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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to eyeglass frames and in particular to such
frames having resilient nose pieces which engage the nose of a wearer.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional eyeglass frames of various designs have been provided with
features for improving the comfort of the wearer. Depending upon the
optical prescription that may be required for the lenses of a pair of
eyeglasses, the weight supported by the sides or bridge of the wearer's
nose can be considerable. Further, the weight of the eyeglass frames
themselves can add to the pressure to which the wearer's nose is
subjected, particularly during prolonged wearing periods.
In an effort to reduce the pressure on the sides of the wearer's nose, nose
rest pads have been mounted by spring steel wires or the like from the
ring-like lens holder portions of an eyeglass frame. However, these pads
are relatively small in size and accordingly the pressure on the wearer's
nose is still significant. Further, if the resilient mounting of the nose
rest pads is not carefully controlled, there is a chance that the pads
will loosen when a wearer quickly turns his head, thereby causing a
misalignment of the corrective lenses and a misadjustment of the eyeglass
frames about the wearer's face.
In another attempt to alleviate a wearer's discomfort, nose pieces, such as
those integrally molded with plastic eyeglass frames have been provided
with an enlarged contact area where the nose pieces rest on the sides of a
wearer's nose. However, there is a wide variety in the shape and size of
wearers noses and the large inventory of eyeglass frames necessary to
provide improved wearing comfort is prohibitively expensive. Further, such
nose pieces lack the resilience and elasticity necessary to significantly
improve a wearer's comfort.
Therefore, the need still exists for eyeglass frames having nose pieces
that provide improved wearing comfort, and eyeglass frames having nose
pieces which provide a reliable alignment for fitting of the corrective
lenses despite movements of the wearer's head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
eyeglass frame having resilient nose pieces which reduce the pressure
borne by the sides of a wearer's nose.
Another object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses having a
nose piece of the above-described type which is resilient and which
provides a relatively large area of surface contact with a wearer's nose.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an eyeglass frame
having a nose piece with a pair of nose pad portions which are maintained
in a symmetrical relationship to each other, to thereby maintain an
alignment of the eyeglass frame about the wearer's face.
These and other objects according to the present invention which will
become apparent from studying the appended description and drawings are
provided in an eyeglass frame including ring-like lens mounting portions
joined together by an improved nose piece construction, comprising:
a rigid bridge member extending between the lens mounting portions and
defining a medial cavity;
a nose engaging saddle piece of flexible material including nose engaging
pad portions joined together by an intermediate bight portion and
including means for biasing the nose pad portions away from each other;
a pair of opposed hinge arms connected together by interlocking hinge means
disposed in the medial cavity of the bridge member, each arm having a free
end for engagement with the nose piece; and
means for connecting free ends of the arms to spaced-apart portions on the
saddle piece, adjacent the nose pad portions thereof.
In other aspects, the eyeglass frame according to the present invention
provides a resilient nose piece construction which is articulated and
spring-loaded, so that the weight of the eyeglasses tends to push the nose
pad portions of the eyeglass frame apart to thereby reduce any pinching by
the nose pieces on the bridge of the wearer's nose. The nose pad portions
of the eyeglass frame are preferably made of a soft material which
receives an internal spring wire and which need not be inherently
resilient. According to one aspect of the present invention, soft nose
pads are biased by spring members embedded within the material. The spring
members, which tend to bias the nose pad portions apart from one another,
are hingedly connected to each other by intermeshing hinge parts which
interlock in a positive manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings, wherein like elements are referenced alike:
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an eyeglass frame illustrating
principles according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the eyeglass frame of the
preceding figures, shown with the nose piece portion thereof partially
broken away;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, taken on an enlarged scale, of
the intermeshing hinge portions of the eyeglass frame illustrated in FIG.
3; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 3, an eyeglass
frame assembly is generally indicated at 1. The frame assembly includes
ring-like lens mounting portions 2 and temple pieces 20 of the type
adapted to engage a wearer's temples and ears to hold the eyeglass frame
securely about the head of a wearer. The temple pieces 20 are joined at
their forward ends by hinge connections 22 to the laterally outer ends of
lens mounting portions 2.
In the preferred embodiment, the lens mounting portions 2 are separately
formed, and are joined together through an intermediate bridge member 3
having ends 24 joined to the lens mounting portions 2 and an intermediate
hollow body portion 26. In the preferred embodiment, the lens mounting
sections 2 are formed of plastic and bridge member 3 is made of metal.
However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the types
of materials could be interchanged one for another, or other, different
materials could be used. For example, it will become immediately apparent
upon studying the following description that the central bridge member 3
could be integrally formed with the lens mounting portions 2 using an
integral plastic molding process.
A generally U-shaped saddle piece 8 is formed of a soft material which may
be, but need not be, resilient. Saddle piece 8 includes nose pad portions
30, 32 for engaging the sides of a wearer's nose, the nose pad portions
joined together by an intermediate bight portion 34 which either engages
the bridge of a wearer's nose or is spaced slightly thereabove, depending
upon the configuration of the eyeglass frame assembly and the wearer's
nose, as well as the wearer's head movements.
The saddle piece 8 may be made of resilient material which, when
compressed, tends to separate the nose pad portions 30, 32 away from each
other. If desired, the saddle piece material may be made of a soft, supple
outer surface which preferably has a high coefficient of friction, thus
preventing the eyeglasses from slipping out of their desired alignment
relative to a wearer's face. The saddle piece 8 may advantageously be
formed of one or more different types of plastic materials. For example,
the inner, opposed surfaces of the saddle piece, those forming nose pads
30, 32, may be made of a supple material having a high coefficient of
friction. The outer surfaces 40 of the saddle piece may comprise a harder,
more resilient material. Alternatively, a harder more resilient plastic
core may be embedded within the outer more supple exterior.
As yet another alternative, it is generally preferred that a generally
U-shaped layer spring 10 be embedded within a soft plastic nose piece 8,
providing a substantial bias force with a minimum mass, and thereby
allowing the saddle piece 8 to be formed of relatively thin material,
having a thickness generally half that illustrated in the Figures.
According to one aspect of the present invention, it is generally preferred
that the bias force of spring 10 or the like biasing means associated with
the saddle piece 8 be sufficiently weak as to allow the nose pad portions
30, 32 of the saddle to be readily spread apart under the weight of the
lenses and lens frame, thereby minimizing any pinching effect on the
bridge of a wearer's nose. According to another aspect of the present
invention, saddle piece 8 is sufficiently pliable so as to readily conform
to the contour of a wearer's nose under weight of the lenses and lens
frame. The combined features of the supple saddle piece and its associated
resilience which is readily overcome by the weight of the lenses and lens
frame, contribute to provide heretofore unattainable comfort for a wearer.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3, a pair of arms 4a, 4b are provided, one
for each nose pad portion 30, 32. The arms 4a, 4b have free ends 40, 42
and opposed interconnected ends 5a, 5b. Referring to FIG. 4, the ends 5a,
5b include intermeshing hinge parts which provide pivotal mounting for the
arms 4a, 4b and an optional interengagement such that arms are adapted for
simultaneous deflection upon a force imparted to one or both arms.
The end 5b has a generally semi-cylindrical body portion 50, joined to an
end 52 of arm 4b. The end 5b further includes a channel portion 56
defining a recess or notch 58. Generally smooth, concave surfaces 60, 62
are provided on each side of channel portion 56.
The end 5a also includes a generally semi-cylindrical body 66 defining a
generally tongue-like projection 68. Concave recesses 70, 72 are provided
on each end of projection 68 between the projection and a pair of rounded
camming portions 76, 78. The camming portions 76, 78 are received in
concave recesses 60, 62 of end 5b as the hinged ends are rotated relative
to one another. Rotational mounting of the hinged ends is provided by
internal apertures 80, 82 which receive screw-like fasteners 11 (see FIG.
