Amorphous Alloy Eyewear with Integrated Temple
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional eyewear structures are prone to mechanical failure due to loose fasteners, lack of structural integrity, and aesthetic degradation, necessitating a solution that minimizes fastener use while enhancing durability and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
The use of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys to create eyewear structures with near-net shape manufacturing, eliminating the need for fasteners and providing high strength, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal through the fabrication of eyewear components like front pieces and temples made from Zr-Ti based alloys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners (screws, bolts) are used to secure lenses and temples, then the eyewear structure can be assembled, but the fasteners become loose during normal wear resulting in mechanical failure and the aesthetic appearance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes fasteners entirely from the eyewear structure by integrating the temple directly into the rim through a seamless connection. The temple is formed as a continuous piece with the rim, eliminating the need for separate fastening components and their associated reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the temple and rim into a single integrated structure made from bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy. This consolidation creates a unified component that maintains structural integrity without requiring additional fasteners, thereby improving reliability while reducing device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fasteners are used to secure lenses to rims, then lenses can be attached, but the fasteners degrade the pleasing appearance and aesthetics of eyewear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts fasteners from the lens attachment system by creating an integrated rim structure that inherently secures lenses through its continuous geometry. The amorphous alloy rim provides structural containment for lenses without visible fastening elements, preserving aesthetic appearance.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional eyewear structures are used, then assembly is straightforward, but they are prone to mechanical failure due to loose fasteners and lack of structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (rim, temple, fasteners) into a single integrated amorphous alloy structure. This merging eliminates weak points at connection interfaces where fasteners would normally fail, significantly improving mechanical failure resistance while maintaining ease of manufacture through near-net shape casting.
4Reliability
If bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys are used to create near-net shape structures, then fasteners are eliminated and structural integrity is improved, but specialized manufacturing processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the unique thermal properties of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys, specifically their glass transition temperature range, to enable near-net shape casting. By controlling cooling rates and temperature parameters during manufacturing, the alloy can be formed into complex integrated structures without fasteners, achieving high structural integrity through specialized but controllable manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The eyewear structures exhibit improved durability, reduced weight, and enhanced aesthetics due to the high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and elastic strain limits of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys, ensuring secure lens attachment and resistance to deformation.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the molten alloy to temperatures below a glass transition temperature of the alloy
Data Source
AI summary
Eyewear and eyewear structures comprising bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys and methods of making eyewear structures from such bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys are described. The bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys provide form and shape durability, the minimum use of fasteners in the eyewear structure, high resistance to chemical and environmental effects, and low-cost net-shape fabrication for intricate eyewear design and shapes.