Resealable charm locket

Abstract

A resealable locket comprising a first cover and a second cover. The first cover defines a see-through opening. The second cover is movably connected to the first cover. The first and second covers define a chamber when the first cover is closed on the second cover. A fixing member is disposed on the first and second covers. The fixing member is operable to enable a user to selectively open and close the locket without the use of a tool so that the user may selectively place and remove a charm from the chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a charm locket and, more particularly, to a charm locket which may be selectively opened and closed by a customer without requiring excessive effort or the use of tools.

Charm lockets are known in the art and may be used to contain therein various different types of items. For example, some lockets may include a picture of a loved one or a time piece. Such lockets typically have a front and rear cover hingedly connected to one another so that the item may be placed in one of the front or rear cover and the covers may be rotated so as to enclose the item therein. However, a customer cannot view the contents of these prior art lockets without opening one of the covers.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown another example of a prior art locket 20. Locket 20 includes a top portion 22 and a bottom portion 24 fixedly connected together by a fixation means (not explicitly shown). Top portion 22 includes a transparent opening portion 26. Similarly, bottom portion 24 includes a transparent opening portion 28. In locket 20, top portion 22 and bottom portion 24 are fixedly connected to one another with a fixation means such as screws or bolts. As a consequence, if a customer desired to add to or subtract from the contents internal to locket 20, such customer would need to use excessive force or tools to open up locket 20.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a locket which can display its contents without being opened, and which may be easily opened by a customer so that the customer may selectively add to and/or subtract from the contents stored within the locket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention is a locket comprising a first cover, the first cover defining a see-through opening. The locket further comprises a second cover movably connected to the first cover. The first and second covers define a chamber when the first cover is closed on the second cover. A fixing member is disposed on the first and second covers, the fixing member operable to enable a user to selectively open and close the locket without the use of a tool so that the user may selectively place and remove a charm from the chamber.

Another embodiment of the invention is a method for designing a locket, the locket including a first cover, a second cover, and a chamber defined by the first and second cover when the first cover is closed on the second cover. The method comprises rotating the first cover with respect to the second cover, placing at least one charm in the chamber, and locking the first cover to the second cover. The method further comprises opening the first cover from the second cover without the use of a tool, removing the least one charm from the chamber, placing a second charm in the chamber, and locking the first cover to the second cover.

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

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is plan view of a locket in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2 is plan view of an open locket in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is plan view of an open locket in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a closed locket with a divider in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the locket shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a locket in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown in locket 30 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Locket 30 may be made of gold, silver and the like and includes a first cover 32 hingedly connected to a second cover 34 through a hinge 36. As shown, second cover 34 includes walls 40 defining a channel 42 therein. Second cover 34 further includes magnets 46 spaced apart within channel 42. A chain 48 may optionally be connected to locket 30 so that locket 30 may be worn on a user's neck. An optional bump 38 may be disposed on first cover 32 and is discussed below. Referring also to FIG. 3, first cover 32 also includes magnets 44. Magnets 44 may be countersunk within first cover 32 so that first cover 32 has a generally flat cross-section. Of course, both first cover 32 and second cover 34 may be designed to have either a flat cross-section (as is shown for first cover 32) or with walls defining a channel (as shown in second cover 34).

As shown, first cover 32 is generally cylindrical defining a void therein. The void may be covered by a transparent member 50 such as glass, defining a window. Similarly, second cover 34 is generally cylindrical and defines a void therein. The void in second cover 34 may also be covered with a transparent member 52 such as glass. Clearly, members 50 and 52 need not be made of glass and could be made of any see-through material such as plastic or a translucent material. In operation, a user may deposit charms on top of either transparent member 50 or transparent member 52. Thereafter, the user may rotate either one of first cover 32 or second cover 34 toward the other cover, with the cover or covers moving in parallel planes about the hinge 36 which extends perpendicularly to the planes of the covers. When first cover 32 and second cover 34 are close to being coextensive with one another, magnets 44 and magnets 46, due to their oriented polarities, will attract one another and fixedly close and engage first cover 32 with second cover 34 as is shown in FIG. 4. As a consequence, charms 54 disposed within locket 30 are now maintained therein. Charms 54 could be, for example, letters, birthstones (either monochrome or in color), loose stones, gold dust, angel dust, keys, figures, hearts, crosses, stars, etc. When closed, a width of the combination of first cover 32 and second cover 34 may be, for example, 5.75 millimeters. Clearly, any desirable width may be used. A cross-sectional view of the closed lock in FIG. 4, taken along the lines 5-5, is shown in FIG. 5.

