FR2875914A1 - Extensible bridge for removable eyeshade mounted on eyeglasses, has spring with sleeve whose outer section is same as that of median part, and sun surface with attaching clips having clips fixed on outer edges of additional glass - Google Patents

Abstract

The bridge has attaching clips comprising clips spaced with respect to each other for permitting fixation of a sun surface on a pair of adjacent eyeglasses, and hinges (7) provided between a median part (2) and outer parts (3). A spring (8) has a sleeve (12) whose outer section is same as that of the median part. The sun surface has attaching clips for an additional glass, with clips fixed on outer edges of the glass. An independent claim is also included for a removable eyeshade destined to be mounted on eyeglasses.

Description

2875914 -1-

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an expandable bridge of removable solar adapter with claws for mounting on glasses.

  TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Solar adapters are eyewear articles enabling wearers of untinted corrective lenses to transform, whenever the circumstances require it, their usual pairs of glasses into sunglasses in their view.

  These solar adapters consist essentially of two sunglasses which are arranged on demand in front of - or behind - each glass of the pair of basic glasses.

  The means for fixing sunglasses on the underlying glasses known in the state of the art are numerous and diverse.

  A very common system is to connect each of the sunglasses by a bridge and to provide the periphery thereof with claws for overlapping at several points around the frame, or the edge of the glasses themselves, the pair of glasses.

  An eyewear article of this kind has already been described by the applicant in the French patent application FR-2,768,237 published March 22, 1999. This article consists of two glasses and four fasteners, two upper and two lower. Each attachment includes a claw that extends perpendicularly to the branches of the clip, from the back of the soul thereof. The two upper attachments are connected by a connecting bar - called bridge - thin and flexible. One of the fasteners is secured to the bar while the other fastener is adjustable in position on the bar, for example by means of a screw, to define the useful length of the bar.

  The fasteners used in this article are extremely small, which gives it a great lightness.

  But the solar adapter must be able to be placed on all types of glasses, and remove easily, while being firmly fixed: the adjustment of the length of the bridge, determining the spacing of the claws, is essential.

  One way to eliminate this constraint, known from the state of the art, is to make the elastic bridge in the longitudinal direction.

  For example, the solar adapter described in the European patent application EP-1.116.984 published on July 18, 2001, in the name of D. Friedman, uses one or two springs. The rims of the solar glasses are assembled by an arch having at least one extensible element in two parts. Part of this element is a cylindrical sheath, and the other part is a piston on the rod of which is wound a coil spring. The relative distance of the two parts compresses the spring, which tends to remind the two parts towards each other. In this way, the claws of the adapter are automatically engaged with the glasses, without additional adjustment.

  Current trends in the solar face market favor lightness and simplicity: the devices described in the applications FR2.768.237 and EP-1.116.984 each contribute to providing a solution to this need.

  Another important aspect for the user is the clutter of the article.

  Using well-known means already applied in folding glasses, International Patent Application WO01 / 40847 published on June 7, 2001, in the name of S. Lipawsky, proposes a folding claw solar adapter. The bridge connecting the rims of the glasses has two joints allowing, during a rotational movement along two axes parallel to the plane of the adapter, to bring the glasses from their normal position of use to a folded position where they are face to face. The open or closed positions are maintained by means of springs acting on the hinges by means of balls.

  A satisfactory solution to the problem of reducing the size of the adapter, when it is not used, seems to have been provided by this device. However, the other important specifications to take into account to achieve a completely satisfactory item for the user, including the adjustment of the length of the bridge, seem to have been forgotten.

  Extremely simple embodiments of solar adapters having both the characteristic of being folding, and an elastic bridge, are known from a very long time.

  We will mention only for memory that patented in 1896 by C. Mosher. The bridge constituted by a rubber tie described in US Pat. No. 5,691. 17 obviously allows to fold the two glasses one on the other. The solar adapter described in US-1,630,193, published in 1926, implements the same principle.

  The expandable bridge disclosed in 1927 in US-1,679,233 is a more complex mechanism. The middle part of the bridge comprises a coil spring tending to recall the lateral parts hinged at the ends around axes perpendicular to the plane of the glasses. In this way, the adapter is folded by a rotational movement of the glasses parallel to themselves.

  It goes without saying that these old eyewear items 30 do not meet at all, nowadays, the expectations of users.

  GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

  The present invention therefore aims to provide an extensible solar adapter bridge overcoming the drawbacks of devices known from the state of the art, in particular bridges having between their two ends at least one elastic element comprising a sleeve, at least one sliding rod inside this sleeve, and a coil spring acting on the rod.

  It is precisely a device of this type, remarkable in that it comprises at least one articulation between its two ends.

  The expandable bridge for solar adapter preferably comprises two joints, arranged advantageously symmetrically on either side of the median part of the bridge.

  In a first embodiment, the extensible solar adapter bridge according to the invention comprises two copies of the elastic element mentioned above, each arranged between the joints and the ends of the bridge outside the middle part.

  In a second embodiment, a single copy of this elastic element is arranged in the middle part of the bridge between the joints.

  A further advantageous feature of the first embodiment is that the sleeve is, on the one hand, articulated by a first end on the median part of the bridge and, on the other hand, that it guides at its second end an end portion of the bridge which itself forms the stem.

  In addition, the coil spring surrounds the rod and rests, on the one hand, on an inner shoulder that the sleeve has at its second end and, on the other hand, on a projection that has the rod at its end adjacent to the middle part of the bridge. As a result, this projection advantageously cooperates with at least one abutment integral with the adjacent end of the median part of the bridge so that an end portion thereof has two stable positions relative to the median portion; one corresponding to an opening angle of about 90, and the other corresponding to an angle of about 180.

  It is also advantageous in this first embodiment that the first end of the sleeve has a lug limiting the opening of an end portion of the bridge relative to the middle portion, preferably at an angle of about 200.

  The second embodiment of the invention is remarkable, in detail, in that the elastic element comprises alternately two rods each sliding at each end of the sleeve, the ends of the rods inside the sleeve being connected by the coil spring, and the outer ends each having a hinge element cooperating with the complementary element integral with an end portion of the bridge.

  This hinge advantageously has two stable opening positions, corresponding to angles of about 90 and 180, and an opening limited to about 200.

  Another object of the invention is a removable solar adapter claws with two glasses, intended to be mounted on glasses, and comprising the expandable bridge described above. This adapter is remarkable in particular that its expandable bridge is articulated along at least one axis parallel to the plane of the glasses.

  The invention also relates to a removable solar claw adapter comprising two glasses, intended to be mounted on glasses, also having an extensible bridge of the model specified above, and whose ends are each secured to a glass fastener constituted by a piece U-shaped elastic clamp forming, whose central core overlaps the upper edge of each glass and whose branches rest on the faces of each glass unprepared surface.

  These few essential specifications make it obvious to those skilled in the art the advantages provided by this device over the state of the art.

  The detailed specifications of the invention are given in the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these drawings have no other purpose than to illustrate the text of the description and does not constitute in any way a limitation of the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

  Figures 1a and 1b are respectively the front and top views of a first preferred embodiment of the expandable solar adapter bridge of the invention. These views also show an example of mounting at both ends of the bridge of two glass clips each provided with a claw.

  Figure 2a is a detail view in partial longitudinal and vertical section of the right half of the central portion of the bridge according to the first embodiment. Figure 2b is the top view corresponding to the view of Figure 2a.

  Figures 3a and 3b are respectively the front and top views of a second preferred embodiment of the expandable solar adapter bridge according to the invention.

  Figure 4a is a detail view in partial longitudinal and vertical section of the right half of the central portion of the bridge according to the second embodiment. Figure 4b is the top view corresponding to the view of Figure 4a.

  Figures 5a, 5b and 5c are schematic views of a solar claw adapter having an expandable bridge according to the invention, and its use. Figure 5a shows the solar face ready to be used, the bridge being in the rest position (minimum spacing of the glasses). Figure 5b shows how the user varies the length of the bridge, by simply pulling on the glasses, to hang the adapter on his glasses. Figure 5c shows the adapter almost completely collapsed, ready to slide into a pocket, or stored in a case, for example.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the invention are particularly suited to the manufacture of solar adapters responding to current market trends.

  Figures la and lb show an expandable bridge 1 made in a first mode. The middle portion 2 consists of a segment of square-section bead whose two ends are articulated with the end portions 3, each formed by two thin rods, on which are mounted glass fasteners.

  These fasteners 4 are of a known type; they consist for example of a U-shaped folded elastic blade 5, and are mounted on the edge of the glasses, without preparation of their surface, by simple pinching. They include a claw 6 for fixing the solar face on the underlying pair of glasses.

