WO1998050815A1

WO1998050815A1 - Closing device for glasses orbits

Info

Publication number: WO1998050815A1
Application number: PCT/IT1998/000106
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrizio Prestinari
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-05-05
Filing date: 1998-04-27
Publication date: 1998-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1999-11-05
Also published as: AU7232898A; EP0916108A1; ITMI970311U1; ITMI970311V0; IT237468Y1

Abstract

Closing and opening device for metal glasses orbits, composed of a key with a T-shaped head inserted in the first bush and held under pressure by a compression spring located between the key base and the first bush lower side; pressing the key base by means of a screwdriver, the T-shaped head is allowed to pass through the second bush through slot, and position itself in the groove present on the surface by means of a subsequent 90° rotation, after removing the pressure exerted by the screwdriver. The two bushes are kept together thanks to the compression exerted by the spring and will allow to close the orbit and therefore fasten the lens, thanks to their position connected with the orbit opening sides.

Description

DESCRIPTION

CLOSING DEVICE FOR GLASSES ORBITS

Technical Field

The present industrial utility model finds application in the eyeglasses

industry: it is an opening and closing device for metal glasses orbits.

Background Art

The current system used to close or open metal glasses orbits avails itself of

a slotted-head or star-slotted head screw. This last one first passes through

a bush provided with an unthreaded hole and then it is screwed down into

the threaded hole of the subsequent bush. This way it is possible to fasten

the two bushes, which are positioned in connection with the orbit opening,

closing it and housing the lens.

The above-mentioned system may involve different troubles such as:

•The screw comes out while lenses are being assembled or disassembled

with consequent loss of time wasted in the search for it;

• Damages to the screw and hole thread due to excessive strength exerted

during fastening;

• Splintering or breaking of the lens due to a hurried screwing, in case the

lens is slightly bigger than the orbit which is going to house it;

• Undesired coming-out of the lens from the orbit due to the presence of a

distance between the two bushes, caused by the screw loosening; • Breaking of the screw both while assembling the lenses and when the

customer already uses the glasses. This compels the optician to drill the

obstructed hole and tap it again;

•The presence on the market of screws provided with different lengths and

pitches making it indispensable to look for a screw with adequate features, in

case of replacement.

Disclosure of Invention

Fundamental purpose of the present industrial utility model is to avoid the

undesired opening of the orbit housing the lens and offer the optician a

practical system, intentionally developed to make assembly and disassembly

operations as easy as possible. This will be to everybody's advantage: on

one side the final customer is sure that the lens is safely fastened inside the

orbit and he can wear his glasses without any problems. On the other side

the frame-manufacturing firm is given an innovative, distinctive system also

suitable for metal glasses currently present on the market.

To this purpose, the present device has been created to replace the current

system with threaded screw and to avoid the employment of glues and

thread locking wires. It is equipped with a T-shaped head key and a spring.

The device is composed of the following 4 parts: 1. Key

The key base reproduces the head of a screw, preferably suitable to house

the star-shaped point of the screwdriver; the central body is a circular cross

section cylinder which together with the key head has the shape of a T;

2. Spring

The spring is the element, which characterises the closing system. It is a

compression coil spring provided with circular cross section.

3. First bush

This element of the device is so called because the key first passes it

during assembly. It is a parallelepiped (but it can also be cylindrical or other)

equipped on the key access surface with a hole suitable to house the

spring and a through slot created between the hole and the surface from

which the key comes out of the bush.

On this surface, perpendicularly to the through slot axis, an apposite groove

is present to house the key head when the device is in opening position

(open orbit).

The first bush is tied to the orbit body in connection with the opening of the

orbit itself. The following picture shows that it is located integral with the

lower side of the orbit opening;

4. Second bush

This element of the device is so called because the key secondly passes it

provided with a through slot whose dimensions and form are equal to the ones of the first bush through slot so that is possible to adequately put one

bush on the other. At this point the two through slot axis are orthogonal

between themselves.

On the surface from which the key comes out of the bush, perpendicularly to

the through slot axis, an apposite groove is present to house the key head

when the device is in closing position (closed orbit).

The second bush is tied to the orbit body in connection with the opening of

the orbit itself. The following example shows that it is located integral with

the upper side of the orbit opening.

To assemble the device, put the spring around the key central body, push

the base of the key so that the T-shaped head passes through the first bush

hole, rotate the key 90° and push again so that the key head also comes out

of the second bush. At this point, rotate the key 90° again and remove the

exerted pressure to allow the T-shaped head to fit into the groove created on

the surface from which the key comes out of the second bush. Thanks to the

compression spring, the two bushes are kept together and the orbit closed.

