JP7614472B2 - Eyeglass Frames - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an eyeglass frame in which components of the eyeglass frame, including the ear hooks, end pieces, bridge, and front frame, are connected by wires such as metal wires, resin wires, twisted wires, or braided wires.

There are known eyeglass frames that use elastic wires such as β-titanium, primarily for the purpose of making the eyeglass frames hingeless and lightweight (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 5).
In this type of eyeglass frame, the wire is bent or pressed to form temples, a front frame, a bridge, and the like into a predetermined shape, and these are then joined together to form the eyeglass frame.
It is also known to form eyeglass frames from a single wire by bending or pressing the wire to integrally form the brow (bridge), endpieces, and temples.

JP 2001-305490 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-179070 JP 2000-305049 A JP 2001-83464 A JP 2001-194629 A

However, since wires with high spring properties such as β-titanium are difficult to precisely bend or press, conventional eyeglass frames using wires have the following problems:
(1) When attempting to form each component part of an eyeglass frame, such as the temples, front frame, bridge, etc., by bending or pressing the wire, it is difficult to process both sides evenly, and the processing takes a long time.
(2) The burden of the so-called "balancing" process for balancing each part of the eyeglass frame after it has been formed also increases.
(3) Due to the circumstances under (1) and (2), it is difficult to bring products of uniform quality to market in large quantities at low cost.
(4) It is difficult for eyeglass retailers and the like to fine-tune each component member so that the eyeglasses fit the wearer's face while maintaining the balance of each part.
(5) Once the shape and balance of each component part is decided, it is difficult to make any subsequent changes or adjustments. Therefore, it is practically impossible to change one eyeglass frame between, for example, a normal specification and a sports specification, and it is necessary to prepare different eyeglass frames for different uses depending on the situation.
The present invention has been made to solve all of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional techniques at once.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is an eyeglass frame formed from a wire having spring properties in the bending direction , comprising components of the eyeglass frame including individually formed ear pieces, end pieces, bridge, rim or front frame, a through hole formed in each of the components through which the wire is inserted, and the wire elastically deforms into a shape that conforms to the shape of the through hole when inserted through the through hole, and connects the components together, wherein the shape of the through hole formed in each of the components is formed so as to form a predetermined eyeglass frame shape by the wire inserted through each of the through holes and the components, each of the components is slidable and/or rotatable along the wire, and the shape of the eyeglass frame can be changed by changing the position and/or rotation angle position of the components relative to the wire .

As described in claim 2, the wire may be a single wire made of metal or resin, or a twisted or braided wire made of metal, resin, or a composite of these.

Also, as described in claim 3, one of the wires may be inserted through one of the ear hooks, one of the end pieces, one of the front frames or bridges, the other end piece, and the other of the ear hooks in that order.

Furthermore, as described in claim 4, the device may further include a wire for a functional member for holding a functional member including a camera, a light source or an auxiliary lens, a component for supporting a functional member for supporting the wire for the functional member, and a through hole formed in the component for supporting the functional member for inserting the wire for the functional member, and the wire for the functional member may be inserted into the component for the functional member so as to be slidable or rotatable .

As described in claim 5, the cross-sectional shape of the wire and the hole shape of the through hole of the component can be polygonal, so that the wire can be rotated in stages relative to the component.

Furthermore, as described in claim 6, gaps may be provided between the metal wires of the twisted wire consisting of multiple metal wires, so that the wire elastically deforms in the radial direction when the wire is inserted through the through hole. The gaps can be formed by appropriately selecting the pitch of the twisted wire and the wire diameter of the metal wire, and then subjecting the wire to swaging, rolling, pressing, or the like under certain conditions. The wire is then inserted through the through hole, which has a diameter slightly smaller than the wire diameter after these processes, so that the wire elastically deforms in the radial direction.

Furthermore, as described in claim 7, the wire may be divided into left and right halves in the center of the eyeglass frame, and each of the left and right divided wires may be slid along the through holes of each component that makes up the rim or the front frame, and the left and right wires may be overlapped along the edges of the lenses , so that the wire can be stored along the edges of the lenses .

In this way, in the present invention, instead of bending or pressing a springy wire, components corresponding to the shapes of each component that makes up the eyeglass frame, such as the ear hooks, end pieces, bridge, and front frame, are prepared, and the wire is inserted into these components so that the wire elastically deforms according to the shape of each component. This eliminates the need for wire processing, and makes it easy to arrange each component evenly on the left and right.

