U.S. patent application number 11/428665 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-11 for eyeglass clip.
Invention is credited to ClydeA Woodbury.
Application Number | 20070006425 11/428665 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37605182 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070006425 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Woodbury; ClydeA |
January 11, 2007 |
EYEGLASS CLIP
Abstract
An eyeglass clip comprising a beam having a tip at one end, a
lever on the other end, and a mounting disk. The beam is designed
to be the main structural member of the eyeglass clip and provides
the clamping force which secures the eyeglass clip to a person's
garment. The mounting disk is designed to attach the beam to the
eyeglass temple piece. The tip is designed to focus the clamping
forces at a specific point on the temple piece trapping the garment
between the beam and the temple piece. The lever is designed to
allow the user to activate the clamping mechanism comprising the
beam and tip. Depressing the lever will allow the material of the
garment to slide between the temple piece and the tip. Then
releasing the lever, the material and eyeglasses are securely
locked in place.
Inventors: |
Woodbury; ClydeA;
(Templeton, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAINE & ASMUS
100 MAIN STREET
P O BOX 3445
NASHUA
NH
03061-3445
US
|
Family ID: |
37605182 |
Appl. No.: |
11/428665 |
Filed: |
July 5, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60697009 |
Jul 5, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
24/3.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 5/02 20130101; G02C
11/02 20130101; Y10T 24/1371 20150115; G02C 2200/02 20130101; A45F
2200/0541 20130101; G02C 11/00 20130101; A45F 5/00 20130101; A45C
11/04 20130101; A45F 5/022 20130101; G02C 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
024/003.3 |
International
Class: |
A45F 5/00 20060101
A45F005/00 |
Claims
1. An eyeglass clip comprising: a mounting disk, the edge of which
is configured with a mounting slot for engaging a temple piece of
an eyeglass frame, the mounting disk being adjustably positionable
on the temple piece of the eyeglass frame; and a beam having a
first end and a second end, the first end being a lever and said
second end being a tip, the beam being pivotally connected to the
mounting disk by a spring hinge, the beam being pivotable between
an open position in which the tip spaced apart from an outer
lateral surface of the temple piece and a closed position in which
the tip is pressed against the outer lateral surface of the temple
piece.
2. The eyeglass clip of claim 1 wherein the mounting disk is
adjustably securable by a clamping screw spanning the mounting
slot.
3. The eyeglass clip of claim 1 wherein the beam is integrally
formed with the mounting disk.
4. The eyeglass clip of claim 1 wherein the mounting disk is
plastic.
5. The eyeglass clip of claim 1 wherein the beam is made of
metal.
6. The eyeglass clip of claim 12 wherein the mounting slot is
configured for a press fit on the temple piece.
7. An eyeglass frame comprising: a lens frame for holding a pair of
lenses, first and second temple pieces each having a front end
pivotally connected to the lens frame by a hinge and a rear end;
and a clip pivotally mounted on an outer lateral surface of the
first temple piece, the clip being capable of gripping an item of
clothing, the clip being comprised of a mounting disk and a beam,
the mounting disk being slotted to engage the first temple piece of
the eyeglass frame, the beam having a first end and a second end,
the first end being a lever and said second end being a tip.
8. The frame of claim 7 wherein the mounting disk is adjustably
mounted to the temple piece of said eyeglass frame by a clamping
screw.
9. The frame of claim 7 wherein the mounting disk is plastic.
10. The frame of claim 7 wherein the beam is pivotally connected to
the mounting disk by a spring hinge.
11. The frame of claim 7 wherein the beam is integrally formed with
the mounting disk and the spring hinge.
12. The frame of claim 7 wherein the beam is made of metal.
13. The frame of claim 7 wherein the clip is pivotable between an
open position in which the tip is spaced apart from the outer
lateral surface of the first temple piece and a closed position in
which the tip is pressed against the outer lateral surface of the
first temple piece and is spring loaded so as to be normally in a
closed position.
