WO2003062905A1

WO2003062905A1 - Spectacle frame

Info

Publication number: WO2003062905A1
Application number: PCT/IT2001/000662
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vittorio Tabacchi
Original assignee: SAFILO SOCIETÀ AZIONARIA FABBRICA ITALIANA LAVORAZIONE OCCHIALI S.p.A.
Priority date: 2001-12-31
Filing date: 2001-12-31
Publication date: 2003-07-31

Abstract

A spectacle frame is described, which comprises nasal support means provided with two juxtaposed pads (5a, 5b) defining respective nasal support surfaces (13) which can be arranged astride the user's nose, and opposed rear surfaces (14), as well as a respective support (4a, 4b) for each pad, each support including a stem (6) which can be coupled with the rear surface of the pad, and in which the pad is coupled with the stem (6) in a manner such as to be rotatable to a limited extent about the axis of the stem.

Description

Spectacle frame

Technical field

The subject of the present invention is a spectacle frame of the type comprising nasal support means provided with two juxtaposed pads defining respective nasal support surfaces which can be arranged astride the user's nose, and opposed rear surfaces, as well as a respective support for each pad, each support including a stem which can be coupled with the rear surface of the pad.

Technological background

Frames including the above-mentioned features are widely known in the technical field in question and are used in particular in the production of ultra-light spectacles in which the lenses act as load-bearing elements of the frame, together with the arms and the nose bridge.

In these frames, the pads are normally fixed rigidly to the respective supports (so-called "hooks") with the provision of suitable means (such as localized squashing or the like) for preventing their relative rotation. The geometry of the pad is adapted to fit the sides of the user's nose by deforming the hooks so as to orient the pad in the most suitable manner. This solution is dictated by its greater structural simplicity which permits a saving in the weight of the hook-pad unit as a whole. However, it leads to some disadvantages since the adaptation of the pad to the user's nose is only partial and is determined unequivocally by a rigid arrangement.

Moreover, when the stem of the support is deformed it may break or acquire incorrect shapes. The pad may nevertheless slip off the hook.

Description of the invention The problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a spectacle frame which is particularly suitable for ultra-light constructions and which is free of all of the disadvantages discussed with reference to the prior art mentioned.

This problem is solved by the invention by a frame formed in accordance with the appended claims. Brief description of the drawings

The characteristics and the advantages of the invention will become clearer from the 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 a front elevational view of a pair of spectacles with a frame formed in accordance with the invention,

- Figure 2 is a view of a detail of Figure 1 , on an enlarged scale,

- Figure 3 is a schematic view of the detail of Figure 2 from above and in section, and

- Figure 4 is a schematic view of a further detail of Figure 2, in cross-section. Preferred embodiment of the invention

In the drawings, a pair of spectacles with a frame formed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated 1 . The frame is of the so-called ultra- light type and uses the lenses 2 as load-bearing elements, that is, the lenses have no rims.

Identified in the pair of spectacles 1 are a pair of arms 3a, 3b, articulated to the outermost edges of the lenses by means of respective articulations (not visible), as well as a crosspiece or bridge 4 which joins the lenses together at their innermost edges and also constitutes means for supporting the spectacles 1 on the nose.

In order to perform this function, the crosspiece 4 is equipped with a pair of rod-like supports 4a, 4b on each of which a respective pad 5a, 5b is fitted in the manner explained below. Each support 4a, 4b has a stem 6 with a first hook-shaped bent end 7 for the fixing of the support to the crosspiece or bridge 4 and, with a second, opposite end 8 having an annular shoulder 9, on the curved surface 10 of which two angularly spaced-apart, flat abutment surfaces 1 1 a, 1 1 b are formed.

Each pad 5a, 5b comprises a nasal support surface 13 and an opposed rear surface 14. The rear surface 14 has a pair of parallel shoulders 15 which are spaced apart to an extent such as to enable the further shoulder 9 of the stem 6 to be housed between them in order to restrain the pad axially relative to the stem when they are coupled with one another.

Naturally, the pair of shoulders 15 may also be formed on the stem and the further shoulder 9 may be formed on the pad, achieving a wholly equivalent state of restraint.

The pad 5a, 5b is coupled with the stem so as to be rotatable to a limited extent owing to the provision of a respective seat 16 which is formed in each shoulder 15 and in which the stem 6 is housed rotatably. In the region of the abutment surfaces 11a, 11 b, the rear 14 has respective stop surfaces 17a, 17b which, by abutting the abutment surfaces 11a, 11 b, limit the rotation of the pad relative to the stem bilaterally to a few degrees per side (about 20°). Each shoulder 15 has a circumferential interruption in the form of a notch 20 with lead-in chamfers 21 provided for the snap-fitting of the stem 6 in the seat 16. The pads can thus be replaced easily if necessary. The notch 20 divides the corresponding shoulder into two portions which can be moved apart resiliently and the ability of which to move apart resiliently is further increased by the provision of a groove 22 formed in the seat 16, as an extension of the notch 20.

The pads, with their shoulders, are preferably formed in a single piece of plastics material.

The invention thus solves the problem posed and achieves many advantages over the previously known solutions, amongst which are extreme lightness of the assembly which is therefore very suitable for the construction of ultra-light frames, considerable structural simplicity, practical interchangeability of the pads, and optimal adaptation to users' different morphological conformations without requiring adaptations and deformations of the nasal support.

Claims

1. A spectacle frame comprising nasal support means provided with two juxtaposed pads (5a, 5b) defining respective nasal support surfaces (13) which can be arranged astride the user's nose, and opposed rear surfaces (14), as well as a respective support (4a, 4b) for each pad, each support including a stem (6) which can be coupled with the rear surface of the pad, characterized in that the pad (5a, 5b) is coupled with the stem (6) in a manner such as to be rotatable to a limited extent about the axis of the stem (6).

2. A frame according to Claim 1 in which axial restraint means are provided on the rear surface of the pad (5a, 5b) and on the stem (6) for restraining the pad axially relative to the axis of the stem (6).

3. A frame according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the stem (6) has a cylindrical rod-like shape, the axial restraint means comprising a pair of shoulders (15) which are spaced apart on the stem (6) or on the pad (5a, 5b) and between which a corresponding further shoulder (9) on the pad or on the stem is housed so that the further shoulder (9) is restrained between the shoulders (15) of the pair.

4. A frame according to Claim 3 in which at least one of the shoulders formed on the pad has a seat (16) for rotatably housing the stem (6) and at least one of the shoulders (15) on the stem (6) has means for limiting the relative rotation between the stem (6) and the pad (5a, 5b).

5. A frame according to Claim 4 in which the limiting means comprise two angularly spaced-apart abutment surfaces (1 1 a, 1 1 b) formed on the shoulder of the stem (6) and cooperating with respective stop surfaces (17a, 17b) formed on the rear surface (14) of the pad.

6. A frame according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which each shoulder on the pad has an interruption (20) through which the stem (6) can be snap-fitted in the seat.

7. A frame according to Claim 6 in which the interruption defines, in the shoulder, two portions which can be moved apart resiliently, and has lead-in surfaces for facilitating the fitting of the stem in the seat.

8. A frame according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the pads (5a, 5b) with the respective shoulders (15) are formed in a single piece of plastics material.

9. A frame according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the pads (5a, 5b) are coupled with the stem (6) of the corresponding support removably and interchangeably.