Glasses protector

Abstract

A glasses protector includes a pocket and a cover portion formed from a pliable material. The pocket contains the lenses of a pair of glasses, while allowing the temples of the glasses to remain outside the pocket. A cover portion closes the pocket and retains the lenses within the pocket. The temples are free to be used for another purpose, such as for hanging the glasses. A pair of magnets can be embedded in the glasses protector to keep the cover portion in the closed configuration to secure the glasses therein. The magnets can also be used to keep the glasses protector folded up for storage when not being used to protect glasses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protector for glasses, comprising:
 a pocket for receiving a rim and lenses portion of a pair of glasses;   a cover portion extending from an upward edge of the pocket and configured to move between an open configuration in which the cover portion extends away from the pocket, and a closed configuration in which the cover portions is in contact with the pocket;   a first magnet disposed in a corner of the cover portion;   a second magnet disposed in a corner of the pocket and cooperable with the first magnet to maintain the cover portion in the closed configuration; and   wherein the pocket is configured to not receive one or more temple portions of the pair of glasses therein.   
     
     
         2 . The protector for glasses of  claim 1 , further comprising an elastomeric retainer configured to fit over the protector for glasses. 
     
     
         3 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 1 , wherein the cover portion is formed of a textile material having fibers measuring less than one denier. 
     
     
         4 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 1 , wherein the protector for glasses comprises three layers of material. 
     
     
         5 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 4 , wherein a first layer and a third layer are formed from the same material. 
     
     
         6 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 4 , wherein an intermediate layer of material provides stiffness to the protector for glasses. 
     
     
         7 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 6 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a plurality of discrete pieces arranged with a gap therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 7 , wherein the gap provides a line of weakness to facilitate folding along the line of weakness. 
     
     
         9 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 1 , further comprising a chamber in the corner of the cover portion to contain the first magnet. 
     
     
         10 . The protector for glasses as in  claim 9 , wherein the first magnet has a polar axis and the chamber is configured to inhibit the first magnet from rotating about an axis that is transverse to the polar axis. 
     
     
         11 . A protective case for eyewear, comprising:
 a pocket formed of a pliable material, the pocket defining an opening configured to accept a rim and lenses of a pair of glasses;   a pliable cover portion extending from the pocket and configured to move from an open configuration in which the cover portion does not cover the opening to a closed configuration in which the cover portion covers the opening; and   a fixing structure that maintains the cover portion in the closed configuration, wherein the closed configuration is configured to encase the frame and lenses of the pair of glasses and a first and second temple of the pair of glasses are not encased in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         12 . The protective case for eyewear as in  claim 11 , further comprising a first retention structure associated with the pocket and a second retention structure associated with the pliable cover portion, wherein the first retention structure and the second retention structure cooperate to maintain the cover in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The protective case for eyewear as in  claim 12 , wherein the first retention structure is a first magnet and the second retention structure is a second magnet. 
     
     
         14 . The protective case for eyewear as in  claim 12 , wherein the first retention structure and the second retention structure are hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         15 . The protective case for eyewear as in  claim 11 , further comprising one or more stabilizers that increase rigidity of the pocket. 
     
     
         16 . The protective case for eyewear as in  claim 15 , wherein the protective case is formed of an outer layer of material and an inner layer of material, and the one or more stabilizers are sandwiched between the outer layer of material and the inner layer of material. 
     
     
         17 . A method of making a protective eyewear case, comprising:
 providing a first layer of pliable material in a generally rectangular shape;   providing a second layer of stabilizer material, the stabilizer material having a stiffness that is greater than the first layer of pliable material;   providing a third layer of material having generally the same size and shape as the first layer of pliable material;   affixing the first layer of pliable material, the second layer of stabilizer material, and the third layer of material together to form a rectangular blank; and   folding the lower third of the rectangular blank upwardly and affixing the lower third of the rectangular blank to a middle third of the rectangular blank to form a pocket.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising disposing at least a pair of magnets between the first layer of pliable material and the third layer of material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the third layer of pliable material is a microfiber textile material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein providing the second layer of stabilizer material comprises providing a plurality of discrete pieces of stabilizer material, the discrete pieces of stabilizer material separated from one another by a gap, the gap providing a line of weakness in the blank to facilitate folding the lower third of the rectangular blank upwardly.