Adjustable eyewear retainer

• US 10,481,411 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chums Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Chums Incorporated
• Inventors: Hadden, Richard Jeremy, McMurrin, Sterling
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Jordan M
• Application Number:
  US15/694,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 351156-158, 351140, 351148, 351153
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/18 Adjustment ridges or notches
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/20 Friction elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/32 Oblong hole
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 3/003 Arrangements for fitting and securing to the head in the position of use
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 3/006 Arrangements for fitting and securing to the head or neck not in the position of use
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/14 Side-members
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/2209 Pivot bearings and hinge bolts other than screws

Abstract

A device for retaining eyewear is disclosed. The device comprises one or more tethers rotatably coupled to a plurality of temple fasteners, the temple fasteners coupled to the temples of eyewear disposed on the ears of a user. More specifically, the device can further comprise a plurality of positioning members configured to couple with and rotate within a temple fastener to allow a tether coupled to the rotating position member to rotate relative to the head and neck of the user. The at least one tether can be disposed in various fixed positions relative to the head and neck of the user as well as relative to the eyewear.

Claims

1. An eyewear retainer comprising:

a tether;

a first temple fastener for coupling a first end of the tether to a first temple of the eyewear;

a first positioning cavity disposed in a portion of the first temple fastener, the first positioning cavity having a first opening, and a second opening opposing the first opening; and

a first positioning member and a second positioning member, wherein each of the first and second positioning members is coupled to the first end of the tether, wherein the first positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the first opening, and not additionally within the second opening, and the second positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the second opening, and not additionally within the first opening, to allow the tether to pivot relative to the first temple fastener, and wherein the first positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether in a first direction, and wherein the second positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether in a second direction.

2. The eyewear retainer of claim 1, wherein the first positioning member is configured as a breakaway portion to enable the first positioning member to release and uncouple from the first end of the tether, and wherein the tether and the breakaway portion are further configured to rotate with respect to one another.

3. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the breakaway portion extends away from the first temple fastener in a downward and substantially perpendicular direction.

4. The eyewear retainer of claim 1, wherein the first opening of the first positioning cavity is defined by at least three surfaces forming at least a portion of a perimeter of the first opening.

5. The eyewear retainer of claim 4, wherein the first positioning member is defined by at least three surfaces that are configured to interface with at least a portion of the perimeter defining the first opening.

6. The eyewear retainer of claim 5, wherein the first positioning member is configured to rotate within the first opening between at least two fixed discrete rotational positions.

7. The eyewear retainer of claim 5, wherein at least one of the three surfaces of at least one of the first positioning member and the first opening of the first positioning cavity is curved.

8. The eyewear retainer of claim 5, wherein the tether is configured to be pivoted to a plurality of discrete angles relative to the first temple fastener based on the number of surfaces defining the first and second openings of the the first positioning cavity and the number of surfaces defining the first and second positioning members.

9. The eyewear retainer of claim 1, further comprising a second temple fastener for coupling a second end of the tether to a second temple of the eyewear.

10. An eyewear retainer comprising:

a tether having a first end and a second end, the tether comprising;

a first and a second positioning member coupled to the first end of the tether, and a third and a fourth positioning member coupled to the second end of the tether;

a first temple fastener for coupling the first end of the tether to a first temple of the eyewear, the first temple fastener comprising;

a first positioning cavity having a first opening, and a second opening opposing the first opening;

a second temple fastener for coupling the second end of the tether to a second temple of the eyewear, the second temple fastener comprising;

a second positioning cavity having a third opening, and a fourth opening opposing the third opening;

wherein the first and second positioning members and the first and second openings are configured to allow the tether to pivot relative to the first temple fastener, wherein the first positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the first opening, and not additionally within the second opening, and the second positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the second opening, and not additionally within the first opening, and wherein the third and fourth positioning members and the third and fourth openings are configured to allow the tether to pivot relative to the second temple fastener, wherein the third positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the third opening, and not additionally within the fourth opening, and the fourth positioning member is positioned and configured to rotate within the fourth opening, and not additionally within the third opening.

11. The eyewear retainer of claim 10, wherein first opening of the first positioning cavity is defined by at least three surfaces forming at least a portion of a perimeter of the first opening.

12. The eyewear retainer of claim 11, wherein the first positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether, and wherein the first positioning member is configured to interface with the first opening.

13. The eyewear retainer of claim 11, wherein the second positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether, and wherein the second positioning member is defined by at least three surfaces forming at least a portion of a perimeter of the second positioning member.

14. The eyewear retainer of claim 10, wherein the first positioning member is configured to rotate within the first opening of the first positioning cavity between at least two fixed discrete rotational positions.

15. The eyewear retainer of claim 14, wherein the second positioning member is configured to rotate within the second opening of the first positioning cavity between at least two fixed discrete rotational positions.