GB2528125A

GB2528125A - Improvements to eyewear

Info

Publication number: GB2528125A
Application number: GB1412389.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Lozano; David Robinson
Original assignee: CLIC PRODUCTS UK Ltd
Current assignee: CLIC PRODUCTS UK Ltd
Priority date: 2014-07-11
Filing date: 2014-07-11
Publication date: 2016-01-13
Also published as: GB201412389D0

Abstract

A pair of front opening eyewear having a pair of eye-pieces 1a & 1b detachably connected at a bridge 1c, and a strap 2; wherein the strap has side arm 2a and rear 2b portions to loop around a wearers head, and the bridge allows the eye-pieces to pivot inwardly within the loop. In a second aspect, an eyewear has a pair of eye-pieces detachably connected at a bridge, and a strap with side arm and rear portions; wherein a front end of the side arms is moulded into a cylindrical head P1 & P2, acting as a pivot pin, to inter-connect with a cradle (8, fig 2) on the eye-piece; wherein the cradle may be C-shaped and the pin locked in place by protrusions (6a, fig 6). The side arm may be T-shaped (4a, fig 4) and slide into a tubular rear portion 4, allowing the length of eyewear to be adjusted.

Description

Improvements to Eyewear

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to eyewear. The eyewear may comprise pairs of spectacles, whether reading glasses, general wear spectacles or sunglasses or goggles. The invention has special applicability to front opening! separating pairs of spectacles having a band that passes behind a wearers head and where the spectacles are detachably attached together at the bridge.

Background of the Invention

Traditionally eyewear, such as pairs of spectacles or goggles, comprise a frame as in which the pair of eye-pieces (each eye-piece generally being a lens or window with a frame surround) are permanently joined together at a bridge over the wearer's nose. Each side of the frame has a respective arm, normally hinged to a temple part of the frame by a screwed pivot pin or bolt. The arms pass over the wearer's respective ears to support the frame in place.

More recently a new type of eyewear has been developed and which, instead of comprising conjoined eye-pieces and a discrete pair of hinged arms, comprises conjoined side arms formed as a semi-rigid stepped strap that passes around the rear of the wearer's head! neck and in which the eye-pieces are separably attached together at the bridge by a clip, latch, magnets or both.

Examples of this are set forth in Ronald Lando's US patents US 6253388 and US 8025396. This type of eyewear has become fashionable and affords the wearer a convenience and freedom not so readily available with the traditional eyewear form. The front-opening eyewear can be easily and instantly split open at the front both for donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) the eyewear and allowing the eyewear to be instantly lowered and worn hanging around the wearer's neck on their chest.

The semi-rigid band structure that passes around the rear of the wearer's head in this type of eye-wear has resilient flex to facilitate the separation allowing the splaying of the right and left side arm sections of the band apart. The arm sections are fixed to the eye-pieces at the front of the eyewear or pivoted by pivot pins and adapted to swivel so as to pivot the eye-pieces outwardly so that they facilitate the mounting and de-mounting and make wearing loose around the user's neck easier.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide innovative eyewear of the afore-mentioned front-opening type that provides for protection of the lenses when not in use and provides greater compactness and! or versatility in use and preferably provides improved cost economies.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of front is opening! separating eyewear comprising a pair of eye-pieces detachably inter-linked at a bridge and a strap having side arm portions and a rear portion that passes around the rear of the wearer's head to define a loop, the side arm portions of the strap being pivotally connected to the eye-pieces whereby the eye-pieces are configured, and particularly preferably limited, to pivot inwardly to lie within the loop of the strap when the eyewear is not in use.

Preferably the arms have respective front ends each of which is moulded to form a cylindrical head to serve as a pivot pin that inter-connects with a cradle for the pivot pin cylindrical body on the respective eye-piece. The cradle preferably has an opening that faces laterally inwardly and a limiting outer wall that stops the eye-piece from pivoting forwardly and outwardly.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of front opening! separating eyewear comprising a pair of eye-pieces detachably inter-linked at a bridge and a strap having side arm portions and a rear portion that passes around the rear of the wearer's head, the side arm portions of the strap having respective front ends each of which is moulded to form a cylindrical head to serve as a pivot pin that inter-connects with a cradle for the pivot pin cylindrical body on the respective eye-piece.

