Eyewear Retention Clip

Abstract

An eyewear retention clip is configured to secure a wearer’s eyewear to their clothing (e.g., a shirt pocket, collar, etc.). The eyewear retention clip is able to easily attach and remove from a variety of glasses without the use of tools. Attaching the clip to eyewear is made easier as the eyewear retention clip is made from a stretchable material (e.g., silicone, neoprene, etc.) that can securely conform to a variety of glasses/temple arm shapes. At the same time, the material is soft enough to not irritate the skin of a wearer or damage/snag clothing of a wearer.

Description

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to the field of eyewear accessories. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to eyewear retention clips.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Eyewear includes a class of accessories worn on or over the eyes. Wearers wear eyewear for a variety of reasons including glasses for improving visual acuity for reading (in reading glasses) and/or distance or other vision correction (e.g., astigmatism, etc.). Other reasons including protection against various forms of light (e.g., sunglasses to protect against sunlight which may be tinted or polarized, against non-visible light including ultra-violet (UV) light, or blue light) as well as physical barriers (e.g., goggles for sports/swimming, laboratory use, etc.). People also wear glasses for aesthetic/fashion reasons.

Depending on the purpose, glasses maybe worn on a constant or temporary basis. For example, some may wear distance glasses only when driving or only in class to see a whiteboard while others wear glasses during most waking hours. Even for those who wear glasses all the time, there may be a need to switch glasses, for example, in certain environments (e.g., blue light protection when working on a computer, sunglasses when outdoors, goggles when performing research) or to accessorize with a different clothing. Even when not in use, however, wearers may find it beneficial for glasses to be available to put on at a moment’s notice. Thus, while storage cases may provide protection, they may be cumbersome or slow for a wearer to access when needed; particularly if the wearer needs to replace their glasses multiple times a day or during certain activities.

Other mechanisms to provide ready access to glasses have been attempted. For example, glasses chains may be used to secure glasses to a wearer. Typically, glasses chains are secured to each temple arm of a pair of glasses and are worn around the neck of a wearer. The glasses chain remains on the glasses during use and allow a wearer to have access to their glasses. Problems exist with glasses chains including their added weight and they may be cumbersome and obscure a wearer’s peripheral vision when in use. Additionally, there is a perception among some glasses wearers that glasses chains are not fashionable and make them appear older.

Glasses may also include permanently affixed clips to hang on to a wearers pocket or clothing, so a wearer has ready access to their eyewear. In some examples, such clips may be molded onto the glasses during manufacture of the frames while in other examples clips are attached after production. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,120 issued to McCormick illustrates several exemplary pocket clips with various adhesive mechanisms including dry adhesive and bonding tape. U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2006/0152670 to Esparza illustrates an alligator clip molded as part of or permanently affixed to glasses. Such solutions are inflexible as the clips cannot be moved to other glasses a user may own or removed to wear the glasses without the clip.

Removable clip solutions have also been attempted. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,727 issued to McCloskey and U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,375 issued to DiFranco. These designs, however, are bulky and/or large, some taking up the majority of one of the temple arms of the glasses they are affixed to. Additionally, such designs may include many small parts that can dislodge and get lost when the clip is removed or re-attached to different glasses. U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,722 issued to Mednick et al. illustrates a re-attachable clip with a sleeve design. The illustrated design and similar designs however use a sleeve with a thick metallic anchor that does not allow the design to conform to a slim temple arm.

Therefore, there remains a need for a removable retention clip for eyewear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate exemplary eyewear with exemplary retention clip useful in explaining various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the exemplary retention clip illustrating a side facing view of a clip according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the exemplary retention clip illustrating a front face of the clip as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts a top view of the exemplary retention clip illustrating a top face of the clip as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 depicts a bottom view of the exemplary retention clip illustrating a bottom face of clip 350 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the exemplary retention clip as shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate isometric views of the clip as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the clip as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 illustrates a backside view of the clip 350 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary retention clip with a hem design according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary sleeve of the retention clip shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a depiction of an exemplary retention clip according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a depiction of an exemplary retention clip according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate an exemplary retention clip with a channeled sleeve design according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 depicts a top view of the sleeve of the exemplary retention clip as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIG. 19 depicts a perspective view of the sleeve of the exemplary retention clip as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIGS. 20 and 21 depicts perspective views of the clip of the exemplary retention clip as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.

FIG. 22 depicts a retention clip according to aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exemplary embodiment”, and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and that such particular feature, structure, or characteristic may not necessarily be included in every embodiment. In addition, references to the foregoing do not necessarily comprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally, irrespective of whether it is explicitly described, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that each of the particular features, structures, or characteristics of the given embodiments may be utilized in connection or combination with those of any other embodiment discussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

Operating Environment

Examples of the eyewear retention clips described herein are designed to compensate for the described deficiencies. In aspects of the disclosure, the eyewear retention clip is configured to secure a wearer’s eyewear to their clothing (e.g., a shirt pocket, collar, etc.). The eyewear retention clip is able to easily attach and remove from a variety of glasses without the use of tools. Attaching the clip to eyewear is made easier as the eyewear retention clip is made from a stretchable material that can securely conform to a variety of glasses/temple arm shapes. At the same time, the material is soft enough to not irritate the skin of a wearer or damage/snag clothing of a wearer.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate exemplary eyewear 100 with exemplary retention clip 102 useful in explaining various aspects of the present disclosure. Eyewear 100 may be made from a variety of materials. Common materials for the frames (e.g., non-lens components of eyewear 100) may include metals (e.g., titanium, stainless steel, etc.) and plastics (e.g., acetate, nylon, etc.) or other materials (e.g., wood). Eyewear 100 includes temple arm 104 (with a temple tip 106 at the end of temple arm 104). The temple arm 104 connecting to the body 108 of eyewear 100 via a hinge 110 which are connected via screws 112. The hinges 110 are configured to swing the temple arms 104 away from and substantially perpendicular to the body 108 of eyewear 100 in a wearable position to a compact storage position with temple arms 104 being substantially parallel to the body 108. Temple arms 104 are configured to rest on the ears of a wearer when in use. Temple tips 106 may be padded or coated to prevent irritation to the skin of a wearer. Temple arms 104 may vary in shape and dimensions. For example, temple arms 104 may be substantially straight or curved. Temple arms 104 may be relatively short (e.g., 1 or 2 millimeters) or tall (2 cm or greater). As the temple arms 104 approach the temple tip 106, the temple arms 104 may taper in dimensions.

The body 108 includes the rims 114 which hold lenses 116. The rims may connect to the hinges 110 directly or via separate end pieces. Rims 114 are full rims that go entirely around the lenses 116. In other examples, the rims 114 do not fully encircle the lenses 116. The rims 114 are connected to each other via the bridge 118. The bridge 118 may support the weight of eyewear 100 and are configured to rest on the bridge of the nose of a wearer. As illustrated, the rims 114 have included nose pads 120. In other examples, eyewear 100 includes pad arms affixed to the rims 114 coupled to separate nose pads 120. Nose pads 120 are configured to support the eyewear 100 on the nose of a wearer so the eyewear 100 does not slip off or shift during wear.

The retention clip 102 is configured to slip over a temple arm 104 of the eyewear 100. While illustrated as facing outward (on the exterior face 122 of the temple arm 104), the retention clip 102 maybe installed with the retention clip 102 facing inward on the interior face 124 of the temple arm 104. When installed on the interior face 124, the retention clip 102 may be worn more discreetly. Whether installed on the exterior face 122 or the interior face 124 of the temple arm 104, a user may wear the eyewear 100 with the retention clip 102 installed. The retention clip 102 is secured via friction to the temple arm 104 of the eyewear. The material of the retention clip 102 conforms to the dimensions and shape of the temple arm. For example, as the temple arm 104 curves and gets narrower along its length, the retention clip 102 adjusts to the shape and dimensions of the temple arm 104.

