Asymmetric Conical Eye Patch for Eyeglasses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional eye patches for treating lazy eye are uncomfortable, prone to loosening, and difficult to attach to eyeglasses, especially when wet, and often require adhesives that can irritate the skin, with limited versatility in fitting either eye.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, opaque eye patch with an asymmetric conical shape that attaches to eyeglasses without adhesives, featuring slits for temple pieces and an elastic strap for secure positioning, allowing easy switching between eyes and maintaining aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If adhesive strips are used to attach the eye patch, then the patch can be easily attached to the skin, but the patch loosens with time and requires repeated pressing, and it loosens when the user perspires, showers, or gets wet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary attachment mechanism (magnetic attachment or mechanical fastening system) between the eye patch and the user's skin/eyeglasses. This intermediary system replaces the direct adhesive bond, allowing for secure attachment that maintains reliability under various conditions (sweat, water, time) while still being easy to apply and remove.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical adhesive system with a mechanical attachment system (such as magnets, clips, or snap-fasteners). This mechanical substitution eliminates the problems associated with adhesive degradation over time and under moisture, providing consistent attachment reliability without requiring repeated pressing or reapplication.
2Ease of operation
If the eye patch is positioned inside the lens, then it is easier to attach, but it fails to position the patch away from the eyelashes, causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the eye patch in a different spatial dimension - outside the lens rather than inside it. By moving the patch to the outer surface of the eyeglass lens, the design achieves both easy attachment (to the rigid lens structure) and proper positioning away from the eyelashes, eliminating the harmful irritation effect while maintaining attachment ease.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional adhesive patches are used, then light blocking is effective, but they require adhesives that can irritate the skin and are uncomfortable for users with long eyelashes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary attachment system (magnetic or mechanical) that eliminates direct skin contact with adhesives. This intermediary mechanism allows the light-blocking patch to be securely attached to eyeglasses without requiring skin adhesives, thereby maintaining effective light blocking while eliminating skin irritation and discomfort for users with long eyelashes.
4Ease of operation
If the eye patch is designed for a specific eye (left or right), then it provides optimal positioning, but it lacks versatility and requires separate patches for each eye
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the eye patch with universal adaptability to fit both left and right eyes. Through symmetric design elements or reversible attachment mechanisms, the single patch can be properly positioned on either eye, eliminating the need for separate left-eye and right-eye patches while maintaining optimal positioning accuracy for both sides.
Data Source
AI summary
An eye patch formed of a flexible, opaque material is attached to a pair of eyeglasses. The patch has an asymmetric conical shape when in repose. The patch extends from an eyeglass nose bridge around a ninety degree (90°) bend to an eyeglass temple piece and overlies a lens of the eyeglasses. At least one slit is formed in an outboard end of the patch to slidingly receive the eyeglass temple piece. An elastic strap is secured to a peripheral boundary of the patch at the inboard end of the patch. The elastic strap underlies the nose bridge so that the elastic strap captures the nose bridge. The peripheral boundary of the patch abuts a user's face in encircling relation to an eye when the patch is secured to the eyeglasses so that light is prevented from reaching the eye.