Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~Q~
Combin~ion Spec'acles
Description
The invention pertains to combination spectacles that
comprise a spectacle ~rame and an attachment that repre6ents an
exchangeable spectacle front and is attached to the frame in a
separable manner. It furthermore pertains to the individual
components of the combination spectacles, which means inventive
developments of the spectaale frame a~ well as ~he attachment.
Conventional sunglass attachments for spectacles have a
frame that serves as a receptacle for the tinted lQnses, and
resilient hooks that are arranged on the frame and encompass the
spectacle frame when the sunglass attachment is affixed.
~owever, this particular attachment has the disadvantage that the
hooks can damage the spectacle ~rame or the glasses framed
therein when the attachment is affixed. It is furthermore
possible that the sharp edges of the hooks can in~ure the eye
area. The hooks encompassing the spectacle frame are usually
clearly visiblQ and thus undesired for aesthetic reasons.
~ ritish Patent No. 2 184 864 A introduced an attachment with
face components for a spectacle frame, whereby the mounting
elements are constructed as clip conneotors according to a
pin~bore aonneation. Different expansions of the components
aonnected with each other cannot be equalized in this particular
instance, so that the material selection is very limited. These
difficulties are even supplemented in that the connecting
elements must be positioned within very narrow tolerances and
that push-button connections quickly lose the required stability
because of the frequent exchange of the attachment.
:
--2--
British Patent No. 777 004 introduced a face component for
the eye ara of a spectacle frame with two pin/bore connections,
whereby each eye arc has a bore with a widened end section and a
circular hole into which pins with thickened head portions
attached to the rear side of the corresponding face component
penetrate; the connection is secured by a swivel hook which
engages behind the head portion of the pin that penetrates
through the circular hole. This known connection is very
demanding as far as the manufacture is concerned and also very
diffiault to activate. In addition to this, two face components
are required for one spectacle frame.
U.S. Patent No. 4 812 031 introduced a different attachment
which extends over the entire frontal width of the spectacle
frame, whereby only one connection in the area of the bridge is
provided that is constructed as a snap-in connection with
longitudinal snap-in elements extending in the direction of the
bridge that are attached from the front. The snap-in connection
simultaneously serves as a hinge that allows a swivel movement of
the attachment around a horizontal axis. This known attachment
can be very practical for the requirements of a hunter; however,
it is very unsuitable as a stylish element since it must be
constructed relatively massive in order to obtain the required
stability.
The invention is based on the objective to create
aesthetically attractive combination spectacles with an invisible
connection between the spectacle frame and an attachment. The
exchange of the attachment with a different attachment should be
as easy and quickly as possible.
' ~ ,' ~; ' '~, :
`
', '' ~ .
According to the invention, this objective is attained with
a spectacle ~rame that comprises at lea~t one crosspieae with
no~epads and two shafts, whereby the crosspiece is provided with
one cavity each in its front near the ends which are suitable to
serve as receptacles ~or a protection on the attachment such that
projection and cavity form a snap-in connection. The cavity is
slightly longer in longitudinal direction of the crosspiece than
the projections engaging therein. The snap-in connection that
affixes the attachment to the spectacle frame is not only
invisible; the attachment can furthermore tightly adjoin the
spectacle frame, which means that a gap between the two
components is avoided. The snap-in connection between the
attachment and the spectacle frame furthermore prov~des the
possibility of a simple removal or mounting of the attachment, ~o
that the user can change the appearance of his spectacles without
much effort and within the shortest possible time, for example,
adapt his spectacles to his clothing or his surroundings.
The fact that the cavities are longer in the longitudinal
direction of the crosspiece than the projections provides an
ideal prerequisite for an equalization of the different expansion
rates of the at~achment and the spectacle frame. The attachment
can exactly adapt to the curvature of the spectacle frames. The
most euitable, which means the most different, materials can be
utilized ~or both components since neither tension nor warping o~
the components connected with each other can occur because of the
ensured expansion equalization. Such an expansion equalization
should in particular, be provided at those locations where the
spectacle frame and the attachment consists of different plastic
materials that react differently to fluctuations in humidity.
r ~ . , .
:
2~?;~
The attachment preferably has tinted su~glass lenses. The
speataale frame i6 either constructed as a support fra~e with
corrective lenses (corrective spectacles~ arranged within the
lens openings, or constructed as a support frame depending on
whether an optical correction is required or not. The support
frame preferably consists of a metal, while the lens openings are
manufactured from a plastic material.
