GB2406919A

GB2406919A - Scented spectacle retainer

Info

Publication number: GB2406919A
Application number: GB0422001A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ann Mary Leslie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-07
Filing date: 2004-10-05
Publication date: 2005-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-05
Also published as: GB0422001D0; GB2406919B; GB0323389D0

Abstract

Disclosed is a spectacle retainer comprising a cord which is impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance. The odiferous substance comprises one or more volatile chemicals which is readily detectable by the wearer and which may act as an insect repellant and/or a mood enhancer. The spectacle retainers may comprise a stretchable cord which prevents damage to spectacles when suspended from the wearer's neck. Then cord may be formed with loops 230 and may also comprise springs 240 and or beads 250.

Description

24069 1 9 Spectacle Retainer

Technical Field

The present invention relates to spectacle retainers, in particular to spectacle retainers which have been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.

The spectacle retainers of the invention may comprise a stretchable or elasticated cord.

to Background to the Invention

Spectacle retainers are well known in the art, typically comprising a cord or chain having a loop or noose at either end for attachment to the frame or legs of spectacles. The retainers are used to suspend spectacles from the wearer's neck whilst the spectacles are not required (e.g. for reading, writing, as protection from the light rays of the sun) in order that they are readily accessible to, and are not misplaced by, the wearer. Furthermore, the use of the retainer allows the wearer to keep both hands free when not using the spectacles.

The retainer cord is made to a length that can be easily passed over the wearer's neck without brushing against and disturbing the hair. Typically the cord is made from a flexible material that bends easily to conform to the wearer's neck or clothing (e.g. shirt collar) for comfort.

Spectacle retainers of the prior art have been designed to retain an eyeglass in a desired position on the body of the user, such as the head or neck, and to allow easy adjustment of the position of the eyeglass when suspended around the neck of the wearer. The prior art retainers typically comprise a strand or cord which can be made from a variety of materials. Thus US 5,655,263 discloses a strand which may be made from leather, plastic or natural fibre, or metallic chains. The cord described in US 2003/0101542 may comprise a flexible braided line, a wire, a chain, a rope, a string, an elongate elastomeric member, a leather or cloth member, or a variety of different materials which can serve as a retainer cord.

Spectacle wearers, as a rule, all suffer from poor eyesight and can find it difficult to locate their spectacles when not using them. It can be particularly difficult for short or long-sighted individuals to locate their spectacles in the dark or in a poorly illuminated room, for example when waking up in the morning.

to Conventional retainers, such as those described in US 2003/0101542 and US 5,655,263, do not assist such individuals under these circumstances because they do not provide obvious means of location, comprising materials which are not easily identifiable under low light conditions or in the dark. It is an object of the present invention to address this problem and to provide a spectacle retainer that is readily recognised by myopic and long-sighted individuals, even under conditions of low light levels.

It is not uncommon for individuals, particularly the elderly, to forget where they have left their spectacles, even when their glasses are suspended around their necks by a retainer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for spectacle wearers to realise that their spectacles are hanging around their neck without the need to see them.

Many individuals, including spectacle wearers, suffer from breathing difficulties due to the common cold and similar ailments. A typical symptom from such ailments is a 'blocked nose' and congestion. Prior art spectacle retainers, such as those described in US 2003/0101542 and US 5, 655,263, offer no assistance to wearers in alleviating such conditions, being made of inert materials, such as leather or rope, which have no effect upon users suffering from such ailments. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide spectacle retainers which assist the wearer to breathe more easily when they suffer from a cold or similar condition.

In order to slip easily over the head of the wearer without brushing or rubbing against the hair, prior art retainers must be of a certain minimum length. One problem associated with the length of such retainers is that any spectacles attached to them may dangle loosely when suspended around the neck of the wearer. If the wearer bends over or turns quickly then the spectacles may swing out and knock against a hard object and be scraped or damaged in some way. A second problem associated with the length of the retainer cord is that it can prove difficult to pack the spectacles and the retainer in the same spectacle case, the long cord taking up more space in the case than is desired. It is a further object of the present invention to provide spectacle retainers which do not suffer from

the same disadvantages as those of the prior art.

] 5 Summary of Invention

In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a spectacle retainer comprising a cord having at either end thereof a fastener for attaching spectacles thereto and optionally comprising at least one sleeve element around said cord, wherein the cord and/or said at least one sleeve element has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance. The odiferous substance comprises one or more volatile chemicals which is readily detectable by the wearer of the spectacle retainer.

It will be understood that the odiferous substance is a substance which is not used in the manufacture or treatment of leather.

Suitably, the cord is made of leather, rope, rubber, string, jute, plastic, silicone or any other material which has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.

Preferably, the cord is a stretchable cord with elasticated properties. Typically the cord will comprise a plastic which is stretchable. Preferably the plastic is selected from the group of thermoplastics consisting of nylon and polyethylene (PE). A suitable stretchable cord is elastic Beading Cord Crystal Clear produced by Impex, UK.

