WO2024253631A1 - Protective eyeglasses for driving at night - Google Patents

Abstract

Eyeglasses for protecting a driver's eyes against glare from the headlights of oncoming vehicles, the lenses of which contain separate parts, wherein one part of each of the lenses is in the form of a flat or focal lens situated in the right-hand part of the lens for countries with right-hand drive, or in the left-hand part of the lens for countries with left-hand drive, and the other part of each of the lenses, which is situated in the left-hand or right-hand part accordingly, is designed to be capable of attenuating the light from headlights shining into the driver's eyes. The radiant flux of the light shining into the driver's eyes is reduced by directed dispersion of the light and/or by deflection of the light toward the edge of the driver's field of vision.

Description

Driver's protective glasses for driving at night

Description

The proposed invention relates to devices for protecting human eyes from the negative effects of blinding light from point sources.

It is very important and relevant for the safety of road traffic of motor vehicles to protect the eyes of drivers from being blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles when driving at night.

To protect the eyes of the driver of a vehicle while driving, various means are used to reduce the negative impact of the headlights of oncoming traffic.

A technology for manufacturing glasses for drivers called "Transitions" has been developed, according to which photochromic glasses have been created, allowing the optical density of lenses to be increased when illuminated by bright light, see https://www.transitions.eom/ru/products/#transitions-drivewear But, since even in complete darkness the lenses of the glasses do not become completely transparent, but retain at least a small, but color shade, the developers of the technology warn that these lenses are not intended for use when driving a car at night.

ZEISS has developed a special coating ZEISS DuraVision for DriveSafe lenses (https://www.zeiss.ru/vision-care/eye-care-professionals/products/spectacle-lenses/drivesafe-lenses.html). The use of lenses with such a coating contributes to some reducing the driver's discomfort at night due to the bright light of the headlights of cars moving towards them, since such a light filter partially reduces the intensity of a small part of the visible light spectrum emitted by the headlights, namely, reduces the brightness of the bluish part of the spectrum with a wavelength of 440-470 nm. At the same time, it is known that the human eye reacts to a wider optical spectrum in the wavelength range from 390 to 700 nm, which can be emitted by the headlights of cars and cause blinding of the driver's eyes when driving at night.

There are many devices that are offered to reduce the negative impact of oncoming vehicle headlights on the eyes of vehicle drivers, the use of which, it seems, increases the driver's ability to safely drive their vehicle at night. It is enough to type in the Internet search engine: "Driver eye protection for night driving" ("Protective means for the driver's eyes for driving at night"), for example, on the website //www.amazon.com/. The search result will be a variety of protective glasses and visors for the car, for example, https://www. amazon . in/GT C-Anti-Glare-Dazzlinq- Goqqle-

Drivinq/dp/B078S4R1VK/ref=sr 1 88?ascsubtaq=b6c0efd8cb26e9b5678c041

61f419029&dchild=1&kevwords=Driver+eve+protection+for+niqht+drivinq&qid =1607457345&sr=8-88 - GTC 2 in 1 HD Car Anti-Glare Dazzling Goggle Day Night Vision Driving Mirror Sun Visors - a protective visor for a car, which is stated to "Increase the brightness of vision and reduce the harsh glare of headlights at night."

Indeed, the use of this device, transparently colored yellow or made of yellow-tinted transparent material, reduces the brightness of the headlights of oncoming traffic at night, but at the same time it reduces the resolution of the driver's eyes when looking through the visor at non-contrasting objects in front of and around his vehicle, which can negatively affect road safety. The model of "protective" glasses "Ontel Night Sight | HD Polarized Night Vision...", which is advertised as: "GLASSES FOR THE NIGHT DRIVER: with these night vision glasses for driving with an anti-glare coating that muffles harsh bright light and driving at night becomes safer."

(see https://www.amazon.com/Ontel-Polarized-Driving-Sunglasses-

Resistant/dp/B07FMDZMT4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CKOK8SK7LUVI&dchild=1&ke ywords=driver+glasses+night&qid=1607711130&sprefix=DRIVER+GLASSES %2Caps%2C313&sr=8-3 ).

