Patent Publication Number: US-2010118259-A1

Title: Temple for eyeglass

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to the technical field of the glasses and accessories for glasses. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The term “wire” or “support wire” used in this description indicates a long and thin body made of rope, chain, string, elastic band, flexible wire or other material, intended to support the glasses around the neck of the user for holding the glasses in correspondence of the ends of the temples. 
     In particular, the invention relates to a temple in which is contained the wire for supporting the glasses; the wire is extracted from the temple when the user wants to drop the glasses on the chest supporting them with the same wire passing around the neck, the wire returning into the temple after the use. 
     Are known support wires which are fixed to the ends of the temples of glasses in order to allow to take off the glasses without losing the same because said wires keep the eyeglasses hung around the neck like a necklace. Thanks to these wires, when the user remove the glasses, rather than support them on a table, the glasses are kept hung around the neck, supported by the support wire, which passes behind the neck and supports the rim fixed at both ends of the temples. 
     The support wires of known type are entirely separated from the temples and have the drawback of being inconvenient in use. A first reason is that it is necessary to remember to take said wires together with the glasses and to associate them to the glasses; a second reason is that, when the glasses are stored or are worn, the wire can constitute a hindrance, or can be knotted resulting uncomfortable for storing with folded rim. 
     The user normally ties the wire around the closed (folded) eyeglass-rim, but not always he is able to act with precision for the haste, and often he found the glasses completely surrounded by knots of ruffled wire, difficult to release. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main aim of this invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above and to provide an improved temple containing, at least partially, the wire for the support of glasses and allowing its escape and its return inside, quickly and easily, avoiding the hindrance of the user when he stores the glasses. 
     The main advantages arising from this invention are the following: the wire returns inside a temple, preferably in both temples of the eyeglasses, when the latter are not kept hanging around the neck, without ruffling or create disorder; it isn&#39;t necessary to remember to carry the wire since it is always fixed to the glasses, although it has an imperceptible presence; the gasses are not only supported around the neck, but also they are retained on the head when they are worn on the same head; the wire is totally invisible externally. 
     This result was reached in accordance with the invention, by adopting the idea of providing a temple in two parts harmoniously coupled, for example by ultrasonic welding. The parts are shaped in such a way to form complementary parts of a wall which delimitates a cavity. The temple is provided in combination with a wire or with a part of a wire used to hold glasses. The parts of the peripheral wall are coupled one another for forming a housing for at least a portion of the wire, said housing being substantially shaped as a serpentine, the temple further comprising:
         holding means for blocking an end of the wire into the housing;   an opening which is disposed at the end of at least one of two parts; through said opening the wire passing and coming out outwardly when pulled down, with possibility of be adjusted;   means for returning the wire inside its housing when it is not used, as an elastic band, a spring or other means which allows the recovery of the wire.       

