Eyewear Retention Device

Abstract

An eyewear retention device with a cable having sufficient strength such, when worn on eyeglasses over the ears, the cable is suspended about wearer's neck, shoulders or garments.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/640,872, filed Dec. 17, 2009, which is currently pending; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/336,727, filed May 7, 2009, which is currently abandoned. This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/991,668, filed on Nov. 8, 2010, and which is currently pending; which is a national stage of International Application PCT/US2009/043156, filed on May 7, 2009, and which is currently expired; which cites the priority of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/142,323, filed Jun. 19, 2008, and which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,467,867 on Dec. 23, 2008; and which cites for priority provisional U.S. Application 61/051,539, filed on May 8, 2008, and which is currently expired. All of the foregoing applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is eyewear retention devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an eyewear retention device with two temple retainers, one each for fitting tightly over the end of an eyeglass temple, and a cable connecting each temple retainer to the other. When the invention is attached to eyeglasses and the eyeglasses are worn by a wearer over the ears, the cable is suspended in an arc above the wearer's neck, shoulders or garments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevational view.

FIG. 6 is a right side elevational view.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the design, showing the connecting cord as a twisted cable.

FIG. 10 is a left side view as attached to eyeglass temples and worn over the ears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is an eyewear retainer device comprising two temple retainers 1, one each capable of being secured to the end of an eyeglass temple. The temple retainers are connected by a cable 4. The temple retainers can be formed in any shape and each has an opening for receiving the end of an eyeglass temple.

In one embodiment, each temple retainer 1 has a first end 2 with an opening 3 which fits tightly over the end of an eyeglass temple which is inserted into the opening 3 in the first end 2, as shown in FIGS. 1-10. The opening 3 in the temple retainer 1 is slightly smaller than the typical end of an eyeglass temple. The dimensions of the opening 3 can be constructed in different sizes, depending on the size of the end of the eyeglass temple desired to be retained. Preferably, each temple retainer 1 is comprised of a substance such as rubber having sufficient elasticity to allow the ends of the eyeglass temples to compress the sides of the opening 3 upon insertion, thus retaining the end of the eyeglass temples with friction. In one embodiment, the cable extends into a second end 5 of the temple retainer 1 where it is secured to the temple retainer in the latter's interior. In other embodiments, the cable 4 can be secured to a second end 5 of the temple retainer, or to any other convenient location on the exterior of the temple retainer. The cable 4 is secured to the temple retainers by means which are known by persons of ordinary skill in the art.

When the eyeglasses are attached to the invention and worn over the ears, the cable 4 has sufficient strength to be suspended in an arc above the wearer's neck, shoulders or garments. As demonstrated by FIG. 10, the cable also hangs from the temples of the glasses and forms an arc not touching the wearer's head, neck, or shoulders. The cable can be comprised of any material with enough strength to maintain the suspended arc while being worn over the ears. The cable in one embodiment is a twisted cable and, in other embodiments, is comprised of polymer such as that used in monofilament fishing line or tubing.

Claims

1. An eyewear retention device comprising:

(a) two temple retainers, each having an opening for receiving an eyeglass temple, and

(b) a cable, each end of the cable being secured to one of the temple retainers, such that when each said opening is attached to the end of an eyeglass temple and the eyeglasses are worn over the ears of a wearer, the cable does not rest upon the wearer's head and forms an arc suspended off the neck or shoulders.