The present disclosure relates to eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Eyeglasses, as shown in
The hinges are connected between the frame ends 30 and 32 and the respective temples 334 and 336 and form vertical pivot axes which allow the temples 34 and 36 to be pivoted from the extended use position shown in
Some eyeglasses, such as the eyeglasses 320 shown in
Eyeglasses have an eyeglass frame with opposed frame ends and a pair of temples movably coupled to the frame ends. A hinge is coupled between each frame end and one of the temples, the hinge providing first and second angularly disposed axes of rotation of a temple relative to the frame end. The hinge includes a first pin coupled to one frame end, the first pin defining a first axis of rotation of one temple associated with the one frame end; and a second pin movably coupled to the first pin and carried by the temple, the second pin defining a second axis of rotation of the temple relative to the frame end, the second axis of rotation angularly disposed from the first axis of rotation.
The first and second axes of rotation can be perpendicularly disposed axes of rotation.
The hinge further includes a biasing means exerting a biasing force between the second pin and the temple biasing the temple into engagement with one frame end.
A bore is formed in the second pin. The first pin extends through the bore, with the second pin rotatable about the first pin.
A recess is formed in each temple of the eyeglasses. The second pin is disposed in the recess.
A cover is removably engageable with the recess in the temple to close the recess.
In one aspect, the first pin is fixed to the frame. The first pin can be threaded to internal threads in the frame.
In one aspect, each temple has first and second ends. Each temple having an arcuate shape between the first and second ends and concavely bends between the first and second ends with respect to a center axis through the frame.
In one aspect, a detent and a projection are carried on the each end of the frame and the temples to stabilize the position of each temple in one of an extended open position and in the closed storage position with respect to the frame when the detent is engaged with the detent receiver. The detent and the projection can include a first recess and a first projection disposed in releasable engagement.
In one aspect, a detent and a projection are carried on an engageable end of the frame and a temple. The projection is carried on an end of one of the temple and the frame and engageable with a first cavity of the detent in the other of the temple and the frame to stabilize the temple and the frame in an extended open position.
In another aspect, the detent and projection can include first and second spaced projections carried on the end of one of the temple and the frame and releasably engageable with a first cavity in each of a pair of upper and lower detents in one of the temple and the frame.
A second cavity can also be formed in each detent, spaced from the first cavity. The projection carried on an end of one of the temple and the frame is releasably engageable with the second cavity when the temples are in a folded storage position relative to the frame.
The various features, advantages and other uses of the present twist and pivot eyeglasses will become more apparent by referring to the following description and drawing in which:
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A nose or bridge section 28 is part of the eyeglass frame 22 and spans the front portion 24 of the eyeglass frame 22 to seat the eyeglasses 20 on the bridge of a user's nose. The hinge 60 includes a first pin 62 which defines a first axis of rotation 64 in a bore 65 in the frame 22, also hereafter referred to as the vertical axis due to the mounting orientation of the first pin 62 in the frame ends 30 and 32 of the eyeglass frame 22.
The first pin 62 includes a generally cylindrical shaft 63 which may be smooth along an intermediate portion between first and second ends 66 and 68, or threaded along all or a portion of its entire length. At least the first end 66 of the first pin 62 is threaded to securely and yet removably attach the first pin 62 to one of the frame ends 30 and 32 of the eyeglass frame 22.
The opposite second end 68 of the first pin 62 may have an enlarged head. Regardless of whether or not the second end 68 is enlarged, a screwdriver receiving recess 69 for flathead screwdriver or a Phillips head screwdriver, can be provided in the end exterior portion of the second end 68 of the first pin 62 for threading and unthreading of the first pin 62 with respect to the frame ends 30 and 32.
