Adjustable eyewear retainer

• US 9,753,304 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• 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): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US14/938,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 351156, 351157, 351158
• 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 having a first end and a second end;

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

a second temple fastener for connecting the second end of the tether to a second temple of the eyewear;

a first positioning cavity in the first temple fastener, wherein the first positioning cavity is defined by at least three sides forming a perimeter of a cavity;

a second positioning cavity in the second temple fastener, wherein the second positioning cavity is defined by at least three sides forming a perimeter of a cavity;

a first positioning member connected to the first end of the tether configured to interface with the first positioning cavity in the first temple fastener, wherein the first positioning member is defined by at least three sides corresponding to the perimeter defining the first positioning cavity, wherein the first positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether; and

a second positioning member connected to the second end of the tether configured to interface with the second positioning cavity in the second temple fastener, wherein the second positioning member is defined by at least three sides corresponding to the perimeter defining the second positioning cavity, wherein the second positioning member is laterally offset from the second end of the tether; and

wherein the first and second positioning members are configured to rotate within the first and second positioning cavities, respectively, into at least two discrete rotational positions, wherein the tether extends from the first and second temple fasteners at a first angle in a first rotational position, and wherein the tether extends from the first and second temple fasteners at a second angle in a second rotational position.

2. An eyewear retainer comprising:

a tether having a first end and a second end;

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

a second temple fastener for connecting the second end of the tether to a second temple of the eyewear;

a first positioning cavity in the first temple fastener, wherein the first positioning cavity is defined by at least three surfaces forming a perimeter of a cavity; and

a first positioning member connected to the first end of the tether configured to interface with the first positioning cavity in the first temple fastener, wherein the first positioning member is defined by at least three surfaces corresponding to the perimeter defining the first positioning cavity, wherein the first positioning member is laterally offset from the first end of the tether; and

wherein the first positioning member is configured to rotate within the first positioning cavity into at least two discrete rotational positions, wherein the tether extends from the first temple fastener at a first angle in a first rotational position, and wherein the tether extends from the first temple fastener at a second angle in a second rotational position.

3. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein at least one of the three surfaces of at least one of the first positioning member and the positioning cavity is curved.

4. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the first positioning cavity comprises an aperture.

5. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the first positioning member is integral with the first end of the tether.

6. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, further comprising a second positioning cavity in the second temple fastener, wherein the second positioning cavity is defined by at least three surfaces forming a perimeter of a cavity;

and

a second positioning member connected to the second end of the tether configured to interface with the second positioning cavity in the second temple retainer, wherein the second positioning member is defined by at least three sides corresponding to the perimeter defining the second positioning cavity, and

wherein the second positioning member is configured to rotate within the second positioning cavity into at least two discrete rotational positions, wherein the tether extends from the first and second temple fasteners at a first angle in a first rotational position, and wherein the tether extends from the first and second temple fasteners at a second angle in a second rotational position.

7. The eyewear retainer of claim 6, wherein the first positioning member is integral with the first end of the tether and the second positioning member is integral with the second end of the tether.

8. The eyewear retainer of claim 7, wherein the first and second positioning members are configured to extend away from the first and second temple fasteners in a downward and substantially perpendicular direction.

9. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, 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.

10. The eyewear retainer of claim 9, wherein the tether and the breakaway portion are further configured to rotate with respect to one another.

11. The eyewear retainer of claim 10, wherein the breakaway portion extends away from the first temple fastener in a downward and substantially perpendicular direction.

12. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the tether further comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion defining the first end of the tether and a looped end opposite the first end and the second portion defining the second end of the tether and a looped end opposite the second end, and

wherein the looped ends of the first and second portions are configured to slide together to adjust the total length of the tether.

13. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the first temple fastener further comprises an aperture on an end to receive the first temple of the eyewear and retain the first temple via a friction fit, and

wherein the second temple fastener further comprises an aperture on an end to receive the second temple of the eyewear and retain the second temple via a friction fit.

14. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the number of surfaces defining the first positioning member is the same as the number of surfaces defining the first positioning cavity.

15. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the perimeter of the first positioning cavity is configured in one of a triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, decagonal, and star-like shape.

16. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the perimeter of the first positioning member is configured in one of a triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, decagonal, and star-like shape.

17. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the tether is further configured to extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener when in the first position, and when in the second configuration to extend in at least one of upward at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener and downward at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener.

18. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, wherein the tether is configured to pivot between at least three positions:

a first position parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener, a second position forming an acute angle oriented upward from the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener, and a third position forming an acute angle downward from the longitudinal axis of the first temple fastener.

19. The eyewear retainer of claim 2, 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 positioning cavity and the number of surfaces defining the first positioning member.

20. An eyewear retainer comprising:

a tether having a first end and a second end;

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

a second temple fastener for connecting the second end of the tether to a second temple of the eyewear;

a first portion of a first positioning means associated with the first temple fastener; and

a second portion of the first positioning means associated the first end of the tether, wherein the first positioning means is configured to allow the tether to pivot relative to the first temple fastener into at least two discrete rotational positions, wherein the first positioning means is laterally offset from the first end of the tether.