Personal accessory comprising a pair of personal devices

Abstract

A personal accessory including a first device such as a money clip, and a magnet mounted on the first device, allowing a second magnetically attracted device such as a cigar cutter or another type of personal device to be removably linked to the first device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to personal accessories, and more particularly a first device such as a money clip, and with an attachment element such as a magnet mounted on the money clip, allowing a second personal accessory, such as a cigar tip cutter device, to be separably attached to the first device or money clip.

A money clip is a simple inward pinching device in which paper currency is trapped and held. A money clip typically is a metal or plastic clip with a support surface and a clip biased against it.

Typically, a money clip is a single purpose article.

A money clip with an additional accessory in the form of a cigar cutter is known in prior art. There are examples of money clips which are attached to cigar cutter instruments to form a unitary structure. The money clip and the cigar cutter usually are inseparably attached, although sometimes the cigar cutter may be reorientable with respect to the money clip, e.g., by a hinge connection between them. However, there may be occasions when the cigar cutter or money clip are desired to be held or used independently of the other and occasions when use of one is interfered with by the presence of the other. However, it is desired that they be assembled together as a unit. Further, money clips may be associated with other articles besides a cigar cutter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide two personal accessories, which are selectively either held together as a unit or are separated and easily brought together.

It is another object of the invention to attach the two items of personal accessories by use of a magnet on one item that is attracted to material on the other item.

Personal accessories carried in a pocket are preferably compact, comfortable to carry, easy to gain access to, convenient to use, and may be adaptable to a variety of uses.

For these purposes, the invention provides a first personal accessory comprising an accessory body, with a first personal device, such as a money clip, mounted to a first side of the accessory body, a second side opposite to the first side of the accessory body provides access to a linking device, preferably a magnet, for linking and securing a second personal device to the accessory body. That second device may, for example, be a cigar cutter.

A recess may be defined in the second side of the accessory body. The second personal device is removably received in the recess in a position defined by the shape of the recess and is held therein by a magnet mounted at the recess. The recess and the profile of the second personal device having a matching, complementary shape such that the second personal device can be securely held in the recess to provide a complete accessory while the magnet allows their separation. Further, the profiles of the recess and the second device may be selected to permit the second device to be received in the recess in several different orientations relative to the accessory body. This may be accomplished by the recess and device both having a complementary symmetrical shape at at least two opposite lateral sides, and preferably having respective symmetry along all pairs of opposite lateral sides.

Specific but non-limiting examples of first and second personal devices are provided below.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a personal accessory comprising a cigar cutter nested in an accessory body according to an illustrative preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view showing a money clip on the back side of the accessory body;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing the cigar cutter nested in the front side of the accessory body;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are respectively left side, right side, top and bottom isometric views corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the cigar cutter and the front side of the accessory body;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a personal accessory according to an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 10-23 show alternative types of second accessories attachable tot he accessory body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 8, an accessory body 20 has a personal device such as a money clip 22 permanently mounted on a back side thereof. The opposite front side of the accessory body 20 has a large recess 24 shaped for receiving a second personal device. In this embodiment, the second personal device is a guillotine-type cigar cutter 10. In the recess 24 there is a magnet holding recess 25.

A permanent magnet 30 is mounted in the recess 25. When the entire cigar cutter 10 is disposed in the recess 24 in the accessory body, the cutter is held there by the magnet 30, which attracts the steel blade 14.

The cigar cutter 10 has a blade 14 slidably mounted in a blade holder 16. The cigar cutter blade is of steel, so that when the blade is positioned in an inactive position, the blade will be above a magnet 30 in the magnet receptacle 25 located in the recess 24 and magnetic attraction between the magnet 30 in the accessory body and the blade 14 of the cigar cutter will hold the cigar cutter 10 securely in the recess 24. The holder 16 includes side panels 17 which hold and guide the edges of the blade and one end 18 with a finger grip by which the holder is removed from its case 11.

The cigar cutter includes a case 11 with spaced apart front and back sides 13 and 13b which together with the lateral sides of the case 11 define a slide channel and nest 15 in the case for receiving the holder. The front and back sides 13a and 13b together have an aligned aperture 12 formed by front and back side holes 12a, 12b in the respective sides of the case. The holder 16 is slidable into the nest in the case 11 for sweeping the blade 14 across the aperture 12. Inward movement into the case to the left in FIG. 1 will cut the end or tip of a cigar that is in the aperture 12. The aperture 12 is positioned so that it is directly over the magnet holding recess 25. With the holder 16 fully inserted in the nest in the case 11 and the cigar cutter therefore inactive, the blade 14 is disposed over the magnet 30 in the recess 25.

