Swimming goggles

Abstract

Swimming goggles that are shaped by approximately profiling the goggles to the swimmer's head resulting in the goggles having a minimal tendency to be pulled off or pulled ajar from the swimmer's head by hydrodynamic forces while exhibiting minimal hydrodynamic drag. Optical arrays molded into the lenses of the goggles permit normal vision both underwater and above the water.

1 . A lens for swimming and diving goggles comprising a lens structure having an exterior surface and a viewing region, said lens structure having an optical array in said exterior surface of said viewing region of said lens, said optical array having a refractive surface and a return surface. 
     
     
         2 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said optical array comprises at least two refractive surfaces and wherein said at least two refractive surfaces are connected by said return surface. 
     
     
         3 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said exterior surface of said lens structure includes an inner surface and an outer surface and wherein said optical array is in said inner surface or said outer surface. 
     
     
         4 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein said optical array is disposed in said inner surface and wherein said refractive surface of said optical array includes optical correction. 
     
     
         5 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein said optical array is disposed in said inner surface and wherein said refractive surface of said optical array includes spherical correction. 
     
     
         6 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein said optical array is disposed in both said inner surface and said outer surface of said lens. 
     
     
         7 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said lens is constructed to provide an approximately hydrodynamically streamlined profile with respect to the eye of a wearer. 
     
     
         8 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein a pair of said lenses are provided and constructed and arranged to be mounted into swimming and diving goggles having means to position said lenses in an approximately hydrodynamically streamlined profile with respect to the eyes of a wearer. 
     
     
         9 . The lens of  claim 8 , wherein said means to position said lenses comprises a pair of lens frame members and a head strap to secure said goggles to a swimmer. 
     
     
         10 . The lens of  claim 8 , wherein said goggles define an outer surface with respect to a wearer's face and forms an approximately hydrodynamically streamlined profile structure. 
     
     
         11 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein said refractive surfaces are generally spatially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         12 . The lens of  claim 11 , wherein said inner refractive surfaces are generally spatially parallel to each other and wherein said outer refractive surfaces are generally spatially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         13 . The lens of  claim 2 , wherein at least one said return surface has a surface treatment selected from the group of surface treatments consisting of blackened, opaqued and dulled surfaces. 
     
     
         14 . The lens of  claim 2 , wherein adjacent refractive surfaces differ by less than 15 degrees with respect to each other. 
     
     
         15 . The lens of  claim 14 , wherein said adjacent refractive surfaces differ by less than 5 degrees with respect to each other. 
     
     
         16 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said refractive surfaces are piecewise smooth. 
     
     
         17 . The lens of  claim 8 , wherein said swimming and diving goggles includes a pressure profile device, wherein said pressure profile device is selected from the group of pressure profile devices consisting of slats, flaps, spoilers and hydrofoils. 
     
     
         18 . Swimming and diving goggles having lenses comprising:
 a) a pair of lenses having hydrodynamically streamlined outer surfaces with respect to the face of the wearer in the area adjacent to the eyes;   b) said lenses having lateral and medial lens sections having a thickness which becomes progressively thicker in said medial section as compared to said lateral section.   
     
     
         19 . The swimming and diving goggles of  claim 18 , wherein said lenses each have a bifocal region of uniform thickness for viewing when air is adjacent to said outer surface of said lens. 
     
     
         20 . Swimming and diving goggles having an open goggle design wherein water is adjacent to the eyes of a wearer when underwater and wherein air is adjacent to the eyes of a wearer when above water, said goggles comprising:
 a. a frame having lenses with hydrodynamically streamlined outer lens surfaces with respect to the face of the wearer in the area adjacent to the eyes; and   b. said lenses being hollow and gas filled, said lenses further having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface.