US20100257898A1

US20100257898A1 - Magnetic Jewelry Clasp and Interchangeable Pendant System

Info

Publication number: US20100257898A1
Application number: US12/420,632
Authority: US
Inventors: Aleshia Michelle Bonilla
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-08
Filing date: 2009-04-08
Publication date: 2010-10-14

Abstract

A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry may include a front ring member including a first embedded magnet and a back ring member including a second embedded magnet. The front ring member may be detachably connected to the back ring member by cooperation of the first embedded magnet and the second embedded magnet. The jewelry holder may include a center member, and the center member may be substantially T-shaped. The center member may include a potentially decorative back surface, and the center member may include a third magnet to cooperate with the first magnet and the second magnet. The third magnet may be positioned within an aperture of the central member, and the center member may include a cover for the aperture of the center member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a magnetic clasp or a magnetic connecting device for jewelry or personal ornamental accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, or the like, jewelry accessories such as pendants and or centerpieces, and, in particular, to a magnetic clasp to be used to detachably fit or connect to the ends of the jewelry and/or jewelry accessory together.

BACKGROUND

For many years, jewelry designers have been looking for ways to allow flexibility in the look of their jewelry from charm bracelets to the traditional chain and pendant designs where users would thread various thin jewelry chains to a small ring from which a pendant hung. When the user wanted a different chain or pendant configuration it would be necessary to unthread and rethread a new pendant or new chain.
As for connecting devices that connect the ends of ornamental accessories such as a necklace, a pendant, or the like which is to be put to actual use in the form of an endless chain, there have been disclosed many ideas. A wide and highly used variety of connecting devices uses a construction in which a hook is engaged into a ring. Another variety is one in which a fitting device provided on both ends is engaged by means of a spring force. In wearing the above-described ornamental accessories, the handling for connection or engagement of split ends thereof should preferably be simple seeing that such connecting or engaging operation must be performed at the rear portion of the wearer's neck with his or her hands wound there around.
The fitting device made up of a hook and a ring is relatively simple in the connecting and disconnecting operation, but has a disadvantage in that the engagement is likely to be released or come out of engagement without the wearer's knowledge. Many pieces of jewelry or jewelry accessories have been lost due to this defect. The fitting device to be connected by means of a spring force, on the other hand, is relatively simple and handy, but it is accompanied with the trouble of having to release the spring force at the time of disengagement thereof. The spring release is often a tricky procedure which causes the wearer a loss of time and patience.
The system for jewelry accessories such as a pendant is most problematic with beaded jewelry. Often times the beads are too large for the majority of the pendants to be strung on. Most pendants will not accept multiple beaded strands or thick chains. Some pendant systems use a single small magnet, and the result is not sufficiently strong in order to accommodate the user's needs.
US patent application 2006/0096070 discloses a magnetic clasp for securing a piece of jewelry that includes a first connecting device having a first cylindrical magnet with a top surface. The first cylindrical magnet has a hollow cylindrical section located at the center of the first top surface. Additionally, a second connecting device has a second cylindrical magnet with a second top surface. The second cylindrical magnet has a cylindrical protruding member located at the center of the second top surface. The protruding section of the second connecting device fits into the hollow section of the first connecting device. The magnetic clasp locks when the first and second connecting devices are brought together allowing opposite magnetic poles to face each other. To unlock the magnetic clasp, the first and second connecting devices are rotatably turned allowing like poles to face each other.