  The joints 7 between the middle part 2 of the bridge 1 and the end portions 3 allow them to be placed vis-à-vis when the user wants to store his solar adapter, or on the contrary to be aligned in use normal.

  The angle of opening of the end portions 3 with respect to the middle portion 2 of the bridge is limited to about 90 and, in the open position, the distance between the fasteners 4 is elastically variable thanks to the presence of an elastic element 8 and to other specific features of the joints 7 shown in more detail in Figures 2a and 2b.

  Figures 2a and 2b show that each joint 7 comprises a yoke 9 connected by a through screw 10 to a flat 11 formed at each end of the middle portion 2 of the bridge 1. These flats 11 extend in a common plane to be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the glasses during the final assembly.

  The yoke 9 is formed by a slot arranged at a first end of a sleeve 12 constituting the outer envelope of the elastic element 8 interposed between the median part 2 of the bridge 1 and the end portions 3.

  The sleeve 12 comprises a first cylindrical internal bore 13 receiving a spring 14. A second internal bore 15 is arranged at the second end of the sleeve 12 and receives the rod 3 constituting each end portion of the bridge 1.

  The spring 14, of the coil spring type, surrounds the end of the rod 3 facing the flattened portion 11. This end has a T-shaped protrusion 16 resting on the adjacent portion of the flattened abutment 11 under the action of the spring 14 compressed between this projection 16 and a shoulder 18 inside the sleeve 12.

  In the open position of the expandable bridge, the surfaces in contact with the projection 16 and the abutment 17 are perpendicular to the axis of the middle portion 2 of the bridge. The restoring force exerted by the spring thus makes this position stable. A lug 19 formed by the bevelled size of the yoke 9 cooperating with the complementary shoulder of the flat portion 11 limits the opening of each end portion 3 relative to the middle portion to about 200.

  Similarly, in the closed position 90, the projection 16 of the rod is supported by the spring 14 on the side edge 20 of the flat 11; this position is also stable: the solar adapter, once folded, does not tend to open.

  The elastic element 8 thus controls the holding in the open or closed position of the adapter. It goes without saying that, in known manner, it allows the reciprocal separation of the extremal portions 3 of the bridge 1.

  The relative movement of the rods 3 is guided in translation by the cooperation of the bar of the T of the projection 16 with the edges 21 of the slot of the yoke 9.

  In order to satisfy aesthetic criteria, the outer section of the sleeve 12 is the same as that of the medial portion 2.

  This is made technically possible thanks to the pooling of the constituent parts of the articulation 7 and the elastic element 8, such as the spring 14, the yoke 9, and the projection 16 of the rod 3, that the prior art only implements separately.

  This design principle is also applied to the second embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3a and 3b.

  In this embodiment, the expandable bridge 1 according to the invention always has two joints 7, but it has only one elastic element 8 formed by the middle portion 2. The production of the end portions 3 is simplified since the ends adjacent to the middle portion 2 each no longer comprise a clevis 22 or a rod cooperating respectively with the rod 23 or the complementary clevis arranged at each end of the middle portion 2.

  Figures 4a and 4b show in detail this second embodiment (only half of the middle part 2 of the bridge is shown, the other half being symmetrical) in the case where the end portions 3 each carry a yoke 22.

  Unlike the first embodiment, the middle part 2 is no longer a full bead segment. It consists of a sleeve 24 having a cylindrical internal bore 25 and receiving a coil spring 26 working in traction. The two ends of this spring 26 are each connected to the end of a rod 23 whose other end supports a hinge element. In the case shown, the hinge element and the rod 23 are constituted by a same plate 27 rotatably articulated at one end in a yoke 22 of the end portion 3, and held by a screw 28 therethrough. This plate 23, 27 slides in a bore 29 of rectangular section of the sleeve 24.

  In the open position of the solar adapter comprising such a bridge, the end of the yoke 22 bears, under the action of the spring 26, against the end of the sleeve 24. In the closed position, a lateral edge 30 of the end of the yoke 22 is for the same reason in abutment against the same end of the sleeve 24. A first portion 31 of the end sections of the yoke 22 and the sleeve 24 in contact being straight, these two open positions are thus maintained at 90 or 180 by the restoring force of the spring 26.

  A second portion 32 of these end sections in contact is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 24 and the yoke 22 and limits the opening of the hinge to about 200.

  Figures 5a, 5b and 5c schematically show the implementation of the expandable bridge according to the invention made according to the first mode described above.

