Patent Publication Number: US-2018039066-A1

Title: Adjustable focus loupe eyeglasses

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to focus-adjustable loupe glasses, and more particularly, to focus-adjustable loupe glasses that facilitate adjustment of an interval between pupils of a glasses wearer and adjustment of focuses of the loupe glasses while worn. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Generally, loupes are used to magnify jewelry, precision parts, and the like or to magnify surgical procedure sites in the case of medical applications. 
     In particular, loupes for medical use take the form of glasses in accordance with need for an operator to use both hands. 
     Loupes for medical use have recently been variously developed and are disclosed in, for example, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-2008-0003938 (hereinafter, referred to as ‘Prior Art 1’), Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-041218 (hereinafter, referred to as ‘Prior Art 2’), and the like. 
     In this regard, Prior Art 1 discloses loupes in which ocular lenses are positioned proximate to eyes of a user, the loupes including object lenses and body tubes, thus being small in size and lightweight. 
     Prior Art 2 discloses loupes provided with ocular lenses spaced apart from eyes of a user by a distance, the loupes including larger sizes of object lenses and body tubes than those of the loupes disclosed in Prior Art 1. 
     In Prior Art 1, a glasses frame to be worn on the human body is provided with a long hole in a front surface of an upper portion thereof to allow loupes installed at lenses of the frame to slide therealong or to be fixed to upper portions of the lenses. 
     However, in loupe glasses of Prior Art 1, the loupes are fixed to lenses and thus a sliding position has to be determined in a state in which a user wears the loupe glasses, and, when the sliding position is determined, the sliding position is fixed using a coupling bolt after taking off the loupe glasses while stably maintaining the sliding position, resulting in user inconvenience. 
     In addition, according to Prior Art 1, an interval between pupils of a loupe wearer may be adjusted, but there is a problem in that individual loupe wearers are unable to adjust the loupes to desired different focal distances. 
     Meanwhile, Prior Art 2 discloses adjustment instruments installed at a glasses frame to adjust an interval of loupes and to match the focus of the loupes with the predetermined focal position. 
     However, the structure of Prior Art 2 includes a combination of many parts such as a plurality of arms, a fixing part for fixing the arms, and the like that constitute the adjustment instruments and thus is complicated. In addition, the combination of these configurations is installed at the front of the glasses frame, and thus the concentration a loupe wearing sensation is reduced due to the self-weight of the loupes and inconveniences such as forward inclination, and the like occur. 
     In addition, according to Prior Art 2, once a focal position of the loupes is determined, the focal position cannot be adjusted to another focal position during use, and thus, when a user wants to change a magnification focus position, as in Prior Art 1, a process, in which the magnification focus position is adjusted after taking off the frame and then the frame is put on again, has to be repeated, resulting in user inconvenience. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     Technical Problem 
     Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and technical goals of the present invention are as follows. 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide focus-adjustable loupe glasses that simultaneously enable adjustment of an interval between opposite pupils of a user in a state in which the user wears the loupe glasses and simultaneous adjustment of the focus of each loupe. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide focus-adjustable loupe glasses that enable adjustment of focal distances of opposite loupes according to selection of a user in a state in which the user wears the loupe glasses. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide focus-adjustable loupe glasses that have a simplified structure and are lightweight, and, accordingly, have enhanced wearability and problems such as forward inclination and the like when the loupe glasses are put on may be prevented. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide focus-adjustable loupe glasses in which a cover (lens) capable of protecting eyes of a loupe glasses wearer from foreign substances may be selectively installed. 
     Technical Solution 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, provided is a focus-adjustable loupe glasses comprising side frames on opposite sides thereof, a front frame having a glasses frame structure, and loupe mounting units allowing loupes to be mounted to be slidable leftward or rightward along the front frame, wherein the front frame is configured such that a portion between opposite longitudinal ends thereof on a plane has an arc shape about a previously set front focal position, and is provided, at an upper side portion thereof, with guide holes vertically penetrating the front frame and having a length along the arc shape, and each loupe mounting unit comprises: a fastening part slid along or fixed to the guide hole; and a rim arranged below the fastening part and allowing a loupe to be installed, wherein focuses of the loupes installed at the rims, magnified by guiding the loupe mounting unit by the guide holes, direct towards centers of arcs of the guide holes. 
