CN1981231B - Compact elastic hinge for mirror frames - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an elastic hinge for spectacle frames, comprising a body consisting of a housing comprising a guide region and at least one cavity comprising a baffle, a slider which is adapted to the housing and comprises a guide portion cooperating with the guide region, a middle part of the slider and a rod, the middle part of the slider and the rod being formed by one and the same rod, a spring which returns the slider to a rest position and is mounted around the rod, and a bushing forming a front end of the spring. According to the invention, the cavity comprising the baffle is located in and opens into the guide area, the guide portion of the slider comprises at least one guide surface comprising a recess into which a portion of the resilient tab projects when the slider is in the rest position. The advantages are that: the resulting hinge is shorter.

Description

Compact elastic hinge for mirror frames

technical field

The present invention relates to the field of spectacles and spectacle frame hinges, in particular to the improvement of elastic hinges for spectacle frames of the type described in application WO 00/68730. the

Background technique

The present invention therefore relates to an elastic articulation for a spectacle frame, comprising a housing comprising a longitudinal hollow part comprising a guide zone and at least one cavity comprising a stop wall, a slider arranged in the hollow part according to a longitudinal translation axis, comprising A protruding part extending out of the hollow part, a guide part, which cooperates with the guide area, the middle part and the rod, a spring to make the slider return to the rest position, a compression part of the spring, which is connected with the rod to form the rear end of the spring, and a lining The sleeve, forming the front end of the spring, comprises a body mounted around the middle of the slider and at least one elastic piece bent towards the front side of the hollow part according to a determined angle, the end of which presses against the blocking wall. the

As a reminder, such a conventional hinge is shown in Figure 1A. The hinged joint includes a housing 1 in which a hollow part 2 is opened, and a slider 3 is arranged in the hollow part 2 . The hollow part 2 includes a guide area 2-1 for guiding the slider 3 along the longitudinal translation axis T, and opens to form a front hole at the front side of the hinge. Slider 3 is also represented in FIG. 1B and comprises an end 3-1 forming a hinge joint and extending towards the outside of hollow part 2, a guide 3-2 cooperating with a guide 2-1, a middle 3-3 and a rod 3-4. . The spring 4 is installed between the bushing 5 and the compression part 3-5 at the end of the connecting rod 3-4 around the rod 3-4. The bushing 5 comprises a body 5-1 slidably mounted around a rod 3-4, two elastic tabs 5-2, 5-3 facing forward at a defined angle with respect to the translation axis. In the rest position shown in Fig. 1A, the end of each elastic piece 5-2, 5-3 enters the cavity 6, 7 to reach and press against the stop wall 6-1, 7-1 substantially perpendicular to the translation axis. Thus when the slide is pushed forward, the closing bush 5 is translated and the spring is compressed between the movable compression part 3 - 5 and the fixed body 5 - 1 of the bush 5 . the

Such splices are only a few millimeters long and are often used in the eyewear industry. It is usually fixed to the temple 8 shown schematically in FIG. 1A by welding and gluing. Usually the joint part 3-1 is connected with a hinged part, such as a tenon, connecting the frames to obtain temple hinges.

Despite the small size of the hinge, it was necessary to reduce its length to produce a more aesthetically pleasing ultra-compact hinge. the

Reducing the length of the hinge involves reducing the length of the slider. This length depends on the length of the four useful parts of the slider, namely the part forming the joint 3-1, the guide part 3-2, the middle part 3-3 and the rod 3-4 carrying the spring and the bushing body 5-1 . the

Presently, a reduction in the length of the guide portion 3-2 beyond a predetermined minimum length would weaken the hinge too much, since this part must be able to withstand the forces and pressures applied in a direction perpendicular to the translation axis. To ensure good resistance to off-axis loads while reducing the length of the guide, a two-point guide by adding guide elements at the end of the slider can be considered, for example using a compression part as an additional guide element. However, using the slider tip will weaken the shaft of the slider, since the latter is subject to bending. Moreover, the compression part is generally an inexpensive element, the manufacture of which is obtained essentially by, for example, beating the ends of the rods 3-4 to make a bulge where a translational closing spring appears. Therefore, it is not ideal to provide guide elements at the end of the slider. the

Secondly, the length of the middle part 3-3 of the slider is constituted by the length of the bush 5, which is approximately the sum of the lengths of the bush main body 5-1 and the elastic pieces 5-2, 5-3. The middle part 3-3 actually retracts the elastic piece when the slider equipped with bushing and spring passes through the front hole and enters the hollow part. Now, the length of the elastic piece of the bush is also subject to certain technical pressure and cannot be reduced too much. the

