Adjustable headband assembly attached to spectacles frame stems

An adjustable retainer for a spectacles frame, which comprises an elongated band assembly including multiple bands, the assembly being generally U-shaped; at least two of the bands having adjustable, lengthwise, relatively slidable interfit; whereby the overall length of the U-shaped assembly may be quickly adjusted to fit the wearer's head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to retention of spectacles frames to 
wearer's heads, and more particularly, to a retainer having multiple bands 
which are quickly and easily adjustable to enable use of the retainer in 
different modes, as well as its adjustment to the wearer's head. 
In the past, various retention devices have been employed, as for example 
are exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 
4,133,604 
2,704,961 
2,481,946 
3,450,467 
1,819,738 
3,829,804 
3,874,776 
3,502,396 
4,692,002 
None of such devices incorporates the unusually advantageous adjustable 
structures, modes of operation and unique results as are now afforded by 
the present invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a major object of the present invention to provide an improved 
retainer meeting the need for an adjustable device incorporating the 
above-described features. Basically, the improved retainer comprises: 
(a) an elongated band assembly including multiple bands, the assembly being 
generally U-shaped, 
(b) at least two of the bands having adjustable, lengthwise, relatively 
slidable interfit, 
(c) whereby the overall length of the U-shaped assembly may be quickly 
adjusted to fit the wearer's head. 
It is a further object to provide such a device wherein one of the two 
bands has elongated cord configuration, and the other of the two bands is 
locally wrapped about a local portion of the one band to provide a 
relatively slidable, frictional interfit therebetween. Typically, one band 
is attached at one end thereof to a spectacles frame, and the other band 
is adapted to wrap about the rear of the wearer's head. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved retainer 
that includes first, second and third bands, the first and second bands 
having adjustable, lengthwise, relatively slidable interfit, and the third 
and second bands also having adjustable, lengthwise, relatively slidable 
interfit. As will appear, the first and third bands typically have 
elongated cord configuration, and wherein the second band is 
locally wrapped at least partly about a local portion of the first band to 
provide a relatively slidable frictional interfit therebetween; 
locally wrapped at least partly about a local portion of the third band to 
provide a relatively slidable frictional interfit therebetween. 
An important object is to provide an improved band assembly, as referred 
to, wherein each of the first and third bands has a free end portion that 
dangles relative to the second band and can be pulled to adjust one or 
both of the interfits. 
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the 
details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from 
the following specification and drawings, in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In the drawings, the adjustable retainer 10 is adapted for use with a 
spectacles frame 11 of which the two frame stems are shown at 12. The 
stems are shown as curving downwardly at 12a for ear retention. 
The retainer 10 includes an elongated, multiple band assembly that 
typically comprises at least two bands, and preferably three, the overall 
assembly in use being generally U-shaped, lengthwise. The three bands are 
shown at 13, 14, and 15. In accordance with the invention, at least two of 
the bands (bands 13 and 15, or bands 14 and 15, or both of them) have 
adjustable, lengthwise, relatively slidable interfit, whereby the overall 
length of the U-shaped assembly may be quickly adjusted to fit the 
wearer's head; for example, the adjustment band 15, which extends about 
the rear of the wearer's head, may be quickly and efficiently tightened or 
loosened, and the relative positions of the bands, as adjusted, will be 
retained. 
As shown, bands 13 and 14 have elongated cord configuration, and they may 
have lengthwise resilient stretchability, i.e., may yield resiliently, 
when pulled, such stretching locally reducing cord diameter. They may 
consist of elastomeric or other resiliently yieldable material. Each of 
these cords or bands may be attached to a frame stem as shown for example 
in FIG. 1, other modes of attachment being usable. Merely as illustrated, 
band 13 is doubled back upon itself at 13a', and a clip 16 attached, 
thereby to form band loop 13b. To that loop is attached a plastic strand 
loop 17 which is received over the stem 12 at 17a, near turned end portion 
12a. A wire coil 18 fitted about the loop 17 is then adjusted on the loop 
17 to clamp it to the stem. Band 14 is similarly attached to the other 
stem. 
Extending the description to FIGS. 2-4, the other band 15 (to which each of 
bands 13 and 14 is attached) is in the form of a thin, flexible strip of 
material having width "w" and thickness "t", where w&gt;&gt;t, typically. It 
therefore can be locally wrapped at 20 about a local portion (14a for 
example) of band 14, and at 20' about a local portion (13a for example) of 
band 13. These wrappings frictionally engage the surface of the cord or 
band portions 13a and 14a to provide relatively slidable, frictional 
interfits therebetween. The edge portions 20a and 20b of the wrap 20 are 
typically sewn together at 22 (see FIG. 3) to provide the frictional 
interfit. 
Band 15 is typically lengthwise and stretchable, and also widthwise 
stretchable; and it is also compressible in its thickness dimension. It 
may consist, advantageously, of a strip 25 of closed cell elastomeric 
compressible foam, lined on one side with a sheet 26 of compressible 
synthetic polymer fabric. Examples are foamed NEOPRENE (at 25) and 
stretchable NYLON (at 26). The foam has a thickness between 1/32 inch and 
1/16 inch. The band wrap 20 covers the compressible foam 25 to lightly 
grip the cord 14 (and also cord 13). Other band 15 materials are usable so 
long as the cords 13 and 14 are lightly gripped to provide the adjustment 
functions referred to 
It will be noted that in the assembly, as seen in FIG. 1, the cords 13 and 
14 have free end portions 13d and 14d that dangle relative to band 15, the 
latter shown in the position it would have when attached about the 
wearer's head. In accordance with the invention, the ends of the dangling 
end portions 13d and 14d can be pulled, to effect sliding endwise slippage 
of the portions 13a and 14a relative to loops 20, as desired, to adjust 
such interfits, as for example tighten the band 15 about the back of the 
head. Conversely, band 15 can be pulled rearwardly (see arrow 26 in FIG. 
1) to effect reverse slippage at the local interfit, thereby to loosen its 
attachment to the head; and the same loosening can be achieved by pulling 
the spectacles frame forwardly (see arrow 27 in FIG. 1). 
The length of the bands 13-15 is such that they can be relatively elongated 
until knots 13e and 14e (at the ends of the dangling extents 13d and 14d) 
come into engagement with the loops 20 and 20'. This then allows lowering 
of the band 1 to the back of the wearer's neck, and safe lowering of the 
spectacles to hang downwardly at and on the chest of the wearer. 
Referring now to FIG. 4(a), it shows the local frictional interfit of cord 
or band 14a with the looping portion 20 of band 15. As seen in FIG. 4(b), 
when band 14a is pulled forwardly (see arrow 27') as by pulling the 
spectacles forwardly, the cord elongates and locally reduces in diameter 
at 14a', locally loosening its grip with the loop 20 at 29, whereby the 
slippage can occur, there still being frictional interfit at 30 to resist 
such slippage. Likewise, in FIG. 4(c), when band 14a is pulled rearwardly 
(see arrow 26'), as by pulling rearwardly on the dangling extent 14c of 
the band to tighten the assembly, the cord 14 elongates and locally 
reduces in diameter at 14a", loosening its grip with the loop 20 at 31, 
whereby slippage can occur, there still being some frictional interfit at 
32 to resist such slippage. 
The part that is the compressible foam that engages the cords and bands 13 
and 14 is important as respects enhancement of the frictional interfit 
gripping, and local loosening, as referred to; however, the band 15 can be 
made of other material as long as the interfit functions as referred to 
are enabled. 
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the elements that are the same as those in 
FIGS. 1-4 have the same identifying numerals. Additionally, the one band, 
as at 13 for example, also passes through an opening 40 in the other band 
15. Opening 40 has an annular inner edge 40a which frictionally hugs the 
one, cord-like band 13 to resist slippage of band 13 through the opening. 
Opening 40 is in general alignment with the passage 41 defined by the 
local wrapping at 42 of band 15 about band 13. 
This construction produces a second frictional resistance to slippage of 
the two bands 13 and 15. The same construction may be effected as between 
bands 14 and 15.