Title of Invention

SPECTACLES WITH INTERCHANGEABLE TEMPLES`

Abstract The invention concerns spectacles of the type consisting of an optical or solar front (2), supported or not by a frame, and comprising two interchangeable temples (3), each of which being linked to the front (2) or the frame (16) via a lug (4) and an associated articulation (5). The invention is characterized in that the articulation (5) of each of the temples (3) consists of at least one pin, arranged transversely in a corresponding longitudinal lumen provided at one end of a free temple (3), said pin being capable of being snapped on an elastically deformable notch produced on a stud (9, 9A) derived from the lug (4), having shape and dimensions substantially matching those of the lumen of the temple (3), or inversely.
Full Text - 1 -
SPECTACLES WITH INTERCHANGEABLE TEMPLES
This invention relates to spectacles of the type consisting
of an optical or sunshade front optionally supported by a
frame and comprising two interchangeable temples, each temple
being connected to the front or to the frame by a male part
and an associated joint.
Generally and as in the prior art, the joint pin used in
spectacles temples consists of a screw that connects together
the two parts of a hinge forming the joint.
However, a problem well known to opticians is that this screw
forming the pin of the joint very often becomes loose and has
to be retightened - if the looseness has not resulted in the
loss of the temple concerned.
This problem is aggravated if it is wished to make the
temples easily interchangeable without the user having to
visit a specialist but being able to change the temples
himself.
It is an object of this invention to solve all these problems
and it therefore relates to spectacles of the type consisting
of an optical or sunshade front optionally supported by a
frame and comprising two interchangeable temples, each temple
being connected to the front or to the frame by a male part
and an associated joint, in which spectacles the joint of
each of the temples consists of at least one pin arranged
transversely in a corresponding longitudinal slot formed at

one end of a free temple, which pin can be snapped into an
elastically deformable recess formed in a plate projecting
from the male part, the shape and dimensions of which are
approximately the same as those of the slot of the temple, in
such a way that the plate of the male part slides into the
slot of the temple, and also in such a way that the joint pin
guides the temple as it rotates and keeps it in a stable
position when folded, in order to provide a screwless joint
that makes the temples easily interchangeable.
Such spectacles according to the invention bring together a
number of advantages, namely: there are no screws to work
loose; each of the parts of the joint can if desired be
molded in plastic, and so there is no intermediate part; the
temple is fitted and removed by a simple hand action, no tool
being required; and the temples are infinitely
interchangeable, allowing the customer any desired
combination of colors and shapes.
The invention relates additionally to the features which will
be set out in the course of the following description, and
which should be considered in isolation or in any possible
technical combination.
This description, given by way of non-restrictive example,
will explain more clearly how the invention can be carried
out with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of spectacles
consisting of a front surrounded at least partly by a frame,
2

with two side temples connected together by a joint in a
first illustrative embodiment of the invention;
figure 2 is a view of details on an enlarged scale of the
joint seen in figure 1;
figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of spectacles with
holes in the area of its joint corresponding to one end of
the front, and to one end of a corresponding temple, before
the one is joined to the other;
figure 4 shows the region of one of the joints of the
spectacles seen in figure 3, in a position where the temple
is being presented to the male part, before being snapped
into position;
figure 5 shows the region of one of the joints of the
spectacles seen in figure 4, after the temple has been
snapped into position on the male part;
figure 6 is a view of a joint in accordance with the
preceding figures, once the temple has been snapped into
position, the temple being in the open position;
figure 7 is a view of a joint as seen in the preceding
figures, with the temple snapped into position and in the
closed position;
figure 8 is a perspective view of a male part of a joint in
accordance with the invention;
figure 9 is a perspective view of the end of a temple forming
the complementary joint region of the male part seen in
figure 8; and
3

figure 10 is a perspective view of an assembled joint
comprising a male part as seen in figure 8 and an end of a
temple as seen in figure 9.
The spectacles, which are given the general reference 1 in
the figures, consist of an optical or sunshade front 2
optionally supported by a frame and comprising two
interchangeable temples 3, each temple being connected to the
front 2 or to the frame 16 by a male part 4 and an associated
joint 5.
In accordance with the invention, the joint 5 of each temple
3 consists of at least one pin 6, 6A arranged transversely in
a corresponding longitudinal slot 7, 7A formed at one end of
a free temple 3, which pin 6, 6A can be snapped into an
elastically deformable recess 8, 8A formed in a plate 9, 9A
projecting from the male part 4, the shape and dimensions of
the plates are approximately the same as those of the slot 7
of the temple 3. In this way the plate 9, 9A of the male part
4 slides into the slot 7, 7A of the temple 3, and the joint
pin 6, 6A also guides the temple 3 as it rotates and keeps it
in a stable position when folded, in order to provide a
screwless joint that makes the arms easily interchangeable.
Of course, the opposite is also true and possible, that is to
say, the slot 7 could very well be formed in the male part 4
and the plates 9 on the temple 3.
For preference, in the present embodiment, the joint 5 of
each of the temples 3 consists of two transverse pins 6, 6A
4

