TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to spectacles with rapid-mounting lenses, comprising two lenses and a frame, where the frame has a lens-support rod which extends to the right and to the left of the user's nose, and the lens- support rod supports the lenses in a position in front of the user's eyes.

A general aim of the invention is to realise spectacles in which the application of the lenses to the frame and the detaching of the lenses therefrom is extremely simple and rapid, even by the user her or himself.

PRIOR ART

For this aim, patent documents are known which show spectacles in which the application of the lenses to the frame is simple and rapid: US 3 869 200 A, US 4 879 770, FR 898 701 , US 3 689 136.

In these solutions the frame is profiled such as to define two frames, joined to the rest element on the nose, which define two rings, more or less circular, which enclose the lenses by surrounding and enveloping about the whole perimeter edge thereof.

The lenses can be applied to the frame by means of a through-slit afforded on the upper surface of the frame-rings, which enables inserting the lenses there-through into the rings, where they rest on the lower side; for this purpose the internal zone of the rings is profiled such as to define a non- through slit in which the peripheral edge of the lenses is rested.

Also known are two other patent documents, which illustrate a second type of spectacles, which differ from those illustrated in the above-mentioned documents and have common characteristics with the present invention: US 5 428 410 and WO 2007/ 084312.

The spectacles illustrated in these documents differ from the preceding ones as the frame consists of a lens support frame, which extends on the right and left of the user's nose, substantially horizontally, and of two temple rods, connected to the two external ends of the frame, which function as a rest for the frame on the user's ears; the frame does not form two rings which close the lenses; the lenses are instead supported only by the support rod and extend freely, projectingly, downwards.

This type of frame gives a particularly light and modern appearance to the spectacles and is very appreciated by the public; however it requires relatively complex solutions and work operations and equally complicated operations for fixing the lenses to the support rod.

The present invention, while adopting this type of mounting (which does not include rings which envelop about the lenses, but consists of a rod which retains and supports the lenses so that they project freely downwards from the rod) aims to improve the known spectacles so as to enable application and detachment of the lenses from the frame, simply and rapidly, by the user, without the use of any tool.

A further aim is to realise a product having an original and distinctive appearance with respect to what is at present on the market.

A further aim is to make it possible to associate lenses to the frame which have shapes (especially the perimeter shape), colours, optical characteristics or other physical characteristics that are different, without there being any need to intervene so as to modify or adapt the lenses to the frame, or at least requiring only rapid and simple interventions.

A further aim is to realise spectacles that enable a rapid mounting of the lenses, by the user her or himself, and which are simple and economical to manufacture.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

This and other aims are attained by the present invention as it is characterised in the claims.

With the technical characteristics claimed in claim 1 , spectacles can be realised having a distinctive aesthetic and very special peculiarity, in that the lenses project not only below the rod which defines the mounting and supports them in a position in front of the user's eyes, but also above the rod. This characteristic further makes it extremely easy and rapid to dismount the lens from the rod, as with a simple vertical push, using a finger, on the portion of lens which projects above the rod, the lens is removed from the slit of the rod; this operation is also made possible by the fact that the fixing between the rod and the upper portion of lens is obtained by forcing the lens into the slit; the demounting operation of the lens from the rod is therefore very simple and rapid.

Lastly, the mounting of the lens to the rod is made extremely simple and rapid: having a vertical dimension that is greater than the dimension of the slit, it can have a profiled upper portion, for example rounded, which facilitates the inserting of the portion in the slit of the rod. Differently, in known spectacles supported only by a rod, the lens couples to the rod by means of the upper edge of the lens which has a height that is relatively very limited, and inserts snugly in a recess fashioned in the rod and therefore requires a precision and working that are relatively very high, and mounting and demounting operations that are relatively complex.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be set out in detail in the following, with the aid of the accompanying figures which illustrate an embodiment thereof by way of non- limiting example.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spectacles from the front side.

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear side of a portion of the spectacles of figure 1 , in which the lens is separated from the frame.

Figure 3 is a front view, from the front side, of figure 2, in which the lens is inserted in the frame.

Figure 4 is a section along plane IV-IV of figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view from above of figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail of the section along plane VI-VI of figure 4.

