Bead jewelry making apparatus

Abstract

An automatic bead jewelry making apparatus and related method of use is disclosed. The bead jewelry making apparatus comprises a bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement comprising a handle and brush operatively associated with the bead bowl, and a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, wherein the brush arrangement is positioned such that the brush is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This utility patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “Bead Jewelry Making Apparatus”, Ser. No. 60/610,043, filed Sep. 15, 2004, which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bead jewelry and more particularly to a bead jewelry making apparatus and related method of use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, the present invention comprises a bead bowl, the bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl, the brush arrangement including a brush and handle, a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, wherein the brush arrangement is positioned such that the brush is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor.

According to another aspect, the present invention comprises a bead bowl, the bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl; the brush arrangement including a brush and handle, a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl for rotating the bead bowl, at least one bead, at least one bead defining opposed openings in communication with a conduit, a thread medium adapted to receive at least one bead through the conduit, wherein at least one bead is disposed inside the cavity of the bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by the motor such that at least one bead is loaded to the thread medium when the thread medium is placed in contact with at least one bead being agitated by the brush when the bead bowl is rotated.

According to yet another aspect, the present invention comprises a method for automatically loading at least one bead onto a thread medium comprising:

• • a) providing a bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl having a brush and handle, and a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl;
  • b) positioning the brush inside the cavity of the bead bowl;
  • c) placing at least one bead inside the cavity of the bead bowl;
  • d) actuating the motor such that the bead bowl rotates and the brush agitates at least one bead; and
  • e) inserting an end of a thread medium into the cavity such that at least one bead becomes loaded to the thread medium.

According to another aspect, the present invention comprises an automatic bead jewelry making system comprising an automatically rotated bead bowl adapted to receive one or more beads and a brush arrangement adapted to agitate the one or more beads; a bead case for storing the plurality of beads; and a funnel for pouring the plurality of beads from the bead bowl into the bead case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic bead jewelry making apparatus and related components according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a motor and gear arrangement according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the bead bowl according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the bead bowl taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a spindle insert according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a thread holding instrument according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a carrying case of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an end view of the carrying case according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an opposite end view of the carrying case according to the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a bead used with the bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of an automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to the present invention is illustrated and generally indicated as 10 in FIG. 1. The bead jewelry making apparatus 10 provides a means for a user to load at least one bead 15 onto a thread medium 17 (FIG. 9) having an end 94 held by the user with a thread holding instrument 12. As used herein, the term thread medium means any type of thread, such as bead wire, nylon cord, nylon thread, cotton fiber thread or any other thread medium adapted to be used in making bead jewelry. As shown, the bead jewelry making apparatus 10 comprises an upper housing 18 engaged to a lower housing 20 for encasing a motor and gear arrangement 38 that is operatively engaged to rotate a bead bowl 14 adapted to receive beads 15 for making bead jewelry.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4-8, the bead bowl 14 is preferably adapted to rotate clockwise about an axis 84 when actuated by the user and comprises a sidewall 72 that defines a cavity 68 adapted to receive one or more beads 15. The bead bowl 14 further comprises a central raised portion 70 and a peripheral edge 73 that defines an opening 62 in communication with the cavity 68. As further shown, the portion of the cavity 68 between the sidewall 72 and the central raised platform 75 defines a channel 74. To rotate the bead bowl 14, the raised portion 70 includes a cross-shaped aperture 76 adapted to operatively engage a cross-shaped portion 82 of a spindle insert 52. Spindle insert 52 is also operatively engaged with the gear and motor arrangement 38 that rotates the bead bowl 14 about axis 84 during operation of the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus 10. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, operation of the motor and gear arrangement 38 causes the bead bowl 14 to rotate clockwise about axis 84 and comprises a housing 54 that encases a motor 40 having an output shaft 48 that drives first, second and third gears 42, 44 and 46. When the output shaft 48 is rotated by motor 40, the first gear 42 is rotated in one direction that rotates second gear 44 in an opposite direction such that third gear 46 is rotated in a direction opposite to that of second gear 44. The third gear 46 is engaged to a rotatable shaft 50 that is operatively engageable with spindle insert 52. When the cross-shaped portion 82 of the spindle insert 52 is operatively engaged to the cross-shaped aperture 76, the bead bowl 14 may be rotated by motor 40 when actuated by the user.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, upper housing 18 defines a plurality of bead case receptacles 26 each adapted to receive a bead case 25 that may hold a plurality of beads 15. As noted above, funnel 27 is used to facilitate pouring of beads 15 from the bead bowl 14 into bead case 25 in a quick and effective manner. In addition, upper housing 18 further defines a plurality of bead bowl receptacles 28 each adapted to store a bead bowl 14 in order to interchange a bead bowl 14 on the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus 10 with another bead bowl 14. In this manner, different types of beads 15 may be loaded during the bead stringing process by simply interchanging bead bowls 14 containing a particular type of beads 15.

The upper housing 18 further includes a stand 36 operatively engaged to a brush arrangement 30. The brush arrangement 30 comprises a handle 34 connected to stand 36 through a hinge 78. The free end of handle 36 comprises a brush 32 that is disposed inside channel 74 and adapted to agitate beads 15 when bead bowl 14 is rotated such that the beads 15 are caused to tumble faster. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the hinge 78 swivels the handle 34 to permit the brush 32 to be disposed inside the channel 74 of the bead bowl 14. In this position, it is preferable that the brush 32 be located along the middle portion of the channel 74 such that beads 15 disposed inside the channel 74 are agitated and follow paths 98A, 98B and 98C when the bead bowl 14 is rotated as shall be explained in greater detail below.

