Abstract:
A glasses frame having a first part for receiving lenses, and an arm that is respectively laterally connected to cheek ends on each side of the frame part in an articulated manner by a hinge. The arm has a first partial cylinder shell, on the end thereof facing the frame part, the cylindrical axis corresponding to the rotational axis of the hinge, and the first partial cylinder shell is applied, in a sliding manner, to a second partial cylinder shell provided on the frame part and forming a first sliding surface. The arm on the end facing the frame part has at least one spring tongue which is applied to a second sliding surface on the frame part in an elastic manner so that the region of the frame part having the second partial cylinder shell is elastically received between the first partial cylinder shell and the spring tongue.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a glasses frame with a frame for receiving eyeglass lenses and with a temple piece on each side of the frame, which are coupled laterally to cheek ends of the frame by means of a hinge. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In such glasses frames usually both of the temple pieces are fixed at the frame of the eyeglasses by means of hinge screws or pins, wherein the screws or pins are coupled to openings at the glasses frame which have a circular cross-section. For example, the openings can be implemented as bores, which if necessary (when hinge screws are used) are provided with corresponding threads. 
     Other known glasses frames are designed without pins or hinge screws. For example, European Patent Application EP 0 863 424 B1 shows a glasses frame of this type wherein the temple piece comprises a notch at the end facing towards the frame and wherein, in the opened condition of the eyeglasses, a correspondingly formed frame bridge snaps into this notch. The thus formed connection between the temple piece and the glasses frame is fixed by a spring tongue of the temple piece as the spring tongue snaps into a corresponding opening at the glasses frame. Thus, this frame is a screwless three-pieces glasses frame having a spring-hinge system of the plug-in type that provides for a connection without pins or screws between the temple piece and the frame. 
     European Patent Application EP 1 023 626 B1 discloses a glasses frame, wherein likewise a glasses frame and a pair of temple pieces are connected by means of hinges that provide for a corresponding connection without pins or screws. In this case, the temple pieces are provided each with extensions at their ends facing the frame, which are wound up in a manner so that a tube is formed which engages into corresponding openings at the glasses frame. Additionally the tube is provided with a two-piece hinge core, which serves as a friction element when the eyeglasses are opened or shut. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a glasses frame of the type mentioned above, wherein a connection between the temple pieces and the framework is created, which provides for a more cost efficient fabrication while offering a good operating convenience. 
     According to the invention, in a glasses frame of the type mentioned above this object is solved in that the temple piece, at the end facing the frame, comprises a first partial cylinder shell with an approximately partial cylindrical surface in the form of a partial cylinder, wherein the cylinder axis corresponds to the rotational axis of the hinge and wherein the first partial cylinder shell rests slidingly on a second partial cylinder shell that is provided at the frame and defines a first sliding area. At the end facing the frame the temple piece comprises at least one spring tongue that rests elastically on a second sliding area on the frame, such that the region of the frame between the first partial cylinder shell and the spring tongue that defines the second partial cylinder shell is elastically received. A cylinder shell is meant to denote a convex outer surface or a concave inner surface of a cylinder, and a partial cylinder is meant to denote a cylinder that is cut open along its longitudinal axis, as a result of which a semi cylinder can be formed. Therefore, the glasses frame according to the invention, which for the formation of the hinge does not require hinge pins or screws, can be fabricated without expensive mounting steps. Because of the special design the glasses frame can be manufactured completely or at least in the region of the hinges from a flat material. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first cylinder shell is formed on the exterior side of the temple piece. 
     In other embodiments the first partial cylinder shell has a surface approximately in the shape of a partial cylinder with a cross-section of one third up to three quarters of a circle, and it can correspond to a semi cylinder for instance. 
     In especially preferred embodiments of the present invention the temple piece is produced of a flat material and especially of a metal sheet, which means that it can be produced for example by stamping, sawing or cutting from a metal band, and at the end facing the frame the temple has two longitudinal slots. Here these longitudinal slots divide the temple piece in three horizontal tabs, where at least one tab comprises a bulge that forms the partial cylinder shell or that is bend. At least one tab is designed as a spring tongue. In other preferred embodiments of the invention the frame at the cheek ends facing the temples can be formed as flat material, too, and can be bend, respectively, and it can comprise the above described partial cylinder shells in the form of bulges. Suitable materials that can be used for the fabrication of the frame and/or of the temple include especially all metals and noble metals that are technically workable as sheet metal, preferably stainless steel, titanium, beta-titanium and all thermosetting alloys. 
