IMPROVED SPECTACLES

Abstract: Improved spectacles (1) comprise a front frame (2) defining seats (3) for respective lenses (4), at least one lens (4) for each seat (3), and means for restraining the lens (4) in the seat (3). The restraining means comprise, for each lens (4), an adapter (8) which is structurally independent of and removable from the front frame (2) and which can be housed and restrained in the seat (3) defined in the front frame.

Description: Improved spectacles Technical field The subject of the present invention is improved spectacles according to the preamble to the main claim. Background art Within the technical field to which the invention relates, a need has arisen to produce spectacles the front portion of which has the appearance of a single lens, is free of discontinuities, and extends to cover the field of view of the user's right and left eyes but is actually produced by coupling two lenses with a front frame. It is in fact thus possible to produce spectacles having the desired optical properties . According to the prior art, in order to couple a lens with a front frame having lens-holding rims, a seat is formed within each lens-holding rim and the chamfered edge of the lens is fitted and restrained in the seat . To achieve the required visual effect of a "single lens", the construction material and the thickness of the front frame must be similar to those of the lenses connected thereto. However, because of the thinness and type of material, which is normally plastics material, it is difficult if not impossible to produce seats in the lens- holding rims which house the lenses firmly and in a restrained manner. A main object of the invention is to provide spectacles which are designed structurally and functionally for the coupling of the lenses with a frame of a thickness and material which are visually similar to those of the lens. A further object of the invention is to produce the required visual effect with the use of lenses manufactured in accordance with the prior art, in particular, corrective lenses having different curvatures. A further object is to produce, in the same spectacles, regions with different curvature according to whether the region in question is outside or within the user's field of view, in order to produce regions with different optical properties and hence optimal protection of the face and of the eyes of the user of the spectacles. Yet a further object is to achieve a firm coupling between the lenses and the frame, minimizing the risks of loss of the lenses . Disclosure of the invention These and other objects are achieved by the invention by means of improved spectacles produced in accordance with the appended claims . Brief description of drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of three embodiments thereof, described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of spectacles formed in accordance with the present invention, - Figure 2 is a partial, exploded, perspective view of the spectacles of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of the spectacles of Figure 1, - Figures 4 and 5 show a first detail and a second detail of the spectacles of Figure 1, in section and on an enlarged scale, - Figures 6 and 7 show, in section, details similar to the detail of Figure 4, of two variants of the spectacles according to the present invention. Best mode for carrying out the invention With reference initially to Figures 1 to 5, a pair of spectacles according to the present invention is generally indicated 1. The spectacles 1 comprise a front frame 2 in which seats 3 are defined for housing respective lenses . A central bridge region 5 is identified in the front frame between the lenses 4 and, at the ends remote from the bridge, the front frame defines two shoulders 6 to each of which a respective arm 7 is articulated. The front frame 2 is made of transparent, coloured or colourless plastics material of limited thickness which could be mistaken for the material used for the manufacture of a lens. The cross-section of the front frame taken in a plane perpendicular to the line III-III of Figure 1 has a curved shape in order better to fit the user's face. The curvature of the further cross-section taken on the line III-III of the front frame 2 (Figure 3) is variable according to the type of lenses 4 used. Means are provided on the spectacles 1 for holding the lenses 4 in the respective seats 3. The means comprise an adapter 8 in the form of a ring of metal band with two opposed surfaces, that is an "inner" surface 9 and an "outer" surface 10, respectively, having respective "V"- shaped grooves 11, 12 with facing vertices and having an appearance similar to that of a metal lens-holding rim. In the preferred embodiment, the shape of the adapter is rounded but it may be polygonal or of another, different shape . The free ends 8a, 8b of the metal band constituting the adapter 8 are joined together by means of a screw 13. In particular, two tubular appendages 14, 15 projecting from the free ends 8a, 8b extend beside and parallel to the adapter 8 and are disposed one above the other. The appendages have respective coaxial through-holes into which the screw 13 can be screwed and the fastening of the screw 13 clamps the appendages 14, 15, thus