are aligned with each other, in two corresponding
longitudinal slots 7, 7A mutually parallel and identical and
formed in the temple 3, which pins 6, 6A snap elastically
into two recesses 5, 5A formed in two mutually parallel and
identical guide plates 9, 9A projecting from the male part 4,
the shape and dimensions of the plates being approximately
the same as those of the two slots 7, 7A of the temple 3 into
which they slide.
Continuing with the present embodiment, used here as an
example, the guide plates 9, 9A of the male part 4 and the
corresponding slots 7, 7A of the temples 3 are rectangular
parallelepipeds whose dimensions, especially their respective
thicknesses "e", "e'", have approximately equal values, with
a manufacturing tolerance such as to obtain a so-called
sliding fit.
As can be seen especially clearly in figures 3 and 4, the
distance "d" between the pin 6, 6A of the temple 3 and the
rear end of its slot 7, 7A, in the direction of the male part
4, is less than the distance "d'" between the recess 8, 8A of
the same male part 4 and a rear part or shoulder 10 of the
latter, when the recess 8, 8A of the male part 4 is presented
to the pin 6, 6A of the temple 3, for their snap engagement,
in such a way that the shoulder 10 of the male part 4 finds a
bearing surface P in the end part of the slot 7, 7A of the
temple 3, so as to exert upon the latter the force F
necessary for their snap engagement and thereafter allow the
5

temple and the male part to pivot freely relative to each
other, once in the position of use.
Furthermore, in the present illustrative embodiment, the
guide plates 9, 9A are continued by a generally
parallelepiped-shaped block 11, together forming the male
part 4, said block 11 being pierced by two holes 12, 13
designed to receive two fixing means 14 for fixing it
directly to the optical or sunshade front 2.
This fixing means may take the form of a rivet or a screw.
In an embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the guide plates
9, 9A project from a male part 4 produced in the same
plastics molding operation as the frame 16.
The slots 7, 7A of the temples 3, and the joint pins 6, 6A
that extend through them, are advantageously produced in the
same molding operation as said temples 3.
In another feature of the invention, the recesses 8, 8A
formed in the guide plates 9, 9A of the male part 4 consist
partly of parts of circular section, of approximately the
same diameter as the joint pins 6, 6A of the temple 3 to
which the recesses can be connected, and partly of an open
part bounded by two protrusions 14, 15 separated by a
distance less than the diameter of the pins 6, 6A, so that
the pins 6, 6A are locked when snapped elastically into the
recesses 8, 8A.
The temples 3 and the male parts 4 are advantageously made of
plastic.
6

Because of the excellent results obtained, the plastic used
is preferably grilamide, more generally a member of the
polyamide family.
With the invention described above, therefore, production
costs are greatly reduced and at the same time there is
better control of the coefficients of friction of the parts
against each other, these advantages being added to the fact
that the joint requires no screws but allows interchanging of
a broken temple as well as color mixing to combine the colors
for the purpose of personalizing the spectacles and making
them more distinctive.
The invention can therefore be adapted to spectacles with
so-called rimless lenses 2, where the male parts 4 are fixed
directly to the lenses 2, or to spectacles with frames 16,
where the male parts 4 are produced directly with said frame
16 or with the temples 3.
7

