Eyeglass construction

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to an eyeglass

construction consisting of a lens and of inter-connected

members for mounting the lens to a pair of earstems .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are various types of eyeglass

construction for protecting the eyes of wearers whether

it be against the sun or during certain activities,

hazardous or not. For example, a bicycle racer or user

often has his head in an inclined position with respect

to the horizontal vision level. Hence, it becomes

preferable to be able to adjust the position of the lens

so as to face at a better angle this horizontal vision

level. Also, the size of one's nose dictates in some

instances a lens positioning relative to the earstems.

One example of an eyeglass construction may be

found described in U.S. patent 5,457,505 issued October

10, 1995 to Canavan et al . This construction comprises

a lens frame piece and a pair of temple frame pieces

where the temple pieces are pivotally attached to the

lens frame pieces to pivot about a vertical axis as well

as about a horizontal axis. The eyeglass construction

comprises an attachment bracket which extends forwardly

and downwardly from the upper frame section of the lens

frame piece; the bracket includes a detent for securing

the lens piece thereto.

OBJECT AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to

provide an improvement eyeglass construction which

consists of a series of inter-connected members, the

engagement of a first of said members to the lens being

so constructed as to facilitate the mounting of all

inter-connected members to the lens.

This is achieved by providing a eyeglass

construction which comprises :

a) lens having opposite sides;

b) a pair of lens engaging members each

having a first portion configured to

slidably engage, through endwise

insertion, the lens at a respective one of

the opposite sides, and a second portion

defining a first hinge area;

c) a pair of hinge members each having a

5 first portion adapted to slidably engage

the hinge area of the second portion of

the lens engaging member and to be

connected therewith for pivotal movement

about a substantially horizontal axis;

10 each hinge member having a second portion

defining a second hinge area;

d) a pair of temple pieces each having a

first portion adapted to engage the second

hinge area of the second portion of the

15 hinge member and to be connected therewith

for pivotal movement about a substantially

vertical axis whereby the temple pieces

may be folded rearwardly of the lens frame

piece; and

20 e) angular positioning means on each lens

engaging member and hinge member

cooperating to angularly adjust, about the

horizontal axis members relative to one

another to thereby enable the lens frame

piece to adopt various angular positions

relative to the temple pieces.

In one embodiment of the eyeglass construction

of the present invention, the lens engaging member is

configured to engage only the sides of the lens. In a

second embodiment, it engages a side and a portion of the

top part of the lens while, in a third embodiment, it

engages the entire upper edge of the lens. In all three

embodiments, this is achieved by providing on the lens

engaging member means which will enable an endwise

sliding engagement. In the second and third embodiments

the sliding engagement is followed by pressing down in a

snap-in engagement the lens engaging member with another

part of the lens frame .

Other objects and further scope of

applicability of the present invention will become

apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.

It should be understood, however, that this detailed

description, while indicating preferred embodiments of

the invention, is given by way of illustration only,

since various changes and modifications within the spirit

and scope of the invention will become apparent to those

skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first

embodiment of an eyeglass construction made in accordance

with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second

embodiment of an eyeglass construction made in accordance

with the present invention;

Figure 2a is an exploded view of one side of

the eyeglass construction of figure 2;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third

embodiment of an eyeglass construction made in accordance

with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the eyeglass

construction shown in figure 2;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the eyeglass

construction shown in figure 3;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the

embodiment illustrated in figure 2;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along

lines 7-7 of figure 2;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along

lines 8-8 of figure 6;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along

lines 9-9 of figure 6;

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along

lines 10-10 of figure 5; and

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along

lines 11-11 of figure 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3 of the

drawings, three protective eyeglass constructions 20,

120, and 220 are illustrated. Each construction

comprises a lens 22, 122, 222, preferably having a nose

piece 24, 124, 224, and including two opposite lens sides

26 and 28, 126 and 128, 226 and 228, respectively.

In the embodiment illustrated in figure 1, a

lens engaging member 30 extends crosswise the upper edge

of the lens 22 and terminates over the two opposite lens

sides 26 and 28 while, in the embodiments illustrated in

figures 2 and 3 as well as figures 4 and 5, there is

provided a pair of lens engaging members 130 and 132, 230

and 232 mounted to parts of the upper edge 133, 233 of

the lens 122, 222. In the embodiment illustrated in

figure 2, the lens engaging members 130 and 132 extend

over only the upper edge of the lens sides 126 and 128

while, in the embodiment illustrated in figure 3, the

lens pieces 230 and 232 extends not only over the upper

edge of the lens sides 226 and 228, but also over a short

distance of the upper edge of the front part of the lens

222.