     A fastening part of the loupe mounting unit comprises any one selected from: (a) a configuration comprising: a support having a lower end connected to the rim and having a pillar shape; a guide protruding from a central portion of an upper end of the support by less than a thickness of the front frame provided with the guide holes, inserted into the guide hole from a lower side thereof so as to prevent rotation thereof, and provided with a nut at a center of an upper end thereof; and a bolt supported by a periphery of an upper portion of the guide hole and fastened corresponding to the nut, (b) a configuration, corresponding to a configuration in which the guide hole is provided, at a periphery of an upper portion thereof, with a guide groove forming a step with respect to the guide hole and extending in at least a width direction, comprising: a slider having a rectangular shape with a length, having a lower portion inserted into the guide hole so as to prevent rotation thereof and protruding downside of the front frame, having an upper surface that is the same as or protrudes farther than an upper surface of the front frame, and provided, at an upper center portion thereof, with a through-hole vertically passing therethrough; a support having a lower end connected to the rim, having a pillar shape, and provided with a rotation prevention groove into which a nut at a center of an upper end thereof and the slider at a periphery of the nut are inserted; a bolt supported by a periphery of an upper portion of the slider and fastened corresponding to the nut via the through-hole of the slider, (c) a configuration, corresponding to a configuration in which the guide hole is provided, at a periphery of a lower portion thereof, with a guide groove forming a step with respect to the guide hole and extending in at least a width direction, comprising: a support having a lower end connected to the rim and having a pillar shape; a guide inserted into the guide groove at a central portion of an upper end of the support so as to prevent rotation thereof and provided with a nut at a center of the upper end thereof; and a bolt supported by a periphery of an upper portion of the guide hole and fastened corresponding to the nut, and (d) a configuration, corresponding to a configuration in which the guide hole is provided, at peripheries of upper and lower portions thereof, with upper and lower guide grooves, respectively, forming a step with respect to the guide hole and extending in at least a width direction, comprising: a support provided with a nut at a central portion of an upper end thereof; a slider having a through-hole with a rectangular shape at a center thereof and inserted into the lower and upper guide grooves; and a bolt to be fastened with the nut via the through-hole from the upper. 
     The focus-adjustable loupe glasses further include each of a plurality of covers corresponding to a front surface of the front frame, having a thin plate shape, having a hook portion with an inwardly bent shape at an upper portion thereof, and provided with an insertion groove cut corresponding to a side surface of the loupe, wherein the hook part at an upper portion of the cover is positioned in the form of covering head side portions of the bolt of the loupe mounting unit and supported thereby, and the insertion groove at a lower portion of the cover is positioned in the form of covering opposite side portions and an upper portion of the loupe previously installed and supported thereby. 
     The focus-adjustable loupe glasses include: an auxiliary frame having a rod shape, having a longitudinal middle portion in the form of a forwardly convex and curved shape, and having longitudinal opposite ends fixed to the corresponding longitudinal opposite ends of the front frame or the corresponding side frames; and an interval adjustment part between the auxiliary frame and the front frame to adjust an interval therebetween, wherein adjustment of the interval between the auxiliary frame and the front frame by the auxiliary frame and the interval adjustment part is performed by forming variations of focal position of the loupes by degrees of unbending or more bending the front frame using the auxiliary frame as a support base. 
     The front frame is provided with a nut hole at a longitudinal middle portion thereof, and the interval adjustment part is a bolt to be fastened with the nut hole of the front frame using the auxiliary frame as a support base. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to configurations of the present invention, a longitudinal middle portion of a front frame as well as guide holes have a convex arc shape, focuses of loupes guided by the guide holes are automatically aligned corresponding to centers of the arcs of the respective guide holes, and a bending degree of the front frame is adjusted via an auxiliary frame and an interval adjustment part and, accordingly, adjustment of a focal position is easy. 
