Eyewear

Abstract

To ensure that, when a pair of temples of a hingeless eyewear are folded engaging with each other, one temple does not unintentionally come off the other temple.SOLUTION: An eyewear 1 comprises a front 10, and a pair of temples 11 hinglessly connected to the front 10. A front region 50 of each temple 11 has a protrusion 60 protruding in the inside direction of the temple 11. A rear region 51 has a groove 80 penetrating the temple 11 in the inner and outer direction, and a recess 81 located on the outside surface of the temple 11 and communicating with the groove 80. The pair of temples 11 are constituted such that the groove 80 of one temple 11 is fitted to a section of the front region 50 of the other temple 11 on the side closer to the front 10 than the protrusion 60, and is further slid to the protrusion 60 side along the front region 50, whereby the protrusion 60 of the other temple 11 is accommodated into the recess 81 of the one temple 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to eyewear.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been so-called hinge-less eyewear that does not use screws for the joint between the front and the temple (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). These hinge-less eyewear have a structure in which a rear region portion of one temple is hooked on a front region portion of the other temple so that the temple can be folded.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the hinge-less eyewear as described above, only a groove portion penetrating in the modern inner and outer directions provided at the modern tip of the rear region of one temple is locked from above to the front region portion of the other temple. Structurally, when an upward external force acts on the modern tip and the locking portion of the temple, the locking may be easily disengaged and the temple folded state may be released. Further, in these hinge-less eyewear, a decorative or ring joint structure is provided in the front region portion of the other temple, and thus, in terms of appearance, a characteristic design is presented, which is rather a design constraint for consumers who prefer simple hinge-less eyewear.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and when a pair of temples of hinge-less eyewear are locked to each other and folded, one temple is unintentionally detached from the other temple, especially when an external force acts upward or downward on the locking portion, it is possible to suppress the locking from being easily released and the temple folded state from being released. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide hinge-less eyewear with a simple and natural-shaped sophisticated design in which the locking structure between the temples is not conspicuous.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Eyewear according to one aspect of the present invention includes a front, and a pair of flexible temples that are hinge-less and connected to the front without a hinge structure having a rotation axis. Each temple has a front region on the front side of the front and a rear region on the rear end side opposite to the front side. The front region has a protrusion protruding at least in either the inner or outer direction of the temple, and the rear region is recessed from one surface in the vertical direction of the temple toward the other surface, and has a groove portion penetrating the temple in the inner and outer directions, and a recess portion disposed on the outer surface of the temple, recessed in the inner direction of the temple, and communicating with the groove portion. The pair of temples is configured such that the groove portion in the rear region of one temple is fitted into a portion on the front side of the protrusion in the front region of the other temple, and further slid along the front region toward the protrusion side, so that the protrusion of the other temple is accommodated in the recess of one temple.

[0007] According to this aspect, since the protrusion of the other temple is accommodated in the recess of one temple, it is possible to suppress the temples from being unintentionally detached from each other when the temples are folded.

[0008] In the above aspect, the recess may have a top surface, a bottom surface, and a back surface, and an opening communicating with the groove portion may be formed between the top surface and the bottom surface.

[0009] In the above aspect, the recess may have a side surface on the side opposite to the opening.

[0010] In the above aspect, the concave portion may be configured such that the protruding portion can move within the concave portion.

[0011] In the above aspect, the concave portion may be configured to fit with the protruding portion.

[0012] In the above aspect, the protruding portion may have a triangular prism shape having a triangular shape in a top view of the temple.

[0013] In the above aspect, the protruding portion may protrude only in the inner direction of the temple and have a vertical length that is the same as or shorter than the vertical length of the temple.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, when a pair of temples of the hinge-less eyewear are locked to each other and folded, it is possible to prevent one temple from unintentionally coming off from the other temple, particularly when an external force in the upward or downward direction acts on the locking portion, and the locking is easily released and the folded state of the temples is released. Furthermore, it is possible to provide hinge-less eyewear with a simple and natural-shaped sophisticated design in which the locking structure between the temples is not conspicuous.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an example of the configuration of the eyewear 1. FIG. 2 is a top view for explaining an example of the configuration of the eyewear 1. FIG. 3 is a side view for explaining an example of the configuration of the eyewear 1. In this specification, the front and rear of the eyewear 1 coincide with the front and rear of the wearer's head when the eyewear 1 is worn. Looking from the temple 11 described later, the front 10 side is the front, and looking from the front 10, the temple 11 side is the rear. The up and down of the eyewear 1 coincide with the up and down of the wearer's head when the eyewear 1 is worn. Also, the side on the wearer's head side with respect to the temple 11 is the inner side, and the side opposite to the wearer's head with respect to the temple 11 is the outer side. The direction perpendicular and horizontal to the front-rear direction of the front 10 is the left-right direction.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment, the eyewear 1 includes a front 10 and a pair of temples 11.

