PERSONAL ITEM STORING DEVICES

Abstract

A personal item storage device is comprised of a first housing having a connector rod whose end is provided with a piston that is capable of reciprocally moving in a piston chamber in a second housing under the action of a coil spring located in said piston chamber.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on and claims priority to Applicant's U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/311,124, entitled “Personal Item Storing Devices,” filed on Mar. 5, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally pertains to personal item storage devices. It is particularly concerned with storing personal items such as cremation ashes, keepsake items, souvenirs, pills, capsules, pods, collectible items, small edible items such as candy, nuts, etc., slips of paper upon which important information is written (e.g., lock combinations, passwords, etc.) and the like. Such personal items item storing devices may, for example, take the form of pendant jewelry pieces that can be suspended from a necklace or bracelet. In other embodiments of this invention, Applicants' personal item storage device will be relatively larger, for example, an urn for storing cremation ashes or relatively large floor resting or desktop resting memento holders. These personal item storing devices may be further characterized by their possession of multiple compartments for securely housing different kinds of personal items.

2. Discussion of the Background

By way of a specific first example of a pendant jewelry item, U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,116 discloses a heart-shaped piece of jewelry comprising a front cover having a back surface and a cavity. It also has a back cover having a configuration similar to that of the front cover. The back cover is also provided with a front surface and a cavity with an opening in communication with said front surface. The front cover and the back cover are attached to one another in a closed position during storage of such keepsake objects. The opening of the cavity of the front cover communicates with the opening in the cavity of the back cover. A flange depends rearwardly from the front cover for insertion within said cavity. The flange is configured to contact the back cover so as to seal the cavity in the back cover when the front cover and the back cover are in their closed position. This jewelry item further comprises airtight sealing means to permanently seal said objects within said cavity of the back cover.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,174 also discloses a jewelry type container. It is especially adapted for storage of cremation ashes. It includes a minor container for filling with cremation ashes. It has a minor opening and a minor container cap for temporarily or permanently hermetically sealing cremation ashes within the minor container. The minor container can, however, be inserted into a major opening of a decorative major cylindrical container component of this container. A major container cap is affixed to the major container to retain the minor container within the major container. A support is also secured to the major container. It enables the major container to be suspended, in a pendant manner, about the user's neck.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,921 discloses a burial urn for cremated remains. It utilizes a housing that has an internal chamber which is adapted to connect with a plurality of containers. An exterior side edge of the housing is formed in a polygonal shape and is divided into a series of separate panels having a name plaque mounted on each panel. A single container is associated with a particular name plaque. Each container includes a removable lid to gain access into the container. The housing is closed by a cover which provides access to the containers.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,423 teaches a personalizable memory container having a portion that includes a cavity therein, a sealable capsule selectively disposable in the cavity, and mementos selectively presentable on reconfigurable spaces on the container portion. The mementos can conceal the capsule when the capsule is disposed in the cavity and when the mementos are selectively presented on the reconfigurable spaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides personal item storage devices for storing items or objects such as ashes of cremated loved ones, locks of hair, dried flowers, slips of paper, capsules, pods, collectible items such as toy autos, small statues of comic characters and so forth. The device may be small enough to hang in pendant fashion about a user's neck (the user may be a human being or an animal such as a dog) or placed in a user's pocket or purse. Larger embodiments of this invention may take the form of an urn (e.g., for holding cremation ashes), memento holder and the like that might be placed on a floor, mantle, table or desktop. In some embodiments of this invention, the device will have multiple (e.g., 2, 3 or 4) chambers which may be open or individually sealable.

