WO2010090511A1

WO2010090511A1 - Device for accommodating (and securing) spectacle frames

Info

Publication number: WO2010090511A1
Application number: PCT/NL2009/050055
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arnoud Vlieger; Erwin Van Leeuwen
Original assignee: Top Vision Group B.V.
Priority date: 2009-02-09
Filing date: 2009-02-09
Publication date: 2010-08-12

Abstract

Device for accommodating a spectacle frame, comprising a support section or upright section, on the inside of which an operating rod can be moved to-and-fro. A number of retaining arms are connected with the operating rod which extend through and move up and down in openings in the support section. These act cooperatively with supports extending from the support section, thus defining a space for retaining and securing the spectacle frames. By operating the operating section, this space can be opened, thereby enabling the respective spectacle frame to be removed. The opening movement of the retaining arm takes place, in particular, by unlocking and, subsequently, by a spring-force initiated movement. To enable this movement to take place as gradually as possible, it is proposed that a rotary absorber be incorporated between the support section and the operating rod, which allows the opening movement to take place both gradually and smoothly. This rotary absorber comprises a housing with a pump-like construction disposed therein and a gear wheel formed as a pinion. It is possible to mount the housing in the support section and to cause the pinion to engage with a (toothed) rack connected to the operating rod. It is also possible to incorporate the housing of me rotary absorber in the operating rod and to provide the support section with a toothed rack to engage with the gear wheel.

Description

Device for accommodating (and securing) spectacle frames

The present invention relates to a device for accommodating spectacle frames, comprising a support section provided with supports extending therefrom, a movable operating rod within the support section with retaining arms attached thereto extending through the support section, said retaining arms, together with the supports and support section define a closed space in a first position and, in a second position, allow an opening between the free end of the retaining arms and the supports.

Such a device is known from PCT/NL97/OO519 (Top Vision Group B. V ).

In order to make spectacle frames readily accessible to the consumer on the one hand and, on the other hand, to prevent theft, spectacle displays are proposed wherein the spectacle frames can be secured between supports and retaining arms. A number of supports are mounted above each other for receiving a number of spectacle frames. The series of associated retaining arms is connected with a common operating rod and by moving the operating rod to-and-fro an opening can be created between the supports and the free end of the retaining arms for the removal of the spectacle frames. The movement of the operating rod can take place remotely by motor means, but it is also possible to incorporate a lock-and-key construction. Such a construction is generally formed in such a manner that, in a first or closed position, the spectacle frame cannot be removed. The operating rod can be made to move by enabling some means of unlocking to take place. Movement of the operating rod is subsequently effectuated with a spring. The operation of the spring enables the operating rod to be moved away from the support, resulting in the above-described opening, so that the spectacle frame can be removed. This is the second position. To close again, it is possible to move the operating rod back to the first position by exerting force by hand on one of the supports so that automatic locking takes place. Of course, it is also possible to move the retaining arm back to the respective support by motor means.

Due to the effect of the spring, the retaining arm will move away from the support increasingly faster and finally come into contact with some sort of stopping means when the second position is reached. In this manner, the retaining arm comes to rest abruptly. Apart from the fact that this is not a nice solution from a technical point of view, there is also the risk that spectacle frames will be displaced by the repeated vibrations generated in this way and move away from the support.

It is an object of the present invention to enable the opening movement, i.e. the movement of the retaining arms from the first to the second position, to take place gradually and smoothly. However, there is the problem that this opening between the retaining arm and the support needs to be considerable in order to enable easy removal. Such an opening is preferably 10-40 mm. A further object of the present invention is to not drastically modify the construction of the device and for the shape of the relatively slim support section to remain essentially the same.

This object is achieved in the device set forth in Ae foregoing is that a rotary absorber is provided acting between the operating rod and the support section. In principle, any mutual displacement of any degree between the operating rod and support section can be absorbed in the appropriate manner with the use of a rotary absorber. The absorbing action will enable the gradual opening of the retaining arm in relation to the support. The last part of die movement will also take place without any abrupt movement, so that a gradual movement of the retaining arm takes place in relation to the support. Rotary absorbers as such are generally known from the prior art but for this object a specific, relatively compact absorber is used. Absorption is preferably between 0.1 and 0.7 Newton force/cm and is in particular 0.4 Newton/cm. The actual movement will depend on the combined action with the spring. A sturdier spring can be used with a heavier absorber.

Due to the compact dimensions of such a rotary absorber, there is considerable freedom in the choice of position in which this can be incorporated in the support section. In order to achieve this, there are essentially two possibilities. The rotary absorber preferably comprises a housing and a rotary pump part positioned relative thereto, which is provided with a gear wheel which engages a toothed rack. It is thereby possible for the rack to be present either on the operating rod or on the support section. In the first case, the housing will be mounted on the support section and in the second case the housing will be disposed within the operating rod. Depending on the available space and freedom of construction, either one of these two alternatives may be chosen. Driving the opening movement of the retaining arms may take place in any desired manner, but is preferably achieved with the use of a spring. This spring can be a tension spring, compression spring or torsional spring.

