Abstract:
An eyeglass temple has a cavity containing a removable screwdriver whose handle is shaped to function as an earpiece portion of the temple when the screw driver shaft is housed within the temple. The screw driver can be removed when desired to tighten, for example, the hinge screws of the glasses.

Description:
This application claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/151,761, filed Aug. 31, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to eyeglasses having a temple piece containing a removable screwdriver. 
     One of the recurring problems that a wearer of eyeglasses or sunglasses experiences is a loosening of the screws which either hold the temple to the frame of the glasses, or the screws which hold the lenses in the frame. To re-tighten loose screws, various compact screw driver kits are sold and carried separately; however, most glasses wearers do not carry such kits with them, and have to improvise when a screw driver when needed. Makeshift tools may damage the screw slots, and cannot deliver as much torque as a proper screwdriver. 
     Other inventors have proposed solutions to the problem described above. U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,861, for example, proposes using the end of the temple portion of an eyepiece as a screw driver. However, this arrangement requires the addition of a cumbersome end piece to the temple piece, and is uncomfortable as well. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to modify the body of at least one temple of a pair of eyeglasses by providing it with a cavity adapted to receive a small screw driver formed at the forward end of the earpiece. This allows the screw driver to be hidden, without the need for having a specialized end piece which would be uncomfortable to the wearer. 
     Another object is to construct the temple cover (the piece that engages the ear) as the handle of the screw driver. 
     These and other objects are attained by an eyeglass temple having a cavity containing a removable screwdriver as exemplified in the drawings and described more fully below. 
     The term “eyeglasses” as used herein, is intended to encompass both prescription eyeglasses and non-prescription glasses, including sunglasses. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings, 
     FIG. 1 is a rear view of a pair of eyeglasses, one of the temples being omitted for clarity; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one temple, showing a screw driver retained in the temple; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the temple, showing a slightly modified screw driver removed from the temple; 
     FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3, with the screw driver reinstalled within the temple; 
     FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 3, of a screw driver having a threaded connection with the temple body; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 3, of a screw driver having a bayonet connection to the temple body. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A pair of eyeglasses embodying the invention is shown in FIG.  1 . The frame which holds the lenses  10  comprises a pair of eye wires  12 , interconnected by a bridge  14 . Nose pads (not shown) are supported on the respective eye wires. Each of the eye wires supports a hinge element  20  having a vertical pivot screw  22  upon which a temple piece  24  pivots. The pivoting hinge element  28  is a metal reinforcement which extends a short distance into the plastic body  26  of the temple. 
     The body  26  is hollow, being provided with a cavity  25 , which is open at the rear of the body. As one can see in FIGS. 2-6, the cavity is adapted to house the distal end  30  of the ear piece stem, which according to this invention serves as a screw driver shaft. The ear piece (temple cover) is conventional, and serves as the handle of the screw driver. 
     The forward tip of the earpiece stem is shaped as a screwdriver bit  36 . The bit illustrated is of the flat blade type, for a slot-type screw, alternatively, it could be a Phillips bit or some other configuration. I particularly contemplate providing a pair of glasses with two screw drivers having bits of different types (e.g., one slot-type blade and one Phillips bit, one in each temple). 
     Preferably, the body  26  and the temple cover  32  are made of “zyl” (zylonite), a cellulose acetate which is commonly used for temple portions. This helps camouflage the screw driver. 
     The screw driver is retained within the cavity by a connection  40  which both holds it tightly enough that it does not work loose in ordinary use, and maintains the proper angular orientation of the ear piece, so that the temple cover remains comfortable. The connection can be simply a tight friction fit between the screw driver shaft and at least a portion of the walls of the cavity, as in FIG. 2, but I prefer a more positive connection: for example, a snap-connection (FIGS.  3 - 4 ), a screw-thread connection (FIG.  5 ), or a bayonet connection (FIG.  6 ). Other types of mechanical connections will occur to those of skill in the field of this invention. 
     A snap-connection can take various forms, for example a circumferential ridge  42  on one part engaging a detent groove on the other part when the screwdriver is fully inserted. 
     In the case of a screw thread arrangement (FIG.  5 ), a portion  44  of the shaft is threaded, so as to engage corresponding internal threads  46  formed on the walls of the cavity, or on a metal insert installed in the cavity. Likewise, a bayonet connection, or a similar partial-turn connection, may be provided, including a bayonet fitting  48  on the stem and a complementary socket  50  on the walls of the cavity, or on a metal insert within the cavity. 
     Whatever the constructional details, I prefer that from outward appearances the temple body and the screw driver handle appear to be integral and no different from a conventional temple. With any of the above constructions, the screwdriver(s) can be removed easily, when desired, to tighten the hinge screws, eye frame screws, or nose pad screws of the eyeglasses. 
     Although preferred embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions.