Description

Spectacle rim.

The present invention relates to a spectacle rim of the type described in the preamble of the first claim.

The term "rim" refers to the assembly made of side-pieces and frame associated with the lenses. Numerous different types of spectacle rims are known in the state of the art, including sports goggles and spectacles, especially with reference to the different methods used to hinge the side-pieces to the spectacle frame; the most popular solution is the "classical" solution in which the side-piece is hinged to the frame with a hinge with a pin around which the side-piece rotates; improvements have been made over time to permit the side-piece to rotate when opened beyond the position in which it is perpendicular to the frame, with considerable modifications being made to the hinge.

With reference to the rotation pin, the most popular type is a screw pin that allows to remove or fix the side-piece by means of the screw. The replacement of the side-pieces normally requires some time to remove the pin, uncouple the side-piece from the frame, replace the new side-piece correctly and screw the pin in; these operations are complicated by the small dimensions of the pin and of the coupling surfaces.

Another problems consists in the fact that the screw pin can be accidentally loosened and get lost during the normal use of the spectacles.

Moreover, it must be noted that rims require at least three different parts, that is to say the frame, the side-pieces and the rotation pins to couple the side-pieces to the frame by means of rotation.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to simplify the structure of the rim, by reducing the number of parts and eliminating the screw pin to overcome the inconveniences of the known art.

The present invention relates to a rim whose main peculiarities are illustrated in the first claim; a further object of the present invention is a pair of

spectacles provided with the said rim.

Further advantageous characteristics are the subject of the enclosed subclaims.

The rim of the present invention comprises two side-pieces associated by means of rotation to a frame that supports the lenses and in which each end of the frame is provided with an engagement section for the side-piece comprising a rotation pin on which it is inserted and around which the side- piece is rotated from a first angular position to a second angular position, in which the first angular position corresponds to a condition in which the side- piece can be removed by the pin, and the second angular position corresponds to a condition in which the side-piece cannot be removed from the pin, the rotation pin being basically perpendicular to the engagement arm and positioned on a different plane with respect to the one that contains the engagement arm in order to prevent the removal of the side-piece from the pin in the second angular position.

In other words, the side-pieces are inserted and rotated around a pin that is associated with the frame with the frame of the rim, in such a way that can be rotated around the pin: the side-pieces can be inserted in the pin in a first angular position and then are rotated until a second angular position, after which each side-piece can no longer be removed from the pin because of the interference with an engagement arm. To that end, the engagement arm and the pin are off-centred.

This allows to reduce and simplify the parts of the rim, being the pin unthreaded and obtained in the same piece of the frame, and also simplify the removal and replacement of the side-pieces on the frame, it being simply necessary to insert the side-piece on the pin and rotate it from the first to the second position to avoid its removal from the frame.

According to an especially advantageous embodiment the lenses can be used to lock the side-piece to prevent it from rotation from the second to the first position, thus preventing the undesired removal of the side-piece from the pin.

These and other advantageous characteristics of the invention shall be

better understood from the description of an executive embodiment, illustrated in the enclosed drawings without limiting purposes, whereby: fig. 1 is a top view of a rim according to the present invention; fig. 2 is a detailed view of the end of the frame of fig. 1 ; fig. 3 is a view of the side-piece in the first angular position in which it can be removed from the pin; fig. 4 is a view of the side-piece in the second angular position in which it cannot be removed from the pin; fig. 5 is a view of a detail of fig. 2 with the side-piece inserted in the pin; fig. 6 is a view of a detail of fig. 3 with the lens positioned on the frame; fig. 7 is a view of the spectacles of the present invention complete with lenses; fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the rim on which the spectacle lenses are mounted.

With reference to fig. 1 , the rim (1 ) of the invention comprises two side- pieces (2, 3) associated by means of rotation to the frame (4) that supports the two lenses (5, 6) illustrated in figs. 6 and 7, in the usual front position with respect to the frame. With reference also to figs. 2 and 5, it can be noted that each end (7,

8) of the frame is provided with an engagement section; each engagement section comprises an unthreaded rotation pin (10, 1 1 ) in which the side-piece (2, 3) is inserted and rotated.

