Process for mounting an elastic hinge on eyeglass frames
11422385 · 2022-08-23
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
E05D3/022
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E05F1/1041
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
B29C65/56
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Y10T29/49959
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
International classification
Abstract
A process for mounting an elastic hinge on eyeglass frames, for coupling a first pivot element, which comprises an elastic carriage provided with a head portion having a first hole, with a second pivot element comprising two shoulders provided with second holes. The head portion of the first pivot element comprises a tilted slide surface adjacent to the first hole. The process envisages to insert the head portion in a slit between the shoulders of the second pivot element to place in succession their holes offset from each other, and then engaging a hinge pin in the holes, so that the free end of the hinge pin acts in abutment against the slide surface of the head portion, in order to force the carriage to slide until the first hole of the first pivot element is aligned with the second holes of the second pivot element.
Claims
1. A process for mounting an elastic hinge on eyeglass frames, wherein the elastic hinge comprises: a first pivot element, which is mechanically associable with a first component of an eyeglass frame, and is provided with an elastic device susceptible of housing in a seat associated with said first component, said elastic device comprising: at least one carriage, which is slidably movable in said seat along a slide direction (Y), and is provided, at an external end of the carriage, with at least one head portion projecting from said seat and provided with a corresponding first through hole which is extended passing between two lateral faces of said head portion along a transverse axis (X) and has a circular shape; at least one spring, exerting an elastic force on said carriage in order to elastically force said carriage towards an interior of said seat; a second pivot element, mechanically associable with a second component of the eyeglass frame and comprising at least two shoulders provided with second holes and delimiting at least one slit between said at least two shoulders in which said head portion is inserted; a hinge pin engaged in the first through hole of the head portion of said first pivot element and in the second holes of the shoulders of said second pivot element in order to rotatably couple together said first pivot element and said second pivot element; wherein said hinge pin comprises a head, and a stem which is provided with a first end connected to the head, and with a second free end opposite the first end; wherein the head portion comprises at least one slide surface, which is extended towards the external end on at least one lateral face of the two lateral faces of said head portion, said lateral face directed towards the head of said hinge pin, said slide surface covering at least one area adjacent to said first through hole and extended in a tilted manner towards said first through hole; wherein said slide surface is extended on the lateral face, starting from said first through hole, in an asymmetric manner with respect to said transverse axis (X) of said first through hole, is extended between a rear edge, which is delimited by said first through hole, and a front edge directed towards said external end, and said slide surface is extended, between said rear edge and said front edge, along a longer main extension directed towards said external end and parallel to said slide direction (Y) of said carriage; wherein said slide surface is tilted with an average tilt angle (a) comprised between 25° and 65°, with respect to said transverse axis (X) of said first through hole; wherein the process comprises: fixing said first pivot element to said first component of the eyeglass frame, so that said elastic device is housed in the seat of said first component and said head portion is at least partially extended outside said seat; fixing said second pivot element to said second component of the eyeglass frame; inserting said head portion in said slit defined between said shoulders, in order to place in succession said first through hole with said second holes, wherein said first through hole and said second holes are offset from each other with an offset (D); wherein said slide surface is extended in direction of said external end for a length (L) orthogonal to said transverse axis (X) and equal to or greater than said offset (D); engaging said hinge pin in the first through hole of said head portion and the second holes of said shoulders, wherein the second free end of the stem of said hinge pin acts in abutment against the slide surface of the lateral face of said head portion, wherein said hinge pin exerts an insertion force on said slide surface which breaks down said insertion force into at least one force component which overcomes the elastic force exerted by said spring on said carriage, forcing said carriage to slide in said seat, along said slide direction (Y), until the first through hole of said head portion is aligned with the second holes of the shoulders.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein said length (L) is greater than ⅕ of the diameter of said first through hole.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the stem of said hinge pin is provided with a threaded portion placed adjacent to said second free end, and with a middle portion positioned in continuation of the threaded portion towards the head of said hinge pin, wherein said shoulders comprises a first shoulder and a second shoulder, wherein said second holes comprise a second shaped through hole provided in said first shoulder, and a second threaded hole provided in said second shoulder; wherein, during said engaging said hinge pin in said first through hole and in said second holes, the head of said hinge pin is inserted in the second shaped through hole of said first shoulder, the threaded portion of the stem of said hinge pin is engaged via screwing in the second threaded hole of said second shoulder, and the middle portion of said hinge pin is inserted in the first through hole of said head portion.