Finally, the length of the rod 3-4 itself cannot be reduced below the minimum spring length corresponding to the target minimum retraction force, on which the bushed body length is added. the

Contents of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the length of the slider of a hinge of the type described above without reducing the length or dimensions of the essential elements of the hinge, ie the length of the guide, the length of the bush and the length of the spring. the

According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by providing elastic joints for the frame, comprising a housing comprising a longitudinal hollow portion comprising a guide zone and at least one cavity comprising a stop wall, a slider arranged on a longitudinal axis of translation at the hollow part, including the protrusion extending out of the hollow part, the guide cooperating with the guide area, the middle part of the slider and the rod, the middle part of the slider and the rod are formed by the same rod, the spring which returns the slider to the rest position, The compression part of the compression spring, which is connected with the rod to form the rear end of the spring, and the bush, which forms the front end of the spring, includes a body mounted around the middle of the slider and at least one curved towards the front side of the hollow part to form a defined angle relative to the slider. Elastic sheet, the end of which presses against the retaining wall. Wherein the cavity including the stop wall is located in the guide area and opens to the guide area, the guide portion of the slider includes at least one guide surface including a recess, and when the slider is in the rest position, a part of the elastic piece protrudes into the recess;

The width of the recess is smaller than the width of the guide surface, so that the guide surface of the slider includes two guide edges located at the edge of the recess and in the shape of narrow strips;

And wherein, irrespective of the position of the guide portion in the guide zone, the entire surface of each guide edge cooperates with the guide zone. the

According to an embodiment, the size of the recess is sufficient to ensure complete retraction of the elastic piece when the bush passes through the guide zone into the hollow part. the

According to one embodiment, the proximal portion of the elastic piece connected to and adjacent to the main body of the bushing, which abuts against the guiding portion of the slider, extends fully within the guide area. the

According to an embodiment, the cavity is open and comprises a barrier wall extending to the outside of the housing. the

According to an embodiment, the bushing has two elastic pieces, the guide portion of the slider has two first guide surfaces, two second guide surfaces, the two second guide surfaces include two recesses for receiving the elastic pieces and The leading edge along the edge of the recess. the

According to an embodiment, the cross-section of the guide portion is substantially "H" shaped, with a middle intersection of the "H". the

According to an embodiment, recesses are formed on the two narrowest faces of the guide of the slider. the

According to an embodiment, recesses are formed on the two widest faces of the guide portion of the slider. the

According to one embodiment, the middle part of the slider is an extension of the spring-loaded rod. the

The invention also relates to a spectacle frame comprising an elastic hinge according to the invention. the

The invention also relates to a temple comprising an elastic hinge according to the invention. the

Description of drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description of the elastic hinge according to the present invention, with reference to but not limited to the following drawings, wherein:

The above-mentioned Fig. 1A is a sectional view of a traditional elastic joint,

The above-mentioned Fig. 1B is a side view of the hinged part shown in Fig. 1A when sliding,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a partial section of a hinged joint according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the housing of the hinged part shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is the perspective view of the slider of the hinged part shown in Fig. 2,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bushing of the hinge shown in Figure 2, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a slider according to another embodiment of the present invention. the

Detailed ways

Figure 2 is a general view of the elastic hinge 60 according to the present invention, shown in the rest position. The element 60 conventionally comprises a housing 10 shown in section, a slider 20, a bush 30, a helical spring 40, and a compression spring 50 forming the rear end of the spring. the

The housing 10 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3 , the slider 20 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4 and the bushing is shown in more detail in FIG. 5 . In order to make the figure easier to read, some symbols mentioned in FIGS. 3 to 5 will not be described in FIG. 2 again. the

The housing 10 comprises an elongated hollow portion 11 receiving the slider 20, which opens to form a front hole on the front side of the hinge. The shape of the hollow part is designed so that the assembly formed by the slider, the bushing, the spring and the compression part in the hollow part 11 can enter through the front hole. the

The slider 20 comprises a protrusion 21 forming a joint extending from the front hole to the outside of the hollow portion 11 , a guide 22 , and a middle 23 and a rod 24 of smaller section than the guide 22 . Here, the middle part 23 and the rod 24 are formed by one and the same rod with a rectangular, circular or polygonal section, which passes through the bushing 30 and the spring 40 . The protrusion 21 comprises a penetration point for receiving a pin of a connecting tenon (not shown). It should be appreciated that although the compression portion is shown in the figures as a distinct element from the rod, it may also typically be formed by a bulge at the end of the rod. In this embodiment this part is part of the rod itself. the