clamping the adapter 8 onto the lens . An arm 16 of wire also constituting the upper tubular appendage 14, where "upper" defines its position in use, forms an extension of the appendage extending away from the adapter. The arm 16 forms a U-shaped bend 16a to which a pad 17 of conventional structure for bearing on the nose is fixed by means of a screw (not visible in the drawings) . The appendages 14, 15 are positioned relative to the adapter 8 in a manner such that they interfere neither with the mounting of the lens in the adapter nor with the mounting of the adapter in the front frame (which are described in detail below) . Moreover, when the adapter is mounted in the front frame, the pad 17 for bearing on the nose extends in the vicinity of the central bridge region 5. The N-shape of the inner groove 11 is such as to constitute means for the releasable restrained fixing of the lens 4. In particular, the lens 4 has a chamfered edge 18 which is restrained in the groove 11. The lens is thus coupled firmly with the adapter 11 by virtue of the metallic structure thereof. In a variant (not shown in the drawings) , the adapter 8 is formed as a single piece. In this case, the lens 4 is snap-coupled with the adapter 8. The lens 4 is preferably made of conventional plastics material or glass, coloured with a colour the same as or similar to that used for the construction of the front frame 2 and may be a corrective, sun-protection, or protective lens. The N-shaped groove in the outer surface 12, on the other hand, houses the chamfer defined by the inner edge 19 of the seat 3 in the front frame 2; the inner edge 19 of the seat 3 has the same peripheral shape as the adapter 8. The adapter 8 with which the lens 4 is coupled, is thus in turn snap-coupled firmly with the front frame 2. The arms 7 which are also made of coloured or transparent plastics material, are articulated to the shoulders 6 by fixing means 20. The fixing means 20 comprise a metal strip 21 mounted in the outer side of the frame parallel to the line III-III of Figure 1, where "outer side" defines the side facing away from the user's face in use. Two screws 22, 23 integral with the strip 21, extend in two through-holes formed in the front frame 2. The screws 22, 23 engage two eyes 24, 25 of a bent loop 26 of metal wire. The screws 22, 23 are clamped onto the loop by means of two nuts 27, 28. The loop 26 is also fixed to the arm 7 by means of a third screw 29. The fixing means 20 comprise a further metal strip 30 which is incorporated in the plastics body of the arm 7 and from which project two parallel and spaced-apart eyes 31, 32, between which a further eye 33 fixed to the loop 26 is inserted coaxially. The screw 29 is then screwed into the threaded holes of these three superposed eyes 31, 32, 33, restraining the loop on the arm 7. The shape of the loop 26 is such that a resilient system is created, allowing the arm 7 to be opened out resiliently beyond the position of maximum opening which can be achieved without the presence of the loop. Figure 2 shows three separated components of the front portion of the spectacles, that is, the lens 4, the adapter 8 and the front frame 2. In use, the lens is coupled with the adapter 8 which in turn is coupled with the front frame 2, producing the effect of a single lens, as shown by way of example in Figure 1. Figures 6 and 7 show a second and a third embodiment of the invention, respectively. Details similar to the previous example are identified by the same reference numerals. In the embodiment of Figure 6, a partial chamfer 34 is defined in the inner edge 19 of the seat 3 in the front frame 2 and terminates in a shoulder 35 which, during assembly, is abutted by the adapter 8 which is thus coupled with the front frame 2 in a restrained manner. In the embodiment of Figure 7, only the inner surface 9 of the adapter 8 ' has a N-shaped groove for holding the lens 4. The outer surface 10 is flat. A right-angled housing 36 is defined in the inner edge 19 of the seat 3 in the frame 2 and the lens 4 is housed in abutment therein. The adapter 8 is fixed to the front frame 2 by means of at least two screws 37 engaged in respective through-holes 38 formed in the front frame 2 in the region of the right-angled housing 36, and in the adapter 8. It will be noted that, in the second and third preferred embodiments, the adapter 8 and the lens coupled therewith project slightly relative to the front frame 2, either because of the presence of the shoulder 35 and because of the partial nature of the chamfer 34 (Figure 6) , or because of the right-angled housing 36 (Figure 7) . In these embodiments, a "three-dimensional effect" is created. The invention thus satisfies the requirements described, affording many advantages over the prior art. A first advantage is that it permits the use of lenses of any type and shape produced according to the prior art, given that the adapter renders the curvature of the lens independent of the curvature of the front frame of the spectacles (which is also lens-shaped) so that it is possible to produce spectacles for correcting many types of visual defect, at the same time achieving the desired aesthetic effect of a front frame which looks like a single lens. Another advantage is that the lenses are