Applicants' personal item storage devices have a first (e.g., upper) housing and a second (e.g., lower) housing that are held in abutting contact with each other by the force created by the expansive action of a compressed coil spring. A compressive action placed upon this coil spring also allows the first (e.g., upper) housing to be partially separated from the second (e.g., lower) housing and thereby exposing open cavities such as cylinder shaped chambers or cover plate(s) that serve to seal the chamber(s) contained in this personal item storage device. In order to hold the first housing in abutting contact with the second housing—and yet allow the first housing to be partially removed from the second housing in order to gain access to the chamber(s) contained in the device—the underside of the first housing is affixed to a connector rod. This connector rod slidably and rotatably passes through a shaft in the lower housing. The lower end of the connector rod terminates in a piston that is capable of reciprocally moving e.g., up and down, in a piston chamber contained in the lower housing. The coil spring also resides in this piston chamber. The coil spring surrounds a lower portion of the connector rod. In the spring's more expanded (more decompressed) state, a lower end of the coil spring abuts against the top surface of the piston under the force created by the coil spring's tendency to expand. Thus, in this expanded (decompressed) state, the upper end of the coil spring will abut against a spring abutting surface in the top of the piston chamber as the lower end of the spring abuts against the top surface of the piston. This expanding spring action serves to hold the upper housing and lower housing in an abutting relationship when said housings are aligned in parallel with each other.

However, when an upwardly directed pulling force is placed upon the first (e.g., upper) housing and a downwardly directed force is placed upon the second (e.g., lower) housing, the first and second housings are separated from each other. Such upwardly and downwardly directed forces will normally be supplied by the respective thumb and the index finger of the hands of a human being. No hand tools such as screw drivers, keys or pliers are needed to separate the first and second housings. The first and/or second housings may however be provided with “handles” suitable for gripping by human thumb/fingers. Be that as it may, such an upwardly directed force on the first housing will cause the connector rod affixed to the first housing, including the piston located on the lower end of said connector rod, to be pulled upward. This will cause the top end of the coil spring to come into relatively stronger abutting contact with the spring abutment surface in the top end of the piston cylinder. Thus, the spring will be compressed between the spring abutment surface in the top of the piston cylinder and the top of the piston as said piston is pulled upward by an upwardly directed force placed on the first housing by a human hand. Thus, in this manner, the upper housing can be partially separated from the lower housing.

Eventually, the coil spring will be fully compressed and thereby preventing the piston from being pulled up any further in the piston chamber. In effect, the distance the piston rises in the piston cylinder defines the distance that the first housing can be partially removed from the second housing. Once the first housing is so raised, said first housing can be rotated e.g., rotated about 90 degrees so that the bottom of the first housing is substantially perpendicular to the top of the second housing. In this rotated orientation, the opposing potential energy of the compressed spring is held in check by virtue of the fact that the lower surface of the upper housing will be placed in abutting contact with the upper surface of the lower housing.

Moreover, when the first (e.g., upper) housing is so rotated (e.g., about 90 degrees), any open chamber(s) or cover plate(s) or caps that seal a given chamber or capsule top in this device will be exposed. Upon being so exposed, such cover plate(s), caps, capsule tops and the like can be removed so that items such as keepsakes (e.g., ashes of a loved one, a lock of hair, a dried flower, etc.), pieces of paper bearing computer passwords, safe combinations, collectible items and the like can be placed in the chamber(s) of this personal item storage device. Thereafter, the chamber(s) may simply house or contain certain appropriate items such as capsules, pods, pieces of candy, collectible items, etc. contained therein or the chamber may be sealed with a respective cover plate, cap and the like in order to more thoroughly seal other personal items (e.g., cremation ashes). Such cover plates may be removed and/or replaced by thumb/finger operations or through the use of hand tools such as a screw driver, pliers, etc. The first (e.g., upper) housing can then be rotated back by about 90 degrees, whereupon the decompression action of the spring in the piston cylinder will pull the first housing back into abutting contact with the second housing in the device's original closed position. Thus, the abutting contact between the first and second housings may itself seal the chambers in said housings. In order to further ensure maintenance of the original sealed state, the second (e.g., lower) housing may be provided with a seating surface upon which a portion of the underside of the first (upper) housing comes to rest. Thus, the seating surface provides another means by which the chamber(s) can be collectively sealed without employing separate chamber sealing caps. Mechanical means such as nubs, cotter keys and the like also may be provided to prevent horizontal rotation of the upper and lower housings with respect to each other.

