WO1999050704A1

WO1999050704A1 - Frame for eyeglasses, adapted for prolonged use

Info

Publication number: WO1999050704A1
Application number: PCT/EP1999/001926
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrico Vignelli
Original assignee: Enrico Vignelli
Priority date: 1998-03-30
Filing date: 1999-03-22
Publication date: 1999-10-07
Also published as: AU3520299A; IT1298968B1; ITMI980667A1

Abstract

A frame for eyeglasses, adapted for prolonged use, comprising two temples (3) and a frame (2) which are made of metal wire and are operatively mutually connected, wherein a portion of wire is shaped so as to form nose pad supports (4), each having at least two hollows such as to assume, by contrast with the remaining part of said frame (2), at least two working positions in order to allow the insertion and locking of lenses within said frame (2).

Description

FRAME FOR EYEGLASSES, ADAPTED FOR PROLONGED USE Technical field

The invention relates to a frame for eyeglasses, adapted for prolonged use. Background of the Invention It is quite often necessary to wear eyeglasses for a very long continuous period both due to eyesight problems and for protection.

Consider, for example, the use of corrective eyeglasses during working hours, particularly in front of a visual display terminal or in poor lighting conditions, or the use of sunglasses during mountain walks at high altitudes. The market has accordingly produced ever lighter frames in order to make the prolonged use of the eyeglasses more bearable, achieving extremely light frames formed almost exclusively by thin ultralight but particularly strong metal wires.

Though solving the above-mentioned problem, these commercially available particularly lightened frames have the following drawbacks. Even the lightest of existing frames have conventional lens mounting means which often require the use of specialized labor, which inevitably increases the final cost of the eyeglasses.

Such conventional means further require a certain skill during assembly work to avoid chipping or scratching the lenses with inappropriate movements; recent shatterproof lenses made of synthetic material are in fact very light and strong but their surface can be easily damaged.

Finally, if accessory parts of the conventional frames break, i.e., for example, if the temples are damaged, this generally always requires the intervention of specialized personnel because of the mechanical connection means used; the user is therefore reliant, in this case also, on other people for the maintenance of his eyeglasses. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to solve the drawbacks of the prior art. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a frame for eyeglasses which is adapted for prolonged use and is practical, extremely light, allows simple and straightforward maintenance so that the end user is no longer dependent on specialized personnel for any kind of intervention.

According to the invention, a frame for eyeglasses, adapted for prolonged use, has been provided which comprises two temples and a frame made of metal wire and operatively mutually connected and in which there is a portion of wire shaped so as to form nose pads, each having at least two hollows which are such as to assume, by contrast with the remaining part of said frame, at least two working positions in order to allow the insertion and locking of lenses within said frame.

The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to the invention is characterized in that it has the features described in claim 1.

The following advantages are achieved with the frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to the invention.

The lenses are mounted very easily and a specialized technician is no longer necessary for operations of this kind. This easy mounting not only leads to an obvious cost reduction but also gives assurance that the lenses will not be ruined or scratched during this operation.

A further advantage is due to the ease with which it is possible to carry out the simplest repairs, not only those related to the replacement of a lens but also for example those related to the breakage or damage of one or both of the temples. Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment by way of non-limitative example: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to the invention, with the temples not assembled;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the arrangement of a lens inside the frame according to the invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the methods for positioning and removing a lens in the frame according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a side view of the details of the frame and of the temple of the frame of the invention, which are adapted to mutually join;

Figure 6 is a side view of the details shown in Figure 5 after connection; Figure 7 is a front view of the connection shown in Figure 6.

Ways of carrying out the invention

With particular reference to the above figures, the frame for eyeglasses 1 adapted for prolonged use advantageously has a frame 2 which is formed by means of a single metal wire, preferably made of steel or titanium alloy, and temples 3 made of the same material.

The metal wire is shaped so as to form two seats 13 for lenses 14, in each of which one portion of the wire then forms the bridge 5 while the other portion forms one of the supports 4 for the nose pads.

