Eyewear
The eyewear design stabilizes circular lenses with electrical elements by employing an anti-rotation member and conductive member configuration to prevent rotation and ensure functional integrity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CARL ZEISS VISION INTERNATIONAL GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
Conventional eyewear with substantially circular lenses incorporating electrical elements face issues with lens rotation relative to the frame, which compromises the functionality and appearance when subjected to circumferential forces.
The eyewear design incorporates a substantially circular lens with an electrical element positioned at one end of an electrode, a conductive member, a frame supporting the lens and temples, and an anti-rotation member within a through-hole in the frame to prevent lens rotation, ensuring stable positioning and electrical connectivity.
The design effectively prevents lens rotation and maintains electrical element functionality by using an anti-rotation member and conductive member placement to secure the lens in position, enhancing usability and appearance.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to eyewear.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, eyewear equipped with lenses incorporating various electrical elements has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses eyewear equipped with a lens incorporating a liquid crystal device, which is one of the electrical elements.
[0003] In addition, some of the eyewear has lenses with a circular shape.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] When the lens is substantially circular, if a circumferential force is applied to the lens by wiping it with a cloth or the like, the lens may rotate with respect to the frame. On the other hand, when an electrical element is incorporated in the lens, it is necessary to position the lens with respect to the frame. Therefore, a substantially circular lens that may rotate has conventionally not been usable as a lens incorporating an electrical element.
[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide eyewear including a substantially circular lens incorporating an electrical element.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] One embodiment of eyewear according to the present disclosure comprises a substantially circular lens incorporating an electrical element, with one end of the electrode of the electrical element positioned at the edge; a conductive member electrically connected to the electrode; a frame having a front supporting the lens and the conductive member, and a pair of temples connected to the front; and an anti-rotation member positioned inside a through-hole formed in the front, with its tip in contact with the lens. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to this disclosure, eyewear can be provided that has a substantially circular lens into which an electrical element is incorporated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] A front view of eyewear according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Enlarged longitudinal section of part II in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Partially enlarged longitudinal section view of eyewear according to the second embodiment of this disclosure [Figure 4] A variation of a notch [Figure 5] Another variation of the notch [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] The eyewear according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are merely illustrative and do not preclude the application of various modifications and technologies not explicitly shown in the embodiments below.
[0011] In this specification, the front, back, left, right, up, and down directions of eyewear are defined as follows: When eyewear is worn and the user wearing the eyewear is in a standing position, the direction the user is facing is the front direction, the opposite direction is the back direction, the direction of the user's right hand is the right direction, and the direction of the user's left hand is the left direction. Also, the direction above the user's head is the up direction, and the opposite direction is the down direction. Furthermore, in this specification, "approximately circular" includes not only perfect circles but also ellipses with a small difference between the major and minor axes, and other shapes that can be considered substantially circular.
[0012] In addition, in all the drawings used to explain the embodiments, identical elements are generally denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted.
[0013] (First Embodiment) The entire eyewear 1 of the first embodiment, which is one aspect of this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a front view of the eyewear 1 of the first embodiment.
[0014] The eyewear 1 comprises a pair of lenses 20. Each lens 20 incorporates an electrical element 21. The electrical element 21 is a liquid crystal lens. A pair of electrodes 22 are connected to the electrical element 21. Each electrode 22 is a transparent electrode made of, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO). One end of each electrode 22 is positioned at the edge of the lens 20. The pair of lenses 20 are supported by a frame 30.
[0015] The frame 30 comprises a front 31 and a pair of temples 32.
[0016] The front 31 comprises a pair of rims 33 each supporting a pair of lenses 20 arranged side by side, a bridge 34 connecting the pair of rims 33 to each other, and a pair of endpieces 35 positioned at both ends of the front 31. Temples 32 are connected to the endpieces 35 via hinges. The temples 32 are rotatable relative to the front 31 via hinges.