Each engagement section also comprises an engagement arm (12, 13) that, as explained below, interferes with the side-piece in some angular positions; each engagement arm (12, 13) and the corresponding pin (10, 1 1 ) are basically perpendicular and positioned on different planes.

The pin (10, 1 1 ) is connected to the corresponding engagement arm (12, 13) respectively with a C-shaped section composed of a lower arm (14, 15) and a connection arm (16, 17) that is basically parallel to the pin (10, 1 1 ) according to the illustrated executive embodiment.

With reference to figs. 3 and 4, the operation of the rim (1 ) of the

present invention is illustrated: the first angular position illustrated in fig. 3 is the position in which each side-piece (2, 3) can be inserted or removed from the corresponding pin (10, 1 1 ): in fact, each side-piece (2, 3) can be moved in the direction defined by the axis of the corresponding pin (10, 1 1 ) from and to the said pin (10, 1 1 ) without encountering any interference, in such a way to couple or uncouple the pin with the corresponding hole of the side-piece (2, 3) in order to engage or disengage the side-piece (2.3, 3) with respect to the frame (4).

In the second angular position illustrated in fig. 4, the side-piece has been rotated with respect to the frame by a certain angle and is in a position in which it cannot be removed from the pin (10, 1 1 ).

As a matter of fact, the removal of the side-piece (2, 3) would involve a movement of the side-piece (2, 3) in the direction of the axis of the pin (10, 11 ), away from the lower arm (14, 15) that supports the side-piece and is connected to the pin (10, 1 1 ), and such a movement is prevented by the fact that each side-piece interferes with the corresponding engagement arm (12, 13) in such a way to prevent the removal of each side-piece.

Each additional angular movement of the side-piece in the same direction as the angular movement that has brought the side-piece from the first to the second position puts the side-piece (2, 3) in a condition in which the removal of the side-piece (2, 3) from the corresponding pin (10, 1 1 ) is prevented because of the interference between the engagement arm (12, 13) and the side-piece (2, 3) when it is moved on the axis of the pin away from the lower arm (14, 15). Consequently, starting from the second position and for any additional angular movement in the same direction as the movement from the first to the second position, each side-piece is associated with the frame (4) in a stable way without possibility of removal; in fact, to remove the side-piece, the side-piece must be brought back into the first position, in which the engagement arm (12, 13) does not interfere with the side-piece (2, 3) during the movement on the axis of the pin away from the lower arm (14, 15).

Advantageously, the first angular position corresponds to the side-

piece perpendicular to the frame, which extends on the side of the frame that can be associated with the lenses (the side-piece is practically positioned at 180° when it is opened in the normal operating position), and the second angular position corresponds to a rotation by an angle of a few degrees, for instance, 10° after which the side-piece can no longer be removed from the pin.

Therefore, the user can insert the side-piece on the pin and rotate it to reach the two typical operating positions (that is to say "closed" position with the side-piece behind the lenses parallel to the frame, and "open" position with the side-piece behind the lenses perpendicular to the frame), thus passing the second position, after which each additional rotation of the side- piece involves the impossibility to remove it from the pin: in this way the operating conditions of "closed" and "open" side-piece are both conditions in which the side-piece cannot be removed from the pin. According to an extremely advantageous embodiment, locking means are provided to prevent the side-pieces (2, 3) from accidentally passing from the second position to the first position, being accidentally removed from the frame: for instance, a hook (not shown) can be provided and moved by the user to lock the rotation of the side-piece towards the first position. According to an especially advantageous characteristic the side-pieces

(2, 3) are provided at the end with insertion hole for the pin with cam shape, which is extremely useful to prevent removal for a large rotation angle; to that end, the hole is provided in the protruding part of the cam, while the side- piece extends on the opposite side. An extremely advantageous embodiment of the rim according to the present invention provides for using the spectacle lenses as lock means: in such a case, after mounting the side-pieces on the frame as illustrated above, the user can mount the lenses that are positioned in front of the side-pieces in normal operation condition, thus preventing the rotation of the side-piece towards the first angular position and maintaining it in a position in which it cannot be removed from the pin because of the engagement arm.

