WO2018073055A1

WO2018073055A1 - Three-dimensional hinge for spectacles frame comprising a guide part wherein a sphere is mounted

Info

Publication number: WO2018073055A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/075841
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dominique Delamour
Original assignee: Chene, Richard; Miklitarian, Alain
Priority date: 2016-10-17
Filing date: 2017-10-10
Publication date: 2018-04-26
Also published as: FR3057680A1; FR3057680B1; CN110073279A; EP3526640A1

Abstract

A three-dimensional hinge for spectacles frame, comprising a front face element (1), a branch element (2) and a connecting system in order to enable an opening/closing of the branch element (2) around a first vertical articulation axis and a tilting of the branch element (2) around a second horizontal articulation axis, said connecting system (3) comprising a guide part (6) housed in a cavity of the front face element (1) in order to enable the tilting of the branch element (2) along the second horizontal articulation axis and a base member (5) comprising a rear portion, mounted in the branch element (2), and a front portion in the form of a sphere (50) mounted in said guide part (6) in order to enable the opening/closing of the branch element (2) around the first vertical articulation axis.

Description

THREE-DIMENSIONAL HINGE FOR EYEGLASS MOUNT COMPRISING A GUIDE PART IN WHICH A SPHERE IS MOUNTED

GENERAL TECHNICAL DOMAIN AND PRIOR ART

The present invention relates to the field of spectacle frames and, more particularly, that of spectacle frame hinges.

Conventionally, a pair of glasses consists of a spectacle frame in which are mounted solar glasses, sight or fantasy. The spectacle frame comprises a front face, also called main frame, adapted to receive said glasses, and two branches mounted at the lateral ends of said front face. Each branch is connected to the main frame by means of a hinge which allows mainly to fold / unfold the branch.

Subsequently, the terms horizontal and vertical are defined with respect to an eyeglass frame in the use position which comprises a front face in a vertical plane and longitudinal branches adapted to unfold in a horizontal plane, that is, that is, orthogonally to said front face along a vertical axis. Subsequently, the transverse plane designates the plane which is both orthogonal to the horizontal plane and to the vertical plane.

In order to increase the lifetime of a spectacle frame, it has been proposed to allow the rotation of the branches of the spectacles in the transverse plane around a horizontal axis in order to limit the risk of rupture when handling the spectacle frame. branch. The branch of glasses can thus tilt at an angle called breaking. The hinge is said to be three-dimensional since the branches can move in two distinct planes. FR3023928A1 has proposed a hinge for eyeglass frames, comprising a double articulation so as to allow the branches to open / close in the horizontal plane while being able to tilt in the transverse plane. For this purpose, it has been proposed a hinge comprising an element of front face in which is formed an internal cavity to allow the housing of a head member of the connecting element.

In order to allow relative movement in the horizontal plane of the branch element with respect to the front face element (rotation about a first vertical axis of rotation), the body of the front face element comprises a first guide slot, extending in the horizontal plane, which is formed continuously on both sides of the front face member. Thus, the connection system can move between the open position and the closed position of the hinge. Similarly, in order to allow a relative movement in the transverse plane of the branch element with respect to the front face element (rotation about a second horizontal axis of rotation), the front face element comprises a second guide slot which extends in the transverse plane to allow both downward and upward inclination.

The ends of the guide slots form stops for the branch member when the latter is closed / open / over-open or inclined transversely upwards or downwards. To ensure the robustness of the hinge, the walls of the front face member must be thick in order to form stops of sufficient strength despite the presence of the guide slots. If it is desired to make a hinge of reduced dimensions, it is not possible to reduce the thickness of the walls of the front element without impacting the strength of the hinge, which has a disadvantage. An immediate solution would be to reduce the length of the guide slots but this limits the amplitude of inclination in the horizontal plane and in the transverse plane. The performance of the hinge is then reduced.

The invention proposes a new three-dimensional hinge capable of allowing a first rotation in a horizontal plane and a second rotation in a transverse plane with high amplitudes while being robust and having small dimensions. GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

A three-dimensional hinge for eyeglass frames includes a front face member, a leg member, and a linkage system connecting said front face member to said leg member to allow opening / closing of the nose member. branch about a first axis of vertical articulation and inclination of the branch member about a second axis of horizontal articulation. The hinge is remarkable in that said linking system comprises:

a guide piece housed in a cavity of the front face element in order to allow the inclination of the branch element along the second axis of horizontal articulation, and

a base member comprising a rear portion, mounted in the leg member, and a front portion in the form of a sphere mounted in said guide piece to allow opening / closing of the leg member around the first axis of vertical articulation.