[0017] The front 31 has a thickness-changing portion 36 below the armor 35. The thickness-changing portion 36 is located at the connection portion between the rim 33 and the armor 35, in other words, at the base end portion of the armor 35 protruding from the rim 33. The thickness-changing portion 36 may be a part of the rim 33 or a part of the armor 35. The thickness-changing portion 36 has a shape in which the distance from the lens increases as it approaches the portion where the front 31 and the temple 32 are connected. That is, the thickness-changing portion 36 has a shape that is thicker toward the upper side when viewed from the front.
[0018] Inside the frame 30, specifically, inside the right temple 32, the right armor 35, the pair of rims 33, and the bridge 34, a conductive member 40 is disposed. The conductive member 40 functions as a supply path for power and signals between the control board disposed inside the right temple 32 and the pair of electrical elements 21. The conductive member 40 is, for example, a flexible board or a flexible flat cable. The conductive member 40 is electrically connected to one end of the electrode 22 directly or via a cushion member having conductivity. Incidentally, the control board may be disposed inside the left temple 32. In this case, the conductive member 40 is disposed inside the left temple 32, the left armor 35, the pair of rims 33, and the bridge 34.
[0019] Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the II portion of Figure 1. In Figure 2, although the lens 20 and the rim 33 are depicted as not being in contact with each other, in a cross-section different from the cross-section shown in Figure 2, the lens 20 and the rim 33 are in contact with each other. The lens 20 and the rim 33 are in contact with each other over the entire edge of the lens 20.
[0020] In the front 31, specifically, in the thickness-changing portion 36, a through-hole 37 is formed. The through-hole 37 extends in the direction toward the center of the lens 20. That is, the extending direction of the through-hole 37 is orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface of the lens 20. A female screw is formed on the inner surface of the through-hole 37.
[0021] The anti-rotation member 50 is inserted into the through-hole 37. The anti-rotation member 50 is a male screw. A frictional force large enough to keep the anti-rotation member 50 stationary in the through-hole 37 acts between the anti-rotation member 50 and the through-hole 37. Also, in a state where this frictional force acts, the tip of the anti-rotation member 50 presses the outer peripheral surface of the lens 20. That is, the tip of the anti-rotation member 50 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lens 20. Therefore, on the side opposite to the position pressed by the anti-rotation member 50 across the center of the lens 20, the rim 33 presses the lens 20.
[0022] Therefore, even if the user of the eyewear 1 applies a force to the lens 20 to rotate the lens 20 within the rim 33, or wipes the lens 20 with, for example, a cloth, a frictional force in a direction that prevents the rotation of the lens 20 occurs between the anti-rotation member 50 and the rim 33 and the lens 20. Therefore, the rotation of the lens 20 can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the position of the electric element 21 within the rim 33 from shifting, which would prevent the user from fully utilizing the function of the electric element 21 or cause the eyewear 1 to exhibit an unnatural appearance.
[0023] Also, in the eyewear 1 according to the present embodiment, the conductive member 40 is disposed in a region located above the lens 20 of the front 31. Also, the anti-rotation member 50 is disposed in the thickness change portion 36 located below the armor 35. That is, the conductive member 40 and the anti-rotation member 50 are disposed at positions that do not overlap each other when viewed from the center of the lens 20. In other words, the conductive member 40 is disposed above the portion where the front 31 and the temple 32 are connected, and the anti-rotation member 50 is disposed below the portion where the front 31 and the temple 32 are connected.
[0024] Therefore, the anti-rotation member 50 can prevent the rotation of the lens 20 while preventing the supply of power and control signals to the electric element 21 by the conductive member 40 by contacting the conductive member 40 or sandwiching the conductive member 40 between itself and the lens 20.
[0025] Furthermore, by positioning the anti-rotation member 50 in the thickness-changing portion 36 located on the lower side of the armor plate 35, the anti-rotation member 50 can be made less visible while facilitating the operation of inserting it into the through hole 37 (by turning a screw).
[0026] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of eyewear 1 according to one aspect of this disclosure will be described. The second embodiment of eyewear 1 differs from the first embodiment of eyewear 1 only in the structure around the anti-rotation member 50, that is, in part II of Figure 1. Therefore, the second embodiment of eyewear 1 will be described with reference to Figure 3, which is a partially enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of another aspect of part II of Figure 1. Matters common to the first embodiment will be omitted from the description.
