Eyeglasses and eyeglass supports

Abstract

To provide spectacles which can be easily and quickly switched between a normal wearing position where the wearer sees through lenses and a lifted-up position where the wearer sees with the naked eye at a high position, and a support for the spectacles. [Solution] Eyeglasses that have a lens section and temples and are worn on the face, with a support pivoted freely around a support axis that uses a portion of at least one temple as a support axis, and when in the normal wearing position on the face, the support can be rotated to move closer to or farther away from the face, and when in a lift-up position that is higher than the normal wearing position, the support is held in the lift-up position by being clamped between the temples and the face.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to eyeglasses, and more particularly to eyeglasses that can be held in a lifted-up position higher than when worn on the face, and to a support for the eyeglasses. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional eyeglasses, with temples supported by a frame with a set of lenses and capable of being opened and closed, are widely used not only for vision correction in the narrow sense but also for sunglasses, magnifying glasses, protective gear, and other purposes, all of which are collectively referred to as eyeglasses in a broad sense. Regardless of the type of eyeglasses, there are many situations in daily life where people want to temporarily switch between a state where they can see with their eyes without lenses and a state where they can see with their lenses without having to take off their glasses. For example, with vision correction eyeglasses, people often want to temporarily see with their eyes without lenses (by temporarily removing them), regardless of symptoms such as presbyopia, myopia, or hyperopia. Furthermore, while sunglasses and other eyeglasses typically use lenses to reduce the amount of light entering the eyes, there are many everyday situations where people want to maintain a state where they can see with their eyes without lenses for a short period of time, such as when looking at a dark object or an LCD screen.

[0003] To meet this need for switching between different viewing angles, there are glasses with a structure called flip-up glasses. This is a structure in which a front frame with lenses is supported vertically and rotatably on a spectacle frame with temples, a bridge, and end pieces. Various improvements have been proposed for the flip-up glasses structure over the years. For example, in JP 2023-30235 A (Patent Document 1), in addition to the flip-up function, the glasses also have a front frame replacement function.

[0004] However, flip-up eyeglasses require a front frame and a pivoting mechanism in addition to the eyeglass frame, which naturally makes them heavier and more expensive than regular eyeglasses. Furthermore, when flip-up eyeglasses are used, the front frame is roughly horizontal, and gravity acts as a moment on it, making the eyeglasses feel heavy and reducing comfort. Furthermore, the pivoting mechanism and front frame remain in the field of view even when flipped up, which can be a nuisance.

[0005] In addition, as an eyeglass structure that allows the user to temporarily switch between wearing the naked eye and wearing lenses, a method has been proposed in which a mechanical adjustment mechanism on the nose pads is used as a lifting means to lift the entire eyeglasses up from the face, as in Patent No. 7013530 (Patent Document 2).

[0006] However, the operation is complicated and not suitable for daily use, and above all, the lifting means is large, which increases the weight and cost, i.e., the price, and problems such as visual field interference remain unresolved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-30235 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7013530 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide eyeglasses and eyeglass support bodies that can be switched in a short time using a simple mechanism between a normal wearing position where you see through the lenses and a lifted-up position where you see with the naked eye at a high position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the eyeglasses of the present invention are eyeglasses that have a lens portion and temples and are worn on the face, with a support pivoted so that it can rotate freely around a part of at least one temple as a support axis, and when in a normal wearing position on the face, the support can move towards or away from the face by rotating, and when in a lifted-up position that is higher than the normal wearing position, the support rotates to abut against the face and is held between the temples and the face, thereby being held in the lifted-up position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide eyeglasses and eyeglass support devices that can be switched in a short time using a simple mechanism between a normal wearing position where you see through the lenses and a lifted-up position where you are in a high, temporary naked-eye state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of eyeglasses according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a normal wearing state. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of eyeglasses according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a lifted-up state. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view of eyeglasses according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a normal state when worn on the face. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of eyeglasses according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a lifted-up state on the face. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a detailed view of a support of eyeglasses according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the function of the support of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, the state in which the eyeglasses are worn by engaging them with the ears and nose on the face and allowing vision from the eyeballs through the lens units is referred to as the normal wearing state, and the position in which the lens units are positioned higher than the eyeballs and vision from the eyeballs without passing through the lens units (the position in which the eyeglasses are lifted) is referred to as the naked eye viewing state. Furthermore, "higher" refers to a position vertically above the upper body in an upright position, or in other words, the upper position when wearing eyeglasses.