To hang the eyewear 100 from the clip of the retention clip 102, a wearer may insert a temple arm 104 of the eyewear 100 into a sleeve of the retention clip. The wearer may put the eyewear in a storable position (e.g., hinge temple arms closed so they run parallel to the body 108 of the eyewear 100). The wearer may then place the fabric (e.g., of a wearer’s clothing) between the clip of the retention clip 102 and sleeve of the retention clip 102. To remove the retention clip 102 from the eyewear 100, a wearer may slip off the retention clip 102 from the temple arm 104 of the eyewear.

Example Operation

FIGS. 3-7 illustrate an exemplary retention clip 300 with an overmold design according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the exemplary retention clip 300 illustrating a side facing view of the clip 350. FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the exemplary retention clip 300 illustrating a front face of clip 350. FIG. 5 depicts a top view of the exemplary retention clip 300 illustrating a top face of clip 350, from the perspective of the orientation in an exemplary use case and as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 depicts a bottom view of the exemplary retention clip 300 illustrating a bottom face of clip 350, from the perspective of the orientation in an exemplary use case and as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the exemplary retention clip 300. FIGS. 8-11 illustrate various views of an exemplary clip 350 isolated from the retention clip 300. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate isometric views of the clip 350. FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of clip 350. FIG. 11 illustrates a backside view of the clip 350.

The retention clip 300 includes a sleeve 302 and a clip 350. The retention clip 300 is configured to attach to eyewear of a wearer (e.g., eyewear 100 illustrated in FIG. 1). By using the retention clip 300, a wearer may reduce the risk of losing, dropping, or damaging their eyewear as compared with, for example, using a temple arm as a clip. The retention clip 300 may be installed onto eyewear by slipping the sleeve 302 over the temple arm of the eyewear. Similarly, the retention clip 300 may be removed from the eyewear by a wearer by slipping the sleeve 302 off the temple arm of the eyewear. The retention clip 300 may then be replaced on the eyewear or placed on a different pair of eyewear in seconds without the use of tools or adjusting small, detached parts. In some examples, the retention clip 300 may be removed or installed within seconds by a wearer which encourages use of the retention clip 300.

The retention clip 300 includes a sleeve 302. The sleeve 302 is tube/cylindrically shaped and includes an interior cavity 304 formed by interior wall 306 of the sleeve 302. The interior cavity 304 may include a tunnel characterized by an aperture in the base 310 and an aperture in the crown 312 of the sleeve. The sleeve 302 is configured to attach to the temple arm of eyewear by inserting the temple arm into the interior cavity 304 of the sleeve 302. In some examples, the material of the sleeve maybe stretchable such that a user can easily slip on and off the retention clip 300 while providing enough grip to conform to the eyewear’s temple arm. In a specific example, the sleeve 302 has a length of between ¾ inches and 2 inches (e.g., 1 in/25.4 mm) and an external diameter (including the walls of the sleeve 302) of between ¼ of an inch and 1.25 inches (e.g., 0.43 in/ 11 mm) and an internal diameter (excluding the walls of the sleeve 302) of between ⅕ of an inch and 1 inch (e.g., 0.31 in/8 mm), with walls 1/16 to ¼ inch thick (e.g., .12 in/3 mm).

In one exemplary embodiment, the sleeve 302 is made of a silicone rubber material; though other materials (e.g., other elastomers) with similar characteristics may be selected with similar results as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Silicone, and other plastics/elastomers may be manufactured in a mold. In some embodiments, the molding process may mold the clip 350 and the sleeve 302 into a single (undetachable) part adding to the strength and durability of the retention clip 300.

