The object of the present invention is an eyeglass frame which gathers in a single support various use possibilities to make always available the suitable lenses to use conditions.

For many years lenses to correct sight defects have been manufactured and marketed, which are divided into two sections: a lower section to see near objects or to read at 30-40 cm and an upper section to see far objects (bifocal lenses); these lenses essentially comprise two different lenses assembled together into a frame and shaped such that the upper lens mates the lower lens profile, thereby forming a single element which is fitted into the eyeglass frame.

A shortcoming of these lenses is to provide a restricted visual field, particularly when wearers have to see far objects, since the lower lens section is, as mentioned, for close vision.

A further shortcoming of these lenses is that, if wearers have to see objects at middle distance, such as a computer screen, the image blurs, and most of the times wearers have to look through the lower lens section, necessarily by tilting their head back, with all the consequences entailed by such position, especially if it is maintained for a long time.

To overcome this disadvantage, for some years the so-called "progressive" lenses have been manufactured and marketed, wherein the lens is divided into three sections. The upper section allows for a long distance vision, the intermediate section allows for a middle distance vision (60-70 cm) and the lower section allows for a close distance vision (30-40 cm).

This type of lenses have some problems:

An adaptation problem in some subjects who can't get used to using them and complain of headache, nausea, disorientation and dizziness;

The non-possible use by people who have much difference in strength between the two eyes;

A cost problem since these lenses are very expensive;

Little use opportunity by video display terminal operators because they have a too small visual field;

A focus accuracy problem of the lenses with respect to the eyes, which has to be fine-tuned by a very attentive and careful professional to get good results.

A solution to the mentioned problems may be the obvious one to always have two pairs of glasses, a pair of glasses to be used for reading and a pair of glasses to be used for viewing far objects, but even this solution entails some problems since it is necessary to bring along two pairs of glasses with the risk of losing them and the need to change them every time the distance of the viewed object varies; to the two mentioned eyeglass pairs it may be necessary to add a third pair of eyeglasses or an additional one with sun lenses.

Description of the inventions

The object of the present invention is to provide a multifocal frame which overcomes the briefly aforementioned drawbacks, with reference to both bifocal lenses (near and far vision) and progressive lenses (far, middle and near vision).

According to the present invention, the multifocal frame comprises an eyeglass frame similar to a traditional frame, preferably provided with temple arms having a greater height for about half of the length between the hinge and the support point on the ears.

At each temple arm, said frame comprises an additional small lens, hinged with solutions described below, which is shaped such that it can be overlapped to the upper or lower lens half or, alternatively, disposed under the lens itself.

Particularly, the two small lenses can rotate about 90° and be moved from a rest position, which is parallel to the temple arm, to a use position, which is overlapped to or placed underneath the main lens; further, if allowed by the used hinge, the two additional lenses can be placed parallel to the upper section of the main front lens or to the lower section of the main front lens or they can be arranged under the lower edge of the main front lens, when permitted by the frame and the main front lens.

In a preferred embodiment, the temple arms can be shaped such that the inward-facing side has a seat apt to receive the additional small lens when it is placed beside the temple arm in the rest position.

The seats in the temple arms and the inward eyeglass frame section into which the main front lenses are mounted can be provided with retaining means to clamp the small lenses in the desired position. As aforementioned, the small lenses can move from the rest position to the use position thanks to hinges interposed between each of the small lenses and the main frame.

Depending on the interposed hinge type, which will be described below, the additional small lens can be rotated 90° with respect to the temple arm in order to be placed parallel to the main lens and/or it can be still rotated a further 90° in order to be placed in the lower or upper quadrant of the main lens.

The great use versatility of the present invention's frame is completed and improved thanks to an additional eyeglass bridge which allows the eyeglass frame to be raised or lowered with respect to the nose and, therefore, with respect to eye's focal point, thus optimizing the performance of the lenses and particularly of the additional small lenses.

Such a mechanism may be also adopted to optimize the use of front bifocal or progressive lenses.

