GB2342180A

GB2342180A - Spectacles case

Info

Publication number: GB2342180A
Application number: GB9821192A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Roy Conway
Original assignee: Optoplast PLC
Current assignee: Optoplast PLC
Priority date: 1998-09-30
Filing date: 1998-09-30
Publication date: 2000-04-05
Also published as: ES1044568U; ES1044568Y; JP3065399U; GB9821192D0

Abstract

A case for spectacles or other articles comprises an elongate tubular body portion (21) having a first lid portion (22) at one end and a second lid portion (24) at the other end. The first and second lid portions (22, 24) are openable, and may be attached by hinges. Leaf springs (23) may be provided to bias the first and second lid portions (22, 24) into closed positions where the lid portions rest against the elongate body portion (21). Such bias means may be arranged to have an over centre position so that if first and second lid portion (22, 24) are placed in a fully open position, the bias means cease to act to bias the lid portions (22, 24) towards the closed position. The elongate body (21) may be made from aluminium, or the elongate body (21) and the lid portions (22, 24) may be made from plastic. The case may have mirror symmetry about a plane passing through the middle of the elongate body portion (21), the exterior surface of which may be free of protuberances.

Description

2342180 IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR SPECTACLES OR OTHER ARTICLES This

invention relates to cases for spectacles and other articles. In particular this invention relates to cases for spectacles or other articles designed to open at a short end.

Traditionally, spectacles cases have come in a "clam shell" style. Clam shell cases comprise a pair of approximately rectangular portions which are hinged together along one of their longer sides so as to allow relative movement of one portion relative to the other. The hinge is spring biased so as to close the spectacles case. The spectacle case is opened by separating the two long edges of the body portions opposite to the hinge and rotating one of the portions about the hinge. Spectacles can then be removed from within the body of the case.

Recently there has been a move towards a spectacles case comprising a body portion for holding the spectacles and a lid portion which is hinged so as to allow the spectacles case to open about one of the short end of the spectacles case. In one type of these end opening spectacle cases the lid is secured in a closed position by a catch. When an individual wishes to open the spectacles case he or she depresses a button appearing at the exterior of the spectacles case which releases the catch and enables the lid to be opened. Such a button can provide a visual and/or tactile identification of the end to be opened.

2 A problem with end opening spectacles cases which involve securing the lid of the spectacles case shut by means of a catch is that the button which is depressed to release the lid will protrude from the surface of the body of the spectacles case. It is therefore possible for this protruding button to be caught on clothing when the spectacles case is placed in a pocket.

In order to overcome the problems involved with a protruding actuating button, it has been proposed to produce an end opening spectacles case in which the lid portion is biased towards the closed position by a spring in the hinge. In such a spectacles case, as the lid is biased towards a closed position, it is no longer necessary to provide a catch to hold the lid closed and therefore no button need be provided. Such a spectacles cases is opened by merely pulling on the lid to overcome the spring biasing. An added advantage of a design in which the lid is spring biased towards the closed position is that, as no button needs to be provided, it is possible to make the spectacles case to have a more symmetrical shape which is aesthetically pleasing. However, without the presence of a button to indicate which end of a spectacles case is to be opened, it becomes difficult to determine by sight and/or by touch which end of the spectacles case will open. This problem is particularly exacerbated when the case is symmetrical.

The present invention is made in view of the problem 3 of determining which end of a spectacles case is to be opened and aims to provide a spectacles case which avoids this problem.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a spectacles case comprising an elongate tubular body portion; a first lid portion movably attached to one end of said body portion; and a second lid portion movably attached to the opposite end of said elongate body portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention the first lid portion and the second lid portion are attached to the elongate body portion by spring biased hinges which bias the first and second lid portions into a closed position where they rest against the elongate body portion. In the second embodiment of the present invention the first and second lid portions are detachably removable from said elongate body portion. 20 Further aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent as described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spectacles case of the prior art; 25 Figure 2 is a perspective view of another spectacles case of the prior art; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the spectacles

4 case of Figure 2 in a closed position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 4 with a first lid portion open and a second lid portion closed; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 in which the first lid portion is closed and the second lid portion is open; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figs. 4-6 with both the first and second lid portions closed; and Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows an end opening spectacles case of the prior art. The spectacles case comprises an elongate body portion, closed at one end, which is attached to a lid portion 2 by hinge 3 at the open end of the elongate body portion 1. The hinge 3 allows the lid portion 2 to be moved relative to the elongate body portion 1 between a closed position where the lid portion 2 rests upon the elongate body portion 1 closing off the open end of the elongate body portion and an open position where the open end of the elongate body portion is exposed and spectacles can be placed inside the elongate body portion 1. The hinge 3 is spring biased so as to bias the lid portion 2 into an open position.