Suitably, the stretchable cord comprises a metallic spring.

Alternatively, the cord comprises a natural rubber or synthetic rubber to include butyl, neoprene, nitrile (BS015), and silicone (BS 013 & BS 015) plus cotton Iycra@, cotton Iycra spandex.

Preferably, the sleeve element is in the form of a coiled spring comprised of a metal or plastic material.

Preferably, the sleeve element is in the form of a hollow cylinder or a bead. The hollow cylinder or bead may be made from a variety of materials such as wood, leather, glass, jute, rubber, foam, felt, plastic or any other material which has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.

Preferably, the odiferous substance is an aromatic oil selected from the group consisting of aloe Vera, ambrosia, camphor, chamomile German, chamomile roman, cinnamon, citronella, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, evening primrose, frankincense, gardenia, gingerlilly, grapefruit, immortelle, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, magnolia, mandarin, melissa, neroli, olive, orange, orchid, palmarosa, parsley, peach, peppermint, pine, rose, rosemary, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, spearmint, tagetes, tansy, tea tree, thyme, vanilla, violet and ylang ylang.

The aroma of the odiferous substances used in the present invention is readily detected by their characteristic smell or odour, both when worn by the wearer of s the retainer and when in their immediate surroundings. For example, an individual who mislays his spectacles will know on entering a room, by the characteristic aroma of the retainer, that the spectacles are somewhere in that room and will thus be guided to his glasses. s

Many of the odiferous substances used in the retainer of the present invention are also known to have aromatherapeutic effects, thus enhancing the mood of the wearer by imparting a feeling of 'well being' or calmness thereto. Examples of such aromatherapeutic oils are chamomile reman, cinnamon, clary sage, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, mandarin, neroli, peppermint, pine, ylang ylang.

In a further aspect, the odiferous substance has insecticidal and/or insect repellent properties. Thus, for example, the odiferous substances are citronella, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, tansy.

In another aspect, the odiferous substance is a food additive or extract. Suitably, the food is a confectionery. Typical examples of confectionery which has a characteristic smell include aniseed, bubble gum, candyfloss, caramel, chocolate, ice cream, liquorice, peardrops, popcorn, rum and raison, strawberry sundae and vanilla. + Alternatively, the food is meat such as for example, beef, lamb or chicken or a meat product such as for example, hamburger, lamb kebab and chicken curry.

Preferably, the fastener is in the form of a loop which may or may not be adjustable for attachment to spectacle legs.

Optionally, the fastener is a hook for attachment to the legs of spectacles.

Suitably, the fastener is a lockable catch.

Suitably, the fastener comprises a Velcro strip.

Suitably, the fastener is in the form of a sheath that fits tightly around the spectacle leg.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising a fastener for affixing to a spectacle frame; a cord; and optionally one or more sleeve elements, wherein said cord and/or said one or l O more sleeve elements has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a spectacle retainer according to the present invention which has been impregnated with an odiferous substance.

Figures 2a and 2b are schematic diagrams showing spectacle retainers according to the present invention having a stretchable cord. In Figure 2a the cord is in its resting state while in Figure 2b the cord is stretched.

Figure 3 depicts a spectacle retainer according to the present invention having sleeve elements impregnated with an odiferous substance.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 depicts a spectacle retainer (10) of the present invention which comprises a cord (20) having a fastener at either end in the form of a loop (30).

The cord (20) is made of a material which can absorb or be impregnated with an odiferous substance present, for example, in an aromatic oil or water-based aromatic solution. In the example of Figure 1, the cord (20) is made of leather which has been soaked in a water-based aromatic solution. The aromatic solution is prepared by dissolving approximately 0. 2ml of aromatic oil (e.g. eucalyptus oil) in 5ml of ethanol, then adding approximately 30ml of water to the resulting mixture. Once the cord (20) has absorbed the odiferous substance S from the solution it is dried thoroughly to remove surface contaminants, which might otherwise discolour or soil the clothing of the wearer, and attached to loops (30). The loops (30) are made of plastic coated wire but may comprise any suitable material such as elastic, rubber, cloth, leather, metal or plastic. In Figure 1 the loops (30) are made of an elasticated material that stretches over the ends l 0 of the spectacle legs (not shown), thereby securing them to the retainer.

It will be understood that the cord could be impregnated with a variety of odiferous substances obtained in a similar manner by simple alcoholic or aqueous extraction of foods such as, for example, confectionery, meat or meat l 5 products.

In use, the loops (30) are slipped over the legs of the spectacles (not shown) to attach them to the retainer (10) and the cord (20) is placed over the head of the wearer; the user may then either wear the spectacles or suspend them around his neck by means of the cord (20). The odiferous substance present in the cord continually volatilises to emit an aromatic aroma which is inhaled by the wearer and which can alert him to the presence of the retainer and/or give him a sense of wellbeing.

If, for example, the wearer removes the spectacles together with the retainer (10) and subsequently forgets where he has placed them, the aroma of the odiferous substance will assist him in locating the spectacles.

