Technical field The present invention relates to a hinge device particularly for the connection of the sides to the front of frames for spectacles and the like, according to the preamble of the main claim.

Technological background As is known, the connection between the sides and the front of a frame for spectacles is typically produced by means of the provision of comb hinges joined to each other by means of a screw, which provides the rotation pivot.

The screw is held in position by a small bolt connected to the lower end of the screw itself or can be screwed onto the lower wing of the female hinge part.

This type of solution, in the course of time, may result in the loosening of the screw, with the need to provide periodically for tightening of the screw, with a varying degree of difficulty in so far as, normally, the user does not have a suitable screwdriver available.

In an endeavour to solve this problem, various solutions have already been introduced in which the hinge is produced by means of a cylindrical pin which is connected to the end of the frame side, and which is inserted into a seat defined by a box or housing which is rigidly connected to a support element or to a part protruding from the front of the frame.

For example, in Patent Application EP 0 945751 a solution is illustrated in which the pin connected to the frame side is produced from plastics material and makes it possible to produce, depending on the constructional choices, a different friction between the pin of the frame side and the seat, thereby being able to respond to the different production requirements.

In said embodiment, the box or housing is rigidly connected to the front by means of soldering operations which are particularly complex and which, in addition, drastically limit the choice of materials, so that said type of solution, which is advantageous at the time of fitting, in so far as it makes it possible to insert the pin into the seat by means of introduction in an axial direction by way of a notch which opens into the slot which defines the gap for possible

pivoting of the frame side, proves to be considerably complex from the production point of view and drastically limits the operational choices, in so far as it does not offer the possibility of substituting the box or housing.

Description of the invention The objective proposed for the invention is precisely that of eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing a hinge device particularly for the connection of the sides to the front of frames for spectacles and the like, which offers the possibility of producing a rapid connection of the box or housing to the frame, without thereby needing to have recourse to complex operations or such as to place limitations on the materials with which the box or housing is produced.

Within the framework of the objective stated above, a particular aim of the invention is that of providing a hinge device which makes it possible to obtain, if required, predetermined positions of the positioning of the frame side, by producing the so-called resilient hinge.

A further aim of the present invention is that of providing a hinge device in which the box or housing is capable of being rigidly coupled to the front of the frame without requiring specific fixing operations, it being possible to obtain the connection directly at the time of mounting of the frame side.

The objective stated above, and also the aims mentioned and others which will become clearer hereinafter, are fulfilled by a hinge device particularly for the connection of the sides to the front of frames of spectacles and the like, produced in accordance with the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a hinge device particularly for the connection of the sides to the front of frames for spectacles and the like, indicated by way of non-limiting example by means of the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically in side elevation the hinge device according to the invention, placed between a frame side and a frame front for spectacles ;

Figure 2 shows the device seen from above and partially in section; Figure 3 shows, in an exploded perspective view, the elements constituting the hinge device; Figure 4 shows the hinge device assembled, with the housing partially in section; Figure 5 illustrates in an exploded perspective view a hinge device with predetermined positioning points; Figure 6 shows in section the solution of Figure 5.

Preferred method of execution of the invention With reference to the aforesaid drawings, and in particular to Figures 1 to 4, the hinge device particularly for the connection of the sides to the front of frames for spectacles and the like, which is indicated as a whole by the reference number 1, comprises a frame side 2 which can be produced from stamped metal, metal with reinforcement, by means of a plastic element with insert, or at least one metallic reinforcing element. At one end, the frame side 2 has a hinge pin 3 which has a substantially cylindrical configuration with axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal development of the frame side 2.

The hinge device comprises a housing, indicated as a whole by the reference number 10, which is advantageously constituted by a body 11 provided with a recess 12 transversely to which there is defined a seat 15 for rotatable engagement of the pin 3.

The seat 15 is formed by an upper hole 15a and a lower hole 15b arranged in alignment with each other. The lower hole 15b is connected to a notch 16 which makes it possible to insert the pin 3 in an axial direction so that the terminal portion of the frame side passes through the notch 16 and the frame side 2 can lodge inside the recess 12, allowing rotation.

A particular characteristic of the invention consists in the fact that the pin 3, once inserted within the seat 15, is capable of connecting a lug 20 of the front 21 of the spectacle frame to the housing.

More precisely, the lug 20 defines an arched portion 22 which is arranged circumferentially in engagement with the pin 3 and is received in a rebate 24 defined on the bottom of the recess 12.

The arched portion 22 is bounded by a locating end 25 which bears on an abutment 26 of the body 11, so that the housing body, by the engagement between pin 3 and arched portion 22, remains firmly coupled to the lug without the need for recourse to further connecting elements.

The arrangement described provides the possibility of modifying as desired both the configuration of the body of the housing, which may easily be substituted, and the various materials of the body of the housing in order to obtain characteristics of flexibility and elasticity which may vary each time.

It is further possible to produce, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, a hinge device with preferential snap-fit positioning.

To this end, the pin, indicated by 3', has a cam configuration produced by means of flats 30 which engage with a shaped arched portion 31 of the lug, still indicated by 20, so as to be able to obtain as specified in the embodiment described, stable positions of snap-fit positioning for the frame sides when opening and closing.

Obviously, depending on the type of cam which is provided on the pin 3', it is possible to obtain a different type of positioning of the frame side, and also a different friction during the rotation phase.

From what is illustrated above, it will therefore be seen that the invention fulfils the aims proposed and in particular the fact is emphasized that the hinge device according to the invention provides the possibility of coupling the housing or box to the lug of the front of the spectacle frame without having to carry out soldering or other operations, but simply by benefitting from the coupling with the pin which allows self-locking of the housing on the lug.

The invention thus devised is capable of numerous modifications and variants, all coming within the scope of the inventive concept.

In addition, all the details may be substituted by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used and also the dimensions and contingent forms may be of any kind according to requirements.