An open ended recess 40 is formed in the end of each temple 34 and 36. The recess 40 opens from an inside surface of each temple 34 and 36. One end 42 of the recess 40 is spaced from an end surface 44 of each temple, such as temple 36. A bore 50 extends through a solid end portion of each temple, such as temple 36. A cover 48, shown in
For example, the cover 48 may have a recess at one end configured to receive a projection 47 formed on the temple 36 as shown in
The hinge 60 includes a second pin 70 which defines a second axis 72 of rotation of the temples 34 and 36. The second axis 72 of rotation is angularly disposed from the first axis 64. The first and second axes 64 and 70 intersect and are angularly disposed, such as perpendicular angle with respect to each other. A through bore 74 is formed in the second pin 70 adjacent a first end 76 of the second pin 70, to accommodate the shaft 63 of the first pin 62 and to allow the second pin 70 to pivot or rotate about the second axis 72 relative to the first axis 64 defined by the first pin 62. The bore 74 may be smooth or threaded to allow the pivotal movement of the second pin 70 relative to the first pin 62.
The second pin 70 includes an elongated, generally cylindrical shaft 78 which may have a smooth outer surface. The outer diameter of the shaft 78 is sized to slidably fit through a bore 50 in the end of a temple piece, such as temple 36.
The shaft 78 includes an enlarged head-shaped second end 80 opposite from the first end 76. The enlarged head 80 defines a seat 82 for a biasing means, such as a coil spring 84, which seats at one end on a seat 82 and at an opposite end on the end 42 of the recess 40 surrounding the bore 50 in the temple 36 as shown in
The second pin 70, carrying the biasing means or spring 84, is inserted into the recess 40 in the temple 36. The first end 76 of the second pin 70 is slid through the bore 50 in the end of the temple 36.
As shown in
A detent 100, which may be in the form of a depression, is formed in the end surface 94 of the frame end 32 for releasable mating engagement with a complimentarily shaped projection 102 formed in the end surface 44 of the temple 36. The surfaces 94 and 44 may be complimentarily shaped, such as both surfaces 44 and 94 being flat, or one of the surfaces 44 and 94 can be concave and the other surface 44 and 94 can have a complimentarily shaped convex shape to position the temples 34 and 36 in the open position for mounting the eyeglasses 20 on the user's head.
To assemble the eyeglasses 20 with the two rotation axis hinge 60, the second pin 70 is initially installed in the recess 40 as shown in
In this, use position, the temples 34 and 36 assume the open position shown in
When the user desires to remove the eyeglasses 20 from his or her face and compactly store the eyeglasses 20, the user can exert a longitudinal pulling force on each temple 34 and 36 in a direction outward from the eyeglass frame 22, as described and shown hereafter in detail with respect to
When the user desires to use the glasses, the user simply pivots each temple 34 and 36 about the respective first pin 62 until the temples 34 and 36 are again deployed in the extended outward use position shown in
It will be further understood that the use of the projection 102 and recess 100 may be reversed so that the projection 102 is formed on the end surface 94 of the frame end 32 and the recess 100 formed in the first end 44 of the temple 36 or 34.
Further, the use of the projection 102 and the recess 100 are optional as described above. The end surfaces 94 and 44 may be provided with complimentary curvatures or shapes to provide a secure engagement between the surfaces 44 and 94 when the temple 36 reaches its fully deployed use position.
Another aspect of a twist and pivot eyeglasses is shown in
The hinge assembly 300 includes a first pin 362 which defines a first axis 364 of rotation of each temple, such as temple 36, about the opposed end 32 of the eyeglass frame 22. The first axis 364 of rotation also referred to as a vertical axis due to the mounting orientation of the first pin 362 in the frame ends 30 and 32 of the eyeglass frame 22.
The first 362 is constructed similarly to the first pin 62 described above and shown in
Each hinge assembly 300 also includes a second pin 370 which is similarly constructed as the second pin 70 described above and shown in
An open sided recess 340 is formed in the interior or inside surface of each temple, such as temple 36. The recess 340 has a first inner shoulder 342 and a spaced larger diameter second shoulder 343. The first shoulder 342 annularly surrounds a through bore 350 extending to a solid end of each temple, such as temple 36. The bore 350 extends to an end surface or face 344 on a first end of each temple, such as temple 36, which defines a portion of the interface between each temple, such as temple 36 and the complimentary end, such as end 32 of the frame 22.
