The present invention relates to a spectacle holder, particularly but not exclusively, a spectacle holder for clipping spectacles onto a user's item of clothing such as a tie, shirt lapel or pocket etc.

Users of prescription and non-prescription spectacles and sunglasses often wish to temporarily remove the spectacles from their face during a typical day. When removed from the face, the spectacles must be held in the hand, stored away in a case, kept on top of the head, attached to a cord around the neck or put in a pocket etc. Alternatively one leg of the spectacles can be tucked down the front of the shirt; however, this is relatively insecure and often results in the spectacles falling out when the user bends over or runs etc. For these reasons, spectacle "danglers" have been used for many years to attach spectacles to clothing; however, these typically utilise sharp pins which pass through the material of the clothing. This can be dangerous to the user and can damage the clothing. An alternative known method of attachment is provided by a pair of strong magnets placed on either side of the clothing material. However, with such arrangements there is always a possibility of losing one of the magnets, thereby rendering the holder useless. Also, such magnetic arrangements are ill-suited to those working in environments which are sensitive to magnetic fields; for instance, those working on or near computer equipment. Furthermore, many users are uncomfortable with the idea of placing strong magnets on their person. This is particularly problematic for those users who may rely on pacemakers or similar devices since these can be adversely affected by localised magnetic forces. According to the present invention, there is provided a spectacle holder comprising a clamping arrangement for clamping the spectacle holder to a user's clothing, and a spectacle attachment for receiving a leg of a pair of spectacles therein such that the pair of spectacles may be securely hung from the user's clothing.

The clamping arrangement may comprise an actuating lever and clamping lever interoperable with one another to selectively clamp material of the user's clothing therebetween to thereby removably secure the spectacle holder to the user's clothing.

The clamping lever may comprise a clamping head and the spectacle attachment may comprise a clamping seat for receiving a portion of the clamping head thereon, thereby facilitating said clamping effect.

The clamping head may be provided on a spring loaded clamping lever in communication with a cammed portion of the actuating lever. This cammed arrangement provides a spring loaded clamping arrangement whereby the clamping arrangement is biased toward a clamped configuration whilst ensuring that the actuating lever sits flush on the spectacle holder whilst in the clamped configuration. The clamping head and or the clamping seat may comprise a resilient material to facilitate said clamping effect. The clamping head and or clamping seat may also be provided with a gripping formation to further improve said clamping effect. The gripping formation may comprise a circular formation of raised protrusions surrounding the clamping seat.

The spectacle attachment may comprise a rigid or non-rigid loop attached to the spectacle holder, the loop being adapted to receive a leg of the spectacles therein. The loop may comprise a hoop of material projecting from the bottom of the spectacle holder.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 A is a schematic transverse view of the spectacle holder of the present invention in an open configuration prior to clamping onto a user's clothing; Fig. 1 B is a schematic transverse view of the spectacle holder during clamping onto the user's clothing;

Fig. 1 C is a schematic transverse view of the spectacle holder in a clamped configuration on a user's clothing;

Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the spectacle holder in an open configuration;

Fig. 3 is a perspective front view of the spectacle holder; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective rear view of the spectacle holder showing the clip in a clamped configuration.

Referring to Figs. 1A, B and C, a spectacle holder 10 comprises a spectacle attachment plate 12 having a lever bracket 14 attached to the rear thereof. The lever bracket 14 locates a clamping lever 16 and an actuating lever 18 thereon. As illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the attachment plate 12 comprises a rigid spectacle attachment loop 15 projecting from a bottom edge of the plate 12. In the embodiment shown, the spectacle attachment plate 12 takes the form of a flat rectangular plate; however, it will be appreciated that much of the shape and form of this particular member is dictated by the desired overall appearance of the holder 10 rather than its function and it may therefore take numerous forms in alternative embodiments of the present invention.

The lever bracket 14 is glued or otherwise permanently attached to the attachment plate 12 or may alternatively be integrally formed therewith. The lever bracket 14 is provided with a clamp seat 24 on its rear face which is surrounded by gripping formations 26 (best illustrated in Fig. 2).

The clamping lever 16 is attached to the rear of the attachment plate 12 at a pivot point 20 thereby allowing the clamping lever 16 to pivotally move in the direction indicated by arrow A in Fig. 1 A. A clamping head 22 is attached to the other end of the clamping lever 16 and comprises a circular pad of resilient material, such as a rubberised plastic or foam material. The clamping lever 16 is kinked along its length to accommodate the height of the clamping head 22.

The actuating lever 18 is attached to the bracket 14 at a pivot point 28. The actuating lever 18 has a long handle section on one side of the pivot point 28 and a short cammed protrusion 30 on the other side of the pivot point 28. The end of the cammed protrusion 30 is in abutment with the rear of the clamping lever 16. As illustrated in Fig. 1 C and Fig. 4, the profile of the actuating lever 18 is contoured to fit snugly against the back of the holder 10 when in the clamped configuration.

In use, and with reference to Fig. 1A, the spectacle holder 10 is attached to a user's item of clothing (lapel, pocket, tie etc.) by placing it onto the material 32 whilst in the open configuration. The holder 10 is progressed onto the material 32 until the material 32 resides between the clamp head 22 and the clamp seat 24. The user then presses the actuating lever 18 down towards the attachment plate 12; with reference to Fig. 1 B, as the actuating lever 18 rotates around pivot point 28, the cammed protrusion 30 slides along the back of clamping lever 16. This causes the clamping lever 16 to "snap" onto the rear of the attachment plate 12.

With reference to Fig. 1 C, once the actuating lever 18 is fully closed, the resilient clamp head 22 clamps the material 32 onto the clamp seat 24 thereby securely attaching the holder 10 to the material 32. The reader will appreciate that the interaction between the actuating lever 18 and clamping arrangement effectively spring loads the clamping lever 16 onto the material 32.

With the spectacle holder 10 secured to the user's clothing, when the user wishes to temporarily hang their spectacles, they simply need to slide a leg of their spectacles through the loop 15. As can be seen from the embodiment illustrated, as well as providing this important function, the loop 15 may also comprise part of a decorative feature. The invention of the present invention therefore provides a secure, temporary attachment for a spectacle dangler without risking damage to the user's clothing. Furthermore, the invention provides an opportunity to wear an additional item of jewellery.

Another feature of the present invention is that the clamping arrangement provided by the clamping lever 16 and actuating lever 18 is hidden from view to the user. This feature is well suited to decorative jewellery items.

Modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of invention. In particular, it will be appreciated that both the attachment plate 12 and attachment loop 15 can take many different forms depending upon the desired overall visual appearance of the holder 10.