As a brief aside, silicone is produced with a variety of hardness/durometer levels (measured using a durometer). The hardness is typically measured on a shore A scale and impacts the hardness/rigidity of the resulting sleeve 302 as well as the ability of the silicone to flow into smaller openings/crevices during manufacture. In one exemplary embodiment, the material of the sleeve 302 is a silicone with a strength of shore 80, with a tensile strength of approximately 2 megapascals (MPa), and an elongation at the breaking point of 220-250%. In another exemplary embodiment, the material of the sleeve 302 is a silicone with a strength of shore 20 is used. As a brief aside, elongation at the breaking point is the length at the breaking point expressed as a percentage of its original length (i.e., length at rest). For example, a material that reaches twice its length before breaking has an elongation percentage of 100%. An elongation percentage of 250% indicates the material will stretch to three and a half times its size when not stretched. Artisans of ordinary skill will appreciate that this is only exemplary and similar materials may be substituted with equal success. A high elongation percentage may be beneficial to allow the retention clip 300 to accommodate a wide variety of temple arm shapes and sizes as well as provide a conforming grip to the temple arm to adhere to the eyewear.

The sleeve 302 may be molded to have a variety of textures. The texture of the sleeve 302 may provide additional grip when, e.g., the texture is on the interior wall 306 of the sleeve 302, of the eyewear. Texture on the exterior wall 308 of the sleeve 302 may provide better grip for a user of the retention clip when installing and removing the retention clip 300 from eyewear. In one embodiment, the sleeve 302 may be molded to have a matte texture. In a specific embodiment, the texture is a sandblasted matte finish. In other examples, the sleeve 302 may have a smooth texture. In further examples, the interior wall 306 and exterior wall 308 has different textures (e.g., a textured interior and a smooth exterior).

The sleeve 302 may include one or more chamfered edges at the base 310 or the crown 312 of the sleeve 302. The base 310 and/or crown 312 may have an aperture that forms the opening(s) of the interior cavity 304. The sloping/chamfered edge may slope down toward the exterior wall 308 of the sleeve 302 from the base 310 and/or crown 312 of the sleeve 302. A chamfered edge may aid the sleeve 302 from snagging a wearer’s clothing when using the retention clip 300 to store the eyewear (e.g., on clothing or in the pocket of a wearer). A second sloping/chamfered edge may slope down toward the interior wall 306 of the sleeve 302 from the base 310 and/or crown 312 of the sleeve 302 surrounding the aperture that forms the opening(s) of the interior cavity 304. This second chamfered edge may aid in installation/removal of the sleeve 302 on eyewear. In other examples, the edges of the base 310 or crown 312 of the sleeve may have a smooth, rounded edge or a beveled edge with a slope having a different angle (e.g., a 30° angle). In further examples, the base 310/crown 312 may have a continuous rounded edge connecting the interior wall 306 and exterior wall 308. In other examples, the base 310 and/or crown 312 has a flat edge that forms a substantially perpendicular angle to the interior wall 306 or exterior wall 308 of the sleeve 302.

The retention clip 300 includes a clip 350. The clip 350 is configured to engage with and attach the retention clip 300 to clothing, a pocket, or other item of a wearer during storage of their eyewear. The sleeve 302 may provide a soft/padded barrier between the eyewear and the object clipped by the clip 350. The clip 350 may be made of a sturdy plastic (e.g., nylon) or metal (e.g., steel or aluminum) material. In some examples, the clip 350 has a length of between 1 and 2 inches (e.g., 1.3 inches/33 mm). In one specific example, the clip 350 comprises a rigid plastic with a tensile strength of approximately 50 Mpa, a Young’s Modulus of approximately 2500 Mpa, and an elongation at the breaking point of 30%. As a brief aside, Young’s modulus (also known as the modulus of elasticity) is a measure of the ability of a material to withstand changes in length when under lengthwise tension or compression. Young’s modulus is equal to the longitudinal stress divided by the strain.

