Interposed Goggle Frame Snap Assembly for Secure Lens Retention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Goggles with flexible frames suffer from loose connections between lens projections and frame apertures due to the flexibility of the material, leading to detachment of the lens projections from the holes, causing the goggles to disassemble.

Innovation Solution

A pair of goggles featuring a lens assembly with projections that engage with a harder material lens retention shelf, which includes projection connectors and a goggle frame made of a softer material, ensuring secure attachment through alignment and engagement of projections with frame apertures and connectors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a soft, flexible goggle frame material is used, then comfort and fit are improved, but the grip strength to hold lens projections is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomfort and fitVSAvoidgrip strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the frame material soft and flexible at the contact areas for comfort, while incorporating a harder material specifically at the aperture regions where lens projections are held. This localized hardness difference allows the frame to remain comfortable overall while providing sufficient grip strength at the critical attachment points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining a soft, flexible frame material with a harder material at the aperture regions. This composite construction allows the frame to exhibit both comfort-providing flexibility and grip-providing hardness in different locations, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If the frame material is made flexible, then comfort is improved, but the lens projections become detached from the holes

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecomfortVSAvoidlens attachment stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the frame material soft and flexible at the contact areas for comfort, while incorporating a harder material specifically at the aperture regions where lens projections are held. This localized hardness difference allows the frame to remain comfortable overall while providing sufficient grip strength at the critical attachment points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining a soft, flexible frame material with a harder material at the aperture regions. This composite construction allows the frame to exhibit both comfort-providing flexibility and grip-providing hardness in different locations, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3515384B1Interposed goggle frame snap assembly
Publication Date: 2026.01.07 BELL SPORTS INC
  • EP3515384B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3515384B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3515384B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A pair of goggles with a lens assembly, a goggle frame, and at least one lens retention shelf is disclosed. The lens assembly includes a lens with a projection extending from the assembly. The goggle frame is made of a first material and has a frame aperture sized large enough to receive the projection from the lens assembly through it. The lens retention shelf is made of a second material harder than the first material and is disposed behind the frame. The first lens retention shelf includes a projection connector corresponding to the projection, the projection connector is aligned with the frame aperture and sized sized to receive and engage the projection with the goggle frame interposed between the lens retention shelf and the lens.