Figures 2a and 2b show a different example of a spectacle retainer (110) of the present invention comprising fasteners (130) connected to a stretchable cord (120a). In Figure 2a the cord (120a) is in its resting, non-stretched position while in Figure 2b the cord (120b) has been stretched such that it is considerably longer. In both Figure 2a and 2b the cord (120a & b), which can be made of any stretchable material such as rubber or elastic, has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance (e.g. camphor) .

The user will attach the spectacle legs (not shown) to the retainer (110) by means of loops (130) when the cord is in its resting state (120a). In positioning the retainer over the wearer's head, the cord (120b) is stretched as shown in Figure 2b. Once the spectacles are being worn or are being suspended around lo the user's neck, the stretched cord (120b) will return to its resting state (120a).

The shorter cord (120a) length of the resting state prevents the spectacles dangling and swinging around the user's neck and thus keeps them free of damage.

The action of stretching and releasing the cord (120a & 120b) accentuates the release of volatile substances from the cord.

It will also be understood that by adjusting the length of the cord in the resting state (120a), the stretchable cord can be shortened and used to retain the spectacles in position around the wearer's head, similar to skiing or swimming goggles, by the elastic properties of the cord. In this way, the user can continue to wear his spectacles even when taking active exercise or taking part in sport.

A retainer (210) having sleeve elements (240 & 250) is shown in Figure 3. The retainer (210) comprises a cord (220), which may be either stretchable or non stretchable, having fasteners (230) for attachment to spectacles at each end.

Around the cord (220) are positioned sleeve elements (240 & 250) in the form of beads (250) and cylinders (240), typically made from a porous material which can be impregnated with or treated with an odiferous substance such as wood, leather or rubber.

In the example shown, the sleeve elements (240 & 250) have been impregnated with an aromatic substance (e.g. jasmine) and the cord (220), which is a stretchable cord, has not been treated with an odiferous substance.

Claims

Claims 1. A spectacle retainer comprising a cord having at either end

thereof a fastener for attaching spectacles thereto and optionally comprising at least S one sleeve element around said cord, wherein the cord and/or said at least one sleeve element has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.
2. The spectacle retainer according to claim 1, wherein said cord is made of l O leather.
3. The spectacle retainer according to claim 1, wherein said cord is a stretchable cord.

I S
4. The spectacle retainer according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said cord comprises a plastic.
5. The retainer according to claim 4, wherein said plastic is selected from the group of thermoplastics consisting of nylon and polyethylene (PE) .
6. The retainer according to claim 3, wherein the cord comprises a metallic spring.
7. The retainer according to claim 3, wherein the cord comprises a natural or synthetic rubber.
8. The retainer according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one sleeve element comprises a coiled spring.
9. The retainer according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one sleeve element comprises a bead or cylinder.
10. The retainer according to claim 9, wherein said bead and/or said cylinder is made of a material which has been impregnated with or treated with an odiferous substance.
11. The retainer of claim 9 or 10, wherein said bead and/or cylinder is made from a material selected from wood, leather, jute, rubber, foam, plastic, or silicone.
12. The retainer of any preceding claim, wherein said odiferous substance is an aromatic oil selected from the group consisting of aloe Vera, ambrosia, camphor, chamomile German, chamomile reman, cinnamon, citronella, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, evening primrose, frankincense, gardenia, gingerlilly, grapefruit, immortelle, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, magnolia, mandarin, melissa, neroli, olive, orange, orchid, palmarosa, parsley, peach, peppermint, pine, rose, rosemary, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, spearmint, tagetes, tansy, tea tree, thyme, vanilla, violet and ylang ylang.
13. The retainer of any preceding claim, wherein the odiferous substance is an insecticide or insect repellent.
14. The retainer of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the odiferous substance is a food additive or extract.
15. The retainer according to claim 14, wherein said food is confectionery.
16. The retainer according to claim 15, wherein said confectionery is selected from the group consisting of aniseed, bubble gum, candyfloss, caramel, chocolate, ice cream, liquorice, peardrop, popcorn, rum and raison, strawberry sundae and vanilla. l
17. The retainer according to claim 14, wherein the food is meat or a meat product.
18. The retainer according to claim 17, wherein said meat is selected S from the group consisting of beef, lamb or chicken.
19. The retainer according to claim 17, wherein said meat product is selected from the group consisting of hamburger, lamb kebab and chicken curry.
20. The retainer according to any preceding claim, wherein said fastener is in the form of a loop.
21. The retainer according to claim 20, wherein said loop can be tightened or loosened.
22. The retainer according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the fastener is a hook.
23. The retainer according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the fastener is a lockable catch.
24. The retainer according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the fastener comprises a velcro strip.
25. The retainer according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the fastener is in the form of a sheath.
26. A kit of parts comprising: a fastener for affixing to a spectacle frame; a cord; and optionally one or more sleeve elements, wherein said cord and/or said one or more sleeve elements has been impregnated or treated with an odiferous substance.
27. A spectacle retainer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.