Since all such models of protective glasses have colored (tinted) lenses with increased optical density, compared to transparent lenses, they reduce brightness and the resolving power of the driver's eyes, which may be unsafe when using them for driving at night. In other models of anti-headlight glasses, the optical density of the colored light filters in their lenses increases along the height of the lenses from bottom to top (see, for example, "http://www. a-optic. ru/matcl . phtm I Matrix - night and twilight glasses for drivers", as well as Matrix Drive Night Collection Polarized Glasses for Men Drivers, Fishing, Sport - Light Mirrored Yellow Lenses - Plastic frame, New Design on the tab "https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Drive-Collection-Polarized-Glasses/dp/B07D6TXRYC").

If the driver uses such glasses and when the blinding light of the headlights of an oncoming vehicle appears and approaches, the driver, in order to "catch" the light of the headlights in the upper part of the area of the lenses of the glasses, which has a higher optical density, must turn his head with glasses around its horizontal axis forward and downward. (This is reported on the website https://www.expertcen.ru/article/ratings/luchshie-ochki-antifary.html, paragraph 4, MATRIX). In such a turned position of the driver's head, he will observe the traffic situation in the entire angle of his field of vision through the upper part of the area of the lenses with increased optical density. This will reduce the brightness of the light of the headlights that enters the eyes, but at the same time will dangerously reduce the resolving power of the driver's eyes. while monitoring the traffic situation in your own and adjacent traffic lanes.

The fact that yellow or any other light filters do not help to drive vehicles at night and can actually worsen the resolving power of the eyes of drivers at night is indicated by the results of special studies described in authoritative publications: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2212222-yellow-glasses-dont-help-night-drivers-spot-dangers-any-faster /, on the website of the REITER agency https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-driving-night/yellow-lens-glasses-dont-improve-drivers-night-vision-idUSKCN1 US2HP, as well as https://auto.mail.ru/article/73894-uchenye_razveyali_mif_o_zheltyh_ochkah _dlya_voditelei/ .

Study leader Alex Hwang, an ophthalmology professor at Harvard Medical School, said: "Wearing (tinted) glasses, whether yellow, red or blue, cuts off some of the light. It's like wearing sunglasses while driving at night."

Of the known devices that reduce the effect of blinding the driver's eyes from the headlights of oncoming traffic, the closest in technical essence to the proposed invention are protective glasses for drivers according to application No. PCT/UA 2021/000003.

In protective glasses, according to the prototype, the plane of the lenses contains two parts, one of which is transparent or a low-intensity optical filter density, and the other part of each lens is a colored optical filter of higher density. When a driver observes the oncoming lane of a highway, this lane in perspective appears to him to be inclined towards the lane along which his vehicle is moving. Therefore, the boundary between two sections of the area of each lens with different optical density in glasses according to the prototype is also made inclined from the vertical towards the section of the area of the lens with lower optical density. The position of the boundary between two sections of the area of each lens with different optical density during their manufacture is set by the angles of inclination of the tangents to this boundary towards the section of the area of the lens with a smaller optical area, and the value of the angles of inclination of the tangents from the vertical is set in the range from zero to ninety degrees relative to the conditional straight line connecting the optical centers of both lenses of the glasses.

To increase the safety of the driver's eyes in the event of a possible accident, modern glasses for driving a car are made of plastic material. When manufacturing lenses from colored plastics with different optical density in thermoplastic pressing mechanisms, it is necessary to have several containers with such materials and special devices for forming the boundary between parts of lenses with different optical density. When manufacturing lenses for protective glasses from a material with one optical density, including transparent, the corresponding mechanisms must have containers and masks for applying color coatings with different optical densities to the lenses, which also complicates the technological process of manufacturing lenses.

The aim of the proposed invention "Driver's protective glasses for driving at night" is to simplify the technological process of manufacturing lenses.

The manufacture of all parts of the lenses for the driver's protective glasses according to the proposed invention is performed simultaneously, for example, by injection molding, from one transparent material using the technology of manufacturing traditional focal or sun glasses, and without applying any coatings with different optical density, which also significantly simplifies the technological process of their manufacture. In this case, the coefficient of internal transmission of the material for the manufacture of all parts of the lenses of the protective glasses is chosen to be the same and close to 100%.

Protective glasses, which are manufactured for use in countries with right-hand traffic, are made in such a way that the parts of the area of their lenses made in an optical shape that deflects the light of headlights falling on it to the edges of the driver's field of vision, and (or) weakens the light entering his eyes by directional dispersion, are located in the left part of the area of each lenses. And the parts of the lens area that are made flat or, for example, focal, are placed in the right part of the lens area.

