Patent Application
20160324279
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the jewelry industry, and more specifically to user-customizable and designable jewelry with moving assembly pieces. Customizable jewelry is a growing sector of the overall industry as people seek to personalize their belongings. However, many products now on the market are ungainly to assemble, requiring many minute and tacky parts. On the other hand, the simple mechanism presented in this patent creates an elegant personalization platform with minimal connectors, but greater flexibility to create many looks.
2. Discussion of Related Art A customizable jewelry system as wherein a series of at least three holes puncture through the side wall of a pendent so that cords may be threaded through the body of the pendent. The customizable jewelry system may be employed in a wide variety of decorative shapes or designs, such as cubical, rectangular, pyramid-shaped, cross-shaped, spherical, etc. These holes are threaded internally, magnetized, or both. One may weave a cord made of different material, varying thickness, braid, or design through the holes to create patterns and braids with the cord. Additionally, the pendants may have accompanying loose metallic charms. These pieces can be interchangeably attached to or removed from the pendant using magnetized or threaded holes along the sides of a main pendent. The charms themselves can be magnetized, or will have a protruding, threaded portion by which it can be fastened to the pendant.
The invention is distinguishable from the following cross-referenced patents.
Johnson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,882) teaches a jewelry pendant device that includes a vertically oriented hallow stem with a single clutch-type retainer attached to its lower end, and a cylindrical rod with an upper loop insertable through said stem. To customize the pendant, lift the cylindrical rod from the hallow stem, and then beads that are hallow in the middle with any variety of decorated faces may be threaded onto the stem. The final personalized pendant may be worn as an earring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, or a pin by hanging the pendant onto another jewelry piece by the aforementioned upper loop on the cylindrical rod. However, the versatility of this design is limited to a small, vertical space for attachments and decorations.
Ferrara (U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,429) describes a pendant of fixed design which may be either attached to a bracelet or necklace, thereby acting as the major decorative component of the article of jewelry. The single-side-display pendant includes two looping structures on its back, which enable it to be connected to a wrist encircling bracelet by threading same through both loops, or connected to a necklace by threading same through a single loop. However, this pendant's versatility lies only in the different ways to attach it to a neck chain, wrist chain, or to a fastening component secured to one's clothing. The pendant itself, on the other hand, is static; the design cannot be customized by the end user.
Bebo (U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,679) relates to a method of interchangeability for base unit pieces with screw-type female threads embodied therein, into which various decorative charms, stones, decorations, ornaments, gems, etc, may be inserted by a male threaded screw attachment. The base pieces may be of any decorative shape or size, the versatile system therein being the unified internal thread (female) into which may be inserted any decorative piece by its threaded screw (male). The aesthetics is greatly diminished by the external threaded protrusions partially embedded in all male pieces, be they stones, gems, or plastic gems. Further, the female pieces have holes that are irregularly placed throughout. In contrast, this patent teaches a system using symmetrical design and uniform or matching or complementary material that creates cohesion in the jewelry pieces. By this method, the end result of user customization lends itself to being visually pleasing with little effort.
Burgard (U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,985 B1) teaches a jewelry apparatus that may function best as either a pendant or broach. The principal feature of the invention is a decorative base piece embedded with a slotted locking member, and a removable shaft that is connectable to the base piece by said slotted locking member. Said jewelry apparatus may either function as a pendant or a broach by attaching it, respectively, to a necklace or clothes via a pivotal pin and pin security catch combination on the base element. Additional ornamental elements may be appended to the base piece by removing said shaft from the base piece, selectively interchanging the ornamental elements, and then replacing the shaft upon the base piece. This patent teaches a customizable system that is cumbersome to manipulate and visually untidy.
Golove (U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,503 B2) relates to a versatile finger ring with a setting that is both removable and customizable using interchangeable charms coupled to a short chain. The setting is attached to the ring itself through a radially outward extending threaded post. The setting receives and holds precious or semi-precious stones, which is not removable from the setting itself. The setting derives its versatility from the charm elements which may be attached to the settling via loops. To wit, the wearer may remove the setting, place the loops of desired charms over the threaded post, and then replace the setting upon the threaded post to hold added charms in place. This system is minimally personalized, and only allows one to adorn a static ring further within a limited scope of two or three additional charms. What's more, there is little stability for the additional pieces being that the screw-on top of the ring is the only item securing the customized piece. If too many charms are added to the setting, the ring top may easily unscrew itself with the natural vibrations cause by a person's movement.
None of the foregoing patents teach of a customizable jewelry system wherein holes are punctured through the sidewalls of various shaped pendants of any desired decorative design so that cord may be threaded through the body of the pendent creating innumerable design patterns. None of the foregoing patents teaches a sleek, simple, cohesive design that also gives rise to customization of almost unlimited scope. The instant invention teaches of a system where an individual user may themselves determine how to thread a cord through the holes punctured into the sidewalls of a pendent and thereby create their own string patterns and designs. The patterns and designs created by the individual user will affect how the pendant may be worn, hung and/or displayed on their person.
The invention contemplates a customizable jewelry system wherein holes are punctured and positioned along the side walls of a pendent. The pendent may be of any desired decorative appearance such as cross, triangle, square, cube, etc. A cord may be strung and threaded through the various holes in the side walls of the pendent creating innumerable patterns and designs. The stringing and threading of cord through the pendent creates various alternate ways to wear and present the pendent on one's body—be it on the wrist, the neck, the ankle, etc. The hole punctured through the pendent creates a unique experience and many design possibilities for the user.
It would then also be possible to secure charms into the holes of the pendent so as to further customize the pendent and further increase the possible patterns and designs.
1 hole
2 cord
3 pendent envisioned as a cross
4 pendent envisioned as a triangle
5 pendent envisioned as a square
6 pendent envisioned as a cube
A customizable jewelry system as shown in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,882 U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,429 U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,679 U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,985 B1 U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,503 B2
