US20090007388A1

US20090007388A1 - Magnetic shirt pocket eyeglass retaining clip system

Info

Publication number: US20090007388A1
Application number: US11/784,761
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruce W. Villeneuve
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-05
Filing date: 2007-07-05
Publication date: 2009-01-08

Abstract

This invention is comprised of a powerful neodymium magnet fastened to a polished metal clip and further embellished, for fashion or personalization, with a front laminate fabricated to any desired shape, color or finish. The clip lends itself to various themes; occupational, sport or club affiliation, company logo or any number of insignias. Designed to be worn on one's pocket in cooperation with a modification made to basic eyeglasses. This modification to the eyeglasses allows the eyeglasses to be held securely in one's shirt pocket against the magnetic clip assembly.

Description

Designed to quickly secure a man's eyeglasses/sunglasses to his shirt pocket and hold them safely during most activities.
As a regular guy, now needing to carry his reading glasses, I have found the eyeglass case to be bulky and inconveniently annoying. I like to just drop my glasses into my shirt pocket and put them on when I need them. The problem with this is that every time I bend over to pick something up, I have to pick up my eyeglasses too. They have taken a beating!
To overcome this problem and to keep my next pair from getting so scratched up, I have designed and fabricated a thin pocket clip with a powerful magnet attached to it. Unable to find a small high strength magnet to suit my needs, I took a magnet from a computer hard drive, which happens to be laminated to a piece of steel, and cut it to size. After grinding and polishing, I fastened it to a clip.
Now, I just drop my glasses in my pocket and they immediately secure themselves to the pocket clip. I can now bend over, jump, run and even do cartwheels. The eyeglasses stay safe and secure in my pocket.

DESCRIPTION

A neodymium magnet fastened to a tempered stainless steel clip designed to be worn on a shirt pocket. The front of the clip can be polished, blued, gold, or silver plated. A laminate can also be attached to the front of the clip to alter its simple, basic design to something more fashionable or refined.
Since eyeglasses are non-magnetic, something made of ferrous metal will need to be added to the temple piece, allowing the clip to securely hold the glasses. Because of the many types of glasses, this problem can be addressed in a few different ways:

- 1.) Magnetic low-grade stainless self stick plates in various sizes that can be fastened to the temple piece, near the hinge. Can also be polished, brushed, blued or plated. Offered in an assortment, providing a selection of choices.
- 2.) An assortment of coil springs in various sizes and colors. Simply pull the plastic tip from the temple piece and slide on the appropriate size and color coil spring. Push it in position near the hinge and reinstall the plastic tip.
- 3.) Magnetic low-grade stainless clip that can also come in various sizes. Can be clipped onto the temple piece, near the hinge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Is a view of the basic pocket clip, magnet assy. without the front laminate or logo plate attached. The clip's magnet is shown near, but not in contact with the metal laminate plate that has been applied to the temple piece on a pair of reading glasses. When the assembly is in actual use, the magnet will physically hold the glasses to its magnetic surface.
FIGS. 2, 3 & 4 Depicts the front, side and top views of the basic pocket clip respectively.
FIG. 5 Is a view depicting a small assortment of polished, non-oxidizing, ferrous temple plates. The size desired is determined by the user and is attached by way of an adhesive to the temple piece unless, by design, the temple piece of the glasses are manufactured using a ferrous alloy or a ferrous alloy inlay depending on the style of the eyeglasses.
FIG. 6 Is a view of various size and shaped coil spring sections. A different approach to apply a ferrous surface to the user's eyeglasses, can be slid up in position and even cemented in place.
FIG. 7 Is a view of a couple of alternatives to FIGS. 5 and 6 which could simply be pressed in position on the eyeglass frame.
FIG. 8 Is a rendering of some of my prototype pocket clips shown with a few designs of front laminates.

Claims

1. A powerful neodymium magnet attached to the back of a polished, non-oxidizing tempered metal pocket clip (FIG. 1)

2. In combination of claim 1 wherein the front of the clip assembly is affixed with a laminate plate fabricated to any desired shape (FIG. 8)

3. In combination of claim 1, the pocket clip, designed as a fashion piece or for personalization can be affixed with insignias of profession, such as a doctor's emblem for example, club insignias, such as Kiwanis, Freemason, etc. Also company logos, sport insignias and so on.

4. The pocket clip of claim 1, affixed with the powerful magnet is designed in cooperation with the methods detailed below, comprises the assembly for holding one's pocket during most activities.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the first method of making the temple piece of the eyeglasses magnetically attractive is to fabricate the temple piece of a non-oxidizing ferrous metal alloy or a ferrous metal inlay.

6. The temple piece fabricated from a ferrous alloy of claim 5 is not manufactured as of yet, an alternative will be required. By making a few sizes of ferrous alloy polished plates (FIG. 8) one can select a size that suits their needs and cement or peel and stick it to a temple piece.

7. Other methods, claims 7 and 8 respectively is the use of small spring sections (FIG. 6) or metal clips (FIG. 7) of various shapes that can be fastened or cemented onto the various shapes of temple pieces.