Specifically, as described in claim 1, the present invention provides an eyeglass frame including a plurality of components constituting each of the individually formed ear pieces, end pieces, bridge, rims or front frames, and each of the components is connected by a wire having spring properties in the bending direction, wherein each of the plurality of components is formed with a through hole through which the wire is inserted, and the wire is elastically deformed into a shape according to the shape of the through hole by being inserted into the through hole of the component, and the components are connected to each other by being inserted from the through hole of one of the components to the through hole of another of the components, and the through holes are configured to form a predetermined eyeglass frame by inserting the common wire in the plurality of components to connect the plurality of components to each other, and the component components are configured to be slid and/or rotated along the wire to change the position and/or rotation angle position of the component relative to the wire, thereby allowing the shape of the eyeglass frame to be changed .

Furthermore, by sliding, rotating or replacing the components relative to the wire, the position and shape of each component can be freely changed. Even if the width of the face or size of the head of the eyeglass wearer changes, this can be easily accommodated by changing the front-to-back or left-to-right position or rotation angle position of the components relative to the wire, or by replacing the components with ones of a different shape. It is also easy to switch between a single eyeglass frame, for example, between a normal specification and a sports specification, making it possible to use a single eyeglass frame in a variety of ways depending on the situation.

In addition, by subjecting the wire to swaging, rolling, pressing, or the like to form gaps between the metal wires and allowing the wire to elastically deform in the radial direction, the magnitude of the sliding resistance of the wire against the component can be adjusted in relation to the diameter of the through hole, and the external design of the eyeglass frame can also be improved by swaging, rolling, pressing, or the like.

Furthermore, by dividing the wire into left and right halves in the center of the eyeglass frame and sliding the wire through the through holes of the left and right rims or the components that make up the front frame, the wire can be stored along the edge of the lens, making the eyeglass frame flat or thin when not in use.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an eyeglass frame of the present invention, in which (a) shows the eyeglass frame before assembly and (b) shows the eyeglass frame after assembly with a wire passed through.
The eyeglass frame 1 of this embodiment is formed of metal such as brass, stainless steel, titanium, or resin, and has a first component 11 to a fourth component 14 as each component such as an ear hook, end piece, bridge, rim, or front frame that constitutes the eyeglass frame 1, and a wire 10 that connects these components by passing through a through hole formed in each of the first component 11 to the fourth component 14. The first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are formed into shapes corresponding to the shapes of each component such as the ear hook, end piece, bridge, rim, or front frame, but in this embodiment, the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are formed as cylindrical bodies that are curved or bent into a predetermined shape.

[Wire]
The wire 10 is preferably made of a metal or resin that does not undergo plastic deformation even when passing through each of the curved components such as the first component 11 to the fourth component 14, and has sufficient elasticity and rigidity as a frame component of the eyeglass frame 1. If such conditions are met, the wire may be a solid wire of metal or resin, or a twisted or braided wire made of metal, resin, or a composite of these. A twisted wire made of a superelastic alloy (such as β-titanium) is preferably used.

The wire 10 used is straight and has a circular cross section, but it may also be bent in advance in a portion corresponding to the portion so that the portion will have spring properties when the eyeglass frame 1 is completed.
In this embodiment, the eyeglass frame 1 is formed from a single wire 10, so its length is set to be approximately the same as the overall length of the eyeglass frame 1 to be formed. In the case of a normal eyeglass frame 1 as shown in the figure, the length varies depending on the size, but can be roughly set to about 40 cm to 50 cm.

[Components]
The first component 11 to the fourth component 14 have through holes 10a to 14a through which the wire 10 can be inserted, and each is formed in a shape corresponding to each component of the eyeglass frame 1, such as the ear hook, end piece, bridge, rim, or front frame. After the wire 10 is inserted through the through holes 11a to 14a of the first component 11 to the fourth component 14, these may be formed in a shape corresponding to each component, but considering the left-right balance of the eyeglass frame 1 and ease of formation, it is more advantageous to form the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 in advance in a shape corresponding to each component.

The inner diameter of the through holes 11a to 14a is made slightly larger than the wire diameter of the wire 10. However, if the inner diameter of the through holes 11a to 14a is too large compared to the wire diameter of the wire 10, a large gap is created between the wire 10 and the inner wall of the through holes 11a to 14a when the wire 10 is inserted through the through holes, making it difficult to elastically deform the wire 10 into the desired shape, and the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are easily displaced relative to the wire 10. On the other hand, if the diameter of the through holes 11a to 14a is too small, it becomes difficult to insert the wire 10, and if an attempt is made to insert the wire 10 with excessive force, the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 may be deformed. Therefore, the inner diameter of the through holes 11a to 14a is selected so that the wire 10 can be inserted with appropriate resistance, and the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 do not easily shift position (slip) relative to the wire 10.