On the side wall of the elongate body portion 1 on the rim of the open end of the elongate body portion 1 opposite the position where the hinge 3 attaches the lid portion 2 of the elongate body portion 1, there is provided a catch 4. This catch is arranged to cooperate with an indent 5 in the lid portion 2 in a closed position. Protruding through the wall of the elongate body portion 1 there is provided an actuating button 6. when this actuating button 6 is depressed the catch 4 is moved away from the indent 5 and the spring biassed hinge 3 acts to move the lid portion 2 into the open position shown in Figure 1.

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of another spectacles case of the prior art. This spectacle case comprises an elongate body portion 11 closed at one end, which is attached to a lid portion 12 by a hinge (not shown). The hinge allows the lid portion 12 to be moved relative to the elongate body portion 1 between an open position shown in Figure 2 where the open end of the elongate body portion is exposed and spectacles may be placed inside the elongate body portion 11 and a closed position shown in Figure 3 where the lid 12 rests against the elongate body portion closing off the open end of the elongate body portion 11.

On the inside of the case there is provided a leaf spring 13 which has its ends attached to the inside of the elongate body portion 11 and the lid 12 respectively.

6 The leaf spring 13 acts to bias the lid 12 towards the closed position when the lid 12 is moved away from this position. When the lid 12 is moved to the open position shown in Figure 2 an over centre position is reached and the leaf spring 13 no longer acts to bias the lid 12 towards a closed position. If the lid 12 is moved from the position shown in Figure 2 towards a closed position, the leaf spring 13 again acts to bias the lid 12 towards the closed position.

when a user wishes to insert spectacles into the spectacles case shown in Figures 2 and 3 the user pulls on the lid portion 12 to move it into the open position shown in Figure 2. The user then inserts spectacles into the elongate body portion 11 and then urges the lid portion 12 towards the closed position. The leaf spring 13 then causes the lid portion 12 to be returned to the closed position shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. The case of the present invention comprises a elongate tubular body portion 21 which is preferably a one-piece aluminium extrusion. At one end of the tubular body portion 21 there is provided a first lid portion 22 that is attached to the elongate body portion by a hinge (not shown); at the other end of the tubular body portion there is provided a second lid portion 24 that is attached to the other end of the tubular body portion 21 by a hinge (not shown). The 7 first lid portion 22 and second lid portion 23 are also preferably made from aluminium.

on the inside of the case there is provided a first leaf spring 13 which has its ends attached to the inside of the tubular body portion 21 and the first lid portion 22. A second leaf spring (not shown) which has its ends attached to the inside of the tubular body portions 21 and the second lid portion 23 is also provided. The first and second leaf springs act to spring bias the first and second lid portions 22,23 into closed positions where the lid portions rest against the tubular body portion 21, closing off the open ends of the tubular body portion 21. when the first and second lid portions 22,23 are moved away from the closed positions to an open position shown in the Figure an over centre position is reached and the leaf springs no longer act to bias the lid portions 22,23 towards closed positions. If either of the lid portions 22,23 is moved from this position towards a closed position, the respective leaf spring again acts to bias the lid portion towards the closed position.

The strength of the leaf springs is sufficient to maintain the lid portions 22,23 in a closed position when a pair of spectacles is resting against the inside of the lid portion. Preferably the strength of the leaf spring is sufficient to maintain the lid portion in a closed position when a weight of between five and ten times the 8 weight of a pair of spectacles is resting against the inside of the lid portion. By providing leaf springs of greater strength an allowance is also made to account for any reduction in strength which occurs due to the effect of wear.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention in which the first lid portion 22 is in an open position and the second lid portion 24 is in a closed position. when the case of the present invention is in this orientation spectacles or other articles can be inserted into the tubular body portion 21 through the end which is revealed by moving the first lid portion 22 into the open position. The spectacles or other articles are retained within the tubular body portion 21 as the second lid portion 24 closes the other end of the tubular body portion 21 whilst the second lid portion 24 is in the closed position resting against the tubular body portion 21. The second leaf spring maintains the second lid portion 24 in this position supporting the weight of the glasses.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention where the first lid portion is in a closed position and the second lid portion is in an open position. In this configuration spectacles or other articles can be inserted into or removed from the tubular body portion 21 through the end that is revealed by the movement of the second lid 9 portion 24 into the open position.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention with the first lid portion 22 and the second lid portion 24 both in closed positions resting against the ends of the tubular body portion 21.