Thus, the inclination along the second axis of horizontal articulation is guided by the guide piece while the inclination along the first axis of vertical articulation is guided by the sphere, which improves the strength of the hinge . In addition, advantageously, the sphere allows to allow a set of operation that allows to combine an inclination along the two axes. Such guidance makes it possible to limit the forces applied to the front-face element and thus makes it possible to miniaturize it.

Preferably, the guide piece comprises a guide groove and the sphere has a projecting portion adapted to cooperate with the guide groove to guide the opening / closing of the branch member about the first axis of articulation vertical. The functional clearance is thus controlled by guiding the sphere in the guide piece to increase the robustness when opening and closing the hinge.

Preferably, the guide piece comprises a cylindrical envelope adapted to guide the inclination of the branch element along the second axis horizontal articulation. More preferably, the guide piece has a bottom wall to form a guide for the sphere when it is handled. Such a cylindrical piece with a bottom wall is designated "sleeve" thereafter. Preferably, the guide groove has an opening so as to form a stop in the over-opening position. Thus, the hinge can provide an over-opening without affecting the strength of the front panel element, the mechanical forces being taken up by the guide piece. According to a preferred aspect, the base member comprising a rod connected to the sphere, the guide piece comprises a guide slot in which the rod is adapted to extend in the open position. Thus, the movement of the rod in the notch allows a slight inclination along the second horizontal axis without requiring rotation of the guide piece along the second horizontal axis, the flexibility of the hinge is then improved.

Preferably, the front face element comprises a first guide slot to allow the opening / closing of the branch member around the first vertical hinge axis and a second guide slot to allow the inclination of the branch element according to the second axis of horizontal articulation. Thanks to the association of the sphere with the guide piece which take up the mechanical forces, the front face element can comprise slots of great length in order to obtain important inclinations along the two axes while retaining reduced dimensions.

Preferably, the guide piece is locked in translation along the second axis of horizontal articulation in the front face member by a flexible insert, preferably an elastic ring circlip type. Thus, the guide piece can rotate along the second axis of horizontal articulation without being able to translate. The guide piece can not be removed from the hinge.

Preferably, the flexible insert is in the form of a ring portion, in particular elastic. An elastic ring makes it possible to mount, guide the guide piece and lock the hinge in a practical manner. Preferably, the guide piece has a mounting groove of the flexible insert. Thus, the flexible insert allows to guide the rotation of the guide piece along the second axis of horizontal articulation.

Preferably, the base member comprises, between its front portion and its rear portion, an intermediate portion configured to prevent rotation of the branch member about the axis along which the base member extends. Thus, a rotation of the branch element causes a rotation of the sphere.

Preferably, the rear portion of the base member comprises a wire, preferably stainless steel. More preferably, the intermediate portion is also in the form of a wire which preferably comprises a relief to prevent rotation about the axis along which the base member extends. Preferably, the relief is obtained by deformation of the wire. Such a base member has increased flexibility due to the wire. In addition, its manufacturing cost is reduced compared to a forged part.

The invention also relates to an eyeglass frame comprising a front face, two lateral branches, each lateral branch being connected to said front face by a hinge as presented above.

There is also disclosed a basic member for a spectacle hinge linkage system having a front portion adapted to be mounted in a front face member of an eyeglass frame and a rear portion adapted to be mounted in an element. branch of a spectacle frame, the rear portion being in the form of a wire secured to the front portion.

Such a wire has increased flexibility and a low manufacturing cost compared to a forged base member as in the prior art.

In addition, a three-dimensional eyeglass frame hinge is provided comprising a front face member, a leg member and a connecting system connecting said front face member to said leg member to enable an opening / closing of the branch element about a first vertical axis of articulation and an inclination of the branch element around a second horizontal axis of articulation, said connecting system comprising a base member such as than previously presented.

Finally, there is presented a method of manufacturing a base member comprising: a step of supplying an element, forming the front part of the base member, which comprises an opening and a wire forming the rear part of the basic organ,

a step of introducing the wire into the opening of the element forming the front part of the base member, and

a step of locking the wire with said element.

Such a method makes it possible to form a base member quickly and inexpensively by assembling two pieces.

