The present invention generally relates to eyewear and more particularly, to a mechanism for adjusting the length of eyewear temples.
Bifocal lenses for eyewear each include a lower or near vision field and an upper or distance vision field. A wearer looks downwardly through the near vision field when viewing an object close to his eyes and looks straight ahead or upwardly through the distance vision field when viewing more distant objects. When the wearer tries to read something at or above eye level without removing his eyewear, he must either tilt his head backwards to an uncomfortable position or raise the eyewear frame to allow reading through the near vision field of the bifocal lenses.
To overcome the foregoing difficulties, various attempts have been made to adjust the length of eyewear temples. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,080 discloses a mechanism for adjusting the angle of a lens frame relative to temples. Each of the temples includes a joint or lug secured to one side of the lens frame and a leg connected to the lug. The mechanism is arranged between the lug and the leg to relatively rotate the lug and the leg in a vertical plane so as to angularly adjust the lens frame relative to the temple and also, longitudinally adjust the overall length of the temple. The lens frame is forwardly angled relative to the temples so as to decrease the overall length of the temples and allow the reading segment of the lenses to be placed before the eyes of a wearer. The prior mechanism is, however, complicated in structure and requires expensive component parts and assembly.
Japanese patent application publication No. 2003-307713 shows a pair of bifurcated lugs extending rearwardly from opposite lateral sides of a lens frame. Each bifurcated lug includes a series of upper and lower openings. A temple is formed at its forward end with a ring. The ring is disposed between a selected pair of upper and lower openings to adjust the temple to the desired length. To fix the temple to the lug in position, a fastener is inserted through the openings and the ring. Japanese patent application publication No. 2007-47283 discloses a similar mechanism for adjusting temples to different lengths. The mechanism includes a pair of lugs extending rearwardly from opposite lateral sides of a lens frame, and a pair of hollow temples. Each lug has a longitudinal groove, and a sliding member slidably moved within the groove and having a screw hole. The temple has a longitudinal hole to telescopically receive the lug. The temple includes an aperture communicated with the groove of the lug. After the sliding member is moved to a desired position, a screw extends through the aperture and is threaded into the screw hole of the sliding member so as to secure the temple to the lug. The use of such a fastener makes it cumbersome to adjust the temples to the desired length.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a temple adjustment mechanism for eyewear which is capable of quickly and readily adjusting the length of eyewear temples.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a temple adjustment mechanism for eyewear which is simple in structure and designed for economical manufacture and assembly of component parts.
According to the present invention, there is provided a temple adjustment mechanism for eyewear, which includes a first side member having a forward end adapted to be joined to one side of a lens frame and a rearward end, and a second side member having a forward end and a rearward end adapted to be hingedly connected to a temple. The second side member is relatively movable to and from the first side member. The first and second side members are relatively movable between a retracted position wherein the first and second side members abut with each other and an extended position wherein the second side member is longitudinally spaced from the first side member. A means is connected between the first and second side members to hold the first and second side members in their retracted position. A linkage extends between the first and second side members and is operable to move the first and second side members into their extended position from their retracted position.
In one embodiment, the first side member includes a post, and the second side member includes a hole sized to telescopically receive the post when the first and second side members are moved relative to each other. As an alternative, the post and the first side member may have respective holes. The means may include a spring extending through the hole of the post and having one end secured within the hole of the first side member and an other end secured within the hole of the second side member. This arrangement allows the spring to be disposed fully within the first and second side members.
In one embodiment, the linkage includes a front arm and a rear arm. The front arm has a forward end pivotably connected to the first side member and a rearward end. The rear arm has a forward end pivotably connected to the rearward end of the front arm and a rearward end pivotably connected to the second side member.
In one embodiment, the front arm includes a recess, and the first side member includes a stopper engageable with the recess when the first and second side members are moved to their extended position. The front arm may have a grip.
In one embodiment, the front arm includes a recess, and the first side member includes a bore, a spring disposed within the bore and a locking ball provided on the spring. The locking ball is selectively received in the recess to firmly hold the first and second side members in their extended position.