Preferably, the lower housing 20 is engaged to a cover 22 that protects the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus 10 and allows apparatus 10 to be carried as a carrying case using a handle 80. The cover 22 is operatively engaged to the upper housing 18 through a pair of hinges 178 that provide a means of opening and closing cover 22. A drawer 90 is provided at the lower housing 20 for storing thread medium 17 and additional tools for manufacturing bead jewelry. In addition, a funnel 27 is provided that is adapted to facilitate the pouring of the beads 15 from the bead bowl 14 back into one of the bead cases 25 in a quick and effective manner. Referring to FIG. 13, each bead 15 preferably comprises a body 95 defining a conduit 96 therethrough in communication with opposed openings 97. Thread medium 17 is adapted to be inserted into either opening 97 and through conduit 96 when loading beads 15 onto thread medium 17 during the bead stringing process.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a thread holding instrument 12 is provided to retain and hold a thread medium 17 during the bead stringing process as shall be discussed below. Referring to FIG. 9, the thread holding instrument 12 comprises a body 56 including a handle 66 and an extension 58 having a distal end 64 that defines a retention member 60 and an opening 62. The thread holding instrument 12 further comprises a spring loaded mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes opening 62 such that a portion of thread medium 17 may be engaged by the user by inserting thread medium 17 through the opening 62 and allowing the spring loaded mechanism to close and retain the thread medium 17.

In operation, the user engages a bead bowl 14 to spindle insert 52 and then pours one or more beads 15 into cavity 68 of bead bowl 14. Once the beads 15 are disposed inside the bead bowl 14, the user rotates brush arrangement 30 such that the brush 32 is disposed inside the middle portion of channel 74 (FIG. 7). The user then actuates the motor 28 by turning a switch 100 that actuates motor 40 that automatically rotates the bead bowl 14. Rotation of the bead bowl 14 causes the beads 15 to be agitated by the brush 32 of the brush arrangement 30 and forces the beads 15 along paths 98A, 98B and 98C. During the bead stringing process, the user engages a portion of thread medium 17 to the thread holding instrument 12 and inserts the end 94 of the thread medium 17 into the stream of beads 15 being agitated by brush 32. The inventors have discovered that positioning the end 94 of thread medium 17 into the path 98B of beads 15 flowing between the brush 32 and sidewall 72 of the bead bowl 14 causes loading of the beads 15 onto the thread medium 17 in an optimal manner, although such loading can also occur along paths 98A and 98C. Once a sufficient number of beads 15 have been loaded to the thread medium 17, a crimping device 23 (FIG. 1) may be provided having a crimping portion 55 adapted to crimp a small metal bead (not shown) along thread medium 17.

As noted above, the user may interchange different bead bowls 14. As noted above, the upper housing 18 forms a plurality of bead bowl receptacles 28 each adapted to store a bead bowl 14, thereby allowing the user to replace a bead bowl 14 with another bead bowl 14. To replace the bead bowl 14 the user swings out the brush arrangement 30 away from the bead bowl 14 and disengages the bead bowl 14 from the spindle insert 52. The user then engages another bead bowl 14 to the spindle insert 52 to make the automatic bead jewelry making apparatus 10 operational.

It should be understood from the foregoing that, while particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An automatic bead jewelry making apparatus comprising:

a bead bowl; said bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening;

a brush arrangement operatively associated with said bead bowl; said brush arrangement including a brush and handle;

a motor operatively engaged to said bead bowl for rotating said bead bowl;

wherein said brush arrangement is positioned such that the brush is disposed inside said cavity of said bead bowl when the bead bowl is rotated by said motor.

2. The automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bead bowl is adapted to receive one or more beads.

3. The automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said brush agitates said one or more beads when said bead bowl is rotated by said motor.

4. The automatic bead jewelry making apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a thread holding instrument adapted to hold a thread medium, said thread medium adapted to load said one or more beads when said one or more beads is agitated by said brush.

5. A system for automatically making bead jewelry system comprising:

a bead bowl; said bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening;

a brush arrangement operatively associated with said bead bowl; said brush arrangement including a brush and handle;

a motor operatively engaged to said bead bowl for rotating said bead bowl;

at least one bead, said at least one bead defining opposed openings in communication with a conduit;

a thread medium adapted to receive said at least one bead through said conduit;

wherein said at least one bead is disposed inside said cavity of said bead bowl when said bead bowl is rotated by said motor such that said at least one bead is loaded to said thread medium when said thread medium is placed in contact with said at least one bead being agitated by said brush when said bead bowl is rotated.

6. A method for automatically loading at least one bead onto a thread medium comprising:

a) providing a bead bowl defining a cavity in communication with an opening, a brush arrangement operatively associated with the bead bowl having a brush and handle, and a motor operatively engaged to the bead bowl;

b) positioning the brush inside the cavity of the bead bowl;

c) placing at least one bead inside the cavity of the bead bowl;

d) actuating the motor such that the bead bowl rotates and the brush agitates at least one bead; and

e) inserting an end of a thread medium into the cavity such that at least one bead becomes loaded to the thread medium.

7. An automatic bead jewelry making system comprising:

an automatically rotated bead bowl adapted to receive one or more beads and a brush arrangement adapted to agitate the one or more beads;

a bead case for storing the plurality of beads; and

a funnel for pouring the plurality of beads from the bead bowl into the bead case.