WO1998005994A1

WO1998005994A1 - Eyeglasses

Info

Publication number: WO1998005994A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/003989
Authority: WO
Inventors: Attilio Bazzaco
Original assignee: Celes Optical Srl
Current assignee: Celes Optical Srl
Priority date: 1996-08-02
Filing date: 1997-07-23
Publication date: 1998-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1999-02-02
Also published as: IT241875Y1; AU3849597A; ITPD960076V0; ITPD960076U1

Abstract

Eyeglasses comprising a frame which has a front (12) at least partially provided by metal wire shaped by plastic deformation. The metal wire that constitutes the front is shaped, at each eye region, so as to form a supporting eyewire (14) for the corresponding lens (15) which is open, before insertion of the lens, at an articulated connection (16) to the corresponding temple (13). With respect to the open portion of each eyewire, the metal wire continues so as to form a first end (18), which is associated with the articulation (16) of the temple (13), and a second end (19), which is shaped so that it remains substantially parallel to the first end (18). The eyeglasses comprise locking means constituted by at least one annular element (20) which can be fitted by snap action so as to keep the first and second ends (18, 19) packed together, thus forming a reversible closure of the corresponding eyewire (14) and locking the corresponding lens (15) after it has been installed.

Description

EYEGLASSES Technical Field

The present invention relates to eyeglasses of the kind which comprises a frame having a front that is at least partially formed by metal wire shaped by plastic deformation. Background art It is known that eyeglasses in which the structure is provided by means of shaped metal wire are currently particularly appreciated owing to their low weight combined with great mechanical strength.

In particular, models of eyeglasses which comprise a front at least partially made of metal wire are currently increasingly widespread.

The metal wire is usually shaped so as to form the eyewires for supporting the lenses, which are currently installed substantially by elastic forcing of said eyewires, which are provided so as to form a closed loop.

This operation, however, entails considerable risks for the lenses (breakage, scratching, etcetera) and does not ensure acceptable final results.

In order to minimize any mounting defects, the frame and the lenses must both be machined with rather high levels of precision as regards their dimensions and surface preparation.

Moreover, installing the lens in the respective eyewire is complicated and requires operators who are particularly expert in this operation.

The aim of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses which substantially eliminate the complications and risks that arise from installing the lenses on eyewires substantially constituted by metal wire shaped by plastic deformation.

Disclosure of the invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses in which the previously treated lens can be installed even by personnel who is not particularly specialized.

Another object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses which allow to achieve particularly appreciable aesthetic levels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses which are particularly strong and in which the lenses, both during fitting and during use, are as protected as possible against damage such as breaking or scraping. Another object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses in which fitting the lens requires no plastic or elastic deformation of the frame of any kind.

Another object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses which can be manufactured with conventional technologies.

This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by eyeglasses of the type which comprises a frame having a front which is at least partially provided by means of metal wire shaped by plastic deformation, said eyeglasses being characterized in that the metal wire that constitutes said front is shaped, at each eye region, so as to form a supporting eyewire for a corresponding lens which is open, before the insertion of said lens, at the articulated connection to the corresponding temple, with respect to the open portion of each one of said eyewires, the metal wire continuing so as to form a first end, which is associated with an articulation of a temple, and a second end, which is shaped so that it remains substantially parallel to the first end, locking means being provided which comprise at least one annular element which can be fitted by snap action and are suitable to keep said first and second ends packed together so as to provide reversible closure of the corresponding eyewire and lock the corresponding lens after it has been installed. Brief description of the Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a perspective view of eyeglasses according to the present invention; figure 2 is a perspective view of the eyeglasses of figure 1; figure 3 is a partially sectional view of a detail of the eyeglasses of figure 1; figure 4 is a view of another detail of the eyeglasses of figure 1; figure 5 is another view of the detail of figure 4 during another step of assembly; figure 6 is a partial perspective view of a detail of a second embodiment of the eyeglasses according to the invention; figure 7 is a sectional view, taken along a transverse plane, of a detail of the eyeglasses of figure 6; figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a detail of a third embodiment of the eyeglasses according to the invention; figure 9 is a sectional view, taken along a transverse plane, of a detail of the eyeglasses of figure 8. Ways of carrying out the Invention

With particular reference to figures 1 to 5 , the eyeglasses according to the invention are generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

The eyeglasses 10 in this case comprise a frame which is generally designated by the reference numeral 11 and has a front 12 formed by metal wire shaped by plastic deformation. The eyeglasses 10 comprise, again in this case, two temples 13 also made of shaped metal wire.

The metal wire that constitutes the front 12 is shaped, at each eye region, so as to form a corresponding eyewire 14 for supporting a corresponding lens 15; the eyewire is open, before the insertion of the lens, at an articulated connection, generally designated by the reference numeral 16, to the corresponding temple 13.

In this case, the lateral edge of the lens 15 is conveniently prepared by forming thereon a groove 17 which is shaped substantially complementarily to the metal wire that forms the corresponding eyewire 14 which fits inside it upon assembly.

As regards the open portion of each one of the eyewires 14, in this embodiment the metal wire continues so as to form a first end 18, which is associated with the corresponding articulated connection 16, and a second end 19, which is shaped so that it remains substantially parallel to the first end 18. The eyeglasses 10 have locking means which in this case are constituted, for each one of the eyewires 14, by a corresponding annular element 20 which can be inserted on the first and second ends 18 and 19 when they are coupled.

Each one of the annular elements 20 is therefore suitable to keep the corresponding first and second ends 18 and 19 packed, thus also providing reversible closure of the corresponding eyewire 14.

Closure of the eyewire 14 in turn locks the corresponding lens 15 after it has been installed. In this case, the coupling stability of each one of the annular elements 20 is determined by a corresponding notch 21 formed in each one of the second ends 19.

