Pendant jewelry

Abstract

A piece of jewelry includes a pendant having a hinged link deployable from a closed position to an open position. The link folds flush into a recess in a rear or side wall of the pendant when not in use. The link unfolds to support a supplemental piece of jewelry.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to jewelry. More particularly, the present disclosure related to jewelry that is transformable to receive additional ornamental jewelry pieces.2. State of the Art

[0002] It is often desirable to change or add to the appearance of a piece of jewelry. However, there are limitations on how different looks can be achieved without necessitating changing one piece of jewelry for another or acquire entirely new pieces. In addition, there may be times when a significant or beloved element in a jewelry collection may be intended to be a focal point, but it does not lend itself to be altered or added to jewelry that is being worn. Where prior pieces of jewelry did offer some limited opportunities for modification via the addition of other jewelry components, they often failed to provide for a secure and easy way to add or remove components or modify the appearance of the piece of jewelry in manner that leaves it suitable for use when worn alone.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A piece of jewelry includes a pendant. The pendant includes a link deployable from a closed position to an open position. The link is provided on a hinge. The pendant defines a link recess in which the link is recessed when the link is in the closed position. The link recess can be in the rear wall or a lower side wall of the pendant. In the closed position, the link folds on the hinge and resides substantially flush with or below a surface of the pendant within the link recess. In the closed position, interference between the body of the link and the walls of the link recess removably captures the link. In the closed position, an end portion of the link protrudes from the link recess and operates as a tab which can be manipulated to release the link from its interference within the recess and force the link to rotate about the hinge to move the link into the extended open position. In the open position, the link provides a link structure from which another jewelry pendant or other jewelry component can be easily attached.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 is a front view of a necklace with a first pendant with an extendable link and a second pendant attached to the link.

[0005] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first pendant with the link in an extended position.

[0006] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first pendant with the link in the extended position.

[0007] FIG. 4 is a front bottom perspective view of the first pendant with the link in the extended position.

[0008] FIG. 5 is a front view of the first pendant with the link in a folded position.

[0009] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the first pendant with the link in the folded position.

[0010] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the first pendant with the link in the folded position.

[0011] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the first pendant with the link in the folded position.

[0012] FIG. 9 is a front view of third pendant with another embodiment of an extendable link with the link in an extended position.

[0013] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the third pendant with the link in the extended position.

[0014] FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the third pendant with the link in the extended position.

[0015] FIG. 12 is a front view of the third pendant with the link in a folded position.

[0016] FIG. 13 is a bottom front perspective view of the third pendant with the link in the folded position.

[0017] FIG. 14 is a rear view of the third pendant with the link in the folded position.

[0018] FIG. 15 is a bottom rear perspective view of the third pendant with the link in the folded position.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, a piece of jewelry 10 includes a necklace 12 and a first pendant 14 and optionally a second pendant 16. The first and second pendants are removably attached with a hook, a manually releasably link, a spring-loaded link or another attachment element 18.

[0020] Turning to FIG. 2, the first pendant 14 includes an ornamental portion 30, an upper link 32 at which the first pendant 14 is coupled to the necklace 12, and an extendable or movable link 34, described below. The upper link 32 is a loop which may be fixed to or flexibly arranged on the upper end 36 of the first pendant 14.

[0021] The ornamental portion 30 may include one or more precious or semiprecious stones 38 within a setting 40 or any other ornamental presentation, including a fanciful and / or artistic design made of a precious or semiprecious metal and / or including precious or semiprecious stones. The fanciful and artistic designs may be directed to, by example only and not by limitation, geometric designs, whole or parts of humans, angels, cherubs, or animals. The precious metals may include, by example only and not by limitation, platinum, gold, and / or silver. The precious and semiprecious stones may include, by example only and not by limitation, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, lead crystal and cubic zirconium.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 2 through 8, the extendable link 34 is adapted to be deployable from a closed position (FIGS. 5 through 8) to an open position (FIGS. 2 through 4), and back again. The illustrated link 34 has a substantially circular body, but it may be rectangular or another shape. In the closed position, the body of the extendable link 34 seats in a link recess 42 defined within the rear surface 44 of the first pendant 14. In the closed position, the extendable link seats preferably completely within the outer profile of the pendant as defined by the outer side surfaces 68, as shown in FIG. 5. Preferably, in the closed position the body of the extendable link 34 seats flush to or below the rear surface 44 of the first pendant. In the open position, the extendable link 34 extends outwardly of and from the bottom end 46 of the first pendant 14, extending substantially opposite of the upper end 36 and the upper link 32.

