Abstract:
An eyeglasses holder comprising an arm and a hollow body. The arm is connected to the hollow body through a bridge at the top end of the arm forming a groove between the arm and hollow body. According to one embodiment, a plurality of planar protrusions extends radially from the inner surface of the hollow body toward the center of the hollow body to grip and secure the eyeglasses during transport. An alternative embodiment comprises a magnetic member contained by the hollow body that exerts a magnetic force on a pair of eyeglasses either directly or via an attached metallic strip.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This original nonprovisional application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/388,269, filed Sep. 30, 2010 and entitled “Eyeglasses Holder,” and which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to eyeglass holders and, in particular, to a lightweight, unobtrusive holder for holding and storing spectacles or eyeglasses while simultaneously providing protection for the eyeglasses when not in use by a user. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     According to the Vision Council of America, approximately seventy-five percent (75%) of adults use some sort of vision correction. About sixty-four percent (64%) of adults wear eyeglasses, and about eleven percent (11%) wear contact lenses, either exclusively, or with glasses. Over half of all women and about forty-two percent (42%) of men wear glasses. Fourteen percent (14%) of Americans use eyeglasses purchased from a drugstore. Approximately eight-five percent (85%) of the American population also wear sunglasses. Sunglasses can either be prescription or used recreationally to protect the eyes from damage from the sun. 
     Eyeglasses, including prescription and/or sunglasses, generally are comprised of a frame bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. Temple bars hingedly attached to the front of the frame and extend backward therefrom. A bridge containing nose pads connects the two lenses. The temple bars and nose pads support the glasses on the face of the user. 
     As technology advances, so does the cost of prescription eyewear and sunglasses. Consequently, many individuals will place their eyewear—which can be a substantial personal investment—in portable cases to prevent them from getting damaged. However, though the protective cases may offer some protection for the glasses, this does not necessarily prevent the cases containing the glasses from getting lost or misplaced. 
     Often times, users find themselves without a protective case. For example, when retiring to bed, the user simply places his or her eyeglasses on the nightstand. Alternatively, the user may get tired of wearing the eyeglasses and remove them temporarily increasing the risk of misplacing them or forgetting where the eyeglasses were placed. Still others may simply place their eyeglasses in either their shirt breast pocket or pants pocket. However, placing eyeglasses alone in a shirt pocket runs the risk that the glasses may slip out and become damaged when the user bends over. If placed in pants pockets, there is a risk that the glasses will be damaged when the user sits down or otherwise bends at the waist. 
     To solve these problems, several products have emerged. For example, one product has incorporated a carabiner, or D-clip, into the frame of the glasses in order to attach the frame to the user&#39;s clothing, belt loop, backpack, purse or other carried article (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0110366). However, this product does not offer much protection as the user&#39;s movement may cause the glasses to bounce back and forth and damage the glasses. Still another product attaches a clip to the temple portion of an eyeglass frame so that the eyeglasses may be clipped or attached to the user&#39;s clothes (U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,722). Various other clips have also been created in the quest for protection of eyewear including U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,727, US 2007/0006425, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 328,086, U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,727, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 312,773. 
     While the products described above aid in minimizing the loss of glasses by the user by attaching the eyeglasses to the user&#39;s clothing, these products require that the clips be somehow attached to the frame of the eyeglasses during use. This takes away from the inherent aesthetic appeal of the eyeglasses. There also still remains a need to simultaneously provide protection of the eyewear when it is attached to the user&#39;s clothing as the clips described above afford minimal protection of eyeglasses. Additionally, the required attachment of the clips to the eyeglasses adds weight and makes for heavier eyeglasses which become uncomfortable after an extended period of use by the user, especially on the nose. The present invention corrects the shortcomings of the currently available eyeglass clips. 
     In the present invention, not only do the eyeglasses remain with the user by attaching to an article of clothing (e.g., shirt pocket or shirt collar), but the present invention also provides protection of the eyewear. The present invention also serves as a constant reminder to the user of security of a large personal investment, i.e., the user&#39;s eyewear. A user should be able to carry his or her eyewear with him or her in a stylish and unobtrusive manner while simultaneously protect the eyewear from becoming lost or damaged. Accordingly, there is a need for a simple to use, lightweight, unobtrusive and convenient holder for securing, transporting and protecting eyeglasses. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a holder for a user&#39;s eyeglasses. The invention comprises an arm having a top end and a bottom end and a hollow cylindrical body having a top and bottom. A bridge connecting the top end of the arm to the top end of the hollow cylindrical body. The arm is ergonomically shaped on one side and flat on the other. The arm is approximately two and a half times the length of the hollow cylindrical body. A groove is formed within the area defined by the arm, the hollow cylindrical body, and the bridge. In use, portions of articles of clothing will fit inside this groove such that the holder is securely attached to the article of clothing or a portion thereof. 
     The hollow cylindrical body contains the plurality of planar protrusions along the inside surface of the hollow cylindrical body. The plurality of planar protrusions extends from the top end of the inside surface of the hollow cylindrical body down to the bottom end of the inside surface of the hollow cylindrical body. The ends of the plurality of planar protrusions extend from the inside surface of the hollow cylindrical body toward the center of the hollow cylindrical body defining an annularly shaped area. The hollow cylindrical body may accommodate various sizes of eyewear ranging from small frame glasses to large sunglasses. 
     The plurality of planar protrusions grips the lens and frame of the eyeglasses to secure and hold the eyeglasses in place within the hollow cylindrical body without scratching or otherwise damaging the glasses. The plurality of planar protrusions further prevents slippage of the glasses. In an alternative embodiment, the planar protrusions may be a plurality of fingers. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the hollow cylindrical body is detachably connected to the bridge and arm via an annularly-shaped clip. The clip engages around a portion of the hollow cylindrical body sufficient to firmly secure the hollow cylindrical body in a fixed position substantially parallel to the arm. The length of the annularly-shaped clip may vary and can extend approximately half the length of the arm. The length of the hollow cylindrical body may vary and can extend approximately ¾ of the length of the arm. A projecting contact clip extends outward from the left side surface of the lower portion of the arm relative to the bridge. 
     The length of the hollow cylindrical body extends a length sufficient to make contact with the projecting contact clip. The projecting contact clip protrudes from the left side surface of the lower portion of the arm and biases towards the hollow cylindrical body. An article of clothing or a portion thereof is held secure between the hollow cylindrical body and the projecting contact clip. The present invention may be made of rubber or silicon or other similarly resilient material which does not scratch or otherwise damage the eyeglasses when placed in contact therewith. 
     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the hollow body comprises a magnetic member that is attracted to the metallic frame of a pair of eyeglasses. Alternative, a metallic strip may be adhered to a pair of non-metallic eyeglasses to provide the desired magnetic attraction. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, convenient and unobtrusive eyeglasses holder that protects the glasses from being damaged. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide convenient storage on the user&#39;s person which prevents the loss of glasses. 
     It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a trendy and stylish holder for eyeglass wearers. The present invention may also be decorated such as with initials, charms, logo or other similar marking. 
     The present invention can easily be carried by the user on his or her person. If the need arises to remove the user&#39;s eyeglasses, the user may use the present invention in order to secure the user&#39;s eyeglasses to his or her person as well as prevent any damage to the glasses. 
     The design illustrated on the figures below is merely for illustrative purposes and not for limitation purposes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an isometric front perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a front elevated view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an elevated right side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a back elevated view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows a left elevated side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a bottom view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows an isometric left side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  depicts an isometric front side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 10-11  are isometric views of yet another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 12  is an assembly view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10-11 . 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  show the invention in use in a shirt pocket. 
         FIG. 14  shows the metallic strip of the alternative embodiment in use with a pair of non-metallic eyeglasses. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an eyeglass holder  10  is comprised of an arm  12  having a top end and a bottom end and a hollow cylindrical body  14 . Bridge  16  connects the top end of arm  12  to the top of hollow cylindrical body  14 . Arm  12  is ergonomically shaped on right side surface  30  and flat on left side surface  32  (not shown). 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , arm  12  is approximately two and a half times the length of hollow cylindrical body  14 . A groove  34  for receiving an article of clothing or a portion thereof is formed within the area defined by top inside surface  40  of arm  12 , hollow cylindrical body  14  and bridge  16 . In an alternative embodiment, the present invention may also be decorated such as with initials, charms, logos or other similar marking, as shown by logo  36  in  FIG. 3  (see also  FIG. 6 ). 
     In an alternative embodiment, bottom end of hollow cylindrical body  14  is angled approximately 45° relative to right side surface  30  of arm  12  such that groove  34  is wider between the top of hollow cylindrical body  14  and arm  12  and more narrow at bottom end of hollow cylindrical body  14  and arm  12 . The bottom end of hollow cylindrical body  14  biases toward arm  12 . Sufficient human force is required to pull the bottom end of hollow cylindrical body  14  away from arm  12  such that a portion of an article of clothing, such as a shirt neck (not shown), can be slid into and gripped within groove  34 . Releasing hollow cylindrical body  14  results in hollow cylindrical body  14  biasing toward arm  12 , the result of which effectively fastens the present invention to an article of clothing or a portion thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a plurality of planar protrusions  20  along inside surface  22  of hollow cylindrical body  14  extends from the top end of inside surface  22  of hollow cylindrical body  14  down to the bottom end of inside surface  22  of hollow cylindrical body  14  (see also  FIG. 2 ). Tips  42  of each of the plurality of planar protrusions  20  extend from inside surface  22  of hollow cylindrical body  14  toward the center of hollow cylindrical body  14  defining an annularly shaped area  28 . Funnel  18  guides a pair of eyeglasses (not shown) into annular area  28  of hollow cylindrical body  14  as the user places the eyeglasses into eyeglass holder  10  for storage. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , a portion of hollow cylindrical body  14  opens to form arcuately oriented shoulders  38  creating channel  46  therebetween allowing the present invention to accommodate various sizes of eyewear ranging from small frame glasses to large sunglasses where the lenses and portions of the frame of larger framed eyewear may extend into channel  46 . Channel  46  extends from arcuately oriented shoulders  38  down to flanges  24  and  26  on the lower end of hollow cylindrical body  14 . Recesses  44  on either side of arcuately oriented shoulders  38  provide a natural resting place for and accommodate the temple bars of the eyeglasses (not shown) in either a frontward position (with the front of the lenses of the eyeglasses facing away from the user) or in a backward position (with the front of the lenses of the eyeglasses facing towards the user). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in an alternative embodiment  100 , hollow cylindrical body  114  is detachably connected to bridge  116  and arm  112  via annularly-shaped clip  117 . Clip  117  engages around a portion of hollow cylindrical body  114  sufficient to firmly secure hollow cylindrical body  114  in a fixed position substantially parallel to arm  112 . The length of annularly-shaped clip  117  may vary and can extend approximately half the length of arm  112 . Projecting contact clip  113  extends outward from left side surface  132  of the lower portion of arm  112  relative to bridge  116 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , the length of hollow cylindrical body  114  extends a length sufficient to make contact with projecting contact clip  113 . Projecting contact clip  113  protrudes from left side surface  132  of the lower portion of arm  112  and biases towards hollow cylindrical body  114 . An article of clothing or a portion thereof (not shown) is held secure between hollow cylindrical body  114  and projecting contact clip  113 . 
     The present invention may be made of rubber or silicon or other similarly resilient material that is not conducive to scratching or otherwise damaging when placed in contact with the eyeglasses. Additionally, if the present invention is dropped, there is a reduced risk that the present invention or the eyeglasses would be damaged. 
     In using the present invention, the user attaches the present invention to an article of clothing or a portion thereof. By way of example, the user places the neck portion of a shirt within groove  34  (see  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) to secure the present invention thereto. The biasing of hollow cylindrical body  14  toward arm  12  sufficiently grips and secures the present invention in place. The user removes the user&#39;s eyeglasses or sunglasses and configures the eyewear into a folded configuration (not shown). The user places the eyewear in the folded configuration into the top portion of hollow cylindrical body  14  using funnel  18  as a guide to guide the eyewear in place within area  28  of hollow cylindrical body  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , as the eyewear enters hollow cylindrical body  14 , plurality of planar protrusions  20  grips the lens and frame of the eyeglasses (not shown) to secure and hold the eyeglasses in place within hollow cylindrical body  14  without scratching or otherwise damaging the glasses. Plurality of planar protrusions  20  further prevents slippage of the glasses. In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of planar protrusions  20  may be a plurality of fingers. 
     To remove the glasses from the present invention, the user applies sufficient force to pull the eyeglasses away from the grip of the plurality of planar protrusions  20 . The user places the eyewear in an open configuration and resumes wearing same. 
       FIGS. 10-11  are isometric views, respectively, of an alternative embodiment  198  of the invention. This alternative embodiment  198  comprises a hollow body  200  formed of a thermoplastic elastomer first cover  202  fastenable to a second cover  204 . A clip  206  having an arm  208  and an L-shaped bridge  210  is fixed to and extends from an open end  212  of the hollow body  200 , with a part of the bridge  210  positioned within the hollow body  200 . The end  211  of the arm  208  distal from the bridge  210  is angled away from the hollow body  200  to define a catch area  216  for an article of clothing or a portion thereof. 
     A metallic strip  218  is coated with an adhesive  220  on one side and may be decorated with initials, charms, logos, or similar markings. A removable protective cover  222  retains the adhesive  220  until the user is ready to adhere the metallic strip  218  to a pair of eyeglasses, as will be described infra with respect to  FIG. 14 . 
       FIG. 12  is an assembly view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10-11 . The second cover  204  includes a lip  224  formed around its perimeter. A raised portion  226  of the lip  226  is fittable into a recessed portion  228  of the first cover  202  to help inhibit movement of the first cover  202  relative to the second cover  204 . The second cover  204  includes a rectangular slot  230  to form an interior space defined by an inside surface  232  when the first cover  202  and second cover  204  are fastened to form the hollow body  200 . A platform  234  is adjacent to one end  236  of the slot  230 . 
     This embodiment includes a magnetic member  238  formed of neodymium, although the magnetic member  238  may be formed of other compositions sufficient to attract the metallic strip  218  through the hollow member  200 . The shape and size of the magnetic member  238  generally corresponds to the shape and size of the slot  230  to minimize movement of the magnetic member  238  within the hollow body  200 . 
     The first cover  202  is positioned over a free end  240  of the bridge  210  of the clip  206  and the slot  230  to form the hollow body  200  and retain the magnetic member  238  within the interior space. The free end  240  of the bridge  210  is welded to the second cover  204 . In the preferred embodiment, the first cover  202  and second cover  204  are fixed together with an adhesive, although in alternative embodiments, the first and second covers  202 ,  204  may snap together or be joined using other conventional fastening techniques. 
       FIG. 13  shows this alternative embodiment in use with a pair of eyeglasses  242  having metallic arms  244 . The clip  206  is fastened to a pocket  246  of a shirt  248  with the arm  208  positioned outside of the pocket  246  and the shirt  248  positioned in the groove formed by the arm  208 , the bridge  210 , and the hollow body  200 . The hollow body  200  is positioned between the pocket  246  and the shirt  248 . One arm  244  of the eyeglasses  242  is positioned in the pocket  246  adjacent to the hollow body  200 . The magnetic member  238  (not shown) within the hollow body  200  magnetically attracts the metallic arm  244 , causing the arm  244  to contact and be held against the hollow body  200 . The lenses and other arm of the eyeglasses  242  are positioned outside of the pocket  246  when not used to hold the eyeglasses  242 , any initials, charms, logos or other similar marking is prominently displayed on the clip  206 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , this alternative embodiment  198  contemplates that not all eyeglasses frames may be metallic or attracted to a magnetic force. In these cases, the metallic strip  218  may be adhered to an arm  244  of the eyeglasses  242  by removing the protective cover  222  ( FIG. 11 ) and firmly pressing the adhesive side of the metallic strip  218  to the outer surface of an arm  244  of the frame. Thereafter, the eyeglasses  242  may be used with the remainder of the system as described with reference to  FIG. 13  supra. 
     The present invention is described above in terms of a preferred illustrative embodiment of a specifically described lightweight, unobtrusive holder for eyeglasses, as well as alternative embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative constructions and implementations of such an apparatus can be used in carrying out the present invention. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings, along with the appended claims.