Eyeglasses and eyeglass supports

Abstract

The objective is to provide eyeglasses and a support structure for eyeglasses that allow for easy and quick switching between a normal wearing position where the eyes are viewed through the lenses and a lift-up position where the eyes are viewed with the naked eye at a higher position. [Solution] A pair of glasses equipped with lenses and temples that are worn on the face, wherein a support is pivotally supported on a support axis that is part of at least one of the temples, and in the normal wearing position on the face the support can move closer to and further away from the face by rotation, and in a lifted position higher than the normal wearing position the support is held in the lifted position by being sandwiched between the temples and the face.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to glasses, and particularly to glasses that can be held at a lift-up position higher than the state of being worn on the face, and to supports for glasses.

Background Art

[0002] Ordinary glasses in which temples are supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to a frame having a pair of lenses are not limited to glasses for vision correction in the narrow sense, but are also widely used in various types such as sunglasses, loupes, and protective gear, and these are collectively referred to as glasses in a broad sense. In any type of these glasses, there are many situations in daily life where it is desired to temporarily switch between the state of being bare-eyed and the state through the lenses without having to deliberately take off the glasses. For example, in glasses for vision correction, not limited to symptoms such as presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia, there are many cases where it is desired to temporarily obtain a state of seeing without passing through the lenses (slightly taking them off). Also, in sunglasses and the like, although the amount of incident light is usually reduced by the lenses, it is common in daily life to want to keep the bare-eyed state only for a short time while looking at a dark target area or a liquid crystal screen.

[0003] In response to such switching needs, there are glasses with a structure called flip-up glasses. This is a structure in which a front frame having lenses is supported so as to be vertically rotatable on a glasses frame having temples, a bridge portion, and a nose portion. Various improvement proposals have been made for the structure of flip-up glasses since old times. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-30235 (Patent Document 1), in addition to the flip-up function, an exchange function of the front frame is also provided.

[0004] However, in flip-up glasses, in addition to the glasses frame, a front frame and a rotation mechanism are required, so naturally the weight and cost increase compared to ordinary glasses. Also, when flipping up, the front frame becomes substantially horizontal, so gravity acts as a moment on it, and the glasses feel heavier and comfort is impaired. Furthermore, even when flipping up, the rotation mechanism and the front frame remain in the visual field and give an obstructive feeling.

[0005] In addition, as a spectacle structure that allows for temporary switching between bare eyes and lens use, a method has been proposed, such as in Patent No. 7013530 (Patent Document 2), which uses a mechanical adjustment mechanism provided on the nose pad as a lifting means to lift the entire spectacle away from the face.

[0006] However, its operation is complicated and unsuitable for everyday use, and above all, the lifting method is cumbersome, resulting in increased weight and cost, and thus a high price. Furthermore, issues such as field of view interference remain unresolved. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-133677 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7013530 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses and a support for eyeglasses that can be switched in a short time using a simple mechanism between a normal wearing position where the view is seen through the lens and a lift-up position where the view is in a high position for naked-eye viewing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the aforementioned problems, the eyeglasses according to the present invention are eyeglasses that are worn on the face and include a lens part and temples, wherein a support body is pivotally supported on a support axis with a part of at least one temple as a support axis, and in the normal wearing position on the face the support body can move closer to and further away from the face by rotation, and in a lift-up position higher than the normal wearing position the support body can rotate to come into contact with the face and be held in the lift-up position by being sandwiched between the temples and the face. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide eyeglasses and an eyeglass support device that allow switching between a normal wearing position where the eyes are viewed through the lenses and a lift-up position where the eyes are temporarily in a high position and in a state of naked-eye vision, using a simple mechanism and in a short amount of time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the eyeglasses according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a normally worn state. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the eyeglasses according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in a lifted state. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the eyeglasses according to the first embodiment of the present invention in their normal wearing position on the face. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the eyeglasses according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in a lifted state on the face. [Figure 5] This is a detailed view of the support for eyeglasses according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the support of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures. In the following, the normal wearing state is defined as the state in which the glasses are fastened to the ears and nose on the face and can be seen through the lens portion by the eyeballs. The lifted state is defined as the position in the naked-eye state (the position in which the glasses are lifted up) in which the lens portion is positioned above the eyeballs and can be seen without passing through the lens portion by the eyeballs. Furthermore, "above" means the vertically upward position in an upright position of the upper body, or in other words, the upper position when wearing glasses.