[0023] The extendable link 34 is coupled to the first pendant 14 on a hinge 48. The extendable link 34 and hinge 48 are preferably of a unitary construction. The link recess 42 is formed by one or more openings 50, 52 in the rear surface 44, defining portions 54, 56, 58 that provide an interference fit for preferably one or more portions of the body of the extendable link 34. The link recess 42 may be formed by a recess having two legs 54, 56, with the wall of the first pendant 14 having slightly smaller size at portions thereof than the outer dimension of the body of the extendable link 34. Additionally, or alternatively, the interference may be provided between material 58 from the first pendant 14 that extends within an interior of the link as the link is rotated on the hinge 48 and into the recess 42. By way of example, such material 58 may define an exterior shape of a semicircle 58 and interfere with a portion of a circular shape at the interior 60 of the extendable link 34.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, in the closed position, the extendable link 34 is shown rotated on the hinge 48 to reside flush or recessed relative to the rear surface 44 of the pendant 14. The extendable link 34 is securely retained in this position until manually released by engaging the exposed portion of the link (defining a tab-like aspect 62), and rotating the extendable link 34 back into the position open shown in FIGS. 2 through 4.

[0025] Turning back to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the open position, the necklace 12 can be worn with the first pendant 14 permanently attached to the necklace 12, or removably attached to the necklace via a hook, a manually releasably link, a spring-loaded link or some other attachment element 64, and the second pendant 16 can be removably attached to the extendable link 32 via attachment element 18.

[0026] The jewelry may be modified to remove the second pendant 16 and attachment element 18, and close the extendable link 32 so that the first pendant 14 does not appear to even provide a lower extendable link. As shown in FIG. 5, when the first pendant is in a configuration in which the extendable link 32 is closed and the first pendant 14 is viewed from the front as intended when worn, the first pendant does not have visual appearance of having the extendable link 32. The extendable link 32 remains hidden from the front face 66 and substantially almost all of its side surfaces 68, including the lower end surface 46.

[0027] While the first pendant 14 is shown as having a lateral oval shape, the first pendant may have another rounded shape, a polygonal shape, or a more fanciful shape, and the concepts described above may be similarly applied with the extendable link 34 adapted to be captured within a recess at the rear surface of the alternatively shape pendant.

[0028] Turning now to FIGS. 9 through 11, another pendant 114 with an extendable link 134 is shown. Pendant 114 is substantially similar to pendant 14 (with like reference numerals incremented by 100 referring to similar element), but has several differences discussed as follows. The pendant is of a different shape; more rectangular or octagonal in shape. At the upper end of the pendant, multiple links 132a, 132b, 132c are provided in a tri-link form. At the lower end of the pendant, an extendable link 134 rotates about a hinge 148. In distinction from extendable link 34, extendable link 134 extends into and out of a recess 142 defined in a lower end side surface 146 of the pendant 114, opposite fixed links 132a-c. The lower side surface 146 of the pendant 114 provides suitable surface area such that the recess 142 is sized to receive substantially all of the extendable link 134, with the exception of a small protruding end or tab portion 162 that extends proud of an opening 164 at the rear surface 144 when the extendable link 134 is folded into the closed position (FIGS. 12 through 15), and which facilitates manual engagement and release of the extendable link 134 to rotate the link out of the closed position and into the open position. The recess 142 may be substantially circular with a central retainer 158. Either the outer portion 154 of the recess, the central retainer 158, or both operating together, operate to provide the interference with the extendable link 134 to retain the extendable link when in the closed position. When the link is in the closed position, the link is preferably flush with or recessed below the lower side surface 146 of the pendant 114.