The pivot pin cylindrical head particularly preferably snap-/ press-fits into the cradle, clipping into place. The cradle is preferably substantially C-shaped in plan as viewed in use from above the eyewear.

Particularly preferably the pivot pin cylindrical head is readily demountable from the cradle whereby the eyewear defines a modular assembly in which alternative eyepieces may be inter-changed and used with the strap, facilitating use of one strap with a range of different eye-pieces such as, for example, inter-changing between reading glasses and prescription or non-prescription sunglasses. This affords the user greater choice in the range of functions and styles of the eyewear using the same strap structure, reducing costs and storage! carriage space.

The eye-pieces suitably are de-mountable by simply un-clipping the pivot pin from the cradle and can be inter-changed with other eye-pieces and! or stored in a is compact pouch that does not need to be large enough to also hold the strap part of the eyewear..

Particularly preferably one of the pivot pin cylindrical head and cradle has a moulded radial protrusion formed on a surface thereof and the other has a corresponding recess whereby when the pivot pin cylindrical head is turned in the cradle to a required orientation, suitably approaching perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the eye-piece, it will be detained at that orientation. Preferably the pivot pin cylindrical head has a moulded protrusion formed on the outer cylinder surface thereof and the cradle has a corresponding recess for the protrusion on an inner surface thereof. The moulded protrusion is preferably rounded! dome-shaped. The moulded protrusion and recess suitably have a snap-fit co-operative engagement. There may be a plurality of protrusions or recesses spaced apart at different radial orientations around the axis of the pivot pin cylindrical head.

Particularly preferably each side arm comprises: a moulded fore-portion having the pivot pin cylindrical head at a front in use end thereof; and a tubular housing portion contiguous with the rear portion of the strap and within which housing portion a rear, in use, end of the moulded fore-portion is slidingly housed to extend or retract, adjusting the length of the side arm to suit a wearer. The moulded fore-portion of the side arm preferably has a substantially T-shaped profile and engages within the bore of the tubular housing which has a corresponding T-shaped profile.

Particularly preferably one of the moulded fore-portion of each side arm and the tubular housing comprises a moulded protrusion and the other comprises a corresponding recess for the protrusion to detain the side arm at an adjusted length of the side arm. The moulded protrusion is preferably rounded! dome-shaped. The moulded protrusion and recess suitably have a snap-fit co-operative engagement. Preferably the moulded fore-portion of each side arm has a plurality of recesses in a row there along and the tubular housing has a protrusion therein to engage a recess at the selected adjusted length position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, solely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the eyewear; Figure 2 is a detail view of the eyewear as shown in Figure 1, showing in detail the pivot pin cylindrical head on the near one of the side arms, engaged in the cradle of the corresponding eyepiece; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fore portion of the side arm, showing the one-piece moulding with the integral pivot pin cylindrical head at its front end; Figure 4 is an end elevation view of the front end of the tubular housing portion of the side arm, showing the T-shaped opening and slot to slidingly receive the fore portion of the side arm;

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Figure 5 is detail view in plan of the eyewear, showing the pivot pin cylindrical head engaged in the cradle of an eyepiece; Figure 6 is perspective view corresponding to Figure 5 of the pivot pin cylindrical head engaged in the cradle; and Figure 7 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 6 but with the pivot pin cylindrical head de-mounted from the cradle.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a pair of front-opening eye-wear having a pair of eye-pieces la, lb comprising lens frames (lenses not shown) that are separately formed and attached together at the bridge 1 c between the eye-pieces 1 a, lb by a connecting arrangement. The connecting arrangement in the centre of the bridge 1 c between the eye-pieces 1 a, lb suitably comprises a pair of Neodymium magnets or similar, one embedded in the left half of the bridge is 1 c and the other in the right half of the bridge 1 c.

The eye-pieces la, lb are held pivotally at their lateral outer ends by the front ends of side arms 2a of a substantially rigid strap 2 that passes behind the head of the wearer. The strap 2 is comprised of a pair of substantially straight side arms 2a that project substantially orthogonally rearwardly in use from the eye-pieces 1 a, lb and mount over the wearer's ears. The side arms 2a are joined together rearwardly by a rear length 2b that passes around the back of the wearer's head and which is substantially rigid to retain the operative eyewear shape yet flexible enough to allow the side arms 2a to, when the magnetic connecting arrangement is released, splay apart sufficiently to allow the eye-wear to be readily donned and doffed and yet to re-bound when the arms are released to the normal operative eyewear shape.

