Patent Application
20140262846
The present invention relates to bead organizers for organizing beads for convenient access of a maximum of inventory by a jeweler or the like to work with beads of various different colors, shapes or sizes.
In the past bead organizers have typically been constructed of rectangular shape configured with fixed upwardly opening bead compartments for receipt of the various beads of different colors shapes and sizes. These devices suffer the shortcoming that the number of compartments which may conveniently be incorporated in a reasonably sized organizer are somewhat limited and the beads in the compartments are often not displayed for convenient access and comparison in complimentary shades, sizes or shapes for access by the jeweler.
It has been proposed to provide a bead work kit including a stringing and weaving tray wherein the trays are interchangeable in a kit and desk and are also capable of being used individually. The kit includes a cover having plurality of compartments for receiving beads. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0178693 to Gupta.
Other organizing boxes include a tackle and utility box formed with a pair of substantially identically shaped molded members having a converging top and bottom walls with integral side walls and matching open sides, hinged to each other along one edge. One compartmented tray is included to be hinged at its bottom edge across the open inner side one of the molded members. In the closed position the sides of the hinged compartment tray serves as a cover for the fixed compartments and both molded members. In an open position the trays can be translated in rectilinear fashion to provide access to the compartments. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,102 to Belokin.
Other efforts to provide accessible compartments includes a pill box with compartments having lids to snap shut. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,670 to Harlan.
Other efforts to provide a means for coordinating the display of complimentary colorations or the like, include a proposal that annular discs be carried from a vertical post defining a central bearing and carrying compartments for receiving containers containing respective dental components to be arranged in groups having allocated shades or the like so that the containers are displayed in a vertically elongated, conical display. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0164254 to Hegenbarth. Devices of this type, while beneficial for training dental personnel and the like and for displaying the containers in pyramidal fashion, are relatively expensive to manufacture, cumbersome to package and store and do not lend themselves to displaying beads in a relatively low profile plane for easy viewing and access.
The present invention includes a stack of rotary plates, being progressively smaller in diameter and stacked on one another to leave exposed annular peripheral portions which mount respective rings of bead compartments concentric with one another for display of beads to be utilized and manipulated by a jeweler or other user. It contains a continuous channel integrated into the outer edge of each compartment that allows comparison of non-adjacent materials and the ability to visualize prospective designs. The channel provides a temporary workspace for ongoing projects while contained within the unit, thus eliminating multiple set-ups.
The bead organizer apparatus of the present invention includes, generally, a base plate 21 of a relatively large diameter which may have one or more progressively smaller diameter plates 23, 25 and/or 27 stacked thereon. The respective plates mount at their outer annular peripheries respective concentric rings 30, 31, 33, 35 and 39, also of progressively smaller diameters to be disposed concentric with one another and configured for rotation relative to one another for disposing selected groups of compartments 41, 43, 45 or 47 of adjacent rings proximate one another for display of beads of complementary shades, sizes or shapes organized in the respective compartments.
Artistry in threading beads onto necklaces, bracelets or other forms of jewelry involves a certain talent for adjoining the beads of complementary colors, shapes and sizes proximate one another so as to be appealing to the jewelry owner. For a string involving a great number of individual beads, this can be a tedious task, particularly when the stringer is forced to search and sort for the shade, size or shape of the bead desired for the complementary combination.
Individual beads come in numerous different colors, shades and shapes and, just for the colors green or blue may have 10, 15 or 20 different hues, chroma, tone, tints or combinations thereof, such as, for instance, asparagus, dark green, fern, green, forest green, hooker's green, jungle green, laurel green, mantis green, moss green, myrtle green, pale green, pine green, sap green, shamrock green, tea green, teal and/or olive or many others. Likewise, for blue, different hues, chromas, saturation and intensity may provide a dozen or more shades and variations, including periwinkle, powder blue, light blue and/or baby blue, medium blue, Egyptian blue, ultramarine, resolution blue, dark blue, navy blue, and/or Catalina blue.
