Spectacle frame and method of providing same

Abstract

Glasses frame (1) provided by at least one sheet (4) of optical cellulose acetate fibers, provided with regions containing photochromic pigments and regions free of photochromic pigments, planned to form geometries, patterns, designs and images desired by manufacturers.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to eyeglass frames and corresponding methods of providing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to eyeglass frames made from photochromic acetate.

[0002] As is known, eyeglass frames can be manufactured from acetate, which is an easily processable material and is therefore optimal for providing eyeglasses as it can be milled, polished and machined to produce ever-changing and fashionable frames with infinite color combinations.

[0003] Acetate is a product obtained from cellulose, which is an organic fiber. The starting material for obtaining acetate is cotton.

[0004] To produce the frames, cellulose acetate is converted and processed into a hard sheet. The acetate sheet is then cut and milled to obtain the eyeglass frames according to the desired shape.

[0005] Photochromic acetates containing photochromic pigments are known to allow otherwise invisible coloring to be revealed in the presence of sunlight.

[0006] The effect is reversible, since the coloration changes when the material is not exposed to sunlight and the color becomes neutral again, ie non-activated.

[0007] However, the photochromic effect provided by the production process of the frames made of photochromic acetate of known type is an effect that can be achieved with absolute consistency. The addition of photochromic pigments dispersed in the material constituting the frame results in a continuously changing coloration of a uniform single color, which is however not precisely defined and in particular cannot be provided according to a specific geometry, pattern or image.

[0008] This means that with methods of known type it is not possible to obtain a frame made of cellulose acetate with a well-defined desired and possibly repeatable geometrical design, pattern, image, coloration of details.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide eyeglass frames made of photochromic acetate which can have a well-defined desired and possibly repeatable geometry, design, pattern or image and which can be provided in a variety of different colors.

[0010] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide eyeglass frames which can be provided using conventional so-called wet block technology while allowing to obtain a desired well-defined geometry, pattern, design or image.

[0011] It is an object of the present invention, inter alia, to provide a spectacle frame and a corresponding method which are highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and cost-competitive.

[0012] This aim and these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter are achieved by an eyeglass frame characterised in that it is provided by a sheet of optical acetate provided with areas containing at least one photochromic pigment and areas free of photochromic pigment, the areas being planned to form geometric shapes, patterns, designs and images desired by the manufacturer.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an eyeglass frame and a corresponding method according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a method according to the invention, with a block without and with a photochromic pigment in the presence of artificial light on the left, and the same block in the presence of sunlight on the right;

[0015] Figure 2 is a view of a sheet of cellulose acetate coupled to a monochromatic sheet of cellulose acetate using the method according to the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 is a view of an eyeglass frame provided according to the present invention exposed to artificial light;

[0017] Figure 4 is a view of an eyeglass frame according to the present invention exposed to sunlight.

[0018] The eyeglass frame according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 1, is made of photochromic acetate and the method of providing it is the so-called wet block method.

[0019] To obtain the cellulose acetate paste, the polymer, plasticizer and any additives are mixed in the presence of a solvent.

[0020] Then, at least one photochromic pigment is combined with the cellulose acetate paste through a calender to obtain a sheet of photochromic cellulose acetate.

[0021] The at least one block with photochromic pigments is obtained from the above-mentioned sheet material.

[0022] The sheet can be cut by a cube forming device to obtain a plurality of photochromic blocks (cubes) 3 .

[0023] In a similar manner, without adding photochromic pigments, an acetate paste was obtained again by the wet block process.

[0024] At least one block 2 without photochromic pigments is obtained from the above-mentioned sheet.

[0025] In this case, the sheet can also be cut by a cube-forming device to obtain acetate blocks (cubes) 2 without pigment, ie transparent blocks, but they can also be colored with non-photochromic pigments.

[0026] Figure 1 On the left, an acetate block 2 without photochromic pigment and an acetate block 3 with photochromic pigment are shown in the presence of artificial light, while on the right, the same blocks are shown in the presence of sunlight.

