Adjustable tensioning system for rimless eyewear

Abstract

Rimless eyewear features a wire that encircles a lens. Systems are provided for selectively increasing or decreasing a tensile load on the wire to facilitate assembly and maintenance of the eyewear. An adjusting screw, different wire securement positions, and/or adjustment shims provide easy tension adjustment of the wire and secure the eye lens in a predetermined position and orientation.

1 . Eyewear comprising a first lens and a second lens, a first wire substantially encircling said first lens, a second wire substantially encircling said second lens, a first tensioning assembly connecting two ends of said first wire and comprising a threaded fastener, the first tensioning assembly comprising a first housing, a second tensioning assembly connecting two ends of said second wire, and an anchor attached to an end of said first wire, said anchor being at least partially recessed into said first housing, said threaded fastener extending into said anchor such that rotation of said threaded fastener results in movement of said anchor such that a level of tension in said first wire can be adjusted through movement of said threaded fastener.  
   
   
       2 . The eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein said first tensioning assembly comprises a passage, an end of said first wire extends into said passage and said passage comprises an enlarged portion into which a portion of said end of said first wire can be offset.  
   
   
       3 . The eyewear of  claim 2  further comprising a screw that intersects at least a portion of said passage, at least a portion of said screw being adapted to offset said portion of said end of said first wire.  
   
   
       4 . The eyewear of  claim 3  further comprising an anchor being connected to said first end of said first wire, said anchor being received within a recess formed in a housing, said housing forming a portion of said first tensioning assembly, said anchor being disposed further toward said first end of said first wire than said portion of said end of said first wire that is offset by said screw.  
   
   
       5 . The eyewear of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of said passage has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of said end of said first wire.  
   
   
       6 . The eyewear of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of generally parallel slots, an anchor bar being connected to an end of said first wire, said anchor being adapted for placement in any of said slots.  
   
   
       7 . The eyewear of  claim 6 , wherein said first tensioning assembly comprises an upper tension block and a lower tension block and said anchor bar is positioned between said upper tension block and said lower tension block.  
   
   
       8 . The eyewear of  claim 7  further comprising a passage that extends through a portion of said lower tension block and said end of said first wire extends through said passage.  
   
   
       9 . The eyewear of  claim 8 , wherein said passage is generally cylindrical in shape.  
   
   
       10 . The eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein said threaded fastener abuts a portion of said wire and movement of said threaded fastener offsets said portion of said wire.  
   
   
       11 . The eyewear of  claim 10 , wherein said threaded fastener defines an anchor and an end of said first wire is captured within said threaded fastener.  
   
   
       12 . The eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein said first tensioning assembly comprises a passage, a first end and a second end of said first wire extend into said passage and said passage comprises an enlarged portion into which a portion of said ends of said first wire can be offset.  
   
   
       13 . The eyewear of  claim 15  further comprising a screw that intersects said enlarged portion of said passage, and said screw being adapted to offset said first and second ends of said first wire.  
   
   
       14 . The eyewear of  claim 16  further comprising a tension plate that is interposed between said screw and said first wire such that axial movement of said screw offsets said plate, which offsets a portion of said first and second ends of said first wire.  
   
   
       15 . The eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein said first tensioning assembly comprises a housing, an anchor being secured to said housing and any of a plurality of shims being selectively positionable between said anchor and said housing to adjust a tensile load in said first wire.  
   
   
       16 . The eyewear of  claim 18 , wherein said housing comprises a recess and said anchor is capable of being received at least partially within said recess.  
   
   
       17 . Eyewear comprising a lens, said lens comprising a peripheral side surface, a groove being formed in said side surface, at least one wire generally encircling said lens, at least a portion of said wire being positioned within said groove, said wire comprising a first end and a second end, a first tensioning block being connected to said first end and a second tensioning block being connected to said second end, said second tensioning block having an abutment surface that generally abuts a portion of said first tensioning block, an anchor being positioned on said second end of said wire, said second tensioning block comprising a passage, said wire extending through said passage and said anchor being positioned proximate said abutment surface of said second tensioning block.  
   
   
       18 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said first tensioning block and said first end are connected by welding.  
   
   
       19 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said wire comprises a single piece of wire.  
   
   
       20 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said second tensioning block further comprises a receptacle, said receptacle defining a recess from said abutment surface and said anchor being sized and configured to fit within said receptacle.  
   
   
       21 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said passage comprises a generally cylindrical tunnel.  
   
   
       22 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said first and second tensioning blocks are secured together with at least one threaded fastener.  
   
   
       23 . The eyewear of  claim 27 , wherein said at least one threaded fastener is received within a countersunk bore.  
   
   
       24 . The eyewear of  claim 22  further comprising an adjustment screw that extends through at least one of said first and second tensioning block, said adjustment screw being positioned to contact a portion of said wire.  
   
   
       25 . The eyewear of  claim 29 , wherein said second tensioning block comprises a threaded hole in which said adjustment screw is received.  
   
   
       26 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various shapes.  
   
   
       27 . The eyewear of  claim 22 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various sizes and/or shapes.  
   
   
       28 . Eyewear comprising a lens, said lens comprising a peripheral side surface, a groove being formed in said side surface, at least one wire generally encircling said lens, at least a portion of said wire being positioned within said groove, said wire comprising a first end and a second end, a first block connected to said first end of said wire, a second block connected to said second end of said wire, at least one of said first block and said second block comprising a plurality of slots, at least one of said first end of said wire and said second end of said wire comprising an anchor bar, and said anchor bar being sized and configured to be secured within one of said plurality of slots.  
   
   
       29 . The eyewear of  claim 33  wherein said first block and said second block enclose said anchor bar when said anchor bar is positioned within one of said plurality of slots.  
   
   
       30 . The eyewear of  claim 33  wherein a connecting slot intersects a portion of each of said plurality of slots.  
   
   
       31 . The eyewear of  claim 33 , wherein said plurality of slots are positioned within said second block.  
   
   
       32 . The eyewear of  claim 36  further comprising a passage extending through at least a portion of said second block, said passage leading to a connecting slot, said connecting slot intersection a portion of each of said plurality of slots.  
   
   
       33 . The eyewear of  claim 33 , wherein said anchor bar is generally T-shaped.  
   
   
       34 . The eyewear of  claim 33 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various shapes.  
   
   
       35 . The eyewear of  claim 33 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various sizes and/or shapes.  
   
   
       36 . Eyewear comprising a lens, said lens comprising a peripheral side surface, a groove being formed in said side surface, at least one wire generally encircling said lens, at least a portion of said wire being positioned within said groove, said wire comprising a first end and a second end, a first block connected to said first end of said wire, a second block connected to said second end of said wire, an anchor being secured to said second end of said wire, said anchor being rotatably secured within an adjustment screw, and said adjustment screw being positioned within a threaded opening in said second block.  
   
   
       37 . The eyewear of  claim 46  further comprising a socket ring, said anchor being rotatable relative to said socket ring and said socket ring securing said anchor within said adjustment screw.  
   
   
       38 . The eyewear of  claim 46 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various shapes.  
   
   
       39 . The eyewear of  claim 46 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various sizes and/or shapes.  
   
   
       40 . Eyewear comprising a lens, said lens comprising a peripheral side surface, a groove being formed in said side surface, at least one wire generally encircling said lens, at least a portion of said wire being positioned within said groove, said wire comprising a first end and a second end, a first block connected to said first end of said wire, a mounting plate secured to said second end of said wire, said mounting plate being securable to said first block with at least one shim being positioned between said mounting plate and said first block.  
   
   
       41 . The eyewear of claim  50 , wherein each of said shims comprises a hole through which a threaded fastener can extend.  
   
   
       42 . The eyewear of claim  51 , wherein said first block comprises a threaded hole that receives said threaded fastener.  
   
   
       43 . The eyewear of claim  50 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various shapes.  
   
   
       44 . The eyewear of claim  50 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various sizes and/or shapes.  
   
   
       45 . Eyewear comprising a lens, said lens comprising a peripheral side surface, a groove being formed in said side surface, at least one wire generally encircling said lens, at least a portion of said wire being positioned within said groove, said wire comprising a first end and a second end, said first and second ends of said wire being connected to a first block and a second block, a tensioning recess formed in at least one of said first block and said second block and said first and second ends of said wire being positioned within said recess, said recess comprising a portion that is substantially said same width as one diameter of said wire, said recess also comprising a portion that is substantially larger that said one diameter of said wire, a threaded opening extending through at least one of said first block and said second block and intersecting said substantially larger portion of said recess and a threaded member being positioned within said threaded opening.  
   
   
       46 . The eyewear of claim  55 , wherein said first block and said second block are secured together with a threaded member.  
   
   
       47 . The eyewear of claim  56  further comprising a tension plate positioned within said recess between said adjustment screw and said wire.  
   
   
       48 . The eyewear of claim  55 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various shapes.  
   
   
       49 . The eyewear of claim  55 , wherein said wire is selectively adjustable to secure lenses of various sizes and/or shapes.