Foldable spectacles with temple members having deformable earpieces for fitting into compact case

• US 5,640,218 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kanda Optical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kanda Optical Company Limited
• Inventors: Kanda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/577,175
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 351/63, 351/118, 351/119, 351/111, 351/121, 351/122, 351/123, 351/41, 351/158, 2/454
• US Class Current: 351/63
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/006 Collapsible frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/08 foldable
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/20 adjustable, e.g. telescopic

Abstract

Spectacles accommodated in a flat case comprise an auxiliary temple member pivoted to the outer end of upper side of a lens frame and a main temple member pivoted to a free end of the temple member, the temple members being folded generally in the same plane as the lens frame and prepared from a light metal. The main temple member is provided at its outer end with an earpiece prepared from an easily elastically deformable synthetic resin and having an ear-engaging bent portion at the earpiece outer end. The spectacles can be worn by the user with good stability by engaging the bent portion on the ear from above. The case has a small height H₀ less than the bend height H of the bent portion and corresponding to the overall thickness of the lens frame and the auxiliary temple member as folded. The earpiece is made of the easily elastically deformable resin, so that when a lid of the case is closed with the temple members folded in the same plane as the lens frame for encasing, the earpiece is moved along the case bottom and elastically deformed by being pushed by the lid, whereby the spectacles are accommodated in the flat case.

Claims

1. In spectacles which are foldable to fit into a thin, compact spectacle case having an inside height (H₀) substantially corresponding to a height of a spectacle lens frame, said spectacles including an auxiliary temple member pivotally connected to an outer end of an upper side of a lens frame, and a main temple member pivotally connected to a free end of the auxiliary temple member, the auxiliary temple member and the main temple member being prepared from a light metal and foldable generally in a plane which is the same as the lens frame to accommodate the spectacles in the spectacle case, the improvement comprising:

the main temple member having attached to an outer end thereof an earpiece prepared from an easily elastically deformable synthetic resin, the earpiece having a bent portion with a normal bend height (H) greater than the inside height (H₀) of the spectacle case, the earpiece being deformable to a height corresponding to the inside height (H₀) of the spectacle case and in a plane with the main temple member and auxiliary temple member corresponding to that of the lens frame.

2. The spectacles of claim 1 wherein the outer end of the main temple member is fitted in an insertion bore formed in the earpiece longitudinally thereof, and a plurality of adjusting holes are formed in the outer end portion of the main temple member, the earpiece being fastened to the main temple member with a screw driven into one of the adjusting holes and a hole formed in the earpiece and registered with said one adjusting hole.

3. The spectacles of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary temple member is provided at a base end thereof with a support pin slightly so inclined as to position its outer end a larger distance away from the upper side of the lens frame, and the support pin is rotatably supported by the outer end of the upper side of the lens frame.

4. The spectacles of claim 1 wherein the main temple member has a base end rotatably supported by the free end of the auxiliary temple member by means of a pivot and provided with a stopper bulging toward the auxiliary temple member beyond the pivot.

5. The spectacles of claim 1, further including:

a spectacle case for receiving said spectacles, said spectacle case having an inside height (H₀) substantially corresponding to the height of the lens frame.

6. The spectacles of claim 5, wherein said spectacle case further comprises:

a spectacle case having a thickness less than the bend height (H) of the bent portion of said earpiece; and

said spectacle case inside height (H₀) corresponding to a height of the assembly of the lens frame, the auxiliary temple member and the main temple member as folded to a flat platelike form.

7. In a flat spectacle case with foldable spectacles which are accommodated therein, the foldable spectacles comprising an auxiliary temple member pivoted to an outer end of an upper side of a lens frame and a main temple member pivoted to a free end of the auxiliary temple member, the auxiliary temple member and the main temple member being prepared from a light metal and foldable generally in the same plane as the lens frame to accommodate the spectacles in the spectacle case, the improvement comprising:

the main temple member of ther folding spectacles having attached to an outer end thereof an earpiece prepared from an easily elastically deformable synthetic resin, the earpiece having a bent portion with a bent height (H); and

the spectacle case having an inside height (H₀) smaller than the bent height (H) of the bent portion of the earpiece, the inside height (H₀) of the spectacle case substantially corresponding to a height of the assembly of the lens frame, the auxiliary temple member and the main temple member as folded to a flat platelike form.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein the earpiece is deformable to a height corresponding to the inside height (H₀) of the spectacle case and in a plane with the main temple member and auxiliary temple member corresponding to that of the lens frame.