Eyeglass frame having flexible temples

• US 6,886,934 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovention Enterprises Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Innovention Enterprises Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Tatsuro, Asman, Steven, Gordon, Carey
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US10/417,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 351111-114, 351/122
• US Class Current: 351/112
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/02 Ornaments, e.g. exchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 3/04 Arrangements for supporting by hand, e.g. lorgnette, Arrangements for supporting by articles by walking-sticks A45B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/16 resilient or with resilient parts

Abstract

Eyeglasses having temples pivotally attached to an eyewear front and which include an elongate body having a front end connected to the eyewear front and an inner surface adapted to be positioned against a head of a wearer. The elongate body has a notch formed at least partially between the inner and outer surfaces and opening at a rear to the outer surface to form a thinned wall section between the notch and inner surface and a rearwardly facing projection between the notch and outer surface. The thinned wall section has a smaller cross-section than a remaining portion of said elongate body and providing outward flexibility to said temple. The projection has a rearwardly facing tip and is spaced from the notch to thereby define a gap adapted to receive an object to enable the temple to be clipped to a shirt pocket.

Claims

1. A temple for eyewear, comprising:

an elongate body having opposite front and rear ends and opposite inner and outer surfaces, said front end being adapted to be connected to an eyewear front and said inner surface being adapted to be positioned against a head of a wearer of the eyewear,

said elongate body having a notch formed at least partially between said inner and outer surfaces and opening at a rear to said outer surface to thereby form a thinned wall section between said notch and said inner surface and a rearwardly facing projection between said notch and said outer surface,

said thinned wall section having a smaller cross-section than a remaining portion of said elongate body and providing outward flexibility to said temple,

said projection having a rearwardly facing tip and being spaced from said notch to thereby define a gap between said tip and said notch adapted to receive an object to enable the temple to be clipped to an object, said gap being defined in a clipped condition of the temple and in an unclipped condition of the temple.

2. The temple of claim 1, wherein said notch extends inwardly from said rear opening toward said inner surface and forwardly toward said front end.

3. The temple of claim 1, wherein said elongate body has a front body portion adjacent said front end and a rear body portion adjacent said rear end, said rear body portion having a smaller cross-section than said front body portion such that said rear body portion is more flexible than said front body portion.

4. The temple of claim 3, further comprising a flexible sheath covering said rear body portion.

5. The temple of claim 4, wherein said rear body portion includes a projection formed on said outer surface, said sheath including an aperture receivable of said projection.

6. The temple of claim 1, wherein said elongate body includes a front body portion adjacent said front end and having a substantially triangular cross-section.

7. The temple of claim 1, wherein said projection is shaped as a substantially triangular prism terminating in a rearwardly facing tip.

8. The temple of claim 1, wherein said projection extends from a location on said elongate body between said notch and said front end.

9. The temple of claim 1, further comprising a hinge arranged at said front end of said elongate body for enabling pivotal attachment of said elongate body to the eyewear front.

10. The temple of claim 1, wherein said tip overlies a location on said outer surface of said elongate body forward of a rearward tip of said notch.

11. An eyeglass frame, comprising:

an eyewear front defining a pair of slots for receiving lens; and

a pair of temples each pivotally attached to a respective edge of said eyewear front;

each of said temples comprising

an elongate body having opposite front and rear ends and opposite inner and outer surfaces, said front end being connected to said eyewear front and said inner surface being adapted to be positioned against a head of a wearer of the frame,

said elongate body having a notch formed at least partially between said inner and outer surfaces and opening at a rear to said outer surface to thereby form a thinned wall section between said notch and said inner surface and a rearwardly facing projection between said notch and said outer surface,

said thinned wall section having a smaller cross-section than a remaining portion of said elongate body and providing outward flexibility to said temple,

said projection having a rearwardly facing tip and being spaced from said notch to thereby define a gap between said tip and said notch adapted to receive an object to enable said temple to be clipped to an object, said gap being defined in a clipped condition of said temple and in an unclipped condition of said temple.

12. The frame of claim 11, wherein said notch extends inwardly from said rear opening toward said inner surface and forwardly toward said front end.

13. The frame of claim 11, wherein said elongate body has a front body portion adjacent said front end and a rear body portion adjacent said rear end, said rear body portion having a smaller cross-section than said front body portion such that said rear body portion is more flexible than said front body portion.

14. The frame of claim 13, wherein each of said temples further comprises a flexible sheath covering said rear body portion.

15. The frame of claim 14, wherein said rear body portion includes a projection formed on said outer surface, said sheath including an aperture receivable of said projection.

16. The frame of claim 11, wherein said elongate body includes a front body portion adjacent said front end and having a substantially triangular cross-section.

17. The frame of claim 11, wherein said projection is shaped as a substantially triangular prism terminating in a rearwardly facing tip.

18. The frame of claim 11, wherein said projection extends from a location on said elongate body between said notch and said front end.

19. The frame of claim 11, further comprising means for pivotally attaching said elongate body to said eyewear front.

20. The frame of claim 11, wherein said tip overlies a location on said outer surface of said elongate body forward of a rearward tip of said notch.