articulation of spectacle arms, according to the preamble to the main claim.

Technological background Within the specific technical field, it is known to articulate spectacle arms by means of respective eyelet elements which are fixed firmly to the arm and to the shoulder of the frame, respectively, and in which screws or threaded pins constituting hinge pins of the articulation of the arms are engaged.

Hinge connections which are free of threaded couplings between the pin and the hinge elements are also known. An example of such a hinge device is known from European patent No. 495767. Although, on the one hand, the hinge connection described therein does not require threaded couplings of the hinge pin, on the other hand, it requires quite complex machining to produce the pin and the seats for housing it, with a consequent increase in production costs and times.

Description of the invention A main object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device for the articulation of spectacle arms, the structure of which is particularly simplified in comparison with known solutions and such as not to require complex machining of the hinge elements.

Another object is to provide a hinge device in which the parts are assembled quickly and easily with a minimum number of components, but which at the same time ensures effective articulation of the arm and also gives it a pleasing appearance.

Yet another object is to provide a device which can be assembled/dismantled easily by a small number of operations so as to simplify the production cycle of the spectacles with a consequent reduction in the related times and costs.

These and other objects which will become clearer from the following description are achieved by the invention by means of a hinge device for the articulation of spectacle arms formed in accordance with the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge device formed in accordance with the invention, - Figure 2 is a partially-sectioned perspective view of the device of Figure 1 in the assembled condition, - Figure 3 is a partial side elevational view of a variant of the device of the invention, - Figure 4 is a partial plan view of the variant of Figure 3, - Figure 5 is a partial side elevational view of a further variant of the device according to the invention, and - Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the variant of Figure 5.

Preferred embodiment of the invention With reference to the drawings mentioned, a hinge device, generally indicated 1, is for the articulation of an arm 2 to a shoulder 3, shown only partially in Figure 1, of a spectacle frame formed in accordance with the present invention.

The hinge device 1 comprises a first hinge element and a second hinge element, indicated 4 and 5, connected to the arm 2 and to the shoulder 3, respectively. The hinge element 4 comprises a plate-like portion 6 formed as an eyelet and having a through-hole 7. The portion 6 is advantageously formed at one end of the arm 2 and is incorporated in the arm or formed integrally therewith.

The second hinge element 5 comprises a fork-shaped element 8 with two opposed, parallel and spaced-apart plate-like tines 9,10 both extending in the same direction from a common connecting region 8a. A rod-shaped appendage 10b for the attachment of the hinge element to the shoulder of the spectacles, for example, by fixing with interference in a corresponding seat of the shoulder, not shown, extends from the region 8a on the opposite side to the tines 9,10. The fork-shaped element 8 may extend directly from the shoulder of the spectacles, as shown in Figures 5,6, and may be a part connected to the shoulder or an integral part of the shoulder.

Each tine 9,10 of the fork has a respective through-hole 11. The holes 11 are coaxial along a hinge axis, indicated X in the drawings.

The portion 6 of the first hinge element is housed between the plate-like tines 9,10 of the fork with the respective holes arranged coaxially for the insertion of a cylindrical pin 12 constituting a hinge pin for the articulation of the hinge elements relative to one another.

According to a principal characteristic of the invention, a locking element 13 is fitted on the fork 8 transverse the axis X (in the direction of the arrow F of Figure 1), and is formed as a resilient clip which is structurally independent of the hinge elements 4,5 and can be fitted removably thereon as will be explained in greater detail in the following description.

The clip element 13 comprises a pair of opposed plate-like cheeks 14,15 both extending in the same direction from a common connecting base 16. The distance between the cheeks 14,15 is such as to ensure a substantial form fit between facing inner surfaces 14a, 15a of the clip and respective and corresponding outer and opposed surfaces 9a, 10a of the fork. The coupling between the surfaces is such that the hinge pin 12 previously inserted through the through-holes of the hinge elements is trapped and restrained axially between the cheeks 14,15 of the clip element.

In other words, the plate-like tines 9,10 of the fork, as well as the plate-like portion 6 are held packed together between the cheeks of the clip and the pin 12 is locked axially at its opposite ends by the cheeks of the clip element.

Releasable stop means which can oppose release of the clip from the fork are also provided for restraining the fork and the clip element relative to one another. These means comprise a projection 17 extending from a free end 15a of the cheek 15 and, for example, produced by bending of the cheek 15 towards the opposite cheek 14. The cheeks of the clip are also resiliently deformable so that the clip is fitted on the fork by initial resilient opening-out of the cheeks to reach a snap-coupling position (Figure 2) in which the projection 17 cooperates with a corresponding surface 18 of the fork to oppose removal of the clip. The surface 18 is defined, for example, by the chamfering of a corner portion of the fork, as shown in Figure 1.

In a first variant of the invention, proposed with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the projection is formed by localized beading of a portion 20 of one of the cheeks 14,15 (in the embodiment described, the cheek 15), in the region of the hole 11 so that the portion 15a is housed in the hole. In this case, the pin 12 is recessed to permit the insertion of the portion 15a in the hole 11.

In a second variant of the invention, proposed with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the projection is formed by a pair of adjacent serrated elements 19 projecting at the free end of one of the cheeks 14,15.

The invention thus achieves the objects proposed, affording many advantages over known solutions.

A first advantage lies in the fact that the hinge device of the invention does not require threaded pins or screws in the articulation of the spectacle arm.

A second advantage is that the device according to the invention permits quick and easy assembly of the components by virtue of the snap-coupling of the clip locking element.

Another advantage consists of the fact that the articulation of the arm according to the invention requires neither complex machining of the spectacles nor welding operations, thus permitting the use of different materials for the production of the hinge elements which form the device of the invention.

Yet another advantage lies in the small number of components of the device according to the invention, which simplifies the assembly-dismantling of the device with a consequent reductions in the overall manufacturing costs and times for a pair of spectacles equipped with the hinge connecting device.

One of the chief advantages is a small overall height of the hinge device formed in accordance with the invention.