Abstract:
An article holder configured for one-handed operation includes an upper arm pivotally connected at one end to a lower arm such that the upper and lower arms having opposing inner surfaces. A cushion may be attached on an inner surface of either arm and a spring member disposed near the hinge may bias the inner surface of the lower arm toward the cushion to form a clamping surface in a rested state. A clip disposed on an outer surface of may be included to attach the holder to a desired surface. In certain embodiments, the lower arm includes a toe portion on an end opposite of the hinge which extends beyond a corresponding end of the upper arm to provide a leveraging surface to open the clamping body from the spring-biased clamping position. Additional embodiments and variants are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a device for holding personal articles such as eyeglasses and the like. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a device that holds eyeglasses or sunglasses, pens, pencils or any other small object and clips. The device may be attached to any surface such as appliances, furniture, computers, clothing, clothing accessories and flat surfaces such as automobile visors and books. 
         [0003]    2. Background Art 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Many people periodically wear eyeglasses and/or sunglasses. However, at certain times, a wearer of eyeglasses or sunglasses (collectively referred to herein as “glasses”) may wish to remove and store their glasses for short periods when the glasses are not needed. For example, a wearer of sunglasses may remove them during evening hours when sunlight begins to fade. The wearer may typically remove them and place them in a convenient location such as on the dashboard of the car, on an adjacent seat, in a cubbyhole or the like. These locations, while convenient, may subject the glasses to be susceptible to soiling, damage and/or loss. Consequently, there is a need for a holder of personal articles, including glasses, which conveniently stores such items to prevent soiling, damage and/or loss. 
         [0005]    Many attempts to provide such a holder have been made. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,134,753 and 5,794,312 to O&#39;Mahony disclose holding devices including a clip portion for attaching the holding device to a desired surface and a S-shaped or U-shaped portion for securing temples of glasses. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,487 to Keely discloses a retainer for holding eyeglasses that includes a retainer ring rotatably mounted to a clamping means. The clamping means secures the retainer to a desired surface, such as a automobile visor, while the retainer ring receives and secures the temple portion of a pair of eyeglasses. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,476 to Mancinelli discloses a holder for securing eyeglasses to a visor including a body and a clip. The body receives the bridge of the eyeglasses with the temple bars of the glasses resting on-top of the body. The clip is disposed on a portion of the body and forms a flexible clamp for securing the holder to a visor. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,459 to Goldenberg discloses a clip for securing eyeglasses or sunglasses that slides onto an article of clothing. The clip is similar to a conventional money clip but has an elastic material to create a channel for receiving a temple of a pair of glasses. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,003 to Chan discloses a personal article holder having a clamping body and a visor clip. And U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,432 to Kushner, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a personal article holder having a clamping body and a display window disposed on the clamping body for displaying desired images. 
         [0010]    While these and other known retainers and holders for glasses and other articles may provide effective for protecting such items against loss, damage or soiling, they may have drawbacks such as requiring two hands to insert an article into the respective holder, not securely holding an article once inserted into the holder, damaging an article inserted into the holder, and/or consisting of intricate, expensive and potentially delicate parts. 
         [0011]    An improved article holder which alleviates one or more of these drawbacks is desirable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0012]    Further aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention in reference to the appended drawing in which like numerals denote like elements and in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an article holder in a closed or clamped position according to one aspect of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the article holder of  FIG. 1  in an open position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is perspective and expanded view of disassembled pieces of the article holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an assembled personal article holder according to various embodiments; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the article holder clipped to a surface and holding an article. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Turning to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an article holder  100  according to one embodiment of the invention may include: a clamping body  110  configured to secure an article and an attachment portion  105  attached to clamping body  110  and configured to secure clamping body  110  to a desired surface. In this exemplary embodiment, clamping body  110  may generally include an upper arm member  115  hingedly connected on one end to a lower arm member  120 . The upper and lower arm members  115 ,  120  may be pivotally connected to one another and include a tension member to bias opposing surfaces of the upper and lower arm members toward each other to a closed or clamping position as shown in  FIG. 1 . The tension biases holder  100  to the closed position in its natural state of rest. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the upper or lower arm members  120 ,  115  may include a soft cushion member  130  disposed on an inside surface which serves to gently secure an inserted article between opposing surfaces of upper and lower arm members  115  and  120 . 
         [0020]    In certain embodiments cushion member  120  may be glued or otherwise attached to the upper arm member  115 . The attachment portion  105  is secured to upper arm member  115 , opposite the side of its respective cushion member  130  for attaching to a desired surface such as a car visor, clothing, refrigerator, or other surface. 
         [0021]    In preferred embodiments, lower arm member  120  may be longer than upper arm member  115  such that a toe  124  of lower arm member  120  extends outward from article holder  100 , past a corresponding end of upper arm member  115 . In this manner, toe  124  of lower arm member  120  may serve as a leveraging surface to open article holder  100  from a clamped position with the same hand being used to insert an article for holding. Toe  124  may also serve as a guide for certain articles to be held as discussed below with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
         [0022]    In one non-limiting embodiment, an inner surface of lower arm member  120  may include one or more securing mechanisms  122  for securing articles from slipping out from between upper and lower arm members  115  and  120  when they are in a clamped position ( FIG. 1 ). Securing mechanisms  122  may include one or more notches or ribs, and/or non-slip surfaces as discussed with respect to the embodiments shown in reference to  FIGS. 3-5 . As shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , securing mechanisms  122  may consist of one or more notches which may assist in preventing temples of glasses, writing utensils or other orthogonally placed elements from incidentally slipping out of the grasp of article holder  100 . 
