Clip for spectacles

Abstract

A clip or clasp is on a pair of spectacles for use in assuring its safe carrying and storage when not in use. For this purpose the clip may be placed on one or both of the temples near its hinge connection. Various forms of clips are illustrated, some of permanent installation and one of removable and replaceable construction.

Description

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means and techniques useful for those persons who are required to wear spectacles but who under some instances may wish to carry them or a spare pair of spectacles such as for example, sunglasses, in a shirt or coat pocket in such a manner so as to be assured that the spectacles will not become disloedged or lost from such pocket as, for example, during running, jumping, stooping or bending operations.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide improved means and techniques for accomplishing the above-indicated purposes and results.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide improved means and techniques of this character which are relatively simple, inexpensive, small and unobtrusive when the spectacles with such means thereon are actually being worn by the person in the normal use.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide improved means and techniques of this character which may readily be incorporated on a temple of a pair of spectacles either in a permanent or semi-permanent manner.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a person's shirt or coat pocket, within which a pair of spectacles embodying features of the present invention is releaseably secured in accordance with features of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 - 5, are each like views illustrating various different forms of means in the nature of a clip or clasp mounted on one of the temples of a pair of spectacles.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating more details of the form of clip shown in FIG. 5.

In each of the FIGS. 2 - 5 the conventional spectacles are illustrated, in part, in the form of one of the two lenses 10 secured in frame 12, such frame 12 being conventionally hinged to one of a pair of temples 14 of conventional construction using conventional hinged means 18.

In FIG. 2 the temple 14 is of plastic material and during its formation is formed also with an integrally formed cantilever element 16 of springlike nature. Such element 16 at one of its ends, i.e., that end near the hinge 18 being integrally formed at 16A with the temple 14, the other end 16B being flared to facilitate its use as a clip or clasp. The overall length and nature of this cantilever element 16 provides sufficient resiliency so that while normally its free end abuts or is closely spaced from the temple 14 it serves to clasp or clamp shirt or suit material between such clip element 16 and the temple 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1 so as to secure the entire spectacle construction against accidental removal from the shirt pocket P shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3 the clip 116 instead of being of plastic may be of metal such as spring steel and its end 116A closest to the hinge 18 may be secured to the temple 14 using a pair of rivets 116C, the other end of the clip being flared at 116B to facilitate insertion of the clip or clasp in its operative position illustrated in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 4 the clip or clasp may take the form of a generally U-shaped wire 216 of, for example, spring steel with its opposite ends bent and extending through mating apertured portions such ends of the wire clip or clasp 216 extend and are secured as for example by a press fit by glue or other fastening means which may be of such nature to permit easy removal of the U-shaped wire clip. The other end of the wire clip or clasp 216 is flared at 216B to facilitate placement of the spectacles in the person's shirt or coat pocket.

FIG. 5 illustrates another form of clip or clasp featured by the fact that the same may be conveniently removed or replaced, other details of the clip shown in FIG. 5 being illustrated in FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the clip or clasp 316 involves the use of a sleeve 316E of elastic material such as white or other colored rubber encircling and retained on and by a metal strip 316F which has its other end flared at 316G. The sleeve 316E is retained in place using a combination of tabs and tongues integrally formed with the metal strip 316. Thus, the metal strip 316 is formed with a tongue 316H which has its extreme end bent at 316J to partially encircle the rubber sleeve 316E; and also a pair of tabs 316K, 316L on opposite sides of the centrally-located tab 316J also engage one end of the elastic sleeve 316E to assure retention of the same on the metal element 316.

Using the construction shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the sleeve 316E is secured to the clip as illustrated and described above and that assembly may then be slid over the temple 14 to the position shown in FIG. 5 wherein such assembly is retained as a result of stressing or stretching of the elastic or rubber sleeve 316E and it retains the same in place on the temple 14.

While the drawings illustrate only one clip mounted on one temple it will be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention to mount a like clip on the other temple of the conventional pair of spectacles that includes, of course, two temples.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. In an arrangement wherein a clip is used for releasably securing conventional spectacles having a temple hinged to a lens frame to a person's clothing such as, for example, his shirt or coat pocket wherein the improvement comprises, a clip of cantilever structure, said clip being an elongated strip member with an elastic element encircling one end portion of said strip, and means on said strip retaining said elastic element on said one end portion, said elastic element being stretchable such that said temple may be inserted between said element and said strip with said elastic element then engaging said temple with sufficient frictional contact to prevent slippage of said clip on said temple and with said elastic element then serving as a hinge element for hinging said strip member on said temple.

2. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip member is non resilient and said elastic element provides all of the resiliency necessary for clipping of the spectacles on said shirt or coat pocket.

3. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said retaining means is an integrally formed bent portion of said strip which is bent around a portion of said elastic element to retain it on said strip.

4. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 3 in which said bent portion is a tongue portion having a width less than the width of said strip with which it is integral.