The side arms 2a are each composed of two separate moulded elements that are assembled together in manufacture. Firstly each arm 2a has a moulded fore-portion 3 which comprises a straight elongate stem 3a and with a cylindrical head P1 or P2 formed at its front in use end. The cylindrical head P1 or P2 is adapted to serve as a pivot pin that connects the arm to the eye-pieces 1 a or lb. The second moulded element of each side arm 2a is a tubular housing portion 4 contiguous with the rear portion 2b of the strap 2 and within which housing portion 4 a rear end of the moulded fore-portion 3 is slidingly housed to extend or retract.

The moulded fore-portion 3 of the side arm has a substantially T-shaped profile that engages within the corresponding T-shaped profile bore of the tubular housing portion 4 of the strap (see Figure 4). The ability of the fore-portion 3 to slidingly extend or retract relative to the housing portion 4 enables the wearer to adjust the length of the side arm to suit their need.

A number of stop points are provided for holding the side arm 2a at different adjusted lengths. The stem 3a of the moulded fore-portion 3 of each side arm 2a has a series of approximately hemispherical concave recesses 5 at spaced intervals along the upper face of its T-shape. An approximately hemispherical! domed detent protrusion 4b in the internal ceiling of the T-shaped profile bore 4a of the tubular housing portion 4 is able to snap into position co-operatively engaging with a selected one of the recesses 5 to detain the arm 2a at a chosen length.

Each of the arms 3 with integral pivot pin P1, P2 is moulded, preferably of a tough plastics material such as nylon but may be moulded from a metal! alloy. Each of the moulded cylindrical head pivot pins P1, P2 is adapted to co-operatively engage with! clip fit into a respective cradle 8 moulded in a rearward extending outer edge wing 9 of the eyepiece la, lb frame. The cradle 8 in which the cylindrical head pivot pin P1, P2 revolves is integral to the frame of the eyepiece la, lb and is approximately C-shaped in plan (as viewed in use from above the eyewear).

The opening mouth of the C-shaped cradle 8 faces laterally inwardly, ie towards the wearer's temples in use and whereby the mouth of one cradle 8 substantially faces the mouth of the other cradle 8. The C-shaped cradles 8 allow the eyepieces la, lb to be turned through approximately 90 degrees between a stowage orientation where the eyepiece 1 a, lb and connected side arm 2a are substantially plane parallel to each other and the in use orientation at which they are substantially orthogonal to each other. When they are pivoted to be stowed substantially plane parallel to each other the eyepieces 1 a, lb are folded inwardly to be on the inside of their respective side arm 2a, ie within the loop defined by the strap 2.

We have found that, although outward turning of the eye-pieces for stowage as taught by Lando is the intuitive and logical provision to make in eyewear that is designed to be splayed open for donning and doffing, an inward turning arrangement of the present invention is both viable and preferable. By allowing adequate flexure of the strap 2 to splay open sufficiently for easy donning and doffing the eye-pieces can be hinged to move in the opposing direction, laterally inwardly (rather than in the same direction, laterally outwardly, as the splay opening). The internal turned stowing arrangement of the present invention renders the stowed eyewear optimally compact and at the same time better protects the lenses when they are not in use. Whether, when in that state, they are is hung down around the neck of the wearer or placed on a table or other surface for storage the lenses are within the loop of the strap 2.

The cradle 8 opening faces laterally inwardly and the floor of the cradle 8 opposite the opening is configured! extended to define a limiting outer wall 9a that stops the eye-piece la, lb from pivoting forwardly and outwardly so that from the in use position the eye-pieces of the eye-wear may only be turned rearwardly and inwardly into the loop of the strap.

To demarcate and provide re-assuring latching of the eye-pieces 1 a, lb at each of their operative and stowed positions each of the cylindrical head pivot pins P1, P2 is provided with a pair of approximately hemispherical! domed detent protrusions 6a, 6b on its cylindrical outer surface. These detent protrusions 6a, 6b are at a radially spaced apart interval of approximately 90 degrees around the cylinder relative to each other. These detent protrusions 6a, 6b can co-operatively engage with a corresponding approximately hemispherical concave recess 8 provided on an internal curved surface of the cradle 8.