By providing a spectacles case which can be opened at either end, whichever end a user chooses to try to open the spectacles case will open and the problem of having to determine which end of a spectacles case will open is thereby alleviated. The present invention is particularly applicable to spectacles cases which are symmetrical in shape as the pleasing symmetrical configuration of the spectacles case can be retained without any need to indicate which end of the spectacles case should be opened by a user.

The prof ile of the case is smooth as the leaf springs which bias the lid portions 22,23 into closed positions are provided on the inside of the case. This reduces the chances that the case will snag on a user's clothing. By providing leaf springs which have an over centre position, a means is provided by which the lid portions 22,23 can be stably left in an open position. By providing leaf springs with the strength which is a number of times greater than that required to hold the lid portions 22,23 in a closed position whilst retaining a pair of spectacles within the tubular body portion 21, it is possible to prevent the case being opened accidentally such as by being caught on clothing, unless a significant force is applied to the lid portions to open them.

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment of the present invention the spectacles case comprises an elongate tubular body portion 21, a first push on lid portion 25 and a second push on lid portion 26. In this embodiment the ends of the tubular body portion 21 are closed off by lid portions 25, 26 which are designed to be removably pushed on to the ends of the tubular body portion 21. The lid portions 25, 26 are designed to fit on to the ends of the tubular body portion tightly so that they are not accidentally detached from the tubular body portion 21.

AS in the first embodiment of the present invention whichever end of the spectacles case a user tries to open the respective lid portion at that end is removable. A user will not therefore have to try one end and then the other in order to succeed in opening the spectacles case.

However, the second embodiment is a less preferred embodiment as the requirement for the lid portions 25,26 to fit tightly on to the tubular body portion 21 requires the lid portions to be manufactured to a greater accuracy than is required for the lid portions of the first embodiment. Furthermore, even if the lid portions 25,26 are initially manufactured to provide a tight fit this 11 may cease to be the case as a result of wear.

Although reference has been made to making spectacles cases from extruded aluminium, it will be appreciated that any suitable rigid material such as plastic could be used to manufacture spectacles cases to which the present invention could be applied.

Although reference has been made to the use of the present invention in relation to spectacles cases, it will be appreciated that the present invention is also applicable to cases for other articles.

12

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 A case for spectacles or other articles comprising:

an elongate tubular body portion for receiving spectacles or other articles; a first lid portion for closing one end of said elongate tubular body portion; and a second lid portion for closing the other end of said elongate tubular body portion wherein both the first and second lid portions are openable.

2. A case in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first lid portion is attached to one end of said elongate tubular body portion by a first hinge and said second lid portion is attached to the other end of said tubular body portion by a second hinge.

3. A case in accordance with claim 2 further comprising bias means for biasing said first and second lid portions into closed positions where said first and second lid portions each rest against a respective end of said elongate tubular body portion.

4. A case in accordance with claim 3 wherein said bias means is arranged to have an over centre position, said first and second lid portions being able to be moved so as to place said bias means into said over centre 13 position and wherein, when said bias means is in said over centre position, said bias means does not act to bias said first and second lid portions towards said closed positions.

5. A case in accordance with claim 3 or 4 wherein said bias means comprise leaf springs.

6. A case in accordance with any preceding claim wherein said elongate tubular body portion is made from extruded aluminium.

7. A case in accordance with any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said elongate tubular body portion and said first and second lid portions are made from plastic.

8. A case in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the exterior of said elongate body portion is free of protuberances.

9. A case in accordance with any preceding claim wherein said case has mirror symmetry about a plane passing through the middle of said elongate body portion.

10. A case for spectacles or other articles as described herein with reference to any of Figures 4 to 8.