[0018] In one embodiment, the front 10 is configured to support a pair of lenses 20 arranged in the left - right direction Y. The front 10 has a pair of lens holders 30 that hold the left and right lenses 20, and a connecting portion (bridge) 31 that connects the pair of lens holders 30. The connecting portion 31 is located at the center of the front 10 in the left - right direction Y, and the front 10 is configured to be left - right symmetric about the connecting portion 31. The front 10 further includes nose pads 40 that contact the wearer's nose.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the temple 11 is configured to be hung on the wearer's ear. Each temple 11 is connected to the lens holder 30 of the front 10. Each temple 11 is connected to the front 10 in a hinge - less manner without a hinge structure having a rotation axis.

[0020] The temple 11 has flexibility. The temple 11 may be made of metal or resin. The temple 11 has an elongated shape that is long in the front - rear direction X. The temple 11 may have a rectangular cross - sectional shape with thickness in the up - down direction Z and the in - out direction R. The dimension of the temple 11 in the up - down direction Z may be larger than the dimension in the in - out direction R. The temple 11 may have a curved shape that gradually bends inward as it approaches the rear end.

[0021] The temple 11 has a front region 50 located on the front 10 side and a rear region 51 located on the rear end side opposite to the front 10 side.

[0022] The front region 50 constitutes a hinge - less folding portion without a hinge structure having a rotation axis between the front region 50 and the front 10. The front region 50 has a protrusion 60 that protrudes at least in either the inner direction R1 or the outer direction R2 of the temple 11. In one embodiment, the protrusion 60 protrudes only in the inner direction R1 of the temple 11.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4, the protrusion 60 has a substantially triangular prism shape having a substantially triangular shape when viewed from above the temple 11. The protrusion 60 has an inner surface 60a that smoothly protrudes inward from the temple body 11a. That is, the inner surface 60a of the protrusion 60 is smoothly and continuously connected to the front and rear inner surfaces (the inner surface of the temple body 11a) of the temple 11 without a step.

[0024] The protrusion 60 has a length in the vertical direction Z that is the same as or shorter than that of the temple body 11a. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, when the eyewear 1 is observed from the outside (the left side as viewed from the wearer in Fig. 3), the protrusion 60 is hidden by the temple body 11a and cannot be visually recognized.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the rear region 51 has a groove portion 80 and a recess portion 81. The groove portion 80 is recessed from one surface to the other surface of the temple 11 in the vertical direction Z and penetrates the temple 11 in the inner and outer direction R. In one embodiment, the groove portion 80 is recessed from the lower surface to the upper surface. The groove portion 80 is configured to be able to be fitted into the front region 50 of the temple 11 from above.

[0026] The recess portion 81 is disposed on the outer surface of the temple 11 and is recessed in the inner direction R1. The recess portion 81 communicates with the groove portion 80. The recess portion 81 is disposed adjacent to the front side (the front side) of the groove portion 80 in the temple 11. The recess portion 81 is configured to be able to accommodate the protrusion 60.

[0027] The recess portion 81 has a top surface 100, a bottom surface 101, and a back surface 102. An opening OP that communicates with the groove portion 80 is formed between the top surface 100 and the bottom surface 101 of the recess portion 81. The recess portion 81 has a side surface 103 on the opposite side of the opening OP.

[0028] The recess 81 is configured such that the protrusion 60 can move within the recess 81 in a state where the protrusion 60 is accommodated in the recess 81. The recess 81 may have dimensions larger than those of the protrusion 60 in the vertical direction Z and the front-rear direction X. The recess 81 may have dimensions larger than those of the protrusion 60 in the inner-outer direction R. The recess 81 and the protrusion 60 may be configured to have a size such that the protrusion 60 is completely accommodated within the recess 81, or may be configured to have a size such that a part of the protrusion 60 is accommodated within the recess 81. Note that the temple 11 may have a modern portion made of resin or rubber in the rear region 51, and the groove portion 80 and the recess 81 may be provided in this modern portion.

