Soft contact lens case

Claim 2

A contact lens case for use in cleaning and storing soft contact lenses and having, in combination: a hollow container having an open end; a closure for said container attachable to said open end in fluid-tight relation therewith; an elongated base mounted on said closure and extending into said container, said base having at least two longitudinally spaced, generally cylindrical recesses formed in one side thereof in side-by-side relation; a hemispherical cup disposed over each of said recesses; a hinge between one side of each cup and said base, pivotally securing the cup to the base for swinging into and out of a closed position; a latch for releasably securing each cup to said base in said closed position; a lens support disposed in each of said recesses and having a convex hemispherical side facing toward the cup to receive and hold a lens, each of said lens supports having a circular peripheral edge fitting slidably in a recess, and being movable between a lowered position within the recess and a raised position in which said hemispherical side projects out of the recess; a lost-motion connection between each lens support and said base limiting sliding motion; and means accessible from the side of said base opposite said covers for manually moving each lens support to said raised position for removal of a lens on the lens support.

Claim 3

The contact lens case of claim 1 wherein each lost-motion connection comprises at least two fingers on each of said lens supports extending through the recess of the opposite side of said base, first abutments on said fingers engageable with said base to stop motion of the lens supports in said raised position, and second abutments on said base engageable with the lens supports to stop motion of said lens supports in said lowered position.

Claim 4

The contact lens case of claim 1 wherein said accessible means are pins on said lens supports extending through said base and beyond said opposite side thereof whEn the supports are in said lowered positions.

Claim 5

The contact lens case of claim 1 wherein a substantial portion of the leading peripheral edge of the hemispherical cup is recessed such that a substantial portion of said edge does not contact the base when said cup is latched.

Claim 6

The contact lens case of claim 1 wherein the hollow container has a partially mirrored outside surface.

Claim 7

A storage case for contact lenses having, in combination: a hollow container having an open end; a closure for said container attachable to said open end in fluid-tight relation therewith; an elongated base plate secured at one end to said closure and disposed in said container when said closure is attached to said open end, said base plate having two longitudinally spaced holes of generally circular cross-section therethrough; a hemispherical cover disposed over each of said openings and having a circular edge; two flexible hinge straps joining said cover to said base plate along one longitudinal edge thereof, said hinge straps being spaced apart longitudinally of said base plate and having first pads thereon offset from said circular edge to hold the latter in spaced relation with the base plate when the cover is closed; two resilient latch hooks on the side of said cover opposite said hinge straps, said latch hooks being spaced apart longitudinally of said base plate and having second pads thereon offset from said circular edge to cooperate with said first pads in holding the circular edge in sapced relation with the base plate; said base plate having notches in one edge for receiving said hooks, and latching ribs over said notches for interfitting with said hooks to latch the cover in the closed position; a hemispherical lens support disposed in each of said holes with a close sliding fit, and having a convex supporting surface facing toward the associated cover, a plurality of fingers depending from each said support and extending through the base plate away from the cover and having abutments for engaging the base plate to limit sliding of the lens support toward the cover, and a pin secured to the support and extending through the recess and beyond the base plate; stop bars extending across the end of each recess opposite the cover to limit sliding of the lens support away from the cover; and guides carried by said stop bars and having holes therein through which said pins project, said guides and said stop pins being non-circular to stabilize said lens supports in said recesses.

Claim 8

A storage case for contact lenses having, in combination: a hollow container having an open end; a closure for said container attachable to said open end in fluid-tight relation therewith; an elongated base plate secured at one end to said closure and disposed in said container when said closure is attached to said open end, said base plate having two longitudinally spaced holes of generally circular cross-section therethrough; a hemispherical cover disposed over each of said openings and having a circular edge; two flexible hinge straps joining said cover to said base plate along one longitudinal edge thereof, said hinge straps being spaced apart longitudinally of said base plate and having first pads thereon offset from said circular edge to hold the latter in spaced relation with the base plate when the cover is closed; two resilient latch hooks on the side of said cover opposite said hinge straps, said latch hooks being spaced apart longitudinally of said base plate and having second pads thereon offset from said circular edge to cooperate with said first pads in holding the circular edge in sapced relation with the base plate; said base plate having notches in one edge for receiving said hooks, and latching ribs over said notches for interfitting with said hooks to latch the cover in the closed position; a hemispherical lens support disposed in each of said holes with a close sliding fit, and having a convex supporting surface facing toward the associated cover, a plurality of fingers depending from each said support and extending through the base plate away from the cover and having abutments for engaging the base plate to limit sliding of the lens support toward the cover, and a pin secured to the support and extending through the recess and beyond the base plate; stop bars extending across the end of each recess opposite the cover to limit sliding of the lens support away from the cover; and guides carried by said stop bars and having holes therein through which said pins project, said guides and said stop pins being non-circular to stabilize said lens supports in said recesses.

Claim 9

The storage case of claim 6 in which said closure, said base plate, said covers, said hinges, said latch hooks, said stop bars and said guides are formed as an integral, one-piece plastic molding.

Claim 10

The storage case of claim 7 in which each lens support, including said fingers and said pin, is formed as an integral one-piece plastic molding.

Claim 11

The storage case of claim 6 wherein the closure includes a sealing ring, said sealing ring comprising a non-toxic, non-lens-coloring polymer.

Claim 12

The storage case of claim 6 wherein the hollow container comprises a non-toxic, non-lens-coloring polyolefin.

Claim 13

The storage case of claim 10 wherein the closure includes a sealing ring, said sealing ring comprising a nontoxic, non-lens-coloring neoprene elastomer.

Claim 14

The storage case of claim 6 wherein the hollow container has a partially mirrored outside surface.