Spectacle Frame Hinge Using Flexible Member and Adjustable Distance Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spectacle frame articulation systems face issues such as loosening of hinge components, bulkiness, weight, and complexity, particularly in lightweight frames, and require special assembly procedures and materials.
Innovation Solution
A spectacle frame design featuring a lightweight, compact articulation system with a flexible metal member and adjustable distance element that allows for easy assembly and independent flexibility from the arm material, eliminating the need for traditional hinge screws and pins, and enabling a simplified assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hinge devices with pins and eyelets are used for articulated connection, then the connection is reliable, but the device becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional hinge device with pin and eyelet from the frame structure. Instead, it uses a flexible member that is directly integrated into the arm, eliminating the separate hinge components and reducing overall weight while maintaining articulation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible member made of elastic material that replaces the rigid hinge structure. This flexible member can bend and deform elastically to provide the necessary articulation movement, significantly reducing the weight and bulk of the connection mechanism.
2Reliability
If traditional hinge devices are used, then the articulation is stable, but the structure becomes complex with multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of the arm and the flexible connection element into a single integrated structure. The flexible member is directly formed as part of the arm, eliminating the need for separate hinge components and simplifying the overall structure while maintaining articulation stability.
3Device complexity
If the arm material flexibility is used for articulation, then the structure is simplified, but the flexibility characteristics depend on the arm material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the arm into two distinct functional parts: a rigid portion for structural support and a separate flexible member for articulation. This segmentation allows the flexible member to be made from specialized elastic material, providing flexibility characteristics that are independent of the arm's primary structural material.
4Weight of stationary object
If a thin flexible plate is used for articulation, then the weight is reduced, but the assembly requires special equipment due to pre-loaded flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible member is pre-formed with the necessary elastic properties and geometry during manufacturing, but the actual assembly does not require pre-loading or special equipment. The flexible member is simply inserted into the arm, and its elastic nature allows it to naturally assume the correct position without requiring external deformation forces or specialized assembly tools.
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 solution provides a lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and easy-to-assemble spectacle frame with improved flexibility and reduced bulk, allowing for efficient articulation without the need for complex machining or special assembly tools, while optimizing material usage for each component.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible member (9), structurally independent from the lug (4) and the arm (5), made from a thin and flexible metal plate, having a preselected degree of flexibility and shaped to couple rotatably in a hinge arrangement with the pins (7)
Implementation Method 2
a distance element (15), which is interposed between the arm (5) and the flexible member (9) and is mounted on the arm in an adjustable manner in order to impose, at the level of said distance member, a preselected distance between the arm and the flexible member, and consequently to regulate the flexible pre-load exerted on the flexible member when coupled rotatably with the hinge pins (7)
Data Source
AI summary
A frame for spectacles includes a frontal framework with lateral lugs for articulation of arms and means of articulation between each lug and the corresponding arm. The articulation means include a flexible member, structurally independent of the lug and the arm, the flexible member being held on the arm and coupled rotatably, the end of each arm, facing the corresponding lug, shaped in such a manner that the arm, in its movement about the hinge pin, is flexibly constrained towards preselected angular positions relative to the frontal framework. The frame also includes a respective distance element interposed between each arm and the corresponding flexible member, and said distance element is mounted on the arm in an adjustable manner in order to impose, at the level of said distance member, a preselected distance between the arm and the flexible member, and to regulate a flexible pre-load exerted on the flexible member.