Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
  • G02C5/00—Constructions of non-optical parts
  • G02C5/14—Side-members
  • G02C5/16—Side-members resilient or with resilient parts

Definitions

• the field of the invention is that of spectacle frames.
• An eyeglass frame generally comprises a front face extended by two lateral lugs, as well as two branches respectively articulated on the lugs around the hinge axes of two hinges.
• Each branch comprises, on the one hand, a hinge front end, arranged to be articulated to a lateral tenon by means of a hinge, and, on the other hand, a free rear end, intended to surround the skull of the carrier.
• the branch also includes a soul, on which it is formed.
• This core designated “silk” in the field of frames, may be for example a wire rope or, more rigid, a metal rod.
• the soul extends along the branch and is surrounded by a sheath, which can be plastic.
• a branch usually has a curvature (or curvature) determined according to the intended use of the frame by its wearer.
• a spectacle frame intended for the practice of a sports discipline requires that it can not fall from the wearer's face, or even give the wearer the impression of falling, which requires a high curvature branches inwards.
• a spectacle frame intended for a conventional use does not require such a precaution and may therefore have branches with less curvature, for better comfort for the wearer.
• Such an eyeglass frame branch thus proves to be suitable for a single predetermined use, for example either a conventional use (low curvature branches) or a sporting use (bending limbs). high). Therefore, if he wants to wear glasses in different conditions, a user must have several different frames or, at least, several different branches of curvature.
• the object of the invention is to overcome this disadvantage by proposing a branch for eyeglass frames whose curvature may vary according to the uses envisaged by the wearer, without the need to replace said branch with another.
• the eyeglass frame branch comprising a core extending along the branch and surrounded by a sheath, is remarkable in that the sheath is arranged to pivot around the body. soul to take successively at least two stable positions in which the curvature of said branch is different.
• the branch has several stable positions in which its curvature can be adapted to the different conditions of use of the frame.
• the soul and the sheath of the branch have curved initial shapes.
• the overall curvature of the branch then results from the initial shapes and the respective mechanical strengths of the core and the sheath.
• the core made of a more rigid material, imposes on the sheath its own curvature, said sheath then attenuating only the curvature imposed by the core according to its mechanical strength and its respective thicknesses on either side of said soul.
• the sleeve can occupy, for each stable position of the branch, a different position vis-à-vis the soul, likely to generate a different mechanical strength .
• the sheath thus gives the soul - and by the same to the branch - a curvature different for each of the stable positions.
• the present invention finds an advantageous application in the case of a branch having two stable positions, for example separated by a rotation of the sheath of 180 ° around the core, thus allowing the wearer of the frame of easily adapt the branches to the use that it makes of it, it is not limited to two stable positions and can count a higher number.
• the sheath has, from one stable position to another, different thicknesses on either side of the core.
• the sleeve is asymmetrical with respect to the core, with thicknesses - and therefore mechanical strengths vis-à-vis the curvature of the soul - different on each side of the soul.
• the stable positions induce different curvatures.
• the sleeve may advantageously have, in each stable position, different thicknesses on either side of the core.
• the sheath can thus influence the soul differently on each side. More precisely, under the effect of the bending imposed by the soul, the sheath is stretched, on the external side to the curvature of the soul, and compressed, on the inner side to the curvature of the soul.
• the sleeve may also have, in at least one stable position and at least one side of the core, a variable thickness from one end to the other of said sleeve.
• the sheath thus has, with respect to the core, a difference in thickness that varies in certain places - and therefore different mechanical strengths.
• the latter is arranged to be attracted to one of the stable positions under the effect of a compression spring. The spring thus ensures that when pivoting the sleeve relative to the core, it does not remain in an intermediate position that does not correspond to any stable position of the branch.
• the spring may be disposed at the rear end of said leg, around the core, bearing against a stop located at said rear end and an abutment integral with the sleeve.
• the latter is arranged to be attracted to one of the stable positions under the effect of the elasticity of the sheath.
• the attraction function of the sheath to a stable position is thus directly filled by the shape memory of the sheath.
• the branch comprises a hinge front end, arranged to be articulated to a post by means of a hinge, and a free rear end.
• the core can surround the axis of articulation of the hinge, which ensures that said soul is fixed to the pin.
• the branch further comprises a fixed portion located between the pin and the sleeve
• the rear end of said fixed portion and the front end of said sleeve have complementary curved shapes.
• the sleeve is all the better stabilized in one position, the complementary shape of the end of the fixed portion determining the indexing of these stable positions.
• the core is advantageously eccentric relative to the sheath.
• the invention also relates to an eyeglass frame comprising a front face extended by two lateral tenons, as well as two branches articulated on the tenons by means of hinges, characterized in that at least one of the branches conforms to one of the embodiments described above.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spectacle frame according to the prior art.
• Figure 2 is a side view of a branch according to the invention.
• FIG. 3 is a view from above of the branch of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the interior of the branch of Figures 2 and 3, in a first stable position.
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the interior of the branch of Figures 2 and 3, in a second stable position.
• An eyeglass frame 1 according to the prior art, shown schematically in FIG. 1, comprises a front face 2 intended to receive generally optical glasses and extended laterally, on each side, by a left lateral tenon 3 and a tenon right side 4.
• the frame 1 also comprises a left arm 5 articulated on the left lateral stud 3 around the axis articulation of a left hinge 7, and a straight branch 6 articulated on the right lateral tenon 4 about the hinge axis of a right hinge 8.