[0029] The pair of temples 11 are configured such that the groove portion 80 in the rear region 51 of one temple 11 is fitted into a portion on the front 10 side of the protrusion 60 in the front region 50 of the other temple 11, and further slid along the front region 50 toward the protrusion 60 side, so that the protrusion 60 of the other temple 11 is accommodated in the recess 81 of one temple 11. That is, the eyewear 1 can perform the following folding operation of the temple 11.

[0030] When folding the temple 11 of the eyewear 1, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the first temple 11-1 is greatly bent inward. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the groove 80 in the rear region 51 of the first temple 11-1 is fitted into the portion on the front 10 side of the protrusion 60 in the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2. At this time, due to the flexibility of the first temple 11-1, a restoring force (elastic force) in the outer direction R2 acts on the first temple 11-1. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the rear region 51 of the first temple 11-1 is slid along the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2 toward the protrusion 60 side, and the protrusion 60 of the second temple 11-2 is accommodated in the recess 81 of the first temple 11-1. At this time, due to the restoring force of the first temple 11-1, the protrusion 60 of the second temple 11-2 and the inner surface 102 of the recess 81 of the first temple 11-1 come into contact. Also, the movement of the protrusion 60 of the second temple 11-2 in the vertical direction Z is restricted by the top surface 100 and the bottom surface 101 of the recess 81 of the first temple 11-1. As a result, the rear region 51 of the first temple 11-1 is locked to the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2.

[0031] Next, similarly for the second temple 11-2, the second temple 11-2 is greatly bent inward, and the groove 80 in the rear region 51 of the second temple 11-2 is fitted into the portion on the front 10 side of the protrusion 60 in the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1. Next, the rear region 51 of the second temple 11-2 is slid along the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1 toward the protrusion 60 side, and the protrusion 60 of the first temple 11-1 is accommodated in the recess 81 of the second temple 11-2. Due to the restoring force of the second temple 11-2, the protrusion 60 of the first temple 11-1 and the inner surface 102 of the recess 81 of the second temple 11-2 come into contact. Also, the movement of the protrusion 60 of the first temple 11-1 in the vertical direction Z is restricted by the top surface 100 and the bottom surface 101 of the recess 81 of the second temple 11-2. As a result, the rear region 51 of the second temple 11-2 is locked to the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, the temple 11 (temple 11-1 and temple 11-2) of the eyewear 1 is folded.

[0032] When opening the temple 11 of the eyewear 1, as shown in Fig. 7, the groove 80 in the rear region 51 of the first temple 11-1 is slid along the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2 toward the front 10 side (inner direction R1), and the protrusion 60 of the second temple 11-2 is taken out from the recess 81 of the first temple 11-1. Next, the groove 80 of the first temple 11-1 is moved upward with respect to the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2 to remove the first temple 11-1 from the second temple 11-2. Thereby, the locking between the rear region 51 of the first temple 11-1 and the front region 50 of the second temple 11-2 is released.

[0033] Similarly for the second temple 11-2, the groove 80 in the rear region 51 of the second temple 11-2 is slid along the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1 toward the front 10 side, and the protrusion 60 of the first temple 11-1 is taken out from the recess 81 of the second temple 11-2. Next, the groove 80 of the second temple 11-2 is moved upward with respect to the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1 to remove the second temple 11-2 from the first temple 11-1. Thereby, the locking between the rear region 51 of the second temple 11-2 and the front region 50 of the first temple 11-1 is released.