In the alternative embodiment, in which the pinion forms part of the operating rod, the pinion is preferably hingeably connected to the operating rod and is positioned at the end, away from the unlocking part of the operating rod. In practice, when a support section is mounted vertically, this will be the upper side thereof.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a partially exploded view of the devices shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a further detail of that shown in figure 2; and Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 shows the device according to the present invention. This comprises a support section 2 which may be provided with some sort of pedestal or be attached to some sort of support, such as a table and the like. Moreover, it is possible for a number of support sections to be mounted alongside one another or close to one another. The support section 2 is provided with an operating rod 3 extending centrally throughout the support section. This can be moved upwards and downwards in the direction of arrow 13. A spring 12 is present, which acts between the operating rod 3 and the support section 2, this spring being a traction spring aimed at moving the operating section upwards, as shown in Figure 1. Λ locking means, not shown in further detail, is present which retains the operating rod in the first, lowest position.

The operating rod 3 is provided with a number of hook-shaped retaining arms 5. Each retaining arm has a free end 16 which can act cooperatively with a support 4. An improved closure of the free end 16 of the retaining arms 5 relative to the support 15 is achieved by providing each support 4 with a receiving means 19 at the point of contact with the free end 16 of the retaining arm 5. The retaining arms 5 extend through openings 14 of the support section, which openings 14 are formed as slots in order to act in accordance with the upward and downward movement of the retaining arms 5 caused by the upward and downward movement of the operating rod 3. In the first dotted position in figure 1, the free end 16 is positioned against the support 4 which results in a closed space for the receipt of a spectacle frame 20. Based upon this first position, the operating rod 3 can be moved upwards by disengaging the operating rod 3 using the effect of the spring 12, as shown in figure 1. This also causes the retaining arms 5 to move upwards, resulting in a free space 15 between each of the supports 4 of one or several centimeters, thus enabling the removal of the bridge portion of a spectacle frame.

If the device as shown in figure 1 is used without additional measures, a stroke-like movement would result when opened. After all, the retaining arms S move upwards increasingly faster due to the effect of the spring 12 and, at the end of their path, would strike either against the upper side of the opening 14 or against some sort of stopping means. This stopping means could also be effective for the operating rod. In order to prevent such a stroke-like movement from occurring, it is proposed, according to the present invention, to mount a rotary absorber. To achieve this, according to the alternative embodiment of figure 1- 3, the operating rod 3 is extended via a hinge 18 with a toothed rack 7. The housing 9 of the rotary absorber 17 is mounted in the support section 2. A rotatable baffled part 11 is disposed within this housing. Moreover, the housing is filled with an absorption fluid. A pinion 8, which engages with the above described toothed rack, is connected to the baffled part 11. A rotary absorber is formed is this manner. The movement to-and-fro of the operating rod 3 is now absorbed due to the fact that the toothed rack 7 is absorbed by the presence of Ae rotary absorber, which operates cooperatively between toothed rack 7 and support section 2. In this manner a gradual opening movement from the first closed position of the retaining arms S to the second opened position is achieved.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative construction to the construction shown in ftg. 1.

The device according to figure 4 is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 21 and comprises a 5 support section indicated by the numeral 22. An operating rod 23 moves within the support section and is connected to a number of retaining arms 25. The support section is provided with a number of supports 24. The operating rod 23 can be unlocked with a lock 32 and key 33 construction. For further details of the construction, refer to figures 1-3. As opposed to die previous embodiment, in the alternative embodiment shown here, the housing 29 of the rotary absorber 37 is disposed within the operating rod 23. The pinion 28,0 which protrudes from the housing, is engaged with a toothed rack 27 which forms part of the support section 22.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that it is possible to mount the compactly constructed rotary absorber in any desirable position. Because a rotary absorber moves here, absorption can be achieved in essentially any given path. In addition, no adjustment between the pinion and rack is required. A rotary S absorber is easy to manufacture and extremely reliable.

It should be understood that other rotary absorbers may also be used, for example, rotary absorbers based upon frictional force. After reading the above, persons skilled in the art will be readily aware of alternative embodiments of the invention which lie within the scope of the above described embodiments. Such alternative embodiments are evident and lie within the scope of the appended claims. 0

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Claims

1. Device (1, 21) for accommodating spectacle frames (20), comprising a support section (2, 22) provided with supports (4, 24) extending therefrom, a movable operating rod (3, 23) with retaining arms (5, 25) attached thereto and extending through said support section, said retaining arms, together with the supports and support section define a closed space in a first position and, in a second position, allow an opening (1 S) between the free end (16) of the retaining arms and the supports (4, 24), characterized in that a rotary absorber (17, 37) is provided acting between the operating rod (3, 23) and the support section (2, 22).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary absorber comprises a housing (9), a rotary pomp (H) arranged therein connected to a gear wheel (8) and a toothed rack (7, 27) acting cooperatively with said gear wheel.

3. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said toothed rack (7) is arranged on the operating rod (3) and the housing (9) of the rotary absorber is attached to the support section.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein said toothed rack is hingeably ( 18) connected to the operating rod.

5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, comprising a motor drive (12) provided at one end of the operating rod for the operating rod and a toothed gear (7) mounted at the other end of the operating rod.

6. Device according to any of the claims 1 or 2, wherein the toothed rack (27) is mounted to the support section (22) and the housing of the rotary absorber is attached to the operating rod (23).

7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a motor drive/unlocking means with a lock (32).

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a motor drive/unlocking means for the operating rod comprising a motor.

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the supports (4, 24) at the free end thereof are provided with receiving means (19) for receiving the free end (25) of the retaining arm.