Patent Grant
10966493
This application is a national stage filing of International Application Number PCT/US17/48488, filed Aug. 24, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to keepers used to retain charms and other jewelry from unintentionally being removed from a bracelet, necklace, or other elongated chain member.
Many users who use necklaces and bracelets also utilize charms and/or beads that are designed to be inserted and removed through an end of a flexible chain or strand of said necklaces and bracelets. These charms and/or beads are typically formed with a bore or aperture that spans therethrough (also referred to as a “lumen”). The beads or charms may have spiritual, cultural, or have other personal or financial value to a user, and many users desire to change their beads or charms depending on their mood and/or desired expression. To that end, many users desire to prevent the unintentional loss of these charms and/or beads, as it would cause them emotional pain or stress, while simultaneously being able to quickly and efficiently replace and/or exchange these charms.
Some known chains or strains have a plurality of beads that are retained by being strung and fastened on the strand via the lumen in the bead and/or have a loop or tie in knot adjacent to the ends of said bead. These beads, however, are very difficult to remove and insert onto the chain, making assembly and disassembly a time-consuming and often arduous task.
There are also some known chains that include a male clasp member and a female clasp member, whereby the male clasp is operable to engage and lock with the female clasp and act as a keeper to prevent beads from exiting the chain. The male member includes two planar members, with one of the planar members of a spring material biased in an expanded position to prevent beads from existing and, when in a compressed position, permits beads to be inserted onto the chain. One such example can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,704, issued to Benedek et al. This configuration, however, is prone to failure over time as the spring planar member loses its elasticity and/or plastically deforms or breaks at its fulcrum, e.g., through a bead passing in between the two planar members and/or compressing the spring member low enough for it to enter the female member. Additionally, because the keeper male end is also used to fasten the ends of the chain together, its failure results in the inability to use the chain for its intended purpose.
Additional known chains designed to retain beads thereon include one or more ends, or segments, of said chains including a threaded member operable to receive a bead with a threaded portion corresponding to the threaded member of the chain. These designs, however, are problematic in that the threads degrade over time after repeated use. Moreover, to insert and remove a bead, it generally takes more time, which many users find undesirable.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior an as discussed above.
The invention provides a charm keeper that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that effectively and efficiently prevents beads, charms, and/or other jewelry from inadvertently leaving the confines of a bracelet, necklaces, or other elongated strand member.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a charm keeper assembly that includes an elongated and flexible strand member having a first free end and a second free end opposing the first free end, wherein the strand member defines a strand member diameter. The assembly may also include a first clasp member disposed at the first free end of the elongated strand member and a second clasp member disposed at the second free end of the elongated strand member, wherein the first and second clasp members are operably configured to engage and lock with one another to couple the first and second free ends together and form a circular shape, e.g., to surround a user's wrist or neck. The assembly also includes a charm keeper body with a keeper body thickness and may be independently disposed adjacent to at least one of the first and second clasp members and may have a spring-loaded charm retention member at least partially housed within the keeper body and include a retention surface spanning upwardly in a transverse direction away from an outer surface of the charm keeper body to a terminal end defining a keeper off-set length when the spring-loaded charm retention member is in a fully extended position along a retention member translation path. Additionally, the assembly may include at least one charm member defining a lumen with a lumen diameter having a maximum length less than the off-set length and the keeper body thickness, combined, when the charm retention member is in the fully extended position, and greater than the strand member diameter.
In accordance with another feature, an embodiment of the present invention includes the retention member translation path having a compressed position with the keeper off-set length and the keeper body width, combined, less than the lumen diameter.
In accordance with yet another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes the spring-loaded charm retention member having an upper surface disposed outside of the keeper body, when the charm retention member is in the fully extended position, wherein the upper surface of the spring-loaded charm retention member is of a curvilinear shape. Additionally, the spring-loaded charm retention member also includes a height separating the upper surface of the spring-loaded charm retention member and the outer surface of the charm keeper body, wherein, when the charm retention member is in the fully extended position, the height tapers in a longitudinal direction toward the at least one of the first and second clasp members adjacent to the charm keeper body.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the first clasp member is of a male configuration and the second clasp member is of a female configuration sized and shaped to receive a portion of the male configuration, wherein the first clasp member is disposed adjacent to the charm keeper body.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the first clasp member is of a male configuration and the second clasp member is of a female configuration sized and shaped to receive a portion of the male configuration, wherein the first clasp member disposed adjacent to the charm keeper body. The charm keeper body may define an aperture sized and shaped to permit the spring-loaded charm retention member to translate therethrough. The aperture may be a single aperture defined on the keeper body.
