EYEGLASS FRAMES

Abstract

A pair of spectacles which comprises (1) a pair of lenses, each lens having an engaging portion on its periphery, and (2) an eyeglass frame which comprises two temple arms and a continuous bar connecting the two temple arms, the bar carrying two spaced-apart attachment portions which are fitted to respective engaging portions on the lenses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/199,896, filed Sep. 12, 2011. The entire disclosure of that application is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to eyeglass frames.

2. Introduction to the Invention

U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,775 discloses and claims an eyeglass lens attachment arrangement comprising an eyeglass frame and a pair of lenses, each of the lenses including at least one shaped engaging portion, the shaped engaging portion cooperating with an attachment member which attaches a respective one of the lenses to the eyeglass frame such that the lenses are removably attached to the frame.

International Publication WO 2007/044221 and the corresponding copending US national phase application disclose

• • (1) that, in an eyeglass assembly, an engaging portion on an eyeglass lens can be maintained in contact with an eyeglass frame member by means of a removable bonding member (RBM) which
  • (a) contacts the engaging portion and the frame member; and
  • (b) under typical conditions of use of the assembly, maintains the engaging portion and the frame member in direct or indirect contact with each other; and
  • (c) under selected atypical ambient conditions, undergoes a change which separates the engaging portion and the frame member, or permits the engaging portion and the frame member to be separated from each other by pulling them apart manually.

International Publication WO 2010/039176 and the corresponding copending US national phase application disclose that when contacting surfaces of (i) an engaging portion on an eyeglass lens and (ii) an eyeglass frame member are to be maintained in contact, improved results can be obtained by (A) providing (i) a passage which passes away from the contacting surface of the frame member, preferably to an exterior surface of the frame member, and/or (ii) a passage which passes away from the contacting surface of the engaging portion, preferably to an exterior surface of the engaging portion, (B) coating at least part of the contacting surfaces of one or both of the engaging portion of the lens and the frame member with a composition which is relatively soft when the contacting surfaces of the lens and the frame member are brought into contact, (C) bringing the contacting surfaces into contact in such a way that the composition is forced into the passage, (D) treating the composition so that it hardens (the treatment being for example exposure to ultraviolet or other radiation, or simply leaving the composition to harden at ambient temperature and pressure), thus providing a physical lock which helps to secure the lens and the frame member together.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,895,438, 4,896,955, 6,523,952 and 6,843,561 disclose improved eyeglass frames, some of which make use of a member composed of a shape-memory alloy (often hereinafter abbreviated to SMA) and/or a lens including a shaped engaging portion.

The entire disclosure of each of the U.S. Patents, the international publications and the corresponding US national phase applications referred to above is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, this invention provides a novel eyeglass frame which comprises two temple arms and a bar connecting the two temple arms, the bar carrying two spaced apart attachment portions for fitting to respective engaging portions on the peripheries of a pair of lenses.

In a second aspect, this invention provides a pair of spectacles which comprises.

• • (1) a pair of lenses, each lens having an engaging portion on its periphery, for example, on the top surface of the lens, particularly near the center of the lens, and
  • (2) an eyeglass frame according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the attachment portions on the bar of the eyeglass frame being fitted to respective engaging portions on the lenses.

In a third aspect, this invention provides a new design for a pair of spectacles as shown in FIGS. 2-7

In a fourth aspect, this invention provides a new design for a pair of spectacles as shown in FIGS. 8-13, the portions of the design shown in phantom lines forming no part of the claimed design.

In a fourteenth aspect, this invention provides a new design for a pair of Spectacles as shown in FIGS. 14-19, the portions of the design shown in phantom lines forming no part of the claimed design

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of spectacles in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

FIGS. 2-7 are perspective, front, side, rear, top and bottom views of the new design for a pair of spectacles according to the third aspect of the invention;

FIGS. 8-13 are perspective, front, side, rear, top and bottom views of the new design for a pair of spectacles according to the fourth aspect of the invention; and

FIGS. 14-19 are perspective, front, side, rear, top and bottom views of the new design for a pair of spectacles according to the fifth aspect of the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the Summary of the Invention above, the Detailed Description of the Invention below, and the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular aspects and features (including for example components, ingredients, devices, apparatus, systems, groups, ranges, method steps, test results, etc.) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect, a particular embodiment, a particular claim, or a particular Figure, that feature can also be used, to the extent appropriate, in the context of other particular aspects, embodiments, claims and Figures, and in the invention generally. The invention disclosed herein includes embodiments not specifically described herein and can for example make use of features which are not specifically described herein, but which provide functions which are the same, equivalent or similar to, features specifically disclosed herein.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that, in addition to the features specifically identified, other features are optionally present. For example, an apparatus “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B and C can contain only components A, B and C, or can contain not only components A, B and C but also one or more other components. The term “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof is used herein to mean that, in addition to the features specifically identified, other features may be present which do not materially alter the claimed invention. The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1, and “at least 80%” means 80% or more than 80%. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)−(a second number)”, this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, “from 8 to 20 inches” or “8-20 inches” means a range whose lower limit is 8 inches, and whose upper limit is 20 inches. The terms “plural”, “multiple”, “plurality” and “multiplicity” are used herein to denote two or more than two features.

