Cord mounted jewelry plates

Abstract

An article of jewelry comprising plates having indicia embossed or engraved thereon mounted on a shoelace type cord. The ends of the cord have rigid rectangular aglets and are threaded through rectangular holes at opposed ends of the plates. The generally flat cord cannot twist or fold within the rectangular holes in the plates so the plates always maintain the same orientation and position on the cord, allowing them to be arranged and displayed sequentially. The article of jewelry can be tied to itself using one hand because the cord is provided with a rectangular button hole of the same size as the rectangular holes in the plates. The rigid rectangular aglet is passed through the button hole, under the cord and back through the created loop and pulled tight, thereby tying the cord to itself using only one hand.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an article of jewelry that may be personalized and modified by designing, adding or changing plates with individualized indicia thereon to a cord.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to jewelry and more particularly to jewelry that may be infinitely customized to suit an individual's tastes and interests. It has long been desirable to those wearing jewelry such as necklaces and bracelets to personalize such jewelry. Birthstones, charms, beads, plates or panels that are inscribed, printed or embossed, can represent names, birthdays, quotations, or other indicia like logos or other symbols that have particular meaning to the wearer. Jewelry can be and is customized in a vast number of ways to incorporate the individual tastes and interests of the wearer.

Any article of jewelry that may be personalized suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, the cost is high to create a personalized plate or arrangement of beads or charms if it is done in a permanent way, i.e. permanently affixed such as by soldering links of a chain, which limits the wearer's ability to modify, add or delete indicia or elements. Any system allowing a user to add or remove plates, beads or charms must be easy to use for a user while also being secure enough to retain the individualized elements. It also must be securable enough to keep the article of jewelry fastened around the wearer's wrist, ankle or neck. In prior art articles of jewelry, an interlocking closure clasp is provided at the two ends of the cord on which the personalized elements are mounted. However, such interlocking clasp components present a significant problem for the addition or removal of elements to the cord if such personalized elements are to be slid onto the cord at the ends because of the size and shape of the clasp components. The personalized elements added, changed or removed by a user have to be big enough or have provisions such that the closure clasps pass through them, which necessarily makes the personalized elements themselves large and bulky.

Once the personalized elements of a piece of jewelry are added over the end clasps to a cord, typically such elements are free to move about the cord so that, for example, any personalized element with indicia printed, engraved, embossed or otherwise represented on a plate will probably not be visible or readable because it will be twisted and/or disoriented about the cord.

In a significant feature of the present invention, a personalized plate, or number of plates, are securely affixed to a cord that is worn as a necklace, bracelet or anklet, in such a manner that the plates are prevented from twisting or moving longitudinally along the cord. Example benefits of the present invention include the ability to construct an article of jewelry having multiple individual panels that it is desirable to arrange and display in a particular order, such as words in a sentence (e.g. “what would Jesus do”), names of children on plates or even photographs of children printed on plates and worn by a proud parent. With prior art personalized jewelry, it was not possible to create such an individualized expression in a way that the separate elements were kept properly oriented and arranged.

It is desirable to provide a piece of jewelry that may include personalized elements that may be added or removed over specially formed end pieces at the ends of the cord designed to aid the threading of the cord through the personalized elements. Again, using the example benefit of a parent displaying the names or photographs of their children on individual plates, it will be readily possible to add more names or replace photographs without having to employ a jeweler to add links or charms or beads to an existing piece of jewelry; the wearer will need only to have a new plate created, and place it on the mounting cord.

It is also desirable, and a feature of the present invention, to incorporate a closure device allowing the article of jewelry to be affixed about a wearer's wrist, ankle or neck, requiring only one hand for closure, and which closure device does not impede the attachment or removal of personalized elements to the cord.

Charm bracelets are well known in the prior art as an article of jewelry that may be personalized by selecting charms such as hearts, angels, volleyballs, miniature roller skates, etc., that allow some individual expression. Generally, such charms are added to a charm bracelet through a “ring to ring” type connection wherein each charm is affixed to a ring and then attached to a typical link bracelet. Such an arrangement allows the charms to dangle from the bracelet, while also preventing all the charms from just falling into a group at the low point of the bracelet. However, such an arrangement suffers from the serious shortcoming that the charms are dangling and, necessarily free to twist and turn. In addition, charms are generally not defined or designed by the wearer and, thus, lack much of personalization possible with the present invention. For example, while it may be possible for a mother to display the names of her children if they have common names like Bill, Jane and Tom, if the children are more exotically named it will be impossible or very expensive to create a charm bracelet bearing their names. Also, because the charms do not maintain a constant orientation or visibility, it will be very difficult for an onlooker to make out what the charm or what it represents and any desired perception of sequencing of the charms will be impossible.