     Additionally, in a glasses frame according to the invention sliding elements can be attached at the frame at each of the cheek ends, the surfaces of which elements comprise the above mentioned second partial cylinder shells. These sliding elements can be formed unitary and they can comprise at least one cylindrical section, the surface of which represents at least partially the above mentioned partial cylinder shell. In this connection, the sliding elements comprise at least one supporting surface, with which they rest fixedly and not rotatable on the glasses frame. Additionally, the sliding elements can comprise at least one or more openings, that extend essentially parallel and coaxial to the mean perpendicular of the cylindrical section and that are connected with the frame by the engagement of securing pins mounted at the frame with these openings. The hinge elements can both be composed of plastics, for example produced by an injection-molding process, or of metal. In the case of a plastic part or an injection-molded plastic part, respectively, the openings of the sliding element preferably are formed rectangular, whereas in case they are made of metal the openings preferably have a round cross-section. 
     In order to insert the eyeglass lenses into the glasses frame, each of the openings for holding the two eyeglass lenses preferably comprises a radial slot that serves to elastically bend open the glasses frame and to again close it after having inserted the glasses. In preferred embodiments this slot can extend through mounts for nose pads at the frame. For the insertion of the glasses the opening of the frame can then be bend open, and afterwards the two halves of the nose pads can be closed again by means of corresponding slide-on nose pads, whereby a secure mounting of the glasses in the frame is provided for. 
     Alternatively, the slots of the openings can each pass through a cheek end of the glasses frame, whereby said end is divided in two parts and can to be bend open, and after the insertion of the glasses the end again can be closed by means of an attachable retainer. In preferred embodiments of this latter alternative essentially U-shaped securing tongues can be formed in the region of the cheek end, which are divided by the slot in two parts. After bending open the glasses frame and inserting the glasses, the securing tongues can be closed again by means of a slide-on retainer, by which also in this case it is guaranteed that the slot itself is fixedly closed and that the respective glasses each are secured within the opening of the frame. 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail in the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a temple piece of a glasses frame according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the temple piece of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a cheek end of a frame of the glasses frame according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the cheek end of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a glasses frame according to the invention, wherein a cheek end and a temple piece are shown in the assembled state; 
         FIG. 6  is a top partial view of the glasses frame of  FIG. 5  with opened temple pieces; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the glasses frame of  FIG. 6 , where the glasses frame is shown with folded temples; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective top view under an oblique angle of a glasses frame according to the invention, where a cutout with a cheek end and a part of a temple piece is shown; 
         FIG. 9  shows the end of a temple piece of a glasses frame with sliding elements; 
         FIGS. 10 and 11  are each side views of a cheek end of a glasses frame according to the invention with sliding elements; 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of a sliding element with a continuous round opening; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the sliding element of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of a sliding element with a rectangular opening; 
         FIG. 15  is a top view of the sliding element of  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a partial top view of a glasses frame in an assembled state with sliding elements, where the end of the frame, the cheek end and the corresponding end of the temple piece are shown; 
         FIG. 17  is a top view of the glasses frame of  FIG. 16 , where the eyeglasses are shown here with the temples being folded inwards; 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of the glasses frame of  FIG. 16  in the opened condition; 
         FIGS. 19 and 20  are a top view and a side view, respectively, of a slide-on retainer; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective partial view of a glasses frame with sliding elements showing the cheek end and the end of the temple piece facing the frame; 
         FIG. 22  is a front view of a glasses frame according to the invention; 
         FIG. 23  is a partial enlargement of the glasses frame of  FIG. 22 , wherein mounts for nose pads are shown with a nose pad slid thereon; 
         FIG. 24  shows an alternative embodiment of a mount for nose pads with a tubular nose pad slid thereon; and 
         FIG. 25  is a view of an embodiment of a retaining clip. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a temple piece  12  that can be attached at a glasses frame in a preferred embodiment of the invention, such that it is rotatably hinged around an axis  16 . At its end facing the frame the temple piece  12  is provided with spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b , wherein in this top view only the spring tongue  18   b  can be seen. Additionally, at said end the temple piece  12  comprises a first partial cylinder shell  14  that is provided with a partial cylindrical surface that has approximately the form of a partial cylinder and corresponds in the illustrated case to the interior surface area of a half tube that would be created by cutting open a tube along its central axis. Such a temple piece can preferably be formed by stamping, etching or cutting the semi-finished from a flat metal band and then bending the partial cylinder shell  14 . During this bending process a first stop  17  will be formed at the end of the partial cylinder shell  14  preferably, which stop, in the assembled condition of the eyeglasses, avoids that the temple piece is deflected further outwards beyond its opened position in which it forms an angle of about 90° with the glasses frame. 
