Patent Publication Number: US-5896185-A

Title: Foldable compact glasses

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a pair of foldable compact glasses, particularly to that can be folded about the normal axes of the frames to attain a slim thickness and thus be conveniently received within a rigid container. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     There exist various foldable compact glasses that can be received within such containers as glasses bags, for easy carriage as that disclosed in ROC (Taiwan) Patent Publication No. 282840. However, the dimension of such foldable compact glasses still has a relatively large thickness, which bulges the pocket, in which the glasses are carried by users after folding, and thus causes inconvenience. There also exist other foldable compact glasses having a bridge provided with a hinged structure that can be folded about the normal axes of the frames. However, such a design is readily to be folded in wear without imparting any force due to its unstable structure and thus causes inconvenience to users. 
     Another disadvantage of the foldable compact glasses lies in that the small folded volume thereof is easily neglected by the users thereby causing damages thereto by careless squeezes. 
     The present invention is thus designed to provide a pair of foldable compact glasses in light of the forgoing disadvantages, which glasses are characterized by a bridge device connecting two frames, which bridge device can be pivotally folded about the normal axes of the frames or fixed to its expanded state, such that the glasses can be received within a rigid container after folding thereby preventing the glasses from and increasing protection thereof against accidental occurrences of squeezes and damages. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a pair of foldable compact glasses having a bridge device comprising at least one bridge block secured to the inner side of one of the frames, a link block or a pivotal block, and a pin such that the glasses can be pressed to rotate and pivotally fold about the normal axes of the frames or to be fixed at the expanded state of use, wherein the folded thickness is relatively slimmer than that of conventional compact glasses. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact and rigid container for such foldable compact glasses thereby preventing the glasses from and increasing the protection thereof against accidental occurrences of squeezes and damages. 
     The structure and features of the present invention can be readily realized by those skilled in the art with reference to the descriptions of the preferred embodiments accompanied with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 perspective view showing a pair of conventional foldable glasses having a bridge device according the present invention under the expanded state of use; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged and exploded perspective view illustrating the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged and assembled perspective view illustrating the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectionally schematic view of the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses of FIG. 1 in operation; 
     FIG. 5 a perspective view of the foldable compact glasses of FIG. 1 under the state of being completely folded and received in a rigid container; 
     FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged and exploded perspective view illustrating another preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged and assembled perspective view illustrating the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses illustrated in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8. a cross-sectionally schematic view of the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses of FIG. 6 in operation; and 
     FIG. 9 a,schematic view illustrating the foldable compact glasses of FIG. 6 after folding. 
    
