Interchangeable eyewear assembly

Abstract

An eyewear system enables a person to switch lenses among a variety of frames or switch a variety of lenses within a single frame. The lenses are positioned in one or more subframe assemblies that can be easily attached to and detached from a frame assembly that may not otherwise contain lenses.

1 . An eyeglass assembly comprising a frame assembly and a subframe assembly, said frame assembly comprising a pair of temples, said frame assembly also comprising a front side and a back side, said back side of said frame assembly being closer to a wearer's face than said front side, said subframe assembly comprising at least one lens, said at least one subframe assembly comprising a front side and a back side, said back side of said subframe assembly being closer to said wearer's face than said front side of said subframe assembly, said subframe assembly being secured to said frame assembly at least in part by at least one pair of magnetic members such that said front side of said subframe assembly faces said back side of said frame assembly and said subframe assembly is at least partially positioned between said frame assembly and said wear's face, a first magnetic member of said at least one pair of magnetic members being a magnet that is secured to one of said frame assembly and said subframe assembly and a second magnetic member of said at least one pair of magnetic members being a magnet or a material that is attracted to a magnet and said second magnetic member being secured to said other of said frame assembly and said subframe assembly such that said first magnetic member and said second magnetic member are generally aligned when said subframe assembly is secured to said frame assembly.  
   
   
       2 . The eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein said subframe assembly comprises said first magnetic member.  
   
   
       3 . The eyewear of  claim 2 , wherein said first magnetic member is positioned generally towards said front side of said subframe assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The eyewear of  claim 3 , wherein said frame assembly comprises said second magnetic member.  
   
   
       5 . The eyewear of  claim 4 , wherein said second magnetic member is positioned generally toward said back side of said frame assembly.  
   
   
       6 . An eyeglass assembly comprising a frame assembly and a subframe assembly, 
 said frame assembly comprising a front side and a back side, said back side being closer to a face of a wearer than said front side, said frame assembly further comprising a first brow bar, a second brow bar and a bridge connecting said first brow bar to said second brow bar, said bridge having a first vertical dimension, a first projection extending from said first brow bar and a second projection extending from said second brow bar, a first temple connected to said first projection and a second temple connected to said second projection;    said subframe assembly comprising a front side and a back side, said back side being closer to said face of a wearer than said front side, said subframe assembly further comprising a brow bar, a lens being secured to said brow bar;    said subframe assembly being secured to said frame assembly such that said front side of said subframe assembly faces said back side of said frame assembly and such that said front side of said subframe assembly generally is positioned rearward of said front side of said frame assembly.    
   
   
       7 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said front side of said subframe assembly generally is positioned rearward of said rear side of said frame assembly.  
   
   
       8 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said subframe assembly other than said lens, when secured to said frame assembly, is sized and positioned to be obscured from view when said eyewear is viewed from said front.  
   
   
       9 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said frame assembly does not comprise any lenses.  
   
   
       10 . The eyewear of  claim 6  further comprising a second subframe assembly, said second subframe assembly comprising a front side and a back side, said back side being closer to the face of the wearer than said front side, said second subframe assembly further comprising a brow bar, a lens being secured to said brow bar, said second subframe assembly also being secured to said frame assembly such that said front side of said second subframe assembly faces said back side of said frame assembly and such that said front side of said second subframe assembly generally is positioned rearward of said front side of said frame assembly, said first and second subframe assemblies being positioned side-by-side when secured to said frame assembly.  
   
   
       11 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said subframe assembly does not comprise any temples.  
   
   
       12 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said subframe assembly does not comprise any nose pads.  
   
   
       13 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said frame assembly comprises a boss that extends rearward and said subframe assembly comprises a lug that is connected to said brow bar, said lug being positioned on said boss when said subframe assembly is secured to said frame assembly.  
   
   
       14 . The eyewear of  claim 13 , wherein said lug comprises a first magnetic member and said boss comprises a second magnetic member, said first and second magnetic members being magnetically secured when said subframe assembly is secured to said frame assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The eyewear of  claim 14 , wherein said first magnetic member is slightly recessed within said lug and said second magnetic member extends into said lug when said subframe assembly is secured to said frame assembly such that said first and second magnetic members also define a mechanical interlock.  
   
   
       16 . The eyewear of  claim 6  further comprising a second brow bar, a second lens being secured to said second brow bar and said second brow bar being connected to said first brow bar by a bridge, said bridge being generally obscured from frontal view by said bridge of said frame assembly when said subframe assembly is secured to said frame assembly.  
   
   
       17 . The eyewear of  claim 16  further comprising a member being connected to said bridge of said frame assembly, said member defining a valley together with said bridge and said bridge of said subframe assembly being received within said valley.  
   
   
       18 . A method of exchanging lenses in an eyewear system, the eyewear system comprising a first subframe assembly that comprises a first lens, a second subframe assembly that comprises a second lens, the second lens not being matched to the first lens, and a frame assembly that will accommodate individually both the first subframe assembly and the second subframe assembly, the method comprising releasing and removing the first subframe assembly from behind the frame assembly, placing the second subframe assembly behind the frame assembly and securing the second subframe assembly to the frame assembly.  
   
   
       19 . A method of exchanging lenses in an eyewear system, the eyewear system comprising a first subframe assembly that comprises a first lens and a second lens, a second subframe assembly that comprises a different first lens and a different second lens, and a frame assembly that will accommodate individually both the first subframe assembly and the second subframe assembly, the method comprising releasing and removing the first subframe assembly from behind the frame assembly, placing the second subframe assembly behind the frame assembly and securing the second subframe assembly to the frame assembly.  
   
   
       20 . A method of exchanging frames in an eyewear system, the eyewear system comprising a first frame assembly that does not comprise a lens, a second frame assembly that does not comprise a lens, and a subframe assembly that comprises a lens, the subframe assembly sized and configured to be accommodated within the first frame assembly and the second frame assembly, the method comprising releasing and removing the subframe assembly from behind the first frame assembly, placing the subframe assembly behind the second frame assembly and securing the subframe assembly to the second frame assembly.