       FIG. 2  shows the end of the temple piece  12  of  FIG. 1  in a side view in which both spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b  are visible. In this view it also can be seen that the end of the temple piece  12  forms on its outside the spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b  by means of sawed or cut slots and that the middle tab carries the first partial cylinder shell  14 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show a cheek end  11  with a stop opening  15 , which is partially filled up by a stop tongue  13 . The function of this stop tongue  13  will be further explained below. Additionally, the cheek end is provided with a second stop  19  that is bent outwardly (i.e. out of the eyeglasses), the function of which stop will also be explained below. 
       FIG. 4  shows the cheek end  11  of  FIG. 3  in a top view. As can be seen, the cheek end  11  is formed as a band and therefore it can be produced for example from a metallic flat band material. It can also be seen that the cheek end  11  comprises a second partial cylinder shell  22  that is formed in this case by a semi-cylindrical inward bend of the cheek end. Additionally, in this top view it can be seen that the stop tongue  13 , that can be created for example by sawing or cutting at three of its sides from the cheek element  11 , comprises at its end a fold that extends towards the inner side of the eyeglasses. 
       FIG. 5  shows eyeglasses with the cheek end  11  and the temple piece  12  of the preceding figures being in the assembled condition, wherein the eyeglasses are shown in the opened condition. In this side view the manner is shown, how the stop  17  of the temple piece  12  engages with the stop opening  15  of the cheek end  11  and abuts there at the stop tongue  13 . In this manner it is avoided that the temple piece  12  is folded further to the outside as desired (in the illustration out of the plane; relative to the user away from the left half of his head). Because there is not only formed a stop opening  15  at the cheek end  11 , but the stop tongue  13  is formed by corresponding slots, an elastic end position of the temple piece  12  instead of a sudden stop will be achieved, which improves the handling and wearing comfort of the eyeglasses. 
     In  FIGS. 6 and 7  the corresponding section of the eyeglasses of  FIG. 5  is shown in a top view. In  FIG. 6  the eyeglasses are again shown as in  FIG. 5  when being opened for use, so that the temple piece  12  is arranged approximately in a line with the cheek end  11 . In  FIG. 7  the temple piece  12  is folded, for example to pack away the eyeglasses. In the case of  FIG. 6  the stop  17  of the temple piece  12  cannot be seen because it comes to a rest within stop opening  15  of the cheek end  11 , but it can be seen that the stop tongue  13  is bent inwards at its end facing the temple piece  12 , so that the stop  17  abuts in this position. In the opened condition of the eyeglasses the spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b  with the end facing the frame abut from behind against the second partial cylinder shell  22  of the cheek end  11 , which is ensured by the fact that their ends are bend 90° inwardly. As can be seen in  FIG. 6  by reference to the spring tongue  18   b  there a kind of tongs action is created by the spring tongue  18   b  and the first partial cylinder shell  14  of the temple piece  12 , wherein these two elements embrace the second partial cylinder shell  22  of the cheek end  11  from outside and from inside. When starting from the opened condition according to  FIG. 6  the two temple pieces of the eyeglasses are folded inwards to reach the folded condition according to  FIG. 7 , the second partial cylinder shell  22  of the cheek end  11  glides on the first partial cylinder shell  14  of the temple piece  12  on a first common sliding area, and the spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b , due to their contact pressure on the cheek end, avoid separation of the cheek end and the temple piece. 
     In the folded condition of the eyeglasses that is partially shown in  FIG. 7  from the top, it can be seen that during a folding operation the spring tongue  18   b  together with its stop  17  slides out from its first end position (in the opened condition of the eyeglasses) and then slides along a second sliding area  20 , on which the tongue rests elastically on the frame, until it is brought into a second end position. In this opened position of the temple piece  12  the first stop  17  of the temple piece  12  abuts against the second stop  19  of the cheek end  11 , whereby a slight resistance against opening is created. Therefore an accidental opening of the eyeglasses is avoided. 