It might also be noted here that the functions of the first, e.g., “upper” housing and the second, e.g., “lower” housing can be reversed. That is to say that the upper housing may contain the piston, spring, piston cylinder, etc. while the lower housing is provided with the connector rod. Similarly, Applicants' device also may be suspended, in pendant fashion, from its “side.” In such case, the terms “left” housing and “right” housing would be more appropriate. Hence, in recognition of the various orientation possibilities for the two housings, Applicants' have on occasion used the more general terms “first” housing and “second” housing rather than “upper” or “lower” (or “left” and “right”). This invention will, however, use as its primary exemplary embodiment, a storage device whose first housing is positioned above its second housing in the manner generally depicted by FIGS. 1-5.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a personal item storage device made according to the general teachings of this patent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage device of FIG. 1 showing the upper housing raised and rotated about 90 degrees with respect to the lower housing.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the storage device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the personal item storage device of FIG. 1 wherein the upper housing is raised and rotated about 90 degrees with respect to the lower housing.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away perspective view of the storage device of FIG. 1 showing, among other things, its spring being compressed.

FIG. 6 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper housing and a lower housing are each shown provided with two cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like.

FIG. 7 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper housing and a lower housing are each shown provided with two cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like and further comprising threaded caps for enclosing said capsule, pods, etc.

FIG. 8 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper housing and a lower housing are each shown provided with two cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like and further comprising a threaded cap and a raised nub.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the personal item storage device of FIG. 8 showing the upper housing raised and rotated about 90 degrees with respect to the lower housing and thereby showing the openings of the chambers in the lower housing and a seating surface upon which a portion of the underside of the upper housing will rest when the storage device is in its closed position.

FIG. 10 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper housing and a lower housing are each shown provided with two cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like and where one such chamber is provided with threading to receive a threaded cap.

FIG. 11 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper housing and a lower housing are each shown provided with two cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like and wherein a compressing fitting cap is used to close one of the chambers.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a personal item storage device made according to the general teachings of this patent disclosure wherein the upper housing is provided with a handle and the lower housing is provided with a base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of Applicants' personal item storage device 10. In this embodiment, said device 10 is shown provided with an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 14. This front view of the device 10 shows it as having a generally circular configuration. Other configurations such as square, rectangular, ellipsoidal, heart-shaped, etc. are also contemplated for the practice of this invention. Be the device's configuration as it may, the upper housing 12 and lower housing 14 abut together to create a contour line 16 that is, by way of example only, shown having a wave-like contour. Other contour lines (e.g., flat, elliptical, saw toothed, etc.) could be employed as well. FIG. 1 also indicates that decorations e.g., 18 and 20 also can adorn the surface of the device 10. It should be appreciated however that “decorative effects” can be achieved through the use of unadorned simplicity in these personal item storage devices. As seen in FIG. 9, “viewing windows” may also be placed in the upper and/or lower housings.

Next it should be noted that such a personal item storage device 10 may be particularly adapted to serve as a pendant piece of jewelry through use of an attachment device 22 such as a ring so that said piece of jewelry could be suspended from a necklace, bracelet or dog collar, etc. These storage devices could also be suspended from a suitcase handle, briefcase handle and so on. They can be placed in a pocket or purse as well. Larger versions of Applicants' personal item storage devices (e.g., urns, small item storage containers, e.g., having diameters up to about 18 inches, etc.) may be provided with a base and placed on a mantle, table, desk, etc. or hung on a wall or attached to a display holder. And as was previously suggested, placement of such an attachment device 22 at a location near point 22A would cause the upper housing 12 to be more accurately considered as a “right side” housing and the lower housing considered as a “left side” housing rather than an “upper” and a “lower” housing.