[0027] The block 3 with photochromic pigment and the block 2 without photochromic pigment are then transferred to a mold where they are conveniently combined according to the desired geometry to obtain a single block by pressure and temperature.

[0028] Thus, more than one block 2 without photochromic pigments may be combined with a block 3 with photochromic pigments and / or more than one block 2 without photochromic pigments may be combined with more than one block 3 with photochromic pigments, or any other combination thereof, to obtain a single block.

[0029] The individual blocks are then sliced ​​and the slices 4 thus obtained are dried in an oven.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, a sheet of photochromic acetate 4 is glued to a solid color sheet of acetate 5 to obtain a desired effect, such as a specific color when the frame is not "activated" by light (see Figure 2 ).

[0031] Thus, the blocks 3 with photochromic pigments and the blocks 2 without photochromic pigments obtained by the wet block process are combined substantially according to the desired geometry to provide the geometry, pattern, design and image selected by the manufacturer.

[0032] The photochromic pigments are therefore not dispersed homogeneously in the cellulose acetate material of which the frame 1 is made, but are planned or in any case arranged so as to be able to highlight specific geometries, patterns, designs and images.

[0033] The invention therefore also relates to eyeglass frames 1 made of photochromic acetate, in which the photochromic pigments are arranged and programmed to provide appropriate patterns according to the very specific aesthetic choices desired by the manufacturer, among which for example also the pattern known as "tortoise shell".

[0034] Figure 3 A frame according to the present invention is shown exposed to artificial light, while Figure 4 The same frame is shown with the photochromic pigment activated by exposure to sunlight.

[0035] In practice it has been found that the eyeglass frames and the corresponding method fully achieve the intended aim and objects, since by arranging the photochromic pigments in a conveniently defined manner in the cellulose acetate paste from which the frames are made, frames with geometric designs, patterns or the like can be obtained.

[0036] The framework and the method thus conceived are susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the accompanying claims.

[0037] Moreover, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0038] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

[0039] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102022000014878 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0040] In case technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and therefore these reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of the individual elements identified by these reference signs by way of example.

Claims

1. Eyeglass frame (1), characterized in that It is provided by at least one sheet (4) of light acetate, said sheet of light acetate being provided with areas comprising at least one photochromic pigment and areas free of photochromic pigment, said areas being arranged to form geometric shapes, patterns, designs and images desired by the manufacturer.

2. The eyeglass frame according to claim 1, characterized in that The areas with photochromic pigments and the areas without photochromic pigments are obtained by arranging photochromic acetate blocks (3) and non-photochromic acetate blocks (2) according to the desired aesthetic choice.

3. A method for providing a spectacle frame, characterized in that The following steps are involved: preparing cellulose acetate paste; adding at least one photochromic pigment to the acetate paste to obtain a sheet of photochromic acetate; preparing an acetate cellulose paste without photochromic pigments and obtaining an acetate cellulose sheet without photochromic pigments; Obtaining at least one acetate block (3) with photochromic pigment and at least one acetate block (2) without photochromic pigment from the acetate sheet with at least one photochromic pigment and the acetate sheet without photochromic pigment; Arranging the block of photochromic acetate (3) and the block of acetate without photochromic pigment (2) in a mold to define a desired geometry, pattern, design and image; applying pressure and temperature to the mold to obtain a single block; Slicing the single block and drying the slices thus obtained in an oven (4); From the dried sheet, eyeglass frames are obtained according to a desired shape.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of: Cutting the sheet of photochromic acetate fiber by a cube forming device to produce a plurality of blocks (3) of the photochromic acetate fiber; The sheet of acetate fiber without pigment is cut by the cube forming device to obtain a plurality of acetate fiber blocks (2) without photochromic pigment.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that It comprises the step of combining more than one block (2) without photochromic pigment with a block (3) with photochromic pigment.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method comprises the steps of combining more than one block (2) without photochromic pigment and more than one block (3) with photochromic pigment.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The block (2) without photochromic pigment is provided by a non-photochromic colored pigment.

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