     Additionally, it can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7  that upon opening or folding shut of the eyeglasses the stop  17  along the second sliding area  20  with which it rests on the cheek end  11  is located in each opening condition relative to the supporting surface of the first partial cylinder shell  14  on the second partial cylinder shell  22  on the opposite side of the rotational axis  16 . Therefore, it is taken care that in each position of this motion the first partial cylinder shell  14  of the temple  12  is pressed against the second partial cylinder shell  22  of the cheek end  11 , while the connection between temple and cheek end is ensured. 
     In  FIG. 8  the cheek end  11  and the temple  12  are shown in perspective view at an oblique angle from the top, wherein in this case the eyeglasses are not yet fully opened. Here, again the manner can be seen how the spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b  press against the back side of the second partial cylinder shell  22  of the cheek end  11 , while on the other hand the first partial cylinder shell  14  of the temple piece  12  is guided around the second partial cylinder shell  22 , whereby the two cylindrical are caused to rest on each other. Because in this case the eyeglasses, as was mentioned before, are not yet fully opened, the first stop  17  of the temple piece  12  has not yet arrived to fully rest within stop opening  15  of the cheek end  11  on the stop tongue  13 . 
     In  FIG. 9  an end of a temple piece  12  is shown as it can be used in a glasses frame with a sliding element. In this case, the elements of the temple piece  12  are shown to correspond to those of a temple piece which is to be used without a sliding element and as they are shown for example in  FIG. 2 . Therefore, the details will not be explained here further. 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show as a corresponding counterpart to the temple piece of  FIG. 9  a cheek end  11  that is provided for use of a sliding element. The cheek end  11  comprises a slot  32  that divides the cheek end  11  in two pieces and which extends (not shown in here) through the entire frame to the openings for holding eyeglass lenses or glasses. On one hand this slot  32  has the function that the frame can be bent open elastically (shown in  FIG. 11 ), so that eyeglass lenses can be inserted into the corresponding openings. Of course this can also be realized with the above mentioned glasses frames without sliding elements. In the present case they have the additional function that by the bending open sliding elements can be inserted into the cheek end  11  and can be fixed there. For attaching a sliding element  24 , which is explained subsequently with reference to  FIGS. 12 and 14 , the cheek end  11  is provided at its lower half, that is created by the slot  32 , and also at its upper half each with a securing pin  30   a  and  30   b  respectively, which engage into a sliding element and therefore secure the same fixedly with the cheek end. Additionally, the cheek ends  11  of  FIGS. 10 and 11  are provided with securing tongues  33  that are divided by the slot  32  in two parts and as a whole have a U-shaped appearance. These securing tongues can be produced by sawing, cutting or stamping them out of the cheek ends  11  at three edges corresponding to their shape. The function of these securing tongues is explained below. 
       FIGS. 12 and 14  each show a sliding element  24 , which in the case of  FIG. 12  is made of metal and which in the case of  FIG. 14  is an injection-molded plastic part. With these views, it can be seen that these sliding elements have openings  28  that are formed each as continuous openings in these two embodiments shown, wherein the opening in the metal version of  FIG. 12  has a circular cross-section and the opening in the injection-molded part of  FIG. 14  has a rectangular cross-section together. The corresponding cross-sections are shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , which are top views of the sliding elements  24  of the  FIGS. 12 and 14 , respectively. The different cross-sectional shapes of the openings  28  result from the fabrication process, where for a metal sliding element the opening preferably is created by a bore, whereas for an injection-molded part the opening can also be rectangular, which is advantageous in that the sliding element  24  is protected better against rotation when inserted in a cheek end  11 . Additionally, it can be seen in  FIGS. 12 and 14  that a sliding element  24  is provided with a cylindrical section  26  located in the center of the sliding element, and with two supporting surfaces  27  at the corresponding ends of the sliding element. In the shown embodiments according to  FIGS. 12 to 15 , the supporting surfaces  27  are formed such that they are placed as partial cylinder sections on the middle cylindrical section  26 , where the partial cylinder sections and the middle cylindrical section define a common axis that is in the center of the openings  28 . Therefore, one can imagine a fabrication process where three cylinders, one of which has a smaller radius and the other two have a larger one, are stacked on each other such that the cylinder with the smaller radius is in the center. In a next step, a portion of both of the outer cylinders is cut away perpendicular to their face sides. The cuttings through both of the outer cylinders then represent each the parallel supporting surfaces  27  of the thus formed sliding element  24 . The fabrication method just described is intended primarily to describe the shape of the sliding element, because more cost efficient processes can be applied, such as an injection-mold process, as was mentioned before. 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  show a glasses frame with a sliding element  24  in a top view, wherein in these views a cheek end  11  and an end of a temple piece  12  are shown in the assembled condition of the eyeglasses. In  FIG. 16  the eyeglasses are shown in an opened condition and in  FIG. 17  in a folded shut condition. While the temple piece  12  with the spring tongues  18   a  and  18   b  and with a first partial cylinder shell  14  corresponds essentially to a glasses frame without a sliding element, in this case the cheek end  11  has no directly molded second partial cylinder shell  22 , rather the latter is replaced by the surface of the sliding element  24  or to be precise, by its cylindrical section  26 , the surface of which forms the partial cylinder shell. That means that the sliding elements  24  are fixedly secured to the cheek ends  11  and that the first partial cylinder shell  14  of the temple piece  12  slides over the sliding element. 