4. The process of claim 1, wherein said slide surface is obtained by means of machining via removal of material.
5. The process of claim 4, wherein said slide surface is obtained by means of milling.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The technical characteristics of the finding, according to the aforesaid objects, and the advantages thereof will be more evident from the following detailed description, made with reference to the enclosed drawings, which represent several merely exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention, in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
(26) With reference to the enclosed drawings, reference number 1 overall indicates the elastic hinge for eyeglass frames, object of the present invention.
(27) The elastic hinge 1, according to the present invention, is intended for making eyeglass frames of both conventional and sports type and is adapted to mutually join together, in a per se known manner, a temple 2 and an end piece 3 of a frame for eyeglasses.
(28) The latter will be obtained in a manner that is per se entirely conventional and hence for example made of plastic material, such as nylon, or other plastic materials suitable for such purpose, or metal material. The frame will be described hereinbelow only in summary, since its constructive principles are well known to a man skilled in the art.
(29) More in detail, the frame is usually formed, in a per se conventional manner, by a front that supports a pair of lenses, connected in the central part by a bridge, and by a pair of temples 2 pivoted by means of elastic hinges 1 to the sides of the front and, more precisely, to two lateral portions thereof directed towards the rear part of the eyeglasses and known in the technical jargon with the term end pieces 3.
(30) In particular, the hinge 1 according to the present invention is of elasticized type, i.e. adapted to allow an extra-travel in the opening of the temples 2, with elastic return aimed to allow easily putting on the eyeglasses and aimed to ensure an improved fit thereof once put on the head of the user.
(31) In operation, the temples 2 can be moved, due to the aforesaid elastic hinges 1, in a manner that is per se entirely conventional, between a closure position, in which they are collected on the front of the eyeglasses, an open position, in which they assume a substantially right angle position with respect to the front of the eyeglasses, and an extra-travel position, in which they are forced beyond the aforesaid open position.
(32) The elastic hinge 1 comprises two pivot elements 4, 5 mechanically associated with each other by means of a hinge pin 6.
(33) More in detail, a first pivot element 4 represents the male of the hinge and is mechanically associable with a first component of the eyeglass frame represented, in accordance with the embodiments of the enclosed figures, by a temple 2 of the frame; the second pivot element 5, i.e. the female element of the hinge, is in turn mechanically associable with a second component of the eyeglass frame which is represented by the end piece 3 of the front of the eyeglasses in accordance with the embodiments of the enclosed figures.
(34) Of course, without departing from the protective scope of the present invention, the first pivot element 4 can otherwise be associated with the end piece 3 while the second pivot element 5 will be correspondingly associated with the temple 2.
(35) The first pivot element 4 comprises an elastic device 7, which is housed in a seat 10 preferably associated in accordance with the embodiments of the enclosed figures, with the temple 2 of the frame also because its elongated form makes it more suitable to receive the seat 10 rather than associate it with the end piece 3 of the frame, usually of reduced longitudinal extension.
(36) The seat 10 can be obtained with a box-like body fixed to the temple 2, or it can be made inside the temple 2 directly during the manufacturing thereof.
(37) The seat 10 is therefore preferably extended in an elongated manner along a longitudinal axis Y parallel to the axis of the temple 2.
(38) More in detail, the elastic device 7 comprises a carriage 8, slidably movable inside the seat 10, and provided at its end outside the seat 10, with at least one head portion 9, at least partially projecting outside the seat 10.
(39) Such head portion 9 is provided with a corresponding first hole 90 which is extended in a manner passing between two lateral faces 9A, 9B of the same head portion 9.
(40) The elastic device 7 then comprises a spring 11 acting elastically on the carriage 8 in order to force it towards the interior of the seat 10.
(41) In turn, the second pivot element 5 comprises at least two shoulders 5A, 5B provided with corresponding second through holes 50A and 50B axially aligned with each other.
(42) The two shoulders 5A, 5B delimit a slit 14 between them, in which the head portion 9 of the first pivot element 4 is inserted.