In an exemplary embodiment, the clip 350 includes an exterior segment 352 and an interior segment 354. The exterior segment 352 forms a clip engageable with and attachable to clothing (e.g., a pocket or collar) or other item whereas the interior segment 354 forms an anchor to attach the clip 350 to the sleeve 302. In some examples, the clip 350 is U-shaped and emerges from the crown 312 of the sleeve 302. After emerging from the crown 312, the clip 350 bends around into a portion that is substantially parallel to the exterior wall 308 of the sleeve 302. The U-shaped portion 356 of the clip 350 may be bendable/flexible and/or configured to spring to accommodate attaching to or removing the retention clip 300 from an object. The exterior segment 352 of the clip 350 is cantilevered/supported only at one end by, for example, the interior segment 354 connected/anchored into the sleeve 302. Between the sleeve 302 and the exterior segment 352 of the clip 350 a valley 358 is formed. In some examples, the valley spans 1.5 mm.

As the clip 350 is sandwiched inside the sleeve 302, the interior wall 306 of the sleeve 302 may be a continuous surface, without breaks or ridges, that could catch or otherwise impede a portion of a temple arm of eyewear that is being inserted into the retention clip 300. The sleeve 302 may thus provide protection of the eyewear from the clip 350.

The outward surface 360 of the clip 350 may include a flat surface. The clip 350 may terminate at an end 362 below the base 310 of the sleeve 302. Alternatively, the clip 350 may terminate in line with or above the base 310 of the sleeve 302.

The interior surface 364 of the clip 350 (on the opposite side of the outward surface 360), may include a flat surface. In some examples, the interior surface 364 includes a nub 366 that protrudes/projects from the interior surface 364. The nub 366 may have a rounded shape with an apex. The nub 366 may slope on either side of the apex. In some examples the apex has a height of 1.4 mm above the interior surface 364.

In some examples the apex of the nub 366 may be configured to interact with a divet or protrusion in the sleeve 302. The nub 366 may be configured to apply pressure to/compress/hold an object that is being clipped/retained between the clip 350 and the sleeve 302. When the clip 350 is at rest and not clipped to/holding any material, the nub 366 may contact the sleeve 302. Alternatively, the nub 366 maybe disposed close to without contacting the sleeve 302. Alternatively, the nub 366 may be disposed at the end 362 of the interior surface 364 of the clip 350. Alternatively, as illustrated, the nub 366 may be disposed away from the end 362 of the clip. In one example, the apex of the nub 366 is be located 10 mm from end 362 of the clip 350. In some examples, the width of the nub 366 may span the width of interior surface 364 of the clip 350. In other examples, the width of the nub 366 may be smaller or greater than (and bulge out from) the interior surface 364 of the clip 350.

In other examples instead of a nub 366, the interior surface 364 includes multiple waves/ridges configured to compress/hold an object that is being clipped between the clip 350 and the sleeve 302. In some examples, the waves/ridges form an interlocking surface with the exterior wall 308 of the sleeve 302 configured to enhance the grip of the clip 350.

Edges of the clip 350 may be rounded. Rounded edges may be less likely to snag on clothing or other items a wearer may wish to hook the retention clip 300 to. Alternatively, the edges of the clip 350 may be chamfered, beveled, and/or flat/cornered off.

The retention clip 300 maybe manufactured using a molding process where the clip 350 is inserted into the mold and silicone (or other material) is poured/injected to form the sleeve 302. This molding process may allow the clip 350 and sleeve 302 to form a single inseparable part. The clip 350 would not be able to slip out of or dislodge from the sleeve 302. One or more flow channels 368 formed within interior segment 354 of the clip 350 may allow the silicone (or other material) to flow inside the clip 350 during manufacture. Once cured/dried, the clip 350 is embedded into the sleeve 302 and the silicone (or other material) fills the flow channels 368 joining portions of the sleeve 302. The retention clip 300 may then be removed from the mold and any excess material removed. This molding/manufacturing process that integrates the sleeve 302 with the clip 350 allows the clip 350 to have a stronger grip on clipped objects. As the clip 350 is integrated into the sleeve 302, there are fewer edges with which to snag clothing or other objects which could lead to damage.