In a number of United States patents, systems and apparatuses are provided that include “ring-to-ring” type connections for the charms to the cord.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,427,823 and 6,256,974 are two examples, among many, disclosing the use of charms mounted on a ring which is then added to a link on a chain bracelet. The '974 patent further discloses the use of rings that may be “broken” to allow the charms to be attached to the otherwise closed loops of the bracelet.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,908 provides a charm loop with separable, lockable U-shaped friends, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,237 provides a locking member for the charms to the bracelet, but the charms will still dangle and be disoriented.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,172 is directed to structure to maintain the position of beads on a bracelet or necklace strand, and includes end connectors allowing beads to pass over them. The beads are held in place on the strand by friction between a gripping inner ring formed on each bead and the cord. The '172 patent does not, however, address the need to orient the bead axially on the strand. In addition, the requirements in the '172 arrangement that each bead have a frictional inner diameter will greatly complicate the manufacturing of the beads.

In general, prior art charm bracelets do not contemplate affixing decorative plates, or charms, to a “flat” bracelet. Thus, there is no provision for sliding them onto or off of the bracelet over an end of the bracelet, or for maintaining the position and orientation of the plates relative to each other and the mounting strand.

The present invention, as set forth in more detail herein, is advantageous in that it allows individualized plates to be slid onto the cord and retained at a spot on the cord, both the position and orientation relative to the other plates and the cord being fixed.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a personalized article of jewelry incorporating infinitely selectable plates affixed and oriented on an elongated cord.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry that may have plates easily added to, or removed from, and elongated cord without impediment from the closing device of the cord.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry formed by threading a cord through one or more selectable, personalized plates.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry wherein the size and shape of the mounting cord cooperates with the size and shape of access openings in personalized plates to provide a system wherein friction prevents the plates from moving relative to the cord.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry having a closure device requiring only one hand to effect.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry comprising cord mounted personalizable plates wherein the closure device is part of the cord and presents no impediment to the addition or removal of plates to the cord.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry comprising personalized plates mounted on a cord wherein the cord is essentially flat and cooperates with rectangular threading holes formed in the plates.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry wherein personalized plates are mounted on oriented on a flat cord, the plates constructed from relatively inexpensive materials such as embossed, printed or engraved plastic, or relatively expensive materials, such as engraved precious metal plates.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry wherein personalized elements may be added to a cord and maintained in a sequence and orientation on the cord.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in its most preferred embodiment, comprises an article of jewelry having at least one generally flat decorative plate, an elongated cord, and a means for securing the decorative plate to the cord. The means for securing is important because it has provisions precluding longitudinal or axial translation by the decorative plate relative to the cord.

In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the decorative plate has laterally opposed ends and threading holes near the laterally opposed ends, so that when the plate is affixed to the cord it is with the cord passing through the threading holes of the plate.

The elongated cord in the most preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a generally flat cord having a generally rectangular cross section. This flat cord structure cooperates with the shape of the threading holes, which are rectangular and cooperatively sized for the generally flat cord to pass therethrough while preventing twisting and folding of said cord within the rectangular threading holes.

The generally flat cord of the present invention has two rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section and, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the elongated cord comprises a length of woven fabric like a shoelace. In the most preferred embodiment, the two rigid ends of the elongated cord comprise rectangular aglets sized to fit into the threading holes.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the article of jewelry comprises an elongated cord, defined to have a first end and a second end, and a means for tying the elongated cord to itself to allow the article of jewelry to be worn as a necklace, bracelet and anklet, with means for tying requiring one hand only to tie. This means for tying includes a hole formed in the cord adjacent to the first end of the cord, whereby the second end of the cord passes through the hole such that a user can use one hand to tie the cord to itself.

In the preferred embodiment having a means for tying, the elongated cord is a generally flat cord having a generally rectangular cross section, and the hole in the cord is a generally rectangular shaped button hole. The cord is tied to itself using the first end and the second end of the cord which are rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section.

