Maryland’s Patent of the Month – October 2020

People have been wearing glasses for centuries. A large proportion of the U.S. population wear glasses (around 75% of adults in America alone!). Glasses protect people by correcting their vision, blocking harmful rays from the sun (i.e., UVA and UVB rays), along with the wind and debris it carries. But despite being around for so long, their design hasn’t changed significantly and they don’t come without limitations. 

When glasses are worn close to the face or are designed to be tight-fitting, such as sport sunglasses, airflow behind the lenses is restricted. If you wear glasses, you’ll know this causes the lenses to fog, limiting your vision. Some manufacturers have tried to fix this by creating more space between the lens and your face but doing so potentially lets more harmful sunlight into your eyes. And while ventilation is desired, it’s not always advantageous (like in high wind conditions, where excess airflow can lead to dry eyes. Under Armour created an innovative anti-fogging ventilation system that doesn’t require any extra space – so you don’t suffer from extra light or dryer eyes. 

The ventilation system has been cleverly incorporated into the brow of the frame, without adding bulk or changing the aesthetic of the design. It contains a block on each brow which can be moved between two positions – the first being flush with the frame (closed), and the second being up and slightly offset from the frame (open). When the block is in the second position, air flows through and ventilates the glasses so they don’t fog – so you can enjoy clearer vision while playing sports or in steamy weather.

Are you developing an innovative new product? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Recent Posts