[0027] A notch 23 is formed on the edge of the lens 20. The notch 23 has a pair of parallel side surfaces 24 and a bottom surface 25 connecting the pair of side surfaces 24. The lens 20 is positioned such that the notch 23 is located between the center of the lens 20 and the through hole 37.
[0028] The tip of the anti-rotation member 50, which is inserted into the through hole 37, is positioned within the notch 23.
[0029] Therefore, even if the user of eyewear 1 applies a force to the lens 20 that would cause it to rotate within the rim 33, or even if they wipe the lens 20 with a cloth, for example, one of the pair of side surfaces 24 will come into contact with the anti-rotation member 50, preventing the lens 20 from rotating.
[0030] Furthermore, the pair of side surfaces 24 may be formed parallel to the extending direction of the through-hole 37 when the notch 23 is located between the center of the lens 20 and the through-hole 37. By forming the pair of side surfaces 24 in this way, when one side surface 24 comes into contact with the anti-rotation member 50, this side surface 24 can make contact with the anti-rotation member 50 over a wide area (surface contact, line contact, or point contact at multiple points). In other words, rotation of the lens 20 can be prevented more reliably.
[0031] Furthermore, the dimension x of the notch 23 along the circumferential direction of the lens 20 may be larger than the dimension y of the anti-rotation member 50 along the circumferential direction of the lens 20. By making dimension x larger than dimension y, the lens 20 can be rotated around its center within the rim 33 after being assembled into the rim 33 to adjust its angle. This allows for adjustment of the position of the electrical element 21 and the optimal angle of the lens 20 relative to the user's eye. By making dimension x 1.8 times or more than dimension y, a gap of the size necessary for adjusting the position of the electrical element 21 can be formed between the notch 23 and the anti-rotation member 50. For example, dimension x can be 3 mm and dimension y can be 1.6 mm.
[0032] The conductive member 40 may have four elongated conductive surfaces on its own surface that extend in the direction in which the conductive member 40 extends. In this case, each of these four conductive surfaces is positioned to face the ends of the four electrodes 22, and a conductive piece is sandwiched between each conductive surface and each electrode 22. The conductive piece is made of a flexible and conductive material, such as conductive rubber. The length of the conductive piece along the direction in which the conductive member 40 extends is smaller than the length of the conductive surface along that direction. Therefore, it is prevented that the conductive piece will curve along the inner surface of the rim 33 and lift away from the edge of the lens 20, causing the conductive piece and the electrode 22 to separate. Also, the length of the conductive piece along the direction in which the conductive member 40 extends is the same as or greater than the length of the electrode 22 along that direction. Therefore, even if there is some error in the assembly position of the conductive member 40 and the conductive piece between the lens 20 and the frame 30, the conductive piece can be reliably made to contact the electrode 22 and the conductive surface.
[0033] In this case, even if dimension x is made larger than dimension y for angle adjustment, if dimension x is too large compared to dimension y, the amount of circumferential rotation of the lens 20 will become unnecessarily large, and there is a risk that the electrical connection between the electrode 22 and the conductive member 40 cannot be maintained. Specifically, the electrode 22 and the conductive piece, or the conductive piece and the conductor surface, may shift along the extending direction of the conductive member 40, and there is a risk that the electrical connection between the electrode 22 and the conductive piece, or between the conductive piece and the conductor surface, will be broken. Therefore, dimension x may be three times or less of dimension y. Also, if position adjustment of the electrical element 21 is not necessary, dimension x may be equal to dimension y.
[0034] Furthermore, a frictional force sufficient to keep the anti-rotation member 50 stationary within the through-hole 37 acts between the anti-rotation member 50 and the through-hole 37. With this frictional force acting, the tip of the anti-rotation member 50 may be pressing against the bottom surface 25. In other words, after adjusting the angle of the lens 20 within the rim 33, the anti-rotation member 50 may be inserted further into the through-hole 37 until it is pressing against the bottom surface 25. In this case, similar to the first embodiment, the rim 33 is pressing against the lens 20 at the position opposite to the position where the anti-rotation member 50 is pressing against the center of the lens 20.