Brief description of drawings

* Fig. 1 : front view of the key with spring inserted

* Fig. 2: side view of the key with spring inserted

* Fig. 3: top view of the key with spring inserted

* Fig. 4: front view of the second bush ^* Fig. 5: top view of the second bush

* Fig. 6: bottom view of the second bush

^* Fig. 7: front view of the first bush

^* Fig. 8: top view of the first bush

^* Fig. 9: bottom view of the first bush

^* Fig. 10: front view of the device in opening position (with the T-

shaped head firmly housed inside the first bush groove

thanks to the pressure exerted by the spring)

^* Fig. 11 : front view of the device in closing position (with the

T-shaped head firmly housed inside the second bush

thanks to a higher pressure exerted by the spring)

^* Fig. 12: two examples of the device in closing position, in two

different positions with reference to the glasses orbit.

Best mode for carrying out the invention

To better show the features of this closing device according to the present

innovation, here under an example is reported to show in detail how the

device has been realised, with reference to the above mentioned schematic

drawings. According to the present innovation, the device is very simple and

works as follows:

TO OPEN THE ORBIT

Operations required beginning from assembled device, that is to say closed

orbit: • Push the key base to remove the T-shaped head from the groove present on

the second bush surface (a);

• Rotate the key 90° with reference to the axis of the housing groove present

on the surface (a);

• Remove pressure from the key base, making this way the T-shaped head

pass through the second bush through slot, with subsequent positioning

(without further rotation) of the head itself inside the groove present on the

first bush surface (b).

Once this operation has been completed the orbit is open and the key head

is firmly held by the pressure exerted by the spring, inside the groove

present on the first bush surface (b), preventing it from falling.

In case a complete disassembly of the device is necessary in addition to the

above-mentioned operations, exert a light pressure on the key base to

remove the T-shaped head from the groove on the first bush pressure. Then

rotate the key 90° to withdraw the key itself out of the first bush.

At this point the spring itself could be easily slipped off the key T-shaped

head, as its dimensions allow it.

It can be noticed that the groove present on the first bush surface (b) and

the slot passing through the second bush are in axis, whereas the through

slot axes, respectively through the two bushes, are orthogonal. TO CLOSE THE ORBIT

Operations required beginning from the device according to the instructions

reported in fig. 10, that is to say open orbit:

• Push the key base to remove the T-shaped head from the groove present

on the first bush surface (b);

• Rotate the key 90° with reference to the axis of second bush through slot;

• Remove pressure from the key base, making this way the T-shaped head

position inside the groove present on the second bush surface (a).

Once this operation has been completed the key head is firm and safe

thanks to the pressure exerted by the spring.

The role of the spring is therefore fundamental as it firmly holds the key in

the two positions, respectively opening and closing (that is to say orbit

opening and closing) and it is possible to completely dismantle the device

itself, and replace pieces in case of necessity.

It is clear that possible changes can be made to the present innovation,

which go beyond the above-mentioned examples.

According to the innovation, the device is to the final customer's and to the

optician's advantage for the reasons we have already mentioned and

becomes a distinguishing mark on the market for the glass manufacturer,

who employs it. Finally, thanks to its remarkable structural easiness, it can

be manufactured with low expenses.

Claims

1)Device to open and close metal glasses orbits (housing the lens) suitable

also for frames already present on the market, characterised by the

presence of a spring firmly holding the device itself in the two working

positions (open and closed orbit).

2)Device as per 1 , characterised by the presence of a T-shaped head key.

3)Device as per 1 and 2 characterised by the fact that such T-shaped head

key is provided with a base suitable to house the screwdriver point (star-

shaped, slot-shaped, etc.)

4)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the presence

of a coil compression spring, around the key central cylinder body, working

in both operating positions of the device itself (closed and open orbit).

5)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the presence

of a bush, which the key first passes through during assembly (first bush).

6)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that

the bush is provided with a hole to house the spring while closing the device

(closed orbit).

7)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that

the above-mentioned first bush is equipped with a through slot whose

dimensions and shape are suitable to allow the key head to pass.

8)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that

the first bush is provided with a groove on the surface from which the key

head comes out, whose axis is orthogonal to the through slot one. 9)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the presence

of a bush, which the key head secondly passes through during assembly

(second bush).

10)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that

this second bush is provided with a through slot whose dimensions and

shape are suitable to allow the key head to pass.

11)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that

the second bush is provided with a groove on the surface from which the key

head comes out, whose axis is orthogonal to the through slot one.

12)Device according to the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that it

can be completely dismantled, allowing this way the replacement of

components.