FIG. 2 shows the upper housing 12 partially removed from the lower housing 14 and rotated about 90 degrees with respect to said lower housing. This can be achieved by virtue of the fact that a connector rod 24 can rotate in a shaft (not seen in FIG. 2) in the lower housing 14. The general ability to raise and lower the upper housing 12 with respect to the lower housing 14 is depicted by a two-headed arrow 21. Similarly, the general ability to rotate the upper housing 12 with respect to the lower housing 14 is depicted by two-headed arrow 23.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the personal item storage device 10 depicted in FIG. 1. This view better shows the upper housing 12 and the lower housing 14 associated with each other by means of connector rod 24. This particular embodiment features such a personal item storage device having four separate and distinct chambers i.e., a first upper housing chamber 26, a second upper housing chamber 28, a first lower housing chamber 30 and a second lower housing chamber 32. The first and second upper housing chambers 26 and 28 are separated by an upper housing wall 34 (see FIG. 5). Similarly, the first and second lower housing chambers 30 and 32 are separated by a lower housing wall 36.

The first upper housing chamber 26 is shown provided with a chamber base 38 that has an opening 40 through which a keepsake material (e.g., ashes of a loved one) or small item (e.g., medical pills, slips of paper, etc.) can be inserted into said first upper housing chamber 26. The second upper housing chamber 28 also has a base 42 that has a similar opening 44 that can be employed for similar purposes. The first lower housing chamber base 46 has a comparable opening 48. Likewise, the second lower housing chamber base 50 has such an opening 52 as well.

Next, it should be noted that one side of the first upper housing chamber 26 is provided with a left finger clamp receiver post 54 and a right finger clamp receiver post 56. A comparable side of the second upper housing chamber 28 also has a left finger clamp receiver post 58 and a right finger clamp receiver post 60. Similarly, a side of the first lower housing chamber 30 is provided with a left finger clamp receiver post 62 and a right finger clamp receiver post 64. And, likewise, the second lower housing chamber 32 is also provided with left 66 and a right 68 finger clamp receiver posts. It should also be understood that each chamber may be provided with only one such finger clamp receiver post to receive only one clamping finger.

It also should be noted that the opening 40 in the first upper housing chamber base 38 is occupied by a cover plate 70. The underside of said cover plate 70 is shown provided with a left clamping finger 72 and a right clamping finger 74. These clamping fingers are so sized, adapted and arranged that they can respectively clamp around the left finger clamp receiver post 54 and the right finger clamp receiver post 56 in a compression fit. These clamping fingers are also capable of being released from their respective clamping posts when their respective cover plates are pulled away from the opening they seal. And, as noted above, such a cover plate may be provided with only one clamping finger rather than two.

The opening 44 in the second upper housing base 42 is also shown having a cover plate i.e., cover plate 76. The underside of this cover plate 76 is shown provided with a left clamping finger 78 and a right clamping finger 80. Here again, these clamping fingers 76 and 78 are sized, configured and arranged such that they are capable of clamping around their respective finger clamp receiver posts 58 and 60. Similarly, the opening 48 in the first lower housing chamber base 46 is occupied by cover plate 82. Here again, the underside of this cover plate 82 is provided with clamping fingers 84 and 86 that respectively engage with clamping posts 62 and 64. A comparable arrangement is found in the second lower housing chamber 32. That is to say that its base 50 has an opening 52 that is occupied by a cover plate 88 having left and right clamping fingers 90 and 92 that respectively engage finger clamp receiver posts 66 and 68 in a compression fit. These two finger clamp systems may likewise be replaced with a single finger clamping finger system.

