AU2003203906A1

AU2003203906A1 - Glasses, in particular safety glasses

Info

Publication number: AU2003203906A1
Application number: AU2003203906A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stefan Bruck
Original assignee: Uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH
Current assignee: Uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH
Priority date: 2002-05-07
Filing date: 2003-04-29
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: EP1361471A1; DE20207180U1

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: Uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH Actual Inventor(s): Stefan Bruck Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: GLASSES, IN PARTICULAR SAFETY GLASSES Our Ref: 692643 POF Code: 1611/307228 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): -1- 1A Glasses, in Particular Safety Glasses The invention relates to a pair of glasses, in particular safety glasses, comprising a sight piece arrangement and an ear-piece bearing arrangement which is disposed in the bearing portions at the extreme ends of the sight piece arrangement, it being possible to unfold the ear pieces for use and to fold them down for keeping.

Conventionally, the ear pieces of a pair of glasses are pivotably joined to the sight piece arrangement by hinge pins. Drawbacks of these familiar glasses reside in that assembly is comparatively time-consuming and costly. This is in particular due to the fact that, for the production of a pivot bearing, hinge pins must be inserted in recesses on either side of the sight piece arrangement as well as in the ends of the ear pieces and must then be fixed in place.

It is an object of the invention to embody a pair of glasses of the generic type such that it can be manufactured easily and at a low cost.

According to the invention, this object is attained in that two eyelets are provided on each side at a distance from each other; in that each ear piece includes two flexibly resilient tail pieces running at a distance from each other; and in that the tail pieces have journals which are locked in place in the eyelets by the ends being flexibly pressed together when the ear pieces are folded down in part or entirely; with a spacer being disposed between the tail pieces of each ear piece at each end of the sight piece arrangement, keeping the tail pieces spaced in the unfolded condition of use and arresting the journals in the eyelets. Joining the ear pieces to the sight piece arrangement takes place by snap-in engagement, which implies especially 1 '-11 IN .1 11. 1 1. .bM3 -2rapid and simple assembly of the glasses. There is no need for special joining elements or assembly aids. The spacers arresting the journals in the eyelets when the glasses are used, this helps obtain an especially safe connection of the ear pieces to the sight piece arrangement. Disengaging the journals from the eyelets is not possible in the condition of use.

Preferably, the spacers are injection-molded, forming one piece with the frame. This helps attain especially cost-saving manufacture of the glasses; detaching the spacers from the frame is not possible.

In the unfolded condition of use, the tail pieces of the ear pieces positively engage with the interspaces between the eyelets and the spacer. In the condition of use of the glasses, the tail pieces cannot be pivoted and detached from the eyelets. In the unfolded condition of use, the ear pieces are nondetachably joined to the sight piece arrangement.

In keeping with an advantageous embodiment, the eyelets are provided in attachments which are integral with the frame and stand out toward a user.

This one-piece design enables the glasses according to the invention to be manufactured at a low cost. The fact that the attachments stand out toward a user renders the glasses especially compact for keeping with the ear pieces folded down.

Another constructional embodiment distinguishes itself by the fact that the glasses are comprised of three pieces, namely the sight piece arrangement and the two ear pieces. As a result, the glasses according to the invention can be assembled especially easily and rapidly.

-3- Details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pair of glasses according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective elevation of the glasses seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a lateral view of the glasses seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a bearing arrangement for an ear piece of the glasses seen in Fig. 1, with an unfolded ear piece seen in part; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a bearing arrangement for an ear piece of the glasses of Fig. 1, with a folded down ear piece seen in part.

As seen in Figs. 1 to 3, a pair of safety glasses I comprises a sight piece arrangement 2 and ear pieces 3 which are articulated to the sides of the sight piece arrangement 2. The sight piece arrangement 2 as well as the ear pieces 3 are integrally injection-molded from plastic material.

The sight piece arrangement 2 comprises a frame 20, a sight piece 4, a nose piece 5, which bridges a spectacle wearer's base of the nose, and two bearing portions 6 at each extreme end by the side of the sight piece 4. The frame 20 encircles the sight piece 4 by the side and from above.

I I Each bearing portion 6 includes two attachments 7 which are spaced apart and stand out towards a spectacle wearer (not shown). As seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the attachments 7 run substantially in parallel; they are disposed each in the vicinity of a top edge 8 and a bottom edge 9 of the sight piece arrangement 2. The attachments 7 have a substantially triangular area which is defined by edges 11, 12 and 13. The edges 11 which adjoin the frame 20 are suited to the radius of curvature of this part of the frame The edges 12 are in alignment with the respective end surface 14 of the sight piece arrangement 2. The edges 13 are approximately perpendicular to the edges 12 with a curved transition area 15 between the edges 12, 13.

An eyelet 16 of circular cross-sectional shape passes through each attachment 7. Each eyelet 16 has a central longitudinal axis 17. The central longitudinal axes 17 of the eyelets 16 of a bearing portion 6 are coaxial. In the vicinity of the eyelets 16, the surfaces 18, facing each other, of the attachments 7 are plane and parallel to each other.

Between the attachments 7 of a bearing portion 6, a spacer 19 is integrally injection-molded on the frame 20 of the safety glasses 1. A distance A is provided between a spacer 19 and the neighboring attachments 7. Consequently, there are two interspaces 37 between a spacer 19 and the neighboring attachments 7.

.The area 21 of the spacers 19 is substantially triangular and parallel to the surfaces 18 of the attachments 7. The area 21 of the spacers 7 has three edges 22, 23, 24. The edges 22 which adjoin the frame 20 are shorter than the edges 11 of the attachments 7, matching the radius of curvature of the frame 20 in this area. The rear edges 23 are in alignment with the end surface 14 and shorter than the edges 12 of the attachments 7. The edges 23 and 24 are approximately perpendicular to each other. The length of the edge 23 is selected such that the spacers 19 do not project into the imaginary connection between the respective eyelets 16 of a bearing portion 6.

The spacers 19 are disposed on the frame 20 in such a way that they project toward a spectacle wearer.

The ear pieces 3, which are articulated to the sight piece arrangement 2, have two flexibly resilient tail pieces 25 which are spaced apart and the end portions 26 of which adjoin the end portions 27 of the sight piece arrangement 2. The tail pieces 25 are forked and unite toward the ear piece end 28; at the end, they comprise a bearing member 30 that is set off inwardly by a shoulder 29. The bearing members 30 are also set off inwardly by a shoulder 32 towards the outer surface 31 of the ear pieces 3. The shoulders 29,.

32 are level. The bearing members 30 have a substantially trapezoidal area 33. All the areas 33 of the bearing members 30 of an ear piece 3 are parallel to each other. Moreover, the areas 33 are parallel to the areas 21 of the spacers 19 as well as to the surfaces 18, turned towards the spacers 19, of the attachments 7. The distance L of the areas 33 that face each other approximately corresponds to the distance G from each other of the areas 21 of a spacer 19. The bearing members 30 have a height H which approximately corresponds to the distance A between an attachment 7 and a spacer 19.

Ifiteg~rally joined to-each bearing member 30 is a journal 34 of circular cross-sectional shape that stands out vertically, the journals 34 being disposed on the areas 33, facing away from each other, of the bearing members 30. Each journal 34 has a central longitudinal axis, these axes being coaxial in the journals 34 of an ear piece 3. The diameter of a journal 34 approximately corresponds to the diameter of an eyelet 16. The bearing -6journals 34 are arranged in such a way that part of their outer surface is in alignment with the end surfaces 35 of the bearing members 30. The end surfaces 35 are parallel to the shoulders 29 and 32. The height of the journals 34 is selected such that the journals 34, when mounted, do not stand out from the areas 10 of the sight piece arrangement 2. The sides 36, between the end surfaces 35 and the shoulders 32, of the bearing members skew as compared to the outer surface 31 in the vicinity of the end portion 26 of the ear pieces 3. The journals 34 are pivotably mounted in the eyelets 16. The attachments 7 constitute a bearing arrangement for the ear pieces 3.

For the ear pieces to be fixed in their stop positions, a minor elevation (not shown) is injection-molded on the shoulders 29 in the vicinity of a journal 34.- In the unfolded condition of use, the bearing members 30 positively engage with the interspaces 37. The tail pieces 25 are spaced from each other by the spacers 19, whereby the journals 34 are arrested in the eyelets 16. Pivoting the tail pieces 25 is not possible in the condition of use.

In a condition with the ear pieces 3 at least partially folded down, the bearing members 30 do not engage with the interspaces 37 because of their shape and the design of the spacers 19, as a result of which the tail pieces can be pivoted toward each other upon exertion of corresponding force.

When the tail pieces 25 are pressed together, the journals 34 can be detached from the eyelets 16 so that the ear pieces 3 can be removed from the sight piece arrangement 2. Vice versa, the journals 34 can only be inserted in the eyelets 16 when the ear pieces 3 are folded down and the tail pieces are pressed together. The tail pieces 25 are resilient so that the journals 34 are safely lodged in the eyelets 16 even in the folded down condition.

Claims

1. A pair of glasses, in particular safety glasses, comprising a sight piece arrangement and an ear piece bearing arrangement disposed in the outer bearing portions of the sight piece arrangement, it being possible to unfold the ear pieces for use and to fold them down for keeping, wherein two eye- lets are provided on each side at a distance from each other; wherein each ear piece includes two flexibly resilient tail pieces running at a distance from each other; and wherein the tail pieces have journals which are locked in place in the eyelets by the end portions being flexibly pressed together in an entirely or partially folded down condition; with a spacer being disposed between the tail pieces of each ear piece at each end portion of the sight piece arrangement, keeping the tail pieces spaced apart in the unfolded condition of use and arresting the journals in the eyelets.

2. A pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein the spacers are integrally injection-molded on the frame.

3. A pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein the tail pieces are forked and unite towards the end of each ear piece.

4. A pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein the tail pieces of the ear pieces, in the unfolded condition of use, positively engage with the inter- spaces between the eyelets and the spacer.

A pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein the eyelets are formed on attachments which are integral with the frame and stand out towards a spectacle wearer. -8-

6. A pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein the pair of glasses is comprised of three parts, namely the sight piece arrangement and the two ear pieces.

7. A pair of glasses substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to anyone of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED: 29 APRIL 2003 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK ATTORNEYS FOR: UVEX ARBEITSSCHUTZ GMBH