Hinge structure, particularly for spectacle frames

The hinge structure has the peculiarity of being constituted by an elastically compressible bellows-like element which comprises lugs for temporary coupling to the frame and to a rod. The rods are biased to a position adjacent to the lens of the frame in case of non-use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present application relates to a hinge structure particularly usable 
for spectacle frames. 
Numerous kinds of hinges are currently known; the simplest are constituted 
by cams which protrude at the end of a rod and are associated at tabs 
which protrude at the end of the frame by means of a locking screw. 
Said known hinges, however, require the user to fold them approximately 
parallel to the lens in the frame in case of non-use for storage, and 
furthermore do not ensure a good grip of the rod at the temples. 
The repositioning of the frame is thus inconvenient, and said frame can 
slip off due to a sudden movement. 
As a partial solution to these disadvantages, hinges are known which 
comprise rods which have, at one end, an axial cavity which acts as seat 
for a spring and a ball which interacts with a cam defined at the end of 
the front portion of the frame. 
Such known hinge types therefore allow an extra opening beyond the 
condition of approximately ninety degrees with respect to the plane of 
arrangement of the front portion, so as to allow them to adhere optimally 
at the temples of the users in order to prevent the spectacles from 
slipping off. 
Other known hinges furthermore provide the automatic repositioning of the 
rod proximate to the front portion once a small rotation toward said front 
portion has been imparted thereto starting from the condition of normal 
use. 
All these known types of hinge, however, essentially have the disadvantage 
of being expensive, both because they are constituted by a large number of 
components which require special and accurate assembly and because it is 
necessary to use materials which are not subjected to considerable wear 
due to the extremely large number of operations for opening and closing 
the rods with respect to the front portion performed every day by the 
user. 
Another disadvantage resides in that said known types of hinge also have 
not optimum dimensions and consequent aesthetic solutions, due to the need 
to accommodate all the components in order to achieve the extra opening or 
the automatic closure of the rod. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The aim of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the 
disadvantages described above in known types by providing a hinge which is 
structurally very simple and is also easy to manufacture. 
Within the scope of the above described aim, another important object is to 
obtain a hinge which is associable with the frame in a rapid and simple 
manner. 
Another important object is to provide a hinge which has a small number of 
components. 
Still another important object is to provide a hinge which allows the rod 
to adhere satisfactorily to the temples as well as the automatic closure 
of said rod o the front portion. 
Still another object is to provide a hinge which allows progressive 
adjustment of the fit. 
Not least object is to provide a hinge which associates with the preceding 
characteristics that of having very low production and assembly costs. 
The above described aim and objects and others which will become apparent 
hereinafter are achieved by a hinge structure, particularly- for spectacle 
frames, which is characterized in that it is constituted by an elastically 
compressible bellows-like element, said bellows-like element comprising 
means for temporary coupling to complimentarily shaped grip means provided 
on said frame and on a rod.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
With reference to the above figures, the hinge structure, generally 
indicated by the reference numeral 1, is particularly suitable for frames 
2 of spectacles which comprise a lens holding front portion and a rod or 
temple 4. 
The hinge structure 1 is constituted by at least one spring-loadable 
bellows-like element 5 which has a ribbing 6 from which a plurality of 
substantially perpendicular wings 7 extends; said wings have such 
dimensions as to give the bellows-like element 5 a curved configuration 
when at rest. 
Temporary coupling means are provided at the wings 7 located at the ends of 
the ribbing 6 and are constituted by lugs 8a and 8b which protrude 
longitudinally to each of said wings and have a slightly smaller extension 
than said wings. 
Said lugs 8a and 8b have, in a transverse cross section, a T-shaped 
configuration and are connected to the wings 7 at the stem 9. 
Each of the lugs 8a and 8b is temporarily associable at complementarily 
shaped grip means defined on the end 10 of the front portion 3 of the 
frame 2 and at the end of the rod. 
Said grip means are constituted by a seat 11 provided both at said ends 10 
of the front portion 3 and at the end of the rod 4. The seats 11 are 
shaped complementarily to the lugs 8a,8b and have a longitudinal opening 
12 for accommodating the stem 9. 
The seats 11 and the longitudinal opening 12 extend from the lower surfaces 
13a, 13b of the end 10 of the front portion 3 and from the corresponding 
end of the rod 4. 
The use of the hinge structure is therefore as follows: the bellows-like 
elements 5 can be produced beforehand by molding plastic material and be 
subsequently coupled at the seats defined at the ends of the front portion 
of the rods. 
By associating said lugs 8a and 8b at the lower surfaces 13a and 13b of 
said ends, a frame is obtained which has no upward indication of the 
coupling between the bellows-like element and the other components of the 
spectacles, thus achieving an optimum aesthetic configuration. 
Once the bellows-like element has been associated with the frame, said 
element will naturally have a width and thickness approximately equal to 
those of the end of the components with which it is associated. 
It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the above 
mentioned aim and objects, a hinge structure having been obtained which is 
composed in practice of a single element which has extremely small 
production costs, since it is devoid of any step intermediate to the 
assembly of the components. 
The bellows-like element is therefore associable, in a rapid and extremely 
simple manner, with the front portion and with the rod, immediately giving 
the latter the arrangement adjacent to the front portion by virtue of the 
curved configuration imparted to said bellows-like element. 
In order to wear the frame, the user must merely slightly divaricate the 
rods, which by virtue of the elastic compression of the bellows-like 
element adhere perfectly at the temples of the user. 
The interchangeability of the bellows-like elements 5 and/or of the rod 
and/or of the front portion furthermore allows the aesthetic customization 
of the spectacles on the part of the user, all at very low costs and by 
means of extremely easy operations. 
The invention is naturally susceptible to numerous modifications and 
variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive 
concept. 
The materials, as well as the dimensions, which constitute the individual 
components of the device may also be the most pertinent according to the 
specific requirements.