[0034] According to this embodiment, in the hinge-less eyewear 1, the front region 50 of the temple 11 has a protrusion 60 protruding in the inner direction R1 of the temple 11, and the rear region 51 is recessed from the lower surface to the upper surface in the vertical direction Z of the temple 11. It has a groove 80 penetrating the temple 11 in the inner-outer direction R, and a recess 81 disposed on the outer surface of the temple 11, recessed in the inner direction R1 of the temple 11 and communicating with the front side (front side) of the groove 80. And, the pair of temples 11 has the groove 80 in the rear region 51 of one temple 11 fitted into a portion on the front 10 side of the protrusion 60 in the front region 50 of the other temple 11, and further slid along the front region 50 toward the protrusion 60 side, so that the protrusion 60 of the other temple 11 is configured to be accommodated in the recess 81 of one temple 11. Thereby, when the pair of temples 11 of the eyewear 1 are locked to each other and folded, it is possible to suppress that one temple 11 unintentionally comes off from the other temple 11, particularly when an external force acts upward on the locking portion and the locking is easily released and the temple folded state is released. Further, by accommodating the protrusion 60 in the recess 81, the temples 11 are locked to each other, so that this locking mechanism is simple and the appearance of the locked state is also simple. As a result, it is also possible to realize eyewear with a simple and natural shape and a sophisticated design in which the locking structure between the temples is not conspicuous.

[0035] The recess 81 has a top surface 100, a bottom surface 101, and a back surface 102, and an opening OP communicating with the groove 80 is formed between the top surface 100 and the bottom surface 101. Thereby, the movement of the protrusion 60 is restricted by the three surfaces of the recess 81, that is, the top surface 100, the bottom surface 101, and the back surface 102. In particular, the back surface 102 of the recess 81 of one temple 11 is pressed against the protrusion 60 of the other temple 11 by the restoring force of one temple 11 and comes into contact therewith, so that the locking is ensured and it is possible to further suppress unintentional detachment.

[0036] The recess 81 has a side surface 103 on the side opposite to the opening OP. Thereby, the movement of the protrusion 60 is restricted by the four surfaces of the recess 81, i.e., the top surface 100, the bottom surface 101, the back surface 102, and the side surface 103, and it is possible to further prevent one temple 11 from unintentionally coming off from the other temple 11.

[0037] The recess 81 is configured such that the protrusion 60 can move within the recess 81. Thereby, it is easy to accommodate the protrusion 60 in the recess 81. Also, since the protrusion 60 is allowed to move within the recess 81, in other words, there is play in the locked state, even if an external force is applied to the locked portion and it deforms slightly, it is possible to prevent the temples 11 from coming off from each other.

[0038] The protrusion 60 has a triangular prism shape having a triangular shape when viewed from above the temple 11. Thereby, when moving the recess 81 from the front 10 side to the protrusion 60 side, the protrusion 60 can be smoothly locked.

[0039] The protrusion 60 protrudes only in the inner direction R1 of the temple 11 and has a length in the vertical direction Z that is the same as or shorter than the length of the temple 11 in the vertical direction Z. Thereby, since the protrusion 60 does not project outside the temple 11 in the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 60 from hitting or getting caught on surrounding members during the operation or wearing of the eyewear 1. Also, since the protrusion 60 is less visible from the outside, the design property is improved as the hinge - less eyewear 1 has a simple and natural shape.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the recess 81 may be configured to fit with the protrusion 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 60 may have a spherical protrusion shape protruding in the vertical direction Z and the inner-outer direction R of the temple body 11a in the front region 50 of the temple 11 (11-2). The recess 81 may have a hemispherical recess shape that fits with the protrusion 60 of the other temple 11-2 in the rear region 51 of the temple 11 (11-1). The recess 81 and the protrusion 60 may have the same radius. The recess 81 may be formed so as to surround the groove portion 80 on the outer surface of the temple 11 (11-1). By pushing the recess 81 into the protrusion 60, the protrusion 60 and the recess 81 may fit together. In such a case, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 60 from coming off the recess 81.

[0041] The eyewear 1 is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment. The structures, shapes, sizes, etc. of the front 10 and the temples 11 are not limited to those of the above embodiment. The recess 81 and the protrusion 60 only need to be such that the protrusion 60 can be accommodated in the recess 81, and may have other shapes (for example, changed from the triangular prism shape to a quadrangular prism shape, etc.) and sizes.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 60 protruded only in the inner direction R1 of the temple 11, but it may protrude only in the outer direction R2. In this case, the recess 81 of the temple 11 may be adjacently arranged on the side opposite to the front (rear side) of the groove portion 80 in the temple 11. Further, the protrusion 60 may protrude in both the inner direction R1 and the outer direction R2 of the temple 11. The groove portion 80 was recessed from the lower surface to the upper surface of the temple 11, but it may be recessed from the upper surface to the lower surface of the temple 11. In this case, the groove portion 80 of one temple 11 may be fitted into the front region 50 of the other temple 11 from below, and then slid along the front region 50 toward the protrusion 60 side to accommodate the protrusion 60 in the recess 81. In this case, it is possible to prevent the locking from being easily released and the temple folded state from being released even when a downward external force acts on the locking portion.

