Lens and eyewear
Disclosed are lenses and eyewear that provide the user with both forward vision and rearward vision by means of an angled, reflective portion of the lens.
1. A lens for eyewear, wherein: a curvature of the lens has a discontinuity, the discontinuity defining a first portion of the lens on one side of the discontinuity, and a second portion of the lens on another side of the discontinuity, the second portion thereby being angled relative to the first portion;
wherein the first portion is transparent or translucent and the second portion has a reflective side being at least partially reflective;
wherein an angle subtended between a surface of the lens on the reflective side of the second portion and an adjacent surface of the first portion is obtuse;
wherein the reflective side of the second portion comprises a reflective coating and the reflective coating is partially reflective; and
wherein the reflective coating partially covers the reflective side of the second portion.
2. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the angle is between 160° and 179.5°.
3. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is substantially linear.
4. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is non- linear.
5. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity extends across a whole height of the lens.
6. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the second portion is between about 10-35% of a surface area of the lens.
7. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating covers the whole of the reflective side of the second portion.
8. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein a remaining portion of the second portion that is not covered by the reflective coating is transparent or translucent.
9. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a filter for blocking particular wavelengths of light.
10. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are substantially flat and planar and the plane of the first portion intersects the plane of the second portion at the discontinuity.
11. The lens according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the lens is generally circular, oval, square, rectangular or teardrop.
12. Eyewear comprising:
at least one lens, wherein a curvature of the at least one lens has a discontinuity, the discontinuity defining a first portion of the lens on one side of the discontinuity, and a second portion of the lens on another side of the discontinuity, the second portion thereby being angled relative to the first portion;
wherein the first portion is transparent or translucent and the second portion has a reflective side;
wherein an angle between the surface on the reflective side of the second portion and an adjacent surface of the first portion is obtuse;
wherein the reflective side of the second portion comprises a reflective coating and the reflective coating is partially reflective;
wherein the reflective coating partially covers the reflective side of the second portion; and
a frame configured to support the or each lens such that the first portion is located toward a central region of the frame, the second portion is located toward a peripheral region of the frame, and the second portion is angled toward the wearer relative to the first portion when in use, such that the reflective side of the second portion faces the wearer in use.
13. Eyewear according to claim 12 , wherein the discontinuity is orientated substantially vertically with respect to the wearer when in use.
14. Eyewear according to claim 12 , wherein the or each lens is releasably supported by the frame.
15. Eyewear according to claim 12 , comprising two lenses according to claim 1 arranged symmetrically about the central region of the frame.
16. Eyewear according to claim 15 , further comprising a nose-bridge member arranged in the central region of the frame, wherein each lens is arranged on opposing sides of the nose-bridge member.
17. Eyewear according to claim 16 , wherein the nose-bridge member is releasably attachable to the frame.
18. Eyewear according to claim 12 , further comprising securing means for securing the frame to a wearer's head in use.
19. Eyewear according to claim 18 , wherein the securing means comprise a pair of arms hingedly mounted to the frame for extending over the ears of the wearer when in use.