Figures from 7A to 7D are four other plan views from above of figures 2, according to four respective further embodiments.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The spectacles comprise a frame 10 and two lenses 30.

The frame 10 of the spectacles comprises a lens-support rod 1 1 , which extends to the right and left of the user's nose, substantially horizontally, in front of the orbital zone of the user, and supports the lenses in a position in front of the eyes.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the rod 1 1 comprises a bridge portion 12, in a central position, which rests on the user's nose, and the frame 10 comprises two temple rods 15, front ends of which are joined by a hinge to two external ends of the rod 1 1 , which enable resting the frame on the ears.

The frame 10 does not include rings which develop around the lens; the rod 1 1 retains and supports the lenses 30, which project freely towards the bottom thereof.

The support frame 1 comprises two longitudinal slits 20, to the right and left of the user's nose, each having a length and thickness such that it is possible to insert a portion of a respective lens 30 through the slit, in such a position with respect to the rod 1 1 that the lens is arranged in the desired position in front of the respective eye; further, securing means are included to make the position of the lenses stable in the respective slits 20.

In particular, the rod 1 1 has a longitudinal development that is substantially horizontal and comprises, to the right and left of the bridge-portion 12, two lateral portions 13 which extend from the bridge-portion 12 up to the end 16 of the rod. Two slits 20 are fashioned in these two portions 13, which develop longitudinally (parallel to the median longitudinal axis of the respective lateral portion 13), and involve the whole vertical dimension of the portion 13: the two slits 20 are therefore through-slits, and through them a lens 30 can be inserted so that it passes from the lower part to the upper part of the lateral portion 13.

Further, the slits 20 are orientated such that the lens 30 which is inserted through them is located in the desired position in front of the eye.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, each lens possesses an upper portion 31 having dimensions that make it insertable through the respective slit 20 and a lower portion 32 which extends in front of the user's eyes. The upper portion has a horizontal extension that is smaller than or equal to the slit 20 and a vertical extension that is greater than the rod 1 1 ; therefore the upper portion 31 has an upper zone which projects above the rod 1 1.

The upper portion 31 has a perimeter edge 31 a that is different with respect to the perimeter edge 32a of the lower portion 32 and, in the join zones of the two portions 31 and 32, the lens 30 defines an abutment against the beam, through the slit 20, able to determine a reference position of the lens with respect to the support rod 1 1.

In particular, in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, the lower portion 32 has a circle segment shape and the upper portion 31 has approximately a circle segment shape, and the two portions 31 and 32 of the lens are joined to one another at an ideal line D (see figure 2); along this line D the dimension in the horizontal direction of the lower portion 32, located in the lower position, is greater than the dimension of the upper portion 31 , located in the upper position; therefore two horizontal abutment edges 33 are defined on the upper side of the lower portion which, on the inserting of the portion 31 through the slit 20, abut against the lower surface of the rod 1 1 to the right and left of the slit 20.

The position the lens assumes when it abuts against the lower surface of the rod 1 1 , being snugly inserted through the respective slit 20, is single and can advantageously be taken as the reference position for the position of the lenses with respect to the frame and therefore with respect to the user's eyes.

The position of the lens internally of the respective slit is rendered sufficiently fixed, so as to maintain the reciprocal position in the normal use of the spectacles, using appropriate securing means. The fixture is however demountable any time the lens is to be detached from the frame.

The dimensions and/or curvature of the upper portion 31 of lens, in relation to the dimensions of the respective slit 20, are such that the inserting of the portion 31 through the slit is performed by forcing such as to make the position of the lens in the respective slit stable.

Each slit 20 divides the respective lateral portion 13 of rod into two opposite arms of rod 13a and 13b, more or less parallel, one arm 13b, posterior with respect to the lens, and one arm 13a, anterior with respect to the lens; the thickness of the slit in free condition is smaller than the thickness of the first portion 31 of lens, so that by inserting the upper portion 31 in the slit there is an interference, at least at a point, with the section of the portion 31 , and at least an arm 13a, 13b is able to elastically deform following inserting of the lens, with a distancing with respect to the other arm. These characteristics define the securing means so as to make the position of the lenses in the respective slits stable.