More specifically, when each one of the annular elements 20 is inserted so as to produce the packing of the first and second ends 18 and 19, part of the annular element is accommodated within the corresponding notch 21 so as to stabilize the closure of the corresponding eyewire 14.

Conveniently, therefore, the insertion of each one of the annular elements 20 on the corresponding coupled first and second ends 18 and 19 occurs by slight interference and plastic deformation of the elastic rings 20.

With particular reference to figures 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the eyeglasses according to the invention comprises a frame 111 which is partially illustrated in the above figures and is constituted by a front 112 which forms a half eyewire 114 for each eye region.

Each half eyewire 114 supports the corresponding lens 115 and is constituted by a metal element which is shaped by plastic deformation and forms in particular a free portion 116 located at the coupling 117.

The half eyewire 114 is characterized in this case by a substantially rectangular transverse cross-section, from which a raised portion 118 protrudes on the inner face for supporting the lens 115; the raised portion 118 is monolithic with the metal element that constitutes the half eyewire 114.

A groove 119 is formed correspondingly on the entire lateral edge of the lens 115 and is shaped complementarily to the raised portion 118 of the metal element. Each coupling 117 is provided by the assembly of a first end and of a second end, respectively designated by the reference numerals 120 and 121 and made of metal wire, with the half eyewire 114.

The first end 120 is in fact associated, in a per se known manner, for example by welding, with a first end portion 122 of the half eyewire 114, at the free portion 116, whilst the second end 121 is associated with the second end portion 123 and is shaped so that it remains substantially parallel to the first end 120. The coupling 117 is completed by an annular element 124 which can be fitted on said first and second ends 120 and 121 when coupled and is fully equivalent to the annular element 20 described earlier.

In particular, the first end 120 continues its extension by entering at an articulated connection, designated by the reference numeral 125, which constitutes the hinge of the eyeglasses.

As described for the eyeglasses 10, the annular element 124 is fitted, and ensures the packing of the first end 120 with the second end 121, by taking care to place the annular element 124 in abutment within a complementarily shaped groove, not shown in the figures, formed on the second end 121.

With particular reference to figures 8 and 9, a third embodiment of the eyeglasses according to the present invention comprises a frame 211 of which these figures illustrate a detail; the frame is constituted by a front 212 which is fully equivalent to the previous frame 111.

Each lens 215 is supported by a half eyewire 214 which forms a free portion 216 in a manner which is fully similar to the half eyewire 114 already described.

Each half eyewire 214 is obtained in this case by means of a metal element which is shaped by plastic deformation and has a polygonal transverse cross-section which forms a recess 218 at the inner edge to be placed in contact with the lens 215.

Each lens 215 correspondingly has a lateral edge which is beveled so as to form a point 219 which is shaped complementarily to the recess 218 of the half eyewire 214. Finally, each coupling 217 is provided, as described above for the coupling 117, through the assembly of an annular element 224 which is inserted in a first end 220 made of metal wire and coupled to a second end 221 also made of metal wire; both are associated, in a per se known manner, for example by welding, with the half eyewire 214 at the free portion 216.

In practice, it has been observed that the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects.

In particular, it should be noted that the possibility to have the eyewire open during assembly allows easy assembly of the corresponding lens without having to perform elastic or elastic-plastic deformations of the frame.

This entails reduced precision requirements in the treatments of the lens and of the frame and avoids damage or breakage of said lens during assembly.

Assembly of the eyeglasses according to the invention is then completed very simply by snap insertion of the corresponding annular elements, in an operation which can be performed even by personnel who is not particularly specialized.

Highly simple assembly is also combined with an equally high structural solidity of the eyeglasses according to the invention, which can also be produced according to models having a high aesthetic and styling quality. The present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; the constructive details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. The materials and the dimensions may be any according to requirements.

Claims

1. Eyeglasses of the type which comprises a frame having a front which is at least partially provided by metal wire shaped by plastic deformation, said eyeglasses being characterized in that the metal wire that constitutes said front is shaped, at each eye region, so as to form a supporting eyewire for a corresponding lens which is open, before insertion of said lens, at an articulated connection to a corresponding temple, with respect to the open portion of each one of said eyewires, the metal wire continuing so as to form a first end, which is associated with the articulation of the temple, and a second end, which is shaped so that it remains substantially parallel to the first end, locking means being provided which comprise at least one annular element which can be fitted by snap action and are suitable to keep said first and second ends packed together so as to provide reversible closure of the corresponding eyewire and lock the corresponding lens after it has been installed.

2. Eyeglasses of the type which comprises a frame having a front at least partially made of metal wire shaped by plastic deformation, said eyeglasses being characterized in that said front is shaped, at each eye region, so as to form a supporting eyewire for the corresponding lens, said eyewire being open, before insertion of said lens, at the articulated connection to the corresponding temple; a first end, associated with the articulation of the temple, and a second end, shaped so as to remain substantially parallel to the first end and likewise made of metal wire and rigidly coupled to said eyewire, extending from each open portion of said eyewires; locking means being provided which comprise at least one annular element which can be fitted by snap action and are suitable to keep said first and second ends packed together so as to provide reversible closure of the corresponding eyewire and lock the corresponding lens after it has been installed.

3. Eyeglasses according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at each one of said second ends a notch is provided in which part of the corresponding annular element is arranged so as to provide stable positioning thereof.

4. Eyeglasses according to claim 3, characterized in that each annular element can be inserted in said corresponding first and second ends by slight interference.

5. Eyeglasses according to claim 4, characterized in that said first and second ends are the monolithic continuation of each eyewire.

6. Eyeglasses according to claim 4, characterized in that said first and second ends are provided by means of portions of metal wire associated with each eyewire at the ends that form the corresponding open portion.