Eyewear Modeling

and

Eyewear Industry Innovations

by

Kevin McKinney

kevin@paralleldesign.com

1 (408) 348-3960

8-27-18

See my eyewear tooling and electronics design portfolio here.

Copyright 2019

Dragon REV

Modeled from customer sketches and prior similar model.

One of three frames modeled for Dragon Optical patents, REV, OZZY Trap, and OZZY Lucy.

I’ve also extended production lifespan of many Dragon products by designing ear stem replacements which alter the frame look,

extending the project lifespan at lower cost.

Concept Sketching Sketches made for a proposed design for purpose of planning, customer

review, and brainstorming.

Modeling from my own Sketches

Finished

3D model

Modeling from Scans Scanned requested reference design for customer

Scanned in-house on

NextEngine scanner

Modeled new similar design based upon scan of old.

Modeled from Scan

Alternate hinge iteration

Customer produced design with robust

molded in metal hinge.

Modeling from Scans Scanned from customer reference design

New Eyewear Pending

My most recent specialty eyewear product design started on 9-4-18. First articles were molded 1-1-19 in Shenzhen.

Pix will be posted after client product launch.

Optics Setup for Eyewear IPD – OC - PANTOSCOPIC ANGLE - BASE CURVES – RAKE - WRAP

Integral Eyewear Hinges

I originated the hinge design

concept that Oakley used in almost every design since 1996. and I’ve designed

hinges that have never been used…

Eyejacket, circa 1996

Designed impact proof hinges for ESS Crosshair

CDI and CDI II…

Re-DFMed, Ultem pin hinges for

Oakley…

Anvil type Nose Pad Design In 1999 Oakley was looking for a better way to attach nose pads. Here was my proposal.

The “Anvil” design shown on the right, was used in many frame designs in the following 10 years. By contract, I designed every Oakley frame mold incorporating the Anvil design.

Image on left demonstrates the relative complexity required to mold designs previously created by Oakley engineers. This was the problem I was attempting to solve.

Nose Pad Design

The next major nose pad evolution came in 2010. Dozens of iterations were considered.

The winning (group sourced) concept was to overmold the rubber pad onto a small plastic part which would then snap onto the centerframe. By using “Mattel Pins” to attach the pad, size was minimized, and experiments proved it would work. And it did. Millions sold. You may have seen them. Very low returns. Super easy install. But you gotta do it exactly right for it to work.

And I’ve got more nosepad attachment methods too that I’ve never shown to anyone.

Nose Pad Design

Just brainstorming… Never been done. This never-used technique could create many shapes. I’ve got a way to make it work.

Ejectors in Disguise

Take a look at the inside of your favorite Oakley, Fox, or Revo

sunwear frames. Many have a tiny icon located on the inside.

Chances are this is one of my custom “O-Jector” designs.

O-Jectors are custom shaped ejector pins, that disguise ejector

pin marks.

I’ve never seen anyone else do it.

I think it makes the product just one little

bit cleaner.

Harry Potter 3D Quidditch Goggle

The goal was to design a 3D movie type eyewear piece that would look like plausible Quidditch goggles when the rider on the attraction passes a camera, but should look so ugly when held in the hand that people won’t steal them. The original version I did was deemed “way too cool” and we had to ugly it way down. The ride glasses also have to stack for dispensing on the theme park ride loading line. Another requirement is that they nest tightly together while allowing for both water drainage and air flow during dishwasher sterilization between users.

For Universal Studios Theme Park Rides in CA and FL

Stacked

Xylo Designs Original eyewear designs for fun

Xylo Designs

And someday I’ll cover my snow goggle work and patents here.