Each nose pad support 4 is provided, in an upward region, with two hollows 11 formed on the same wire by way of a series of curved portions which alternatively have concave regions and convex regions. Such regions lock in two distinct positions, due to the contrast caused by the elastic return of the metal wire, with the remaining part of the frame 2 and in particular with the other portion of wire that forms the bridge 5. Locking in those two positions determines a greater or smaller perimetric length of each seat 13 and therefore allows, as shown hereinafter, easy insertion and simple removal of each lens 14.

Finally, each one of the nose pad supports 4 has a resting end 12 which is advantageously made of antiallergic silicone or other synthetic material having the same properties of softness and biocompatibility with tissues.

At the opposite end of each seat 13 with respect to the position of the nose pad

4, the metal wire that composes the entire frame 2 has a particular curved shape which, as shown hereinafter, allows the interlocking reversible insertion of the temples 3, which also have ends shaped complementarily to said curved configuration. In particular, the metal wire defines a profile 7 which, seen from the side, can be likened to a letter C which has, in a downward region and in an upward region, two small loops which can be likened to two holes 6.

The temple 3 has, at the end meant for coupling to the frame 2 and after the usual straight portion, a step 8 which is followed by a portion 9 which is also C- shaped and whose lower tip ends with a vertical portion which can be likened to a small pivot 10.

The shapes and dimensions of the various components of the frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to the invention can of course vary according to requirements without abandoning the scope of the present invention.

The insertion of the lenses 14 in the appropriately provided seats 13 can be easily deduced from the above description.

By moving each nose pad support 4 forward with respect to the normal wearing position, the bridge 5 is made to fit in the hollow that lies closest to the end 12 of the nose pad support.

In this way, the perimeter of the seat 13 is increased and the lens 14 can be easily removed or installed. In the latter case, the lens 14 is prepared by the manufacturer with a perimetric groove which is adapted to mate with the metal wire that composes the frame 2. The lens 14 is fixed by moving each nose pad 4 into the original position, i.e., moving it backward with respect to the normal position in which the eyeglasses are worn.

In this case, the perimeter of the seat 13 in fact becomes identical to the perimeter of the lens 14, preventing any movement. It should be noted that all these movements are ensured by the elastic return of the metal wire and can be performed by anyone without any specific skill.

The insertion of the temples 3 in the frame 2 is equally simple.

The pivot 10 is inserted in the hole 6 located in the upper region of the C- shaped profile 7 and then the tip of the temple 3 is passed through the hole up to the step 8. Then, by positioning the pivot 10 on the hole 6 located below the profile 7 and simultaneously levering on the step 8, the reversible interlocking of the temple 3 on the frame 2 is achieved.

The temple 3 can be removed by simply reversing the order of the above described movements.

In this case also, it can be easily seen that the entire operation is simple and can be performed without any difficulty by the user himself.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI98A000667 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A frame for eyeglasses, adapted for prolonged use, comprising two temples (3) and a frame (2) which are made of metal wire and are operatively mutually connected, characterized in that a portion of wire is shaped so as to form nose pad supports (4), each having at least two hollows (11) such as to assume, by contrast with the remaining part of said frame (2), at least two working positions in order to allow the insertion and locking of lenses (14) within said frame (2).

2. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that another portion of the wire, meant for the engagement of each temple (3), is laterally provided with a curved configuration in order to connect, by interlocking, with a complementarily shaped end of said temple (3).

3. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollows (11) assume said working positions with respect to a bridge (5).

4. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that said lenses (14) are inserted and locked within seats (13) formed by the metal wire that constitutes the frame (2).

5. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollows (11) are determined by a series of concave and convex regions provided on said metal wire that forms each nose pad support (4).

6. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that each nose pad support (4) has an end (12) made of antiallergic silicone or other synthetic material.

7. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 2, characterized in that each portion of wire of the frame (2) that is meant for the interlocking of a temple (3) forms a C-shaped profile which is connected, in an upward region and in a downward region, to the rest of the frame (2) with curved portions which form two holes (6).

8. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 2, characterized in that each temple (3) has, at the end meant for interlocking with the frame (2), a straight portion which is followed by a step (8) which is in turn connected to a C-shaped profile (7) which ends with a pivot (10) in its lower part.

9. The frame for eyeglasses adapted for prolonged use according to claim 1, characterized in that said metal wire is made of steel or titanium alloy.