Patent Application
20150308489
The present invention relates generally to jewelry, and more specifically, to a turning mechanism for a double-sided piece of jewelry having a pin structure with a bale portion for swiveling.
Conventional jewelry, whether in the nature of a pendant, an earring, a bracelet or a ring, has an ornamented front side and an unornamented back side.
Specifically, in such conventional jewelry, only the front side is intended to be viewed by an onlooker while the back side provides only a support function. If the wearer wishes to show a different view, she must change the piece of jewelry by taking off one and putting on another. This constant changing can be tiresome, particularly if the wearer has a long day, for example, spending the day time in a work environment, then spending the evening in an entertainment environment. Wearers prefer to project a look which is different in the evening than in the day.
It has long been a goal of the jewelry industry to provide wearers with pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings which project one business-like image during the day and another alluring image during the night time.
It is further desirable to have a single piece of jewelry which is quickly and easily convertible from one look to another without the necessity and risk of carrying multiple pieces of valuable jewelry that may become entangled in one's purse.
Thus, double-sided pieces of jewelry that are simple, inexpensive and easy to use, yet still being attractive, have been developed since about 1980. All of these double-sided pieces have various turning mechanisms, some of which are more complicated and prone to breakage than others, for alternately showing different sides of the same piece of jewelry.
One type of conventional turning mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,098 which was issued to Kurt Wayne on May 5, 1981. The Wayne patent discloses a device for carrying a pendant which is removable from a chain or necklace that has an aperture into which is inserted a top bar of a T-shaped member that carries the pendant. A movable element, having a protuberance extending through the aperture, is provided for closure of the aperture and for locking the pendant within the device. See
An example of a pendant positioner is provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0019242 which was published on Jan. 30, 2003, in the name of James White. The White publication discloses a device applicable to the positioning of a loose object on a carrier such as a device mounted on a necklace with a pendant to keep the pendant in a stationary position on the necklace. The necklace is contained in an opening in a coil with a locating section serving to retain the pendant in position on the necklace. Optional end configurations serve to reduce the risks of necklace entanglement and friction between the device and the necklace. See
Another example of a prior art pendant is provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0279461 which was published on Nov. 8, 2012, in the name of Cathy Patricia Levell. The Levell publication discloses a leash pendant which includes a pendant-shaped hollow housing containing a rotatably mounted reel. A free end of the leash is provided with a clip or other releasable fastener. See
Yet another example of prior art jewelry is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0016911 which was published on Jan. 24, 2008, in the name of David Ross Morgan. The Morgan publication discloses a reversible earring having a post and an ornament that is attached to the post by a spherical connection. The ornament has more than one face, and the spherical connection includes a ball and a cradle that partially encloses the ball, thus permitting the ornament to be reversed by swiveling the ornament about the spherical connection on axes of rotation that pass through the ball. In
Other examples of reversible prior art jewelry are shown in the following: U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,486 issued to Uchin on Mar. 7, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,276 issued to Frank on Apr. 22, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,129 issued to Meguro on Jan. 8, 2008; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,213 issued to Tamir et al. on Jan. 29, 2008.
According to the present invention, a turning mechanism is provided for a piece of jewelry that is simple, inexpensive to make, and easy to use, yet still is attractive.
In one aspect of the invention, the turning mechanism is configured for a double-sided piece of jewelry having a pin structure with a bale portion for swiveling.
In one embodiment of the invention, the turning mechanism is configured to work with a pendant on a necklace.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the turning mechanism can be shaped, sized and configured to work with an earring.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the turning mechanism can be configured to work with a bracelet.
In another embodiment of the invention, the turning mechanism can be shaped, sized and configured to function with a ring.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the turning mechanism can be made of any material, including, but not limited to, a metal, a polymer, a ceramic, or any combination thereof. The metal can be any appropriate metal, e.g., stainless steel, sterling silver or gold.
The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the drawings by way of examples of embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The turning mechanism 10 has a bale 16, which in this first embodiment has an oval shape and a central opening O, through which the necklace N is threaded at an upper end thereof. At an opposite lower end of the bale 16, there is a barbell-shaped pin 18 having spheres 20 and 22 at its opposite ends. The sphere 20 projects into the opening O and secures the pin 18 in a bore through the bale 16 while the sphere 22 secures the pendant 12 to the pin 18 which passes partially through a hole in a top surface of the pendant 12 which is suspended from the necklace N.
The turning mechanism 10 has its bale 16, which in this second embodiment has a circular shape, pass through a bore in a toggle 30 at the upper end of the bale 16. The toggle 30 is secured at one end of a post 32 which pierces an ear lobe (not shown) of the wearer. The post 32 is held in place by a backing 34 mounted behind the ear lobe. At the opposite lower end of the bale 16, the barbell-shaped pin 18 has spheres 20 and 22 at its opposite ends. The sphere 20 projects into the opening O and secures the pin 18 in a bore through the bale 16 while the sphere 22 secures the earring 26 to the pin 18 which passes partially through a hole in a top surface of the earring 26.
Each turning mechanism 10 has its bale 16, which in this third embodiment has a rectangular shape. At opposite sides of
Because of stresses which the bracelet 38 endures due to its being pulled at two opposing side surfaces S by the band B, each of the opposite ends of each bale 16 has a thickened portion 44, in this example, having a trapezoidal shape, configured to resist such stresses and to prevent breakage of the pin 18 where it passes into the bracelet 38.
Each turning mechanism 10 has its bale 16, which in this fourth embodiment has a circular shape, mounted at opposite ends of the band B of the ring R. The band B of the ring R wraps around a finger (not shown) of the wearer. At one end of the bale 16, the barbell-shaped pin 18 has spheres 20 and 22 at its opposite ends. The sphere 20 is secured inside the bale 16 while the sphere 22 secures the gem stone 48 in the opening O to the pin 18 which passes partially through a hole in a side surface of the gem stone 48.
The components of each piece of jewelry can be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, any metal, polymer, ceramic, or any combination thereof. The metal can be any appropriate metal, e.g., stainless steel, sterling silver or gold.
Accordingly, a turning mechanism is disclosed which has a simple mechanical structure, is reliable and durable. Thus, a heightened level of excitement for double-sided jewelry with dramatic “day” and “night” faces has been reached with the present invention. Such a level has not been shown or disclosed in any known prior art.
Furthermore, the “day” and “night” faces may have different surface textures, ornamental designs, repeating patterns, and shapes. Although the pendant 12 has a cross shape in
It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in all of its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular elements, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein. Rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