As illustrated, each of the flow channels 368 form a T-shaped channel within the interior segment 354 of the clip 350. This allows for multiple dimensions of integration between the clip 350 and the sleeve 302. Alternatively, the flow channels form a “+” shaped channel through the interior segment 354 of the clip 350.

In an alternative example, the flow channels 368 of the clip 350 are created laterally across the clip 350. When molding the retention clip 300, the sleeve 302 only wraps around to meet the clip 350 and does not cover the entirety of the front and rear faces of the interior segment 354 of the clip 350 (that is no longer interior). The lateral flow channels 368 connect the two ends of molded silicone (or other material). In some examples, the portion of the clip 350 adjacent to the interior cavity 304 is rounded to form a round shape with the silicone.

Some wearers may desire to wear the retention clip 300 discreetly. In such instances, the sleeve 302 and/or clip 350 maybe colored or painted to match the color or design of the frames of the eyewear. In one example, a colored silicone material is selected to mold the sleeve 302 to match a wearer’s eyewear. The same or similarly colored nylon material may be selected for the clip 350. The resulting retention clip 300 may more seamlessly blend into the look of the attached eyewear. Other wearers, however, may desire the retention clip 300 to complement their eyewear or otherwise stand out. Color selections for materials of the sleeve 302 and clip 350 maybe made accordingly. In such instances, different colors or patterns may be selected for the sleeve 302 and the clip 350.

Additionally, designs, names/initials, or logos may be embossed/debossed, engraved, or printed on the sleeve 302 and/or clip 350. For example, an outward surface 360 of the clip 350 may be used as a billboard for decoration/embellishment/marketing/personalization. The billboard may be engraved or designed into shapes embellished in any fashion while still serving purpose of clipping to clothing or an intended item. Exemplary designs are shown in FIGS. 16-21, described below.

Other Exemplary Designs

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary retention clip 1200 with a hem design according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary sleeve 1202 of the retention clip 1200 according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Retention clip 1200 has a sleeve 1202 and a clip 1204. The sleeve 1202 is made of a stretch fabric. In one example, the sleeve is made of a nylon-faced neoprene. The stretch fabric may be used to grip onto the temple arm of eyewear. The soft surface of the stretch fabric may allow fabric (e.g., a shirt pocket) to slide onto.

In one example, the sleeve 1202 is formed from a 1-1.5 inches of the stretch fabric formed into a loop with a diameter of approximately ⅓ to ½ inches. Any appropriate length of fabric to form a loop that can fit around the temple arm of eyewear such that the fabric tightly holds the temple arm may be selected. The loop of fabric is formed into the sleeve 1202 by stitching along the length of the fabric with a thread 1206. Stitching maybe performed by sewing machine or by hand. The thread 1206 may include, e.g., a polyester or nylon thread. A selvage 1208 forms a slight protrusion above the stitch of the thread 1206. When the clip 1204 is placed directly over the selvage 1208, the clip 1204 has additional tension and grip increasing the performance of the clip.

The clip 1204 may be a U-shaped clip made of metal or plastic. A portion of the U-shaped clip is inside the sleeve 1202 and a portion outside of the sleeve 1202. The clip 1204 may be secured to the sleeve with glue or another adhesive. In some examples, the clip 1204 may include waves, ridges, nubs, or undulations on the inner surface 1210 of the clip 1204 to enhance the grip of the clip 1204.