Protective glasses, which are made for use in countries with left-hand traffic, are made in such a way that the parts of the area of their lenses made in an optical form that deflects the light falling on it to the edges of the driver's field of vision and (or) weakens the light entering his eyes by directional dispersion, are located in the right part of the area of each of the lenses. And the parts of the area of the lenses that are made flat or, for example, focal, are placed in the left part of the area of the lenses.

When using protective glasses for the driver according to the proposed invention when driving on highways at night and with comfortable road lighting, the driver observes it in his field of vision through the transparent part of the lenses of the glasses, which, depending on the optical characteristics of his vision, can be flat or focal. The driver also observes the readings of the instruments on the car control panel through a part of the lenses of the glasses, which can also be flat or focal. When the blinding light of the headlights of an oncoming vehicle appears in the driver's field of vision, he turns his head around the vertical and (or) horizontal axis so that the source of the blinding light falls into a part of the plane of the lenses, which is made, for example, in the form of prisms, or in the form of a Fresnel lens. As a result, the blinding light will be refracted and directed not at the driver's eyes, but at the edge and/or beyond the edge of his field of vision, which will allow him to comfortably continue to observe the traffic situation.

When using protective glasses, part of the lenses of which are made in the form of a lenticular lens (Lubor lens), the light from each headlight of an oncoming car falling on it will be refracted in it in such a way that the driver observing these, in fact, point sources of light, will see them in the form of vertically directed stripes that have a significantly lower brightness. The length of these stripes depends on the size of the segment of the circle of the transverse segment of the lenticular lens element. In this case, the driver can comfortably observe the movement of these dim stripes and, thus, safely control the movement of the oncoming car.

When using protective glasses, some of the lenses of which are made in the form of a combination of lenticular lens elements and Fresnel lens elements, the light from the headlights of an oncoming car that hits the driver's eyes will be weakened to an even greater extent.

Одна из частей площади каждой из линз, которая расположена в левой (или в правой) её части, выполнена из прозрачного материала в оптической форме, оптическая плотность которых ослабляет свет фар попадающий в глаза водителя путем направленного рассеивания и (или) отклоняет свет фар падающий на эту часть линзы сторону края поля зрения водителя. При этом изготовление ВСЕХ частей линз очков защитных выполняют из ОДНОГО ПРОЗРАЧНОГО материала, что существенно упрощает технологический процесс изготовления линз. The proposed invention is characterized by the following set of essential features of protective glasses, which make it possible to achieve the goal of the invention when implementing it, for example, in countries with right-hand traffic.

One of the parts of the area of each lens, which is located in its left (or right) part, is made of transparent material in optical form, the optical density of which weakens the light of the headlights falling into the driver's eyes by directional scattering and (or) deflects the light of the headlights falling on this part of the lens to the side of the edge of the driver's field of vision. In this case, the manufacture of ALL parts of the lenses of protective glasses is performed from ONE TRANSPARENT material, which significantly simplifies the technological process of manufacturing lenses.

The parts of the area of each of the lenses that protect the driver's eyes from the light of the headlights are structurally identical and are connected by means of a detachable or non-detachable connection to the other part of each lens, the optical parameters of which are selected depending on the characteristics of the driver's vision.

When using protective glasses in countries with right-hand traffic, the driver performs the following actions.

1. Before starting to drive a car on the road at night, in order to avoid the effect of blinding by the headlights of oncoming traffic, the driver first puts on protective glasses, in which the left upper part of the lenses is made in an optical form, the optical density of which weakens the light of the headlights falling on the driver's eyes and deflects the light of the headlights falling on it towards the edge of the driver's field of vision. This part of the lenses of the glasses is made in the form of a combination optical elements of a lenticular lens and optical elements of a Fresnel lens.

After starting to move, the driver monitors the traffic situation in his lane, as well as to the left and right of it, through the lower left and the entire right part of each lens, which, for example, are made flat.

2. When the headlights of an oncoming vehicle appear in the driver's field of vision and gradually approach, the driver gradually turns his head to the right around its vertical axis and forward - downward around its horizontal axis, so that the headlights enter his eyes through the upper left part of the area of each lens of the protective glasses. At the same time, the driver observes the traffic situation in his lane, to the left and right of it, first through the lower left and the entire right part of the area of the lenses of the glasses. After the headlights of an oncoming vehicle approach close, the driver observes the traffic situation in front of his car and in the lanes of the same traffic only through the right part of the lenses of the glasses. In this case, he observes the movement of the headlights of the oncoming vehicle through the upper left part of the lenses of the glasses, which he sees in the form of dim vertical stripes.