PRESENTATION OF FIGURES

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which will follow, given solely by way of example, and referring to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective representation of a pair of spectacles according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a hinge of the pair of glasses in section in the horizontal plane;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an open hinge; FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation in perspective of a front-face element;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view in section of the front face member of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic representation from the mounting face of the front face member of Figure 4;

- Figures 7, 8 and 9 show the guide piece from side, from above and in section; Figure 10 schematically shows a base member comprising a sphere;

FIGS. 11A to 11D represent steps for manufacturing a base member according to the invention;

- Figure 1 1 E shows another embodiment of a base member according to the invention;

Figures 12 and 13 show the mounting of a hinge according to the invention; Figures 14 to 16 show a closing step of the branch about the first axis of vertical articulation; and

- Figures 1 7 to 19 show a step of inclination of the branch downwardly about the second horizontal axis of articulation.

It should be noted that the figures disclose the invention in detail to implement the invention, said figures can of course be used to better define the invention where appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE MODES OF REALIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a pair of spectacles 400 comprising a spectacle frame 300 in which glasses 301 G, 301 D. are mounted.

Subsequently, with reference in particular to FIG. 1, the spectacle frame 300 is described in an orthogonal reference (X, Y, Z) in which the X axis extends horizontally from left to right, Y axis extends in depth from front to back and the Z axis extends vertically from bottom to top. Subsequently, the plane (X, Y) is called the horizontal plane, the plane (X, Z) is called the vertical plane and the plane (Y, Z) is called the transverse plane.

The spectacle frame 300 comprises a front face 100, also called main frame, extending in the vertical plane (X, Z) which has a left opening 101 G and a right opening 101 D for respectively receiving a left glass 301 G and a straight glass 301 D. Still with reference to FIG. 1, the spectacle frame 300 further comprises a left lateral branch 200G and a right lateral branch 200D which are respectively mounted at the left and right lateral ends of said front face 100 by a left hinge 4G and a hinge right 4D. In this example of implementation, the hinges 4G, 4D are symmetrical. For the sake of clarity and brevity, only the left hinge 4G will be described later.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the left hinge 4G connects the left lateral branch 200G to the left end of the front face 100. According to the invention, the left hinge 4G comprises a front face element 1, a branch element 2 and a connecting system 3 connecting said front face member 1 to said branch element 2. Front face member 1 means an element which forms a part of the front face 100. Said front face element 1 may be a part removable / reported a main portion of the front face 100 or be integrated with the front face 100. Similarly, by branch member 2 is meant an element which forms part of the side branch 200G. Said branch element 2 may be a removable part of a main part of the lateral branch 200G or may be integrated in said lateral branch 200G. Still, with reference to FIG. 2 and as explained below, thanks to the hinge 4G, the branch element 2 is articulated along a first axis of vertical rotation ZI and a second axis of horizontal articulation X2 with respect to FIG. front-end element 1 thanks to the connecting system 3. Thus, with reference to FIG. 1, thanks to the first vertical articulation axis ZI, each lateral branch 200G, 200D can move in the horizontal plane (X, Y) in order to fold / unfold the side branches 200G, 200D. Similarly, thanks to the second axis of horizontal articulation X2, each side branch 200G, 200D can move in the transverse plane (Y, Z) to absorb shocks and improve the life of the pair of glasses. With reference to FIG. 2, the connection system 3 cooperates, on the one hand, with the front face element 1 and, on the other hand, with the branch element 2 in order to allow the two ZI rotations, X2 as will be presented later. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the connection system 3 comprises a base member 5, mounted in the leg member 2 and projecting in the front face member 1, and a guide piece 6 mounted in the front panel element 1. The base member 5 and the guide piece 6 of the connection system 3 will be presented later in the detailed description of the connection system 3.

Subsequently, the open position of the hinge 4G denotes the position of the hinge 4G when the branch 200G is unfolded, that is to say, aligned along the axis Y. The term closed position of the hinge 4G, the position of the hinge 4G when the branch 200G is folded, that is to say, aligned along the axis X. The hinge 4G is in this example capable of extending beyond the open position, that is, over-opening. Likewise, the position of the hinge 4G denotes the position of the hinge 4G when the branch 200G is inclined around the second axis of articulation X2.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front face member 1 comprises a rigid body, preferably metal, but it is obvious that other materials could be suitable for example a metal / plastic alloy. The rigid body preferably has a parallelepipedal shape, more preferably a cubic shape, defining an opening face O, a closing face F and a mounting face M.