The hollow part 11 comprises a guide area 12 with a guide wall cooperating with the guide part 22 of the slider, and a cavity 13, 14 comprising two stop walls 15, 16, which are substantially perpendicular to the axis of translation and curved towards the hollow part 11 . The guide wall does not have to cover the entire guide area 12, as shown in the embodiment of Fig. 3, where it can be seen that the guide area is obtained by passing through the cylindrical hole, and then by machining a flat guide wall forming a kind of guide rail in the cylindrical hole . the

Furthermore, the cavities 13 , 14 are obtained, for example, by traversing the housing 10 , so that the cavity corresponding to the entry of the piercing tool, here the cavity 14 , is open on the outside of the housing. the

The bushing 30 conventionally comprises a body 31 surrounding the middle portion 23 of the slider, with two resilient tabs 32, 33 facing outwardly forming an angle "A" with respect to the transverse axis of the slider. Each elastic sheet includes a proximal portion 320 , 330 connected to the main body 31 , and a distal portion 321 , 331 . the

After assembling the bushing 30 , spring 40 and compression part 50 , the slider 20 enters the hollow portion 11 through the front hole, and when its slider passes through the guide area 12 , the elastic pieces 32 , 33 bend towards the slider. Once the operation is complete, the elastic tabs are released and their ends enter the cavities 13,14. the

According to the invention, the cavities 13 , 14 are produced in the guide zone 12 itself, opening in the guide zone 12 and not in the area of the hollow part 11 corresponding to the sliding middle part 23 as in the case of the prior art (see FIG. 1A ). Also according to the invention, the guide portion 22 of the slider has two recesses 220 , 221 , each intended to receive a proximal portion 320 , 330 of one of the elastic pieces 32 , 33 . In this way, the spring 40 pushes the body 31 of the bush against the guide 22 of the slider, preferably substantially compressed or nearly compressed when the slider is in the rest position. the

When the slider 20 is inserted into the hollow part 11 , especially when the bush passes through the guide area 12 , the elastic pieces 32 , 33 of the bush retract into the recesses 220 , 221 . When the rest position shown in FIG. 2 is reached, they extend in the guide area 12 and not, as is the case in the prior art, in the area of the hollow part 11 corresponding to the middle part 23 of the slide. More specifically, the proximal portions 320, 330 of the elastic sheets extend in the recesses 220, 221, the distal portions 321, 331 of the elastic sheets extend in the cavities 13, 14, and the ends of the elastic sheets are opposite to the retaining walls 15, 16. . the

When the slider is pulled forward, the spring 40 compresses and pushes the elastic piece against the blocking walls 15,16. The latter thus blocks the translation of the bush 30, after which the spring 40 compresses between the compression portion 50 and the bush 30 and ensures the return of the slider to the rest position. the

In the hinge structure as described above, the longitudinal extension of the elastic pieces 32, 33, which is mathematically equal to the length of the elastic pieces multiplied by the cosine of the angle "A", is not considered in determining the overall length of the middle part 23 of the slider. Within, therefore determining the overall length of the slider is also not taken into account. The length of the slider middle 23 depends only on the length of the bush body 31 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the bushing body is here a ring of square cross-section formed, for example, from a bent metal strip cut out in the shape of a pi with two vertical protrusions forming elastic tabs. the

Furthermore, as can be seen from FIG. 4, the guide portion 22 of the slider has left 22-1 and right 22-2 side surfaces, which provide right and left side guidance, and upper 22-3 and lower 22-4 side surfaces, which Provides upper and lower side guidance. The recesses 220 , 221 are located here on the surfaces 22 - 3 and 22 - 4 , extending over the guide portion 22 for approximately half its length. the

According to the invention, the elastic sheets 32, 33 and the recesses 220, 221 are here narrower than the surfaces 22-3, 22-4, advantageously located at the edges of the recesses 220, 221, leaving narrow edges (Fig. 4, surfaces 22-3, The sides 22-5, 22-6) form a kind of guide rail or guide wall, which also provides upper and lower side guidance of the slider, the rear part of the guide part 22 thus having a substantially H-shaped cross-section. the

In this way, the guide 22 has a front part without recesses and which supports the slider in four complementary directions perpendicular to the axis of translation, and a rear part with recesses 220 and 221 which also advantageously supports the slider in four directions . the

Various embodiments of the present invention can be provided by those skilled in the art. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the recess 220' is made on the left 22-1 and right 22-2 side surfaces of the guide part of the slider, and its width is equivalent to the height of the slider. The width of the surface is large. the