FIG. 14 is a depiction of an exemplary retention clip 1400 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The retention clip 1400 has a sleeve 1402 coupled to a U-shaped clip 1404. The sleeve 1402 of the retention clip 1400 is configured to removably couple to a temple arm of eyewear and the U-shaped clip 1404 is configured to removably couple to clothing or another item. FIG. 15 is a depiction of an exemplary retention clip 1500 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The retention clip 1500 has a sleeve 1502 coupled to a U-shaped clip 1504. The retention clip 15 The retention clip 1500 has a sleeve 1402 coupled to a U-shaped clip 1504. The sleeve 1502 of the retention clip 1500 is configured to removably couple to a temple arm of eyewear and the U-shaped clip 1504 is configured to removably couple to clothing or another item. The retention clip 1500 has a sleeve 1502 coupled to a U-shaped clip 1504. The sleeve 1502 of the retention clip 1500 is configured to removably couple to a temple arm of eyewear and the U-shaped clip 1504 is configured to removably couple to clothing or another item.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate an exemplary retention clip 1600 with a channeled sleeve design according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 depicts a top view of a sleeve 1602 of the exemplary retention clip 1600. FIG. 19 depicts a perspective view of a sleeve 1602 of the exemplary retention clip 1600. FIGS. 20 and 21 depicts perspective views of a clip 1650 of the exemplary retention clip 1600.

The retention clip 1600 includes a sleeve 1602 and a clip 1650. In some examples, the sleeve 1602 may be made out of a silicone or other elastomer material. As described above with respect to FIGS. 3-11, the sleeve 1602 may be molded. The sleeve 1602 may be shaped like a cylinder that has a cylindrical shaped interior cavity 1604. Unlike the embodiments described above, the sleeve 1602 is not molded with the clip 1650. Instead, the clip 1650 is attached after molding with glue or other adhesive (depending on the materials of the clip 1650 and the sleeve 1602). As a result, the clip 1650 may be solid (metal, nylon, etc.) rather than having flow channels to integrate with the sleeve 1602.

The sleeve 1602 has a notch or channel 1606 configured to couple with the clip 1650 during manufacture. The channel 1606 may be formed along the entire length of the sleeve 1602. In other examples, such as pictured in FIGS. 18 and 19, the channel 1606 terminates prior to the full length of the sleeve 1602. Commensurate with the channel 1606, the clip 1650 is configured to fit inside the channel 1606. In some examples, the clip 1650 fits in the channel 1606 such that the interior wall 1608 of the sleeve 1602 forms a smooth rounded wall when the clip 1650 is installed with the interior wall 1652 of the clip 1650. In other examples, as is illustrated, the interior wall 1652 of the clip 1650 bumps out when the clip 1650 is installed in the channel 1606 of the sleeve 1602. The interior wall 1652 of the clip 1650 may be rounded. Alternatively, the interior wall 1652 may be flat.

The clip 1650 has a nub 1654 disposed at an end of an exterior portion of the clip 1650. As shown, the nub 1654 is rounded and does not contact the sleeve 1602 when at rest (e.g., when not clipped to an object). In other examples, the nub 1654 may contact a portion of the sleeve 1602 (e.g., a base of the sleeve 1602, or an exterior wall 1610 of the sleeve 1602).

Designs, names/initials, or logos may be embossed/debossed, engraved, or printed on the sleeve 1602 and/or clip 1650. The outward surface 1656 of the clip 1650 may include a decorative element 1658 for decoration/embellishment/marketing/personalization. The outward surface 1656 of the clip 1650 may be engraved or designed into shapes embellished in any fashion while still serving purpose of clipping to clothing or an intended item. Similarly, the exterior wall 1610 of the sleeve 1602 may include a decorative element 1612.

The foregoing examples were in the context of an eyewear retention clip. However, as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the disclosed techniques are not so limited. For example, rather than use with eyewear, the retention clips described throughout the present disclosure may be used to add a clip to other objects. For example, pens, that may not have a built-in cap, may be inserted into the sleeve of a retention clip for storage when not in use.

