Patent ID: 7281299

Claim:
A hinge apparatus comprising: an eyeglass assembly having a side arm and a nose; a box affixed to said side arm, said box having an internal seat with a head at one end thereof; a spring housed with said box so as to have an end in abutment with said head of said internal seat of said box; a carriage having a first end and a second end, said spring having an opposite end in abutment with said first end of said carriage, said second end of said carriage having an articulation portion, said articulation portion hinged to said nose of said eyeglass assembly; and a compensator element interposed between an inner surface of said internal seat of said box and a profile of said carriage that faces said inner surface of said internal seat, said box having a niche formed therein such that said niche faces said carriage, said niche countershaped to a shaped of said compensator element, said niche at least partially receiving said compensator element therein, said niche allowing for a sliding of said carriage with respect to said compensator element only along a portion of said carriage.