14. The frame of claim 7 wherein the tip is serrated.
15. A magnetic retention system for securing the temple pieces of
an eyeglass frame comprising: a pair of magnetic disks mounted on
each the first and second temple pieces via a mounting slot, the
magnetic disks being substantially aligned when the temple pieces
are in a closed position, the magnetic disks having opposite
polarities, the magnetic disks being capable of gripping an item of
clothing between them via the attraction of the opposite polarities
to each other when the first and second temple pieces are in a
closed position
16. The magnetic retention system of claim 15 wherein the magnetic
disks is adjustably mounted to the temple piece of the eyeglass
frame by a clamping screw.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/697,009, filed Jul. 5, 2005. This application is
herein incorporated in its entirety by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to eyeglass storage systems, and more
particularly, to an eyeglass clip that provides an easy and secure
method for a person to store a pair of eyeglasses when they are not
being used.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It can be appreciated that eyeglass storage systems have
been in use for years. Typically, eyeglass storage systems are
comprised of an eyeglass carry case/pouch or a tether made from a
fine chain or a decorative rope.
[0004] There are drawbacks with conventional eyeglass storage
systems. When using a carry case, the user must fold and store the
glasses in the case before they can secure the case in a pocket or
to a collar. The carry case is often bulky and does not fit well
into a shirt or jacket pocket. Thus, the carry case is inconvenient
and easily lost or misplaced. In the case of the tether, the
glasses are not well protected while the user is engaged in
everyday activities as the temple pieces of the glasses may become
disengaged from the tether. This may result in the eyeglasses
falling to the ground and becoming damaged.
[0005] An additional problem with conventional eyeglass storage
systems is that they do not blend in with the style of the glasses.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to
which they address, they are not as suitable for providing an easy
and secure method for storing eyeglasses on one's person when they
are not being used.
[0006] Another common method for temporary storage of eyeglasses is
to suspend them from one of the temple pieces of the eyeglass frame
from a collar, placket or pocket of a shirt. However, this means of
storage is not secure since both the temple piece and the shirt
material are smooth and the glasses can easily slide out, fall to
the ground, and break.
[0007] Another method for temporary storage of eyeglasses is to
attach a clip to the temple piece in order to more firmly secure
the eyeglasses to the garment. Various types of clips are described
in the prior art. Some are molded as one piece with the temple bar
or attached to the bar via a clamp or screw. Others are designed to
be retrofitted to existing eyeglasses using "O" rings or
elastically deformable material. Still others utilize complicated
spring clips or hinges.
[0008] The disadvantages of the prior art clips is that they do not
match the style of the glasses, add expense to the manufacture and
assembly of the glasses, and are not strong enough to last the life
of the glasses. Thus, an object of the present invention is to
provide a eyeglass clip that will overcome the shortcomings of the
prior art devices. In this respect, the eyeglass clip according to
the present invention substantially departs from the conventional
concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an
apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an easy
and secure method for storing eyeglasses on one's person when they
are not being used.
[0009] Another object is to provide an eyeglass clip that blends in
with the eyeglasses, can be easily attached to most popular sizes
of eyeglasses, is to provide an eyeglass clip that is quick and
easy to use, can be easily transferred to another pair of
eyeglasses as needed, secures the eyeglasses to the user's shirt
pocket or collar, and can be manufactured in many different colors
to match the eyeglasses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The eyeglass clip of the present invention generally
comprises a beam having a tip at one end, a lever on the other end,
and a mounting disk. The beam is designed to be the main structural
member of the eyeglass clip and provides the clamping force which
secures the eyeglass clip to a person's garment. The mounting disk
is designed to attach the beam to the eyeglass temple piece. The
tip is designed to focus the clamping forces at a specific point
trapping the garment between the tip and the eyeglass temple piece.
The lever is designed to allow the user to activate the clamping
mechanism comprising the beam and tip.
[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention a single molded
plastic eyeglass clip is provided along with a mounting system
through a slotted disk that slips over the temple piece. The beam
is connected to the mounting disk by a narrow plastic web. This
web, also known as a "living hinge", allows the beam to
rotate/pivot and creates the forces with which the clip secures the
eyeglasses to the user's garment. The lever and the tip are also
integrated into the beam at the same time. This single component is
fastened to the temple piece by the means of a small clamping screw
passing from the inside to the outside.
[0012] In another embodiment, the eyeglass clip is an assembly of
plastic and metal components. The mounting system is provided in
the form of a plastic molded disk with a slot for the temple piece.
The beam is a sheet metal stamping and has the tip and lever
incorporated into it at the appropriate ends. The beam has two tabs
with holes in them that extend into tab slots in the mounting disk.