When using the proposed technical solution - protective glasses, while observing the traffic situation at night in the blinding light of oncoming traffic headlights, the driver uses the ability of the human visual system and its brain to continuously fix the axis of vision on the object of observation, for example, on its own lane of traffic, regardless of the simultaneous rotation of the driver's head at a certain angle around its vertical and horizontal axes.

3. After passing oncoming traffic and moving the light from its headlights beyond the driver’s field of vision, he turns his head to the left and back and up to the original position and continues to observe the traffic situation through the left lower and the entire right part of each lens of the protective glasses, which are made flat.

Thus, due to the driver using protective glasses when driving at night according to the proposed technical solution, he is not blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles because the light flux from the headlights enters the driver's eyes through parts of the area of the lenses of the protective glasses, in which the left upper part of the lenses is made in an optical combination of lenticular lens elements and Fresnel lens elements. At the same time, the optical elements of the lenticular lens transform point light sources into vertically directed non-bright stripes, thereby reducing the part of the headlight light that falls on them and then into the driver's eyes. And the part of the headlight light that falls on the optical elements of the Fresnel lens is deflected by them towards the edge of the field of vision driver. At the same time, the ability of his vision to discern the traffic situation in his lane and in the lanes of oncoming traffic is not reduced, compared to the same ability of the eyes in the absence of headlights from oncoming traffic and without any protective glasses.

This significantly increases the safety of vehicle movement on highways at night.

An additional positive effect of the application of the proposed invention is the simplification of the manufacture of glasses for protecting the eyes of a driver who has visual defects and wears glasses with diopters during the daytime. For this purpose, part of the area of each lens, the optical density of which weakens the light of the headlights falling into the eyes of the driver and (or) deflects the light of the headlights that falls on this part of each lens towards the edge of the driver's field of vision, is connected to another part of each lens, which is made focal (or flat and focal), by means of a detachable or permanent connection.

Claims

Glasses for protecting the driver's eyes when driving at night FORMULA 1. Glasses for protecting the driver's eyes from the glare of oncoming vehicle headlights, the lens planes of which consist of several parts and when viewed through glasses that are designed for use in countries with right-hand traffic, in the right part of each lens, and in glasses that are designed for use in countries with left-hand traffic, in the left part of each lens, there are parts of the lenses made flat and/or focal, which are distinguished in that the other part of the area of each lens, which is located, respectively, in its left or right part, is made in an optical form, the optical density of which weakens the light from the headlights entering the driver's eyes by directional dispersion and/or is made in an optical form that deflects the light from the headlights falling on this part of each lens towards the edge of the driver's field of vision. 2. Protective glasses according to paragraph 1, which are distinguished by the fact that the parts of the plane of their lenses that deflect the light of the headlights falling on them towards the edge of the driver’s field of vision are made in the form of optical prisms. 3. Protective glasses according to paragraph 1, which are distinguished by the fact that the parts of the plane of their lenses that deflect the light of the headlights falling on them towards the edge of the driver’s field of vision are made in the form of a Fresnel lens. 4. Protective glasses according to paragraph 1, which are distinguished by the fact that the parts of the plane of each of the lenses, which weaken the light from the headlights entering the driver’s eyes by directional dispersion, are made in the form of a lenticular lens. 5. Protective glasses according to item 1, which are distinguished by the fact that the parts of the plane of their lenses that deflect the light of the headlights falling on them towards the edge of the driver’s field of vision and the optical density of which weakens the light of the headlights falling into his eyes, are made in the form of a combination of optical prisms or (and) Fresnel lens elements, and lenticular lens elements. 6. Protective glasses according to paragraphs 1, 4, 5, which are distinguished by the fact that parts of the plane of their lenses, the optical density of which weakens the light from the headlights entering the driver's eyes, are made in the form of elements of a lenticular lens, while the optical elements of the lens in cross section have the form of a segment of a circle with an arc equal to or less than 180 degrees. 7. Protective glasses according to item 1, which are distinguished by the fact that part of the area of each of the lenses, which deflects the light of the headlights falling on it towards the edge of the driver’s field of vision and (or) the optical density of which weakens the light of the headlights falling on his eyes, is connected to another part of the area of each lens, which is made focal (or flat and focal) by means of a detachable or non-detachable connection.