In further embodiments, the guide of the slider may have a circular, oval or polygonal cross-section. The recess receiving the proximal portion of the elastic sheet can have various shapes, for example, it can have a sloped bottom corresponding to the angle at which the elastic sheet is retracted when the hinge is assembled. It can also be a through hole and go to the rear of the slider guide, in this embodiment its cross-section is substantially "H"-shaped without a central intersection of the "H". Furthermore, the bushing may comprise three or even four elastic tabs, while a corresponding number of recesses are provided in the guide of the slider. It is also possible for the bushing to comprise only one elastic piece, although a symmetrical connection structure is more suitable for a better distribution of the spring retention force. Secondly, although it is preferable that the proximal part of the elastic piece is fully extended in the recess so that the body of the bush contacts the guide of the slider and minimizes the length of the middle part of the slider, providing a Intermediate embodiments between the examples are within the scope of the invention. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the slider middle portion 23 has an enlargement that blocks the bushing body before it abuts the guide portion (see the embodiment of FIG. 1B ). The elastic sheet thus comprises a proximal portion extending along the middle of the slider, a middle portion extending along the recess according to the invention, and a distal portion extending in the cavity comprising the barrier wall. Therefore, regardless of the embodiment of the invention, the cavities 13 , 14 with barrier walls are arranged in the guide area 12 , and the ends of the elastic pieces 32 , 33 extend upwards to the guide area due to the recesses according to the invention. The invention thus enables the bushing body to be moved close to the guide of the slider as required, the overall length of the hinge being thus reduced, taking into account the minimum length of the spring and guide subject to technical pressure, and the firmness of the hinge sexual demands. the

Finally, although it has been stated above that the recess according to the invention is formed such that the elastic piece is fully retracted when the slider enters the hollow portion of the housing, this feature is only required if the slider enters the housing in this way. the

Various configurations of hinges can be made in accordance with the present invention. Although the hinges are generally fixed to the temples, such hinges may also be mounted on the edge of the frame, or fixed temple portions attached to the edge of the frame. the

Claims (11)

1. An elastic joint of a picture frame, comprising a housing comprising a longitudinal hollow portion comprising a guide zone and at least one cavity comprising a barrier wall, The slider, arranged in the hollow part according to the longitudinal translation axis, comprises a protrusion extending out of the hollow part, a guide part cooperating with the guide area, a middle part of the slider and a rod, the middle part of the slider and the rod are formed by the same rod, the spring that returns the slider to its rest position, compressing the compressed portion of the spring, coupled to the rod to form the rear end of the spring, and a bush, forming a front spring stop, comprising a body mounted around the middle of the slider and at least one elastic piece bent towards the front side of the hollow portion to form a defined angle relative to the slider, the ends of which press against the stop wall, It is characterized in that the cavity including the blocking wall is located in the guide area and opens to the guide area, The guide portion of the slider includes at least one guide surface including a recess, and a part of the elastic piece protrudes into the recess when the slider is in the rest position; The width of the recess is smaller than the width of the guide surface, so that the guide surface of the slider includes two guide edges located at the edge of the recess and in the shape of narrow strips; And wherein, irrespective of the position of the guide portion in the guide zone, the entire surface of each guide edge cooperates with the guide zone. 2. The elastic hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that the size of the recess is sufficient to ensure that the elastic piece is fully retracted when the bush passes through the guide area and enters the hollow part. 3. The elastic joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the proximal part of the elastic piece connected to and adjacent to the main body of the bush fully extends in the guide area, and the main body of the bush abuts against the guide part of the slider. 4. The elastic hinge according to claim 3, wherein the cavity is open and includes a stop wall extending to the outside of the housing. the 5. The elastic joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the bush has two elastic pieces, the guide part of the slider has two first guide surfaces, two second guide surfaces, and the two second The guide surface includes two recesses that receive the elastic pieces and a guide edge located along the edges of the recesses. 6. The elastic hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-section of the guide portion is substantially "H" shaped with a middle intersection of the "H". 7. The elastic hinge according to claim 5, wherein the recesses are formed on the two narrowest faces of the guide portion of the slider. 8. The elastic hinge according to claim 5, wherein the recesses are formed on two widest faces of the guide portion of the slider. 9. The resilient hinge of claim 1, wherein the middle portion of the slider is an extension of the spring-loaded rod. 10. A spectacle frame, comprising the elastic joint according to any one of claims 1-9. 11. A temple, comprising the elastic joint according to any one of claims 1-9. the

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