(43) The first and the second pivot element 4 and 5 are then mutually pivoted to each other by means of the abovementioned hinge pin 6, inserted in the first hole 90 and in the second holes 50A, 50B mentioned above with transverse axis X.
(44) Such hinge pin 6 is advantageously constituted by a screw.
(45) More in detail, the hinge pin 6 comprises advantageously a head 60 and a stem 61 provided with a first end 62, connected to the head 60, and with a second free end 63 opposite the first end 62 connected to the head 60. The stem 61 is preferably provided with a threaded portion 61A placed adjacent to the free end 63 and with a middle portion 61B positioned in continuation of the threaded portion 61A towards the head 60.
(46) More in detail, advantageously, a first shoulder 5A of the two shoulders 5A, 5B of the second pivot element 5 is provided with a second shaped through hole 50A with a cavity in which the head 60 of the pin 6 fits, while the second shoulder 5B is provided with a second threaded hole 50B in which the threaded portion 61A of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6 is engaged.
(47) In accordance with the embodiments illustrated in
(48) More in detail, each carriage 8 of the first pivot element 4 is provided with a main longitudinal extension along the longitudinal slide axis Y parallel to that of the temple 2 and is composed of a neck portion 42 and with a rod-like portion 43 and aforesaid one or two head portions 9.
(49) In accordance with this preferred embodiment, the neck portion 42 is extended to the rear from the head portion 9 along the longitudinal extension axis Y and is shaped with an advantageously prismatic shape, e.g. parallelepiped in order to prevent the rotation of the carriage around its longitudinal extension axis inside the seat 10 suitably shaped in its initial guide section with respect to the aforesaid neck portion 42.
(50) The rod-like portion 43 is extended starting from the rear face of the neck portion 42 and has, at the free end, an enlarged head 45 constituted for example by the head of a screw or of a pin or by a riveting of the end of the rod-like portion 43.
(51) The abovementioned spring 11 that aims to push the carriage 8 towards the interior of the containment structure 10 is advantageously coaxially wound around the rod-like portion 43 and abuts with its ends on one side against the enlarged head 45 of the rod-like portion 43, and on the other side against the end stop obtained for example with step or ring or another element internally projecting from the seat 10 (e.g. produced by means of punching) in order to interfere with the spring 11.
(52) Advantageously, the aforesaid end stop is obtained with a locking element constituted by a ring 17 mounted coaxially around the rod-like portion 43 and provided with two elastic tabs 18 which—once the carriage 8 is inserted in the seat 10—are engaged inside such seat 10, defining with the ring 17 the locking of the carriage 8 in the relative seat 10′, 10″ with the only degree of freedom of sliding along the axis Y.
(53) Still in accordance with the embodiments of
(54) Otherwise, without departing from the protective scope of the present patent, the second pivot element 5 can be integrally obtained, still in a manner that is per se entirely conventional, in the plastic material of the end piece 3 with the two parallel shoulders integrally made in the plastic of the end piece 3.
(55) Otherwise, furthermore, in case of metal eyeglasses, the second pivot element 5 can be made of a metal body welded to the end piece 3 of the frame.
(56) In accordance with the embodiments illustrated in
(57) More in detail, in the case of the embodiment of
(58) In the case however of the embodiment of
(59) In the case of the two embodiments described briefly above in
(60) Preferably between the above-considered first shoulder 5A provided with a shaped second through hole with a cavity in which the head 60 of the pin 6 fits, and the second shoulder 5B, also mentioned above, provided with a second threaded hole 50B in which the threaded portion 61A of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6 is engaged, a third central shoulder is engaged that is provided with through hole, which receives a preferably non-threaded middle portion of the pin.
(61) Such carriage embodiments are generally well-known to the man skilled in the art and thus will not be discussed in further detail. In accordance with the present invention, they are provided with slide surface 70 associated with the first through holes 90 of the head portions 9.
(62) In the case of elastic device formed by two separate carriages 8, the seat 10 is advantageously composed of two corresponding slide seats, each of which slidably housing a corresponding carriage 8 at its interior.
(63) Two springs 11 are correspondingly provided for, each of which aimed for pushing the corresponding carriage 8 towards the interior of the seat 10 and for such purpose acts against both the carriage 8 and the seat 10.
(64) In operation, as seen in the enclosed figures and as is already per se known to a man skilled in the art, the cam profile of the shoulders 5A, 5B determines, cooperating together with the front surface of the seat 10, the open, closure and extra-open positions of the temples.