[0013] Figures 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention and its mounting state. The eyeglasses 1 have a frame 2 (also called a rim) as the main body, and the frame 2 has a bridge 10 in the center, with a first lens 5 and a second lens 6 on both sides of the bridge 10. At both ends of the frame 2, a first temple 7 is supported via a hinge portion 11, and a second temple 8 is supported via a hinge portion 12, so as to be able to rotate (open and close) relative to the frame 2. In this embodiment, the hinge portions 11 and 12 are directly provided on the frame 2, but an opening and closing structure via the endpiece and hinge, which is commonly used in the past, may also be used.

[0014] An ear hook 9 (also called a modern) is attached to the other end surface of the first temple 7, and an ear hook 10 is attached to the other end surface of the second temple 8. Nose pads 4 are provided on the frame 2 on both sides of the bridge 10. Note that the ear hooks 9 and 10 and the nose pads 4 are not essential and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0015] An oval-shaped support 14 is pivotally supported on a support shaft 13, which is part of the second temple 8. Specifically, the support shaft 13 (second temple 8) passes through an insertion hole 15 drilled off-center towards one end (larger diameter side) of the support 14, allowing the support 14 to rotate relative to the support shaft 13 and to be stationary at any rotational indexing position. The stationary position will be described later, but it is due to mutual friction or engagement between the outer surface of the support shaft 13 and the insertion hole 15. In this embodiment, a certain area of ​​the second temple 8 is used as the support shaft 13, but a separate support shaft may be used and fixed to the second temple.

[0016] The support 14 will now be described. The support 14 is oval-shaped (including similar shapes such as egg-shaped, elliptical, and cam-shaped), and an insertion hole 15 is drilled through it at a position offset towards one end in the longitudinal direction of the oval shape (in the opposite direction to the center of gravity). Due to this offset, the support 14 becomes cam-shaped when rotated, and the contact portion 16 can move significantly closer to and further away from the face as it rotates. In this embodiment, the support 14 has a constant thickness along the extending direction of the oval, but the thickness distribution can be set arbitrarily.

[0017] And the support 14 is configured such that a relative frictional force is generated (so as to slide and rotate) between the insertion hole 15 and the support shaft 13 to such an extent that an arbitrary rotation position (indexing position) can be maintained with respect to the support shaft 13. In the first embodiment, by setting the fitting accuracy between the insertion hole 15 and the support shaft 13 to be tight and increasing the surface roughness of the inner surface of the insertion hole 15 (coarse), and increasing μ, it is ensured that the rotation position can be maintained. In addition, well-known friction increasing means such as minute irregularities or friction material coating are provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole 15 or the outer surface of the support shaft 13. Further, if a stronger rotational restraint force is desired, as will be described later, it is also possible to set an intermeshing shape such as a gear shape or irregularities.

[0018] An abutting portion 16 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the other end side of the support 14 (the end portion on the opposite side across the insertion hole 15). Since the abutting portion 16 is a portion that contacts the face, it is preferably a member that is soft, easily deformable, and has a high coefficient of friction so as not to cause an adverse effect on the face and not to give discomfort upon contact. For example, a silicone rubber material, a urethane resin material, or a foamed material as an elastomer may be appropriately selected.

[0019] Although it is conceivable to incorporate a flexible separate member into a certain region of the support 14 by fitting or adhesion, etc., in the present embodiment, since the entire support 14 is integrally formed of the same flexible material (for example, a silicone rubber material) as the abutting portion 16, the incorporation (embedding, etc.) is omitted. That is, the abutting portion 16 is a partial region of the support 14, and it can be said that the support 14 is constituted by the abutting portion 16. Whether to integrate the support 14 and the abutting portion 16 with the same material or separate them with different materials may be appropriately selected according to the conditions. Also, the abutting portion 16 may be detachable from the support 14 so that it can be replaced with a contact portion of a preferred material and color.

[0020] Note that although the support 14 is a component of the glasses 1, no special machining is required on the temple side, and it can be attached to various glasses. That is, the support 14 can be distributed as a single product, or the glasses 1 with the support 14 set can also be distributed as a product.

[0021] (Normal wearing position) Figs. 1 and 3 show the normal wearing position of the glasses 1 on the face 20. The face 20 is in a standing position of the upper body, assuming a posture of generally using glasses. That is, it is a state of standing, sitting, or walking. The nose rest 4 of the bridge 10 is placed on the nose 23, the ear hooks 9 and 10 are locked to the ears 22 on both sides, and the first lens 5 and the second lens 6 are positioned in front of both eyes 21, which is the normal state of using glasses (normal wearing position). In Figs. 3 and 4, for the purpose of simplifying the drawings for explanation, the illustration of the nose rest 4 is omitted.

