GB2161611A - Safety spectacles - Google Patents

Abstract

A pair of safety spectacles has a pair of side arms (2) pivotally and detachably connected to a body member (1) such that they can be detached only when in a closed position overlying the body member (1), whereby a knock, for example, on the spectacles when being worn will not cause an arm to become disconnected causing the spectacles to fall off the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety spectacles This invention relates to safety spectacles Safety spectacles are known which comprise a body member which in use covers the eyes of the user, and a pair of side arms pivotally and detachably connected to opposite ends of the body member, each side armbeing movabie relative to the body member about the connection thereto between a closed position overlying the body member and an in use open position extending away from the body member.

Such safety spectacles are used in many industrial environments where they serve to protect the eyes of user from injury by obects and materials which may impact on the user's face.

For reasons of cheapness and ease of assembly the connection between each side arm and the body member is generally made by means of a boss on one of the two members being received in a hole in the other member, there generally being two such connections between each side arm and the body member the side arm being flexed to allow assembly of the two connections which are thereafter maintained by resiliency of the side arm.

A difficulty which arises with such known safety spectacles is that an impact on the spectacles during use thereof can cause a side arm or arms of the spectacles to be flexed such that the connections between the side arm and the body member are detached causing the to fall off the user's head and leaving the user's eyes unprotected.

According to this invention in a pair of safety spectacles as set out above the side arms can be detached from the body member only when in their closed positions.

A pair of safety spectacles embodying this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of the spectacles, the other end being similar; Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line ll-ll in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a sectional view on hte line ill- Ill in Figure 1.

The spectacles comprise a body member 1 and a pair of side arms 2 all formed from polycarbonate material.

The body member 1 has a frontgportion 3 which in use covers the eyes of the user and which carries a bridge piece 4 which in use engages the user's nose in known manner. At each end of the front portion 3 there is a side portion 5, while across the top of the front portion 3 between the side portions 5 there is a top portion 6 shaped to engage the forehead of a user of the spectacles. A bottom portion 7 extends from the bottom of the front portion 3 at each end thereof onto the bottom edge of the adjacent side portion 5.

One end 8 of each side arm 2 has a width substantially equal to the height of the side portions 5, the width tapering downwardly away from this end 8 to the other end 9 which in use engages over an ear of the user.

At its end 8 each side arm 2 is formed with a pair of opposed side flanges 10 and 11 having portions 1 2 and 13, respectively, of reduced thickness, which extend beyond the end of the side arm 2. Each of the portions 1 2 and 1 3 is formed with an outwardly directed circular cross-section boss 14, by which bosses 14 the side arm 2 is pivotally and detachably connected to the body member 1.The distance between the outer surfaces of the flange portions 1 2 and 1 3 of each side arm 2 is substantially equal to the distance between the inner surfaces of the top and bottom portions 6 and 7 of the body member 1, and to assemble a side arm 2 to the body member 1 the end 8 of the side arm 2 is squeezed to urge the flange portions 1 2 and 1 3 towards each other such that the bosses 1 4 thereon can be introduced between the top and bottom portions 6 and 7 of the body member 1, to become received in holes 1 5 in the top and bottom portions 6 and 7 when the end 8 of the side arm 2 is released, the bosses 14 being retained in their holes 1 5 by the resilience of the end 8 of the side arm 2.

To assist in assembly of the side arms 2 to the body member 1 the top portion 6 of the body member 1 is formed at each end with a shoulder 1 6 which serves to guide a boss 1 4 into the adjacent hole 1 5 after the opposed boss 14 has been inserted into the hole 1 5 in the opposed bottom portion 7.

The top and bottom portions 6 and 7 of the body member 1 are formed adjacent the holes 1 5 with slots 1 7 which receive parts 1 8 and 1 9 of the flange portions 1 2 and 1 3 of a side arm 2 when the side arm 2 is moved to its open position for use of the spectacles, as shown in dashed lines in Figures 2 and 3.

When the side arms 2 are in their closed position the parts 1 8 and 1 9 of the flange portions 1 2 and 1 3 are not engaged in the slots 17, as shown in solid lines in Figures 2 and 3.

Thus, the side arms 2 can be assembled to and disassembled from the body member 1 only when the side arms 2 are in their closed position, since when the side arms 2 are in their open position with the parts 1 8 and 1 9 of the flange portion 1 2 and 1 3 engaged in the slots 17, squeezing of the flange portions 1 2 and 1 3 towards each other as necessary to remove the bosses 1 4 from the holes 15, is prevented.

As best seen in Figure 2, the part 1 8 of the flange portion 1 2 has an outer edge surface 20 formed with a sloping step, which surface 20 engages a similarly shaped surface 21 at the base of the associated slot 1 7 when the side arm 2 is moved into its open position, the engagement between the surfaces 20 and 21 providing a force resisting return of the side arm 2 to its closed position.

The edge surface 22 at the end 8 of each side arm 2 is chamfered, as clearly shown in Figures 2 3, and this surface 22 mates with a similarly chamfered surface 23 on the adjacent side portion 5 of the body member 1 when the side arm 2 is in its open position.

This arrangement serves to provide better protection against the entry of foreign bodies between the side arm 2 and the edge portion 5 than the generally used flat butt mating.

The safety spectacles described above have the advantage that the side arms 2 can be assembled to and disassembled from the body member 1 only when in their closed position, this preventing accidental disassembly of the spectacles when in use, for example by being struck by a missile. Assembly of a side arm 2 is assisted by the shoulder 1 6 which serves to guide the boss 14 into the hole 1 5 at the top of the body member 1, after assembly of the lower boss and hole connection, whereby the spectacles can be assembled quickly and easily by, for example. blind people. The cooperation between the surfaces 20 and 21 on the side arms 2 and body member 1 serves to help in retaining the side arms 2 in their open position, and also provides a snap action on movement of the side arms 2 from their closed position to the open position, The mating of the chamfered surfaces 22 and 23 on the side arms 2 and body member 1 serves to improve the protection against missiles entering between the side arms 2 and the body member 1.

The outer surface of the top portion 6 of the body member 1 can be roughened in order to disperse light striking that surface and thus help to prevent glare within the spectacles.

Claims (9)

1. A pair of safety spectacles comprising a body member which in use covers the eyes of the user, and a pair of side arms pivotally and detachably connected to opposite ends of the body member, each side arm being movable relative to the body member about the connection thereto between a closed position overlying the body member and an in use open position extending away from the body member, in which the side arms can be detached from the body member only when in their closed positions.

2. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 1, in which each side arm is formed with a flange which is engaged in a slot in the body member when the side arm is in its open position, the engagement between the flange and the slot serving to prevent the side arm being detached from the body member, and the flange being out of engagement with the slot when the side arm is in its closed position.

3. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 2, in which said flange and said slot have co-operating surfaces which engage when the side arm is in its open position to provide a force resisting return of the side arm to its closed position.

4. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 2 of Claim 3, in which there are two pivotal and detachable connections between each side arm and the body member, their being a flange and slot arrangement associated with each connection.

5. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 4, in which each pivotal and detachable connection comprises a boss on the side arm, which is received in a hole in the body member.

6. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 5, in which the free ends of the bosses on a side arm face away from each other.

7. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the body member is formed with a shoulder adjacent the hole of one connection of each side arm, the shoulder serving to guide the boss of that connection into the hole after engagement of the other connection of that side arm.

8. A pair of safety spectacles as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each side arm has a chamfered surface which mates with a chamfered surface on the body member when the side arm is in its open position.

9. A pair of safety spectacles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the drawings.