     In addition, according to the configurations of the present invention, loupes can be stably positioned in front of the eyes of a user and, accordingly, small loupes can be installed, and the front frame, which is a support base, enables focus alignment of the loupes, thus enabling simplified structure and light weight, and, accordingly, wearability of a loupe glasses wearer can be enhanced and problems such as forward inclination of the loupes can be addressed by reducing the weight thereof. 
     In addition, hook-type covers are configured and thus are selectively installed and conveniently detached. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view for explaining configurations of focus-adjustable loupe glasses according to an embodiment of the present invention and a coupling relationship between these configurations. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an assembly state of the configurations of the focus-adjustable loupe glasses of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3A to 3D  are schematic partial enlarged cross-sectional views for explaining configurations of fastening parts according to various embodiments and a coupling relationship between the configurations according to each embodiment, in which the views are taken along a line III-III of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view for explaining a relation between adjustment of an interval adjustment part on a front frame and an auxiliary frame and a change in focal position. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a loupe mounting unit is installed on a front frame. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     The present invention provides focus-adjustable loupe glasses including side frames on opposite sides thereof, a front frame having a glasses frame structure, and loupe mounting units allowing loupes to be mounted to be slidable leftward or rightward along the front frame, wherein the front frame is configured such that a portion between opposite longitudinal ends thereof on t plane has an arc shape about a previously set front focal position, and is provided, at an upper side portion thereof, with guide holes vertically penetrating the front frame and having a length along the arc shape, and each loupe mounting unit includes: a fastening part slid along or fixed to the guide hole; and a rim arranged below the fastening part and allowing a loupe to be installed, wherein focuses of the loupes installed at the rims, magnified by guiding the loupe mounting unit by the guide holes, are directed towards centers of arcs of the guide holes. 
     [Mode] 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, and a detailed description of configurations the same or within the same range as those of prior arts will be omitted. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , focus-adjustable loupe glasses  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention include side frames  12  on opposite sides thereof, a front frame  14  having a glasses frame structure, and loupe mounting units  18  allowing loupes  16  to be mounted and configured such that the loupes  16  are slidable leftward or rightward along the front frame  14 . 
     In the front frame  14  of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a portion between opposite longitudinal ends thereof on the plane has an arc a0 shape about the predetermined front focal (f0) position. 
     In addition, the front frame  14  is provided, at an upper side portion thereof, with guide holes  20  vertically penetrating the front frame  14  and having a length along the arc a0 shape of the front frame  14 . 
     In addition, the front frame  14  is provided with a nut N to be fastened with a bolt B in the front thereof at a longitudinal center portion at a front surface thereof. 
     In addition, the front frame  14  is provided, at a rear surface thereof, with a support member  22  performing a support function by close contact with the middle of the forehead or the forehead of a loupe glasses wearer, a support  24  mounted on a nasal bridge or in the vicinity thereof of a loupe glasses wearer to support a lower portion of the front frame  14 , and the like. 
     In the foregoing description of the front frame  14 , the guide holes  20  are configurations for installation of the loupe mounting units  18 , and, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A  to  3 D, may have various shapes. Each of various embodiments of the guide holes  20  will be described in further detail with regards to installation of the loupe mounting units  18 , which will be described below. 
     First, the guide holes  20  of  FIG. 3A  form an arc along a longitudinal direction of the front frame  14  at an upper side portion of the front frame  14 , positioned above eyes of a loupe glasses wearer, and vertically penetrate the front frame  14 . 
     Loupe mounting units  18   a , as an embodiment corresponding to the guide holes  20 , include supports  26   a  having a pillar shape. 
     An upper surface of an upper end of each support  26   a  closely contacts the periphery of a lower surface of the guide hole  20   a  at the corresponding position to be supported by a front frame  14   a , and a portion of the upper surface of the support  26   a , corresponding to the guide hole  20   a , is provided with a guide  28   a  protruding therefrom, forming a step with respect to the upper surface, and being inserted into the guide hole  20   a.    
     In addition, the guide  28   a  is provided, at a center of an upper surface thereof, with a nut N/a having a vertical depth. 