Where reference is made herein to “a” or “an” feature, this includes the possibility that there are two or more such features (except where the context excludes that possibility). Where reference is made herein to two or more features, this includes the possibility that the two or more features are replaced by a lesser number or greater number of features providing the same function (except where the context excludes that possibility). The numbers given herein should be construed with the latitude appropriate to their context and expression; for example, each number is subject to variation which depends on the accuracy with which it can be measured by methods conventionally used by those skilled in the art.

This specification incorporates by reference all documents referred to herein and all documents filed concurrently with this specification or filed previously in connection with this application, including but not limited to such documents which are open to public inspection with this specification.

The following features are optionally present in the various aspects of the invention. Two or more of the features may be used in combination, where they are not mutually exclusive.

• • (1) The junction between attachment portion and the engaging portion is the sole means securing the eyeglass frame to the lenses.
  • (2) The engaging portion of each lens extends outwards from the periphery of the lens, and the attachment portion fits over the engaging portion.
  • (3) The engaging portion of each lens extends from the periphery of the lens into the thickness of the lens, and the attachment portion fits into the engaging portion.
  • (4) There is an adhesive between each engaging portion and the respective attachment portion, preferably an adhesive which can be removed by heating without damaging the lens or the temple arm.
  • (5) There is an adhesive between each engaging portion and the respective attachment portion, the adhesive being the sole means of securing the engaging portion to the attachment portion.

FIG. 1 shows a pair of spectacles according to the first aspect of the invention. The spectacles comprise two side members 11, each of which includes an earpiece 111 and a hinge 112. A continuous bar 2 connects the side members 11 and extends above the lenses 5. Each lens has on its top periphery and engagement portion 51 which extends from the upper periphery of the lens and which is secured to a corresponding attachment portion 21 which extends downwards from the bar 2.

Claims

1. An eyeglass frame which comprises two temple arms and a continuous bar connecting the two temple arms, the bar carrying two spaced-apart attachment portions for fitting to respective engaging portions on the peripheries of a pair of lenses.

2. An eyeglass frame according to claim 1 wherein the bar is substantially horizontal and each of the attachment portions extends downwards from the continuous bar.

3. An eyeglass frame according to claim 2 wherein each of the attachment portions can be fitted over an engaging portion extending upwards from the periphery of a lens.

4. A pair of spectacles which comprises

(1) a pair of lenses, each lens having an engaging portion on its periphery, and

(2) an eyeglass frame which comprises two temple arms and a continuous bar connecting the two temple arms, the bar carrying two spaced-apart attachment portions which are fitted to respective engaging portions on the lenses.

5. A pair of spectacles according to claim 4 wherein each of the engaging portions is on the top surface of the lens.

6. A pair of spectacles according to claim 5 wherein each of the engaging portions is near the center of the lens.

7. A pair of spectacles according to claim 4 wherein each junction between an attachment portion and engaging portion is the sole means securing the eyeglass frame to the lenses.

8. A pair of spectacles according to claim 5 wherein each of the engaging portions

extends outwards from the periphery of the lens, and the corresponding attachment portion fits over the engaging portion.

9. A pair of spectacles according to claim 4 wherein the engaging portion of each lens extends from the periphery of the lens into the thickness of the lens, and the attachment portion fits into the engaging portion.

10. A pair of spectacles according to claim 4 wherein there is an adhesive between each engaging portion and the respective attachment portion and the adhesive can be weakened by heat so that the lens can be removed from the eyeglass frame by manual forces only.

11. A pair of spectacles according to claim 10 wherein the adhesive is the sole means of securing the engaging portion to the attachment portion.

12. A pair of spectacles according to claim 4 which comprises

(1) a pair of lenses, each lens having an engaging portion which extends away from upper periphery of the lens at a location which is near the center of the lens, and

(2) an eyeglass frame which comprises two temple arms and a continuous bar connecting the two temple arms, the bar carrying two spaced-apart attachment portions which are fitted to respective engaging portions on the lenses.

13. A pair of spectacles according to claim 12 wherein each junction between an attachment portion and engaging portion is the sole means securing the eyeglass frame to the lenses.

14. A pair of spectacles according to claim 12 wherein there is an adhesive between each engaging portion and the respective attachment portion, the adhesive being the sole means of securing the engaging portion to the attachment portion

15. A pair of spectacles according to claim 14 wherein the adhesive can be weakened by heat so that the lens can be removed from the eyeglass frame by manual forces only.

16. (canceled)