An interference is formed between the slit and the lens which acts by elastically blocking the lens with respect to the slit, and can be overcome by action of a force of sufficient intensity, which can easily be exerted by the user.

It is not necessary for the curvature of the slit 20 to be equal to the curvature of the section of the upper portion 31 of lens, nor is it necessary for the thickness of the slit to be almost equal to the thickness of the section of the upper portion 31 ; it is only necessary for there to be points of contact between the front surface of the portion 31 of lens and the internal surface of the front arm 13a, and between the rear surface of the portion 31 of lens and the internal surface of the rear arm 13b, and for a force to tend to near, by reaction, the first arm 13a to the second arm 13b.

Figure 6 shows an example of the interference (in which the distances between the internal surfaces of the arms 13a and 13b and the surfaces of the lens are exaggerated in order to make them more visible): the front surface of the section of lens 30 located internally of the slit 20 comes into contact with the internal surface of the front arm 13a in two points A' and A" located at the ends of the section, while the rear surface of the same lens comes into contact with the internal surface of the rear arm 13b at an intermediate point B. On point B, the arm 13b acts thrustingly as it has been deformed, with respect to the free condition, by the inserting of the lens in the slit, and distanced from the arm 13a.

In a preferred embodiment, the front arm 13a is substantially rigid and the internal surface thereof substantially adheres in all points to the front surface of the upper portion 31 ; the rear arm 13b is instead elastically deformable and pushes the portion 31 against the front arm 13a.

Figure 7A shows a second embodiment of the slit 20, different with respect to figure 5. Here one of the two arms of the slit 20, the rear arm 13b, is interrupted in the intermediate position, defining two projecting half-arms 13", elastically deformable following inserting of the lens.

Figure 7B illustrates a third embodiment of the slit 20, in which the rear arm 13b, which has elastically-deformable characteristics that are higher than those of the substantially-rigid other arm 13a, is fixed at the ends thereof to the rod 1 1 by means of small screws/fixing pins.

Figure 7C shows a fourth embodiment of the slit 20, in which the rear arm 13b, which has greater elastically-deformable characteristics than the other arm 13a, which is substantially rigid, is fixed at ends thereof to the rod 1 1 by means of joints internally of the thickness of the rod 1 1.

Figure 7D shows a further embodiment of the slit 20, in which the two arms 13a and 13b are made of plastic and realised in a single body in the rod 1 1. The securing of the lenses in the relative slits can be reinforced by screw means able to fix the lens to one or both the arms 13a, 13b.

With the invention is becomes extremely easy and rapid to dismount the lens from the rod, as with a simple vertical push, using a finger, on the portion 31 of lens which projects above the rod 1 1 , the lens is removed from the slit 20 of the rod 1 1 ; this operation is also made possible by the fact that the fixing between the rod 1 1 and the upper portion 31 of lens is obtained by forcing the lens 30 into the slit; the demounting operation of the lens 30 from the rod is therefore very simple and rapid.

Lastly, the mounting of the lens 30 to the rod 1 1 is made extremely simple and rapid; having a vertical dimension that is greater than the dimension of the slit 20, it can have a profiled upper portion, for example rounded, which facilitates the inserting of the portion 31 in the slit 20 of the rod.

In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in the figures, the position of the lenses 30 with respect to the frame 10 is determined by the abutment of the lower portion 32 of the lenses against the lower surface of the rod 1 1 ; thus, once the upper portion 31 of lens has shape and dimensions such as to be inserted correctly through the slit 20, this is sufficient for realizing a correct positioning of the lens with respect to the frame, and this independently of the shape and dimensions of the remaining lower portion 32 of lens, which constitutes the majority of the lens, in practice the totality of lens that functions as a screen for the eyes.

This thus enables putting on sale a large number of lenses that are different by colour, shape, optical characteristics, which can be used with the same frame, with no adapting operations, or with relatively simple operations.

The shape (profile) of the lenses 30, in particular the lower portion 32, and the frame can be any, compatibly with the described characteristics.

For example, the rod 1 1 might extend below the eyes and the portion of lens positioned in front of the eyes might be the upper portion, while the lower portion is inserted through the slits 20.

Obviously numerous modifications of a practical-applicational nature can be made to the invention without its forsaking the protective scope of the inventive idea as claimed in the following.