US3639044A

US3639044A - Semirimless glasses

Info

Publication number: US3639044A
Application number: US61097A
Authority: US
Inventors: Farnham Blair
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-08-05
Filing date: 1970-08-05
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

A brow bar formed of zyl or other plastic material, or of metal, is provided with a pair of anchor members at the opposite sides of the center thereof and secured thereto, the bottom of each anchor member having a cushion member affixed thereto by a thermosetting adhesive. The upper edges of a pair of lenses are secured to the cushion members by a thermoplastic adhesive. In a modification of the invention, the cushion members are secured directly to the brow bar by the thermosetting adhesive.

Description

o lJate tates [151 3,639,044 lair Feb. 1, 1972 [54] SEMIRIMLESS GLASSES FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Farnham Blair, Alexandria, Va. 1,347,120 11/1963 France ..35 l/ 107 [73] Assignee: Benton Blair, Sanibel lsland, Fla. a part in- Primary Examiner David Schonberg wrest Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Sherman 22 i Aug 5, 1970 AttameyBenton Blair 21 Appl. No.: 61,097 57 ABSTRACT A brow bar formed of zyl or other plastic material, or of metal, [52] U.S.Cl.. ..351/l03, 351/154, 351/178 is provided with a pair of anchor members at the opposite [51] Int. Cl ..G02c 1/04 sides of the center thereof and secured thereto, the bottom of [58] Field of Search ..35 1/ 103, 178, 106-108, h n h r m m er h ving a cushion member affixed 351/ 0 144 15 thereto by a thermosetting adhesive. The upper edges of a pair of lenses are secured to the cushion members by a ther- [56] References Cited moplastic adhesive. in a modification of the invention, the cushion members are secured directly to the brow bar by the UNITED STATES PATENTS thermosetting adhesive. 3,243,249 3/1966 Lissac ..35l/l54 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures mtmtnrza H972 $539,044

' mvmn'rom 5 FARNHAM BLAIR n BENTON BLAIR ATTORNEY SEMIRIMLESS GLASSES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is common practice in making semirimless glasses to secure the lenses to the brow bar of the frame by fastening means passing through openings drilled in the lenses or by inserting the upper edges of the lenses into grooves formed in the brow bar to clamp the lenses in position. The present invention eliminates the means necessary for inserting the upper edges of the lenses into grooves in the brow bar and it eliminates also the drilling of the lenses to form openings for fastening elements. The device facilitates the changing of both lenses, or either of them, when broken, scratched or when the prescription is changed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A brow bar is formed-of metal or plastic, and the conventional temples are pivotally connected to its ends. An anchor member is secured beneath each end portion of the brow bar to support its associated lens. Each anchor member is preferably of angle section and is secured to the brow bar. The bottom flange of the angle of each anchor member has attached thereto a cushion member by a thermosetting adhe' sive.

Each cushion member has a coating of thermoplastic adhesive on its lower surface, and when it is desired to secure a lens in position, the thermoplastic adhesive is softened by heat and the lens pressed there against. When the adhesive cools, the lens will be attached to the anchor member by the cushion member and thus to the brow bar. The heating of the thermoplastic adhesive does not affect the connection of a cushion member to its anchor member because the adhesive strength of the thermosetting adhesive used for this connection is not affected by the application of the degree of heat necessary to soften the thermoplastic adhesive.

For purposes of this application, the words thermoplastic adhesive" shall mean an adhesive which may be softened or have its adhesive strength reduced upon the application of heat. The words thermosetting adhesive" shall mean an adhesive which does not lose its adhesive strength upon the application of heat and is not affected by the application of the degree of heat necessary to soften the thermoplastic adhesive used.

The vertical legs of the anchor members may be secured to the brow bar by small fastening elements passing through the brow bar and through ornamental plaques on the front of the brow bar. When plaques are not employed, the fastening elements can be directly connected to the brow bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of a pair of glasses looking from the inside thereof, the temples being broken away;

' FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing various parts of the device separated;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a simplified type of electrical diagram showing the means for heating the thermoplastic adhesive in preparation for mounting a lens.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates the frame of the eyeglasses as a whole including a brow bar 12 extending from end to end of the glasses. This brow bar is provided with a central bridge portion 14, having leg sections 16 and nose pads 18. At the ends thereof, the brow bar is pivotally connected as at 20 to the usual temples 22.

Two anchor members 24 are connected as described below to the brow bar at opposite sides of the bridge 14 and extend longitudinally of the brow bar. Each of these anchor members is formed of angle section as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vertical leg 26 of each angle lying preferably in a groove 28 to the rear of the brow bar I2. The horizontal leg 30 of each anchor member lies in a groove 32 formed in the bottom of the brow bar.

Fastening elements 34 secure each anchor member in position. Each of these fastening elements comprises an internally threaded socket 36 and a headed screw 38. In the form of the invention in FIG. 2, an aluminum or other type plaque 40 is secured against. the face of the brow bar at each side thereof for decorative purposes. In this case, the fastening element sockets 36 are provided with heads 42 engaging the exposed surfaces of the plaques, the sockets extending entirely through the plaques and through the brow bar up to and against the vertical leg26 of each anchor member. Thus, it will be apparent that screws 38 secure each anchor member rigidly to the brow bar, two fastening elements being provided for each anchor member.