  Figure 5a shows a removable solar adapter with claws 6 having two glasses 33 connected by the expandable bridge 1 according to the invention. The glasses are fixed by the aforementioned glass clips 4. The fasteners 4 are welded to the end portions 3 of the bridge 1 so that the articulation axes 7 of the bridge are parallel to the planes of the lenses 33.

  The solar face also includes two additional glass clips 34 having claws 35 attached to the outer edges of the glasses.

  As shown in FIG. 5b, the lens wearer can easily hang the solar adapter according to the invention on pairs of glasses of variable sizes by means of the claws 35 by moving them away from each other thanks to the expandable bridge 1 .

  Figure 5c shows that this easy to install solar face is also foldable to occupy a minimum space in a pocket when not in use. A rotational movement of the sunglasses along two axes parallel to each other, and to the planes of the glasses, bring them into view. The size of the assembly then hardly exceeds the size of a single glass, and it has only a thickness of the order of the length of the claws 6.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the only preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, it embraces all the possible variants of embodiment. In particular, the square or cylindrical sections of certain constituent elements of the expandable bridge according to the invention are specified only as non-limiting examples.

Claims (13)

-11 CLAIMS   1) Extensible bridge (1) for removable solar adapter with claws (6) intended to be mounted on glasses, of the type of those comprising between their two ends at least one elastic element (8) comprising a sleeve (12, 24) at least one rod (3, 23) sliding inside said sleeve (12, 24), and a coil spring (14, 26) acting on said rod (3, 23), characterized in that it comprises at least one hinge (7) between its two ends.   2) Extensible bridge (1) solar adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two joints (7).   3) Extensible bridge (1) solar adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that said joints (7) are arranged symmetrically on either side of the middle portion (2) of said bridge (1).   4) expandable bridge (1) of solar adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises two copies of said elastic element (8), each arranged between said hinges (7) and the ends of said bridge (1) to l outside the middle part (2).   5) expandable bridge (1) of solar adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a single copy of said elastic element (8) arranged in the middle part (2) of said bridge (1) between said joints (7). ).   6) expandable bridge (1) of solar adapter according to claim 4, characterized in that said sleeve (12) is, on the one hand, articulated by a first end (9) on the middle part (2) of said bridge ( 1) and, on the other hand, guiding by its second end (15) an end portion of said bridge forming said rod (3).   7) Extensible bridge (1) solar adapter according to claim 6, characterized in that said spring (14) surrounds said rod (3) and is supported, on the one hand, on an inner shoulder (18) present said sleeve (12) at its second end (15) and, secondly, on a projection (16) that has said rod (3) at its end adjacent to said middle portion (2) of said bridge (1).   8) extendable bridge (1) of solar adapter according to claim 7, characterized in that said projection (16) cooperates with at least one stop (17) integral with the adjacent end of the middle portion (2) of said bridge ( 1) such that an end portion of said bridge (1) has two stable positions relative to the middle part (2), one corresponding to an opening angle of about 90 and the other corresponding to an angle about 180   9) expandable bridge (1) solar adapter according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the first end (9) of said sleeve (12) has a lug (19) limiting the opening of a extremal portion of said bridge (1) relative to the middle portion (2), preferably at an angle of about 200.   10) Extensible bridge (1) of solar adapter according to claim 5, characterized in that said elastic member (8) comprises two rods (23) each sliding at each end of said sleeve (24), the ends of said rods (23). internal to said sleeve (24) being connected by said spring (26), and the outer ends each having a hinge element (27) cooperating with the complementary element (22) integral with an end portion of said bridge (1).   11) solar adapter extendable bridge (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said hinge (22, 13-27) has two stable open positions, corresponding to angles of about 90 and 180, and an opening limited to about 200.   12) removable solar adapter with claws (6) comprising two glasses (33), intended to be mounted on glasses, and comprising an expandable bridge (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 above, characterized in that said bridge (1) is articulated along at least one axis parallel to the plane of said glasses (33).   13) A removable solar claw adapter (6) comprising two glasses (33), intended to be mounted on glasses, and comprising an expandable bridge (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 above, characterized in that the ends of said bridge (1) are each secured to a fastener (4) of glass constituted by a U-shaped elastic piece (5) forming a clamp, whose central core overlaps the upper edge of each glass (33) and whose the branches rest on the faces of each glass (33) not prepared on the surface.