The three eyeglass constructions 20, 120, 220,

each include a pair of opposite hinge members 34 and 36,

134 and 136, 234 and 236 to which are respectively

mounted temple pieces 38 and 40, 138 and 140, 238 and

240. As detailed hereinbelow, each temple piece is

formed of two sections, one being hingedly connected to

a corresponding hinge member, the other being adapted to

fit over a wearer's ear.

It is to be noted that the constructions of the

pair of hinge members and of the temple pieces for all

three embodiments 20, 120 and 220 are identical;

therefore, a detailed construction of these hinge members

and temple pieces will only be given for one embodiment

and for one side of the eyeglass. On the other hand, the

constructions of the lens engaging members 30, 130 (and

132) and 230 (and 232) vary due to the manner in which

they fit to the upper edge 133, 233 of the eyeglass.

Referring to figures 2, 2a, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9,

the present invention will be described in greater detail

in connection with the eyeglass construction 122. The

lens engaging member 130 is identically constructed to

the lens engaging member 132; therefore, only one hinge

member will be detailed.

Lens engaging member 130 defines an inverted U-

shaped body (see figure 8) with a pair of opposite side

portions 150 and 152, each having an internal rim 154,

156 that engages a correspondingly shaped groove 157

extending longitudinally on each opposite side of the

upper edge 133 of the eyeglass. The mounting of member

130 to the lens is accomplished through an endwise

sliding engagement of the member 130 onto the upper edge

of the lens side 126 of the lens.

The end of sections 150, 152 (see figure 7)

adjacent the hinge member defines a pair of rounded

extensions 150a, 152a each having a transverse hole 153,

155 so as to allow the insertion of a hinge pin

connection 158, 160 detailed hereinafter.

Referring to figure 2a, the hinge member 134

also includes a pair of rounded extensions 162 and 164

that snugly fit between the extensions 150a and 152a of

the lens engaging member as well as the rounded upper end

126a of the lens side 126. Extensions 162 and 164 also

each include a hole 163, 165 that comes into registry

with the holes 153, 155 of extensions 150a and 152a as

well as with the hole 127 provided in the extremity 126a

of the lens side 126 so that the pair of pins 158, 160 of

the hinge connection may be inserted through these holes

to secure the three components together. The engagement

of the hinge pins 158 and 160 is accomplished by first

inserting pin 158 through holes 153, 163, 127, 165, 155

all in axial registry and thereafter inserting pin

extension 160a into hollow extension 158a of pin 158

whereby the parts inter-connect through a snap

engagement.

As also illustrated in figure 6, the hinge pin

arrangement 158, 160 allows the temple piece 138 to pivot

about a horizontal axis extending centrally through the

holes. The hinge member 134 has, opposite this

horizontal axis, an extension 166 having a vertical hole

169 to receive a pin 168 so as to define a vertical axis

allowing the temple piece 138 to pivot in a horizontal

plane.

The temple piece 138 comprises two sections 170, 172 which telescopically engage one another to

provide longitudinal adjustment as illustrated by arrow

174. Section 172 displays a series of small projections

176 that engage associated small openings 178 in the

other section 170 (see figure 9) .

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in

figure 5, the construction of the lens engaging members

230 and 232 is identical to the construction of the lens

engaging members 130 and 132 of figure 4, with one

exception, in that these members include a frontward

projection 230a, 232a that extends over part of the upper

edge 233 of the lens. Referring also to figures 10 and

11, the upper edge 233 of the lens 222 is constructed

somewhat differently from that of the upper edge of the

side lens 226. Indeed, the upper edge 233 comprises only

a bulging upper area so that the downwardly side

projections 230a and 230b of the lens engaging member,

being made of resilient material, may be snapped into

engagement under the opposite shoulder areas 233a and

233b of the edge 233. Hence, in this embodiment, for

assembling the eyeglass, the lens engaging members are

first slidably engaged in an endwise manner (as described

above) with respect to the lens engaging members 130 and

132; then, this is followed by a snap-down engagement of

the extensions 230a and 232a to the upper edge 233 of the

lens .

Concerning the embodiment illustrated in figure

1, it is believed not to be required to provide a

detailed construction of the lens engaging member 30

since the portion engaging the upper edge of the entire

front part of the lens 22 is a prolongation of the two

side extensions 230a and 232a of the embodiment

illustrated in figure 3. Similarly, the engagement of

the lens engaging member 30 is accomplished by first

causing an endwise sliding engagement of those portions

extending over the lens sides 26 and 28 and then this is

followed by downward pressing engagement to snap the

front part of the lens engaging member to the front upper

edge of the lens 22.

Due to various snap-in engagements of some of

the components of the present eyeglass construction, it

is preferable to have these components made of resilient

material, such as plastics.

Although the invention has been described

above with respect to three forms, it will be evident to

a person skilled in the art that it may be modified and

refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have

it understood that the present invention should not be

limited in interpretation, except by the terms of the

following claims.