Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Rimless mounting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2001-11-06
Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Rimless mounting
C351S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312126
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for installing eyeglass lenses. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for installing eyeglass lenses for rimless eyeglasses mounted with a temple and a bridge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 9
shows an example of a conventional eyeglass lens-mounting construction. A pair of eyeglasses
1
includes a lens
2
having a circular through-hole
3
formed near its edge. A temple
5
to be supported by the ear is installed on the lens
2
by means of a connection member
4
. A male screw member
6
is provided on the connection member
4
. The male screw member
6
is inserted into the through-hole
3
of the lens
2
. A nut
7
is screwed on the male screw member
6
to fix the connection member
4
to the lens
2
. A supporting piece
8
is provided on the connection member
4
. The supporting piece
8
is disposed along the edge of the lens
2
. The supporting piece
8
prevents the connection member
4
from rotating on the male screw member
6
and prevents the temple
5
from loosening. The connection member
4
is also formed on a bridge for connecting the two lenses
2
with each other to prevent the lenses
2
from loosening relative to each other.
Conventionally, a temple and a bridge are displayed in a display case or store window, with the temple and the bridge installed on a sample lens that is made of synthetic resin or the like. When a customer selects a temple and a bridge, a lens adjusted to the eyesight of the customer is molded into the same shape as that of the sample lens. Then, through-holes are formed in the lens. Then, a male screw part formed on a connection member of the temple is inserted into one of the through-holes, and a male screw part formed on a connection member of the bridge is inserted into the other through-hole. Then, the connection members are fixed with a nut.
A manufacturer installs the temple and the bridge on the sample lens such that the through-hole is formed at a correct position. That is, the distance between the edge of the sample lens and the through-hole is set to be equal to the distance between the inner side of the supporting piece and the male screw part. Thus, if the though-hole is formed at a position in the lens such that the position is coincident with the through-hole of the sample lens, the supporting piece can be positioned along the edge of the lens. The lens can then be installed securely on the temple and the bridge.
However, it is difficult to form the through-hole at a precise position of the lens such that its position is coincident with the through-hole of the sample lens, unless the through-hole forming task is carried out by a very skilled operator. For example, if the distance between the edge of the lens and the through-hole is too short, a gap is generated between the supporting piece of the connection member and the edge of the lens. As a result, the temple or other element is loosened. If the distance I between the edge of the lens and the through-hole is too long, the supporting piece of the connection member is misaligned relative to the edge of the lens. Consequently, the connection member cannot be installed on the lens. In the latter case, it is necessary to enlarge the through-hole toward the edge of the lens, causing the male screw part to be unstable inside the through-hole and thus, the connection member is loose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a method of installing an eyeglass lens in which a lens, a temple, as well as a bridge are not loosened relative to each other.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide an apparatus and method for forming a through-hole on a lens at a correct position thereof (even if performed by an unskilled person) to achieve a desired eyeglass lens-installing construction.
In one preferred embodiment, there is provided an eyeglass lens-installing apparatus including a lens; a through-hole formed in the vicinity of an edge of the lens; a connection member having a columnar member inserted into the through-hole from a first surface side of the lens and a supporting piece arranged along the edge of the lens to connect the lens to a temple and a bridge; and a fastener inserted into the through-hole from a second surface side of the lens and fixed to the columnar member. In this construction, an inner diameter of the through-hole is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the columnar member and a distance between an inner side of the supporting piece and the columnar member is substantially equal to a distance between the edge of the lens and the through-hole.
In the eyeglass lens-installing apparatus, the fastener is preferably fixed to the columnar member by screwing a male screw part provided on the fastener into a female screw part provided on the columnar member.
It is preferable that the length of the columnar member is shorter than that of the through-hole; and a gap is preferably formed between the male part of the fastener and an inner wall of the through-hole.
It is also preferable that a flexible washer is interposed between the lens and a head part of the fastener.
Another preferred embodiment provides a method of forming a through-hole in a lens, the method being applied to an eyeglass lens-installing device. The method includes the steps of preparing a hole-forming apparatus having a cutting member for forming the through-hole in the lens; preparing a sample lens to be installed on a connection member having a columnar member to be inserted into the through-hole and a supporting piece to be formed along an edge of the lens and having a through-hole formed such that a distance between an inner side of the supporting piece and the columnar member is substantially equal to a distance between the edge of the sample lens and the through-hole; determining a position of the sample lens by fixing the sample lens such that the through-hole of the sample lens is located at a position corresponding to a position of the cutting member of the hole-forming apparatus; removing the sample lens from the hole-forming apparatus; fixing a lens at the determined position to form a through-hole thereon; and forming a through-hole in the lens using the cutting member.
In the hole-forming method, the step of determining a position of the sample lens preferably includes the steps of preparing a fixing rod including a shaft part having an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the through-hole of the sample lens; inserting the shaft part of the fixing rod into the through-hole of the sample lens; fixing the fixing rod at a position corresponding to a position of the cutting member of the hole-forming apparatus; and fixing the sample lens.
The sample lens is preferably placed in a desired position via a plurality of movable supporting pins capable of fixing the sample lens, with the supporting pins in contact with a periphery of the sample lens. The sample lens is fixed in the desired position via the fixed supporting pins.
Further, a distance between an edge of the sample lens and the shaft part of the fixing rod is determined exactly by pressing a pressing plate against the edge of the sample lens when the fixing rod has been fixed. A distance between an edge of the lens and the through-hole is determined by pressing the edge of the lens against the pressing plate after the sample lens is removed from the hole-forming apparatus.
In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a hole-forming apparatus for forming a through-hole in a lens to be applied to an eyeglass lens-installing construction, including a lens-fixing tool for determining a position of a through-hole by fixing a sample lens having a through-hole formed at a predetermined position thereof; and a cutting member for forming a through-hole on the lens after the lens in which the through-hole is to be formed is fixed at the same position as that of a fixed position of the sample lens by me
Dang Hung Xuan
Keating & Bennett LLP
Vision Optic Co., Ltd.
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