FIG. 3 also shows the lower housing 14 provided with a piston cylinder 94. This piston cylinder 94 contains a coil spring 96 that surrounds a lower portion of the connector rod 24. In FIG. 3, the spring 96 is depicted as being substantially in its uncompressed state. A piston 98 is shown affixed to the lower end of the connector rod 24. The upper end of the piston cylinder 94 is provided with an abutment surface 100 that abuts strongly against the upper end of the coil spring 96 when said spring is placed in its compressed state as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of Applicants' personal item storage device 10. It particularly illustrates how the cover plate 82 for the opening 48 in the first lower housing chamber base 46 and the cover plate 88 for the opening 52 in the second lower housing chamber base 50 can be removed (to respectively expose chambers 30 and 32 for insertion of small items such as personal items, keepsake materials or other such objects) when the upper housing 12 is raised and rotated by about 90 degrees. FIG. 4 also illustrates the contour of a seating surface 15 upon which a downwardly protruding lip (not shown), located on the underside of the upper housing 12, will rest when the storage device 10 is in its closed position. The upper and lower housings are held in this closed position by a force created by the coil spring's tendency to expand against the top end of the piston cylinder 94 and the abutment surface 100 located at the top of said piston cylinder 94.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of Applicants' personal item storage device 10 when its upper housing 12 is raised above its lower housing 14 (e.g., by opposing forces 102 and 104 supplied by human hands) and rotated about 90 degrees. This view also illustrates how such forces 102 and 104 serve to compress the coil spring 96 between the top of the piston 98 and the spring abutment surface 100 located in the top of the piston cylinder 94.

FIG. 6 is an exploded cross-section view of another embodiment 106 of this invention wherein an upper housing 108 and a lower housing 110 are each shown provided with cylindrically shaped chambers that are especially adapted for housing capsules, pods and the like. For example, FIG. 6 shows the upper housing 108 provided with a left capsule-receiver chamber 112 and a right capsule-receiver chamber 114. Likewise, the lower housing 110 is shown provided with a left capsule-receiver chamber 116 and a right capsule-receiver chamber 118. All of these receiver chambers are shown as having generally cylindrical configurations (however, other chamber geometries, e.g., elliptical, square, rectangular might also be employed). FIG. 6 also suggests that a capsule 120 (also shown exploded and in cross-section) is intended to be placed in a capsule-receiver chamber (e.g., capsule-receiver chamber 118) and that such a capsule 120 is, in turn, intended to house a personal item 122 e.g., a slip of paper upon which personal information (e.g., a safe combination) is written. Such a capsule 120 may, for example, be made of a clear plastic material so that the personal item 122 may be viewed while it is in the capsule.

Since FIG. 6 depicts Applicants' personal item storage device 106 (having an attachment device 109) in a state wherein the upper housing 108 is raised above its lower housing 110, the coil spring 142 (which encompasses connector rod 143) is in a compressed state between the top 144 of piston 146 and a spring abutment surface 148 in the general manner discussed with respect to the personal item storage device depicted in FIG. 5. It also should be noted that the capsule 120 shown in FIG. 6 can be “sealed” in the personal item storage device 106 by simply re-closing said device (e.g., rotating the upper housing about 90 degrees so that the coil spring 142 expands into its expanded state, a Ia the expanded state of coil spring 96 shown in FIG. 3). In other words, no separate and distinct chamber covers are needed to seal the chambers in certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 7 shows the personal item storage device 106 of FIG. 6 associated with capsule 124 having a threaded cap 126.

FIG. 8 shows the personal item storage device 106 of FIG. 6 associated with a capsule 128 having a threaded cap 130 and further provided with a nub-shaped ring 132 on its outer surface. Such a nub-shaped ring 132 can achieve a compression fit in an indentation 134 that encompasses a portion of a given chamber such as chamber 118 and thereby securing the capsule 128 within said chamber 118. FIG. 8 also shows the lower edge 136 of the upper housing 108 further provided with a downwardly protruding lip 138. This downwardly protruding lip 138 abuts with a seating surface 140 near the upper rim area of the lower housing 110 (in the same general manner as the seating surface 15 in FIG. 4 receives a protruding surface on the underside of upper housing 12). FIG. 8 also depicts the lower edge 136 of the upper housing 108 further provided with a protruding nub, cotter key or the like 137. When the upper and lower housings are abutted against each other, the nub, cotter key 137, etc. will reside in a suitably sized and placed cavity 139 in the lower housing 110 and thereby preventing the upper housing 108 from horizontally rotating with respect to the lower housing 110. FIG. 8 also shows the cavity 118 descending at an angle θ of about 45 degrees. Other angular orientations e.g., 90, 60, 30 and 0 (i.e., a vertical orientation) degrees are also possible.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper housing 108 of the storage device 106 raised above the lower housing 110 and rotated about 90 degrees. In this state, the chambers 116 and 118 are ready to receive respective capsules 127 and 128. FIG. 9 also depicts the upper housing 108 provided with a window 129 (e.g., made of glass or a clear plastic material) through which a chamber (and its contents) may be viewed. Indeed the entire upper housing (and/or lower housing) may be made of such a clear material.

FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment wherein an upper region of one or more of the chambers (e.g., chamber 114) can be provided with a threaded surface 150 that is adapted to receive a threaded cap 152.

FIG. 11 illustrates yet another embodiment of this invention wherein an upper region of one or more of the chambers (e.g., chamber 114) is provided with a protruding portion 154 adapted to receive a compression fitting cap 156.

FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment of this invention wherein the personal item storage device 158 is relatively large (e.g., having a diameter up to about 36 inches) compared to pendent versions of this invention. It has an upper housing 160 and a lower housing 162. It is intended to rest upon a flat surface such as a floor, mantle or desktop surface 164. This is accomplished by providing the personal item storage device with a base 166. In view of the relatively large size of this embodiment the upper housing 160 is shown provided with a handle 168 suitable for gripping by a human hand. The upper housing 160 meets in abutting contact with the lower housing 162 along a straight line contact surface 170.

Finally, those skilled in this art will appreciate that, while this invention has been described in detail and with reference to certain specific embodiments thereof, various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this patent disclosure.

Claims

1. A personal item storing device having at least one chamber for storing a personal item, said device further comprising:

(1) a first housing having a connector rod whose one end is affixed to the first housing and whose other end is provided with a piston;

(2) a second housing capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, and wherein said second housing contains a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move; and

(3) a coil spring that surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder and wherein a first end of said coil spring abuts against a top side of the piston and wherein an opposite end of said coil spring abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the first housing is forced away from the second housing.

2. A personal item storing device having at least one sealable chamber for storing a personal item, said device comprising:

(1) a first housing having a connector rod whose one end is affixed to the first housing and whose other end is provided with a piston;

(2) a second housing capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, and wherein said second housing contains a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move;

(3) a coil spring that surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder and wherein a first end of said coil spring abuts against a top side of the piston and wherein an opposite end of said coil spring abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the first housing is forced away from the second housing; and

(4) a cover for sealing the sealable chamber.

3. The device of claim 2 that further comprises an attachment device for hanging the personal item storage device in pendant fashion.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein a boundary line between the first housing and the second housing has a wave contour.

5. A personal item storing device having two or more sealable chambers for respectively storing personal items, said device comprising:

(1) an upper housing (a) containing at least one chamber for storing a personal item, (b) having a cover for sealing an opening in the chamber, and (c) having a connector rod whose lower end is provided with a piston;

(2) a lower housing (a) capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, (b) containing at least one chamber for storing a personal item, (c) having a cover for sealing an opening in the chamber, and (d) containing a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move in said cylinder; and

(3) a coil spring that (a) surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder, (b) has an end that abuts against a top side of the piston, and (c) has an opposite end that abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the upper housing is forced away from the lower housing.

6. The device of claim 5 which further comprises an attachment device for hanging the device in pendant fashion.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein a boundary line between the first housing and the second housing has a wave contour.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the upper housing:

(a) is the housing that is capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod;

(b) contains at least one chamber for storing a personal item;

(c) has a cover for sealing an opening in the chamber; and

(d) contains a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move in said chamber, and the lower housing is the housing that has a connector rod whose lower end is provided with a piston.

