Patent ID: 8789942

Claim:
An eyewear retainer for glasses having a first temple piece and a second temple piece, the eyewear retainer comprising: a first flexible braided tubular sleeve comprised of braided strings or ribbons, the sleeve being dimensioned at a first end to receive the first temple piece, wherein the first end of the sleeve is defined by a plurality of terminal ends of the strings or ribbons and wherein the plurality of the terminal ends of the strings or ribbons are bonded together to form a bonded region, and wherein the bonded region receives and grips a portion of the first temple piece that is received in the tubular sleeve, a second flexible braided tubular sleeve comprised of braided strings or ribbons, the sleeve being dimensioned at a first end to receive the second temple piece, wherein the first end of the sleeve is defined by a plurality of terminal ends of the strings or ribbons and wherein the plurality of the terminal ends of the strings or ribbons are bonded together to form a bonded region, and wherein the bonded region receives and grips a portion of the second temple piece that is received in the tubular sleeve, wherein the first end of the first sleeve is contractible in diameter upon application of a tensile force so as to grip the first temple piece, wherein the first end of the second sleeve is contractible in diameter upon application of a tensile force so as to grip the second temple piece, and wherein, each bonded region comprises a single layer of braided ribbons or strings that are bonded with epoxy in at least one of the internal or external portion of said tubular sleeve, thereby providing an additional frictional engagement with the respective temple piece, while maintaining a terminal opening of a length and a diameter to accept the respective temple piece.