Description of the drawings

The invention will be now described according to some embodiments, which are provided merely by way of example and without limitation, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of the eyeglass frame of the present invention according to an embodiment.

Figure 2 is an axonometric view of the eyeglass frame of the present invention with, shown in exploded view, an additional frame. Figure 3 shows a detail of a possible solution of a hinge enabling the additional small lens connection to and rotation towards the frame.

Figure 4 shows the kinematics of one of the two additional small lenses between the rest position and the use position.

Figure 5 shows the rotation of one of the two additional small lenses to arrange it to the use position.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a section of the frame, of the temple arm, of an hinge type and of the additional small lens.

Figure 7 shows a frame section, one of the two additional small lenses in the use position and the hinge, enabling the additional small lens connection to and rotation towards the frame, which comprises a spherical body rotating inside two hemispheric bodies.

Figure 8 shows the kinematics between the rest position and the use position of one of the two additional small lenses having the hinge shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 shows the rotation of one of the two additional small lenses having the hinge shown in Figs 7, 8, to arrange it for use.

Figure 10 shows one of the two additional small lenses having the hinge shown in Figs 7, 8, 9 in the rest position.

Figure 11 is an exploded view of a frame section, one of the two additional small lenses and the hinge enabling the additional small lens connection to and rotation towards the frame shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10.

Figure 12 shows a frame section, one of the two additional small lenses in the use position and the hinge, enabling the additional small lens connection to and rotation towards the frame, which provides for the rotation of two bodies about a common central axis.

Figure 13 shows the kinematics between the rest position and the use position of one of the two additional small lenses having the hinge shown in figure 12.

Figure 14 is an exploded view of a frame section, the hinge and one of the two additional small lenses of the solution shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

Figure 15 shows the detail of the movable nose pad which is U-shaped and mounted on the fixed nose pad in a minimum distance position.

Figure 16 shows the detail of the movable nose pad which is U-shaped and mounted on the fixed nose pad in a maximum distance position.

Figure 17 shows the exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the additional movable bridge.

Figure 18 shows the additional movable bridge while rotating

Figure 19 shows the additional movable bridge shown in fi.17 in the lowest position.

Figure 20 shows the additional movable bridge shown in fi.17 in the highest position.

The eyeglass frame of the present invention comprises:

- A frame (1 ), complete with temple arms (2)

- Two small lenses (3) properly shaped and integral with hinges which allow them to rotate about an axis or, alternatively, about hinges which allow the two small lenses (3) to horizontally and vertically rotate;

- An additional nose bridge (4) which is adjustable in height; An additional frame (5) which is applicable from the inward side of the frame (1).

Description of the preferred embodiment

In the solution shown in Figs. 1 and 2, small lenses (3) are hinged to the hinge of temple arms (2) and can rotate about 90° around the rotating axis of the hinge (8) to be placed either in a parallel and adjacent position to the lenses of the frame (1), i.e. in a use position, or in an adjacent and parallel position to temple arms (2), i.e. in a rest position.

In the use position shown in Figure 1 , small lenses (3) allow for a vision of close objects and hence they are suitable, for example, for reading, whereas in the rest position, shown in Figure 2, the vision happens through the lenses, which can be of any type, in the frame (1 ).

In the preferred solution, temple arms (2) are shaped and sized so as to provide for a seat (6) where the small lenses (3) are housed when they are in the rest position.

Small lenses (3) have protuberances (7) which engage into the edge of seats (6) or into the edge of the main frame (1 ).

In Figures from 3 to 6 an applicative solution is shown wherein hinges, which allow small lenses (3) to rotate, comprise a perforated body (11) that is integral with temple arms (2), an articulated joint (12) with a hole (14) and a pin (13) which is perpendicular to the hole (14), a shaped pin (15) which is integral with the small lens frame or directly with small lenses (3); the pin (13) engaging into the hole of the body (1 1 ) and the pin (15) engaging into the hole (14). This is the way to accomplish a hinge apt to make the small lens (3) vertically rotate about 90°, thus lowering it with respect to the rest position thanks to the pin (15) rotating inside the hole (14) of the body (12), and apt to make the small lenses (3) horizontally rotate about 90°, thus positioning them adjacent to the lenses of the main frame (1 ).

Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 1 1 show a solution wherein hinges, which allow small lenses (3) to rotate about 90° in vertical direction and about 90° in horizontal direction, comprise a body (16) which is integral with temple arms (2) and formed by two hemispheric caps (17, 18), which are spaced apart at such a distance from each other to receive and hold a sphere (19) that is integral with an end of a support (20) which is, in turn, integral with small lenses (3) or their frame, thus allowing their rotation.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 show a further solution wherein hinges allow for the movement and simultaneous rotation of about 90° of small lenses (3), which from the rest position adjacent to temple arms (2) are rotated and moved under the small-sized lens (21 ); the hinge (22) comprises two arms: one arm (23) integral with the temple arm (2) and one arm (24) integral with small lenses (3) or their frame; arms (23) and (24) end, from the side opposite to the temple arm (2) and from the side opposite to the small lens (3), with two centrally perforated bodies (25) and (26) having plain faces (27 and 28) which are placed against each other during assembly; bodies (25) and (26) are joined together by means of a pin or the like which is inserted into their central holes to permit the body (26) to rotate on body (25), and thus allowing the rotation of the arm (24) and the consequent rotation and movement of small lenses (3) from the rest position adjacent to the temple (2) to the use position under the small-sized lens (21 ), so as to accomplish for all practical effects a bifocal lens.

As previously mentioned, in order to permit an optimal use of the multifocal frame of the present invention, there is an additional bridge, adjustable in height with respect to the eyeglass frame bridge, which allows to change the frame distance from the wearer's nose.

In the solution shown in Figures 1 and 2, the additional bridge (4) consists of a thin bridge (4) which in the middle of its upper part is integral with a pin (9) that engages into a seat (10) in the middle of the bridge of the frame (1 ). The distance of the additional bridge (4) with respect to the bridge of the frame (1 ) can be varied so as to change the distance of the frame (1 ) from the wearer's nose as a function of the viewed object position; therefore, the optimal distance of the frame from the nose may be obtained, for example, while writing on a computer, by moving the additional bridge (4) closer to or away from the eyeglass frame, thus avoiding to reach the optimal position to clearly see by tilting back or, on contrary, lowering the head in order to see the computer screen in focus.

The pin (9), engaging into seat (10), has on its surface various horizontal ribs which exert a certain resistance to the sliding of the pin (9) inside the seat (10). Said ribs allow to fasten the additional bridge (4) in the desired position or to change its position by applying a light pressure or traction on the bridge (4). Figures 15 and 16 show a solution wherein the bridge (4) and particularly its coupling and sliding system to the eyeglass bridge is formed with a U-shaped profile, whose lower end is shaped such that it rests on the nose, whereas the two vertical legs (29) embrace the front and back faces of the bridge of the frame (1 ); vertical legs (29) of the U-shaped profile of the bridge (4) can slide on the frame bridge, thereby varying the distance of the frame (1 ) from the nose and providing a certain resistance due to both vertical leg elasticity and eventual ribs.

Figures from 17 to 20 show a solution to make the nose pad movable, wherein the frame has a horizontally disposed cylindrical body (30) under the bridge, which joins the two frame sections housing the lenses; the additional movable bridge (31 ), whose size and shape are compatible with the space existing at the point on which the frame rests on the nose, comprises a curvilinear member, whose upper and lower ends (32) and (33) are concave to fit to the nose, the lower end (33) being provided inwards with a curl (34) having a properly sized inner radius to enable the additional bridge (31 ) to be inserted on the cylindrical body (30), to which it is thus anchored and yet free to rotate thereabout; the distance of the additional movable bridge (31 ) from the cylindrical body (30) and hence from the wearer's nose can be varied depending on the position given to the additional movable bridge (31 ). The distance variation of the eyeglasses from the nose is obtained depending on whether either the nose pad end (33) (minimum distance) or the end (32) (maximum distance) is rested on the wearer's nose.