# US 6,419,358 B1 · Pseudoelastic β titanium eyeglass components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,419,358 B1 - Document ID: US6419358B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/449,068 - Filed: 1999-11-24 - Granted: 2002-07-16 - Earliest claimed: 1998-03-05 - Assignees: Memry Corporation - Inventors: L. McDonald Schetky; Ming H. Wu; Chi-Yuan Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6419358B1 ## CPC - C22F 1/006: {Resulting in heat recoverable alloys with a memory effect} - A61L 31/022: {Metals or alloys} - C22C 14/00: Alloys based on titanium - A61B 17/0642: {for bones, e.g. for osteosynthesis or connecting tendon to bone} - A61B 17/866: {Material or manufacture} - A61B 2017/00867: {shape memory effect} - A61C 5/42: Files for root canals; Handgrips or guiding means therefor - A61C 7/20: Arch wires (A61C7/28 takes precedence) - A61C 8/0012: {characterised by the material or composition, e.g. ceramics, surface layer, metal alloy (use of specific materials A61K6/00)} - A61F 2/82: Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents (stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07) - A61L 2400/16: Materials with shape-memory or superelastic properties - C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A new eyeglass frame, eyeglass frame component and method for making eyeglass frames or parts thereof of a nickel-free titanium based SMA. A pseudoelastic β titanium alloy is used which has superior fabricating characteristics combined with weldability with pseudoelastic properties over the temperature range of −25° C. to 50° C. making this alloy ideally suited for the manufacture of various eyeglass components. The disclosed eyeglass component alloy is a β titanium alloy contains alloying elements of molybdenum between 10.0 and 12.0 weight percent, aluminum between 2.8 and 4.0 weight percent, chromium and vanadium between 0.0 and 2.0 weight percent, and niobium between 0.0 and 4.0 weight percent. The eyeglass components fabricated from this alloy exhibit a strain recovery of up to 3.5% deformation, a lower stiffness than conventional binary nickel titanium alloys yielding superior wearer comfort. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In an eyeglass frame having at least one component thereof being fabricated of a shape memory effect alloy, the improvement comprising said component including at least one of a pair of temples, a bridge, a pair of lens rims and nose pads wires, said component being made of a β titanium alloy which comprises: (a) between 10.0 and 12.0 wt.% molybdenum; (b) between 2.8 and 4.0 wt.% aluminum; (c) chromium and vanadium each between 0.0 and 2.0 wt.% chromium; and (d) between 0.0 and 4.0 wt.% niobium; and (e) the balance titanium, and characterised by exhibiting pseudo-elasticity at −25° C. to 50° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said component includes a pair of temples and a bridge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said component includes a pair of lens rims. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said component includes a pair of lens rims, and a pair of nose pads wires, each nose pad being connected to a respective rim by a nose pad wire. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 in which the component exhibits shape memory effect at room temperature when the As starting temperature of reverse transformation upon heating is higher than room temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 in which the component exhibits pseudo-elasticity with lower stiffness and force output magnitude than conventional β titanium alloys, better formability than Nitinol, the ability to be welded to other components, and good corrosion resistance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The improvement defined in claim 6, in which the component has a strain recovery up to approximately 3.5% when tensile loaded to 4% strain at room temperature in the as-solution treated condition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 in which the component is capable of being cold worked to 20% without significantly reducing the pseudo-elastic performance, whereby said component can be cold formed into various shapes at ambient temperature while retaining the high spring-back characteristics of the pseudo-elastic phenomenon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1 in which the component exhibits pseudo- elasticity between 25 and −25° C. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1 in which the component exhibits pseudo-elasticity at ambient and/or body temperature of a wearer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1 in which the component is characterized by having super-elastic properties and by being cold worked in its martensitic state, said alloy exhibiting complete elastic behaviour at strains up to 4%, thereby permitting the designing of eyeglasses components which are resistant to permanent deformation or kinking. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein there is a balanced amount of the alloying elements, and an effective amount of at least one selected from the group consisting of chromium, vanadium and niobium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises, molybdenum of 10.2 wt.%, aluminum of 2.8 wt.%, vanadium of 1.8 w%, niobium of 3.7 wt.% and the balance of titanium and exhibiting pseudo-elasticity between 25 and −25° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises molybdenum of 11.1 wt.%, aluminum of 2.95 wt.%, vanadium of 1.9 wt.%, niobium of 4.0 wt.% and the balance of titanium and exhibiting pseudo-elasticity between 50 and −25° C. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An eyeglass frame in which at least one of the components is constructed according to claim 1 wherein said component is made from a β-Titanium shape memory alloy, which in its solution treated condition is capable of undergoing large amounts of cold forming without danger of cracking or fracture during the forming operations required to make eyeglass frame components, and as a result facilitates the fabrication of such component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An eyeglass frame in which at least one of the components is constructed according to claim 15 wherein the solution treatment of the alloy has been given at a temperature between 880° C. and 1100° C. and then water quenched. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An eyeglass frame in which at least one of the components is constructed according to claim 1, wherein relatively small amounts of cold work before the aging treatment do not exceed 20%. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) An eyeglass frame in which at least one of the components is constructed according to claim 1 wherein the component exhibits pseudoelastic properties with an upper plateau stress which is between approximately 58 Ksi and 72 Ksi, which is a stress level comfortable to a wearer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) An eyeglass frame in which at least one of the components is constructed according to claim 1 wherein shape memory alloy, during fabrication, is subjected to a variety of cold working levels to create various cross sections of the portion, which nevertheless exhibit substantially uniform pseudoelastic properties. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said alloy is substantially free of nickel. ### Claim 21 In a method for making at least one component of an eyeglass frame, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. forming β titanium alloy by alloying together: (i) between about 10.0 and 12.0 wt.% molybdenum; (ii) between about 2.8 and 4.0 wt.% aluminum; (iii) between about 0.0 and 2.0 wt.% chromium and vanadium; (iv) between about 0.0 and 4.0 wt.% niobium; and (v) the balance titanium; b. fabricating said at least one eyeglass frame componenet from said alloy, and said component including at least one of a pair of temples, a bridge, a pair of lens rims and nose pads wires.