GB2178186A - A sidepiece for spectacle frames - Google Patents

Abstract

The side piece has is adaptable to the shape of the wearer's head. It has elongate side piece core 2 made of a resilient material on which individual members 3 are threaded, such members being retained on the core by an end piece 5. To shorten the side piece, the end piece is removed, one or more of the threaded-on members are removed from the core and the end piece is then repositioned, and secured. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A sidepiece for spectacle frames The invention relates to a side piece for spectacle frames which is resilient and adaptable in length to the head of the person wearing the spectacles, hereinafter called the wearer.

Resilient side pieces are known. The resilience ensures intimate engagement of the side pieces with the wearer's temples and, therefore, a firm fit of the spectacles. The resilience is produced by specially constructed resilient hinges or resilient pivots by way of which the inherently rigid side piece is pivoted laterally to the front part of the spectacles.

Also known are side pieces whose length is adaptable to the wearer's head by means of special sliding or latching mechanisms.

The concept of combining resilience with adaptability in a single side piece has so far not been carried into effect, for the reason that both the known resilient mechanisms and also the known length adaptation mechanisms considered on their own are not only fairly complicated but also take up so much space that the two mechanisms cannot both be received in a single side piece.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a side piece for spectacle frames which is of simple technical construction but combine in itself the properties of resilience and adaptability. The subject of the invention solves this problem.

The invention relates to a side piece for spectacle frames characterised by the following features: (a) an elongate core made of a resilient material; (b) a number of members threaded loosely in contiguous relationship on the core; (c) a thickening which is disposed at the rear end near the ear of the core and which is operative as abutment for the threaded-on members; (d) an end piece disposed on the front end of the core before the first of the threaded-on members, and (e) at least one removable retaining element operative to secure the end piece and received, by way of a bore in the end piece in a bore registering with the bore in the end piece (f) the elongate bore being formed along its length with a number of bores for the selectable insertion of a retaining element in the bore corresponding to the required sidepiece length.

Preferably, the elongate core is made of a resilient hardened metal while the members are made of plastics or more particularly metal. Conveniently, the rearward ear end of the core is also devised as a tang to receive the ear bend, while the end piece at the front end of the core is rigidly connected to the hinge part by way of which the side piece is pivoted to the lens or lens rim of the spectacles.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the subject of the Application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a finish-assembled side piece according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the elongate core of the side piece; Figure 3 shows one of the members which are pushed on to the core, and Figure 4 shows the assembly of the side piece according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows an elongate structure, namely core 2 of the side piece 1 (Fig. 1) made preferably of a resilient hardened metal. In the illustration the core 2 is in cross-section rectangular; however, other cross-sectional shapes are possible provided that they do not impair the flexibility of the core 2.

At its right-end-i.e., the ear end in Fig.

2-the core 2 has a thickening 9 which runs out into a narrow part 11 operative as a tang to receive a preferably plastics ear bend 10.

The same is shown in chain lines in Figs. 2 and 4. The tang 11 is shown as being straight; however, in can be bent in accordance with the bending of the ear bend 10.

The elements 9, 11 can be unitary with the core 2; however, they can each be an independent structure rigidly connected to the core 2 by means of known appropriate steps.

A number of members 3 are threaded chainwise and in contiguous relationship with one another on to the core 2 from its left-hand end in Fig. 2. One such member 3 is shown in Fig. 3. The members 3 can be made of any appropriate material, for example, plastics.

Preferably, however, they are made of metal.

The members 3 are formed with a continuous inner aperture 4 of the same cross-section as core 2, the cross-section being so dimensioned that the members 3 can be threaded on to the core 2 readily but without considerable clearance, the thickened part 9 ensuring that the members 3 do not slip off the righthand ear end of the core 2 and thus forming an abutment for the members 3.

Fronts 12 of the members 3 threaded on to the core are bevelled or rounded in order not to inhibit the flexibility of the core 2.