In this embodiment, the first component 11 is a component that constitutes the ear hook portion of the temple, and is provided on each side of the eyeglass frame 1. The first component 11 has a length corresponding to the ear hook portion, and a part of the first component 11 is formed to be curved or bent so that it can be hung on the ear of the eyeglass wearer.
The second component 12 is a component that constitutes the end piece, and is provided on both the left and right sides of the lens 2. This second component 12 has a length and shape corresponding to the end piece, and is formed in a curved or bent shape so as to connect the front part of the eyeglass frame 1 and the temples.

The third component members 13 are components that form a rim that holds the lenses 2, and are provided one on each side in accordance with the arrangement of the lenses 2. The left and right lenses 2 are supported by the left and right third component members 13 via nylol, rim lines, or the like.
The fourth component 14 is a component that constitutes a bridge, and is disposed between the left and right third component members 13. Although not shown, a box foot that supports a nose pad is attached to this fourth component member 14.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a straight wire 10 is inserted from the rear end of one of the first components 11 into a through hole of the first component 11 and passed through to the front end of the first component 11. The wire 10 protrudes from the front end of the first component 11 while elastically deforming along the shape of the first component 11. Next, the tip of the wire 10 is inserted into the rear end of the through hole of one of the second components 12 and passed through to the front end. In the same manner, the wire 10 is passed through one of the third component 13, the fourth component 14, the other third component 13, and the other second component 12 to the other first component 11. Then, the intervals between the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are adjusted so as to fit the face of the eyeglass wearer. After this, the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are rotated or slid relative to the wire 10 to equalize the left and right sides and adjust the tension.
The eyeglass frame 1 assembled according to the above procedure is shown in FIG.

[Action]
The eyeglass frame 1 of the present invention having the above configuration operates as follows.
The front-rear position of the ear hook can be adjusted by sliding the first component 11 constituting the ear hook in the direction of the arrow Y1 in Fig. 1(b) relative to the wire 10. In addition, by rotating the first component 11 in the direction of the arrow X1 in Fig. 1(b) relative to the wire 10, the ear hook can be pressed against the head of the eyeglass wearer or aligned with the head of the eyeglass wearer, thereby improving the effect of preventing the eyeglass wearer from falling off or shifting.

The width of the left and right temples can be adjusted by sliding the second component 12 constituting the end piece relative to the wire 10 in the direction of the arrow Y2 in FIG. 1(b). At this time, the distance between the second component 12 and the first component 11 also changes as the second component 12 slides relative to the wire 10, but the distance can be kept constant by sliding the first component 11 in the front-back direction (Y1 direction) relative to the wire 10. In addition, the angle of the temple relative to the lens 2 and the front part can be adjusted by rotating the second component 12 relative to the wire 10 in the direction of the arrow X2 in FIG. 1(b). Furthermore, if the shape of the second component 12 is appropriately selected, the temple part can be folded along the front part of the eyeglass frame 1 by rotating the second component 12 90° in the direction of the arrow X2.

The distance between the left and right lenses 2 can be adjusted by sliding the third component 13 that constitutes the rim relative to the wire 10 in the direction of the arrow Y3 in FIG. 1(b). In this case, it is possible to adjust the distance between the left and right lenses 2 without changing the position of the second component 12 (i.e., without changing the temple width), but it is also possible to adjust the position of the second component 12 by sliding it in the Y2 direction as necessary, and it is also possible to adjust the position of the first component 11 by sliding it in the Y1 direction in conjunction with the position adjustment of the second component 12.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention.
In the example of Fig. 2(a), a fifth component 15 is disposed between the first component 11 and the second component 12, which biases the first component 11, which is the ear hook, in a direction to press the first component 11 against the head of the eyeglass wearer. The fifth component 15 is formed in a curved or bent shape so as to direct the wire 10 inward. By using such a fifth component 15, the first component 11 is pressed against the head of the eyeglass wearer, and an eyeglass frame 1 that is unlikely to slip off during exercise or work can be obtained. The pressing force against the head of the eyeglass wearer can be adjusted by replacing the fifth component 15 with another fifth component 15 having a different degree of curvature or bending, or by sliding the fifth component 15 along the wire 10 in the direction of the arrow Y5 in Fig. 2 or rotating it in the direction of the arrow X5.

