Eyewear having linkage assembly between a temple and a frame

• US 10,514,559 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Meisenholder, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky L
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Neill, Gary W
• Application Number:
  US15/339,537
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 351111, 351119, 351121, 351153, 351158, 16228
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/02 Magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/146 having special front end
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/22 Hinges pivotal connection in general F16C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/2272 Hinges without well-defined pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems and methods for wearable devices such as eyewear are described. According to one embodiment, the wearable device can include a frame, a temple, electronics, and a linkage assembly. The frame can have two opposing connection portions and the temple can be adapted to selectively interface with one of the two connection portions. The electronics can be mounted to at least one of the temple and the frame. The linkage assembly can be pivotally coupled at a first end portion to the temple and pivotally coupled at a second end portion to the one of the two connection portions. The linkage assembly can be configured for movement of the temple between a wearable position and a folded position.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

an eyewear frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a pair of temples positioned at opposite lateral end portions of the frame, temple being movable relative to the frame between a folded position and a wearable position for supporting the eyewear frame in position during wearing thereof by a user;

electronics carried by at least one of the pair of temples or the frame; and

a pair of linkage assemblies that mechanically couple the respective temples to the eyewear frame, each of the pair of linkage assemblies being pivotally coupled to the corresponding temple by at least a first pin and being pivotally coupled to the eyewear frame by at least a second pin, wherein the at least first pin defines a first pivot axis and the at least second pin defines a second pivot axis, wherein the at least first pin and the at least second pin together facilitate pivoting movement of each temple between the wearable position and the folded position, in particular, the at least first pin facilitates pivoting movement of each temple about the first pivot axis relative to each of the pair of linkage assemblies and the at least second pin facilities pivoting movement of each of the pair of linkage assemblies about the second pivot axis relative to the eyewear frame;

wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies is configured such that, in the wearable position, a front surface of each of the pair of temples interfaces directly with a rear surface of one of the lateral end portions of the eyewear frame, wherein in the wearable position each of the pair of linkage assemblies is located between one of the lateral end portions and one of the pair of temples and are received in a recess defined by the one of the pair of temples; and

wherein the pair of linkage assemblies are configured such that, in the folded position, the pair of temples are both pivoted by the first pin and the second pin clear of the rear surface of the lateral end portions by the pair linkage assemblies such that the rear surface of the lateral end portions are fully exposed.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies comprises a pair of link members each pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the corresponding lateral end portion of the eyewear frame, the pair of link members each being pivotally coupled at an opposite, distal end thereof to the corresponding temple.

3. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein a proximal end portion of each of the link members is received in a recess defined in the corresponding lateral end portion of the eyewear frame.

4. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein:

each lateral end portion of the eyewear frame has the rear surface directed substantially rearward relative to a viewing direction of the wearable device during use;

wherein each temple has the front surface directed substantially forwards relative to the viewing direction; and

wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies is configured such that, in the wearable position, the front surface of the respective temple abuts the rear surface of the corresponding lateral frame end portion, with the associated link member being located between the frame end portion and its corresponding abutting temple.

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein, in the folded position, the front surface of each temple is transverse relative to its orientation in the wearable position and is laterally offset from the rear surface of the corresponding frame end portion, relative to the viewing direction.

6. The wearable device of claim 5, wherein, in the folded position, the link member extends transversely relative to the viewing direction.

7. The wearable device of claim 5, wherein, in the folded position, a lengthwise direction of the link member is substantially normal to the viewing direction.

8. The wearable device of claim 5, wherein, in the folded position, no part of the link member is located rearwards of the rear surface of the frame end portion, relative to the viewing direction.

13. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising, at each of the pair of linkage assemblies, a respective magnetic locating mechanism comprising cooperating magnetic elements housed respectively by the frame and the corresponding temple to locate, by magnetic action, the temple relative to the eyewear frame in the wearable position.

9. A wearable device comprising:

an eyewear frame configured to hold one or more optical elements;

a pair of temples positioned at opposite lateral end portions of the frame, temple being movable relative to the frame between a folded position and a wearable position for supporting the eyewear frame in position during wearing thereof by a user;

electronics carried by at least one of the pair of temples or the frame; and

a pair of linkage assemblies that mechanically couple the respective temples to the eyewear frame, each of the pair of linkage assemblies being pivotally coupled to the corresponding temple by at least a first pin and being pivotally coupled to the eyewear frame by at least a second pin, wherein the at least first pin and the at least second pin together facilitate pivoting movement of each temple between the wearable position and the folded position, in particular, the at least first pin facilitates pivoting movement of each temple relative to each of the pair of linkage assemblies and the at least second pin facilities pivoting movement of each of the pair of linkage assemblies relative to the eyewear frame, wherein in the folded position the pair of temples are both pivoted clear of a rear surface of the lateral end portions by the pair linkage assemblies such that the rear surface is fully exposed, and wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies comprises a pair of link members that are spaced one above the other relative and the pair of link members have three pivoting axes, wherein two of the three pivoting axes are defined by the at least the first pin and the at least the second pin, each of the link members being pivotally connected to the eyewear frame at the at least the second pin.

10. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein the link members of each pair are non-aligned relative to each other along at least a majority of the length thereof.

11. The wearable device of claim 10, wherein, at each of the pair of linkage assemblies, the at least the second pin comprises a single pin that couples each of the respective pair of link members to the temple, so that the pair of link members have a common pivot axis at their proximal ends.

12. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies is configured such that the pair of link members have a single common pivot axis that comprises the at least the second pin.

14. A method comprising:

providing a pair of temples and an eyewear frame configured to hold one or more optical elements and electronics; and

coupling the pair of temples to opposite lateral end portions of the frame by respective linkage assemblies, wherein each of the respective linkage assemblies is pivotally coupled to one corresponding temple by at least a first pin and is pivotally coupled to the eyewear frame by at least a second pin, wherein via the at least the first pin and the at least the second pin the temples are pivotably movable between a folded position where the pair of temples are both pivoted clear of a rear surface of the lateral end portions by the pair linkage assemblies such that the rear surface is fully exposed and a wearable position for supporting the eyewear frame during wearing thereof by a user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies comprises a link member that is pivotally coupled at a proximal end thereof to the corresponding lateral end portion of the eyewear frame, the link member being pivotally coupled at an opposite, distal end thereof to the corresponding temple.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a proximal end portion of the link member is received in a recess defined in the corresponding lateral end portion of the eyewear frame, and wherein a distal end portion of the link member is received in a cavity defined in the corresponding temple.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the pair of linkage assemblies comprises a pair of link members that are spaced one above the other relative to pivoting axes in which the corresponding temple is movable in disposition from the folded position to the wearable position and vice versa, each of the link members being pivotally connected to the eyewear frame at the at least the second pin, and being pivotally connected to the corresponding temple at the least the first pin.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupling of the temples to the eyewear frame further comprises providing, at each linkage assembly, a respective magnetic locating mechanism that comprises cooperating magnetic elements housed respectively by the frame and the corresponding temple to locate, by magnetic action, the temple relative to the eyewear frame in the wearable position.