An end piece A, visible in Fig. 1, is pushed on to the front end of the core 2, such end being on the left in the drawings and being free from members 3. The end piece A is secured to the core 2 by screws 8 visible in Fig. 4. The screws 8 are screwed into tapped bores 7 of the end piece A and extend into bores 6, visible in Fig. 2, in the core 2, the bores 6 registering with the bores 7. The end piece A can be removed from the front end of the core at any time by removing the screws 8.

In Figs. 1 and 4 the end piece A is of the same shape as the two threaded-on and adjacently disposed members 3; however, these 'pseudo members" 3a, 3b are rigidly interconnected. However, the end piece A need not necessarily be thus devised and can equally well take the form, for example, of a simple elongate sleeve of substantially rectangular cross-section, such sleeve being pushed on to the front end of the core 2 and secured there.

The end piece A also has in Figs. 1 and 4 a hinging part 5 operative to pivot the side piece 1 to the lens (not shown) or lens rim of the spectacles. The part 5 through which the tapped bores 7 extend rigidly secured, for example, by hard soldering, to the pseudomembers 3a, 3b.

The tapped bores 7 are spaced apart from one another by a distance corresponding to the length L of the single member 3. As will be apparent from the foregoing, similar considerations apply to the spacing between the bores 6 in the core 2. At maximum length of the side piece 1 the screws 8 extend, as considered from left to right in Fig. 2, into the first bore and second bore in the core 2.

To shorten the side piece 1 by one member 3, the screws 8 are screwed out, the end piece A removed, the member 3 adjacent the same is removed from the core 2 and the end piece A is then re-positioned and screwed fast but with the screws 8 extending into the second bore 6 and the third bore 6 of the core 2. The surplus length of the core 2 arising from the shortening of the side piece projects beyond the end piece A on the left (not shown in Figs. 1 and 4) and is removed by sawing or in some other appropriate manner.

To shorten the side piece 1 by two members 3, the end piece A is removed, two members 3 are removed, whereafter the screws 8 of the replaced end piece A are screwed into the third bore 6 and fourth bore 6 in the core 2.

In Fig. 2 only four bores 6 are shown in the core 2. However, more such bores can be present so that a fifth bore enables the side piece to be shortened by three members, a sixth bore enables the side piece to be shortened by four members, and so on.

The side piece according to the invention is devoid of the known complex spring hinges, resilience being provided by the use of a resilient side piece core. Also, the known bulky latching mechanisms for length adaptation of the side piece are not used and a new, simple and space-saving length adaptation system is provided. This not only enables for the first time the combination of side piece resilience with individual adaptability of the side piece to the shape of the wearer's head but also provides a side piece whose reduced weight and pleasing appearance distinguish it from the known ugiy and complex side pieces having means for adjusting their resilience or length.

Claims (7)

1. A sidepiece for spectacle frames, characterised by: (a) An elongate core (2) made of a resilient material; (b) A number of members (3) threaded loosely in contiguous relationship on the core (2); (c) A thickening (9) which is disposed at the rear end near the ear of the core (2) and which is operative as abutment for the threadon members;; (d) An end piece (A) disposed on the front end of the core (2) before the first of the threaded-on members (3), and (e) At least one removable retaining element (8) operative to secure the end piece (A) and received, by way of a bore (7) in the end piece (a) in a bore (6) in the core (2), the latter bore registering with the bore in the end piece (A), (f) The elongate core (2) being formed along its length with a number of bores (6) for the selectable insertion of a retaining element (8) in the bore (6) corresponding to the required sidepiece length.

2. A sidepiece according to claim 1, characterised in that the elongate core (2) is made of a resilient hardened metal.

3. A sidepiece according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the members (3) are made of metal or plastics.

4. A sidepiece according to claims 1-3, characterised in that the thickening (9) at the ear end of the core (2) runs out into a narrow part (11) operative as a tang to receive the ear bend (10).

5. A sidepiece according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the end piece (A) is rigidly secured to a hinge part (5) for pivotal securing to the lens or lens rim of the spectacles.

6. A sidepiece according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the removable retaining element (8) is a screw which is screwed into a tapped bore (7) and extends into a bore (6).

7. A sidepiece according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that two retaining elements (8) are provided in appropriate bores (7, 6) to secure the end piece (A).