GB2445293A - Device for attaching an apparatus to clothing - Google Patents

Abstract

A device 3 affixable or affixed to apparatus 4 which is adapted to be attached to a user by a strap or lanyard comprises a clip to hold the apparatus to a user's clothing. This allows a camera or binoculars etc to be prevented from excessive movement when the user moves.

Description

Device And Apparatus Attached To A User By A Strap or Lanyard

Description

This invention relates to a device affixable or affixed to apparatus adapted to be attached to a user by a strap or lanyard. The invention relates also to apparatus including a body and a strap or lanyard for attaching the apparatus to a user.

It is common for equipment such as binoculars and cameras to be hung by a strap or lanyard from a user's neck. It is well known that this makes them readily available for instant use, for instance when bird spotting or when sightseeing. It is well known also that hanging binoculars, cameras etc. from a neck by a strap or lanyard typically results in their swinging as the user walks, and in an uncontrolled swing when turning or leaning forward. This can result in striking of the user's chest, which can be uncomfortable or painful. Even without this, swinging is inconvenient. Thus it is common for users to support neck hung cameras etc. with one hand when walking. Therefore, this creates a problem that only one hand then remains free, and the problem is worsened if the user requires to carry a stick or dog lead in the other hand.

It is an aim of the invention is to ameliorate these problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device affixable or affixed to apparatus adapted to be attached to a user by a strap or lanyard and comprising means operable to hold the apparatus to a user's clothing.

The device may be affixable to the apparatus by a two-part touch fastener in which one part of the touch fastener is affixed to the device and the other part is affixed or affixable to the apparatus. This allows the apparatus to be detached from the device as required and without the use of tools. It may also allow the device to be reversed, i.e. to allow operation with different clothes or operation by the user's other hand. Optionally, the touch fastener is a hook and ioop fastener. This provides a particularly effective, yet relatively low cost, solution.

The means operable to hold the apparatus to a user's clothing may comprises arms which arc pivotal]y connected and biased together at one end. The ends of the arms which are biased together may include rubberised portions on their innermost faces.

This can reduce the possibility of damage to the user's clothing, compared to the use of teeth for instance.

A second aspect of the invention provides apparatus including a body, a strap or lanyard for attaching the apparatus to a user and comprising means operable to hold the body to a user's clothing.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of binoculars including a chpmate according to aspects of the invention for holding the binoculars to a user's clothing; and Figure 2 is an end view of the binoculars and clipmate of Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a pair of binoculars 1 including means 3 for holding the binoculars to a user's clothing.

The binoculars I are conventional. The binoculars I comprise right and left body portions 4, an objective 6, an eye-piece 7, and a hinge 8. The hinge 8 connects the right and left body portions 4. A strap or lanyard 5 is connected to the right and left body portions 4. The strap or lanyard 5 is connected at the parts of the right and left body portions 4 which are on the outermost sides of the binoculars, i.e. on the sides of the body portions which are opposite the hinges. The strap or lanyard is connected to the binoculars at a position closer to the eye piece 7 than to the objective 6, so that the binoculars naturally hang with the objective 6 pointing downwards.

On each of the body portions 4, close to the objective 6, is provided a pad of a touch fastener 2. The touch fastener may be a hook and loop fastener, such as Velcro (RTM). The touch fastener pads 2 are curved so as to fit the outer surface of the body portions 4.

The means 3 for holding the binoculars to a user's clothing is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The means 3 for holding the binoculars to a user's clothing is hereafter referred to as a chpmate 3.

The clipmate 3 comprises a clip having a pair of elongate arms 10 which are pivotally coupled together by a hinge 17. The arms 10 are biased together at the gripping pad end by a spring (not shown). The spring may be of any suitable type.

The hinge 17 may be constituted by the spring. The arms 10 are generally straight.

The arms 10 are connected together by the hinge 17. The arms 10 are rotatable with respect to one another about the hinge 17. The hinge 17 is approximately half way along the length of the arms 10. The arms 10 are separated by a distance at the location of the hinge 17. In this way, the gripping pads 11 can be moved apart against the bias of the spring by forcing together the ends of the arms 10 opposite the gripping pad end. The clip thus operates in much the same way as a spring-type clothes peg. Gripping pads 11 project inwardly from the inner surface of one end of each of the arms 10.

The clip is inseparably and permanently affixed to an outer surface 13 of an base component 12. The base component 12 has approximately the same shape as, but is slightly larger than, the arms 10. The base component 12 has two ends 15 and 16.

On the surface of the mounting ends 15 and 16 opposite the chp the base component 12 is provided with touch fastener pads, for instance looped Velcro (RTM) pads. These pads are low profile so are not visible in the Figures. Through the pads (not shown), the mounting ends of the base component 12 can be firmly adhered to different ones of the corresponding hooked Velcro (RTM) pads 2. This thereby attaches the clip to the binoculars 1. The length of the base component 12 is selected so as to suit the distance between parts of the right arid left body portions 4 that are contacted by the base portion when it is in position. The base component 12 needs to be at least as long as the relevant distance, although it can also be longer.