In another preferred embodiment, the present invention combines the means for securing the plates to the cord with the means for tying the cord to itself by providing an article of jewelry having at least one generally flat decorative plate, an elongated cord, a means for securing the decorative plate to the cord, and means for securing the cord to itself wherein provisions preclude longitudinal or axial translation by the decorative plate on the cord and the means for tying requires one hand only to tie.

The article of jewelry of the present invention, and particularly the means for tying the cord to itself requiring only one hand, comprise in the most preferred embodiment a button hole formed in the cord adjacent to the first end of the cord, with the second end of the cord passing through the button hole such that a user can use one hand to tie the cord to itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the article of jewelry of the present invention worn as a bracelet by a user.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the article of jewelry of the present invention reflecting personalized plates having a flat cord threaded therethrough.

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a personalized plate reflecting the rectangular threading holes at laterally opposed ends of the personalized plate.

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the flat cord of the present invention threaded through the rectangular holes of the plate, the cord terminated with a flat aglet.

FIG. 4A is a schematic representation of the flat cord passing through a first threading hole formed in a personalized plate.

FIG. 4B is a schematic representation of the flat cord passing through the second threading hole formed in the personalized plate.

FIG. 5 is a representation of prior art cylindrical aglet formed at the end of a typical shoelace.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the article of jewelry of the present invention illustrating personalized plates mounted on a flat cord with a flat aglet also used to pass through a button hole formed in the cord near a first end thereof.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the present invention with a first cord end having a flat aglet having passed through the button hole formed near a first end of the cord.

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the article of jewelry of the present invention wherein the flat aglet passes through the button hole in the cord a second time, creating a loop through which an end of the cord is passed to tie it to itself.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the article of jewelry of the present invention illustrating the end of a first end of the cord tied in a knot upon itself to provide the means for retaining on the wearer's wrist, ankle or neck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An article of jewelry 10 is provided that may be worn as a bracelet (see FIG. 1), although it may also be worn as a necklace or anklet without departing from the principles of the present invention.

The article of jewelry 10 comprises at least one plate 14 removably secured to an elongated mounting cord 12, as shown in FIG. 2. A series of plates 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 may be provided without departing from the principles of the present invention. The plates 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 may be personalized to display text, symbols, photos, logos, dates or any other indicia desired by the wearer and, in a significant feature of the present invention, may be arranged and oriented sequentially and maintained in the desired orientation and sequence. For example, in the event a wearer wishes to express a thought in a sentence, or to display the chronological names or photos of her children, each word of a sentence or name of photograph of a child may be represented on a single plate and the sequence and orientation of the plates will be maintained so that the sentence expressed or chronology of children will always be as desired by the wearer.

The plate 14 comprises a generally flat decorative plate having indicia 30 printed, engraved, embossed or otherwise affixed thereto. It is contemplated that the plate 14 may be almost infinitely wearer defined and customized, the wearer selecting a word, logo, symbol, graphic image from a catalog or even providing, for example, a digital image of a photograph to be transferred to a plate 14 that is then removably mounted to the cord 14. By creating an article of jewelry 10 that incorporates the use of multiple infinitely definable plates 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, the present inventors provide an infinitely personalizable, customizable modifiable piece of jewelry that every wearer can craft and tailor to reflect his or her tastes and interests.

The plate 14 may be constructed from virtually any die castable or punchable substrate. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention the plate 14 is constructed from sturdy plastic of a composition and thickness roughly approximating credit card plastic. It is specifically contemplated, however, that the plate 14 may be constructed from a vast array of materials of varying rigidity, and that altering the material does not depart from the principles of the present invention. In the most preferred embodiment, the plastic plate 14 may be embossed, engraved or printed with virtually any indicia—characters, numbers, letters, logos, pictures, photos—the wearer desires. The manufacturing of the plates 14 contemplates a process for printing, embossing, engraving or otherwise transferring indicia to a number of plates 14 formed on a sheet of plastic, and then punching the sheet to create the individual plates 14 with threading holes 34, 36 formed therein.

It is specifically contemplated, however, that the plates 14 may also be constructed from other materials, such as precious metals with indicia 30 printed, embossed or engraved thereon, without departing from the principles of the present invention. It is contemplated that the decorative plates 14 formed from precious metals may be punched, pressed or die cast to include threading holes 34, 36, after which the plate 14 will be printed, embossed or engraved with the wearer selected indicia.