The moulded pivot pin cylindrical heads P1, P2 are readily demountable from their respective cradles 8 by a reverse movement to their push-fit! click-fit insertion,

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whereby the eyewear defines a modular assembly in which alternative eyepieces may be inter-changed and used with the strap 2. This facilitates use of one strap 2 with a range of different eye-pieces la,lb such as, for example, inter-changing between reading glasses and prescription or non-prescription sunglasses. This affords the user greater choice in the range of functions and styles of the eyewear using the same strap structure, reducing costs and further reducing storage! carriage space.

From the fore-going it will be appreciated that the present invention addresses limitations of the prior art and provides front-opening eyewear that is more compact, better protected and more versatile than hitherto and with opportunities for substantial economies in manufacture, sale and use. Although the invention is described hereinabove by way of example with respect to one preferred embodiment, diverse alternative embodiments are within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear comprising a pair of eye-pieces detachably inter-linked at a bridge and a strap having side arm portions and a rear portion that passes around the rear of the wearer's head to define a loop, the side arm portions of the strap being pivotally connected to the eye-pieces whereby the eye-pieces are configured to pivot inwardly to lie within the loop of the strap when the eyewear is not in use.
2. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arms have respective front ends each of which is moulded to form a cylindrical head to serve as a pivot pin that inter-connects with a cradle for the pivot pin cylindrical body on the respective eye-piece.
3. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cradle has an opening that faces laterally inwardly and a limiting outer wall that stops the eye-piece from pivoting forwardly and outwardly.
4. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear comprising a pair of eye-pieces detachably inter-linked at a bridge and a strap having side arm portions and a rear portion that passes around the rear of the wearer's head, the side arm portions of the strap having respective front ends each of which is moulded to form a cylindrical head to serve as a pivot pin that inter-connects with a cradle for the pivot pin cylindrical body on the respective eye-piece.
5. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pivot pin cylindrical head snap-fits into the cradle.
6. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cradle is substantially C-shaped in plan as viewed in use from above the eyewear.
7. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the pivot pin cylindrical head is readily demountable by the user from engagement in the cradle allowing inter-changeable eye-pieces or separate storage of the eye-pieces from the strap.
8. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein one of the pivot pin cylindrical head and cradle has a moulded radial protrusion formed on a surface thereof and the other has a corresponding recess whereby when the pivot pin cylindrical head is turned in the cradle to a required orientation it will be detained at that orientation.
9. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 8, wherein the moulded protrusion and recess suitably have a snap-fit co-operative engagement.
10. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein there are a plurality of protrusions or of recesses spaced apart at different radial orientations around the axis of the pivot pin cylindrical head.
11. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in any of claims 4 to 10, wherein each side arm comprises: a moulded fore-portion having the pivot pin cylindrical head at a front in use end thereof; and a tubular housing portion contiguous with the rear portion of the strap and within which housing portion a rear, in use, end of the moulded fore-portion is slidingly housed to extend or retract, adjusting the length of the side arm to suit a wearer.
12. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 11, wherein the moulded fore-portion of the side arm has a substantially T-shaped profile and engages within the bore of the tubular housing which has a corresponding T-shaped profile.
13. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the moulded fore-portion of each side arm and the tubular housing comprises a moulded protrusion and the other comprises a corresponding recess for the protrusion to detain the side arm at an adjusted length of the side arm.
14. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in any of claims 4 to 13, wherein the side arm portions of the strap are configured to pivot inwardly to lie within the loop of the strap when the eyewear is not in use.
15. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the side arm portions of the strap are limited to pivot inwardly.
16. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear comprising a pair of eye-pieces detachably inter-linked at a bridge and a strap having side arm portions and a rear portion that passes around the rear of the wearer's head, the side arm portions of the strap having respective front ends that demountably pivotally inter-connect with the respective eye-pieces.
17. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear as claimed in claims 16, wherein the demountable pivotal inter-connection is a clip fit inter-connection whereby the eye-pieces may be de-mounted by un-clipping.
18. A pair of front opening! separating eyewear substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.