Thus, it can be seen that for efficient selection of colors for rapid stringing of the beads, ready access should be had to the particular size, shade, color or hue desired. In jewelry manufacture, a stringer is often paid on a piece by piece basis and proficiency and rapid access to the desired beads for the end product can be important. It is this objective to which the present invention is directed.
In one preferred embodiment, I have constructed my bead organizer with an approximately 18 inch diameter for the base plate 21 and have selected a total of three plates 23, and 27 to be stacked thereon, each configured with a compartment ring 31, 33, 35 and 39 having a radial dimension of approximately 1½ inches such that the radii of the rings defining the respective compartment rings 31, 33, 35 and 39 grow progressively smaller as one progresses upwardly in the stack of plates. I have selected a circumferential dimension for my compartments of % inch to provide a robust plan view for each compartment. The vertical walls have a height of between 1½ and 2 inches.
My organizer may be made of any desirable material such as plastic plates, molded plastic, stiff cardboard or the like.
The baseplate 21 is formed centrally with an upwardly projecting, conical bearing post 51 (
The plate 23 stacked thereon is formed at its center with an upwardly raised, conical post 53 which conveniently forms on the underside thereof a conical indentation defining a bearing cavity nested on the post 21 for centering of the plate 23 and to facilitate low friction rotation thereof on the baseplate 21. Likewise, plates 25 and 27 are also formed with bearing posts 55 and 57 which likewise, are formed on the underside with cavities to nest on the respective underlying posts and form at their top sides conical bearing post.
Conveniently, the respective compartments 41, 43, 45 and 47 are formed with respective raised bottom walls 61, 63, 65 and 67 which slope radially outwardly and downwardly to cooperate to form there over the upwardly opening compartments having limited vertical depth to thereby maintain the beads at a convenient eyelevel position and layered along the respective bottom walls 61, 63, 65 and 67 for convenient access thereto by the stringer.
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, the respective rings 31, 33, 35 and 39 are formed respectively, with 40, 30, 24 and 20 compartments to thus provide a total of 114 compartments for receipt of numerous different selections of beads.
The embodiment of my bead organizer shown in
In use, it will be appreciated that the user can load the compartments with the selection of beads of various different colors, such as green, purple, yellow, pink, red, brown and other selections of shades and hues desired with the complimentary colors hues and the like in juxtaposed compartments in each ring. Then, when it is desired to string beads of a particular colorations or combination thereof, the respective rings 31, 33, 35 and 39 may be rotated to display the beads in the various compartments of the desired combination and compliment to be disposed in a pie shaped pattern for easy access to the selected compartments of each ring. The stringer may then proceed to view the beads arrayed in an arc of, say 30°-45° to rapidly select the desired beads from the respective compartments for access in the sequence and combination desired to facilitate an efficient and rapid attractive stringing process. Then, when a string is to be made up of beads of another combination or other selection, the beads of the compartments housing those beads may then be rotated into a position disposed in an arc adjacent the stringer for ready access to those beads of the desired colors, shades and hues.
It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the tops of the bottom walls 61, 63, 65 and 67 of the various compartments may bear color indicia, such as the particular shade and hue of the beads to be received in the respective compartments for easy organization, indexing and access.
When the stringing task is completed, the user may easily cover the organizer with a planer cover plate or the like to hold the beads in place in their respective compartments for easy transport and storage thereof and to preserve the current work in progress for future use without multiple set-ups.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the bead organizer of the present invention provides an economical means for organizing beads of various colors, hues, shades, shapes and sizes for ready access for achieving the stringing task and provides a maximum number of compartments to accommodate the multiples of bead choices and maintains continuing projects in an efficient manner.
Although the present invention has been described in detail with regard to the preferred embodiments and drawings thereof, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various adaptations and modifications of the present invention may be accomplished without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the detailed description and the accompanying drawings as set forth hereinabove are not intended to limit the breadth of the present invention.
