Patent Application
20070126979
This invention relates to eyewear.
Current eyewear designs include eyeglasses with annular frame elements fitted round the outer edges of the lenses for decorative purposes.
According to prior art, lenses designed to receive this type of decorative annular element comprise a bevel, or radial protrusion, running circumferentially round the edge of the lens and shaped to fit into a matching groove made in the decorative annular element.
This type of connection between lens and decorative annular element is difficult to form and can only be made by the manufacturer of the eyewear or by skilled personnel.
That means that, when purchasing eyewear, the buyer must choose a pair already fitted with a certain decorative annular element and may not adapt the eyewear to suit personal taste or, once purchased, change the decorative element with another.
Further, the eyewear cannot be used without the decorative element because not only is the protruding bevel extending round the edge of the lens unattractive but can also be dangerous for the wearer since it can cause cuts or scratches.
The invention therefore provides eyewear comprising lens means having a peripheral border surface and a peripheral groove made in the peripheral border surface, said groove constituting means for connecting frame pieces to the peripheral border of the lens means.
This provides eyewear which can be fitted with an optional frame piece or decorative element that can be applied or removed without spoiling the overall esthetic appearance of the eyewear.
The invention also provides eyewear, in particular of the rimless type, comprising lens means with a peripheral border surface; comprising frame pieces having a circumferential body and means for connecting the latter to the lens means, said connecting means comprising a respective radial protrusion extending from the inside border of the frame pieces.
This provides eyewear which can be fitted with an optional frame piece or decorative element quickly and easily even by the wearer himself.
The invention also relates to a frame piece and a set of different frame pieces to meet different user needs.
These and other technical characteristics of the eyewear according to the invention are clearly described in the claims below and the advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of it provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:
As illustrated, the eyewear 10 comprises lens means, specifically in the form of a first and a second lens 12 and 14, each having a peripheral border surface 13, 15 and means for connection to a respective frame piece, described in more detail below, said frame pieces being connectable to the peripheral border 13, 15 of the respective lens element.
Advantageously, the lens means 12, 14 have a respective peripheral groove 17, 19 which extends into the body of the lens means themselves at the respective border surfaces 13, 15 which constitute means for connecting respective annular frame pieces 16, 18.
As illustrated, each lens 12, 14 has a peripheral border surface 13, 15 and a respective peripheral groove 17, 19 extending into the body of the lens.
In particular, each connecting groove 17, 19 runs along the border all the way around the perimeter of the respective lens 12, 14.
As shown, with reference to
Looking in more detail, as shown in
As shown in
The eyewear according to the invention also comprises a first and a second sidepiece 21 and 23 which support the lens means 12, 14, and, more specifically, which are directly connected through respective hinges 27, 29, with C-shaped connections 27′, 29′, to the respective sides of the first and second lenses 12, 14.
Further, the first and second lenses 12, 14 are connected, through a respective bridge 25 which is inserted directly into the body of the lens, on the latter's inner side, that is to say, on the side opposite that from which the respective sidepiece extends. Extending from the bridge there are nose pads, labeled 25a, 25b.
Advantageously, the eyewear according to the invention can be worn with frame pieces 16, 18, as shown in
Each frame piece 16, 18 comprises a circumferential body 20, 22 and means for connection to the lens means.
More specifically, the means for connection to the lens means 12, 14 comprise respective protrusions, only the protrusion 24 relating to the frame piece 16 associated with the first lens 12 being illustrated in
As illustrated, this connecting protrusion 24 extends from the inside edge 20a, 20b of the frame piece 16.
As shown in particular in the cross section of
The frame piece also has an outer peripheral surface 20c, designed to remain in view when the frame piece is mounted on the lens.
In use, the surfaces 20a and 20b, on each side of the connecting protrusion 24 abut against the corresponding surfaces 13a, 13b on each side of the groove 17, as shown in
Again with reference to
As shown in particular in
Also, as shown in particular in the cross section of
As illustrated, each frame piece 16, 18 consists of an annular body whose profile extends circumferentially and corresponds to the outer perimeter of the respective lens 12, 14 it is connected to.
In particular, as illustrated, according to this embodiment, each frame piece 16, 18 has an elongated and substantially quadrangular shape, with an upper portion 20′a, a lower portion 20′b, and opposing side portions 20′c, 20′d, joined by respective arcuate portions 20′e, 20′f, 20′g, 20′h.
As illustrated, the eyewear comprises a first and a second frame piece 16, 18 matching the shape of the lenses which they are connected to.
The steps in the advantageous and preferred method for making this frame piece are schematically illustrated in
Preferably, each frame piece 16, 18 is made of plastic, of suitable color, which can be suitably shaped to adapt it to the shape of the outer profile of a lens and which is, pliable just enough to enable it to be pressed lightly into the lens all the way around.
The annular element 16′ is made preferably by molding the plastic and then suitably shaping it by heating the parts of it to be bent.
As illustrated in
In practice, a plurality of basic circular elements 16′ having different diameters “D”, specifically basic circular elements of diameter between 34 mm and 50 mm, are used and each is appropriately formed into a frame piece whose shape is such as to match the outer profile of the lens it is to be fitted to.
Thus, by choosing a circular element with a suitable diameter “D” it is possible to frame any type of lens.
In practice, the most suitable annular element 16′ is the one whose inside face 20a, 20b, from which the triangular protrusion 24 extends, defines an inside circle that corresponds to the perimeter of the border 13 of the lens.
This annular element 16′ is heated at certain points “A” and suitably formed to make a frame piece 16 whose shape corresponds to the outer profile of the lens border 13.
The formed frame piece is then applied to the lens by moving it close to the front surface 12′ of the lens and pressing it with the fingers in the direction of the back of the lens.
As may be inferred from
In practice, for each eyewear lens, the buyer might be provided with a set or plurality of frame pieces differing in color or outward appearance.
It will be understood that although the frame piece described has a main body whose cross section is substantially circular, frame pieces with other shapes and with differently shaped connecting protrusions are also imaginable.
It will also be understood that, in the context of this invention, although the term “lens means” denotes the first and the second lens of the eyewear, the term might also include the combination of the lenses with the means by which the lenses are mounted.
The invention described has evident industrial applications and may be subject to modifications and variations without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| BO2005A000711 | Nov 2005 | IT | national |