In one embodiment, the linkage is in the form of a toggle linkage movable between an unclamped position wherein the first and second side members are held in their retracted position and a clamped position wherein the first and second side members are held in their extended position.
The present invention may be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to
Throughout the drawings, only the right temple adjustment mechanism 26 is illustrated in order to simplify the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the left temple adjustment mechanism is a mirror image of the right temple adjustment mechanism 26. The temple adjustment mechanism 26 is designed to adjust the temple 24 to different lengths and enable the two different focal fields 18, 20 to be moved to the most comfortable position of use for near or distance vision.
Referring to
A coil spring 50 has one end secured to the inner side of the male side member 30 by a screw 52 and an opposite end secured to the inner side of the female side member 32 by a screw 54. The coil spring 50 serves as a bias means for holding the male and female side members 30, 32 in their retracted position wherein the male and female side members 30, 32 abut with each other, and the post 34 is fully received within the hole 36. An articulated linkage 56 is manually operable to urge the male and female side members 30, 32 into the extended position from their retracted position. More specifically, the linkage 56 includes a front arm 58 and a rear arm 60. The front arm 58 has a forward end 58a pivotally connected to the outer side of the male side member 30 by a link pin 62 and a rearward end 58b. The rear arm 60 has a forward end 60a pivotably connected to the rearward end 58b of the front arm 58 by a link pin 64 (see
With the male and female side members 30, 32 held in their retracted position, the front and rear arms 58, 60 collectively form an inverted V-shape as shown better in
To more firmly hold the male and female side members 30, 32 in their extended position, the male side member 30 includes a lateral bore 74, a coil spring 76 disposed within the lateral bore 74, and a locking ball 78 arranged on the outer end of the coil spring 76 as shown in
To return the male and female side members 30, 32 to their retracted position from their extended position, a portion of the linkage 56 wherein the front and rear arms 58, 60 are interconnected is manually pressed up from below the linkage 56, as shown by the arrow in
In the illustrated embodiment, the post 34 extends from the male side member 30, and the hole 36 is defined in the female side member 32. As an alternative, the post 34 may forwardly extend from the female side member 32, and the hole 36 may be defined in the male side member 30.
Specifically, the temple adjustment mechanism 126 includes a male side member 130 secured to one side of a rim 114 and a female side member 132 relatively movable to and from the male side member 130. The male side member 130 includes a longitudinally extending post 134. The female side member 132 includes a hole 136 to telescopically receive the post 134 as in the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, the post 134 has a through hole 135, and the male side member 130 also has a hole 137. The three holes 135, 136, 137 are communicated with each other. A coil spring 150 extends through the post 134 and has one end secured within the hole 137 of the male side member 130 and an other end secured within the hole 136 of the female side member 132. Thus, the coil spring 150 is disposed fully within the temple adjustment mechanism 126.
In this embodiment, a linkage 156 is in the form of a toggle linkage and includes a front arm 158 and a rear arm 160. The front arm 158 includes a forward end 158a pivotably connected to the male side member 130 by a link pin 162 and a rear end 158b. The rear arm 160 includes a forward end 160a pivotably connected as at 164 to the rearward end 158b of the front arm 158 and a rearward end 160b pivotably connected to the female side member 132 by a link pin 166. With the male and female side members 130, 132 in their retracted position, the front and rear arms 158, 160 collectively form a V-shape. The toggle linkage 156 is movable between an unclamped position as shown in
It should be noted that the temple adjustment mechanisms can be secured directly to a pair of corresponding lenses where eyewear has no lens frame or rim. In the illustrated embodiments, the temple adjustment mechanism is applied to eyewear with bifocal lenses. The temple adjustment mechanism is equally applicable to eyewear with other multifocal lenses as well as to eyewear with regular lenses and sunglasses where secure and tight fitting is required, for example, under strenuously active conditions such as sport.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-129725 | May 2007 | JP | national |