US2775344A - Eyeglass cleaning compact - Google Patents

Description

i Dec. 25, 1956 T. BENI-:nmz 2,775,344 EYEGLASS CLEANING COMPACT Filed Agg. 7, 1953 /0\ INVENTOR THOR BENEplKZ Army/way EYEGLASS CLEANING CMPACT Thor lenedikz, New York, N. Y.

` Application August 7, 1953, Serial No. 372,888

' 2 claims. (ci. 20s-ss) This invention relates to an eyeglass or spectacles cleaning compact, and, more particularly, has reference to a relatively small, unitary assembly capable of being readily carried in the pocket or ina purse, which assembly is so designed as to contain all the materials needed for cleaning and polishing the lenses of apair of eyeglasses.

Those persons who wear eyeglasses experience considerable difficulty and inconvenience, in respect to the cleaning and polishing of the same. In many instances,`such V persons will carry a small cleaning rag in the eyeglass case, `but this is unsatisfactory, since the piece of fabric will, on continued use over an indenite period of time, become unsanitary, unattractive in appearance, and incapable of discharging its intended function with a desired amount of efliciency. f Further, it is not possible'to clean and polish eyeglasses with optimum'eiciency unless a cleaning liquid is used, and this necessitates carrying a small bottle or like container on the person.

The main object of the present invention, in View of the above, is to provide, in a unitary assembly, a cleaning compact in which will be contained, in readily accessible locations, a supply of polishing tissues, a quantity of cleaningliquid,` and a dispensing nozzle that will direct a jet or spray of liquid against an eyeglass lens, under the full control of a user.

, Another object is to provide, in a structure` as described, a highly attractive article that can be used in public without the embarrassment thatwouldfotherwise occur were one to expose a bottle of liquid, produce a soiled polishing rag, etc.

Y Another object of the present invention is to provide pair of flat containersthe interiors of which are wholly out; of communication, which containers will be connected thus to permit the article to take up a minimum of space within a pocket orfpurse, the interior of one container defining a repository for a plurality of superposed, disposable, polishing tissues and the interior of the other container forming a liquid compartment which can be filled with water, or with a chemical cleaning compound.

Another object is to provide a means within the tissue container which will be particularly well adapted to coniine the tissues within said `container in a neat, orderly, stacked array, while at the Sametime providing access to the uppermost tissue for removal of thesame without disturbing the remaining tissues.

Another object is to provide, in at least one form of the invention, an arrangement of' the containers wherein the liquid container will be divided into a liquid compartment and a dispensing nozzle compartment, with said liquid container normally constituting a` closure for the tissues container and the tissues container -being in turn provided with "ameans that constitutes a closure for the dispensing nozzle compartment. l"For further comprehension f the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

featuresof theinvention are more particularly set forth.

2,775,344 Patented Dec.` 25, 1,956

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an eyeglass cleaning compact formed in accordance with the present invention, a hinged lid on the liquid container being shown in open position. t

2 is a front elevational view, taken from the left of Fig. l, the lid being closed, portions being broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevational View taken from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the interior of the tissue container.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View. t

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear perspective view showing asecond form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective view of said second form in which the containers have been swung to an open position. y

Fig. 8 is a View similar to `Fig. 6, showing a third form oi the invention. Y

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of said third form.

Fig. l() is a sectionaltview on line lil-itl of Fig. 9.

ln the form of the invention shown in Figs. l-S, the compact has been generally designated by the reference numeral l2, and includes flat, rectangular, upstanding containers 14, 16 for liquid and tissues,` respectively, iixedly connected with their inner sidewalls contacting in face to face relation. The liquid cleanercontainer 1d is slightly reduced in heightrelative to the container le for polishing tissues, and in the downwardly offset upper end wall `of said container i4, there is formed a lilier opening in which is removably engaged a ller cap i8. Any suitable liquid cleaner, such as water or one of the conventional cleaning compounds used for glass, may be deposited within the container 14 through the iiller opening, it being understood that thetiller cap would preferably be knurled or otherwise exteriorly roughened to facilitate grasping of the same by a user, said cap further having threads engaging complementary threads provided in the opening of the liquid container.