The opening face O of the front face member 1 corresponds to the face in contact with the branch member 2 in the open position of the hinge 4G. Similarly, the closing face F of the front face member 1 corresponds to the face in contact with the branch member 2 in the closed position of the hinge 4G.

In this example, the opening face O and the closing face F respectively comprise a moving opening surface and a closed closing surface. Preferably, each moving surface defines a curved relief as taught by the patent application WO2010100087. Similarly, as will be presented hereinafter, the branch element 2 has an active active surface to cooperate with the moving surfaces of the opening face O and the closing face F to facilitate the opening and closing of the left side branch 200G.

Advantageously, the opening face O and the closing face F each comprise elementary contact points distributed at the corners of said faces in order to limit the wear of the hinge 4G during its handling between its open position and its position. closing position. It goes without saying that the invention also applies to a front face element 1 without moving surfaces. Referring to Figure 3, the front face member 1 further comprises connection means 1 1 to a portion of the front face 1 which is in the form of a tenon. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that said connection means 1 1 could be in another form, for example, a tongue or a pin. With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the front face element 1 comprises an internal cavity 12 accessible from a mounting opening 120 formed in the mounting face M of said body in order to allow the guide piece 6 to be accommodated. Preferably, the mounting face M is opposed to the closure face F. In this embodiment, with reference to FIG. 6, the internal cavity 12 has a cylindrical shape and the mounting opening 120 is circular so as to allow the passage of the guide member 6. Preferably, the mounting opening 120 is closed by the guide member 6. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the front face member 1 could comprise reported closing means, for example, a hood.

In this example, with reference to FIG. 6, the internal cavity 12 comprises an inner surface for guiding the guide piece 6. Preferably, the guiding surface is in the form of a cylindrical surface of circular section. It goes without saying that the guide surface could be discontinuous and have a plurality of elementary guide surfaces.

With reference to FIG. 4, in order to allow a relative movement in the horizontal plane (X, Y) of the branch element 2 with respect to the front face element 1 (rotation along the first axis of articulation ZI) , the body of the front face element 1 comprises a first guide slot 13, extending in the horizontal plane (X, Y), which is formed continuously in the opening face O and the closing face F. Thus, the connecting element 3 can move between the open position and the closed position of the 4G hinge. In order to allow a relative movement in the transverse plane (Y, Z) of the branch element 2 with respect to the front face member 1 (rotation along the second axis of articulation X2), the body of the element front face 1 comprises a second guide slot 14 formed continuously in the opening face O and which extends in the transverse plane (Y, Z). Thus, the branch can move transversely in the open position. Preferably, with reference to FIG. 5, the second guide slot 14 extends over the entire vertical length of the opening face to allow both downward and upward inclination.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the first guide slot 13 and the second guide slot 14 are intersecting at the opening face O. Preferably, the edges of the second guide slot 14 are shaped curved so as to allow movement along the X, Z directions and their combinations. Preferably, the edges of the second guide slot 14 are tapered to improve the guidance.

The internal cavity 12 of the branch member 1 opens out at the first guide slot 13. The opening of the first guide slot 13 is smaller than the mounting opening of the mounting face M so as to that the closing face F forms a stop wall during the insertion of the guide piece 6 as will be presented later. Such a front face element 1 is simple to manufacture by machining since it does not have complex shapes, which is advantageous.

In this example, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the front face member 1 comprises an internal groove 15 adapted to receive a locking element of the guide piece 6. The inner groove 15 is formed close to the face of the M mounting and extends in a circular manner over an angular range greater than 200 ° to come block the guide piece 6 in the assembled position as it will be presented later. The groove 15 is not peripheral so as not to weaken the front face element 1 at its opening face O.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the branch element 2 comprises a rigid body, preferably made of metal, but it goes without saying that other materials could be suitable for example a metal / plastic alloy.

The rigid body preferably has a generally parallelepipedal shape defining a front face, a rear face and side faces. The front face extends substantially in the vertical plane (X, Z) in the open position of the hinge. As previously indicated, the front face of the leg member 2 has an active active surface to cooperate with the moving surfaces of the opening and closing faces F of the front face member 1 as a function of the opening. or closing the hinge. The active active surface of the leg member 2 has a shape complementary to the moving surfaces of the front face member 1.