     In this regard, the support  26   a  may be configured such that an upper side portion thereof is long in a length direction (a longitudinal direction) and is relatively narrow in a width direction (a thickness direction) with respect to the longitudinal direction, so that front and rear surface portions of the support  26   a  do not protrude outside the width direction of the front frame  14   a.    
     In addition, the guide  28   a  is long in a length direction of the guide hole  20   a  along the shape of the upper side portion of the support  26   a  and has a width corresponding to the guide hole  20   a  so that rotation thereof is prevented and the guide  28   a  is slidably inserted via the guide hole  20   a.    
     Accordingly, the upper portion of the support  26   a  is horizontally slidable by being guided by the lower surface of the front frame  14   a  and an inner surface of the guide hole  20   a.    
     In addition, a lower end of the support  26  is connected to a rim  30  having a shape covering a rear side portion of the loupe  16 . 
     In addition, a loupe mounting unit  18   a  includes a bolt B/a to be fastened with the nut N/a of the support  26   a  at an upper portion of the front frame  14   a.    
     Meanwhile, in each of the other embodiments except for the loupe mounting units  18   a  of one embodiment, other configurations including connection of the rims  30  to the lower ends are within the same ranges, except for shapes of fastening parts corresponding to the guide holes formed in the front frame  14 . 
     Prior to description of the structure of the fastening part according to each of the other embodiments, guide holes  20   b  formed in a front frame  14   b  have a cross-sectional shape such that, as illustrated in  FIG. 3B , a guide groove  40   b  forming a step with respect to each guide hole  20   b  and extending in at least a width direction is formed at the periphery of an upper portion of the guide hole  20   b.    
     A fastening part of another embodiment corresponding thereto includes a slider  32   b  having a block shape with a length, having side portions inserted into the guide groove  40   b , having a lower portion inserted into the guide hole  20   b  so as to prevent rotation thereof and protruding downward of the front frame  14   b , having an upper surface that is the same as or protrudes farther than the upper surface of the front frame  14   b , and provided, at an upper center portion thereof, with a through-hole  42   b  vertically passing therethrough. 
     In addition, a support  26   b  corresponding to a lower portion of the periphery of the guide hole  20   b  and the slider  32   b  is provided, at an upper surface thereof, with a rotation prevention groove  44   b , into which the slider  32   b  protruding downward of the front frame  14   b  is correspondingly inserted, and a nut N/b with the predetermined depth is disposed at the center of the rotation prevention groove  44   b  corresponding to the through-hole  42 . 
     In addition, the front frame  14   b  may be provided, at an upper portion thereof, with a bolt B/b supported by the periphery of an upper portion of the slider  32   b  and fastened corresponding to the nut N/b via the through-hole  42  of the slider  32   b.    
     Meanwhile, as illustrated in  FIG. 3C , fastening parts of loupe mounting units  18   c  according to another embodiment include: corresponding to a configuration in which a guide groove  40   c  forming a step with respect to a guide hole  20   c  and extending in at least a width direction is formed at the periphery of a lower portion of the guide hole  20   c , a support  26   c  provided, at a central portion of an upper end thereof, with a slider  32   c  inserted into the guide groove  40   c  so as to prevent rotation thereof and provided with a nut N/C with the predetermined depth at the center of an upper end thereof; and a bolt B/c supported by the periphery of an upper portion of the guide hole  20   c  and fastened corresponding to the nut N/c. 
     In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 3D , fastening parts of loupe mounting units  18   d  according to another embodiment include: corresponding to a configuration in which a guide hole  20   d  is provided, at the peripheries of upper and lower portions thereof, with guide grooves  40   d  and  40   d ′, respectively, forming a step with respect to the guide hole  20   d  and extending in at least a width direction, a support  26   d  provided with a nut N/d at a central portion of an upper end thereof; a slider  32   d  having a through-hole h′ with a rectangular shape at a center thereof and inserted into the upper and lower guide grooves  40   d  and  40   d ′; and a bolt B/d to be fastened with the nut N/d via the through-hole h′ from an upper side thereof. 
     From the foregoing description of the loupe mounting units  18  of each embodiment, it can be confirmed that the loupe mounting units  18  have a structure for guiding via sliding and arrangement thereof so that focuses of the loupes  16  installed at the rims  30  are directed towards the centers of the arcs of the front frame  14  regardless of movement positions via sliding along the guide holes  20 . 
