order of 12 to within + / - 10%.
[0048] It is also noted that the pair of distant points 311, 312 and the pair of close points 321, 322 are diametrically opposed with respect to the general extension axis Al.
[0049] It is also noted that the pair of distant points 311, 312 is arranged at an equal distance from the first tab 81 and the second tab 82. It is also noted that the pair of close points 321, 322 is arranged at an equal distance from the first tab 81 and the second tab 82.
[0050] These provisions aim to optimize a positioning of the first orifice 41 relative to the horse's eye, such that the shell 11, 12 forms a visual mask adapted to the visual field of the eye that the shell equips 11, 12.
[0051] It is also noteworthy that each shell 11, 12 comprises at least two longitudinal bosses 9 which extend axially between the first sleeve end 31 and an external edge of the collar 10. The longitudinal bosses 9 jointly border an inflection line 13 which also extends axially between the first sleeve end 31 and an external edge of the collar 10. These arrangements aim to give the shell 11, 12 suitable adhesion to the head 100 of the horse.
[0052] The first orifice 41 is capable of being equipped with a corrective lens 410 to improve the vision of the horse's eye that the shell 11, 12 provided with this corrective lens 410 equips.
[0053] According to another embodiment, the shell 11, 12 and the corrective lens 410 form a single-piece assembly made of an optically corrective material. In this case, such an assembly is for example produced in a single molding pass.
[0054] The shells 11, 12 are notably made by molding a plastic material.
[0055] These provisions are such that such a pair of glasses 1 is capable of protecting the horse's eyes against wind, dust, ultraviolet radiation and excessive brightness when it is detected as a source of discomfort and / or pain in the horse. Thus, said pair of glasses 1 is likely to participate in numerous treatments in addition to a treatment prescribed by an equine veterinarian. Among the pathologies that the pair of glasses 1 can participate in treating, we can note corneal ulcers, keratitis, glaucoma without excluding injuries that can be caused by a hoof blow given by a fellow horse when the horses are in the field or during transport of the horse, or even during frequent and pathological swinging of the horse's head known under the Anglo-Saxon name of "headshaking".
Claims
CLAIMS 1. Pair of glasses (1) intended to equip a head (100) of an equine, the pair of glasses (1) comprising a set of straps (20) and two shells (11, 12), each shell (11, 12) comprising a sleeve (3) which extends between a first sleeve end (31) and a second sleeve end (32), the first sleeve end (31) being provided with a first orifice (41) and the second sleeve end (32) being provided with a second orifice (42), characterized in that the second sleeve end (32) is provided with a collar (5) equipping a periphery (4) of the second orifice (42).
2. Pair of glasses (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the collar (5) and the sleeve (3) form a first angle (a) which is between 90° and 120°.
3. Pair of glasses (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collar (5) extends between an upper face (51) and a lower face (52) which is equipped with a crown (6).
4. Pair of glasses (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the collar (5) is provided with a plurality of channels (7) which extend between the upper face (51) and the lower face (52) of the collar (5).
5. Pair of glasses (1) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the channels (7) are radially interposed between the crown (6) and the periphery (4) around a general extension axis (Al) of the sleeve (3).
6. Pair of glasses (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the collar (5) comprises two tabs (81, 82) which are diametrically opposite each other with respect to the general extension axis (Al).
7. Pair of glasses (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that a first tab (81) is provided in a first plane (PI) and a second tab (82) is provided in a second plane (P2) which form between them a second angle (P) which is between 70° and 120°.
8. Pair of glasses (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (3) extends between at least one pair of distant points (31 1 , 312) and a pair of close points (321 , 322), the pair of distant points (31 1 , 312) being that of the respective pairs of points of the first sleeve end (31 ) and the second sleeve end (32) for which a first distance (Dl ) between a first distant point (31 1 ) and a second distant point (312) is the greatest, the second pair of close points (321 , 322) being that of the pairs of respective points of the first sleeve end (31) and the second sleeve end (32) for which a second distance (D2) between a first nearby point (321) and a second nearby point (322) is the smallest, a ratio of the first distance (DI) to the second distance (D2) is between 8 and 16.
9. Pair of glasses (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each shell (11, 12) comprises at least two longitudinal bosses (9) which extend between the first sleeve end (31) and an external collar edge (10) and which jointly border an inflection line (13) which also extends between the first sleeve end (31) and an external collar edge (10).
10. Pair of glasses (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first orifice (41) is provided with a corrective lens (410).