U.S. patent application number 10/615722 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for case for holding an eyeglasses care kit.
This patent application is currently assigned to ITOCHU CANADA LTD.. Invention is credited to Gagnon, Mario.
Application Number | 20040045840 10/615722 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31983622 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045840 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gagnon, Mario |
March 11, 2004 |
Case for holding an eyeglasses care kit
Abstract
The present invention relates to a case for holding an
eyeglasses care kit of the type comprising a shell for holding an
object or objects, such as a cloth and/or a pair of eyeglasses, and
a bottle containing a care product. The present invention also
provides for a care kit comprising a case such as the one provided
for by the present invention, a cloth and a bottle containing a
care product, such as a lens cleansing solution.
Inventors: |
Gagnon, Mario; (Montreal,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DARBY & DARBY P.C.
P. O. BOX 5257
NEW YORK
NY
10150-5257
US
|
Assignee: |
ITOCHU CANADA LTD.
Montreal
CA
|
Family ID: |
31983622 |
Appl. No.: |
10/615722 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 11/24 20130101;
B60R 7/082 20130101; A45D 34/06 20130101; A45C 11/043 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/005 |
International
Class: |
A45C 011/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 10, 2002 |
CA |
2,402,185 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A case for holding a care kit of the type comprising a bottle
containing a care product, the case comprising: a shell member with
an open end for allowing insertion of an object within the shell;
and releasable mounting means for releasably mounting a bottle
across the open end and thereby allowing the bottle to obstruct the
open end to keep the object within the shell.
2. A case according to claim 1, comprising a holder connected to a
wall of the shell member for holding the shell to an external
element.
3. A case according to claim 2, wherein the holder comprises an
extension integrally projecting from said wall and forming a clip
therewith for clipping the shell member to a plate shaped
element.
4. A case according to claim 1, wherein the releasable mounting
means comprises a rim bordering said open end, the rim being sized
and shaped for snugly fitting said bottle therein.
5. A case according to claim 4, wherein the rim comprises a top, a
bottom and two opposite side walls and the releasable mounting
means comprises ridges projecting from at least one of said bottom
and top wall of the rim.
6. A case according to claim 5, comprising a shoulder formed on
each of said side walls of the rim to receive the bottle in
abutment within the open end.
7. A case according to claim 6, wherein said side walls of the rim
have a semicircular cut out for seizing the bottle.
8. A case according to claim 1, wherein the case is made of a
molded plastic material.
9. A care kit comprising: a cloth; a case for holding the cloth,
the case comprising: a shell member with an open end for allowing
insertion of the cloth within the shell; and a bottle containing a
care product, the bottle being releasably mounted to the case
across the open end, thereby allowing the bottle to obstruct the
open end to keep the cloth within the shell.
10. A care kit according to claim 9, wherein the case comprises a
holder connected to a wall of the shell member for holding the
shell to an element.
11. A care kit according to claim 10, wherein the holder comprises
an extension integrally projecting from said wall and forming a
clip therewith for clipping the shell member to a plate shape
element.
12. A care kit according to claim 11, wherein the releasable
mounting means comprises a rim bordering said open end, the rim
being sized and shaped for snugly fitting said bottle therein.
13. A care kit according to claim 12, wherein the rim comprises a
top, a bottom and two opposite side walls and the releasable
mounting means comprises ridges projecting from at least one of
said bottom and top wall of the rim.
14. A care kit according to claim 13, wherein the case comprises a
shoulder formed on each of said side walls of the rim to receive
the bottle in abutment within the open end.
15. A care kit according to claim 13, wherein said side walls of
the rim have a semicircular cut out for seizing the bottle.
16. A care kit according to claim 9, wherein the case is made of a
molded plastic material.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
eyeglasses care kits. More specifically, it concerns a case for
holding an eyeglasses care kit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Already known in the prior art, there are many models of
soft and hard multi-purpose cases used for storing care kits and/or
protecting eyeglasses (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,921,383, 6,439,379,
6,003,663, 5,803,244, 4,960,208 and 6,170,651). Some of these
models are provided with a clip-like holder commonly used for
mounting the case to the interior pocket of a jacket, or a belt
(U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,003,663, 4,960,208).
[0003] Very often, eyeglasses are cleaned with a cleaning product
contained in a spray bottle. Since eyeglasses often need to be
cleaned, a user has to have easy access to the spray bottle and a
soft cleaning cloth. Consequently, for cleaning his/her eyeglasses,
the user has to find the spray bottle and then the soft cleaning
cloth. Sometimes, the user can lose precious time looking for them.
For that reason, it would be advantageous to have an eyeglasses
care kit that would be readily available to the user.