         [0023]    Turning to  FIG. 3 , an embodiment for an article holder  300  is similar to that previously discussed.  FIG. 3  shows respective pieces of article holder  300  in a disassembled manner. It can be seen in this embodiment that upper and lower arm members  315  and  312  respectively include hinge axis members  313  and  323  on like ends which when coupled by a pivot or pin  311  allow the upper and lower arm members  315  and  320  to rotate with respect to one another about an axis. When a tension member such as spring  312  is coupled about the axis formed by pin  311 , the inner surfaces of upper and lower arm members  315  and  320  may be biased against each other in a clamping or closed position as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0024]    It should be recognized that instead of pin  311 , alternative types of pivoting couplings could be used such as one or more collars and corresponding protrusions formed in hinge axis members  313  and  323 . Additionally, various types of tension members other than spring  312  could be used and thus the inventive embodiments are not limited to the specific arrangement shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the article holder of  FIG. 3  in an assembled and natural state; that is, biased to a clamped or closed position. As with other embodiments, lower arm member  320  is significantly longer than opposing upper arm member  315  which forms an extending toe  324 . A key advantage of the article holders of the inventive embodiments is derived by the extending toe  324  and pivoting spring-biased action in that a user wishing to insert an article can easily manipulate toe  324  in a position away upper arm member  315  (i.e., to open holder  300  from a clamped position) with a single hand that is holding the article to be inserted. For example, a user holding an article to be stowed may use the back of their thumb to leverage lower arm  320  downward while inserting the article with other fingers between cushion member  330  and securing surface  322 . When downward pressure on lower arm member  330  is released, lower arm member  320  returns to the clamped position via bias from spring  312 . 
         [0026]    The embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5  differs from that of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in that it includes a securing mechanism  322  formed from a rubber, foam rubber or other type of non-slip surface instead of notches. In certain embodiments, securing mechanism  322  is a substantially flat foam rubber cushion insert placed in a recessed surface of the lower arm member in a manner that the inner surface of the lower arm member, including foam rubber insert, is substantially flush. In this manner, an article may inserted between cushion member  330  and foam rubber insert  322  by merely sliding the article along the upper surface of lower arm member  330  when pressure is placed down on the lower arm member. Subsequently, when pressure is released from lower arm member  330 , the article will not inadvertently slip out. 
         [0027]    Cushion members  130 ,  330  may be any material suitable to gently secure an article between the upper and lower arm members in the clamped position. In certain embodiments, cushion members  130 ,  330  may be made of a foam rubber material and fixed or removably attached to one or both upper and lower arm members in any manner for one material to be secured to another, e.g., snaps, adhesive, VELCRO, etc. In one embodiment, an oversized cushion member  130 ,  330  is fixed to the interior surface of the lower arm member using an adhesive. 
         [0028]    Upper arm members  115 ,  315  and lower arm members  120 ,  320  of the clamping body may be made from any rigid material rigid such as rigid plastics, ceramics, metals, woods or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, upper and lower arms are formed in an injection mold using an ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadience-Styrene) plastic material, which may be tinted or colored to achieve a desired color. ABS plastics are used in preferred embodiments since they are relatively inexpensive, possess high strength and durability material characteristics and readily accept plating and painting to vary appearance and design of the device. 
         [0029]    The clamping body may be formed in using elongated single upper and lower arm member to obtain any desired shape such as a circle, an oval, a rectangle, a square, a trapezoid or any other symmetrical or asymmetrical shape and may be any size or color desired. However, in certain embodiments, lower arm member  120 ,  320  may be formed in a scoop-like shape. The scoop-like shape allows the toe  124 ,  324  of lower arm member  120 ,  320  to be easily leveraged away from upper arm member  115 ,  315  as well as acting as a guide member for certain articles. Additionally, when article holder  100 ,  300  is clipped to a horizontal surface such as an automobile visor, scoop-like shape may help prevent an article which in not fully secured, or may become inadvertently dislodged, from falling entirely. 
         [0030]    Attachment portion  105 ,  305  of the respective embodiments may be any mechanism or arrangement for facilitating temporary or permanent fixation of the clamping body to other surfaces. Examples of attachment portion  105 ,  305  include a clip, a magnet, VELCRO™, a suction cup, double sided tape, etc. In one embodiment, attachment portion  105 ,  305  is a tensioned wire attached to a side of upper arm member  115 ,  315  opposite the side having cushion member  130 ,  330  similar to, but not limited to, the example shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . With this arrangement, holder  10  may be utilized as a bookmark by clipping a desired portion of a book between wire  105 ,  305  and upper arm member  115 ,  315 . In another embodiment attachment portion  35  is a segment of double-sided tape (not shown) having one side adhere to the clamping body and readily attachable to a desired surface, such as a computer monitor, using the adhesive opposite side. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates article holder  300  in use. As shown, article holder  300  may be attached to a surface  501  such as a sun visor in an automobile using attachment portion  305 . In this example, article holder  300  is shown securing glasses  570  securely between upper and lower arm members  315 ,  320 . 
         [0032]    Unless contrary to physical possibility, the inventor envisions the components of respective embodiments may be combined in any manner. 
         [0033]    Although there have been described preferred embodiments of this novel invention, many variations and modifications are possible and the embodiments described herein are not limited by the specific disclosure above, but rather should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.