[0035] Therefore, even if the user of eyewear 1 applies a force to the lens 20 that causes it to rotate within the rim 33, a frictional force is generated between the anti-rotation member 50 and the rim 33 and the lens 20 that opposes the rotation of the lens 20. Thus, it is possible to prevent the lens 20 from rotating and shifting from its angle-adjusted position.
[0036] Furthermore, the bottom surface 25 may be formed so as to be perpendicular to the extending direction of the through hole 37 when the notch 23 is located between the center of the lens 20 and the through hole 37. By forming the bottom surface 25 in this way, the tip of the anti-rotation member 50 can be pressed against any position on the bottom surface 25. In other words, the lens 20 can be securely fixed by the anti-rotation member 50 at any position within the range of lens angle adjustment. In addition, the force with which the anti-rotation member 50 presses the bottom surface 25 can be directed toward the center of the lens 20. Therefore, the anti-rotation member 50 can efficiently apply force to the lens 20. Consequently, rotation of the lens 20 can be prevented more reliably.
[0037] (modified version) The eyewear relating to this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes various modifications that do not depart from the spirit of this disclosure.
[0038] For example, the notch 23 may have a V-shape, as shown in Figure 4. Alternatively, the notch 23 may have a semicircular shape, as shown in Figure 5.
[0039] Furthermore, the anti-rotation member 50 only needs to be positioned so as not to overlap with the conductive member 40 when viewed from the center of the lens 20. For example, it may be positioned on the lower part 51 (see Figure 1) or the inner part 52 (see Figure 1) of the rim 33.
[0040] Furthermore, the through-hole 37 may be a through-hole without internal threads formed on its inner surface, and the anti-rotation member 50 may not be an internal thread. For example, the through-hole 37 may be a through-hole having a cylindrical surface, and the anti-rotation member 50 may be a rod-shaped member that is press-fitted into the through-hole 37 and fixed by frictional force. By making the anti-rotation member 50 detachable from the through-hole 37, the maintainability of the eyewear 1 can be improved.
[0041] The electrical elements of the eyewear 1 according to this disclosure are not limited to liquid crystal lenses. The electrical elements may be, for example, a lens density adjustment device incorporated into the lens 20. [Industrial applicability]
[0042] This disclosure can be used as a variety of eyewear featuring a substantially circular lens incorporating an electrical element. [Explanation of symbols]
[0043] 1 Eyewear 20 lenses 21 Electrical elements 22 electrodes 23 Notches 24 Side view 25 Bottom 30 frames 31 Front 32 Temple 33 rim 34 Bridge 35 Armor 36 Thickness change section 37 Through hole 40 Conductive material 50 Rotation prevention member 51 Lower part 52 Inner part
Claims
1. A substantially circular lens having an electrical element incorporated therein, with one end of the electrode of the electrical element positioned at the edge, A conductive member electrically connected to the electrode, A frame comprising a front supporting the lens and the conductive member, and a pair of temples connected to the front, The front is provided with an anti-rotation member positioned inside a through hole formed therein, the tip of which contacts the lens, The conductive member and the anti-rotation member are positioned so as not to overlap with each other when viewed from the center of the lens. The front has a thickness-changing section where the distance from the lens increases as it approaches the part where the front and the temple are connected. The anti-rotation member is positioned in the thickness change portion. Eyewear.
2. A notch is formed in the edge of the aforementioned lens. The tip of the anti-rotation member is positioned within the notch. Eyewear according to claim 1.
3. The notch has a pair of sides parallel to each other and a bottom surface connecting the pair of sides. Eyewear according to claim 2.
4. The dimensions of the notch along the circumferential direction of the lens are greater than the dimensions of the anti-rotation member along the circumferential direction of the lens. Eyewear according to claim 2 or 3.
5. The dimensions of the notch along the circumferential direction of the lens are 1.8 times or more the dimensions of the anti-rotation member along the circumferential direction of the lens. Eyewear according to claim 4.
6. The aforementioned anti-rotation member is a screw. Eyewear according to any one of claims 1 to 5.