Spring hinge for eyeglasses

Abstract

The invention relates to a spring hinge for eyeglasses, comprising a hinge housing which forms a connection plane for temples and two hinge parts which are connected to each other in an articulated manner by means of a hinge axis, the temple-side hinge parts forming a central hinge lug being mounted in a movement guide of the hinge housing so as to be movable against a spring force, the spectacle frame-side hinge part, which accommodates the intermediate hinge lug between the two outer hinge lugs, has two stop surfaces, which define a pivot angle between the two hinge end positions, and a sliding surface, which connects the two stop surfaces, along a circumferential section which interacts with the end faces of the hinge housing. The hinge shaft extends at an acute angle at an angle not only to the connection plane but also to a reference plane extending transversely to the movement guide, and the sliding surfaces of the two outer hinge lugs, which cooperate with the flat end face of the hinge housing, form a conical surface having a half-opening angle corresponding to the angle of inclination of the hinge shaft with respect to the end face.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spring hinge for spectacles, the spring hinge comprising a hinge housing forming a connection plane for spectacles legs and two hinge parts which are hingedly connected to each other via a hinge axis, the hinge parts belonging to the spectacles legs on the one hand and to the spectacles frame on the other hand, wherein the hinge part on the spectacles leg side forming an intermediate hinge lug is movably supported in a moving guide of the hinge housing against a spring force, and the hinge part on the spectacles frame side which accommodates the intermediate hinge lug between two outer hinge lugs has, along a circumferential section cooperating with the end face of the hinge housing, two stop surfaces which determine the pivot angle between two hinge end positions and a sliding surface which connects the two stop surfaces. Background Art

[0002] The spring hinge for spectacles locks two hinge end positions by means of elastic stops, which are determined on the one hand by the extended position of the opened temple and on the other hand by the swung-in rest position of the temple. In a conventional spring hinge (EP1978397A1), the temple-side hinge part of two hinge parts that are articulated to each other via a hinge axis is supported displaceably in a hinge housing connected to the temple and is loaded by a spring in the sense of being pulled into the hinge housing. The frame-side hinge part that accommodates the middle hinge lug of the temple-side hinge part between the two outer hinge lugs is supported on the end side of the hinge housing by means of a respective stop surface under elastic preload in the two hinge end positions, so that the hinge end positions resulting from this are predetermined. In order to pivot the spring hinge between the two hinge end positions, a cylindrical sliding surface formed by a generatrix parallel to the hinge axis is provided between the two stop surfaces extending along the circumferential section of the hinge lugs of the frame-side hinge part. The sliding surface that cooperates with the end side of the hinge housing slides along the end side of the hinge housing when the hinge part on the frame side is pivoted around the hinge axis, wherein, due to the distance relationship, the hinge part on the temple side moves against the force of the spring, so that a spring locking element acts for the two hinge end positions.

[0003] Conventional temples are provided with bent-over temple ends, which in the use position of the temple, i.e. in the swung-out extended position, extend inwardly obliquely about the temple longitudinal axis relative to the plane of symmetry of the spectacle frame for anatomical reasons, so that the temple stem with the bent-over temple end defines a temple plane extending obliquely relative to the plane of symmetry. According to this design premise, when the temple is swung into the rest position, the bent-over temple end of the temple that is swung in first rests on the spectacle frame, wherein the temple end gradually moves away from the spectacle frame from the rest point to the temple stem, which results in a relatively large overall height of the glasses relative to the plane of the spectacle frame, which glasses have the temple swung into the rest position.

[0004] In order to avoid this disadvantage, it is known in spectacles without spring hinges (JPS60122919U, JPH0490507A, JPH09258144A) to adapt the position of the temple when it is swung in to the geometry of the frame in such a way that the hinge axis extends at an acute angle not only to the connecting plane of the temple but also to a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the temple axis. Since in spring hinges (DE102007027153A1, EP1978397A1, WO02 / 46831A1) the hinge axis extends perpendicularly to the movement guide of the movable hinge part, the inclination of the hinge axis relative to the reference plane perpendicular to the movement guide of the movable hinge part leads to a disadvantageous effect on the spring hinge. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to design a spring hinge for spectacles so that the temple, after it has been swung into its resting position, has a relatively small distance from the spectacle frame and thus ensures a correspondingly low structural height without having to suffer any adverse effects on the function and load-bearing capacity of the spring hinge.

[0006] Starting from a spring hinge of the type described at the outset, the present invention achieves the proposed task in that the hinge axis extends at an acute angle relative to the connecting plane in the sense of a lateral inclination and at an acute angle relative to a reference plane oriented transversely to the sliding guide in the sense of a forward inclination, and either the sliding surfaces of the two external hinge lugs cooperating with the flat end faces of the hinge housing form conical surfaces having a half-opening angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the hinge axis relative to the end faces, or, in the case of a cylindrical sliding surface, the end faces of the hinge housing follow as follows, the surface being determined by the generatrix of the sliding surface during the rotation and associated movement of the hinge part on the eyeglass frame side between the hinge end positions.