[0029] Alternatively, or additionally, with respect to the above embodiments, extendable links can be provided to extend relative to the lateral sides of pendants to retain additional pendants or chains in accord with similar extendable link constructions described above at the lower ends of the pendant.

[0030] There have been described and illustrated herein embodiments of jewelry with a pendant having an extendable link and a method of using the jewelry. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while the jewelry as a whole is described with respect to a necklace and a pendant, the jewelry may alternatively include another type of bandable adornment for surrounding a portion of the human anatomy, such as a bracelet, anklet or any other piece of jewelry, that is designed to accommodate one or more pendants. Moreover, the pendants described herein can be used separately from bandable adornments. By way of example, the pendants may be attached at their upper fixed link to earrings and accommodate another jewelry element at their extendable link. Further, while a movable link rotatable on a hinge is described, it is appreciated that other movable links, including slidable links, that extend from and which can be recessed relative to or hidden within a pendant are within the scope of the described jewelry. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its scope as claimed.

Claims

1. A piece of jewelry, comprising:a pendant having a surface defining a recess; anda movable link coupled to the pendant and having an open position and a closed position, wherein,in the open position, the link extends outward from the pendant, andin the closed position, the link seats within the recess.

2. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, wherein the link rotates on a hinge relative to the pendant.

3. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed position, the link is retained within the recess by an interference fit with an end of the link defining a tab portion protruding from the recess which is manually engageable to release the link from the closed position and rotate the link into the open position.

4. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, wherein in the closed position the link is flush with or below the surface.

5. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, wherein the surface is a rear surface of the pendant.

6. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, wherein the surface is a side wall surface of the pendant.

7. The piece of jewelry according to claim 6, wherein the side wall surface is at a lower end of the pendant.

8. The piece of jewelry according to claim 1, further comprising:a second link at an upper end of the pendant,wherein when the movable link is in the open position, the movable link and the second link extend in opposite directions.

9. The piece of jewelry according to claim 8, further comprising:a necklace, the pendant coupled to the necklace at the second link.

10. The piece of jewelry according to claim 9, further comprising:a second pendant suspended from the movable link.

11. A pendant for a bandable piece of jewelry, comprising:a pendant having a front portion, a rear surface, and a sidewall defining an outer profile, the rear surface defining a recess; anda movable link coupled to the pendant on a hinge, the movable link rotatable between open and closed positions, whereinin the open position, the movable link extends outward from the pendant, andin the closed position, the movable link is contained within the outer profile of the pendant and seats within the recess.

12. The pendant according to claim 11, wherein in the closed position, the movable link is held within the recess in an interference fit.

13. The pendant according to claim 12, wherein, in the closed position, an end of the movable link defines a tab portion protruding from the recess which is manually engageable to release the movable link from the closed position and rotate the movable link into the open position.

14. The pendant according to claim 11, further comprising:a second link attached at an upper end of the pendant, the movable link in the open position extending opposite the second link.

15. A pendant for a bandable piece of jewelry, comprising:a pendant having a front portion, a rear portion, and a lower sidewall, the lower sidewall defining a recess; anda movable link coupled to the pendant on a hinge, the movable link rotatable between open and closed positions, whereinin the open position, the movable link extends outward from the pendant, andin the closed position, the movable link is contained within the outer profile of the pendant and seats within the recess.

16. The pendant according to claim 15, wherein in the closed position, the movable link is held within the recess in an interference fit.

17. The pendant according to claim 16, wherein, in the closed position, an end of the movable link defines a tab portion protruding from the recess which is manually engageable to release the movable link from the closed position and rotate the movable link into the open position.

18. The pendant according to claim 15, wherein the recess is substantially circular.

19. The pendant according to claim 15, further comprising:a second link attached at an upper end of the pendant, the movable link in the open position extending opposite the second link.

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