Adjacent the filler opening, there is provided a dispensing nozzle assembly includinga depressible'button or lip 2i? and a laterally projectednozzle 2,2. These would be a part of a conventional, downwardly shiftable plunger means of an atomizer device, of the type including inner and outer tubesand a ball on the end of the inner tube adapted to create a suctionresponsive to depression of the button or lip 20. `The particular atomizer or spray device can be varied, ofcourse, so long as a spray or jet is caused to issue from the nozzle ,onldepression of the button. Since any of various dispensing means can be employed `in association withthe liquid container, it is not thought necessary to specifically illustrate and describe one such means herein.

A dependingly and peripherally flanged lid 24 is hingedly connected as at 26 to the upperend wall of the container 14, to swing about an axis extending transversely of said container between opposite extreme positions in one of which (see Fig, 2),Vit protectively overlies and concealsthe JFiller cap and dispensing means, and in the other of which (Fig. l), it" exposesthese parts for use. In its closed position, the lid is flush with the top wall of the tissues container, to provide afhighly attractive, symmetrical article that can conveniently be carried in the pocket or in a purse. q

A detent orwlatch means 28 is provided ,on the free end of the lid, cooperating with a .complementary detent means on `the container i4, for releasably engaging the lid in itsclosed position. y i That side ofthe container 16 remote from `its fixed connection to the container14 is formed open, and isy provided with a closure 30 hinged to the body of container 16. Closure 30 is releasably locked in closed position by a detent 32, and is connected to the body of container v16 by. avpiano .hinge .34 extending ynormallyto the hinge of the lid 24. This permits the Vlid .Z4-,wand the closure iitlto be opened or yclosed independently of one another, during usezof .the device..

Within the container 16, there is provided a means for releasably engaging a plurality of superposed, disposable, polishing tissues. Said means has been shownto particular advantage inFig. 4, and comprises, in the illustrated example of 'the invention, a pair'of confronting, springv biased leaves or ngers. More than one pair of fingers can -be used, of course, and `conversely,'only onenger or leaf might be employed in a commercial embodiment ofthe invention.

Each finger or leaf n-assemblyincludes a pair of coaxial, spaced hinge brackets 36 afxed to the inner sur face of the front or rear'wall, as the case may be, of the container-16. A hinge pin 38 has its ends engaged in the brackets 36, and swingably-mounted on the pin is a flat finger or leaf 40 of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. Leaf 40 is preferably triangular and has a base on which are integrally formed, at spaced locations upon the base, hinge sleeves 42 abutting against the respective brackets in the space between the brackets. The hinge pin extends through the sleeves to swingably mount the hold-down finger 40, and coiled about the mid length portion of t-he pin, in the space between the sleeves 42, is a spring 44 one end 46 of which engages against the finger, and the other end 48vof which engages against the adjacent Wall of the container 16. The spring is so tensioned as to exert pressure against the hold-down fngertending tobias the same in the direction of the inner side wall of the container 16. As a result, the holddown fingers 40 cooperate with the inner side wall of the container 16 in confining a stack of superposed, rectangular, disposable tissues 50 within the container 16. The arrangement will, of course, permit the outermost tissue to be readily grasped and removed, without disturbing the remaining tissues.

`In Figs..6 and 7, there is shown a second form of the invention, in which the compact 52 includes hingedly connected liquid and tissue containers 54, 56, respectively. ln'this form of the invention, the closure 30 is eliminated, since the liquid container serves in its stead, in a manner to be made presently apparent.

The container 54 is provided, at its-upper end, with a lid 58 hinged to the containerbody at 60, and otherwise formed and arranged like the lid 24 of the first form. It will be understood that said lid 58 will serve to protectively enclose a filler cap and a dispensing means, also formed and arranged like the corresponding components illustrated in Fig. 1 at18, 320 and 22.