CLAIMS
1. Spectacles of the type consisting of an optical or
sunshade front (2) optionally supported by a frame (16) and
comprising two interchangeable temples (3), each temple being
connected to the front (2) or to the frame (16) by a male
part (4) and an associated joint (5), in which spectacles the
joint (5) of each temples (3) consists of two pins (6, 6A)
arranged transversely in two corresponding longitudinal slots
(7, 7A) formed at one end of a free temple (3) , which pins
(6, 6A) can be snapped into two elastically deformable
recesses (8, 8A) formed in two plates (9, 9A) projecting from
the male part (4), the shape and dimensions of which are
approximately the same as those of the slots (7,7A) of the
temple (3), in such a way the plates (9, 9A) of the male part
(4) slide into the slots (7, 7A) of the temple (3), and alson
in such a way that the joint pins (6, 6A) guide the temple
(3) as it rotates and keeps it in a stable position when
folded, in order to provide a screwless joint that makes the
temples easily interchangeable.
2. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1, in which the
two transverse pins (6, 6A) forming the joint (5) are aligned
with each other, in two corresponding longitudinal slots (7,
7A) , which are mutually parallel and identical, which pins
(6, 6A) snap elastically into two recesses (8, 8A) formed in
8

the two mutually parallel and identical guide plates (9, 9A)
projecting from the male part (4), their shape and dimensions
being approximately the same as those of the two slots (7,
7A) of the temple (3) into which they slide.
3. The spectacles as claimed in claim 2, in which the
guide plates (9, 9A) of the male part (4) and the
corresponding slots (7, 7A) of the temples (3) are
rectangular parallelepipeds whose dimensions, especially
their respective thicknesses "e", "e'", have approximately
equal values, with a manufacturing tolerance such as to
obtain a so-called sliding fit.
4. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-3, in which the
distance "d" between the pin (6, 6A) of the temple (3) and
the rear end of its slot (7, 7A) , in the direction of the
male part (4), is less than the distance "d' " between the
recess (8, 8A) of the same male part (4) and a rear part or
shoulder (10) of the latter, when the recess (8, 8A) of the
male part (4) is presented to the pin (6, 6A) of the temple
(3) , for their snap engagement, in such a way that the
shoulder (10) of the male part (4) finds a bearing surface
(P) in the end part of the slot (7, 7A) of the temple (3), so
as to exert upon the latter the force (F) necessary for their
snap engagement and thereafter allow the temple and the male
part to pivot freely relative to each other, once in the
position of use.
5. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-4, in which the
9

guide plates (9, 9A) are continued by a generally
parallelepiped-shaped block (11), together forming the male
part (4), said block (11) being pierced by two holes (12, 13)
designed to receive two fixing means (14) for fixing it
directly to the optical or sunshade front (2) .
6. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-4, in which the
guide plates (9, 9A) project from a male part (4) produced in
the same plastics molding operation as the frame (16).
7. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-6, in which the
slots (7, 7A) of the temples (3), and the joint pins (6, 6A)
that extend through them, are advantageously produced in the
same molding operation as said temples (3).
8. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-7, in which the
recesses (8, 8A) formed in the guide plates (9, 9A) of the
male part (4) consist partly of parts of circular section, of
approximately the same diameter as the joint pins (6, 6A) of
the temple (3) to which the recesses can be connected, and
partly of an open part bounded by two protrusions (14, 15)
separated by a distance less than the diameter of the pins
(6, 6A) , so that the pins (6, 6A) are locked when snapped
elastically into the recesses (8, 8A).
The temples 3 and the male parts 4 are advantageously made of
plastic.
9. The spectacles as claimed in claim 1-8, in which the
temples (3) and the male parts (4) are made of plastic.
10

The invention concerns spectacles of the type consisting of an optical or solar front (2), supported or not by a frame,
and comprising two interchangeable temples (3), each of which being linked to the front (2) or the frame (16) via a lug (4) and an
associated articulation (5). The invention is characterized in that the articulation (5) of each of the temples (3) consists of at least one
pin, arranged transversely in a corresponding longitudinal lumen provided at one end of a free temple (3), said pin being capable of
being snapped on an elastically deformable notch produced on a stud (9, 9A) derived from the lug (4), having shape and dimensions
substantially matching those of the lumen of the temple (3), or inversely.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=xxVKCkWTodDg8LlKlcZC+g==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==


Patent Number 268485
Indian Patent Application Number 1446/KOLNP/2008
PG Journal Number 36/2015
Publication Date 04-Sep-2015
Grant Date 31-Aug-2015
Date of Filing 09-Apr-2008
Name of Patentee OXIBIS EXALTO SAS
Applicant Address 8, RUE DE LA CARRONNEE F-39400 MORBIER
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 PANISSET CLAUDE 10, LIEU-DIT SUR LE COTEAU, F-39400 MORBIER
PCT International Classification Number G02C 5/22
PCT International Application Number PCT/FR2006/002178
PCT International Filing date 2006-09-22
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 0510622 2005-10-11 France