BRACELET OR THE LIKE HAVING INTERCHANGEABLE PIECES
A bracelet includes a plastic body having socket portions. Customizing pieces, with or without underlying filling bodies, are lodged in the socket portions. The customizing pieces may be transparent. Visible or audible effects are provided by ornamental elements associated with the customizing pieces, the filling bodies, or both. Interactions of these structures; mutually or with supplied external bodies; optical, mechanical, or magnetic; augment the effects.
This application claims the benefit of earlier-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/706,942, filed 28 Sep. 2012, “Facebracelets,” inventor Thomas Michael MIHALYO.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of bracelets, more specifically to a bracelet with interchangeable pieces allowing a user to customize it.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Bracelets, though marketed with various styles, seem mostly limited to one specific look or limited in the customization the offer a user. The inventor surmised that consumers might well appreciate a bracelet which a user could customize, as with a variety of different pieces.
INVENTION SUMMARYIt is an object of the present invention to provide a customizable bracelet or the like.
In accordance with these objects and with others which will be described and which will become apparent, an exemplary embodiment of the bracelet in accordance with the present invention comprises a bracelet body having at least one socket portion and a customizing piece operatively coupled with said socket portion.
An ornamental element may be operatively coupled with said customizing piece. A plurality of ornamental elements may be operatively coupled with said customizing piece and mutually operatively coupled.
A filling body may be disposable within said socket portion and operatively coupled with said customizing piece. The ornamental element may be operatively coupled with said filling body. A least one of said plurality of ornamental elements may be operatively coupled with said filling body.
A first and second plurality of ornamental elements may be mutually operatively coupled in manually manipulable rotational relation with visible optical effect, as, for example, in manually manipulable magnetic relation with visible optical effect.
The filling body and said customizing piece may be mutually magnetically coupled with visible effect.
Also in accordance with these objects and with others which will be described and which will become apparent, an exemplary embodiment of a bracelet or personal decorative amusement item in accordance with the present invention comprises a first body having at least one socket portion; a customizing piece operatively coupled with said socket portion; and a second body, in manipulable relation to said first body, said first and second bodies being mutually operatively coupled with visible effect on at least one of said bodies.
The second body may be magnetically active (attractive) and an ornamental element may be disposed in said socket portion in operative relation with said customizing piece, said second body and said ornamental element being mutually magnetically coupled.
A filling body may be disposed in said socket portion and be operatively coupled with said customizing piece.
The second body may be magnetically active (attractive) and an ornamental element may be disposed in said socket portion in operative relation with said customizing piece, said second body and said ornamental element being mutually magnetically coupled.
For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:
The invention will now be described with reference to
With continued reference to the side cross-sectional view of
With continued reference to
With dual reference to
The first through fourth exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be modified to result in a FIFTH EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT, in which the ornamental element 42 (wherever located), the filling body 32, or the customizing piece 32 itself includes a cavity (not shown) and the cavity includes a gas, liquid, solid, liquid crystal, or other item for generating visual or audible effect (audible as, for example, granules or beads interacting with what confines it to make a rattling or jingling sound).
In a SIXTH EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT of the present invention, the socket portion 30, filling body 34, customizing piece 32, or any ornamental element 42 included therewith may include a magnetic body or magnetic material, or a magnetically attractable body, embedded or enclosed therein or adherent or adjacent thereto. Such included items (magnetic, magnetically attractable) may be present in various combinations in a plurality of these recited structures (socket portion 30, filling body 34, customizing piece 32, any ornamental element 42), resulting in further operative coupling between said structures and between the items they enclose. For example, depending on the position of a visible, magnetically attractable body associated with one of these structures relative to a magnetic body associated with another of them, the visible body may alter its appearance. In particular, for example, iron filings or the like will organize themselves relative to a magnetic field. Additionally, magnetic interactions may enhance retention of the customizing piece 32 in the socket space 31. Additionally, an external magnet or magnetically attractable body (visible or not) may be provided along with the bracelet in accordance with the present invention (such as, for example, by including a magnet in a ring to be worn on the opposite hand); a wearer may seek amusement by manipulating the external magnetic body relative to the bracelet to modify the behavior of items contained in one or both thereof.
With reference to the first through sixth exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a user may procure a bracelet body 22, at least one customizing piece 32, and at least one ornamental element 42 (perhaps already incorporated in the customizing piece 32), may affix the ornamental element 42 to the ornament interfacing portion 38 of the customizing piece 32 if desired, and then may insert the customizing piece 32 in a socket portion 30 of the bracelet body 22 (along with a filling body, in the case of the first exemplary embodiment), resulting in a customized bracelet.
As can be seen from the drawing figures and from the description, each embodiment of the bracelet in accordance with the present invention solves a problem by addressing the need to customize a bracelet in various ways with interchangeable components.
While the specification describes particular embodiments of the present invention, those of ordinary skill can devise variations of the present invention without departing from the inventive concept.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any arrangement calculated to achieve same purposes can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of various embodiments of the invention includes any other applications in which the above structures and methods are used. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the foregoing description, if various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure, this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims, and such other claims as may later be added, are hereby incorporated into the description of the embodiments of the invention, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment.
Claims
1. A bracelet, comprising:
- a bracelet body having at least one socket portion; and
- a customizing piece operatively coupled with said socket portion.
2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising an ornamental element operatively coupled with said customizing piece.
3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of ornamental elements operatively coupled with said customizing piece and mutually operatively coupled.
4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, comprising a filling body disposable within said socket portion and operatively coupled with said customizing piece.
5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said ornamental element is operatively coupled with said filling body.
6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein at least one of said plurality of ornamental elements is operatively coupled with said filling body.
7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least a first and second of said plurality of ornamental elements are mutually operatively coupled in manually manipulable rotational relation with visible optical effect.
8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein at least a first and second of said plurality of ornamental elements are mutually operatively coupled in manually manipulable magnetic relation with visible optical effect.
9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said filling body and said customizing piece are mutually magnetically coupled with visible effect.
10. A personal decorative amusement item, comprising:
- a first body having at least one socket portion;
- a customizing piece operatively coupled with said socket portion; and
- a second body, in manipulable relation to said first body, said first and second bodies being mutually operatively coupled with visible effect on at least one of said bodies.
11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second body is magnetically active (attractive) and an ornamental element is disposed in said socket portion in operative relation with said customizing piece, said second body and said ornamental element being mutually magnetically coupled.
12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein a filling body is disposed in said socket portion and is operatively coupled with said customizing piece.
13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said second body is magnetically active (attractive) and an ornamental element is disposed in said socket portion in operative relation with said customizing piece, said second body and said ornamental element being mutually magnetically coupled.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 28, 2013
Publication Date: Apr 3, 2014
Inventor: Thomas MIHALYO (Highland, NY)
Application Number: 14/040,669
International Classification: A44C 5/00 (20060101);