[0013] 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention and how the glasses are worn. Eyeglasses 1 have a frame 2 (also called a rim) as the main body, with a bridge 10 in the center and a first lens 5 and a second lens 6 on either side of bridge 10. A first temple 7 is supported on each end of frame 2 via hinge 11, and a second temple 8 is supported on each end of frame 2 via hinge 12, so that they can rotate (open and close) relative to frame 2. In this embodiment, hinges 11 and 12 are provided directly on frame 2, but a conventional opening and closing structure using end pieces and hinges may also be used.

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

[0015] An oval support 14 is rotatably supported on a support shaft 13 that is part of the second temple 8. Specifically, the support shaft 13 (second temple 8) passes through an insertion hole 15 that is bored biased toward one end (larger diameter side) of the support 14, so that the support 14 is rotatable relative to the support shaft 13 and can be stationary at any rotation index position. As will be described later, the support shaft 13 is stationary due to mutual friction or mutual meshing between the outer surface of the support shaft 13 and the insertion hole 15. In this embodiment, a certain region of the second temple 8 is the support shaft 13, but it is also possible to use a support shaft that is separate from the second temple and fixed to the second temple.

[0016] The support 14 will now be described. The support 14 has an oval shape (including similar shapes such as an egg shape, an ellipse shape, and a cam shape), and an insertion hole 15 is drilled through the support 14 at a position offset toward one end in the longitudinal direction of the oval shape (in the opposite direction from the center of gravity). This offset causes the support 14 to function as a cam when rotated, allowing the contact portion 16 to move significantly closer to or farther away from the face as the support 14 rotates. The support 14 in this embodiment has a constant thickness along the extension direction of the oval, but the thickness distribution may be set as desired.

[0017] The support body 14 is configured so that a relative frictional force is generated (sliding and rotating) between the insertion hole 15 and the support shaft 13 to such an extent that any rotational position (indexing position) can be maintained with respect to the support shaft 13. In the first embodiment, the ability to maintain the rotational position is ensured by tightly setting the fitting precision between the insertion hole 15 and the support shaft 13 and increasing μ by setting the inner surface roughness of the insertion hole 15 to be high (coarse). In addition, well-known friction-increasing means such as minute irregularities or friction material coating can be applied to the inner surface of the insertion hole 15 or the outer surface of the support shaft 13, and if an even stronger rotational restraining force is desired, it is also possible to set an intermeshing shape such as a gear shape or an irregular shape, as will be described later.

[0018] A contact portion 16 is provided on the outer periphery of the other end of the support 14 (the end opposite the insertion hole 15). Because the contact portion 16 is the portion that comes into contact with the face, it is preferable that the contact portion 16 be made of a material that is soft, easily deformable, and has a high coefficient of friction so that it does not adversely affect the face or cause discomfort upon contact. For example, an elastomer such as silicone rubber, urethane resin, or foam may be appropriately selected.

[0019] It is conceivable that the contact portion 16 is formed by incorporating a separate flexible member into a certain region of the support body 14 by fitting or gluing, but in this embodiment, the entire support body 14 is integrally formed from the same flexible material as the contact portion 16 (e.g., silicone rubber), and therefore, embedding (embedding, etc.) is omitted. In other words, the contact portion 16 is a partial region of the support body 14, and it can be said that the support body 14 is constituted by the contact portion 16. Whether the support body 14 and the contact portion 16 are integrated using the same material or are separate using different materials can be selected appropriately depending on the conditions. Furthermore, the contact portion 16 may be made detachable from the support body 14 so that it can be replaced with a contact portion of a desired material or color.