To operate the chpmate 3, a user merely needs to press the end of the arm 10 opposite the grip pad 11 against the other arm 10, insert some of their clothing between the grip pads 11 and release the arm 10. This results in the clipmate 3, and thus the binoculars 1, being held against the user's clothing. By attaching the chpmate 3 to clothing in the area of the user's chest, for instance a jacket lapel, to fabric adjacent a button fastening or to a vertically formed pleat, the binoculars I can be attached to the user in such a way that swing and bouncing is avoided or ameliorated as the user moves. The gripper pads 11 are rubberised. In this way, damaging the fabric of the user's clothing can be avoided.

By virtue of the features of the cipmate 3 and its attachment to the binoculars 1, attachment and release can be straightforward procedures. In particular, to attach the binoculars to the user's clothing, the user can simply operate the arm 10 with their thumb whilst their fingers press against the opposite side of the binoculars, slide the binoculars 1 across their chest until fabric is taken between the gripping pads 11, and then release the arm 10, thereby allowing the clip to attach to the clothing. This simple procedure can be achieved with one hand in a very short period of time. To release, a user can simply grasp the binoculars I and the arm 10 in the same way, force them together to separate the gripping pads 11, move the binoculars away from their clothing and release, thereby allowing gripping pads 11 to meet one another. Release can be achieved with one hand in a very short period of time.

Since the base component 2 is attached to the right and left body portions 4 by a touch fastener, the clip can easily be reversed by releasing the fastening, rotating the base component 12 through 180 and then reattaching the fastening. This allows the clipmate 3 to suit the user's preferences. Reversing the cipmate 3 results in the cipmate 3 being more suitable for operation by the user's other (right or left) hand.

Reversing the clipmate 3 may also make it easier to attach the binoculars to a particular item of clothing, depending on whether an edge of fabric faces to the user's left or the user's right.

The dimensions of the chpmate 3 are such that it fits between the right and left body portions 4 of the binoculars I when rotated 900 from its operational position.

In this way, the clipmate 3 can be stored in a case with the binoculars 1 when the binoculars are not in use without requiring any modifications to the case.

It will be appreciated that, in the use of a hook and loop arrangement to affix the clip to the binoculars 1, it may not be important whether the hook part is affixed to the binoculars I or to the clip. Providing the loop part on the binoculars 1, instead of on the clip, may be advantageous in that it decreases the possibility of the hooks of the fastener interacting with user's clothing when the binoculars are worn with a strap or lanyard without the chpmate 3. Providing the ioop part on the clip, instead of on the binoculars, may be advantageous in that it decreases the possibility of the hooks of the fastener becoming clogged when the cipmate 3 is stored in a user's pocket or the like.

Existing binoculars can easily be modified to allow use of the invention, as follows.

A user is provided with the clipmate 3 and with two pads each of which has a touch fastener face and an adhesive face. The adhesive face may for instance be a contact adhesive temporarily protected by a releasable backing member, for instance silicone paper. The user can then adapt their existing binoculars by using the adhesive faces of the pads to attach them to their binoculars at an appropriate location and by attaching the base component 12 of the clipmate 3 to the binoculars 1 using the corresponding touch fastener pads on the binoculars and the cipmate 3. This allows all of the above-stated advantages to be achieved without requiring specially adapted binoculars. This stems in part from the fact that the cipmate 3 includes one part of a touch fastener.

In an alternative embodiment, the clipmate 3 is inseparably affixed to the body portions 4 of the binoculars 1. In this case, the hooked Velcro (RTM) pads 2 and the corresponding looped Velcro (RTM) pads are omitted.

Although the above has been described in relation to a pair of binoculars, it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to other apparatus including cameras, media players (such as MP3 players), compasses, mobile telephones, navigation devices, surveying equipment, calculators and such like which are conventionally worn or carried using a strap or lanyard. The invention is applicable to any apparatus which is adapted to be attached to a user by a strap or lanyard and which is of sufficient weight that its swinging or bouncing as a user moves is inconvenient to the user.

Various modifications to the above are within the scope of the present invention, the extent of which is defined only by the appended claims. For instance, the base component 12 could be omitted if the lowermost arm 10 is suitably dimensioned.

Also, some other type of clip could be used. It is most advantageous if the clip can be operated one-handedly, but that may not be essential.

Claims (10)

1. Claims 1. A device affixable or affixed to apparatus adapted to be

   attached to a user by a strap or lanyard and comprising means operable to hold the apparatus to a user's clothing.
2. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is affixable to the apparatus by a two-part touch fastener in which one part of the touch fastener is affixed to the device and the other part is affixed or affixable to the apparatus..
3. 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the touch fastener is a hook and loop fastener.
4. 4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means operable to hold the apparatus to a user's clothing comprises arms which are pivotally connected and biased together at one end.
5. 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein ends of the arms which are biased together include rubberised portions on their innermost faces.
6. 6. Apparatus including a body, a strap or lanyard for attaching the apparatus to a user and comprising means operable to hold the body to a user's clothing.
7. 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the body is affixable to the apparatus by a two-part touch fastener in which one part of the touch fastener is affixed to the body and the other part is affixed or affixable to the means operable to hold the body to a user's clothing..
8. 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the touch fastener is a hook and loop fastener.
9. 9. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the means operable to hold the body to a user's clothing comprises arms which are pivotally connected and biased together at one end.
10. 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein ends of the arms which are biased together inckide rubberised portions on their innermost faces.