Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8840243.html
Timestamp: 2019-03-19 19:40:43
Document Index: 452794989

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 14', 'art 16', 'art 16', 'art 14', 'art 16', 'art 18', 'art 14']

Eyeglasses with frame coupled to retainer strap or band which can separate under tension - Artsana S.p.A.
United States Patent 8840243
Anselmi, Lorenzo (Varese, IT)
Scheinberg, David (Carlisle, MA, US)
13/777509
Artsana S.p.A. (Grandate (CO), IT)
2/452, 351/157
351/156, 351/157, 351/41, 351/111, 351/116, 2/452
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7654666 Safety eyewear including a flexible cable attachment 2010-02-02 Stanley et al.
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20070279579 SAFETY EYEWEAR INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE CABLE ATTACHMENT 2007-12-06 Stanley et al.
20070242214 Earpiece-less eyeglass frame having a removable retainer strap 2007-10-18 Carter
5918351 Strap connectors for swimming goggles 1999-07-06 Chou
EP1672408 2006-06-21 Detachable and rotatable clip
FR1269683A 1961-08-18 Dispositif pour maintenir parfaitement les lunettes sur la figure
WO1996024315A1 1996-08-15 IMPROVEMENTS TO EYEWEAR
WO2002025354A1 2002-03-28 IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURING EYEGLASSES WHILE BEING WORN
1. Eyeglasses comprising a frame (1) used to support a pair of lenses (2) and having lateral ends (12) provided with slots (13), said frame (1) intended to be coupled to a retainer strap or band (3), having opposing free ends (5), which, worn by a user around his head, allows him to wear the eyeglasses, characterized in that a connecting member (10) is provided coupled to at least one of the free ends (5) of the aforementioned band (3), said connecting member (10) having an elongated body (15) with a bent portion (16) parallel to said body (15) and elastically movable with respect to it, said bent portion (16) being suitable to be inserted in one of the slots (13) provided on the lateral ends (12) of the frame (1) and being separable from it, deforming elastically, if the band or strap (3) or the frame is subjected to tensile force.
2. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 1, characterized in that the bent portion (16) protrudes from one end (17) of the elongated body (15), this portion including a first part (16A) connected to the aforementioned body (15), deviating from it and a second part (16B) approaching said body (15).
3. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 2, characterized in that said second part (16B) of said bent portion (16) ends with an end part (18) curved away from the aforementioned body (15).
4. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 2, characterized in that the end (17) of the elongated body (15) to which the bent portion is connected has an annular portion (28) projecting from this end.
5. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 4, characterized in that this annular portion (28) has a projection (30) intended to cooperate with the frame (1) at the act of detachment of the member (10) from the frame.
6. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 1, characterized in that the body (15) of the said connecting member (10) has an opening (20) for coupling with an end (5) corresponding to the retainer strap or band (3).
7. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 6, characterized in that the end (5) of the retainer strap or band (3) is joined to the first part of the hook-and-loop tape, the second part of it being bound along said retainer strap or band (3) in a position distant from said end (5).
8. Eyeglasses as provided in claim 1, characterized in that the retainer strap or band (3) is sewn to the elongated body (15) of the connecting member (10).
This invention relates to a pair of eyeglasses according to the preamble of the main claim.
As is known, the eyeglasses comprise a frame supporting the lenses. Such eyeglasses are usually worn by a user by the hinged arms at the lateral ends on the opposite sides of the frame. There are however also known eyeglasses in which the frame is not connected to supporting arms, but to a strap or band, generally of textile, positioned around the user's head, allowing the user to wear the eyeglasses.
With reference to this latest manufacturing method, the strap or band is usually present in the form of a strip (for example of textile) of which the free ends are inserted in the slots located on the lateral ends of the frame. These free bodies have a portion of hook-and-loop tape (known by the commercial name Velcro) intended to attach to a second portion of said tape joined to the aforementioned strip at a position at a distance from the free ends.
Thus, once the free ends of the band or strip are inserted in the slots of the frame, they are folded onto the band so that the two portions of the hook-and-loop tape match up and connect, attaching the band to the frame.
Such a solution, although very simple to manufacture and use, has highlighted a potential risk of strangulation if the eyeglasses become hooked on an obstacle. Such a possibility is even more relevant when a pair of eyeglasses with a retainer band is worn by a child while playing or practicing a sport.
In addition, the known solution does not guarantee a correct and safe use of the eyeglasses (as the free ends of the strap can separate from the eyeglasses when they are worn), nor does the solution guarantee a sufficiently narrow production tolerance because the productive variability of Velcro does not guarantee that two parts of said hook-and-loop tape of equal length have the same mechanical strength, nor finally does it guarantee a coupling constancy between the portions of the abovementioned hook-and-loop tape (which actually decreases over time).
FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of one side of the eyeglasses manufactured according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of another part of the eyeglasses manufactured according to the invention with parts not shown for better clarity, and
FIG. 3 shows a top view of a part of the eyeglasses according to the invention.
With reference to the cited figures, according to the invention the eyeglasses comprise a frame or mount 1 intended to support lenses 2. The eyeglasses are worn by a user through the use of a strap or band 3, for example of textile, having an elongated shape, in a strip with opposing free ends 5.
At least one of these ends is separated from the frame 1 and is connected to the latter using a single-piece connecting member 10, preferably of plastic material. Both ends 5 of the band 3 are coupled, by means of a corresponding member 10, to the frame 1; if only one end of the band 3 is joined to a corresponding member 10, the other end is attached in any known manner directly to the frame.
More specifically, the frame 1 has lateral ends 12 next to which slots 13 are provided along an axis K perpendicular to the transverse axis W of the frame. These slots 13 comprise, on one side, a sloping flat part 14 tapering toward the inside of the slot.
A corresponding connecting member 10 is attached to this slot. More specifically, the connecting member comprises an elongated body 15 having a portion 16 bent parallel to this body and elastically movable with respect to it; the bent portion 16 protrudes from one end 17 of the body 15 and runs along a first part 16A (connected to the body), deviating from this body with a second part 16B approaching it and with an end 18 curving away from the aforementioned body. Due to the shape of portion 16, it is elastically moveable relative to the body 15 and may be inserted in the corresponding slot 13 of the frame 1. This insertion is facilitated also by the lateral sloping flat part 14 of the slot 13; after coupling, the lateral end 12 of the frame 1 is positioned between the first part 16A of the portion 16 and the body 15.
The invention is now assumed to be in use. In this case, the member 10 is coupled to the frame 1 as indicated. The user can thus wear the glasses by placing the band or strap 3 around his head.
If the frame 1 or the band 3 is subjected to tension beyond a certain limit force (preferably greater than 20 N and less than 25 N), the bent portion 16 would tend to slide, with its end part 18 (bent away from the body 15) on the lateral end 12 of the frame 1, on the lateral sloping flat part 14 of the frame and would separate from it, preventing injury to the user.
The invention allows the use of the eyeglasses joined with a band or strap (for example of textile, which has the advantage of being flexible) while offering greater safety of use. In case of tension, for example of the frame, the band 3 separates from the same frame avoiding problems to the user.
The safety features of the eyeglasses, furthermore, are constant over time because they are entrusted to a single-piece member.
To this portion 28 is advantageously coupled to a projection 30, protruding from the portion, intended to interfere with the frame 1 when the member 10 detaches from the frame. This portion, according to its dimension, allows the value of the detaching force to be predefined and kept constant over time.
Other additions and variations may be made to the invention starting from the description such as to provide variations to the invention as defined by the claims that follow.
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