[0020] Although the support 14 is a component of the eyeglasses 1, it can be attached to various types of eyeglasses without requiring any special work on the temples. In other words, the support 14 can be distributed as a standalone product, and eyeglasses 1 with the support 14 attached can also be distributed as a product.

[0021] (Normal mounting position) 1 and 3 show the normal wearing position of eyeglasses 1 on face 20. The face 20 is in an upright position with the upper body, assuming the posture typically used when wearing eyeglasses, i.e., standing, sitting, or walking. The nose pads 4 of bridge 10 rest on nose 23, ear hooks 9 and 10 engage with ears 22 on both sides, and the first lens 5 and second lens 6 are positioned in front of both eyes 21, representing the normal wearing position of eyeglasses. Note that in FIGS. 3 and 4, the nose pads 4 are omitted for the purpose of simplifying the illustration.

[0022] In the normal wearing position, the abutment portion 16 of the support 14 faces upward, with the majority of it positioned above the second temple 8. In other words, the support 14 is fixed at a constant index angle relative to the support shaft 13 of the second temple 8. The abutment portion 16 is in a state where it is either away from the face 20 or in light contact with it, and the weight of the eyeglasses 1 is supported only by the nose pads 4 and the ear hooks 9 and 10. The normal wearing position is a state where vision through the lenses is required and where the eyeglasses can perform their original function. However, when it is desired to temporarily change this state, i.e., when naked-eye vision is desired rather than through the lenses, the following lifted-up state can be easily selected and maintained.

[0023] (Listing position) 2 and 4 show the spectacles 1 in a lifted-up state, where they are held above the eyes 21 (in front of the forehead). The ear hooks 9 and 10 are attached to both ears 22, while the nose pads 4 are positioned above the nose 23, and the first lens 5 and second lens 6 are positioned above the eyes 21, creating a state where the spectacles are not functioning as they should, and are viewed with the naked eye.

[0024] In the lifted-up position, the abutment portion 16 of the support 14 faces downward, and the majority of the support 14 is located below the second temple 8. The support 14 remains stationary while maintaining such an index angle relative to the support shaft 13 of the second temple 8, and the abutment portion 16 abuts against the face 20. The support 14 is sandwiched between the face 20 and the support shaft 13, thereby sharing the weight of the eyeglasses 1 and preventing processing of the eyeglasses 1 to maintain the eyeglasses 1 in the lifted-up 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 shaft 14 and the face 20 in this state will be explained using Figure 6. The weight of the eyeglasses 1 borne by the support shaft 13 acts as a downward force α on the support shaft 13. Meanwhile, the support shaft 14 abuts against the face at contact point 24 of the abutment portion 16, and an upward frictional force β causes the support shaft 14 to receive a rotational force γ, tending 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 shaft 14 is prevented from rotating even by the rotational force γ. Therefore, downward movement of the support shaft 13 due to gravity can be prevented by the support shaft 14 being sandwiched between the support shaft 13 and the face 20, and the eyeglasses 1 are maintained in the lifted-up position.

[0026] To move from the normal wearing position to the lifted-up position, the eyeglasses 1 are lifted upward with one hand (the right hand in the first embodiment) and held in the lifted-up position, and in that state, the support 14 is rotated (indexed) with the other hand (the left hand in the first embodiment) to orient the contact portion 16 downward and bring it into contact with the temples of the face 20. After that, when the right hand that was supporting the eyeglasses 1 is released, the support 14 is clamped between the second temple 8 and the face 20. In other words, the eyeglasses 1 are supported by the support 14 and both temples 7 and 8, and are maintained in the lifted-up position. This allows for naked-eye visibility without the first and second lenses to be maintained. Of course, the eyeglasses 1 may be lifted and the support 14 rotated simultaneously with the left hand alone.

[0027] Thus, according to the present invention, the normal use position and the lifted-up position can be selected and set by the simple action of rotating the support 14, and a stable lifted-up position can be maintained even in situations where acceleration is applied to the eyeglasses 1, such as when walking. Also, by attaching the support 14 to the temples of various eyeglasses, eyeglasses can be made that can be selected and maintained between the normal use position and the lifted-up position.