In the example of FIG. 2(b), a sixth component 16 that curves inward to abut against the side of the head of the eyeglass wearer is placed between the first component 11 and the second component 12. By using such a sixth component 16, a nose padless eyeglass frame 1 can be obtained. The position at which the sixth component abuts against the side of the head of the eyeglass wearer can be adjusted by sliding the sixth component 16 along the wire 10 in the direction of the arrow Y6 in FIG. 2(b).

In the example of FIG. 2(c), the seventh component 17 is provided on the second component 12, and the wire 30 is inserted through the through hole of the seventh component 17. The direction of the wire 30 is determined by the through hole of the eighth component 18, and a functional part 31 such as a display or a light-emitting part is attached to the tip of the wire 30. By sliding the wire 30 against the seventh component 17, the distance between the functional part 31 and the lens 2 can be freely adjusted, and by sliding the wire 30 against the eighth component 18, the position of the functional part 31 in the left-right direction relative to the lens 2 can be freely adjusted. In addition, by rotating the wire 30 against the seventh component 17, the functional part 31 can be retracted from the front of the lens 2 to the outside of the field of vision of the eyeglass wearer, and by rotating the wire 30 against the eighth component 18, the inclination angle of the functional part 31 relative to the lens 2 can be freely adjusted.

[Third embodiment]
FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the third component 13 is formed by integrating the two components, the rim and the bridge, and the second component 12 that constitute the end piece is disposed on both sides of the third component 13. In addition, stoppers 19 are provided on both ends of the wire 10 to prevent the first component 11 from slipping off the wire 10.
The first component 11 is curved to fit the head of the eyeglass wearer. By rotating the first component 11 (the direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow X), the rear end of the wire 10 moves between position I and position II as shown in (a). For example, during light exercise such as walking, the rear end of the wire 10 is positioned at position I, and during somewhat vigorous exercise such as jogging or marathon running, the rear end of the wire 10 is moved to position II, so that the eyeglass frame 1 is less likely to rub against or fall off the head of the eyeglass wearer.

In this embodiment, the second component 2 is formed in a curved shape that curves from the front side to the side side of the eyeglass frame 1 as shown in (a). Therefore, by rotating this second component 12 (the direction of rotation is shown by arrow X2), the height position of the temple portion of the wire 10 can be changed to III, IV, and V as shown in (b).

[Fourth embodiment]
Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention in which a wire 10 has been subjected to swaging, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the wire 10, (b) is a cross-sectional view of a wire 10' that has been subjected to swaging, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the wire 10' inserted into the through holes 11a to 14a of the first to fourth component members 11 to 14.
As shown in Fig. 4(a), the wire 10 of this embodiment is a metal stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of metal wires (three in the illustrated example). The twisted wire 10 is then subjected to a swaging process (the wire after processing is shown as 10') so that gaps s are formed between the metal wires as shown in (b). The conditions for forming the gaps s in the wire 10 by swaging depend on the type and diameter of the metal wires, the diameter and pitch of the twisted wire, the magnitude of the pressing force applied by the swaging process, etc., but the conditions disclosed in JP 2017-191168 A by the applicant of the present application can be used as a reference.

Due to this gap s, the wire 10' has elasticity in the radial direction. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), if the outer diameter of the wire 10 before swaging is d and the outer diameter of the wire 10' after swaging is d', the outer diameters d and d' of the wires 10 and 10' before and after swaging are in a relationship of d>d'. As shown in Figure 4(c), if the inner diameter of the through holes 11a to 14a of the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 is D, the inner diameter D and the outer diameter d' of the wire 10' are in a relationship of D<d'. Therefore, when the wire 10' is inserted through the through holes 11a to 14a, the outer diameter d' of the wire 10' elastically shrinks within the range of the gap s, as shown in Figure 4(c). The swaging process increases the contact area of the wire 10' with the inner surfaces of the through holes 11a to 14a, and the elastic deformation in the direction of the outer diameter d' increases the sliding resistance against the first component 11 to the fourth component 14, making it less likely to shift position. By appropriately adjusting the relationship between the inner diameter D of the through holes 11a to 14a and the gap s, the magnitude of the sliding resistance can be adjusted.

[Fifth embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the left and right lenses 2 are supported by third component members 13, which are left and right rims, and are connected by a bridge 14'. The wire 10 is divided into two parts, left and right, and each wire 10 is inserted into the third component member 13 from the second component member 12 side. Each of the left and right wires 10 has a spherical stopper 10a formed at one end protruding from the through hole 13a of the third component member 13, so that the wire 10 does not come out of the through hole 13a of the third component member 13. In addition, the temple portion of the wire 10 is curved to match the shape of the temple, and a stopper 19 is provided at one end.