The branch element 2 further comprises connection means to a portion of the branch 200G which is, for example, in the form of a tenon. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that said connection means could be in another form, for example, a tab. The branch element 2 also has a through opening 22 extending substantially perpendicular to the front face, that is to say, along the depth axis Y when the hinge 4G is open. The opening 22 also passes through the connection means. The branch member 2 can thus accommodate and guide the base member 5 in its opening 22 as will be presented later. Preferably, the base member 5 can translate along the axis of the opening 22.

In this example, the section of the through opening 22 is shaped to prevent rotation of the base member 5 with respect to the branch member 2 about the axis of the opening 22. The section of the through opening 22 is rectangular but it goes without saying that it could be different. Preferably, the section of the through opening 22 is lower at the connection means than at the front face of the rigid body. Such a branch element 2 is simple to manufacture by machining since it does not have complex shapes, which is advantageous. Preferably, a branch element according to the prior art may advantageously be suitable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connection system 3 connects the front face element 1 to said branch element 2 to allow opening / closing of the branch element 2 around the first vertical articulation axis ZI and a inclination of the branch element 2 around the second axis of horizontal articulation X2.

According to the invention, the connecting system 3 comprises a guide piece 6 housed in a cavity 12 of the front face member 1 in order to allow the inclination of the branch member 2 along the second horizontal axis of articulation. X2 and a base member 5 comprising a rear portion, mounted in the leg member 2, and a front portion in the form of a sphere 50 mounted in said guide piece 6 to allow opening / closing of the branch element 2 around the first axis of vertical articulation ZI.

The connecting system 3 is made of metal to have a high mechanical strength and low wear. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the connection system 3 could be made of other materials, for example, a metal / plastic alloy.

Referring to Figure 7, the guide member 6 is in the form of a sleeve which comprises a cylindrical body 60, a closed bottom wall 65 and an open upper face. Subsequently, the terms "guide piece 6" and "sleeve 6" will be used indifferently.

The bushing 6 has an outer guiding surface which is in the form of a cylindrical envelope portion of annular section extending along the second axis of articulation X2 in order to cooperate, in a complementary manner, with the inner surface of the guiding the internal cavity 12 of the front face element 1. The outer guide surface of the sleeve 6 has a smaller diameter than the the internal cavity 12, of the order of 0.05 to 0.1 mm in order to provide a game during assembly while allowing optimal guidance.

The sleeve 6 has a notch 61 which extends vertically downwardly from the upper edge of the sleeve 6 so as to allow the passage of the base member 5 as will be presented later.

The bushing 6 comprises a guide groove 62 for angularly guiding the base member 5 during inclination around the first vertical axis ZI. The guide groove 62 extends in the inner face of the lower wall 65 of the bushing 6 and in the cylindrical body 60 opposite the notch 61 as illustrated in FIG. 7. Preferably, the upper end of the the guide groove 62 is open so as to form an opening 63 in the cylindrical body 60. Such an opening 63 makes it possible to avoid forming a guide groove 62 retaining only a thin cylindrical wall thickness 60, the mechanical strength is thus improved. In addition, the upper edge of the opening 63 makes it possible to form a stop which makes it possible to limit the displacement of the base member 5 in over-opening, as will be presented hereinafter. The guide groove 62 guides the base member 5 around the first axis of articulation ZI. The branch can thus move between opening, closing and over-opening positions as will be presented later.

Similarly, the connecting system 3 is articulated about the second axis of articulation X2 with respect to the front face element 1 in order to allow the connecting system 3 to rotate relative to the front face element 1 in the transverse plane (Y, Z). The branch can thus move between high breaking and low breaking positions. Preferably, the front face member 1 further comprises internal stop members extending in said internal cavity 12 of the front face member 1 so as to limit the movement of the branch member 2 around the outside. X2 axis of rotation, that is to say, to limit the breaking angle of the branch. Such bodies internal stop means define an angular range of displacement around the second axis of articulation X2.

Preferably, the internal stop members are symmetrical so that the angular range of movement is centered on the opening position of the branch, that is to say, when the branch member 2 extends orthogonally to the front face 100.

In order to cooperate with the internal stop members of the front face element 1, the bushing 6 comprises two projecting members (not shown) adapted to limit the relative movement between the bushing 6 and the front face element 1. It goes without saying that the number of internal stop members and protruding members could be different depending on the needs.

Preferably, the internal stop members extend at one end of said internal cavity 12, close to the mounting face M. More preferably, the projecting members extend at one end of the sleeve 6 so as to come into contact with the internal stop members as a function of the inclination of the leg member 2 about the second horizontal hinge axis X2. According to a preferred aspect, each projecting member is adapted to cooperate with an internal abutment member according to a flat surface to allow a firm and robust abutment, which improves the strength of the hinge while allowing its miniaturization.

Referring to Figure 10, the base member 5 comprises a sphere 50 and a rod 51 which is integral with said sphere 50 and which extends longitudinally along an axis Q. The rod 51 has a rear portion 51 A adapted for be mounted in the branch member 2 and an intermediate portion 51 B, located between the rear portion 51A and the sphere 50, adapted to allow a translation along the axis Q and prevent rotation about said axis Q in said element of branch 2. The base member 5 comprises at least one projecting portion 52 which extends from the sphere 50. In this example, the base member 5 has a single projecting portion 52 but it goes without saying that he could understand several of them. The protruding portion 52 extends radially relative to the sphere 50 so as to allow guidance as will be detailed later. The projecting portion 52 extends at an angle of the order of 105 to 115 ° with respect to the axis Q of the rod 51. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the open position, the protruding portion 52 is configured to cooperate with the bushing 6, in particular a longitudinal guiding groove 62 formed in the bottom wall 65 of the bushing 6. Such a groove guide 62 makes it possible to limit the rotation of the branch element 2 with respect to the front face element 1 about the Y axis. In other words, the rotation of the branch element 2 around its axis is limited. . In addition, the guide groove 62 controls the opening and closing of the hinge.

Advantageously, the permitted range of rotation is a function of the width of the guide groove 62. In this example, the width of the guide groove 62 is of the order of 2 mm so as to allow a clearance around the groove. defined reference position when the protruding portion 52 extends in the horizontal plane. Such a movement advantageously allows the branch to tilt slightly to adapt to the morphology of the skull of the user, which ensures optimal comfort while ensuring a quality support given the fact that the deflection is limited. Still with reference to FIG. 3, the rear part 51 A of the longitudinal rod 51 has an annular section in order to be able to fit into an elastic spring 7, preferably a compression spring. In a preferred manner, the elastic spring 7 is crimped at one end so as to constrain the branch element 2 against the front face element 1. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that other means of constraint could be appropriate.

Preferably, the base member 5 consists solely of a head portion and a rod 51 which are assembled together. In this example, the head portion has a sphere 50 and a projecting portion 52, but it goes without saying that it could be different.

By way of example, with reference to FIG. 11A, the sphere 50 is obtained by forming a ball at the end of a strand 54. The strand 54 and the ball are made of the same material. Then, a bore 55 is made in the ball. Preferably, the bore 55 is tapered so as to allow a force fit of the rod 51 of the base member 5. Then, with reference to Figure 11B, the strand 54 is cut to form a sphere 50, which is pierced, with a protruding portion 52. Referring to Figure 11, the rod 51 is obtained from a longitudinal metal element which has a rear portion 51 A, an intermediate portion 51 B and a front portion 51 C shaped conical adapted to cooperate with the bore 55 of the sphere 50. As illustrated in Figure 1 1 D, the rod 51 is introduced into the bore 55 of the sphere 50 by its rear portion 51 A and its front portion 51 C is nested with the bore 55 of the sphere 50. Then, the intermediate portion 51 B of the rod 51 is deformed, for example in the form of waves, so as to prevent rotation of the rod 51 about its axis Q following its mounting in a branch element 2. Preferably, with reference to the in FIG. 11D, the front portion 51B is deformed so as to have a relief in the plane in which the protruding portion 52 of the sphere 50 extends.

In one aspect, the section of the rear portion 51A is smaller than that of the section of the front portion 51B so as to increase the mechanical strength of the latter which is biased to prevent rotation about the Q axis.

Advantageously, the base member 5 can be obtained by means of an industrial process, which allows to significantly reduce its cost.

According to a preferred aspect, with reference to Figure 1 1 E, the rod 51 is in the form of a single wire of constant section, especially stainless steel, which allows to further reduce its cost, especially raw material. Preferably, the section of the wire is between 1 and 1.5 mm so as to allow a large inclination even if the guide slot 61 is narrow. Such a rod 51 is also naturally elastic and can recover its shape due to its deformation during folding and / or breaking in the manner of a spring.

In this example, the front portion 51 C of the rod 51 is simply bent so as to be secured to the sphere 50. It goes without saying that other securing means could be suitable. The mounting of a hinge will now be presented with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In this example, the connection system 3 was previously assembled. With reference to FIG. 12, the sphere 50 of the base member 5 is mounted in the cavity of the bushing 6 so that the projecting portion 52 extends into the slot 61 of the bushing 6 and so that the rod 51 extends from the upper face of the sleeve 6. The connecting system 3 is then moved along the axis X2 in the front face member 1 by introduction of the rod 51 into the mounting face M so that the rear portion 51 A of the rod 51 out through the closing face F as shown in Figure 12.

Referring now to Figure 13, when the bushing 6 of the connecting system 3 extends into the cavity 12 of the front face member 1, it is locked in translation by a flexible insert 8, in this example a circlip, which is mounted between the inner groove 15 of the front face member 1 and the outer groove 64 of the sleeve 6. Advantageously, the flexible insert 8 is blindly mounted to prevent disassembly thereof . Such an insert 8 allows a rotation of the sleeve 6 about the axis X2 while preventing its translation. To achieve the assembly, the insert 8 is constrained in the inner groove 64 to reduce its circumference and released so that the insert 8 resiliently extends between the grooves 15, 64. After assembly, the bottom wall 65 of the socket 6 remains visible. Such an assembly requires a limited number of elements and can be achieved by means of industrial production machines in a limited time, which limits the cost of manufacture.

Then, the rear portion of the rod 51 is inserted into the through opening 22 of the leg member 2 and into the elastic spring 7 as shown in FIG. 3. The front face of the leg member 2 is then placed resting against the opening face O of the front face element 1 so that their moving surfaces cooperate. The tension of the elastic spring 7, which makes it possible to keep the front face element 1 in contact with the branch element 2, is then adjusted. In opening position, the longitudinal rod 51 extends in the center of the second guide slot 14 of the opening face O.

Mounting such a hinge is simple to achieve, which saves time and a reduction in the cost price of the frame formed from said hinges.

With reference to FIG. 14, to fold the lateral branch and close the frame, a user moves the lateral branch 2 towards the front face 1. Thanks to the articulation between the base member 5 and the guide bushing 6, the sphere 50 can rotate by an angle α in the bushing 6 around the hinge axis ZI and is guided by the guide groove 62. During rotation, the base member 5 moves in the first guide slot 13, in particular in the opening face O and the closing face F (Figure 4).

In the closed position, with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the lateral branch extends along the X axis in the horizontal plane (X, Y) and the branch element 2 is in contact with the closure face F of the front panel element 1. Furthermore, since the second guide slot 14 of the front face member 1 extends over the entire horizontal length of the opening face O, the side branch can move over-opening. Thus, the branch can move in the horizontal plane (X, Y) over an angular range of the order of -45 to + 90 ° relative to its reference open position. Similarly, during over-opening, the projecting portion 52 of the sphere 50 abuts against the edge of the opening 63 (FIG. 8) formed in the socket 6.

Thus, the front face member 1 receives no effort during the over-opening, which reduces the wall thicknesses and make the hinge even more compact. In the open position and over-opening, the rod 51 of the base member 5 extends in the notch 61 of the sleeve 6, which limits its movement. A functional clearance, corresponding to the difference between the diameter of the rod 51 and the thickness of the notch 61, remains between the base member 5 and the sleeve 6 in order to provide flexibility to the hinge which can thus be 'tilt slightly a few degrees depending on the second horizontal axis of rotation X2 without causing rotation of the sleeve 6. The lower edge of the notch 61 also makes it possible to form an over-opening stop to prevent the application of a mechanical stress to the element front face 1. The mechanical forces are thus distributed in the connection system 3 while protecting the front face element 1.

The inclination of the branch in a breaking position will now be presented. Starting from the open position of the hinge, the branch member 2 is in contact with the opening face O of the front face member 1 as illustrated in FIG.

