Mobile telephone antenna charm

Abstract

A decorative charm displayed on a mobile telephone using the antenna as the site of attachment.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/524,393 filed on Nov. 24, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in the display of charms, a popular jewelry of choice, as worn on a bracelet, necklace or otherwise on the person, in which, more particularly, the improvements provide an additional charm display option.

EXAMPLES OF THE PRIOR ART

The penchant for displaying charm-type jewelry on the person is demonstrated by US D463,308 for “Picture Frame Jewelry” issued to Skiles on Sep. 24, 2002 and Pub. No.: U.S. 2002/0144514 for “Article of Jewelry” issued to Rapport on Oct. 10, 2002, to mention but a few, both of the aforesaid being necklaces. The object being displayed is a trinket used as intended, namely, to be worn on a bracelet or necklace and in jewelry parlance known as a charm, as defined in RANDOM HOUSE WEBSSTER'S College Dictionary, and wherein the object may exhibit structural variation such as disclosed in U.S. Des. No. 247,881 for “Separable Charm” issued to Hitchens on May 16, 1978.

The use of charms in an article of manufacture as a bracelet or necklace is unnecessarily limiting in their display location on the person and need not be so, as will be better understood as the description proceeds.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.

More particularly, it is an object to provide an additional charm display option in recognizing that a desirable on the person adornment using a charm(s) is as readily achieved by an adornment not per se on the person, but on an object that by common experience is carried on the person and by its frequent use is in public view, to thereby contribute to possessing a desirable display value.

The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a mobile telephone constituting one component of the two-component combination article of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isolated front elevational view, in actual size as illustrated, of a preferred embodiment of the other component thereof, and

FIG. 3 is an assembly of the two components in accordance with the present invention.

In popular current use and shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is an exemplary wireless, portable or so-called mobile telephone 10, typically carried on the person, and handheld as shown in FIG. 1 when used for sending and receiving telephone communication. Among other constructional features, the mobile telephone 10 includes a push button key pad 12, a display screen 14 and, most important for its effective communication operational mode, an antenna 16.

Antenna 16 is cylindrical in shape of a nominal diameter 18 and protrudes a nominal extent, typically about 1½ inches, as noted at 20, from an upper corner beyond the top edge 22 of the telephone body 24.

In current fashionable use are so-called charms, dictionary-defined as “a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc., . . . something worn or carried on one's person to bring good luck or ward off evil,” {an exemplary embodiment of which is illustrated in isolated perspective in FIG. 2, and consisting of a nominal-sized body 26 depicting an object, in this case a telephone in a cradle, as denoted at 28, of metal construction material and for attachment to contribute to its adornment or being carried on one's person, a pair of links 30 and 32, the former on the body 26 and the latter to implement the attachment.

In accordance with the present invention, link 32 is attached to a stock-size gasket for automotive or plumbing use in a configuration of a closed loop 34 of elastomeric construction material of a diameter 36 which is selected to be slightly undersized with regard to the diameter 18 of the base of the antenna 16 of the telephone 10.

In the contemplated assembly of the two components of FIGS. 1 and 2, an assembly shown in FIG. 3, the charm 40 is assembled onto the antenna 16 by expanding the loop 34, placing it over the end and down along the antenna 16, and then releasing the loop 34 so that it contracts under the urgency of its construction material and retains its place as illustrated in FIG. 3, to cater to superstition or fashion desires of a user and has been found in practice to significantly contribute to the interest value of the two-component combination article of FIG. 3.

While the article of manufacture herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display article of manufacture in a dangling displayed operative position in assembled relation on a mobile cell phone of a type having an antenna of a circular shape of a selected diameter extending forwardly of said mobile cell phone, said displayed article comprising

A. a hollow ring of elastomeric construction material having an inner edge bounding a fitting opening of a diameter selected to be slightly undersized in relation to said diameter of said cell phone antenna;

B. a charm having a selected shaped body and a perceived surface serving as a display enhancement to said cell phone;

C. means interconnecting said charm to said hollow ring; and

D. an operative position of said hollow ring receiving in projected relation through said fitting opening thereof of said antenna of said cell phone;

whereby said charm is held under the urgency of said elastomeric construction material of said ring in a dangling displayed position from said antenna of said cell phone.

2. In combination, an article of manufacture comprising:

A. a wireless telephone of a hand-held type characterized by (1) an antenna having utility in an operating mode thereof in transmitting and receiving telephone communications, and (2) said antenna having a tubular configuration and an operative position extending from an upper corner of said wireless telephone;

B. a ring of elastomeric construction material bounding a circular opening of a diameter sized to fit on said tubular antenna having an operative position in encircling relation thereabout; and

C. a selected charm attached to said ring having an operative display position in dangling relation therefrom;

whereby said charm serves both as an identification of the owner of said telephone and contributes an enhanced interest value in said article.