In accordance with an additional feature of the present invention, the keeper body is of a cylindrical shape and has a maximum keeper body thickness, along with a maximum thickness of the male configuration, that is less than a minimum length of the lumen diameter.
In accordance with an additional feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes the keeper body having a spring assembly housed therein and is operably configured to permit the spring-loaded charm retention member to translate through an aperture defined by the keeper body, wherein the spring assembly biases the spring-loaded charm retention member in the fully extended position.
In accordance with the present invention, a charm keeper assembly is also disclosed that includes an elongated and flexible strand member having a first free end and a second free end opposing the first free end. The assembly may also include a first clasp member of a male configuration disposed at the first free end of the elongated strand member and a second clasp member of a female configuration disposed at the second free end of the elongated strand member, wherein the male and female configurations are operably configured to engage and lock with one another to couple the first and second free ends together and form a circular shape. The assembly may also include a charm keeper body with a keeper body thickness and disposed adjacent to the first clasp member and having an outer surface enclosing a spring assembly, the outer surface defining an aperture thereon. The assembly also includes a charm retention member at least partially housed and retained within the keeper body, protruding from the aperture defined by the charm keeper body, and including a retention surface spanning upwardly in a transverse direction away from the outer surface of the charm keeper body to a terminal end defining a keeper off-set length when the charm retention member is in a fully extended position along a retention member translation path, wherein the spring assembly biasing the spring-loaded charm retention member in the fully extended position. The assembly also includes at least one charm member defining a lumen with a lumen diameter having a maximum length less than the off-set length when the charm retention member is in the fully extended position and the keeper body thickness, combined.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a charm keeper assembly, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.
Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “providing” is defined herein in its broadest sense, e.g., bringing/coming into physical existence, making available, and/or supplying to someone or something, in whole or in multiple parts at once or over a period of time.
As used herein, the terms “about” or “approximately” apply to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances, these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. In this document, the term “longitudinal” should be understood to mean in a direction corresponding to an elongated direction of the strand member spanning to and from its opposing ends.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms.
The present invention provides a novel and efficient charm keeper assembly employed, for example, on a flexible stand member commonly embodied in the form of a bracelet, necklace, or the like. Embodiments of the invention provide a quick and effective way to insert and remove one or more pieces of jewelry onto the strand member, while simultaneously providing a user the ability to retain said one or more pieces of jewelry on the strand member when the opposing ends of the strand member are uncoupled from one another.
Referring now to
Referring to
As such, a first clasp member 108, disposed at the first free end 110, and a second clasp member 112, disposed at the second free end 114, are operably configured to engage and lock with one another to couple the first and second free ends 110, 114 together and form a circular shape (e.g., to enclose a user's wrist or neck). In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second clasp members are 108, 112 are of a cylindrical friction-snap assembly. Specifically, as best shown in
Said another way, the first and second clasp members 108, 112 are operably configured to engage with one another to prevent (without user intervention) the clasp members 108, 112 (and ends 110, 114) from separating or uncoupling. While one exemplary type of clasp member is depicted in the figures, other clasp members may be employed. For example, other exemplary clasp members, such as add-a-bead clasps, adjustable clasps, ball-and-joint clasps, bar-and-ring clasps, barrel clasps, bead clasps, box clasps, button toggle clasps, crimping clasps, lobster claw clasps, springing clasps, may be utilized.
