Patent Publication Number: US-2011069481-A1

Title: Sunglass holder detachably attached with illuminator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,575 disclosed an eyeglass holder including a backing plate affixed to a support structure such as sunvisor of a car, and a clamping finger pivotally attached to the backing plate, whereby when not in use, a pair of sunglasses may be held in between the clamping finger and the backing plate for storage of the eyeglasses. 
     However, the full set of sunglasses, including the pair of lenses, the bridge portion between the lenses, and the folded temples, should be overall clamped in the holder, thereby pressurizing the central portion of the sunglasses to easily cause deformation of the sunglasses. 
     Meanwhile, there is no prior art disclosing a miniature illuminator or flashlight which is normally held or clamped on a sunvisor in a car, and will be easily detached from the sunvisor for portable illumination when required. 
     The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the prior art and invented the present sunglass holder detachably attached with an illuminator on the holder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a sunglass holder which is detachably clamped on a sunvisor in a car for fastening a pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses on the holder when not in use, and an illuminator such as a LED illuminator detachably attached on the sunglass holder and easily removed from the holder for portable illumination use. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view showing the parts of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a longitudinal sectional drawing of the present invention fastened to a sunvisor and having a pair of sunglasses clamped thereon. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view illustration of the present invention when fastened on a sunvisor and having a pair of sunglasses clamped thereon. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an illustration of the present invention when opening the holder for removing sunglasses therefrom or for inserting sunglasses therein. 
         FIG. 6  shows an illuminator detached from the holder in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in the drawing figures, the present invention comprises: a sunglass holder  1  removably clamped on a sunvisor V in a car for clamping a pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses G thereon; and an illuminator  2  detachably attached on the sunglass holder  1 . 
     The sunglass holder  1  includes: a base shell  11  removably clipped on a sunvisor V or a fixture in a car, and a clamping shell  12  pivotally secured to the base shell  11  by a hinge or pivoting means  10  for clamping a pair of sunglasses G in between the base shell  11  and the clamping shell  12  when not in use. 
     A soft packing member  13  includes an inner pad  131  secured to the base shell  11  and an outer pad  132  secured to the clamping shell  12  for resiliently clamping a pair of folded temples T of the sunglasses G in between the inner pad  131  and the outer pad  132 . The packing member  13  may be made of sponge, foam or elastomers. 
     The base shell  11  includes a clip  14  formed on a back portion of the shell  11  to be removably clipped on the sunvisor V in a car. 
     A ferrous or iron plate  15  is adhered or fixed in the clamping shell  12  for magnetically attracting the illuminator  2  having a magnet  23  mounted in the illuminator  2  for detachably attaching the illuminator  2  on the sunglass holder  1 . 
     A control button  16  is resiliently formed on an upper (or outer) portion of the base shell  11 , having a locking portion  161  formed in the control button  16  and a tensioning spring  162  retained in the base shell  11  for normally urging the control button  16  upwardly or outwardly; and a latch member  17  is formed in the clamping shell  12  for engaging the locking portion  161  of the control button  16  for closing the clamping shell  12  to the base shell  11  for clamping a pair of folded temples T of the sunglass G in between the base shell  11  and the clamping shell  12 , and whereby upon depression of the control button  16  to disengage the latch member  17  from the locking portion  161  of the control button  16 , the clamping shell  12  will be pivotally opened ( FIG. 5 ) for removing the sunglasses G from the holder  1  or for inserting the sunglasses G into the holder  1 . 
     The illuminator  2  includes a lamp  24  electrically connected to a power supply device  26  mounted in the illuminator  2 , a magnet  23  secured in the illuminator  2  to be magnetically attracted to the ferrous plate  15  fixed in the sunglass holder  1 , and a switch button  25  resiliently formed on the illuminator  2  for switching on or off the lamp  24 . The illuminator  2  is detachably held in a recess  18  as recessed in the sunglass holder  1  and is magnetically attracted to the sunglass holder  1  by a magnetic attraction between the magnet  23  in the illuminator  2  and the ferrous plate  15  in the sunglass holder  1 , whereby upon separation of the illuminator  2  from the sunglass holder  1  by overcoming the magnetic attraction therebetween, the illuminator  2  may be removed from the sunglass holder for a convenient portable illumination use in the car or in a dark surrounding. So, the magnet  23  and the ferrous plate  15  may be deemed as a “fastening means” for fastening the illuminator  2  on the holder  1 . 
     Of course, the illuminator  2  may also be detachably attached to the sunglass holder  1  by any other fastening means, not limited in this invention. 
     The illuminator  2  includes a bottom cover  21  having the magnet  23  mounted on an inside surface (or portion) of the bottom cover  21  to be magnetically attracted to the ferrous plate  15  mounted in the clamping shell  12  of the sunglass holder  1 , and an outer cover  22  combinably fixed to the bottom cover  21  for encasing the power supply device  26  in between the bottom cover  21  and the outer cover  22 . 
     The power supply device  26  may include at least a battery (or button cell) electrically connected to a circuit board secured to the bottom cover  21 , and the switch button  25  resiliently protruded through a button hole  221  formed in the outer cover  22  and electrically connected to the power supply device  26  for connecting or disconnecting the power supply to the lamp  24  for switching on or off the lamp  24 . 
     The lamp  24  may be a bulb or a LED lamp, not limited in this invention. 
     When not in use, the folded temples  5  of the sunglasses G may be inserted and clamped in between the clamping shell  12  and the base shell  11  of the sunglass holder  1  as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  to allow the pair of lenses L and their bridge portion B to be positioned in front of the illuminator  2 . 
     When it is intended for use, the button  16  may be depressed to disengage (or open) the clamping shell  12  from the base shell  11 , the sunglasses may then be removed for wearing. 
     When it is dark or at night time, the illuminator  2  may be easily removed from the sunglass holder  1  just by simply overcoming the “small” magnetic attraction force between the magnet  23  in the illuminator  2  and the ferrous plate  15  in the sunglass holder  1 . Therefore, the illuminator  2  may serve as a portable flashlight for a convenient illumination in a car or in any location. 
     The present invention provides a sunglass holder for removably storing a pair of sunglasses thereon, and an illuminator  2  detachably carried on the sunglass holder  1  for a convenient storing of the illuminator  2 . 
     The sunglass holder  1  plays a double duty, namely for clamping the sunglasses when not in use without occupying a big volume in a car, and also for “storing” an illuminator  2  on the holder  1  to prevent from loss on missing of the illuminator  2 , but to quickly “find out” the illuminator  2  especially when required for illumination or emergency use in night time. 
     The sunglass holder  1  may also be fastened or clipped to any other structures or fixtures in a car or in any other places. 
     The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.