• the left arm 5 has two ends: a front hinge end 5A, at which said left arm 5 is articulated on the pin 3, and a free rear end 5B, whose shape is adapted to that of the wearer's face.
• the right arm 6 has two ends: a front hinge end 6A, at which said right arm 6 is articulated on the post 4, and a free rear end 6B, whose shape is adapted to that of the face of the carrier, in addition to the rear end 5B of the left arm 5.
• the left 7 and right 8 hinges are similar.
• the hinge axes associated with them are substantially parallel to the general plane of the front face 2.
• these can adopt either an open position, for which they extend the tenons associated with them respectively and extend substantially at right angles to the general plane of the front face 2, or a closed position, for which they are substantially parallel to the front face 2 and close to it.
• each of the branches 5 and 6 of the eyeglass frame 1, shown in Figure 1 has a single curvature (or curve), predetermined according to the use envisaged by its carrier.
• Figures 2 and 3 show a branch according to a particular embodiment of the present invention for imparting to the branch two different curvatures.
• This branch 9 for example straight, advantageously replaces the branch 6 according to the prior art, with a single curvature, as represented for example in FIG. 1.
• a branch similar to the branch 9 may be adapted to also replace the branch 5 of Figure 1.
• the branch 9 has a hinge front end 9A, intended to be articulated on the pin 4 via the hinge axis XX 'of the hinge 8, and one end free back 9B.
• the branch 9 comprises first a core 91, on which it is formed.
• This soul - or silk which is in a usual denomination in the field of spectacle frames - may be for example a sheath or a rod, preferably metal.
• the core 91 extends along the branch 9, its rear end 9B to the hinge 8, through the front end 9A of said branch.
• the front end 91A of the core 91 is fixed to the hinge 8, for example by surrounding the latter, so that said core 91 is immobile in rotation.
• the core 91 further has a predetermined curvature.
• the core 91 is surrounded by a sheath 92, made for example of plastic.
• This sleeve 92 is rotatably mounted relative to the core 91, immobile in rotation, so that said sleeve is arranged to pivot about the core 91. It has a predetermined curvature but, when it surrounds the core 91, more rigid, the latter imposes its own curvature, said sheath 92 attenuating only said curvature according to its mechanical strength, determined in particular by its constituent material and its thickness on each side of the core 91.
• the sleeve 92 also has a section of substantially rectangular shape, with two portions 92C and 92D ( Figure 3) corresponding to the two main faces of the rectangle and located on either side of the core 91. These two portions 92C and 92D have, relative to each other, different thicknesses (e92C and e92D in FIGS. 4 and 5).
• the core 91 is thus eccentric with respect to the sheath 92.
• the thickness of each of the portions 92C and 92D is variable along the sheath 92.
• the branch 9 also comprises a fixed portion 93, located at its front end 9A. This portion also surrounds the core 91, and is located between the pin 4 and the sleeve 92. Its front end 93A is disposed near the pin 4. As shown in Figure 3, the rear end 93B of the portion fixed 93 and the front end of the sheath 92 have complementary curved shapes.
• the branch 9 comprises a compression spring 94 disposed between, on the one hand, the rear end 92B of the sleeve 92, and on the other hand, a stop located at the rear end 91B of the core 91.
• the spring 94 which surrounds the core 91, is arranged to bear against the stops 92B and 95.
• the branch 9 has two stable positions, corresponding to the two positions of the sleeve 92 vis-à-vis the fixed portion 93.
• the sleeve is in a stable position only when said forms cooperate with each other.
• the sleeve 92 is arranged to pivot around the core 91, for example by the effect of a simple manual effort applied to said sleeve, and thus out of one of its stable positions. Therefore, by breaking the cooperation between the complementary curved shapes of the ends 93B and 92A, the sheath 92 is moved away from the fixed portion 93 along the axis of the core 91, which has the effect of compressing the spring 94.
• the sheath 92 can take two stable positions successively. These two positions are designated respectively by “A” and "B” and illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5.
• the sleeve 92 is oriented relative to the branch so that the portion 92C, thicker, is disposed outwardly of the curvature of the core 91, and the portion 92D, thinner, inwards.
• the portion 92C is more resistant to stretching under the effect of the bending imposed by the core 91 (of thickness e91) than the portion 92D withstands the compression under the effect of this same bending. It follows that in this position "A", the sleeve 92 has little resistance to the curvature of the soul towards the inside of the frame and, in fact, the resulting curvature of the branch 9 is high.
• the sleeve 92 is oriented relative to the branch so that the portion 92D, finer, is disposed outwardly of the curvature of the core 91, and the portion 92C, thicker, inwards.
• the portion 92D is less resistant to stretching under the effect of the flexion imposed by the core 91 than the portion 92C resists compression under the effect of this same bending. It follows that, in this position "B", the sheath 92 significantly resists the curvature of the core 91 towards the inside of the frame and, in fact, the resulting curvature of the branch 9 is small, compared to that of branch 9 in position "A".
• the use of the spring 94, in order to attract the sheath 92 in one of the stable positions is given by way of example and can be replaced by any means to fulfill such a function.
• the attraction of the sheath towards one of the stable positions can be operated directly under the effect of the elasticity of the sheath 92.
• the invention is not limited to a branch with two stable positions (and therefore two different curvatures).
• a higher number of positions can in fact be provided, by suitably adapting the shapes of the sheath and the fixed part, in particular their complementary curved shapes.
• the end 92A of the sheath 92 and the end 93C of the fixed portion 93 have triangular-shaped sections.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Eyeglasses (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=47216214

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2011
  • 2011-11-02 FR FR1159906A patent/FR2982040B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2012
  • 2012-10-29 EP EP12788466.6A patent/EP2773996A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-10-29 WO PCT/EP2012/071412 patent/WO2013064469A1/fr active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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