Eye protectors

Claim 1

An eye protector for use in swimming and adapted to provide the minimum reduction in vision of the wearer, to be a close fit around the eye of the wearer and to permit streamline flow over the exterior surface of the protector, the protector comprising a pair of separate eye pieces interconnected at inner ends by a nose piece, each eye piece comprising an integrally formed body of a transparent material, said body comprising a stiff, curved, relatively wide rim dimensioned to fit around an eye socket of the wearer, under the brow and on top of the check bone and transversely curved to fit over the temple of a wearer and against the side of the nose of the wearer; an ovaloid opening defined at the inner periphery of the rim; a generally dome shaped hood, extending outwardly from the inner periphery of the rim and enclosing the eye opening in the rim for permitting straight ahead and peripheral vision therethrough, said hood including at least first and second portions, said first portion comprising a lens portion having a relatively large radius of curvature and being located substantially directly in line with the line of sight of the wearer and said second portion comprising a bulbous dome shaped wall portion which surrounds said lens portion and extends to the inner periphery of said rim, the curvature of the wall portion being substantially greater than that of said lens portion and following generally that of the eyeball of a wearer, said hood further comprising a third portion located between said first and second portions, at least part of said first portion being spaced from said second portion and said third portion comprising a transition between said first and second portions, a sealing pad formed on the inner side of the rim dimensioned to contact the face of the wearer under the brow, on top of the checkbone, over the temple and against the side of the nose of the wearer so as to provide an underwater seal around the eye, said pad being soft enough to conform to a wearer's face around the eye socket to seal each eye piece; a connector means on the outer end of the frame and a flexible strap secured to said connector means to extend around the back of the wearer's head to hold the eye piece in position over the eye sockets.