The elongated cord 12 may also be constructed from a variety of materials, including, without limitation, woven fabric such as shoelaces, leather, cast metals or extruded plastic. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention the cord 12 comprises a shoelace having opposed ends 40, 42 allowing it to be threaded through the plate 14 (FIG. 2).

In a significant feature of the present invention a means for removably securing the decorative plate 14 to the elongated cord 12 is provided that prevents the plate 14 from moving longitudinally along the length of the cord 12, or of twisting around the cord 12. The means for securing the plate 14 to the cord 12 is provided in the most preferred embodiment of the present invention by providing a generally flat cord 12 and a decorative plate 14 that has rectangular threading holes 34, 36 formed therein (see FIG. 3). Other arrangements for removably securing the plate 14 to the cord 12 are contemplated, specifically and without limitation Velcro, adhesive, buttons, zippers and other mechanical connectors, such that the use of such other devices for removably securing the plate 14 to the cord 12 does not depart from the principles of the present invention.

In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flat cord 12, with a generally rectangular cross section, is threaded through a first threading hole 34 and then through a second threading hole 36, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

The rectangular threading holes 34, 36 are formed in the decorative plate 14 near laterally opposed ends 38, 40 thereof, with the cord 12 threaded first through the threading hole 34 of the plate 14 from the front of the plate 14 (i.e. the side bearing the indicia 30) to the back, and then through the threading hole 36 from the back (i.e. the side not bearing the indicia 30) to the front.

In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the threading holes 34, 36 are rectangular and only slightly longer and wider than the dimensions of the flat cord 12 with a generally rectangular cross section. The similar sizing of the cord 12 and threading holes 34, 36 is intentional and important for a number of reasons. First, the threading holes 34, 36 are defined to be too small to allow the cord 12 to twist axially or to fold over within the threading holes 34, 36. In this way, the orientation of the plate 14 on the cord 12 will always be maintained, i.e. the front with indicia thereon being visible and not obscured by the cord 12. In addition, the cooperative sizing of the threading holes 34, 36 and cord 12, along with the dual front-to-back and back-to-front threading of the cord 12 through the plate 14 creates frictional resistance between the plate 14 and looping cord 12 so that the plate 14 will also not move longitudinally along the length of the cord 12. Thus, the personalized plate 14, once added to the cord 12, is not free to move about the cord 12 so that, for example, any plate 14 with indicia 30 printed, engraved, embossed or otherwise represented thereon is visible or readable because it can not twist or be disoriented relative to the cord 12 or other plates. Preventing the plate 14 from twisting or moving longitudinally along the cord 12 has the significant benefit of being able to construct an article of jewelry having multiple individual plates 14 that are arranged and displayed in a particular order, such as words in a sentence (e.g. “what would Jesus do”), names of children on plates 14 or even photographs of children printed on plates 14 and worn by a proud parent. With prior art personalized jewelry, it was not possible to create such an individualized expression in a way that the separate elements were kept properly oriented and arranged.

To further facilitate the threading of the cord 12 through the plate 14, the opposed ends 40, 42 of the cord 12 are provided with flat aglets 44, 46 (FIG. 2) in the most preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is contemplated that the aglets 44, 46 may be formed in a variety of methods from a variety of materials, including without limitation metal aglets stamped or cast upon the ends of the cord 12 or plastic formed or molded onto the ends of the cord 12. With whatever method or material is used, the aglets are formed with a rectangular cross section (see FIG. 4) as opposed to the prior art cylindrical cross section aglets (FIG. 5) that is typical for prior art shoelaces.

When the plates 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 are positioned on the cord 12, the article of jewelry 10 is fastened to secure it on the wearer's wrist, ankle or neck. In prior art articles of jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, anklets) a locking or clasping mechanism has typically been provided to fasten the ends of the cord together. Such locking or clasping mechanisms are disadvantageous for the principles of the present invention, mainly as a result of their size. That is, the locking and/or clasping mechanism of prior art jewelry is necessarily bulky to provide a mechanical device that can be manipulated by human hands, and because it is necessary to make it adequately strong to hold the ends of the cord together. In many of the prior art articles of jewelry the personalized elements, such as charms on a typical charm bracelet, are hung onto links of the bracelet rather than looping the charm, and its mounting ring, over the end of the bracelet.