Once the beam and disk are positioned properly, a pin is pressed
vertically through the disk, tab slots, and tabs to fasten them
together. This assembled system allows the beam to rotate/pivot
about the pin. The beam, in this design, also has an integral leaf
spring that bears on the disk to generate the clamping forces
required to secure the eyeglasses to the garment.
[0013] In both of these embodiments, the disk component of the
eyeglass clip slips over the eyeglass temple piece. The user can
chose which temple piece they prefer, left side or right side. The
clip is then positioned along the temple piece to a point
appropriate for that specific style of eyeglass frame. While the
user is wearing the eyeglasses, the clip remains secured to the
temple piece. When the user does not need the eyeglasses for a
period of time, they will remove the eyeglasses, fold them, and
then slip them into a pocket or into the collar of the garment.
Pressing the lever will allow the material of the garment to slide
between the temple piece and the tip. Then releasing the lever, the
material and eyeglasses are securely locked in place. Since the
clip is semi-permanently attached to the temple piece by way of the
small clamping screw, it is relatively easy for the user to remove
the device from one pair of eyeglasses and install it on a
different pair as needed.
[0014] In a further embodiment, the eyeglass clip consists of a
pair of magnetic disks, one mounted on each of the temple pieces of
the eyeglass frame. When the frame is suspended by one of the
temple pieces of the eyeglass frame, with the temple pieces folded,
such as from a collar, placket or pocket of a shirt, the magnets
attract each other and trap the garment between them, thus securing
the frame to the material.
[0015] The features and advantages described herein are not
all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and
advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in
view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it
should be noted that the language used in the specification has
been principally selected for readability and instructional
purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject
matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of eyeglasses
equipped with an eyeglass clip in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is an outer side perspective view of the eyeglass
clip of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is an inner side perspective view of the eyeglass
clip of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an end view of the disk portion of FIG. 1
illustrating the mounting slot and clamping screw by which the
eyeglass frame is secured to the temple piece.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of eyeglasses
equipped with an eyeglass clip in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 5
illustrating the spring element extending from the beam and bearing
on the disk surface on the lever side of the hinge pin to provide
closing pressure for the beam.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pair of eyeglasses in the
open position equipped with an eyeglass clip in accordance with an
alternative embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pair of eyeglasses in the
closed position equipped with an eyeglass clip in accordance with
an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
eyeglass clip of the present invention. The clip 10 is shown
attached to a pair of eyeglasses 100. Eyeglasses 100 include a lens
frame 61, which houses lenses 62, and temple pieces 60 each having
a front end that is pivotally connected by a hinge 63 to lens frame
61, and a rear end that rests upon the ear of the wearer.
[0025] The eyeglass clip comprises a beam 20 having a first end (a
tip 30) and a second end (a lever 40) and a mounting disk 50. Beam
20 is designed to be the main structural member of clip 10 and
provide the clamping force that secures clip 10 to a person's
garment. Mounting disk 50 is designed to attach beam 20 to temple
piece 60. Tip 30 is designed to focus the clamping forces at a
specific point on temple piece 60 trapping the garment between beam
20 and an outer lateral surface 64 of temple piece 60. Lever 40 is
designed to allow the user to open the clamping mechanism
comprising beam 20 and tip 30.
[0026] FIGS. 2 and 3 are outer and inner side perspective views,
respectively, of the eyeglass clip of one embodiment of the
invention. Beam 20 is attached to mounting disk 50 in such a way as
to allow beam 20 to flex in rotational manner when lever 40 of beam
20 is depressed. Beam 20 is generally aligned to temple piece 60.
In the present embodiment, beam 20 is constructed from a plastic
material. However, beam 20 may be constructed from a number of
materials including metal. In the present embodiment, beam 20 is
integrated with mounting disk 50. However, beam 20 may also be a
separate component in the clip assembly.
[0027] Beam 20 is connected to mounting disk 50 by an integral
plastic spring 90, also known as a "living hinge". This allows beam
20 to rotate/pivot and creates the force with which the clip
secures the eyeglasses to the user's garment. Mounting disk 50,
beam 20 and integral plastic spring 90 are manufactured from glass
filled plastic, which gives the spring hinge its flexibility.