FIG. 22 depicts a retention clip 2200 used as a boutonniere, according to aspects of the present disclosure. The retention clip 2200 includes a sleeve 2202 and a clip 2250. Flowers 2204 maybe inserted into the cavity of the sleeve 2202. The retention clip 2200 (with flowers 2204) may be clipped to the lapel of a wearer using the clip 2250. The clip 2250 may include a pin. For example, the pin may include a bar pin that is disposed inside or outside the sleeve 2202. In other examples, the pin may include a bobby pin or a straight pin. The pin may go through (e.g., pierce) the sleeve 2202. In other examples, the pin may go through a cavity formed by the sleeve 2202 rather than piercing the sleeve 2202. In other examples, the pin is coupled to the sleeve 2202 with glue or another adhesive.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the disclosed embodiments of the disclosed device and associated methods without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of the embodiments disclosed above provided that the modifications and variations come within the scope of any claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An eyewear retention clip, comprising: a cylindrical silicone sleeve comprising: a base portion characterized by a first chamfered edge surrounding a first aperture; anda crown portion characterized by a second chamfered edge surrounding a second aperture, the cylindrical silicone sleeve configured to grip a first object; anda U-shaped clip configured to retain a second object between the U-shaped clip and the cylindrical silicone sleeve, an internal portion of the U-shaped clip anchored in the cylindrical silicone sleeve.

2. The eyewear retention clip of claim 1, where the first object is a temple arm of eyewear and the second object is clothing.

3. The eyewear retention clip of claim 1, where the internal portion of the U-shaped clip comprises a plurality of flow channels filled with molded silicone joining to portions of the cylindrical silicone sleeve.

4. The eyewear retention clip of claim 3, where each flow channel of the plurality of flow channels is T-shaped.

5. The eyewear retention clip of claim 1, where the U-shaped clip comprises a nub projecting from the U-shaped clip, the nub configured to apply pressure to the second object.

6. A retention clip, comprising: a silicone sleeve comprising an external wall and forming an interior cavity; anda clip comprising an internal segment and an external segment, the internal segment located within the silicone sleeve, the external segment comprising a bendable portion, the external segment configured to attach to an external object.

7. The retention clip of claim 6, where the silicone sleeve is configured to grip a portion of eyewear inserted into the interior cavity.

8. The retention clip of claim 6, where the silicone sleeve is a molded silicone sleeve, and the internal segment of the clip comprises a flow channel filled with molded silicone joining portions of the silicone sleeve.

9. The retention clip of claim 8, where the flow channel is T-shaped.

10. The retention clip of claim 6, where the silicone sleeve comprises silicone with a shore 80 durometer.

11. The retention clip of claim 6, where the external segment of the clip is configured to attach to the external object by interacting with the external wall of the silicone sleeve.

12. The retention clip of claim 6, where the bendable portion comprises a U-shaped segment.

13. The retention clip of claim 6, where the external segment comprises a nub protruding toward the silicone sleeve, the nub configured to contacting the external wall of the silicone sleeve when the retention clip is not attached to the external object.

14. The retention clip of claim 6, where the silicone sleeve is characterized by a cylindrical tube shape forming the interior cavity that is cylindrical.

15. The retention clip of claim 6, where the silicone sleeve comprises a chamfered edge.

16. A retention clip, comprising: a silicone sleeve comprising an interior surface forming a cylindrical tube, the interior surface of the silicone sleeve characterized by a channel; anda U-shaped clip, a portion of the U-shaped clip coupled to the silicone sleeve at the channel.

17. The retention clip of claim 16, where the silicone sleeve is configured to stretch to accommodate an object inserted within the interior surface.

18. The retention clip of claim 17, where the silicone sleeve is configured to grip the object inserted within the interior surface.

19. The retention clip of claim 16, where the U-shaped clip comprises a nub disposed at an end of the U-shaped clip, the nub configured to interact with a retained object.

20. The retention clip of claim 16, where the U-shaped clip is coupled to the silicone sleeve at an internal portion of the U-shaped clip, the internal portion protrudes from the interior surface of the silicone sleeve.