[0022] In the normal wearing position, the contact portion 16 of the support 14 points upward, and most of it is located above the upper part of the second temple 8. In other words, the support 14 is fixed with a certain offset angle with respect to the support shaft 13 of the second temple 8. The contact portion 16 is either separated from the face 20 or in a state of lightly contacting it, and the weight of the glasses 1 is supported only by the nose rest 4 and the ear hooks 9 and 10. The normal wearing position is a state where visual recognition through the lens is required and the original function of the glasses can be exerted. However, when temporarily wanting to get out of that state, that is, when seeking naked-eye vision instead of visual recognition through the lens, the following lift-up state can be easily selected and maintained.

[0023] (Lift-up position) Figs. 2 and 4 show the lift-up state in which the glasses 1 are held above the eyes 21 (in front of the forehead). The ear hooks 9 and 10 are locked to both ears 22 while the nose rest 4 is located above the nose 23, and the first lens 5 and the second lens 6 are located above the eyes 21, which is a state of naked-eye vision where the original function of the glasses is not exerted.

[0024] In the lifted position, the contact portion 16 of the support 14 is directed downward, and the majority of the support 14 is located below the second temple 8. The support 14 is held in place at such an indexing angle with respect to the support shaft 13 of the second temple 8, and the contact portion 16 is in contact with the face 20. The support 14 is held between the face 20 and the support shaft 13, thereby sharing the load of the eyeglasses 1 and preventing the eyeglasses 1 from shifting, thus maintaining it in the lifted position. In other words, the weight of the eyeglasses 1 is supported by the support 14 and the ear hooks 9 and 10.

[0025] The relationship between the support 14 and the face 20 in this state will be explained using Figure 6. The portion of the weight of the glasses 1 borne by the support shaft 13 acts on the support shaft 13 as a downward force α. On the other hand, the support 14 contacts the face at the contact point 24 of the contact portion 16, and the support 14 receives a rotational force γ due to the upward frictional force β, causing it to rotate counterclockwise in the figure. The relative frictional force between the insertion hole 15 and the support shaft 13 is set so that a static frictional force sufficient to resist this rotational force γ is generated. In other words, the support 14 is prevented from rotating even by the rotational force γ. Therefore, the support 14 is held between the support shaft 13 and the face 20, preventing the support shaft 13 from moving downward due to gravity, and the glasses 1 are maintained in the lifted position.

[0026] To transition from the normal wearing position to the lifted position, the glasses 1 are lifted upward with one hand (the right hand in the first embodiment) and held in the lifted position. While in this position, the support 14 is rotated (indexed) with the other hand (the left hand in the first embodiment) to direct the contact portion 16 downward and bring it into contact with the temple area of ​​the face 20. After that, the right hand that was supporting the glasses 1 is released, and the support 14 is held between the second temple 8 and the face 20. In other words, the glasses 1 are supported by the support 14 and both temples 7 and 8, maintaining the lifted position. This allows for maintaining the naked-eye view without the first and second lenses. Of course, the lifting motion of the glasses 1 and the rotation motion of the support 14 can also be performed using only the left hand.

[0027] Thus, according to the present invention, the normal usage position and the lifted position can be selected and set by the simple operation of rotating the support 14, and a stable lifted position can be maintained even when acceleration is applied to the glasses 1, such as when walking. Furthermore, by attaching the support 14 to the temples of various glasses, it is possible to create glasses that can select and maintain between the normal usage position and the lifted position.

[0028] (Second Embodiment) Using Figure 5, the eyeglasses 30 and support 33 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The support 33 has the same external shape as the support 14 of the first embodiment, and the support shaft 32 of the second temple 31 is inserted through the insertion hole 37 and pivotally supported in the same manner. The support 33 incorporates a contact portion 35 that is separate from the main body portion 34. The support 33 also has a slit 36 ​​as a means of attachment and detachment, and an insertion hole 37 with convex and concave surfaces on its inner surface as a means of friction. Furthermore, the support 33 has convex and concave surfaces extending in the axial direction on its surface.

