Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-19
2003-04-01
Mai, Huy (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Folding
C351S126000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06540349
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to spectacles with at least one lens, at least one resting surface for the nose of a spectacles wearer and two laterally arranged, pivotal supporting elements.
Different types of spectacles are known. They consist of a frame generally provided with side pieces hooking behind the ears and made of metal and/or plastic and of two lenses which are joined together by a fitting or by mounts. In the case of spectacles having a fitting, the lenses are fitted in the triangular groove provided for in the rims of said fitting. Said rims are joined together by a bar in the case of bar glasses or by a bridge which is not resting on the nose in the case of glasses with nose pads, said nose pads resting laterally on the nose and being movable. Bar glasses have been previously proposed in which the lenses are made in one piece, the bar being formed by a bight portion of the lens in the region of the nose.
The side pieces resting on the ears are pivotally fastened to the fitting's rims by means of hinges.
On rimless glasses, the lenses are pierced at the points of junction of the bridge and of the side pieces and are held in place there by means of one clip and one screw each.
There have been various attempts at improving the wearing comfort of spectacles by configuring the frame in a particular way. EP 0 825 475 A1 for example discloses eyeglasses with pivotally carried side pieces and with a spring mechanism which allows the side pieces when being used to pivot from a normal, open position in opposite directions against the force of the spring. This enables a wearer of glasses to take the glasses off the head with a lateral movement instead of always having to take them off the head in the direction of the field of vision.
All these glasses have in common that the side pieces hooking behind the ears may sometimes disturb and more specifically occasion pressure sores or irritations of the skin. Nose pad spectacles without side pieces but with a resiliently compressing bridge are known as pince-nez. These glasses are only held in place over the nose. The spring forces thereby acting on the nose are high so that pressure sores may occur, thus exacerbating discomfort.
It is an object of the present invention to design spectacles which do not have the disadvantages indicated herein above.
The solution of this object is to provide the spectacles of the invention with two lenses, at least one resting surface for the nose of a spectacles wearer, two supporting elements laterally arranged on the lenses, a hinge arranged between the lenses as well as with an elastic element arranged in the area of said hinge. On account of said hinge, the spectacles are provided with a wearing position and with a non-use position in which the lenses are substantially lying over each other.
The supporting elements each form a fixed angle with the respective adjacent lens, said angle preferably ranging from 60° to 120°. The length of the supporting elements is measured such that, when worn, said supporting elements do not project beyond the temples of the spectacles wearer. On their sides facing the head of the wearer, the resting elements are provided with resting elements. The spring element arranged between the lenses presses the supporting elements against the temples of the wearer in the area of the resting elements so that the supporting elements are held on the head of the spectacles wearer in a non-positive manner. A particularly secure holdfast of the spectacles is generally achieved by the frictional connection between the resting elements and the temples of the wearer, and between the resting surface and the nose of the wearer.
The holdfast of the spectacles according to the invention which results from the force exerted by the spring element onto the temples of the wearer is reinforced when the laterally arranged supporting elements are as rigid as possible, in particular when they are provided with the smallest possible flexibility. This may for example be achieved by metallic supporting elements having an appropriate cross section. A comparable effect may also be achieved by means of an appropriate synthetic material, in particular by means of a fibre-reinforced synthetic material. A particularly advantageous effect is obtained when the hinge and the spring element are combined in one component part, this one component part effecting as a hinge and as a spring as well. Such an element may for example be realized by means of a bar that unites the lenses, in particular by means of a nose piece consisting of an elastically deformable metal.
The spring element can also be made of an elastically deformable synthetic material. It is more specifically possible to realize such a component part that effects as a hinge and as a spring as well.
A particularly advantageous effect is obtained, when the material chosen for the spring element is a synthetic material that is elastically deformable and that is provided with a high inner buffering capacity so that the elastic element deforms quite fast under the action of external forces and that the spring element returns quite slowly to its initial position when no longer under the action of external forces. It is particularly advantageous when the return movement of the spring element takes five seconds, preferably 15 seconds.
The resting elements may be spring elements of a substantially spherical shape which are more specifically arranged at the ends of the supporting elements. The use of such resting elements permits to achieve a particularly close fit of the glasses when the length of the supporting elements is selected so as to allow the spherical resting elements to be approximately positioned in the area where the arch of the eyebrow terminates on the temple side of the wearer when the glasses are sitting on the nose of a spectacles wearer.
A particularly secure fit of the resting elements on the temple-sided arch ends of the wearer's eyebrows may be achieved even without spherical resting elements by choosing the right length for the supporting elements as well as by the position of the resting elements fastened by their inner sides. This may more specifically be achieved when the supporting elements are between 1.5 cm and 4.5 cm long.
In another advantageous embodiment the rotational axis of the hinge, which is arranged between the lenses, is inclined to that straight line passing through the two highest points of the lenses at an angle of less than 90°, preferably less than 80°, in particular less than 70°. It is particularly advantageous when the axis of rotation of the hinge substantially runs in the plane which is defined by the lenses or in a plane running parallel thereto. Such an orientation of the axis of rotation of the hinge entails that, in the non-use position which is characterized by overlying lenses, the supporting elements of the spectacles are not directly lying over each other but rather beside each other. By selecting the proper angle of the axis of rotation with respect to the straight line mentioned, it may be achieved that the supporting elements come to lie completely beside each other in the non-use position.
It is also advantageous when the spectacles are locked when in the non-use position mentioned. This may be achieved by non-positive or positive interlocking of the supporting elements and/or the resting elements. It is therefore particularly favorable when the spectacles are designed with the rotational axis of the hinge being non-vertically arranged with respect to the straight line passing through the two highest points of the lenses.
Another advantageous development is achieved when the spectacles are provided with at least one spring element which presses the supporting elements against the head of the spectacles wearer so that the supporting elements are held on the head of the spectacles wearer in a non-positive manner. Spectacles of this kind do not need a side piece. It is enough when the supporting elements cover one portion of the temples of the spectacles wearer. In this area, the supportin
Akerman & Senterfitt
Mai Huy
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