[0043] The present disclosure may include, for example, the following configurations.

[0044] (Appendix 1) Eyewear comprising: a front; a pair of temples that are non-hingedly connected to the front without a hinge structure having a rotation axis and are flexible; each of the temples has a front region on the front side of the front and a rear region on the rear end side opposite to the front side; the front region has a protrusion protruding at least in either the inner direction or the outer direction of the temple; the rear region has a groove portion that is recessed from one surface in the vertical direction of the temple toward the other surface and penetrates the temple in the inner and outer directions; and a recess portion that is disposed on the outer surface of the temple, is recessed in the inner direction of the temple, and communicates with the groove portion; the pair of temples is configured such that the groove portion in the rear region of one of the temples is fitted into a portion on the front side of the protrusion in the front region of the other temple, and further slid along the front region toward the protrusion side, so that the protrusion of the other temple is received in the recess of the one temple.

[0045] (Appendix 2) The eyewear according to Appendix 1, wherein the recess has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a back surface, and an opening communicating with the groove portion is formed between the top surface and the bottom surface.

[0046] (Appendix 3) The eyewear according to Appendix 2, wherein the recess has a side surface on the opposite side of the opening.

[0047] (Appendix 4) The eyewear according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, wherein the recess is configured such that the protrusion can move within the recess.

[0048] (Appendix 5) The eyewear according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the concave portion is configured to fit with the protruding portion.

[0049] (Appendix 6) The eyewear according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the protruding portion has a triangular prism shape having a triangular shape in a top view of the temple.

[0050] (Appendix 7) The eyewear according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the protruding portion protrudes only in the inner direction of the temple and has a vertical length that is the same as or shorter than the vertical length of the temple.

[0051] In the above exemplary embodiments, the eyewear can be variously modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, within the scope of the ordinary creative ability of those skilled in the art, some components in one embodiment can be added to other embodiments. Also, some components in one embodiment can be replaced with corresponding components in other embodiments.

Industrial Applicability

[0052] The present invention can suppress the unintentional detachment of one temple from the other when the pair of temples of the hinge-less eyewear are locked and folded together, particularly when an external force in the upward or downward direction acts on the locking portion, which would otherwise easily cause the locking to disengage and the temple folded state to be released. Furthermore, it is useful for providing hinge-less eyewear with a simple and natural shape and a refined design in which the locking structure between the temples is not conspicuous.

Explanation of Signs

[0053] 1... Eyewear, 10... Front, 11... Temple, 20... Lens, 50... Front region, 51... Rear region, 60... Protruding portion, 80... Groove portion, 81... Concave portion

Claims

1. An eyewear, comprising: a front; a pair of temples that are connected to the front in a hinge-less manner without a hinge structure having a rotation axis and are flexible; each of the temples has a front region on the front side of the front and a rear region on the rear end side opposite to the front side; the front region has a protrusion protruding at least either inward or outward of the temple; the rear region: has a groove portion that is recessed from one surface in the vertical direction of the temple toward the other surface and penetrates the temple in the inner and outer directions; has a recess portion that is disposed on the outer surface of the temple, is recessed in the inner direction of the temple, and communicates with the groove portion; the pair of temples is configured such that the groove portion in the rear region of one temple is fitted into a portion on the front side of the protrusion in the front region of the other temple, and further slid along the front region toward the protrusion side, so that the protrusion of the other temple is accommodated in the recess of the one temple.

2. The eyewear according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a back surface, and an opening communicating with the groove portion is formed between the top surface and the bottom surface.

3. The eyewear according to claim 2, wherein the recess has a side surface on the opposite side of the opening.

4. The eyewear according to claim 1, wherein the recess is configured such that the protrusion can move within the recess.

5. The eyewear according to claim 1, wherein the recess is configured to fit with the protrusion.

6. The eyewear according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a triangular prism shape having a triangular shape in a top view of the temple.

7. The eyewear according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the protrusion protrudes only in the inner direction of the temple and has a vertical length that is the same as or shorter than the vertical length of the temple.

Images