The lenses can be provided with a structure used to mount them on

the frame, or alternatively the frame can be provided with housings for the lenses; in any case, when the lens (or the lens structure) is mounted in position, it acts as lock means, as illustrated above.

For instance, a possible embodiment can be obtained by means of hinged lenses on the top of the frame that can be overturned upwards starting from the operating position: in such a way, in order to mount and dismount the side-pieces, the user must first of all overturn the lenses upwards (basically of about 90° or 180°), thus permitting the rotation of the side-pieces towards the first position in which they can be removed from the pin; on the contrary, to prevent the removal of the side-pieces, the user must bring the lenses back in their normal operating position that allows for correct use of the spectacles and prevents the removal of the side-pieces.

According to an especially advantageous embodiment illustrated in the enclosed figures, the lenses (20, 21 ) are mounted on a partially rigid structure (22) and are used as lock means to avoid the angular movement of the side-pieces towards the first angular position: the structure (22) can be snapped into the frame (4) of the rim (1 ) and is provided with two mushroom heads (23, 24) at the opposite ends of the structure (22) that protrude from two corresponding plate-shaped bodies (25, 26), as shown in fig. 8. The frame is provided with two engagement housings (27, 28) for the plate-shaped bodies, that are reached after passing through corresponding guides (29, 30).

The guides (29, 30) and the plate-shaped bodies (25, 26) of the mushroom heads have a suitable shape and dimensions to permit the passage of the bodies (25, 26) into the guides (29, 30) only when the structure (22) is in oblique position with respect to the operating position (in which the lenses associated with the structure are basically parallel to the plane in which the frame is positioned); basically, the guides (29, 30) are composed of two arms separated by a distance lower than the width of the plate-shaped bodies (25, 26); advantageously (in terms of reduction of the parts) in the executive embodiment one of the guide arms is the same engagement arm.

When the structure (22) is in oblique position with respect to the mounting (or operating) position, in order to mount it on the frame, the user must slide the plate-shaped bodies (25, 26) in the guides (29, 30) thus bringing them into the corresponding engagement housings (27, 28); to lock the structure in place, the user must simply rotate the structure around its axis in such a way that the largest dimension of each plate-shaped body (25, 26) can no longer come out of the corresponding engagement housing (27, 28).

According to another advantageous characteristic, an additional lock (31 ) can be provided in the central area of the rim and structure. The additional lock (31 ) is made of two different parts, of which one part is joined to the structure (22) and one part is joined to the frame (4).

For instance, the two parts of the block (31 ) can be obtained as two mechanically interfering parts that can be coupled by means of the elastic deformation of the frame (4) or the structure (22): according to the illustrated executive embodiment, the block is obtained with a hook (32) on the frame (4) that grabs and holds in position the central part (33) of the structure; evidently, the said parts can be reciprocated, meaning that the hook may be provided on the structure. Alternatively, the lock can be obtained with two magnets, one on the frame and one on the structure, provided with mutual attraction, thus contributing to hold the two parts in position.

In this case the lock prevents the rotation of the structure around its axis and the mushroom heads prevent it from translating in parallel direction to its axis.

Because of the aforementioned principles, the pair of spectacles of the present invention can be mounted and dismounted easily: starting from the frame, the side-pieces and the structure that holds the lenses, first of all the user inserts the side-pieces into the corresponding pins and brings them in operating position as illustrated above, in which the said side-pieces cannot be removed from the pins, and then mounts the structure in oblique position, sliding the plate-shaped bodies inside the corresponding guides, snapping

the structure in the correct operation position by means of rotation and using the lock (31 ) to improve locking.

Therefore, the advantages of a rim and a pair of spectacles according to the present invention are evident: both the rim and the spectacles have no threaded parts, are easy to mount also by non-expert users who can change the side-pieces or lenses on their own (for instance to change colour and shape).

Evidently, numerous modifications can be made to the structure (for instance for aesthetical reasons) without leaving the precepts of the present invention.