[0028] (Second embodiment) Using Figure 5, eyeglasses 30 and a support 33 according to a 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 similarly, the support shaft 32 of the second temple 31 is inserted into and pivoted through an insertion hole 37. The support 33 incorporates an abutment portion 35 that is separate from the main body portion 34. The support 33 also has a slit 36 ​​as a detachment means, and an insertion hole 37 with concave and convex portions provided on the inner surface as a friction means. Furthermore, the surface of the support 33 has concave and convex portions extending in the axial direction.

[0029] An abutment portion 35 is incorporated into the end of the main body portion 34 of the support body 33 opposite the side where the insertion hole 37 is displaced. For assembly (attachment), a mating structure (not shown) is provided on the mating surfaces of the main body portion 34 and the abutment portion 35, allowing for detachable fixation. In addition to the mating structure, any other method may be used, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, double-sided adhesive tape, or adhesive fixation. Separating the main body portion 34 and the abutment portion 35 in this manner allows the main body portion 34 to be made of hard plastic and the abutment portion to be made of a flexible, high-friction silicone material. Furthermore, making the abutment portion 35 detachable allows various functional components to be housed inside the main body portion 34. For example, lighting devices, communication devices, microphones, speakers, their batteries, and control chips may be used.

[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 and back surfaces 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 and from the support shaft 32. In other words, when attaching 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 appropriate position is eliminated. After the support 33 has been attached to the support shaft 32 (in normal conditions), it is preferable to set the cut surfaces of the slits 36 to abut against each other.

[0031] Axially extending ridges that form minute irregularities are formed around the entire periphery of the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 37. Axially extending grooves are intermittently engraved around the entire periphery of the outer surface of the support shaft 32. That is, in this embodiment, the engraved area of ​​the grooves is the support shaft 32. Specifically, the grooves are serration-like grooves, but conversely, protrusions that protrude from the surface of the support shaft 32 may extend circumferentially, as long as they relatively engage with the irregularities of the insertion hole 37 and generate frictional force.

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

[0033] (Other embodiments) Although not shown, supports may be attached to both temples. By having the supports contact the face from both sides, the lateral movement force of the eyeglasses caused by the supports contacting the face is cancelled out, further ensuring that the eyeglasses are maintained in the lifted-up position. Alternatively, by attaching a support to one temple and a non-rotating stopper member to the other temple, the lateral movement force of the eyeglasses caused by the supports contacting the face can be cancelled out.

[0034] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and even if there are modifications in the scope that deviate from the spirit of the present invention, they are still included in 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 Insertion holes 18, 35 Contact part 36 Slit

Claims

1. Spectacles that have lenses and temples and are worn on the face, A part of at least one of the temples serves as a support shaft, and a support body is pivotally supported on the support shaft so as to be freely rotatable; When the support is in a normal wearing position on the face, the support can be moved toward or away from the face by the rotation, At a lift-up position higher than the normal wearing position, the support member abuts against the face due to the rotation and is sandwiched between the temple and the face, so that the support member can be held at the lift-up position. Glasses characterized by:

2. The support has an oval shape, The support shaft passes through an insertion hole drilled biased toward one end of the oval shape, a contact portion having elasticity is provided on at least the other end side of the oval shape, The contact portion contacts the face at the lift-up position.

2. The eyeglasses according to claim 1.

3. The indexed position of the support body during the rotation is maintained by a friction means or a meshing means provided on the inner surface of the insertion hole.

3. The eyeglasses according to claim 2.

4. A support for eyeglasses that is pivotally supported on a support shaft that is a part of the temple of the eyeglasses and that holds the eyeglasses in a lifted-up position, The support body has an oval shape and has an insertion hole at a position offset toward one end thereof through which the support shaft passes, and has an elastic contact portion at least toward the other end thereof, The inner surface of the insertion hole is provided with friction means or meshing means for engaging with the support shaft. A support for eyeglasses.

5. A slit is provided that communicates with the insertion hole and the outer circumferential edge.

5. The support for eyeglasses according to claim 4.

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