[0029] A contact portion 35 is incorporated into the end of the support 33 opposite to the side where the insertion hole 37 is displaced. For assembly (attachment), a fitting structure (not shown) is provided on the joint surface between the main body 34 and the contact portion 35, and the two are fixed in a detachable manner. In addition to the fitting structure, fixing by hook and loop fasteners, double-sided adhesive tape, or adhesive bonding can be arbitrarily selected. By separating the main body 34 and the contact portion 35 in this way, it is possible to make the main body 34 out of hard plastic and the contact portion out of a flexible, high-friction silicone material or the like. Furthermore, by making the contact portion 35 detachable, it is possible to house various functional components inside the main body 34. For example, lighting devices, communication devices, microphones and speakers, their batteries and control chips, etc.

[0030] A slit 36 ​​is formed connecting the outer edge (side surface) of the support 33 and the insertion hole 37. The slit 36 ​​is a cut that extends from the front surface and back surface of the support 33 to the insertion hole 37 and the outer edge (side surface), and the support shaft 32 passes through the slit 36, making it easy to attach and detach the support 33 to the support shaft 32. In other words, when you want to attach the support 33 to the support shaft 32, the difficulty of inserting the rear end of the second temple 31 into the insertion hole 37 and moving the support 33 to the correct position is eliminated. After the support 33 is attached to the support shaft 32 (normal operation), it is preferable to set the cut surfaces of the slit 36 ​​to be in contact with each other.

[0031] The inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 37 has axially extending protrusions that form minute irregularities, extending along its entire circumference. The outer surface of the support shaft 32 has grooves that extend axially intermittently engraved along its entire circumference. In other words, in this embodiment, the grooved area is the support shaft 32. Specifically, the grooves are serrated grooves, but conversely, protrusions extending circumferentially from the surface of the support shaft 32 may also be made, which can relatively engage with the irregularities of the insertion hole 37 and generate frictional force.

[0032] The protrusions and recesses of the insertion hole 37 engage or mesh with the grooves of the support shaft 32, functioning as a friction means to resist the rotation of the support body 33 relative to the support shaft 32. Therefore, the rotation (indexing) position of the support body 33 can be firmly maintained in the normal mounting position and the lift-up position, so that the normal mounting position and the lift-up position can be firmly maintained even when vertical acceleration acts on the eyeglasses 30. In the second embodiment, a friction means using protrusions and recesses and grooves was exemplified as the friction means, but the friction means is not limited to this, and the friction means may be provided on only one side, either the insertion hole side or the support shaft side. Furthermore, a mechanism that allows the diameter of the insertion hole to be variably set may be added so that the strength of the friction can be arbitrarily changed.

[0033] (Other embodiments) Although not shown in the diagram, support members may be attached to both temples. By having the support members come into contact with the face from both sides, the lateral movement force of the glasses caused by the support members coming into contact with the face is mutually canceled out, and the posture of the glasses in the lifted position is further ensured. Alternatively, by attaching a support member to one temple and a non-rotating stopper member to the other temple, the lateral movement force of the glasses caused by the support members coming into contact with the face may be canceled out.

[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any changes in scope that deviate from the spirit of the present invention are still included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1, 30 glasses 2 frames 3 Bridge 4. Nose pads 5. First lens 6. Second lens 7. First Temple 8, 31 Second Temple 13, 32 Support shaft 14, 33 Support 11, 37 Through holes 18, 35 Contact part 36 slits

Claims

1. Eyeglasses that have lenses and temples and are worn on the face, At least one part of the temple serves as a support axis, and the support body is pivotally attached to the support axis so as to be rotatable. In the normal mounting position on the face, the support can move closer to and further away from the face by the rotation, At a lift-up position higher than the normal wearing position, the support can be held in the lift-up position by contacting the face due to the rotation and being sandwiched between the temple and the face. Eyeglasses characterized by the following features.

2. The support is oval-shaped, The support shaft passes through the insertion hole, which is drilled off-center on one end of the oval shape. An elastic contact portion is provided on at least the other end of the aforementioned oval shape, At the lifted position, the contact portion comes into contact with the face. Eyeglasses as described in feature 1.

3. The indexed position of the support during rotation is maintained by friction means or engagement means provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole. Eyeglasses according to claim 1 and claim 2.

4. A support for eyeglasses, which is pivotally supported on a support shaft that is part of the temple of the eyeglasses, and which holds the eyeglasses in a lifted position, The support is oval in shape and has an insertion hole through which a support shaft passes, positioned off-center to one end, and has an elastic contact portion at least on the other end. The inner surface of the insertion hole is provided with friction means or engagement means for contacting the support shaft. A support for eyeglasses characterized by the following features.

5. A slit is provided that communicates with the insertion hole and the outer edge. The support for eyeglasses according to feature 5.

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