With reference to
With reference to
Separating the terminal end 708 and point on the outer surface 706 where the charm retention member 106 protrudes, is a keeper off-set length 800. When the charm retention member 106 is in a fully extended position along a retention member translation path (represented as a linear path depicted in
When the one or more charm members 700 are desired by the user 10 be removed from the strand member 102, a user will apply a force to the charm retention member 106 to translate it to a compressed position (e.g., depicted in
More specifically, the keeper body 104 may define an aperture 202 (shown in
The spring assembly 806 may include one end 808 of the spring directly coupled to a lower inner surface of the keeper body 104 and another end 810 directly coupled to a lower surface 812 of the charm retention member 106. Additionally, the spring assembly 806 may be housed within opposing walls to resist against lateral or longitudinal movement. The keeper body 104 may also include internal structures, walls, and/or surfaces to prevent the charm retention member 106 from fully exiting the keeper body 104 and/or aperture 202. The charm retention member 106 and keeper body 104 may be of a substantially rigid material, e.g., PVC (Shore D 30-80) and/or stainless steel. The charm retention member 106 may be retained within the keeper body 104 by snapping two halves of the keeper body 104 together. In another embodiment, the charm retention member 106 may be retained within the keeper body 104 my inserting it and the spring assembly 806 into an end, e.g., end 814, of the keeper body 104 and then soldering or welding the strand member end within the keeper body 104.
Referring now to
Additionally, the charm retention member 106 may also include a height separating the upper surface 106 of the charm retention member 106 and the outer surface 706 of the charm keeper body 104, when the charm retention member is in the fully extended position. The height, or height profile, of the upper surface 106 with respect to the outer surface 706, may taper in the longitudinal direction toward the clasp member, e.g., first clasp member 108, disposed adjacent to the keeper body 104. This again effectuates in the supplying of a downward force by a charm member 700 that is inserted, via the lumen, through the male configuration 300. In one embodiment, a visual end 302 of the charm retention member 106 is at least substantially flush or level with the outer surface 706 of the keeper body 104. This configuration facilitates in transferring the charm member 700 over the charm retention member 106 and, when continually sliding the charm member 700 longitudinally across the charm retention member 106, compressing the charm retention member 106 to permit the charm member 700 to enter the strand member 102. When an end, e.g., end 710, of the charm member 700 passes a proximal end, e.g., end 712, of the charm retention member 106, the charm retention member 106, which may be biased by the spring assembly 806, is placed in the fully extended position. In other embodiments, the user may physically translate, and lock, the charm retention member 106 in the fully extended position and compressed position using, for example, a vertically disposed tongue-and-groove and/or notch and recess configuration.
As those of skill in the art will appreciate, the charm keeper body 104 may define an aperture 202 sized and shaped to permit the charm retention member 106 to translate therethrough. The keeper body 104, lumen, charm member 700, strand member 102, first clasp member/male configuration 108, 300 may be of a cylindrical shape to facilitate in further quick and efficient removal or placement of one or more charm members 700. Other shapes, however, e.g., rectangular or triangular, may be utilized. Moreover, as those of skill in the art will also appreciate, the keeper body 104 may include a maximum keeper body thickness 804, along with a maximum thickness of the male configuration, e.g., thickness 714, that is less than a minimum length of the lumen diameter to facilitate in permitting efficient and effective entry and egress of the charm member 700.
A charm keeper assembly has been disclosed that effectuates quick and easy removal of a charm on a strand member, such as a bracelet, necklace, or other strand member. Beneficially, the charm keeper assembly also employs the use of a charm retention member, generally independent of any clasps on said strand member, to retain said one or more pieces of jewelry on the strand member when the opposing ends of the strand member are uncoupled from one another.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2017/048488 | 8/24/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2019/040073 | 2/28/2019 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4286360 | Skobel | Sep 1981 | A |
| 4494279 | Kilguss | Jan 1985 | A |
| 4551993 | Nagahori | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4562704 | Benedek et al. | Jan 1986 | A |
| 4590649 | Neilson, Jr. | May 1986 | A |
| 6722036 | Pratt | Apr 2004 | B2 |
| 7007507 | Enevoldsen | Mar 2006 | B2 |
| 7540172 | Julkowski et al. | Jun 2009 | B2 |
| 8225625 | Heiden et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 20020139141 | Kuwayama | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20040144131 | Enevoldsen | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20090013720 | Altick | Jan 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200046088 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |
