WO1992019123A1

WO1992019123A1 - Storage unit for contact lenses, and spectacle case combined with said storage unit

Info

Publication number: WO1992019123A1
Application number: PCT/NL1992/000080
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hubertine Maria Emilie Aalders
Original assignee: Hubertine Maria Emilie Aalders
Priority date: 1991-05-03
Filing date: 1992-05-01
Publication date: 1992-11-12
Also published as: NL9100770A; AU1794192A

Abstract

Storage unit for contact lenses, comprising holders (3) for lenses which can be closed with a cap (5). These holders are provided with fixing means (6) which are designed to engage on the ends of a tubular part (19). The tubular part (19) is suitable for accommodating cleaning fluid and the like. The invention also provides for a spectacle case (10) for accommodating a storage unit of the type described above. In this case the spectacle case (10) is made tapering in cross-section from the hinge (14). A receiving cavity (22) for the storage unit is present in the spectacle case near the hinge.

Description

Storage unit for contact lenses, and spectacle case combined with said storage unit.

The present invention relates to a storage unit for contact lenses according to the preamble of Claim 1. Such a storage unit is known from US-A-4,865,186, which describes a spectacle case consisting of two levels. In the upper level a space is bounded for receiv¬ ing closable holders for contact lenses, while in a level below that a space is bounded for receiving a pair of spectacles.

Although such a combination is found to be very effective in practice if a person wishes to carry both the storage means for the contact lenses and the spec¬ tacles with him, problems arise if the person wants to carry only the contact lenses and does not wish to take spectacles with him. For, in that case the whole bulky structure has to be carried. When lenses alone are taken, in practice it is only necessary for the wearer to have with him the holders in which the lenses can be placed and to take along cleaning fluid and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a storage unit of the type mentioned above which is small in size and contains only the necessary means for carry¬ ing lenses. This object is achieved in a storage unit of the type described above with the characterising measures of Claim 1. When wearing lenses alone, the user needs only take the tubular part with him, with the closable holders for the lenses fixed to it at the ends. The fixing means can be fitted in or around the tubular part. Cleaning agent, tweezers and the like can be accommodated in the tubular part. If there is even no need to take along the tubular part, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the design of the fixing means of the holders can be such that they can come into direct engagement with each other.

The invention also relates to a spectacle case combined with the above-mentioned storage unit. In this case, according to the invention the object is to limit the size of such a spectacle case.

This is achieved by the characterising measures according to Claim 4. They are based on the realisation that spectacles when stored are always slightly tapering in shape. The thickest part is found to correspond approximately in height to the diameter of the closable holders for lenses. A particularly compact and aesthetic unit can be provided by, as described above, fitting the storage unit near the thickest part of the glasses.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least one cover is divided into two compartments separated by a partition. One compartment is used for accommodating the glasses, and the other compartment for the storage unit described above.

The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to examples of embodiments shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows in perspective the storage unit according to the invention with the closure caps removed from the tubular part;

Fig. 2 shows the closure caps directly connected to each other; Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of the inven¬ tion together with the holder means, in the open state; and

Fig. 4 shows the embodiment according to Fig. 3, in the closed state. Fig. 1 shows a storage unit for contact lenses.

This storage unit comprises two closure caps 20 which may¬ be provided with a marking in order to indicate whether the cap is intended for the left or right eye. These closure caps 20 consist of holders 3 provided with screw thread 4 onto which a cover 5 can be screwed. Holders 3 are provided with fixing means 6 which permit a press-fit engagement with the tubular part 19. Cleaning agents and, for example, a cloth can be accommodated in the tubular part 19. Fig. 2 indicates how the fixing means 5 of tne holders 3 are designed in such a way that the caps 20 can snap into each other.

Fig. 3 shows the storage case according to the invention. It is indicated in its entirety by 10, and comprises a housing 11 with a single cover 12. Cover 12 consists of a rigid part 13 and various hinged strips 14. These hinged strips 14 can rest along a rounded part 15 of housing 11 on closing. Rigid part 13 is provided with a closure 16, for example a magnetic strip material. Housing 11 is also provided with a mirror 17 of magnetisable material. Holder means 18 are shown on the left in Fig. 3. They comprise a tubular part 19 and two closure caps 20. Lens cases and cleaning agents for lenses or lipstick, cloths etc. can be placed in them. It is also possible for the caps themselves to provide storage for the lenses. The space for accommodating spectacles is indicated by 21 in Fig. 3. The spectacles to be accommodated are not shown. Housing 11 is provided with a recess 22 at the rear side for the accommodation of holder means 18. It can be seen clearly that recess 22 is designed in such a way that holder means 18 can be moved freely in and out of it. The position of the holder means is fixed only through the closing of cover 12, as shown in Fig. 4, and said means can no longer be removed without opening cover 12. It may also be possible, as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, to provide for confine¬ ment of tube 18 by designing the recess in a suitable way. Although the invention is shown above with reference to preferred embodiments, it must be understood that numerous modifications are possible without going beyond the idea of the present invention. For example, it is possible in the embodiment according to Figs. 3 and 4 to use a continuous hinged strip instead of hinged strips 14. The basic idea of integrating the holder means for lens in a storage case for a pair of spectacles is still retained here.

Claims

1. Storage unit for contact lenses, comprising two holders for the lenses which can be closed by a cap and are provided with fixing means and a storage element in which the holders can be fixed, characterised in that the storage element comprises a tubular part with a cross- sectional size corresponding to that of the holders, and in which the ends of the tubular part are designed to receive the fixing means.

2. Storage unit according to Claim 1, in which the fixing means of the holders are designed to engage directly with each other.

3. Storage unit according to one of the preceding claims, in which the tubular part is designed for the accommodation of a holder with contact lens fluid.

4. Spectacle case combined with the storage unit according to one of Claims 1 - 3, comprising two covers hingedly connected to each other, while in cross-section the spectacle case tapers from the hinge to the free end of the covers, characterised in that a receiving cavity for the storage unit is present in the spectacle case near the hinge.

5. Spectacle case according to Claim 4, in which the receiving cavity is bounded by a partition provided in at least one cover and by the wall of the cover parts lying near the hinge.

6. Spectacle case according to Claim 5, in which the cover parts are provided with a recess near the hinge.