SUMMARY

A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry may include a front ring member including a first embedded magnet and a back ring member including a second embedded magnet.
The front ring member may be detachably connected to the back ring member by cooperation of the first embedded magnet and the second embedded magnet.
The jewelry holder may include a center member, and the center member may be substantially T-shaped.
The center member may include a bottom section and the bottom section may include a decorative bottom surface to act as a pendant or centerpiece, and the center member may include a third magnet to cooperate with the first magnet and the second magnet.
The third magnet may be positioned within an aperture of the central member, and the center member may include a cover for the aperture of the center member.
The front ring member may include a front ring enclosure to enclose a plurality of rings to support at least one strand of jewelry, and the back ring member may include a back ring enclosure to enclose a plurality of rings to support at least one strand of jewelry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of the front ring member and a back ring member;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the front ring member, the back ring member and the center member;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the bottom surface of the bottom section of the center member so as to show its decorative potential;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the front ring member, back ring member and the center member of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides an advantage in the form of relief in function for users who may have arthritis or other disabilities to the hands or suffer from poor eyesight or eye hand coordination.
The clasp design of the present invention is adapted to accommodate multiple strands of beads and can accommodate many strands or few strands as desired. The clasp design of the present invention accommodates a larger, stronger magnet that is capable of holding the weight of multiple strands of jewelry which may include natural stone beads which may be too heavy for the prior art magnetic clasp.
The clasp design of the present invention incorporates a pin and hole system to secure the magnets from disconnecting and may not require the user any additional steps in order to take the clasp on and off.
The present invention does not require more complicated security systems which require the user to preformed additional steps.
The present invention incorporates magnets for easy installation and removal in order to change jewelry. The present invention incorporates increased flexibility in the look of the jewelry with respect to the option for multiple strands of beads/change, multiple sizes of beads/chains and multiple configurations of jewelry and jewelry accessories with use of the center member.
The present invention employs a pair of magnets which may cooperate in order to provide additional strength and safety. Additionally, the present invention employs a pin and hole system. This type of system does not require additional steps for the user.
FIG. 1 illustrates a jewelry holder 100 accordance with the teachings of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a front ring member 101 which may be referred to as a male member and a back ring member 103 which may be referred to as a female member. The front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 may be substantially rectangular and formed from wood, metal, plastic or other appropriate material. The front ring member 101 may include a embedded first magnet 105 which may include a north pole and a south pole and the north pole may be on the exterior of the front ring member 101 with the south pole being on the interior of the front ring member 101. FIG. 1 illustrates a substantially rectangular first magnet 105, but the first magnet 105 may be oval circular or any other appropriate shape. The back ring member 103 may include an embedded second magnet 107 which may include a south pole being near the exterior of the back ring member 103 and the north pole being near the interior of the back ring member 103. Consequently, the front ring member 101 may attract and retain the back ring member 103.
The back surface 109 of the front ring member 101 may include a first and second male pin 111 to cooperate with a back surface 113 which may include a first and second female aperture 115. The first and second male pin 111 is inserted into the first and second female aperture 115 and held in place by the force of the magnetic fields generated by the first magnet 105 and the second magnet 107. The first and second male pin 111 and the first and second female aperture 115 prevent the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 from twisting and or shearing.
The front ring member 101 may include a front ring enclosure 119 to enclose a ring member 131 (not shown in FIG. 1), and the back ring member 103 may include a back ring enclosure 117 to enclose the ring member 131. The top and bottom surface of the front ring enclosure 119 which may define a substantially rectangular aperture and being open at one end to allow the ring member 131 to be stored within the front ring enclosure 119 and the top and bottom surface of the back ring enclosure 117 which may define a substantially rectangular aperture being open at one end to allow the ring member 131 to be stored within the back ring enclosure 117 and may include multiple channels 133 in order to cooperate with the ring member 131 in order to hold multiple strands of jewelry.
The front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 may cooperate together to hold strands of jewelry.
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 which may cooperate with the center member 151 which may be substantially T-shaped and may include a central section 153 and a bottom section 155 and the bottom section 155 may include a top surface 157 and a bottom surface 159 which may be decorative in nature. The central section 153 may be positioned on the top surface 157 and may include a front surface 161 and may include a back surface 163 for cooperating with the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 respectively. The front surface 161 and the back surface 163 may be connected by a side surface 165. The top side surface 167 may include a central aperture 169 to receive a third magnet 171 and may include a central cover 173 to enclose the third magnet 171 within the central aperture 169.