[0004] Among the prior art cases, many include internal receptacles
for storage of miscellaneous accessory items such as nose pads,
spare screws, a small screwdriver, a bottle with lens cleaning
solution, and a lens wiping cloth (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,439,379,
6,003,663 and 6,170,651). However, all of the paraphernalia and
miscellaneous accessories that are incorporated into the prior art
casings are, in fact, useless for a day to day care kit. A user
does not have to replace the nose pads and or screws of his or her
eyeglasses on a day to day basis. The day to day needs of a user
require a rather simple, but well thought out, care kit and casing
therefor. In order for an everyday care kit to be adequate, it
basically requires a bottle of care product for cleaning
eyeglasses, a cloth for removing the product from the eyeglasses
and a case adapted and designed specifically for holding both of
the foregoing.
[0005] Another important drawback associated with these prior art
casings stems from the fact that they are also often quite bulky.
This makes them difficult to conveniently store out of sight. These
separate problems are compounded by the fact that most of the prior
art casings and care kits are complicated to manufacture and
therefore often quite expensive.
[0006] In view of the above, the prior art does not provide a
common solution to the separate problems of handling, bulkiness,
storage, manufacturing and costs.
[0007] Thus, there exists a definitive need for both a care kit and
a case for holding a care kit which are all at once user friendly,
easy to handle, compact, easy to manufacture and inexpensive.
[0008] There is therefore also a need for both a care kit and a
case for encasing a cloth and a bottle of care product which are
designed for everyday needs, user friendly, easy to handle,
compact, easy to manufacture and inexpensive.
[0009] The present invention fulfills these needs and also other
needs, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon
reading the following specification.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a case for
holding an eyeglasses care kit that satisfies the above-mentioned
need.
[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, that object
is achieved with a case for holding a care kit of the type
comprising a bottle containing a care product. The case comprises a
shell member with an open end for allowing insertion of an object,
as for example, a cloth or even a pair of eyeglasses within the
shell. Releasable mounting means are provided for releasably
mounting the bottle across the open end and thereby allowing the
bottle to obstruct the open end to keep the object within the
shell. The case is preferably made of a molded plastic
material.
[0012] As can be appreciated, since the bottle acts as the cover of
the case, a user can hardly lose the bottle by inadvertence since
the chances are that the bottle will be automatically replaced
across the open end after being used. Another advantage is that
since the case can come in a single piece, it is easy and
inexpensive to manufacture.
[0013] In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, the
case comprises a holder connected to a wall of the shell member for
holding the shell to an element, as for example a car visor, a
wall, a desk top, a shelf, etc.
[0014] The holder preferably comprises an extension integrally
projecting from the wall and forming a clip therewith for clipping
the shell member to a plate shaped element, such as a car
visor.
[0015] The releasable mounting means preferably comprises a rim
bordering the open end of the shell, the rim being sized and shaped
for snugly fitting the bottle therein.
[0016] More preferably, the rim comprises a top, a bottom and two
opposite side walls and the releasable mounting means comprises
ridges projecting from at least one of the bottom and top walls of
the rim.
[0017] The case preferably comprises a shoulder formed on each of
said side walls of the rim to receive the bottle in abutment within
the open end.
[0018] More preferably, the side walls of the rim may have a
semi-circular cut out for facilitating a seizing of the bottle.
[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, it is
provided a care kit comprising a bottle containing a care product,
a cloth and a case, as provided by the present invention
hereinabove summarized.
[0020] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
be apparent upon reading the following non-restrictive description
of a preferred embodiment made with reference to the accompanying
examples.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an eyeglasses care kit
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a case
for holding a care kit comprising a cleaning cloth inserted therein
and a spray bottle ready to be mounted to the case.
[0022] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the case of FIG. 1
showing the spray bottle mounted thereto.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the case shown in FIG.
1.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the case shown in
FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a front view of the case shown in FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a side view of the case shown in FIG. 1.
[0027] While the invention will be described in conjunction with an
example embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended
to limit the scope of the invention to such an embodiment. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications
and equivalents as may be included as defined by the appended
claims.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, the care kit (1) minimally includes a
case (10) for holding a bottle (12) containing a care product, and
a cloth (14). The bottle (12) may be a spray bottle or a spray pump
bottle or the like, and it can take a variety of shapes such as
cylindrical, as illustrated, or it can have a rectangular or
triangular cross section or any other shape, as apparent to any
person skilled in the art. The care product may be a cleaning
solution, an anti-fog solution, or the like. The cloth (14) may be
a re-usable washable type cloth made of fabric or the like, or a
disposable type cloth, tissue, wipe or the like.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the case (10) is made of a shell
member (16) with a top wall (18), a bottom wall (20), two opposite
side walls (22) and an open end (24) for allowing the insertion of
an object, such as a cloth (14), within the shell member (16).
Advantageously, in another embodiment (not illustrated), the shell
member (16) may preferably be sized to encase both a cloth (14) and
a pair of eyeglasses.
[0030] As can be appreciated by viewing FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottle
(12) is releasably mounted across the open end (24) of the shell
member (16). This allows for the bottle (12) to obstruct the open
end (24) of the shell member (16) in order to keep the object
securely within the same.
[0031] Turning now more particularly to FIGS. 3 to 6, the bottle
(12) is releasably mountable to the case by means of a rim (30),
bordering the open end (24) of the shell member (16), the rim (30)
being sized and shaped for snugly fitting the bottle (12) therein.
In order to more tightly hold the bottle (12) to the case (10), the
shell member (16) preferably comprises ridges (40) projecting from
at least one of the bottom (32) or top (34) walls of the rim
(30).
[0032] As best shown in FIG. 5, the embodiment illustrated
preferably comprises two ridges (40) projecting from the bottom
wall (32) of the rim (30) and two ridges (40) projecting from the
top wall (34) of the rim (30), each of the ridges (40) of the
bottom wall (32) opposing a ridge (40) of the top wall (34). As
apparent to anyone skilled in the art, the ridges (40) could be
located anywhere on the rim (30) without departing from the scope
of the invention as long as they help holding more tightly the
bottle (12) to the case (10).
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, a shoulder (42) is formed on
each of the side walls (36) of the rim (30). These shoulders (42)
are adapted to receive the bottle (12) in abutment within the open
end (24). In the case where the bottle (12) is cylindrical as in
the present case, the shoulders (42) have a semi-circular shape.
However, it is worth mentioning that in the case where the bottle
(12) has a rectangular or triangular cross section, or any other
shape, the shoulders (42) would have a shape conforming to the
cross section of the bottle (12) as apparent to anyone skilled in
the art.
[0034] Also preferably, the side walls (36) of the rim are provided
with a cut out (38) for facilitating the seizing of the bottle
(12). The cut outs (38) are preferably semi-circular for holding a
cylindrical bottle (12). A semi-circular shape of the cut out (38)
also has the advantage of being complementary to the tip of a human
finger.
[0035] Therefore, thanks to the semi-circular cut out (38), the
user may easily seize the bottle using only two fingers, while the
case is securely clipped or fixed to a plate-like object such as a
car visor or while the case is held in the other user's hand.
[0036] This semi-circular cut out (38) feature renders the kit and
case of the present invention quite user friendly.
[0037] The releasable mounting means of this preferred embodiment
of the invention is, as previously mentioned hereinabove, quite
user friendly. The user may rapidly, conveniently and virtually
effortlessly, remove or replace the bottle (12) therein. This is so
because the bottle (12) easily snaps out off the case upon removal,
and easily snaps back on upon replacement. While this is important
for ordinary users with normal dexterity, it is easily understood
that it is even more so for users with dexterity challenges due to
motor skill problems or conditions like arthritis and so on.
[0038] Alternative releasable mounting means include Velcro tabs,
elastic thongs, straps or the like, or even a cloth of the
like.
[0039] Now referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5 or 6, the case (10)
preferably comprises a holder (50) connected to a wall of the shell
member (16) for holding the same to a plate-shaped object that is
external to the invention, such as a car visor. In the embodiment
illustrated, the holder (50) is connected to the top wall (18) of
the shell member (16). Obviously, in another embodiment of the
invention (not illustrated), the holder (50) may be connected to
any other wall of the shell member (16).
[0040] The holder (50) preferably consists of a generally S-shaped
clip formed by means of an extension which integrally projects from
the top wall (18) and forms a clip therewith to enable handy
clipping of the shell member (16) to a plate-shaped element such as
a car visor, the edge of a table or desk top, the edge of a shelf,
or the like. The holder provides the advantage of allowing for
convenient storage out of sight of the case or care kit.
[0041] The holder (50) also provides the advantage of allowing a
user to be able to seize the bottle of care product and/or the
cloth without having to handle the case with the other hand since
the case may already be held secure onto a car visor. The holder
(50) therefore presents the advantages of allowing the user to
secure the case (10) to a plate-shaped element, easily seize the
bottle (12) from the case (10), free up his or her other hand, and
avoid the inadvertent misplacement of the case and or cloth. It is
worth mentioning that in another embodiment of the invention (not
illustrated), the holder may be simply made of Velcro and such.
[0042] The case (10) is preferably made of a molded plastic
material, but may also be made of a light metal, or any other
sturdy yet light material.
[0043] The case (10) which is a one-piece case can be easily
manufactured by means of a typical molding process or any other
process known in the art.
[0044] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has
been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to this precise embodiment and that various changes and
modifications may be effected therein without departing from the
scope or spirit of the present invention.
* * * * *