[0028] Mounting disk 50 is designed to adjustably attach beam 20 to
temple piece 60. Referring to FIG. 4, mounting disk 50 slips over
temple piece 60 via a mounting slot 55 and is then secured in
position by a small clamping screw 71 into a hole 70, the inboard
portion of which is threaded to receive the screw. Mounting slot 55
of mounting disk 50 may be positioned over the top or underneath
temple piece 60 depending upon the directional orientation of clip
10. Mounting disk 50 may also be configured for a press on or snap
on fit with temple piece 60 in which the inner surface of mounting
slot 55 is conditioned for gripping. Mounting slot 55 may also be
wedge shaped in order to facilitate engagement with temple piece
60. In the present embodiment, mounting disk 50 is made of plastic,
but may also be manufactured of sheet metal or other material.
Mounting disk 50 is integrated with beam 20 in the present
embodiment, but may also be a separate component.
[0029] Tip 30 is designed to focus the clamping forces at a
specific point trapping a garment between beam 20 and lateral outer
surface 64 of temple piece 60. Tip 30 is a protrusion located at
one end of beam 20. Tip 30 closes the gap between beam 20 and
lateral outer surface 64 of temple piece 60 by the spring action of
plastic spring 90. Tip 30 has a rounded profile in the present
embodiment, but may also have serrated teeth, for providing a
better grip.
[0030] Lever 40 allows the user to activate the clamping mechanism
comprising beam 20 and tip 30. Lever 40 is the portion of beam 20
that is located at the rear end, and by pressing it the user
releases the clamping forces securing the clip assembly to the
user's garment. In the present embodiment, lever 40 is an integral
part of beam 20 made from a plastic molded component.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of
a pair of eyeglasses equipped with an alternative embodiment of the
eyeglass clip of the present invention. The eyeglass clip shown in
FIG. 5 is an assembly of plastic and metal components. The mounting
system is provided in the form of a plastic mounting disk 150 with
a mounting slot 155 for the temple piece 160. In this design,
mounting disk 150 made also be made of an elastomeric material.
Beam 120 is a sheet metal stamping and has tip 130 and lever 140
incorporated into it at the appropriate ends. Beam 120 has two tabs
185 with holes in them that extend into tab slots 195 in mounting
disk 150. Once beam 120 and mounting disk 150 are positioned
properly, a pin 170 is pressed through disk 150, tab slots 195 and
tabs 185 to pin them together. This assembled system allows beam
120 to rotate/pivot about pin 170. Beam 120, in this design, also
has an integral leaf spring 180 that bears on the surface of
mounting disk 150 to generate the clamping force required to secure
the eyeglasses to the garment. Beam 120 is generally aligned with
temple piece 160, but may also be mounted with other
orientations.
[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 5
illustrating the spring element extending from the beam and bearing
on the disk surface on the lever side of the hinge pin to provide
closing pressure for the beam.
[0033] In both of these embodiments, the user can chose which
temple piece they prefer, left side or right side. The clip is then
positioned along the temple piece to a point appropriate for that
specific style of eyeglass frame. While the user is wearing the
eyeglasses, the clip remains secured to the temple piece. When the
user does not need the eyeglasses for a period of time, they will
remove the eyeglasses, fold them, and then slip them into a pocket
or into the collar of the garment. Pressing the lever will allow
the material of the garment to slide between the temple piece and
the tip. Then releasing the lever, the material and eyeglasses are
securely locked in place. Since the clip is semi-permanently
attached to the temple piece by way of the small clamping screw, it
is relatively easy for the user to remove the device from one pair
of eyeglasses and install it on a different pair as needed.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, FIG. 7 illustrates another
alternative embodiment of the eyeglass clip of the present
invention. The clip is shown attached to a pair of eyeglasses 200
in the open position. Eyeglasses 200 include a lens frame 261,
which houses lenses 262, and temple pieces 260 each having a front
end that is pivotally connected by a hinge 263 to lens frame 261,
and a rear end that rests upon the ear of the wearer.
[0035] In this embodiment, a magnetic disk 250 is attached to each
of the temple pieces 260 via a mounting slot (not shown). Referring
to FIG. 8, when frame 200 is suspended by one of the temple pieces
260, with the temple pieces folded, from a collar, placket or
pocket of a shirt, the magnetic disks 250 attract each other and
trap the garment between them, thus securing the frames 200 to the
material. The mounting slot (not shown) is similarly configured
with a hole (not shown) and clamping screws as illustrated in the
embodiment of FIG. 4.
[0036] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the
invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and
variations are possible in light of this disclosure. It is intended
that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed
description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *