Contact lens applicator
OwnerFrank J. Drdlikinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An applicator is disclosed herein for inserting and for removing a contact lens which includes a two piece construction of molded parts. One part is a pliable bulb element adapted to the snap-lock into engagement with a selected end of an elongated and flexible shank having an open-ended passageway extending therethrough and terminating in a lens seat defined by a compound concave curvature. The bulb includes internal and integrally formed ribs which strengthen the bulb wall so that the bulb may be readily depressed to expel air through the passageway of the shank so as to create a suction for holding the lens in the lens seat.
Claims7
A contact lens applicator for inserting and removing a contact lens in and from the eye of a user comprising the combination of:
- a pliable bulb-like element having an internal cavity;
- an elongated flexible shank having one end detachable connected to said bulb-like element;
- a cup-like element integrally carried on the opposite end of said shank and exposing a compound concave curvature surface establishing a lens seat for carrying said contact lens;
- said shank provided with an open-ended passageway in communication with said bulb-like element cavity and said lens seat for expelling air from said cavity when said bulb-like element is compressed;
- said cup-like element is joined to said shank by a shank portion of reduced diameter whereby the flexibility of said shank is greater than the flexibility of the remainder of said shank;
- said compound concave curvature comprises a pair of concave surfaces of different diameter coaxially disposed with respect to said shank passageway;
- and
- said bulb-like element includes a series of integrally formed reinforcement ribs projecting from the wall of said element into said cavity wherein said ribs strengthen said bulb-like element and bias the wall thereof to expand into its original shape.
A contact lens applicator for inserting and removing a contact lens in and from the eye of a user comprising the combination of:
- a pliable bulb-like element having an internal cavity;
- an elongated flexible shank having one end detachably connected to said bulb-like element;
- a cup-like element integrally carried on the opposite end of said shank and exposing a compound concave curvature surface establishing a lens seat for carrying said contact lens;
- said shank provided with an open-ended passageway in communication with said bulb-like element cavity and said lens seat for expelling air from said cavity when said bulb-like element is compressed;
- said cup-like element includes a lens seat composed of a pair of different diametered concave and concentric curvatures coaxially disposed with respect to said passageway;
- said shank having a reduced diameter portion adjacent said cup-like element for flexibly carrying said element;
- and
- said bulb-like element having a plurality of integral, internal ribs for reinforcing a wall of said bulb-like element and for forcibly biasing said wall into a non-compressed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.