When the eyeglass frame is not in use, the wire 10 is pushed toward the through hole of the second component 12 until the stopper 19 abuts against the second component 12. As a result, as shown in (b), the wire 10 extends from the exit of the through hole of the third component 13 along the upper edge of the lens 2. The left and right wires 10 overlap in parallel along the upper edge of the lens 2. After the stopper 19 abuts against the second component 12, the second component 12 is rotated to fit along the side edge of the lens 2, so that the wire 10 and the second component 12 are stored along the edge of the lens 2 as shown in (c), making it possible to store the eyeglass frame flat and thin when not in use.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above description.
For example, in the above description, the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 are described as being formed of a cylindrical body, but the first component 11 to the fourth component 14 can be of various designs, and in such cases, the orientation direction of the wire 10 can be determined by the shape of the through holes 11a to 14a formed in them.
For example, in the first embodiment, the third component member 13 and the fourth component member 14 on the left and right sides may be integrated, or the third component member 13 and the second component member 12 may be integrated.

In addition, in the first to fourth embodiments, the eyeglass frame 1 is formed by inserting one wire 10 through each of the components 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, but it is also possible to form the eyeglass frame 1 using two wires 10, as in the fifth embodiment. In this case, for example, the wire 10 that has been inserted through each of the components 11, 12, and 13 from both the left and right sides is connected by a fourth component 14 that forms a bridge. In the same way, it is also possible to form the eyeglass frame 1 using three or more wires 10.

Furthermore, while the cross-sectional shape of the wire 10 has been described as being circular, it is possible to restrict the rotation of the components 11-17 relative to the wire 10 by making it elliptical, angular, or irregular. Also, by making the wire 10 polygonal, such as a hexagon or octagon, and giving the through holes of the components 11-17 a corresponding shape, it becomes possible to rotate the wire 10 in stages relative to the components 11-17, for example, in 60° increments for a hexagon, or in 45° increments for an octagon.

1A is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an eyeglass frame of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows the eyeglass frame before assembly, and FIG. 1B shows the eyeglass frame after assembly with a wire passed through. FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention. FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a fourth embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention in which a wire has been swaged, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the wire, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the wire after swaging, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the wire inserted into the through holes of the first to fourth components. A diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the eyeglass frame of the present invention.

1 Spectacle frame 10 Wire 10' Wire 10a Stopper 11 First component 11a Through hole 12 Second component 12a Through hole 13 Third component 13a Through hole 14 Fourth component 14a Through hole 15 Fifth component 16 Sixth component 17 Seventh component 18 Eighth component 19 Stopper 2 Lens 30 Wire 31 Functional part

Claims (7)

A pair of eyeglass frames including a plurality of components each constituting an ear hook, an end piece, a bridge, a rim, or a front frame, each of which is individually formed, and each of the components is connected by a wire having spring properties in a bending direction ,
Each of the plurality of components is formed with a through hole through which the wire passes,
The wire is elastically deformed into a shape according to the shape of the through hole by being inserted into the through hole of the component , and the wire is inserted from the through hole of one component to the through hole of another component to connect the components together,
The through-hole is configured to insert the common wire through the plurality of components to connect the plurality of components to each other, thereby forming a preset eyeglass frame,
The component can change the shape of the eyeglass frame by sliding and/or rotating the component along the wire to change the position and/or rotation angle position of the component relative to the wire ;
The eyeglass frame is characterized by: The eyeglass frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wire is a solid wire made of metal or resin, a twisted wire or a braided wire made of metal, resin or a composite of these. The eyeglass frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one of the wires is inserted through one of the ear hooks, one of the end pieces, one of the front frames or bridges, the other end piece, and the other of the ear hooks in that order. The eyeglass frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a wire for a functional member for holding a functional member including a camera, a light emitter, or an auxiliary lens, a component for supporting the functional member for supporting the wire for the functional member, and a through hole formed in the component for supporting the functional member for inserting the wire for the functional member, and the wire for the functional member is slidable or rotatable relative to the component for the functional member. An eyeglass frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the wire and the hole shape of the through-hole of the component are polygonal, and the wire can be rotated in stages relative to the component. An eyeglass frame according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wire is a twisted wire consisting of multiple metal wires, and gaps are provided between the metal wires, so that the wire elastically deforms in the radial direction when the wire is inserted through the through hole. The eyeglass frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the wire is divided into left and right parts at the center of the eyeglass frame, and each of the left and right divided wires is slid along the through-holes of each component that constitutes the rim or the front frame, and the left and right wires are overlapped along the edge of the lens, so that the wire can be stored along the edge of the lens.

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