An optional divider 56 may be disposed internal to locket 30. Divider 56, as shown, divides the space internal to locket 30 into three chambers 56a, 56b and 56c. Clearly, divider 56 may divide the space internal to locket 30 into any number of chambers and three is simply shown as an example. Divider 56 ensures that charms 54 are maintained in generally a fixed position within locket 30. As could be understood, without divider 56, charms 54 may move about the internal chamber of locket 30. Divider 56 may be designed so as to have a width which is substantially the same as the width of the chamber within locket 30. Alternatively, divider 56 may have a width which is less than a width of the chamber in locket 30 so that charms 54 are generally maintained within a fixed area within locket 30 but can occasionally move from one chamber to another chamber.

When desired, a customer may open locket 30 by rotating first cover 32 with respect to second cover 34 about hinge 36 to thereby gain access to the chamber defined therein. Such rotation may be facilitated by, for example, engaging bump 38 shown on first cover 32 in FIG. 2.

Channel 42 may optionally be covered with a gasket 43. Furthermore, as discussed above, first cover 32 may also include a channel and corresponding gasket. By providing such gaskets, the internal chamber of locket 30 may be substantially water-resistant when first cover 32 is closed on second cover 34.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown another locket 30a in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Locket 30a may include first cover 32, as discussed above, hingedly connected by hinge 36 to a second cover 60. Unlike second cover 34, second cover 60 is generally solid and has an opaque middle section 62. Middle section 62 of second cover 60 may be, for example, made of a reflective material and may form a mirror.

Locket 30 or 30a may be sold to a customer in a kit. For example, locket 30, 30a may include first cover 32 and second cover 34 or 60, a selection of charms 54, a divider 56 and small bottles of colored water—for example, pink, blue, purple, colored water, etc. In this way, a customer may design his or her own jewelry arrangement for locket 30. Furthermore, with the provision of gaskets 43, the customer may also add colored water to the chambers defined by locket 30, 30a.

While locket 30, 30a is shown as being substantially cylindrical and/or having a circular cross-section, clearly any shape may be used for first cover 32 and second cover 34, 60 as long as a void is defined in at least one of the covers. For example, a heart, oval or egg shape, may be used. Moreover, while first cover 32 and second cover 34 are shown as having substantially flat outer surfaces, clearly surfaces which have bumps and ridges and/or different types of beveling may be used. While a locking means in the form of a plurality of magnets is shown, clearly any type of locking means may be used. For example, a tongue and groove arrangement may be used so that a tongue extends inwardly from one of the covers and a groove is disposed on the other of the covers so that when the first and second covers are positioned in a coextensive manner, the tongue mates with the groove and locks the first and second cover together. While hinge 36 is shown as enabling first cover 32 to rotate parallel to a plane defined by second cover 34, clearly other arrangements could be used so that first cover 32 may be opened and closed with respect to second cover 34.

Thus, by providing a fixing member on a locket with a cover having a see-through opening so that a user may selectively open the locket and insert charms therein and close the locket to maintain charms therein, an improved arrangement may be achieved.

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. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A locket comprising:

a first cover, the first cover defining a see-through window;

a second cover movably connected to the first cover;

the first and second cover defining a closed chamber when the first cover is closed on the second cover; and

a fixing member disposed on the first and second covers, the fixing member operable to enable a user to selectively open and close the locket without the use of a tool so that the user may selectively place and remove charms from the chamber, solely by finger manipulation of the first and second covers.

2. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein the fixing member is at least a first magnet disposed in the first cover and at least a second magnet disposed in the second cover.

3. The locket as recited in claim 2, wherein three magnets are disposed in each of the first and second covers.

4. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second covers are movably connected through the use of a hinge.

5. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein the second cover defines another see-through opening.

6. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second covers are slidable in parallel planes and about a connecting hinge pin extending perpendicular to the parallel planes.

7. The locket as recited in claim 1, further comprising a divider disposed in the chamber, wherein the divider is effective to divide the chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers.

8. The locket as recited in claim 1, further comprising a chain fixedly attached to at least one of the first and second covers.

9. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second covers further includes a channel therein.

10. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein both the first and second covers further include a channel therein.

11. The locket as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one gasket disposed between the first and second covers.

12. The locket as recited in claim 1, further comprising a liquid disposed in the chamber.

13. The locket as recited in claim 1, wherein the second cover includes a mirror.

14. The locket as recited in claim 1, further comprising a bump extending outwardly from one of the first and second covers.

15. A method for designing a locket, the locket including a first cover, a second cover, and a chamber defined by the first and second cover when the first cover is closed on the second cover, the method comprising:

rotating the first cover with respect to the second cover;

placing at least one charm in the chamber;

locking the first cover to the second cover;

opening the first cover from the second cover without the use of a tool;

removing the least one charm from the chamber;

placing a second charm in the chamber; and

locking the first cover to the second cover.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first cover is locked to the second cover through the use of magnets.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising pouring a liquid into the chamber.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the locking is performed through the use of a plurality of magnets.