    
     LIST OF SYMBOLS 
     
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LIST OF SYMBOLS
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R              Radius
t              wall thickness of pivotal block
T              thickness of bridge block
10             glasses
12             frames
14             temple
16             hinge device
40             rigid container
100            bridge device
102            bridge block
102`           bridge block
104            link block
104`           pivotal block
108            pin
110            compression spring
112            ball
121            lens
141            retractable temple
142            stationary temple
150            bridge device
1021`          disk body
1022           pivotal opening
1022`          pivotal opening
1024           recess
1024`          recess
1042           pivotal seat
1042`          pivotal seat
1044           bottom stop block
1044`          bottom stop block
1046           through hole
1046`          blind hole
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     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     For the ease of explaining the structural design of this invention, the horizontal plane to which the specification refers, relates to the plane on which the temples rest on after being expanded. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the first embodiment of a pair of foldable compact glasses 10 according to this invention under the expanded state of use. The glasses 10 comprise two frames 12 for retaining two lenses therein, two hinge devices 16 provided at the outer sides of the frames 12 for pivotally connecting two temples 14; and a bridge device 100 for connecting the frames 12. 
     The retractable temples 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1 enable the compact glasses 10 to be folded into a smaller dimension. The temples 14 illustrated in FIG. 1 each comprise a retractable temple member 141 and a stationary temple member 142. The temples members 141, 142 are each formed with a temple sliding slot 1411, 1421 between the opposite ends thereof. One end of the retractable temple member 141 is provided with a connecting device 1412 for clinching into the sliding slot 1421 of the stationary temple member 142. The free end of the stationary temple member 142 is provided with another connecting device 1422 for clinching into the sliding slot 1411 of the retractable temple member 142 such that the retractable temple member 142 can be frictionally and slidably positioned within the sliding slot 1421 of the stationary temple member 142. In this embodiment, the connecting devices 1412, 1422 are, respectively, a template catch button and a bolted screw. 
     A partially enlarged and exploded perspective view illustrating the bridge device of the foldable compact glasses of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2, wherein the bridge device 100 includes two bridge blocks 102 (only one is illustrated in FIG. 2) that are integrally formed with the frames 12 and oppositely project from the upper inner ends of the frames 12, and a link block 104. The free end of the bridge block 102 is formed with a pivotal opening 1022 parallel to the normal axes of the frames 12 and the end surface and top surface of the bridge block 102 are respectively formed with recesses 1024, 1026. The link block 104 is disposed between the bridge blocks 102 along the horizontal axis, and the opposite ends of which link block 104 are each formed with a pivotal seat 1042 for pivotally connecting the link block 104 to the free end of the bridge block 102 by means of a pin 108 passing through the pivotal opening 1022 and the pivotal seat 1042. The pivotal seat 1042 can be formed with a bottom stop block 1044 for preventing the bridge device from rotating downwards. The link block 104 is formed with a horizontally though hole 1046 at the center thereof for receiving a compression spring 110 and two balls 112, wherein the balls 112 are disposed at the opposite ends of the spring 110. The length of the through hole 1046 is slightly smaller than the summation of the diameter of the balls 112 and the length of the compression spring 110 such that the ends of the balls 112 slightly protrude out of the through hole 1046 after assembly whereby the balls 112 are elastically secured within the recesses 1024, 1026 formed at the free ends of the bridge blocks 102. FIG. 3 illustrates the bridge device 100 after assembly. The cross-sectionally schematic view of FIG. 4 illustrates the inter-operation relation among components. 
     FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged and exploded perspective view illustrating a bridge device 150 of the second preferred embodiment according to the present invention. The differences between the bridge device 150 and the bridge device 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 reside in that, the bridge device 150 only includes a pivotal device, comprising a bridge block 102&#39; and a pivotal block 104&#39;, which are integrally formed with the frames 12, 12&#39; and oppositely project from the upper inner ends of the frames 12, 12&#39;, respectively. FIG. 8 illustrates the inter-relation among components, wherein the bridge block 102 has a thickness T and the free end thereof is formed with a substantially circular disk 1021&#39; having a radius R, on the center the disc 1021&#39; being formed with a pivotal opening 1022&#39;. The central axis of the pivotal opening 1022&#39; is parallel to the normal axes of the frames 12 and preferred to extend along the same plan of the top surface of the bridge block 102&#39;. The disk 1021&#39; radius R is smaller than the overall thickness T of the bridge block 102&#39; and the difference therebetween (T-R) is preferred to equal to the wall thickness t of the bridge block 102&#39;. At the free end (located on the disk 1021&#39;) of the bridge block 102&#39; and a spot (also located on the disk 1021&#39;) being at an angle to the free end are respectively formed with recesses 1024&#39;, 1026&#39;. 
     The pivotal block 104&#39; preferably has an overall thickness equal to T and a wall thickness equal to t. A substantially semi-circular pivotal seat 1042&#39; projects from the top of the free end of the pivotal block 104&#39; and preferably has a radius equal to R. The pivotal block 104&#39; is pivotally connected to the bridge block 102&#39; by means of a pin 108 passing through the pivotal opening 1022&#39; and the pivotal seat 1042&#39;. The pivotal seat 1042&#39; can be formed with a bottom stop block 1044&#39; for preventing the bridge device from rotating downwards. The pivotal block 104&#39; is formed with a horizontally blind hole 1046&#39; at the center thereof for receiving a compression spring 110 and a ball 112, wherein the ball 112 is disposed at the open end of the blind hole 1046&#39;. The depth of the blind hole 1046&#39; is slightly larger than the length of the compression spring 110 such that the end of the ball 112 slightly protrudes out of the blind hole 1046&#39; after assembly, whereby the ball 112 is elastically secured within the recesses 1024&#39;, 1026&#39; formed at the free end of the bridge block 102&#39;. FIG. 7 illustrates the bridge device 100 after assembly. 
     In use, the recess 1024, 1024&#39; formed at the free end of the bridge block 102, 102&#39; is elastically secured to the ball 112 by means of the spring 110 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 9 such that the frames 12 are fixed to the expanded state of use. 
     To fold the glasses, force is slightly imparted to compress the frames 12 (12&#39;) and subjects the ball(s) 112 to compress the spring 110 such that the recess 1026, 1026&#39; formed on the bridge block 102, 102&#39; is elastically secured to the ball(s) 112 after folding the bridge block 102, 102&#39; about the normal axes of the frames via the pin 108. 
     The glasses 100 can then be received within a rigid container 40 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 9. The dimension of the completely folded glasses is such to be received within a rigid container 40 (FIG. 5) having a relatively slim configuration for being conveniently carried by users. 
     The temples 14 illustrated in FIG. 1 can also be replaced by conventional ones. Other conventional connecting measures can otherwise be implemented to slidably inter-connect the stationary temple member 142 and retractable temple member 141. Such equivalent variations can be readily conducted by persons in this art. 
     Aforementioned explanation is directed to the description of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention. Various changes and implementations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. Since the present invention is not limited to the specific details described in connection with the preferred embodiments except those that may be within the scope of the appended claims, changes to certain features of the preferred embodiments without altering the overall basic function of the invention are contemplated.