The present invention solves both problems associated with locking and clasping mechanisms by providing the rectangular cross section aglets 44, 46 allowing the plates 14 to be readily threaded onto or off of the cord 12, and by providing a button hole 50 formed in the cord 12 near an end thereof.

Button hole 50 is dimensionally the same as the threading holes 34, 36 formed in the plate 14, so that it allows aglets 44, 46 to pass therethrough while making it impossible for the cord 12 to be twisted or folded over onto itself while in the button hole 50. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cord 12 is fastened to itself using an aglet 44 passing through the button hole 50 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), which is then looped back through the button hole 50 a second time, creating a loop 54 through which the aglet 44 is pulled, to tighten down the cord 12 upon itself to create a knot 56 (FIG. 9).

The provision of at least one flat aglet 44 on the cord 12, along with the rectangular button hole 50 which is cooperatively sized to prevent the cord from twisting or folding while in the button hole 50, provides a device for securing the ends of the cord 12 together which can be accomplished using only one hand to do so. It also eliminates the need for locking, clasping devices at the ends of the cord 12. It is specifically contemplated that the closure device comprising the flat aglet 44 and flat cord 12, and rectangular button hole formed in the cord 12, comprises a new and useful jewelry closure device, separate and apart from the remainder of the present invention disclosed in this specification.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. An article of jewelry comprising:

at least one generally flat decorative plate;

an elongated cord; and

means for removably securing said decorative plate to said cord, said means for removably securing having provisions precluding longitudinal or axial translation by said decorative plate on said cord.

2. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 1 wherein said decorative plate further comprises laterally opposed ends and threading holes positioned near said laterally opposed ends, said cord passing through said threading holes.

3. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 2 wherein said elongated cord comprises a generally flat cord having a generally rectangular cross section.

4. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 3 wherein said threading holes further comprise rectangular threading holes cooperatively sized for said generally flat cord to pass therethrough while preventing twisting and folding of said cord within said rectangular threading holes.

5. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 4 wherein said generally flat cord further comprises two rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section.

6. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 4 wherein said elongated cord comprises a length of woven fabric.

7. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 6 wherein said length of woven fabric comprises a shoelace.

8. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 7 wherein said shoelace further comprises two rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section.

9. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 8 wherein said two rigid ends comprise rectangular aglets sized to fit into said threading holes.

10. An article of jewelry comprising:

an elongated cord having a first end and a second end; means for tying said elongated cord to itself to allow said article of jewelry to be worn as a necklace, bracelet and anklet, said means for tying requiring one hand only to tie.

11. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means for tying further comprises a hole formed in said cord adjacent to said first end, said second end passing through said hole such that a user can use one hand to tie said cord to itself.

12. The article of jewelry set forth in claim 11 wherein said elongated cord comprises a generally flat cord having a generally rectangular cross section, said hole comprising a generally rectangular shaped button hole, and said first end and said second end comprise rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section.

13. An article of jewelry comprising:

at least one generally flat decorative plate;

an elongated cord;

means for removably securing said decorative plate to said cord, said means for securing having provisions precluding longitudinal or axial translation by said decorative plate on said cord; and

means for tying said elongated cord to itself to allow said article of jewelry to be worn as a necklace, bracelet and anklet, said means for tying requiring one hand only to tie.

14. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 13 wherein said decorative plate further comprises laterally opposed ends and threading holes positioned near said laterally opposed ends, said cord passing through said threading holes.

15. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 14 wherein said elongated cord comprises a generally flat cord having a generally rectangular cross section.

16. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 15 wherein said threading holes further comprise rectangular threading holes cooperatively sized for said generally flat cord to pass therethrough while preventing twisting and folding of said cord within said rectangular threading holes.

17. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 16 wherein said elongated cord comprises a length of woven fabric.

18. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 17 wherein said length of woven fabric comprises a shoelace.

19. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 18 wherein said shoelace further comprises two rigid ends of generally rectangular cross section.

20. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 19 wherein said two rigid ends comprise rectangular aglets sized to fit into said threading holes.

21. The article of jewelry as set forth in claim 20 further comprising a button hole formed in said cord adjacent to a first end of said cord, a second end of said cord passing through said button hole such that a user can use one hand to tie said cord to itself.