coupled firmly with the frame by means of an adapter which, by virtue of its metal structure, enables very thin frames to be produced. Another advantage is that the front frame of the spectacles and the lenses can be produced with different optical characteristics such as, for example, different transmittance, so as to optimize the protection provided by the spectacles . A further advantage is that the ratio between the extent of the front frame and the extent of the lenses can be varied during the production of the spectacles with the use of the teaching described herein, in order to personalize it according to different user requirements. Yet another advantage is that different colourings of the lens and of the frame can easily be achieved to produce pleasing aesthetic effects . A further advantage is that the adapter itself forms a border of pleasing appearance for the lens.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Improved spectacles comprising a front frame (2) defining seats (3) for respective lenses (4) , at least one lens (4) for each seat (3) , and means for restraining the lens in the seat, characterized in that the restraining means comprise, for each lens (4) , an adapter (8) which is structurally independent of and removable from the front frame and which can be housed and restrained in the seat (3) defined in the front frame (2) . 2. Improved spectacles according to Claim 1, in which the adapter (8) is a ring made of metal band. 3. Improved spectacles according to Claim 2 in which the adapter comprises a first surface and a second surface (9, 10) facing the lens (4) and the front frame (2) , respectively, a groove (11) being defined in the first surface (9) , for restraining the lens (4) . 4. Improved spectacles according to Claim 3 in which the second surface (10) of the adapter (8) is flat. 5. Improved spectacles according to Claim 3 in which respective grooves (11, 12) are defined in both of the first and second surfaces (9, 10) . 6. Improved spectacles according to Claim 5 in which the grooves (11, 12) are reflectively symmetrical and extend throughout the length of the adapter (8) . 7. Improved spectacles according to one or more of Claims 3 to 6 in which the grooves (11, 12) have N-shaped cross-sections . 8. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which each lens (4) has a chamfered edge (18) . 9. Improved spectacles according to Claim 8 in which the chamfered edge (18) has a periphery similar to that of the first surface (9) of the adapter (8) and can be housed in the groove (11) of the first surface (9) . 10. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which each seat (3) defined in the front frame (2) has a chamfered edge (19) . 11. Improved spectacles according to one or more of Claims 1 to 9 in which each seat (3) defined in the front frame (2) has a partially chamfered edge (34) defining a shoulder (35) for the abutment of the adapter (8) . 12. Improved spectacles according to one or more of Claims 1 to 9 in which each seat (3) defined in the frame (2) has an edge (19) defining a substantially right-angled housing (36) . 13. Improved spectacles according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the edge (19) has a periphery which is similar to that of the second surface (10) of the adapter (8) and can be housed in the groove (12) of the second surface (10) . 14. Improved spectacles according to Claims 4 and 12 in which the second, flat surface (10) of the adapter (8) has a periphery which is similar to that of the edge (19) , and in which the adapter (8) can be housed in abutment in the right-angled housing (36) and is fixed to the front frame (2) by means of screws (37) . 15. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the front frame (2) is made of plastics material. 16. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the front frame (2) is transparent . 17. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which each lens (4) is made of plastics or glass material . 18. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the thickness of the front frame (2) and/or the colouring of the same has respectively thickness and /or a colouring identical or similar to that of the lens (4) . 19. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the material of which the front frame (2) is made is similar to that of the lens (4) . 20. Improved spectacles according to one or of the preceding claims comprising a pad (17) for bearing on the nose, in which the pad (17) is connected to the adapter (8) . 21. Improved spectacles according to one or more of the preceding claims in which the adapter (8) is in the form of an open ring defining two ends (8a, 8b) from which two tubular appendages (14, 15) project, the appendages (14, 15) having coaxial through-holes which can be clamped by means of a screw (13) . 22. Improved spectacles according to Claims 20 and 21 in which a metal arm (16) forms an extension of one of the appendages (14) and the pad (17) for bearing on the nose is fixed thereto.

Inventors: TABACCHI VITTORIO, TABACCHI, VITTORIO
Applicants: SAFILO SPA, TABACCHI VITTORIO, SAFILO SOCIETA' AZIONARIA FABBRICA ITALIANA LAVORAZIONE OCCHIALI S.P.A, TABACCHI, VITTORIO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G02C1
IPC codes: G02C1