The back surface 163 may include a first and second female aperture 173 to cooperate with the first and second male pin 111 to detachably connect the front ring member 101 to the central member 151. Likewise, the front surface 161 may include a first and second male pin 175 to cooperate with the first and second female aperture 115 of the back ring member 103 to detachably connect the back ring member 103 to the central member 151. Consequently the front ring member 101 may be detachably connected to the back ring member 103 and may be connected by the force of two magnets or alternatively, the front ring member 101 may be detachably connected to the center member 151 and the back ring member 103 may be detachably connected to the center member 151 by the force of three magnets.
The top surface 157 of the center member 151 bottom section 155 may act as a platform for the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103.
FIG. 3 illustrates the potential decorative nature of bottom surface 159 of the center member 151 bottom section 155.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view and illustrates a front ring member 101 which may be referred to as a male member and a back ring member 103 which may be referred to as a female member. The front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 may be substantially rectangular and formed from wood, metal, plastic or other appropriate material. The front ring member 101 may include an embedded first magnet 105 which may include a north pole and a south pole and the north pole may be on the exterior of the front ring member 101 with the south pole being on the interior of the front ring member 101. FIG. 4 illustrates a substantially rectangular first magnet 105, but the front magnet 105 may be oval circular or any other appropriate shape. The back ring member 103 may include an embedded second magnet 107 which may include a south pole being near the exterior of the back ring member 103 and the north pole being near the interior of the back ring member 103. Consequently, the front ring member 101 may attract and retain the back ring member 103.
The back surface 109 of the front ring member 101 may include a first and second male pin 111 to cooperate with a back surface 113 of the back ring member 103 which may include a first and second female aperture 115. The first and second male pin 111 is inserted into the first and second female aperture 115 and held in place by the force of the magnetic fields generated by the first magnet 105 and the second magnet 107. The first and second male pin 111 and the first and second female aperture 115 prevent the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 from twisting and or shearing.
The front ring member 101 may include a front ring enclosure 119 to enclose a ring member 131 as shown in FIG. 4, and the back ring member 103 may include a back ring enclosure 117 to enclose the ring member 131. The top and bottom surface of the front ring enclosure 119 which may define a substantially rectangular aperture and being open at one end to allow the ring member 131 to be stored within the front ring enclosure 119 and the top and bottom surface of the back ring enclosure 117 which may define a substantially rectangular aperture being open at one end to allow the ring member 131 to be stored within the back ring enclosure 117 and may include multiple channels 133 in order to cooperate with the ring member 131 in order to hold multiple strands of jewelry.
The front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 may cooperate together to hold strands of jewelry.
FIG. 4 illustrates the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 which may cooperate with the center member 151 which may be substantially T-shaped and may include a central section 153 and a bottom section 155 and the bottom section 155 may include a top surface 157 and a potentially decorative bottom surface 159. The central section 153 may be positioned on the top surface 157 and may include a front surface 161 and may include a back surface 163 for cooperating with the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103 respectively. The front surface 161 and the back surface 163 may be connected by a side surface 165. The top side surface 167 may include a central aperture 169 to receive a third magnet 171 and may include a central cover 173 to enclose the third magnet 171 within the central aperture 169.
The back surface 163 may include a first and second female aperture 177 to cooperate with the first and second male pin 111 to detachably connect the front ring member 101 to the center member 151. Likewise, the front surface 161 may include a first and second male pin 175 to cooperate with the first and second female aperture 115 of the back ring member 103 to detachably connect the back ring member 103 to the center member 151. Consequently, the front ring member 101 may be detachably connected to the back ring member 103 and may be connected by the force of two magnets or alternatively, the front ring member 101 may be detachably connected to the center member 151 and the back ring member 103 may be detachably connected to the center member 151 by the force of three magnets.
The top surface 157 of the center member 151 bottom section 155 may act as a platform for the front ring member 101 and the back ring member 103.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed.

Claims

1) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry, comprising:

a front ring member including a first embedded magnet; and

a back ring member including a second embedded magnet;

wherein the front ring member is detachably connected to the back ring member by cooperation of the first embedded magnet and the second embedded magnet.

2) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 1, wherein the jewelry holder includes a center member.

3) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 2, wherein the center member is substantially T-shaped.

4) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 1, wherein the center member includes a potentially decorative back surface.

5) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 2, wherein the center member includes a third magnet to cooperate with the first magnet and the second magnet.

6) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 5, wherein the third magnet is positioned within an aperture of the center member.

7) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 6, wherein the center member includes a cover for the aperture of the center member.

8) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 1, wherein the front ring member includes a front ring enclosure to enclose a plurality of rings to support at least one strand of jewelry.

9) A jewelry holder for holding a strand of jewelry as in claim 1, wherein the back ring member includes a back ring enclosure to enclose a plurality of rings to support at least one strand of jewelry.