Connecting device, particularly for eyeglasses

• US 5,987,702 A
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Luxottica Leasing S.P.A.
• Inventors: Simioni, Luciano
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/086,034
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 16/228, 16/254, 16/257, 16/261, 16/271, 403/326, 403/327, 403/325, 351/111, 351/113, 351/114, 351/116, 351/119, 351/121, 351/153
• US Class Current: 16/228
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/04 Junctions between frame elements having a click function
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/08 Modular frames, easily exchangeable frame parts and lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/26 Coil spring pushed upon actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/08 foldable
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/10 Intermediate bars or bars between bridge and side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/16 resilient or with resilient parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/20 adjustable, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/2245 comprising a sliding box containing a spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/599 Spring biased manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/602 by separate spring

Abstract

A connecting device, particularly for mutually connecting components of eyeglasses such as temples and a front and/or a lens and a lens and/or an eyewire and an eyewire and/or a temple and a temple. The device is constituted by at least one element which is detachably associable, with an interlocking action, with at least one of the components, in contrast with at least one flexible element, and can be pivoted to the other component. The device is structurally simple, easy and straightforward to assemble, and at the same time allows to achieve, for example, the extrawide opening of the temple at a low cost and without seizing.

Claims

1. A connecting device for connecting a first eyeglass element to a second eyeglass element, comprising:

a through opening provided in said first eyeglass element, said through opening extending entirely through said first eyeglass element between mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element;

a body element, said body element having a first cavity and a second cavity which are arranged mutually opposite substantially along an axis of said body element and which are mutually separated by a wall portion of said body element arranged on said axis, said wall portion having an extension along said axis with a dimension which is smaller than a dimension extending between. two mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening such that said body element mav be insertably arranged in said through opening so that said wall portion is arranged between said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening on said axis and such that said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening are arranged inside said first and second cavities of said body element;

at least one flexible elament arrangeable in one of said first and second cavities between one of said edge portions of said through opening of said first eyeglass element and said wall portion of body element for biasing said body element into a stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element; and

a pivot element connected to said body element for pivotally connecting said body element arranged in said stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element to said second eyeglass element.

2. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein when said body element is arranged in said stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element, said body element has a first side engaged at a first surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element, and a second side engaged at a second surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

3. The connecting device of claim 2, wherein said pivot element is arranged adjacent one of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

4. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein said first eyeglass element is a temple and said second eyeglass element is a front.

5. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein said first eyeglass element is a front and said second eyeglass element is a temple.

6. A combination of a connecting device in a pair of eyeglasses which connects a first eyeglass element of said pair of eyeglasses to a second eyeglass element of said pair of eyeglasses, the combination comprising:

a through opening provided in said first eyeglass element, said through opening extending entirely through said first eyeglass element between mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element;

a body element, said body element having a first cavity and a second cavity which are arranged mutually opposite substantially along an axis of said body element and which are mutually separated by a wall portion of said body element arranged on said axis, said wall portion having an extension along said axis with a dimension which is smaller than a dimension extending between two mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening such that said body element is insertably arranged in said through opening so that said wall portion is arranged between said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening on said axis and such that said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening are arranged inside said first and second cavities of said body element;

at least one flexible element arranged in one of said first and second cavities between one of said edge portions of said through opening of said first eyeglass element and said wall portion of body element so as to bias said body element into a stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element; and

a pivot element connected to said body element for pivotally connecting said body element arranged in said stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element to said second eyeglass element.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said body element has a first side engaged at a first Surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element, and a second side engaged at a second surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein said pivot element is arranged adjacent one of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

9. The combination of claim 6, wherein said first eyeglass element is a temple and said second eyeglass element is a front.

10. The combination of claim 6, wherein said first eyeglass element is a front and said second eyeglass element is a temple.

11. A method of connecting a first eyeglass element of a pair of eyeglasses to a second eyeglass element of said pair of eyeglasses, comprising:

providing a through opening in said first eyeglass element such that said through opening extends entirely through said first eyeglass element between mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element;

providing a body element such that said body element has a first cavity and a second cavity which are arranged mutually opposite substantially along an axis of said body element and which are mutually separated by a wall portion of said body element arranged on said axis, and such that said wall portion has an extension along said axis with a dimension which is smaller than a dimension extending between two mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening;

providing at least one flexible element;

insertably arranging said body element in said through opening such that said wall portion is arranged between said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening on said axis, and such that said mutually opposite edge portions of said through opening are arranged inside said first and second cavities of said body element, and such that said at least one flexible element is arranged in one of said first and second cavities between one of said edge portions of said through opening of said first eyeglass element and said wall portion of body element so as to bias said body element into a stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element; and

pivotally connecting said body element arranged in said stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element to said second eyeglass element.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising engaging a first side of said body element at a first surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element, and engaging a second side of said body element at a second surface of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising arranging a pivot element, for pivotally connecting said body element arranged in said stably connected arrangement in said through opening of said first eyeglass element to said second eyeglass element, adjacent one of said mutually opposite surfaces of said first eyeglass element.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising providing said first eyeglass element as a temple and providing said second eyeglass element as a front.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising providing said first eyeglass element as a front and providing said second eyeglass element as a temple.