The container 56 is formed open at the inner side thereof, and along one edge of said inner side is connected by a piano .hinge 62 to the. adjacent edge of the container 54. The arrangement produces the desirable result of utilization of the container 54 as the closure4 for the tissue container. A detent means 63 on'the `container 56 cooperates with a complementary detent means on the container 54 in releasably lengaging the containers intheir inwardly swung position, When thedevice is not in use.

A hold-down means such as that previously shown and ing 72 formed in the upper end of the liquid container. The lid has been designated by the reference numeral 74, and is formed as a flat plate projecting laterally from and constituting an extension of the upper end wall of the tissue container. Plate '74, when the containers are swung apart as in Fig. 9, exposes the opening 72 for disposition of the lens L of Ya pair of eyeglasses immediately thereabove, in the manner shown in Fig. 10.

Formed `,in the .inner side wallof the liquid container, so as to be eectively concealed when the containers are swung to closed position, is a vertically extending slot 76 in which is positioned `the shank `of a manually shifta-ble button 7S. The shank is rigid wit-h the button and has been designated by the reference vnumeral 80, said shank extending inwardly to the body of a dispensing assembly of the atomizer type, including an upwardly extending dispensing nozzle 82 and a plunger 84 extending through anl openingformed in aitransverse partition 86 provided in the liquid container. Partition 86 is disposed adjacent the upper `end vwall'of the liquid container, and divides the-container into la liquid compartment and a dispensing nozzle compartment.

In use of theform of the invention shown in Figs. 8-10, one would'irst swing the containers apart. This exposes the apertured lensseat atthe upper end of the dispensing nozzle compartment, simultaneously with exposure of the buttons 78 ,to permit shifting thereof toward the lower endof the slot. -With thelens Lpositioned as shown in Fig. -l0, the 1shiftingsoffthe button will cause a spray or jet of :cleaning liquid to be directed against the lens through the opening 72. Thereafter, a tissue can be removed from the exposed interior of the tissue compartment .totperrnit polishing of the eyeglasses.

The .entire device can, as will be appreciated, be made of any of various materials, such .as metal, plastic, or glass, and can be made in a small size so asto-occupy no more space than is ordinarily required by a cigarette case in ones .pocket or purse.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments .of my invention, it is to be understoodthat I do 'not limit myself tothe precise constructionsherein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having `thusdescribed myinvention, what I claim as new, 'an'drdesire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

l. An eyeglass Acleaning compact comprising a vrectangular-'shaped container with `cleaning tissues therein having'top, bottom, front and rear walls and one side wall and being open at the other side, mechanism in said container for releasably holding cleaning 'tissues therein, a containerof similar shape for holding cleaning liquid hingedly connected to said tissue holding container along one long edge thereof, said liquid container having top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, the side wallfadjacent the tissue container serving as a closurefor the open side A'of said tissue container when Vthe containers are juxtaposed, the top wall of saidliquid container'having'an opening therein for Aremovablyreceiving an eyeglass lens to be cleaned seated on said top'wall, means in saidliquid container for spraying liquid through said opening onto the lens seated thereover, and an integral laterallyv extending plate-on the top wall of thetissue containerladapted to overlie the top wall of the liquid container when ythe containers are in juxtaposed relation.

2. An eyeglass cleaning compact comprising a rectangular-,shaped container with cleaning tissues therein having top, bottom, front and rear walls and one side wall being open at the ,other side, mechanism in saidcontainer .forreleasably holding cleaning tissues therein, a container of .similarshapeforsholding cleaning liquid hingedly-.connected .to said .tissue holding container along one `-long r edge thereof, said liquid f container l:having ztop,

bottom, front, rear and side walls, the side wall adjacent the tissue container serving as a closure for the open side of said tissue container when the containers are juxtaposed, the top Wall of said liquid container having an opening therein for removably receiving an eyeglass lens to be cleaned seated on said top wall, and means in said liquid container for spraying liquid through said opening onto the lens seated thereover, the mechanism for releasably holding cleaning tissues comprising opposed spring-pressed hinged plates secured to the front and rear walls of the tissue holding container, said liquid spraying means including a compressible bulbous body with a spray nozzle directed toward said opening and a slidable button-actuated device for compressing said bulbous body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images