9. A personal item storage device having four chambers for storing a personal item, said device comprising:

(1) an upper housing (a) containing two chambers for respectively storing a personal item, (b) having a cover for respectively sealing each opening in the chamber, and (c) having a connector rod whose lower end is provided with a piston;

(2) a lower housing (a) capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, (b) containing two chambers for storing a personal item, (c) having a cover for respectively sealing each opening in the chamber, and (d) containing a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move in said cylinder;

(3) a coil spring that (a) surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder, (b) has a bottom end that abuts against a top side of the piston, (c) has a top end that abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the upper housing is forced away from the lower housing, and (d) wherein each cover for sealing a respective opening in a chamber is provided with at least one finger that is capable of compression fitting to a post in a wall of the chamber employing that respective cover.

10. The device of claim 9 that further comprises an attachment device for hanging the device in pendant fashion.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein a boundary line between the first housing and the second housing has a wave contour.

12. A method of storing a personal item in a device having a first and second housing, said method comprising:

(1) providing a first housing having a connector rod whose one end has a piston and whose other end is affixed to the first housing;

(2) providing a second housing capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, and wherein said second housing contains a piston cylinder is which the piston is free to reciprocally move in said cylinder;

(3) providing a coil spring that surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder and wherein a first end of said coil spring abuts against a top side of the piston and wherein an opposite end of said coil spring abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the first housing is forced away from the second housing;

(4) providing a sealable chamber for containing a personal item;

(5) inserting a personal item in the sealable chamber;

(6) sealing the sealable chamber; and

(7) abutting the first housing to the second housing through the action of the coil spring.

13. A method for storing a personal item in a device having a first housing and a second housing, said method comprising:

(1) providing an upper housing (a) containing two chambers for storing a personal item, (b) providing a cover for respectively sealing an opening in the chamber, and (c) having a connector rod whose lower end is provided with a piston;

(2) providing a lower housing (a) capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, (b) containing two chambers for storing a personal item, (c) having a cover for respectively sealing an opening in the chamber, and (d) containing a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move in said chamber;

(3) providing a coil spring that (a) surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder, (b) has a bottom end that abuts against a top side of the piston, (c) has a top end that abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the upper housing is forced away from the lower housing; (d) providing a cover for respectively sealing an opening in a chamber with at least one finger that is capable of compression fitting to a post in a wall of the chamber employing the respective cover, (e) pulling the upper housing away from the lower housing and rotating said upper housing about 90 degrees, (f) inserting a personal item in at least one chamber, (g) sealing the chamber(s) into which a personal item has been inserted, (h) rotating the upper housing back about 90 degrees, and (i) abutting the first housing to the second housing through the action of the spring.

14. A personal item storage device having at least one chamber for storing a personal item, said device comprising:

(1) a first housing having a connector rod whose one end is affixed to the first housing and whose other end is provided with a piston;

(2) a second housing capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, and wherein said second housing contains a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move;

(3) a coil spring that surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder and wherein a first end of said coil spring abuts against a top side of the piston and wherein an opposite end of said coil spring abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the first housing is forced away from the second housing; and

(4) a chamber.

15. The personal item storage device of claim 14 which further comprises a capsule for storing a personal item.

16. The personal item storage device of claim 14 which further comprises a cap for sealing the chamber for containing a capsule.

17. A personal item storing device having at least one sealable chamber for storing a capsule for storing a personal item, said device comprising:

(1) a first housing having a connector rod whose one end is affixed to the first housing and whose other end provided with a piston;

(2) a second housing capable of slidably and rotatably receiving the connector rod, and wherein said second housing contains a piston cylinder in which the piston on the end of the connector rod is free to reciprocally move;

(3) a coil spring that surrounds a portion of the connector rod that resides in the piston cylinder and wherein a first end of said coil spring abuts against a top side of the piston and wherein an opposite end of said coil spring abuts against an abutment surface on the top of the piston cylinder when the first housing is forced away from the second housing;

(4) a sealable chamber for containing the capsule; and

(5) a cover for sealing the sealable chamber.

18. The personal item storage device of claim 16 wherein the capsule has a threaded cap.

19. The personal item storage device of claim 16 wherein the capsule has a compression fitting cap.

20. The personal item storage device of claim 16 further comprises a viewing window.