     When the user want to bring glasses hung around his neck, it is sufficient to pull the whole rim and the elastic band stretches up to its extension; then, operating a slight inclination, the wire is blocked, adjusting the length; when, instead, the glasses are to be stored or worn, the wire is pulled horizontally, it is disengaged and it is re-introduced into the temple. For obtaining this result, the temple is preferably provided with releasable means for blocking the wire, once it is extracted, as a flange, a groove, a lock or similar, which blocks the wire and prevents the return of the same in the housing. The guide (serpentine) can form many loops or bends in order to contain the wire for a length even higher in respect to the longitudinal extension of the temple. 
     Thanks to this feature it is possible to obtain the desired effect using a single temple, but it is clear that it is possible to use two temples according to the invention, for example with a temple provided with a serpentine with only a loop, in order to contain the thickness, utilizing the second temple for containing the wire which doesn&#39;t enter in the first one. 
     In addition, thanks to the use of ultrasonic welding, it is possible to manufacture temple having a very little size, for example by moulding or injection, without notch and internal or external fixing means, such as screws or similar means with a shape which is indistinguishable from that of traditional temples. 
     In particular, the holding means for blocking an end of the wire inside the housing comprises a tooth which reduces the width of the housing so that when the two parts are coupled the end of the wire disposed above the tooth is crushed and then firmly retained in position near an end of the temple. 
     Advantageously, the support wire consists of a flexible wire, so that, for extracting the wire, it is sufficient to pull the same wire till the second portion is tightened and maintained in a stretched configuration blocking the wire inside the housing or in another way. The wire returns inside the housing pulled by the force exerted by the elastic wire which reduces the initial stretch. 
     According to an embodiment, the serpentine has a single loop, said loop being disposed substantially in proximity of the end of the temple opposite to the end in which are located the holding means, the housing being suitable for containing the wire for a length of about twice the length of the temple. 
     Using a couple of temples of this type, it is possible to collect a quantity of wire which corresponds to four times the length of the temples; this size is sufficient for obtaining the prefixed aims. 
     If it is necessary to collect a greater quantity of wire, it is possible that the serpentine has many loops arranged longitudinally so that the wire may be disposed on portions which are parallel in respect to the longitudinal extent of the temple; in this way, the guide is suitable to contain widths of the wire multiple of the width of the temple. 
     According to another embodiment, the serpentine has many loops disposed transversely in respect of the longitudinal extent of the temple, the holding means of the wire being placed distally in respect to the end of the temple provided with the opening from which the wire comes out. The loops or curves are disposed in succession for taking up the greatest longitudinal extension of the temple. The length of wire that can be accommodated with this configuration depends on the number of loops and the transversal size of the temple. 
     Advantageously, the temple is provided with a block, disposed in the point or in the points of curvature of the serpentine, for preventing the wire to escape from the curvature when the same wire is inserted in the loop. In fact, to facilitate the insertion of the wire in the curve of the serpentine, the wire is inserted through an end of the temple and it is extracted from the opposite end, disposed close to the lens. Then, the wire is inserted in the parallel loop and it is pulled down so that it steps over the curve. At this point, the wire is housed in the housing and the curvature prevents the same wire to from escaping from the same curvature. 
     According to another aspect, the invention relates to an eyeglass and or a rim for eyeglass comprising at least a temple according to the invention. 
     Advantageously the temples are two, the wire associated with each temple being single or divided into two parts associated to the respective temple and connected to one another. Any additional features and improvements are the subject of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The characteristics of the invention and the benefits resulting therefrom will be more highlighted by the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows schematically a perspective view of a glasses on which is mounted a pair of temple according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the eyeglasses of  FIG. 1  with the temples in exploded configuration; 
         FIG. 3  shows enlarged details of the ends of the temples of previous figures; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view from the bottom of one of the temples shown in the previous figures; 
         FIG. 5  shows a possible embodiment and a possible use of a tool which can be used for associating the wire to the temple. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the temples  1 ,  1 ′ of the eyeglass  3  have a distal end  301 ,  301 ′ to be connected to the rim of the lenses and a proximal end  401 ,  401 ′ provided with a concavity downwardly oriented (not shown in the drawings) for facilitating the support on the ear of the user. The temples consist of two parts  101 ,  101 ′ and  201 ,  201 ′ coupled with each other in the longitudinal direction, advantageously by ultrasonic welding. In the figure, the part  201  of the left temple and the part  101 ′ of the right temple are drawn in transparency so as to highlight how the wire  2 ,  2 ′ is disposed within them. As visible in  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the part  101  is internally shaped to define a groove consisting of two parallel longitudinal portions  501 ,  601 , which extend from the proximal end  401  to the distal end  301 . Close to the distal end  301  the two portions of groove  501 ,  601  are connected to form a guide shaped as a coil or serpentine with a single loop (curve)  701  with parallel portions arranged longitudinally in respect to the temple when the two parts  101 ,  201  are coupled. The part  201  has also a corresponding groove, of smaller depth, which is completed by the main grooves of the part  101  to better define the slot or housing for the wire  2 . The groove is visible on the right temple shown in  FIG. 2  and indicated with the reference  801 ′. 
     As shown in detail B of  FIG. 3  and in  FIG. 4 , the groove of the part  101  ends, on a side, with an opening  901  for the exit of the wire, and, on the other side, with a sharp double change of direction of 90°. This change of direction, together with the tooth  111  located inside of the final section of the guide that reduces the depth, allows an effective locking of the wire in the guide by joint when the other part  201  is coupled. In this embodiment, both the locking of the wire and the exit opening are disposed in the proximal end  401  of the temple. If the temple is provided with many curvatures of the guide, the fixing of the wire may also be advantageously disposed on the opposite end to ensure the maximum length of the guide. 
     The wire  2 ,  2 ′ is divided into two sections, the first of which is elastic while the second portion is made of rope or other material and corresponds to the part which come out from the device through the opening on the temple  901 ,  901 ′. In this way, it is the same wire that carries out the pulling action directed to the inner of the housing, due to the effect of flexibility of its initial portion. Alternatively, or in combination, it is possible that all the wire is elastic or that the temple is provided with any other type of traction means, as a coil spring fixed to an end of the guide. It is possible that elastic are placed in one of the two temples or in both, even of different types. The second temple may be a temple of traditional type to which the ends of the wire associated with the first temple links in the usual ways, for example through an elastic chain (not shown in the figures), the serpentine placed in the first temple housing a quantity of wire sufficient to allow the user to wear glasses. 
     The locking of the extension of the wire may be advantageously placed in the proximity of the exit opening through a joint or a flange (not shown in figure), for example consisting of two inclined knurled surfaces typically used in releasable clamping devices for wires, or by a tooth, a click device, or other equivalent means. 
     The temples may be of traditional type, formed by a single body, with longitudinal development (as illustrated in the examples), or they may be formed by a frame which comprises two (or more) little temples joined with each other in correspondence of the distal end, and spaced between themselves in correspondence of the hinge with the front of the rim (this example is not shown). Even in this case will be provided appropriate housings for the wire. 
     In  FIG. 5  is shown a wedge tool  9  used to facilitate the assembly and/or replacement of the wire  2 . The wedge tool  9  has a greater section portion  99  which allows the manual grip, for example, between two fingers, and a sharpened portion  98 . During the fixing of wire to the temple, once the two parts  101  and  201  (or  101 ′ and  201 ′) has been joined with one another, the wire is threaded in the seat formed by the groove  501  (or  501 ′) and the corresponding groove  801  ( 801 ′). The end of the wire  2  which is outside the groove  501  (that is the tail end of the wire if the threaded end is considered as the head end) shall be inserted into the terminal seat  502 , that is in that portion of the slot defined at the end of said double change of direction at 90°. At this stage, the tail end of the wire is maintained in the seat  502  by the sharpened end  98  of the wedge  9 . The head end of the wire, that is what has crossed the channel formed by the coupled grooves  501  and  801 , is pulled, according the direction marked with F 1  in  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 5  is shown only the distal end of an eyeglass temple and, therefore, is not visible the proximal end, in correspondence of which the wire is pulled. The tension of the wire determines the fixing of the tail end of the wire in the area marked with  503  in the detail of  FIG. 5 , thanks also to the interaction with the tooth  111 . (or  111 ′). Once pulled in correspondence of the distal end, the wire is threaded at the bottom part of the double guide, that is in the part formed by the groove  601 , to be then pulled in the opposite direction, toward the direction indicated by the arrow F 2 , until complete tightening. 
     Of course, the invention is not limited to what is described and illustrated, but it can be widely varied especially constructively without thereby abandoning the inventive idea above described and the following claims.