The bottom of the horizontal leg 30 of each anchor member has connected thereto a cushion member 44 by an adhesive of the thermosetting type 61. The cushion member 44 is a thin strip of fabric or resilient material, deformable in nature to permit the adhesive layers to achieve good contact with the brow bar and the rough edges of the lenses. The upper edge of a lens 46 is affixed by a thermoplastic adhesive 62 to the cushion member 44.

In FIG. 4 of the drawing a slightly modified form is shown wherein the brow bar 48 is formed of zyl or metal and no anchor member is employed. In this case, the cushion member 44 which extends longitudinally of the brow bar 48 is connected directly to the brow bar 48 by a layer of thermosetting adhesive. The upper edge of lens 46 is connected to the lower surface of cushion member 44 by a thermoplastic adhesive. The thermoplastic adhesive may be in the form of a layer 62 on cushion member 44, and thus, when the upper edge of a heated lens is pressed against this cushion member 44, the adhesive layer 62 is softened. When layer 62 cools, the lens will be connected to the cushion member 44 and thus to the brow bar as the thermosetting adhesive connecting the cushion member to the brow bar is not affected by the lens-mounting procedure.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a simple electric circuit indicated by the numeral 56 for passing a current through each metal anchor member 24 with one of the lenses 46 arranged with its upper edge in contact with the thermoplastic adhesive on the under surface of the cushion member 44. When current is passed through anchor member 24, anchor member 24 is heated and thermoplastic adhesive layer 62 is softened. After the heating current has been cut off, the adhesive 62 will set and the lens will be rigidly attached to the cushion member and thus to the anchor member 24. During this operation the connection of the cushion member 44 to the anchor member 24 will not be affected because this connection is made by a thermosetting adhesive.

It will be obvious that the anchor members will be curved to correspond to the curvature of the upper edges of the lenses and also may be shaped to match the toric curves of the lenses. The anchor members do not extend downwardly to the pad legs 16, as this would limit the transverse adjustment of the lens by moving the anchor members along the brow bar.

In the event one of the lenses is broken or is to be replaced, the two securing screws 38 may be removed, thus permitting the associated anchor member to be moved out of engagement with the brow bar. A different lens then may be attached to the anchor member through the use of heat which will soften the thermoplastic adhesive. The thermoplastic adhesive used is of a type that will soften under temperatures encountered during normal use but will soften at temperatures below that which will affect a plastic lens. It will thus be clear that the lenses of a frame may be readily changed. If a lens is to be replaced in the modification shown in FIG. 4, the lens is brought up to a sufficient temperature to soften the adhesive. If necessary a new coat of thermoplastic adhesive may be applied to the cushion member 44 before a new lens is mounted.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved semirimless eyeglasses which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others. including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept. and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

lclaim:

1. An eyeglass construction comprising a brow bar, cushion members connected to the bottom thereof and at opposite sides of the center thereof by a thermosetting adhesive and having a coating of a thermoplastic adhesive on their lower edges whereby said thermoplastic adhesive may be brought to an adhesive state through heating and lenses attached to said cushion members without affecting the thermosetting adhesive connection of the cushion members to the brow bar.

2. An eyeglass construction according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic adhesive is of a type which will not soften under conditions of normal use but will soften at a temperature below that which will affect a plastic lens whereby a plastic lens may be heated and held against the thermoplastic adhesive layer to soften it so that when the lens cools it will be affixed to the cushion members.

3. In eyeglass construction according to claim I wherein each cushion member is a thin strip of deformable material elongated longitudinally of said brow bar to the right and left of the bridge and having its substantially flat deformable upper surface connected to said brow bar by a thermosetting adhesive and its substantially flat lower surface connected to the upper edge of the lenses by a thermoplastic adhesive.

4. ln eyeglass construction according to claim I wherein each cushion member is connected to a metal anchor member by a thermosetting adhesive and detachable means for connecting each anchor member to said brow bar, said thermoplastic adhesive being softened to permit the attachment of a lens by heating a metal anchor member by electric current.

Claims

2. An eyeglass construction according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic adhesive is of a type which will not soften under conditions of normal use but will soften at a temperature below that which will affect a plastic lens whereby a plastic lens may be heated and held against the thermoplastic adhesive layer to soften it so that when the lens cools it will be affixed to the cushion members.
3. In eyeglass construction according to claim 1 wherein each cushion member is a thin strip of deformable material elongated longitudinally of said brow bar to the right and left of the bridge and having its substantially flat deformable upper surface connected to said brow bar by a thermosetting adhesive and its substantially flat lower surface connected to the upper edge of the lenses by a thermoplastic adhesive.
4. In eyeglass construction according to claim 1 wherein each cushion member is connected to a metal anchor member by a thermosetting adhesive and detachable means for connecting each anchor member to said brow bar, said thermoplastic adhesive being softened to permit the attachment of a lens by heating a metal anchor member by electric current.