[0007] Since the hinge axis is tilted at an acute angle both relative to the connecting plane and relative to a reference plane extending transversely to the sliding guide and preferably perpendicular to the sliding guide, the hinge axis results in a forward tilt relative to the reference plane in the sense of the forward tilting of the eyeglasses and a lateral tilt relative to the connecting plane in the sense of the angle of the temple plane. Due to this forward and lateral tilting of the hinge axis and the direction of the temple predetermined by the connecting plane of the hinge housing and the direction of the frame plane structurally determined relative to the reference plane, the temple is rotated relative to the frame when it is swung into the rest position so that the direction of the temple plane is adapted to the direction of the frame plane, which directly affects the structural height of the folded eyeglasses perpendicular to the frame plane.

[0008] With the forward and lateral inclination of the hinge axis, difficulties arise for the spring hinge with regard to the interaction of the sliding surfaces between the end face of the hinge housing and the stop faces of the two hinge lugs of the hinge part on the frame side, since the hinge axis does not extend parallel to the end face of the hinge housing perpendicular to the sliding guide as usual.

[0009] However, if the sliding surfaces of the two external hinge lugs that cooperate with the flat end surface of the hinge housing form a conical surface with an opening angle that corresponds to twice the angle of inclination of the hinge axis relative to the flat end surface of the hinge housing, the sliding surfaces rest against the end surface of the hinge housing along the cone generatrix in each pivot position, thereby obtaining a consistent situation with conventional spring hinges in terms of function and load capacity.

[0010] Although relatively simple manufacturing conditions are created by means of a conical sliding surface on the circumferential side of the outer hinge lug of the frame-side hinge lug, the sliding surface can also be formed as a cylindrical surface in a conventional manner. In this case, however, the end face of the hinge housing must be shaped accordingly so that the sliding surface again rests against the end face of the hinge housing along a generatrix. This condition is met if the end face of the hinge housing follows the surface determined by the generatrix of the sliding surface when the hinge part on the frame side is rotated between the respective hinge end positions, taking into account the fact that during the rotation of the hinge part on the frame side, the hinge axis is displaced in the direction of the displacement guide of the hinge part on the temple side first in the extension direction and then in the retraction direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 The spring hinge for spectacles according to the invention is shown in an axonometric bottom view in the extended position,

[0013] Figure 2 The bottom view shows Figure 1 Spring hinges,

[0014] Figure 3 Shown along Figure 1 The section of line III-III,

[0015] Figure 4 Shown along Figure 1 The section of line IV-IV,

[0016] Figure 5 The base is shown in an axonometric view in the pivoted rest position. Figure 1 Spring hinges,

[0017] Figure 6 Corresponding to Figure 1 The figure shows a variant embodiment of the spring hinge according to the present invention,

[0018] Figure 7 A view of the inner side of the hinge housing opposite the connecting plane shows the Figure 6 Spring hinges,

[0019] Figure 8 The bottom view shows Figure 6 Spring hinges, and

[0020] Fig. 9 The base is shown in an axonometric view in the pivoted rest position. Figure 6 Spring hinge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Regardless of the respective embodiment, the spring hinge for spectacles according to the invention has a hinge housing 1 which forms a connection plane 2 with respect to the temple. Figure 2 , the hinge housing 1 is provided with a sliding guide 3 for a hinge part 4, which forms a central hinge lug 6 protruding from the end face 5 of the hinge housing 1. The hinge part 4 is pulled into the hinge housing 1 by means of a spring 7, which is supported at one end on a support 8 fixed to the housing and at the other end on a tab 9, which connects, for example, two brackets 10 belonging to the hinge part 4 and accommodates the spring 7 between them.

[0022] The middle hinge lug 6 of the hinge part 4 on the temple side is embedded between the two outer hinge lugs 11 forming a support fork of the hinge part 12 on the frame side, which is connected to the hinge part 4 on the temple side via a hinge axis 13. The two outer hinge lugs 11 form two stop surfaces 14, 15 on the circumference side that cooperate with the end side 5 of the hinge housing 1, and a sliding surface 16 is formed between the two stop surfaces 14, 15 as a transition between the two stop surfaces 14, 15. The end position of the spring hinge is determined by these two stop surfaces 14, 15, in which the corresponding stop surfaces 14, 15 are kept against the end face 5 of the hinge housing 1 by means of the spring 7. In the embodiment, the stop surface 14 is arranged according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 6 The end position associated with the extended position of the temple is determined, while the maximum swivel angle for the rest position of the temple is predetermined by the stop surface 15, such as from Figure 5 and Fig. 9To switch between the two end positions of the spring hinge, the hinge part 4 on the temple side is pivoted relative to the hinge part 12 on the frame side about the hinge axis 13, wherein the sliding surface 16 sliding along the end side 5 of the hinge housing 1 first causes the spring-loaded hinge part 4 to be pulled out due to the distance relationship and then causes it to be pulled in in the opposite direction, so as to lock the two end positions in the form of a spring latch.