If the snap-in mechanism utilized is provided with a
resilient element, this element can be either arranged on the
projections or in the cavities. In particular, resilient tabs,
claws and similar elements can represent a component of the
projeations themselves, or be arranged in the cavities.
If a spectacle frame is utilized as a corrective frame with
optical lenses, the spectacle frame may also be worn without the
attaohment, whereby the cavities can be covered by the
corresponding caps and thus be made invisible.
A particularly advantageous construction of the snap-in
connection consists of the fact that the cavities consist of
bores that extend in the longitudinal direction of the cros~piece
and end towards the center of the spectacles with a widened
portion to engage with the projections that have a narrow neck
portion and a thicker head portion. The cavities consist in this
particular instance of bores with an expansion on the end,
whereby the dimensions of the bores are such that the thicker
head portion can penetrate through the expansion, but not through
the narrow area of each bore. With a rigid support frame and a
flexible attachment, the mounting of the same is executed such
that, at first, a pin is inserted through the corresponding bore,
whereafter the attachment is somewhat stretched in the direction
'
:,
~ G~
-5
of the facial curvature and both pins are moved towards each
other, so that the second pin can be inserted into the assigned
bore. The attachment subsequently returns into its stretched
position and the head portions of the pins are engaged.
The previously described structure of the snap-in connection
is particularly insensitive to the frequently occurring widening
of the spectacle frame during daily use since the projections can
assume a position within the bores that is displaced towards the
center without separating the snap-in conneation.
The spectacle frame can be constructed as a corrective frame
that serves as a receptacle for optical lenses, in particular, by
providing plastic lens openings on the support frame into which
the optical lenses are inserted. The spectacle frame can, in the
same manner, be constructed as a support frame that is open
towards the bottom if it solely serves the purpose of a
receptacle ~or the attachment and not serve as a receptacle for
optical lenses. In this particular instance, the upper frame
section solely connects the bridge of the support frame with the
endpiece onto wh-ich the pins are attached in a pivoting manner.
If the attachment has tinted lenses, the design of the spectacle
frame as a support frame makes it possible to manufacture a
number of sunglasses oE very different designs by combining a
support frame with different attachments. The spectacle frame
can be designed in a transparent manner so it does not limit the
aesthetic combination possibilities to a certain color of the
spectacle frame; it can, for example, consist of a polycarbonate
or a polyethersulfonate. The manufacture of the support frame
consisting of metal is particularly practical in regard to
,
-6- '~ 3 2 '~ Q ~
manufacturing technology, and it can also be de~igned to be very
thin.
The front side o~ the attachment has, in a preferred
example, a laminated film which allows the manufacture of
different attachment designs in the simplest manner. The element
of the front side of the spectacles having the laminate is
preferably manufactured from cellulose acetate.
The invention is, in the following, described in detail with
the aid of the figures. They show:
Figure 1 a front view of a combination spectacle according
to the invention representing an example of-a
spectacle frame designed for corrective lenses,
Figure 2 a front view of a combination spectacle according
to the invention with a spectacle ~rame
constructed as a support frame,
Figure 3 a section along the line III-III in Figures 1 and
2 in a very enlarged representation,
Figure 4 a rear view of an attachment for the combination
spectacles according to the invention,
Figure 5 a section through the attachment along the line V-
V in Figure 4 in strongly enlarged representation,
Figure 6 a front view of a further support frame accordingto the invention,
Figure 7 a front view of a further corrective frame
according to the invention,
Figure 8 a rear view of an attachment to be mounted onto a
support frame or corrective frame according to
Figures 6 and 7, and
. ~ .
--7--
Figure 9 a side view of the attachment according to Figure
8.
The spectacle frame according to Figure 1 consists
conventionally of a crosspiece (1) and shafts (not shown) that
are attached to the endpieces (2) of the crosspiece by means of
hinges. The spectacle frame carries optical lenses (3).
Figure 2 shows that the crosspiace of the speataole frame is
aonstructed as a support frame that is open towards the bottom.
It comprises a nosepad (4) and frame sections ~6) arranged on
both sides of the bridge (5) which end in endpieoes (2). Optiaal
lenses as they are inserted into the corrective frame according
to Figure 1 are not provided on the support frame according to
Figure 2.
The endpieces (2) oE the corrective ~rame according to
Figure 1 as well as the support frame according to Figure 2 have
rectangular cavities (7) on their front side if viewed from the
top (Figures 1 and 2), whereby these rectangular cavities
represent a component of the snap-in connection between the
corresponding spectacle frame and an attachment affixed onto the
same. Two resilient claws (8) are provided within the cavities
(7) aacordlng to Figures 1 to 3. These claws extend in the
longitudinal direction and are horizontally aligned parallel to
each other. Each of the pair of the claws (8) has a projection
(9) that protrudes towards the inside, which means that both
projections (9) of a pair of claws are directed against each
other. A hollow space (10) is formed between the claws (8) which
serves as a receptacle for the projection arranged on the
attachment, whereby the projections (9) of the claws engage into
" .
~ ' , ' ~,
.
. ~
~ 2l~
corresponding receptacles provided on the projections as shown in
Figure 5 and described as later in the text.
Figure 4 shows an attachment for spectacle frames according
to Figures 1 to 3 from a rear top view, which means that Figure 4
shows the side of the attachment that faces the spectacle frame.
The attachment consists of a spectacle front (11) into which a
sun protection lens (12) is inserted. Projections (13) are
arrang~d in both outer corners of the spectacle front in
accordance with the endpieces of the spectacle frame according to
Figures 1 and 2, whereby these projections engage into the
cavities (7) of the spectacle frame according to Figures 1-and 2
and thus together represent a snap-in connection. According to
Figure 5, which shows a vertical section through the spectacle
front according to Figure 4 in the area of the projection (13)
(line V-V), the same is constructed as a horizontally extending,
longitudinal pin (14~. It has a head portion (15) and two
receptacles (16) constructed as undercuts into which the
projections (9) of the claws (8) according to Figures 1 to 3
engage if the attachment is affixed onto the spectacle frame.
The head portion (15) of the pin (14) has two slanted portions
~17) that spread both claws (8) at the beginning of the mountlng
process of the attachment onto the spectacle frame, so that the
same can slide over the head portion oE the pin.
The horizontal extent (B) of the cavities (7) in the
spectacle frame are slightly larger than the transverse extent
(b) of the projections (13) of the attachments. This effects
that the attachment is fixed onto the corresponding spectacle
frame without tension if both parts expand to a different extent
by different heat and/or humidity influence onto the different
.
-, . . . .
. . , ~
:
..
9 ha2~
materials when the corresponding condition of the surroundings i
changed.
The ~pectaale frame according to Figure 6 is constructed as
a support frame that is open towards the bottom. It has a
nosepad (4) and frame sections (6) arranged on both sides of the
bridge ~5) which end in endpieces (2). Both endpieces have a
bore (18) that is aligned horizontally. Each bore has a circular
widening (19) towards the center of the support frame whose
diameter is larger than the clear width of the longitudinal bore
in the narrow section (20).
The spectacle frame accordina to Figure 7 i5 constructed as
a corrective frame. It comprises the support frame according to
Figure 6 and two lens openings (21) that serve as a receptacle
for the optical lenses (3). The lens openings (21) consist of
plastic; their attachment to the support frame manufaatured from
metal is executed according to the state of technology.
The attachment according to Figures 8 and 9 consists of a
spectacle front (11) into which a sun protection lens (12) i8
inserted. Pins (22) are arranged in both outer corners of the
spectacle front in accordance with the endpieces of the spectacle
frames according to Figures 6 and 7, whereby these pins protrude
towards the rear from the spectacle front. Each pin has a neck
portion (23) and a head portion (24). The diameter of the head
portion (24) is slightly smaller than the diameter of the
widening (19) of the assigned bore (18) of the support frame; the
diameter of the neck portion (23) of each pin (22) is slightly
smaller than the clear width of the narrow section (20) of the
bore (18). The distance o~ both pins (22) of the attachment to
each other in a tension-free condition corresponds with the
.
,
.
:
'.~ ' ' ,
-10- ~ 2~t~
dietance b~tween the outer end~ o~ the bores (18) to each other.
I~ the attachment according to ~lgure ~ is mounted onto a
~peataale frame aacordinc~ to E'iyures G ancl 7, the pins (22~
penetrate with their neck portions (23) through the narrow area
~20) o~ the bore (13); the head portions (24) whose diameter is
lary~r than the clear width of the narrow distance t20) between
the borQs engage behind tl~ese edyes. The length of the nec}c
portions (23) o~ the pins is aclapted to the ma~erial width o~ the
aorresponding support ~rame.
.:
. : : ..
;
.
`~