     During fabrication or assembly of the eyeglasses the sliding element  24  is installed in the cheek end  11 , by bending open the cheek end elastically along the slot  32 . Then the sliding element is inserted such that the securing pins  30   a  and  30   b  (see  FIG. 11 ) fix the sliding element, wherein both securing pins engage into the opening  28  and the supporting surfaces  27  come to a rest on the cheek end  11 . Therefore it is assured that the sliding element  24  is connected fixedly and not rotatable with the cheek end  11 . In  FIG. 16  it can be seen that the cheek end  11  and the temple piece  12  are formed such that they form an essentially plane surface at the exterior side of the eyeglasses (when the eyeglasses are opened). Alternatively, the rotational axis  16  can be displaced further outwardly such that a round bulge is also visible at the outside. Then the first partial cylinder shell  14  projects for a smaller distance into the interior side of the eyeglasses. The same applies for the embodiment shown in the  FIGS. 1 to 8 . 
       FIG. 18  shows the glasses frame of  FIGS. 16 and 17  in a side view, wherein the manner is visible in which an plug-on retainer  34  secures the cheek end  11  (and therefore the frame  10 ) that is divided in two parts by the slot  32 , in that the two halves are secured fixedly together by means of plugging-on the retainer. Therefore, by removal of the retainer  34  the frame can be bend open elastically, for example to insert or to replace the glasses on the one hand and on the other hand to position the sliding element  24 . In the  FIGS. 19 and 20  retainer  34  is shown in a view along the cheek end  11  and in a side view (corresponding to  FIG. 18 ), respectively. The retainer  34  is inserted in the cheek end  11  by bending the U-shaped securing tongue  33  (see  FIG. 11 ) outwardly or inwardly, then the retainer is plugged-on and the elastic securing tongue springs back into its initial position. This is schematically shown in  FIG. 16 . Instead of retainer  34  which completely encompasses the securing tongue  33  there could be provided a retaining clip  50 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 25  and which is clipped onto the securing tongue  33  or onto the cheek end  11  of the frame in a manner that its spring tongues  51  encompass the edges of the tongue  33  or of the cheek end  11 , respectively. If a retaining clip  50  is used that encompasses the cheek end  11 , the securing tongue  33  of course need not to be provided. 
       FIG. 21  shows a perspective view of the glasses frame together with a sliding element  24  of  FIGS. 16 and 17 , wherein the eyeglasses are again shown in a condition in which the temple piece  12  is not yet fully pivoted outwardly to its end position. 
       FIG. 22  shows a glasses frame with a frame  10 , in which the slots for bending open the openings for the eyeglass lenses are not cut through the cheek ends  11 , as in the previously shown embodiments of the invention, but wherein in this embodiment they extend through mounts  40 , so that they, as slots  42 , divide these mounts in two pieces. That means that for the insertion of the glasses the glasses frame  10  can be bend open along slots  42 , wherein the glasses frame after insertion of the glasses will be elastically reshaped, and the two-piece mounts  14  for the nose pads can be closed afterwards and therefore can be secured by the nose pads  44  according to  FIG. 23 . This alternative is used preferably together with glasses frames without sliding elements. 
       FIG. 24  shows an alternative embodiment to  FIG. 23  with a mount for nose pads with hook-like mounts  40 , on which after insertion of the glasses the tubular nose pads  44  can be plugged-on. The mounts  40  can be adapted to the shape of the nose by bending.