[0023] If especially by Figure 3 and Figure 4 It turns out that the hinge axis 13, which is shown only by its geometric axis for reasons of clarity, extends at an acute angle both to a reference plane 17 oriented transversely to the sliding guide 3 and to a connecting plane 2 of the hinge housing 1. Since the connecting plane 2 of the hinge housing 1 determines the path of the temple and the connecting flange 18 of the hinge part 12 on the frame side determines the geometrical relationship between the frame and the temple, the temple is pivoted from the extended position relative to the frame into the rest position and simultaneously rotated about its shaft axis by the inclination of the hinge axis 13 relative to the connecting plane 2 and the reference plane 17 extending transversely to the sliding guide 3 of the hinge housing 1, so that the temple plane, which is expanded by the temple shaft and the end section of the temple that surrounds the ear and is bent relative to the shaft, lies against the plane of the frame in such a way that the overall height of the spectacles with the pivoted temple relative to the plane of the frame is reduced.

[0024] Since the reference plane 17 oriented transversely to the sliding guide 3 of the hinge housing 1 is in a sufficiently precise geometric relationship with respect to the connecting flange 18 and thus with respect to the plane of the spectacle frame in the extended position of the spring hinge, so that the inclination of the hinge axis 13 in the sense of a forward tilt of the spectacles can be preset according to the desired course of the temple when it is swung into the rest position, an exact orientation of the reference plane 17 does not result, although this orientation is preferably selected to be perpendicular to the sliding guide 3 of the hinge housing 1.

[0025] However, the hinge axis 13, which extends forwardly in the sense of the forward tilt of the glasses and laterally in the sense of the angle of the temple plane, on the one hand, presents difficulties in supporting the usually cylindrical sliding surface 16 of the outer hinge lug 14 on the usually flat end surface 5 of the hinge housing 1. In order to be able to overcome these difficulties with simple structural measures, the sliding surface 16 is arranged according to Figures 1 to 5 The embodiment of the invention is designed as a conical surface, the opening angle of which corresponds to twice the angle of inclination of the hinge axis 13 relative to the flat end face 5 of the hinge housing 1. This ensures that the outer hinge lug 11 is always supported on the flat end face 5 along the cone generatrix in the region of the sliding surface 16, which achieves a completely comparable situation with conventional spring hinges for the spring hinge according to the invention.

[0026] As can be seen from the above embodiments, it is important that the sliding surface 16 of the outer hinge lug 11 is supported in a straight line on the end face 5 of the hinge housing 1 during the pivoting movement of the spring hinge. Therefore, it is a prerequisite that both the sliding surface 16 and the end face 5 are formed by straight generatrixes. This means that when using the sliding surface 16, the end face 5 of the hinge housing must be adapted accordingly in the usual cylindrical embodiment, as in the Figures 6 to 9 as shown in .

[0027] In the sliding area 19 of the cylindrical sliding surface 16 of the outer hinge lug 11 along the end face 5 of the hinge housing 1, the end face 5 follows the generatrix of the sliding surface 16 during the hinge pivoting in accordance with Figure 6 and Fig. 9 The envelope surface determined between the two end positions is however taken into account when, due to a given distance relationship, the intermediate hinge lug 6 is first pulled out of the hinge housing 1 between the two end positions during the pivoting of the spring hinge and is then pulled back into the hinge housing 1, the pivoting movement is superimposed on a translational movement in the direction of the moving guide 3 of the hinge housing 1.

Claims

1. A spring hinge for spectacles, comprising a hinge housing (1) forming a connection plane (2) for a spectacles leg and comprising two hinge parts (4, 12) which are connected to each other in an articulated manner via a hinge axis (13), the hinge parts belonging to the spectacles leg on the one hand and to the spectacles frame on the other hand, wherein: The hinge part (4) on the temple side forming the middle hinge lug (6) is supported movably in the moving guide (3) of the hinge housing (1) against the spring force, and the hinge part (12) on the frame side accommodating the middle hinge lug (6) between two outer hinge lugs (11) has two stop surfaces (14, 15) determining the pivot angle between two hinge end positions and a sliding surface (16) connecting the two stop surfaces (14, 15) along a circumferential section cooperating with the end surface (5) of the hinge housing (1), characterized in that the hinge axis (13) is inclined at an acute angle to the connecting plane (2) in the sense of a lateral inclination and in a forward inclination. In the sense of an oblique angle, the sliding surfaces (16) of the two outer hinge lugs (11) which cooperate with the flat end surface (5) of the hinge housing (1) extend obliquely at an acute angle relative to a reference plane (17) oriented transversely to the sliding guide (3), and either the sliding surfaces (16) of the two outer hinge lugs (11) which cooperate with the flat end surface (5) of the hinge housing (1) form a conical surface having a corresponding half-angle to the inclination angle of the hinge axis (13) relative to the end surface (5), or in the case of a cylindrical sliding surface (16), the end surface (5) of the hinge housing (1) follows as follows, wherein the surface is determined by the generatrix of the sliding surface (16) in the case of a rotation of the hinge part (12) on the eyeglass frame side between the respective hinge end positions and the associated movement thereof.

2. The spring hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reference plane (17) is oriented perpendicularly to the displacement guide (3) of the hinge housing (1).

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