Patent Publication Number: US-2007121061-A1

Title: Spring hinge for eyeglasses

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a spring hinge for eyeglasses rotatably connected between an end-piece of an eyeglasses rim and an earpiece for resiliently keeping the earpiece at a specific position, and more particularly, to a spring hinge for eyeglasses, which can remarkably reduce a size thereof by simplifying its structure and enhance the degree of freedom in design of eyeglasses.  
      2. Background Art  
      In general, a spring hinge for eyeglasses includes: a slender type housing combined to an eyeglasses temple; a coil spring mounted inside the housing; a sliding member resiliently supported on the spring and performing a rectilineal motion of a predetermined width; and a feldspar member combined to an eyeglasses rim, the sliding member resiliently contacting with the feldspar member, whereby the temple can be rotated at a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction and keep a folded or spread state when it is folded or spread.  
      However, the prior art eyeglasses spring hinge has several problems in that it has a relatively complicated structure, provides a bad appearance due to protrusion of the housing, is deteriorated in productivity due to a long assembling process, and is restricted in design, since the eyeglasses spring hinge has the structure that the coil spring and the sliding member mounted on the spring are assembled to the housing.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a spring hinge for eyeglasses, which has bar-type resilient means mounted on one of two members rotatably combined onto a hinge pin and a cam formed on the other member to be resiliently supported on the resilient means, whereby an end-piece of an eyeglasses rim and an eyeglasses temple cooperating with the two members can keep a resiliently folded or spread state. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a spring hinge for eyeglasses according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the eyeglasses spring hinge according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a section view of the eyeglasses spring hinge according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view, in partial section, of a first member according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing a spread state of a temple, which is an operation state of the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view showing an intermediate operation state of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a folded state of the temple according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing a state where the temple is bent outwardly in the spread state;  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view showing a spread state of a temple, which is an operation state of the second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 13  is a sectional view showing an intermediate operation state of second embodiment;  
       FIG. 14  is a sectional view showing a folded state of the temple according to the second embodiment;  
       FIG. 15  is a sectional view showing a state where the temple is bent outwardly in the spread state according to the second embodiment;  
       FIG. 16  is a sectional view showing a state where an insertion hole of the first member is inclined;  
       FIG. 17  is a sectional view of another example showing the state where the insertion hole of the first member is inclined;  
       FIG. 18  is a perspective view, in partial section, showing another example of the first member according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 19  is a perspective view showing another example of the resilient means according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 20  is a perspective view showing a further example of the resilient means according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 21  is a perspective view showing a still further example of the resilient means according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 22  is a sectional view showing a state where the insertion hole is punched; and  
       FIG. 23  is a sectional view showing another example of the first member and the second member according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Reference will be now made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.  
      As shown in FIGS.  1  to  4 , in the technical structure, the present invention is characterized in that end portions of a first member  10  and a second member  20  are respectively combined to an eyeglasses temple  1  or an end-piece  2  of an eyeglasses rim and rotatably connected thereto via a hinge pin  30 , bar-type resilient means  40  is protrudingly formed on the first member  10  toward the hinge pin  30 , and a cam (d) resiliently contacting to a protrusion of the bar-type resilient means  40  is formed on the second member  20 .  
      As shown in FIGS.  5  to  8 , sides of the first and second members  10  and  20  are combined to the temple  1  or the end-piece  2  of the rim by welding or soldering, and so, if the temple  1  is folded or spread, the cam (d) of the second member  20  is moved to a concentric circle of the hinge pin  30 . So, the contact state between the cam (d) and the bar-type resilient means  40  is transformed according to a position of the cam (d) and strength and direction of elasticity acting to the second member  20  are changed, whereby the temple  1  can keep its folded or spread state.  
      Here, the first member  10  includes: a pin hole  31  formed at an end portion thereof for rotatably inserting the hinge pin  30  thereto; a pair of rotating portions (b) having the outer circumferential portions formed on the concentric circle of the pin hole  31 ; insertion spaces of a predetermined width cut-formed between the two rotating portions (b) to rotatably combine the second member  20  thereto; an insertion hole (a) formed on an inclined surface between the insertion space by drilling, an end portion of the bar-type resilient means  40  being inserted and fixed into the insertion hole (a); and a combining portion (c) formed on the bottom surface of the other end portion thereof and having a welding portion  11  which will be combined to the temple  1  or the end-piece  2  of the rim.  
      It is preferable that the first member  10  has an operational space  32  formed in front of the insertion hole (a) by expanding the hole of the insertion hole (a) so that the resilient means  40  can be operated smoothly.  
      The bar-type resilient means  40  is formed by refractively expanding a plate type spring of a predetermined elasticity at a predetermined inclination angle, and has a recess  41  formed on the rear end thereof which is sealably inserted into the insertion hole (a) of the first member  10 . The front end of the bar-type resilient means  40  protrudes to a predetermined length between the operational space  32  and the insertion space, and the rear end inserted into the insertion hole (a) is restricted in axial or horizontal movement since a part of the inner diameter of the insertion hole (a) is depressed toward the recess  41  when the welding portion  11  protruding from the combining portion (c) is spot-welded. Alternatively, like another embodiment shown in  FIG. 22 , the rear end inserted into the insertion hole (a) is restricted in axial or horizontal movement since the recess  41  is fixed by a protrusion protruding inwardly from the insertion hole (a) by punching the bottom surface of the combining portion (c) of the first member  10 .  