(65) In accordance with the present invention and with all the above-presented embodiments, the elastic device 7 slidably movable along the longitudinal axis Y of the seat 10 provides that the spring 11 acts against the head portion 9 of the carriage 8, transmitting an elastic action thereto.
(66) According to the idea underlying the present invention, the head portion 9 comprises at least one slide surface 70, which is extended towards the external end 9′ of the carriage 8 on at least one lateral face 9A of the head portion 9 directed towards the head of the hinge pin 6, covering at least one area adjacent to the first through hole 90 and extended in a tilted manner towards the first through hole 90.
(67) In operation, the slide surface 70 cooperates with the free end 63 of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6 during its insertion in the holes 90 and 50A, 50B of the two pivots 4, 5. Due to this slide surface 70, tilted towards the first through hole 90 with average tilt angle α (preferably between 25° and 65°) with respect to the transverse axis X, the screw insertion force, which is expressed on the slide surface 70, advantageously breaks down into at least one component that overcomes the elastic return force of the spring 11.
(68) Of course the tilt is directed in the sense of reducing the depth of the through hole 90, as indicated in the enclosed figures.
(69) In this manner, the carriage 8 is forced to slide in the seat 10 until the first through hole 90 of the head portion 9 is aligned with the second through holes 50A, 50B of the shoulders 5A, 5B of the second pivot 5.
(70) The slide surface 70 can be tilted in a constant manner according to the extension of a surface, i.e. the tilt can vary such that the slide surface 70 assumes the geometry of a circular arc, of a parabola or other similar shapes.
(71) Advantageously, the slide surface 70 is extended on the lateral face 9A, starting from the edge of the first through hole 90, with main extension towards the external end 9′, in particular according to a direction parallel to the slide direction of the carriage 8.
(72) Preferably, the slide surface 70 is extended towards the external end 9′ in an asymmetric manner with respect to the axis of the first through hole 90, and is extended in particular between a rear edge thereof, delimited by the edge of the first through hole 90, and a front edge thereof directed towards the external end 9′.
(73) Advantageously, the rear edge of the slide surface 70 is delimited by an arc of circumference of the edge of the first through hole 90. In particular, such arc of circumference subtends an angle less than or equal to 180°.
(74) The slide surface 70 is extended in the direction of the external end 9′ of the head portion 9 for a depth L equal to or greater than the offset D which is present between the hinge pin 6 and the through hole 90 when the two pivots 4 and 5 are engaged but the pin 6 is removed. In this manner, the edge of the free end 63 of the hinge pin 6 will interfere with the slide surface 70, forcing the head portion 9 of the carriage 8 to translate towards the exterior of the seat 10.
(75) The free end 63 of the hinge pin 6 is advantageously connected to the stem 61 by means of a terminal portion 61B″ with tapered shape and in particular with frustoconical shape so as to make a further opening for inserting the pin 6. In this case, it will suffice that the slide surface 70 be extended in the direction of the external end 9′ of the head portion 9 for a depth L at least equal to the difference between the aforesaid offset D and the depth “d” of the terminal portion 61B″ with tapered shape.
(76) Such depth L is preferably extended for at least ⅕ of the diameter of the through hole 90 so as to make a sufficient additional preloading at the spring 11.
(77) Advantageously in accordance with the embodiment of
(78) Preferably, the front edge of said slide surface 70 towards the external end 9′ is extended with circular arc form 73. Such circular arc 73 has diameter substantially equal to that of the first hole 90 and is tangentially connected thereto with two parallel sections 74.
(79) Otherwise, such circular arc 73 has diameter greater than that of the first hole 90 and encloses the latter, being connected thereto in middle position or in an advanced position beyond the middle position in the direction of the seat 10.
(80) In the abovementioned case in which the carriage 8 of the first pivot element 4 is provided with two parallel head portions 9 that are provided with two corresponding first holes 90, then the slide surface 70 will be extended at least from the external lateral face 9A directed towards the head 60 of the hinge pin 6. Preferably, two slide surfaces 70 are provided, on the two external lateral faces 9A of the two head portions 9 in order to allow a greater versatility of use of the carriage 8. As described above, in this case the two head portions 9 will be inserted in the two slits 14 defined by the three corresponding shoulders of the second pivot element 5, provided with second holes aligned with the first holes 90 of the two head portions 9.
(81) The pin 6 can remain substantially contained in the holes of the pivots 4, 5, i.e. with the head 60 in the shaped second hole 50A of the first shoulder 5A and with the free end 63 contained inside the second hole 50B of the corresponding final shoulder (second or third, depending on the number of shoulders) of the second pivot 5. In this manner, it is possible to conceal the second hole on the external visible face of the final shoulder by extending the material of the temple with a closure portion to cover such second hole, or by making such second hole 50B blind.
(82) Preferably, the first hole 90 of the head portion 9 lacks thread and substantially has the same diameter of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6, compatibly with the need to allow an easy crossing thereof.
(83) Preferably, moreover, also the second hole of the first shoulder, and the second hole of the central shoulder in case of three shoulders, lack thread and substantially have at least the same diameter of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6.
(84) Also forming the object of the present invention is a process for mounting a hinge on eyeglass frames 1, in particular of the above-described type; the same reference numbers will be maintained hereinbelow. Hence, for the sake of description simplicity, reference will be made to the same nomenclature introduced up to now, even if it must be intended that the same process can also be employed for mounting hinges that are different from those considered above.
(85) The aforesaid process provides for the following operating steps.
(86) Fixing steps are provided that are per se entirely conventional, and for this reason will not be described in detail since they are well-known to a man skilled in the art. Such steps involve fixing the first pivot element 4 to a corresponding first component of the frame (e.g. a temple 2), in a manner such that the aforesaid at least one head portion 9 is at least partially extended outside the seat 10, as well as fixing the second pivot element 5 to a corresponding second component of the frame (e.g. to the end piece 3).
(87) A step follows in which the two pivot elements 4, 5 are brought close together, moving the temple 2 and the front 3 close to each other; then, there is a step of inserting the at least one head portion 9 in the at least one slit 14 defined by the shoulders 5A, 5B in order to place the first hole 90 and the second holes 50A, 50B in succession—even if an offset D remains between the aforesaid first hole 90 and the second holes 50A, 50B aimed to determine a further loading of the spring 11 of the elastic device 7.
(88) According to the idea underlying the invention of the aforesaid process, a step is also provided for engaging the pin 6 within the first hole 90 and the second holes 50A, 50B of the two pivots 4, 5, during which the free end 63 of the stem 61 of the hinge pin 6 abuts against the slide surface 70 made on the lateral face 9A of the head portion 9, forcing the elastic device 7 to slide in the seat 10 until the first hole 90 of the head portion 9 of the first pivot 4 is substantially aligned with the second holes 50A, 50B of the shoulders 5A, 5B of the second pivot 5.
(89) More in detail, advantageously during the step of engaging the hinge pin 6 in the first hole 90 and in the second holes 50A, 50B, the head 60 of the pin 6 is inserted in the shaped second hole 50A of a first shoulder 5A of the second pivot 5. Simultaneously, the threaded terminal portion 61A of the stem 61 of the pin 6 is engaged via screwing in a second threaded terminal hole 50B of the second shoulder 5B (or of the third shoulder in case of three shoulders) of the second pivot 5.
(90) In turn, the middle portion 61B of the pin 6 is inserted in the first hole 90 of the head portion 9, in particular substantially to size.
(91) Advantageously, the slide surface 70 is obtained by means of at least one step for removing material, in particular by means of milling with mill that conducts pass or plunge machining.
(92) At the end of the step of engaging the pin 6, the free end 63 of the hinge pin 6 preferably remains substantially contained inside the second hole of the corresponding final (second or third) shoulder of the second pivot 5; otherwise, it exits outward slightly, as indicated in
(93) The hinge thus conceived therefore attains the pre-established objects, and in particular it is capable of allowing a facilitated possibility of assembly by realigning the holes of the two pivots. In addition, due to the present hinge, it is possible to prevent unaesthetic elements due to its visible parts and simultaneously it is susceptible of being mounted with a process that is extremely easy and inexpensive.
(94) In any case, it is clear that modifications can be made to the elastic hinge described up to now, without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, nothing prohibits the pivot element that comprises the elastic device from being arranged on the end piece of the eyeglasses rather than on the temple.