     In the above-described loupe mounting units  18 , the supports  26  may be bent towards focus directions of the loupes  16  at the predetermined angle with respect to a plane state of an upper portion of the front frame  14  when viewed by a loupe glasses wearer. 
     In addition, the loupe  16  is provided in plural such that indicating angles of the loupes  16  according to the bent form range from 20° to 40° with respect to a horizontal plane of the upper portion of the front frame  14 , thus enabling a loupe glasses wearer to select desired angles of the supports  26 . 
     Such a structure is configured because viewing positions of a loupe glasses wearer (an operator) are varied while performing a surgical procedure. 
     With regards to this, for example, viewing angles of dentists with respect to the horizontal plane of the upper portion of the front frame  14  generally range from about 20° to about 30°, and surgeons generally use a support such as a table or the like to prevent arms thereof from shaking and viewing angles of surgeons with respect to the horizontal plane of the upper portion of the front frame  14  range from about 30° to about 40°, which corresponds to a case in which a surgeon lowers his or her head while standing upright and looks downward more than in the case of dentists. 
     Meanwhile, the front frame  14  at which the loupes  16  are installed is provided with covers  34  to block impurities discharged from lateral directions of the loupes  16 , i.e., sites viewed by the loupes  16 , from being spattered around eyes of a loupe glasses wearer. 
     The covers  34  may take the form of a thin film made of a transparent or opaque material, corresponding to an edge of a front surface of the front frame  14 . 
     In addition, the covers  34  are installed such that, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5 , each cover  34  has a hook portion  36  with an inwardly bent shape at an upper portion thereof, which is a previously determined position, and inner sides of the hook parts  36  are hung in the form of covering head parts of the bolts B positioned at upper portions of the opposite sides of the front frame  14  and the hook parts  36  support upper portions of the covers  34 . 
     In addition, each cover  34  is provided with an insertion groove  38  cut corresponding to a side surface of the loupe  16 , corresponding to a region from a lower portion to a middle portion to an upper side portion of the cover  34 . 
     The insertion groove  38  covers a region from side portions of opposite sides to an upper side portion of the loupe  16 , and is movable forward or backward to adjust the focus of an ocular lens O/L. 
     Thus, the covers  34  are supported by the bolts B installed at the upper portions of the front frame  14  and also cover the side portions of the loupes  16 . 
     The covers  34  are configured in a separate form because the covers  34  are installed by being hooked on the bolts B installed at the upper portions of the front frame  14 , thus facilitating detachment thereof according to selection of a loupe glasses wearer. 
     Meanwhile, the front frame  14  includes, at a front portion thereof, an auxiliary frame  46  having a rod shape, having a longitudinal middle portion in the form of a forwardly convex and curved shape, and having longitudinal opposite ends fixed to the corresponding longitudinal opposite ends of the front frame  14  or the corresponding side frames  12 . 
     In addition, the focus-adjustable loupe glasses further include an interval adjustment part  48  between the auxiliary frame  46  and the front frame  14  to adjust an interval therebetween. 
     The interval adjustment part  48  is configured such that a through-hole H is formed in a middle portion of the auxiliary frame  46 , a nut hole N/H is formed in a middle portion of the front frame  14 , corresponding to the through-hole H, and the interval adjustment part includes a control bolt C/B to be fastened with the nut hole N/H via the through-hole H by using the auxiliary frame  46  as a support base. 
     In this regard, flexibility (bending degree) of the auxiliary frame  46  may be equal to or less than flexibility of at least the front frame  14 . 
     That is, rigidity of the auxiliary frame  46  may be the same as or higher than that of the front frame  14 . 
     As such, adjustment of the interval between the auxiliary frame  46  and the front frame  14  by the auxiliary frame  46  and the interval adjustment part  48  may be performed by, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , forming variations of focal position f0, f1, and f2 of the loupes  16  by degrees a0, a1, and a2 of unbending or more bending the front frame  14  using the auxiliary frame  46  as a support base.