A pair of identical finger grips 17, 18 for operating the cigar cutter are formed at the opposite ends of the cigar cutter, at an end of the case 11 and an opposite end on the blade holder 16 installed in the case.

The cigar cutter 10 and the recess 24 in the accessory body 20 have rounded end, generally rectangular and fully symmetrical matching complementary shapes, so that the cigar cutter 10 may be snugly received in the recess 24, forming a neat, compact personal accessory.

The cigar cutter 10 is symmetrical about a transverse axis 10′ and also about a longitudinal axis 10″. The recess 24 has the same symmetry. Thus, the cigar cutter 10 can be received in the recess 24 in either of two opposite orientations relative to the accessory body 20, improving the convenience of use of the personal accessory. To be able to use the cigar cutter while it remains attached to the accessory body, the acceptable orientation is only with the finger grip facing out of the recess in the body to the left in FIG. 8. If all sides of the cigar cutter or second accessary and the recess were identical in size and profile, then the cigar cutter could be oriented in any of four positions relative to the body 20.

Other types of symmetry would facilitate installing the cigar cutter in the recess in the accessory body. For example, if the cigar cutter is square, it can be placed in the recess in several different orientations. Other symmetrical shapes of the cigar cutter holder, such as circle, ellipse, regular polygon and the like will give similar advantages.

The second personal device is not of course limited to being a cigar cutter. Some possible alternatives (indicated schematically at 40 in FIG. 9) include and are each shown simply in FIGS. 10-24:

• • timepiece (digital or mechanical) and possibly including an alarm, FIG. 10
  • reading light or flashlight, FIG. 11
  • calculator, FIG. 12
  • container, for example for holding pills, FIG. 13
  • key holder, FIG. 14
  • electronic device such as:
    • digital recorder, FIG. 15
    • personal alarm (panic button), FIG. 16
    • emergency location transmitter, FIG. 17
    • garage door opener, FIG. 18
    • toll-paying or access device, FIG. 19
    • golf score counter, FIG. 20
    • RF tag, FIG. 21
  • card case, FIG. 22
  • lighter, FIG. 23

The second personal device advantageously includes a metallic portion for being attracted by the magnet 30 in the recess, or the holder of the personal device includes the portion attracted to a magnet.

The first personal device is likewise not limited to being a money clip. It could be a belt clip, for example, or any other type of personal device such as one of those discussed in the preceding paragraphs.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific disclosure herein.

Claims

1. A personal accessory comprising:

an accessory body including a first magnet element;

a first personal device mounted to a first side of said accessory body;

a second side opposite to said first side of said accessory body having a second magnet element operable in cooperation with said first magnet element for separably attaching said accessory body to a second personal device.

2. The personal accessory of claim 1, wherein said first personal device is a money clip.

3. The personal accessory of claim 1, wherein one of said magnet elements is a magnet and the other said magnet element is metal attracted to said magnet.

4. The personal accessory of claim 3, wherein said second side of said body has a recess therein at which said magnet is disposed, said second device having a shape, and said recess having a shape to match the shape of said second device and thereby defining a space for receiving said second device.

5. The personal accessory of claim 4, wherein said recess has a symmetry property, and said second personal device has a symmetry property matching that of said recess, whereby said second device may be oriented in a plurality of defined positions in said recess.

6. The personal accessory of claim 4, wherein said first personal device is a money clip permanently mounted on said accessory body.

7. The personal accessory of claim 3, wherein said second personal device is a cigar cutter having a metallic blade for being attracted by said magnet.

8. The personal accessory of claim 3, wherein said accessory body holds a magnet and said second personal device has a metallic portion for being attracted by said magnet.

9. The personal accessory of claim 8, wherein said second personal device is one selected from the group consisting of a timepiece, a light, a calculator, an electronic device, a digital recorder, a personal alarm, a location transmitter, a door opener, a counter, a paying or access device, an RF tag, a container, a lighter, a key holder, and a card case.