3). The threaded ends of screw fasteners 11 are received in apertures 86
of bridge 3. The threaded fastener 11 pivotally mounts the hinge ends
5a,5b in a recess or hollow pocket 90 of bridge 3. The opposed major
surfaces 92, 94 of ends 5a, 5b contact a rear wall 98 of pocket 90 and
slide thereagainst as the arms are moved toward and away from one another.
As indicated in FIG. 5, screw fastener 11 has the head thereof adjacent
the inner side of bridge 3, that side closest to the wearer's face. Also,
as can be seen in FIG. 5, the bridge member 3, the pocket 90 formed
therein and the body portions of the hinged ends 5a, 5b are, when fitted
to a wearer whose head is in an upright position, inclined at an acute
angle to a vertical line 100. The arm 4a, as with the other arm 4b,
includes an offset 102 disposing the free end 40 thereof in a generally
vertical position.
As mentioned above, the hinged ends 5a, 5b are independently pivotally
mounted to bridge 3. Due to the interconnection of projection 68 and
recess 58, rotation of one arm, and hence its hinged end, results in a
cooperating, mirror image rotation of the other arm through the hinged
intermeshing of the ends 5a, 5b. With reference to FIG. 4, clockwise
displacement of arm 4a causes projection 68 to swing an arcuate path in a
generally clockwise direction and, due to the hinged intermeshing, causes
the hinged end 5b and hence the arm 4b connected thereto, to also rotate
in a clockwise direction. Further, the hinged ends are configured and are
interengaged such that a given displacement of one arm results in a
similar corresponding displacement of the other arm, preferably with like
amounts of deflection.
According to one aspect of the present invention, it is generally preferred
that the movements of the arms 4a, 4b be interrelated for simultaneous or
near simultaneous occurrence, and that the operation or deflection of one
be a mirror image of the other at all points along their travel, and that
this preferred operation be attained whether one or both arms have a
deflection force applied thereto.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3, the free ends 40, 42 of arms 4a, 4b are
attached to saddle piece 8 through connectors 9 which preferably comprise
eyelets having free ends 106 for securement to the saddle piece. The
connectors 9 may, for example, comprise metallic eyelets with threaded
ends, but in the preferred embodiment comprise plastic ring-like collars
either separately formed or integrally molded with the saddle piece 8, the
collars received in cylindrical recess portions 110 of free ends 40, 42
(see FIG. 5).
In operation, when the eyeglass frame according to the present invention is
stored or is otherwise not in use, the nose pad portions of the saddle
piece are drawn together under the force of spring 10 or the like biasing
component for saddle piece 8 with a relatively close spacing, such that
the nose pad portions will be separated from one another as the eyeglass
frame is fitted to a wearer's face. According to one aspect of the present
invention, the rest configuration of the saddle piece 8 is of a compressed
or relatively closed nose-receiving opening formed between the nose pad
portions, thus insuring that those portions will be spread apart when
engaged with a wearer's nose. This insures that the nose pad portions will
automatically adjust to the configuration of a wearer's nose, thus
maximizing the surface contact with the sides of the wearer's nose and
greatly improving the wearing comfort of the eyeglasses.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the spreading apart
of nose pad portions is preferably accomplished under the weight of the
glasses, namely, the lenses and the frames mounting those lenses. As a
result, a heretofore unattainable secure seating of the eyeglasses about
the face of the wearer is accomplished, with an attendant reduction in the
pressure applied to a wearer's nose. It has been observed, with commercial
embodiments of eyeglasses according to the present invention, that a
person wearing the eyeglasses perceives them to be as light as a feather
with a comfortable seating, even when the glasses are fitted with
relatively thick and therefore heavy corrective lenses.
Thus, it can be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may readily
and efficiently be attained and, since certain changes may be made in the
above construction and different embodiments of the invention without
departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained
in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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