      The second member  20  includes: a pin hole  31  formed on an end portion thereof so that the second member  20  is rotatably connected on the hinge pin  30  in the insertion space of the first member  10 ; a rotating portion (b′) formed on a concentric circle of the pin hole  31 ; and a cam (d) formed on a portion of the outer circumstance of the rotating portion (b′).  
      Moreover, the second member  20  has a combining portion (c′) formed on the bottom surface of the other end portion thereof and having a welding portion ( 11 ′) which will be combined to the temple  1  or the end-piece  2  of the rim.  
      The rotating portions b and b′ of the first and second members  10  and  20  respectively perform a relative rotating motion in opposite directions on the hinge pin  30 , and in this instance, the cam (d) formed on the rotating portion (b′) of the second member  20  is also moved on the hinge pin  30  along a predetermined radius (see  FIG. 6 ), whereby the cam (d) slidably contacts with the bar-type resilient means  40  along the upper surface of the resilient means  40 .  
      In this instance, the bar-type resilient means  40  is bent resiliently and applies resiliently pushing power to the cam (d), so that the first and second members  10  and  20  can perform the relative rotating motion in a forward or backward direction at a predetermined direction (see  FIGS. 5 and 7 ). When the cam (d) is rotated at the predetermined direction, the front end of the resilient means  40  is in contact with a side of the rotating portion (b′) of the second member  20 , and in this instance, its resistivity is greater than elasticity of the resilient means  40  so that the rotation is restricted.  
       FIG. 8  shows a case that the rotating portions of the first and second members are rotated outwardly in a state where the temple  1  is spread.  
      Meanwhile, FIGS.  9  to  15  show another embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS.  9  to  15 , the second member  20  includes: concave surfaces (e, e′) formed on both sides inclined at a predetermined angle on the outer circumference of the rotating portion (b′) thereof; a cam (d) having the same diameter as the rotating portion (b′) and being formed at a position where the two concave surfaces (e, e′) are met with each other; and a perpendicularly refracted surface (f) formed on the other end portion extending with the concave surface (e).  
      In addition, the front end of plate-type bent resilient means  40  is in close contact with the refracted surface (f) where the end of the concave surface (e) extends to the other end of the second member  20 .  
      As shown in FIGS.  12  to  15 , when a predetermined rotating force is applied to the first member  10  or the second member  20 , the cam (d) performing the relative rotating motion is rotated at a predetermined angle in a rotational direction while pushing the resilient means  40  (see  FIG. 13 ), and when the resilient means  40  is in contact with the cam (d) and the end of the concave surface (e), the rotation is restricted (see  FIG. 12 ). When the predetermined rotating force is applied in the opposite direction, by the same principle, the cam (d) is rotated at the predetermined angle, and then, the end of the other concave surface (e′) and the cam (d) are resiliently supported on the resilient means  40 , whereby the rotation is restricted (see  FIG. 14 ).  
      Meanwhile, in a state where the combining portions (c, c′) of the first and second members  10  and  20  are spread on the same line, when rotating force is applied outwardly (see  FIG. 15 ), repulsive power of the resilient means  40  is increased more since the front end of the resilient means  40  is caught to the refracted surface (f) of the end of the concave surface (e) not to be spread. After that, when external force is removed, the first member  10  and the second member  20  are returned to their original states where the combining portions are on the same line.  
      Meanwhile, in the case where the first member  10  and the second member  20  are made of titanium, lubricating members  42  coated with ceramic material are respectively formed on the inner surfaces of both rotating portions (b) of the first member  10  and both sides of the rotating portion (b′) of the second member  20  to reduce friction resistance and a wear rate.  
       FIGS. 16 and 17  show an example that the bar-type resilient means  40  is inclinedly inserted into the insertion hole (a) formed on the first member  10 . In  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the first member  10  includes: a pin hole  31  formed at an end portion thereof for rotatably inserting the hinge pin  30  thereto; a pair of rotating portions (b) having the outer circumferential portions formed on the concentric circle of the pin hole  31 ; an insertion space of a predetermined width formed between the two rotating portions (b) in a cut form to rotatably and movably combine the second member  20 ; an insertion hole (a) formed on an inclined surface between the insertion space by drilling and inclined at a predetermined angle, an end portion of the bar-type resilient means  40  being inserted and fixed into the insertion hole (a); and a combining portion (c) formed on the bottom surface of the other end portion thereof and having a welding portion  11  which will be combined to the temple  1  or the end-piece  2  of the rim.  
       FIG. 18  shows another embodiment of the first member according to the present invention. The first member  10  has a round operational space  32  formed in front of the insertion hole (a) by expanding the hole.  
      FIGS.  19  to  21  show other examples of the bar-type resilient means  40  according to the present invention. In the drawings, the bar-type resilient means  40  has a form that a plate type spring or a bar type spring having a predetermined elasticity is bent and enlarged with a predetermined inclination level, and includes a groove  41  formed on the outer circumference at the rear end thereof.  
       FIG. 23  is a sectional view showing another example of the first member  10  and the second member  20  according to the present invention. In  FIG. 23 , the first member  10  and the second member  20  are formed integrally with the temple  1  and the end-piece  2  of the rim.  
      As described above, since the bar-type resilient means is mounted on the first member rotatably combined to the temple or the end-piece of the rim on the hinge pin and the cam resiliently mounted on the resilient means is formed on the second member, the end-piece of the rim and the temple can be resiliently folded or spread and keep the folded or spread state, so that the spring hinge can provide a simple structure, reduce its size remarkably, improve productivity due to reduction of an assembling process, and enhance the degree of freedom in design.