Referring to Figure 18, the user moves the side branch vertically downward in the transverse plane (Y, Z). The sleeve 6 rotates about the second horizontal axis of articulation X2 in the internal cavity 12 when the branch member 2 is moved around the hinge axis X2 until the stem of the base member 5 abuts against the front face element 1 which forms a lever arm and thus forces the guide sleeve 6 against the cavity 12. The mechanical forces are then distributed in the guide bushing 6 and in the cavity 12, which which improves the robustness. Thus, during the rotation, the base member 5 moves in the second guide slot 14 of the front face member 1, in particular in the opening face O. As the second guide slot 14 (Figure 4) is enlarged in the opening face O, the side branch can tilt both downwards and upwards. Thus, the branch can move in the transverse plane (Y, Z) over an angular range β of the order of -45 ° to + 45 ° with respect to its reference open position.

As the edges of the second guide slot 14 are curved, the lateral branch can be moved in directions comprising a component along the first axis of articulation ZI and a component along the second axis of articulation X2 in order to give flexibility to the hinge and better resistance in its open position. Such flexibility is increased by the sphere which allows a movement along several axes. Moreover, thanks to the elastic spring 7 and the nature of the connecting system 3, the hinge 4G is automatically returned to a centered open position when the user no longer acts on the side branch. Advantageously, during the rotation of the branch element 2 around the second hinge axis X2 in the open position, the periphery of the second guide slot 14 is only slightly stressed and can be thick. scaled down. A miniaturized performance hinge can then be obtained. Thanks to the hinges according to the invention, the eyeglass frame 400 is more resistant and allows various manipulations without risk of damage (folding, unfolding, over-opening, displacement in the transverse plane, etc.) while having a simple structure can be miniaturized with few constraints. In addition, its cost is reduced compared to the prior art given the ease of manufacture of the connection system 3 and its ease of assembly. Finally, such a hinge is integrated into the frame, that is to say, not visible by the end user, which has an aesthetic advantage.

It has been presented a guide piece in the form of a socket but it goes without saying that the guide piece may not include bottom and be in the form of a cylindrical jacket.

Claims

1. Three-dimensional hinge (4G, 4D) for spectacle frames (300), comprising a front face member (1), a branch member (2) and a connecting system (3) connecting said front face member (1) ) to said branch element (2) to allow opening / closing of the branch element (2) about a first vertical axis of articulation (ZI) and inclination of the branch element (2) around a second horizontal hinge axis (X2), characterized in that said connecting system (3) comprises:

- a guide piece (6) housed in a cavity (12) of the front face element (1) to allow the inclination of the branch element (2) along the second horizontal articulation axis (X2 ), the guide piece (6) being in the form of a socket having an outer guide surface in the form of a cylindrical shell portion of annular section extending along the second axis of articulation (X2) and

- a base member (5) comprising a rear portion (51A), mounted in the leg member (2), and a front portion in the form of a sphere (50) mounted in said guide piece (6) to allow opening / closing of the branch member (2) about the first vertical hinge axis (ZI).

2. Hinge according to claim 1, wherein the guide piece (6) comprises a guide groove (62) and the sphere (50) has a projecting portion (52) adapted to cooperate with the guide groove (62). to guide opening / closing of the branch member (2) about the first vertical hinge axis (ZI).

3. A hinge according to claim 2, wherein the guide groove (62) has an opening (63) so as to form a stop in the over-opening position.

4. hinge according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, the base member (5) having a rod (51) connected to the sphere (50), the guide piece (6) comprises a guide groove (61) in which the rod (51) is adapted to extend into the open position.

5. Hinge according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the front face member (1) comprises a first guide slot (1 3) to allow opening / closing of the branch member (2). around the first vertical articulation axis (ZI) and a second guide slot (14) to allow the inclination of the branch element (2) along the second horizontal articulation axis (X2).

6. Hinge according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide piece (6) is locked in translation along the second axis of horizontal articulation (X2) in the front face member (1) by an element. flexible insert (8), preferably a circlip.

Hinge according to claim 6, wherein the guide piece (6) has a mounting groove (64) of the flexible insert (8).

8. Hinge according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the base member (5) comprises, between its front portion and its rear portion (51 A), an intermediate portion.

(51 B) configured to prevent rotation of the leg member (2) about the axis along which the base member (5) extends.

9. Hinge according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rear portion of the base member (5) comprises a wire, preferably stainless steel.

10. Eyeglass frame (300) comprising a front face (100), two lateral branches (200G, 200D), each lateral branch (200G, 200D) being connected to said front face (1 00) by a hinge (4G, 4D ) according to one of the preceding claims.