Patent ID: 8875346

Claim:
An eyewear with a front portion and two earstems, each earstem being joined to the front portion by a respective hinge, the eyewear comprising: a plurality of hubs, each hub comprising a cylindrical tubular body with a sidewall extending between a pair of openings to form an inner hub channel; each respective lateral side of the eyewear comprising: a first rotational element that receives one of the plurality of hubs wherein a top surface of the hub is in a flush or recessed position relative to a top surface of the first rotational element, the first rotational element attached to one of the earstem or the front portion of the eyewear; a second rotational element that receives the hub, the second rotational element attached to the other of the earstem or the front portion of the eyewear, the first rotational element and the second rotational element being pivotable with respect to each other about the hub; and a third rotational element that receives the hub wherein a bottom surface of the hub is in a flush or recessed position relative to a bottom surface of the third rotational element, the third rotational element attached to the earstem or the front portion of the eyewear to which the first rotational element is attached; a biasing mechanism comprising a rounded member that applies a force against a notch to provide rotational resistance during pivoting of the front portion of the eyewear with respect to one of the plurality of earstems of the eyewear; wherein each respective hub, first rotational element, second rotational element, third rotational element, and biasing mechanism together form the respective hinge of the eyewear; wherein in each respective hinge of the eyewear, the sidewall of the hub comprises upper and lower edges, and first and second retaining portions at opposed ends of the hub, wherein the retaining portions comprise inner and outer surfaces, the outer surface of the first retaining portion at the upper edge of the hub being vertically aligned with the outer surface of the second retaining portion at the lower edge of the hub, and the inner surface of the first retaining portion at the upper edge of the hub being vertically aligned with the inner surface of the second retaining portion at the lower edge of the hub, the retaining portions axially retaining the hub through an interference fit between the first retaining portion and the first rotational element without a pin received in the inner hub channel, and between the second retaining portion and the third rotational element, wherein a third portion of the hub between the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion is configured to be received by and form a clearance fit with the second rotational element.