The second pin 370 is disposed in the recess 340 in the temple 36 such that first end 376 of the second pin 370 extends through the bore 350 into an intersecting arrangement with the first axis 362 defined by the first pin 362. The second pin 370, when disposed in the recess 340 in the temple 36, defines a second axis 375 angularly disposed from the first axis 364.
A through bore 374 is formed in the second pin 370 spaced from the first end 376 to receive the shaft of first pin 362 thereby coupling the second pin 370 to the first pin 362 for pivotal movement about the first axis 364 as well as allowing axial movement of the temple 36 relative to the end 32 of the frame 22 for twisting or pivotal movement of the temple 36 about a second axis 375, as described in greater detail hereafter, also referred to as a horizontal axis in the orientation of the connection of the temple 36 to the eyeglass frame 22.
As shown in
An opposite end 408 of the cover 400 has an offset flange 410 with a through bore 412. The offset flange 410 is shaped to fit within the recess 340 with the flange 410 extending into the cavity 386 to align the bore 412 in the cover 400 with the lateral bore 388 in the temple 36. The mounting screw 390 can then be threaded through the bore 388 in the temple 36 into engagement within an interior portion of the bore 412 and the cover 400 to removably latch the cover 400 to an interior surface of the temple 36 closing the open side ends of the recess 340.
Since the axial position of the second pin 370 remains fixed in place; each temple, such as temple 34, can be axially and pivotally moved relative to the second pin 370 and the end 32 of the frame 22 along the second axis 375. The biasing means or spring 384 captured between the enlarged head of the second pin 370 and an inner shoulder around bore 350 in the temple 36, exerts the biasing force to securely, yet releasably engage the first end 344 of the temple 36 with a complimentary shaped surface 420 at the end 32 of the frame 22 which completes the interface between the temple 36 and the end 32 of the frame 22. In this position, the temples 34 and 36 are fully extended from the eyeglass frames 22 to the open position allowing the eyeglasses to be placed on or removed from the user's head.
As shown in
In one aspect, the projection can be a single projection 430 extending from the first end surface 344 of the temple 36. A similar detent and projection 430 are formed between the opposed temple 34 and the opposed end 32 of the frame 22.
A detent 432 is disposed in an open recess 434 in the end 32 of the frame 22. The detent 432 can be in the form of a cavity 438 formed in an undulating, arcuate shaped profile 436. The cavity 438 is complimentary in shape to the projection 430.
When the temple 36 is in the extended position relative to the frame 22 with the first end surface 344 of the temple 36 disposed in engagement with the end surface 420 at the end 32 of the frame 22, at least the tip end portion of the projection 430 seats within the cavity 438 in the detent 432. This aligns the temple 36 with the end 32 of the frame 22 and stabilizes the retention of the temple 36 in the extended open position.
In another aspect, the projection 430 and the detent 432 may be formed as a pair of upper first and a second lower detent projections or prongs 430, and first and second or upper and lower detents 432. The operation of the first upper projection 430 and the first upper mating detent 432 are identical to that described above for first projection 430 and the detent 432.
The profile(s) 436 in the single one or the pair of detents 432 may also have a second cavity 440, spaced from the first cavity 438, the purpose of which will be described hereafter.
Referring now to
Next, as shown in
In this position, the projections 430 on the temples 34 and 36 of each hinge 300 seat within and engage the second cavity 440 in each profile 436 of each detent 432 in a frame 22 to stabilize the retention of the temples 34 and 36 in the closed storage position.
Releasing the pulling force exerted on the temple 34 allowing the biasing spring 384 to expand and pull the temple 34 back into engagement with the end surface 420 of the frame 22. This brings the projections 430 into engagement with the second cavities 440 in the detents 432 to securely retain the temple 34 in the folded position.
This application claims priority benefit to the Aug. 25, 2014 filing date of co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/041,336 for TWIST AND PIVOT EYEGLASSES filed in the name of Gerard Alcini, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62041336 | Aug 2014 | US |