Jewelry piece

• US 6,122,933 A
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Calypso Worldwide Marketing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calypso Worldwide Marketing, Inc.
• Inventors: Ohlund, Stephen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOP, ANDREA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US09/134,189
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 63/2 L, 63/3, 63/3.1, 63/33, 63/FOR 101, 362/104, 362/340, 429/97, 439/500, 439/805
• US Class Current: 63/3
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 15/0015 Illuminated or sound-producing jewellery

Abstract

A jewelry piece 10 includes a light transparent, ornamental element 20 and a light emitting diode 16 positioned near the ornamental element. A battery case 12 has a side wall 12b having a threaded opening 29 therein providing access to a battery being held within the battery case. A clasp 14 has an outwardly projecting threaded element 14b adapted to be received in the threaded opening 29. There is a first conductive wire 26 having one end connected to one terminal of the battery and another end connected to the diode 16 and a second conductive wire 30 having one end connected to the light source and another end having a clasp 14. The clasp 14, when partially inserted into the opening 29, completes a loop but does not contact the other terminal of the battery, preventing the diode 16 from being energized. When completely inserted into the opening 29, the clasp 14 makes contact with the other terminal of battery to energize the light source.

Claims

1. A jewelry piece adapted to be used with a battery, including

a light transparent, ornamental element;

a light source having a pair of electrodes;

a battery case adapted to removably hold a battery, said battery cave having a threaded opening therein;

a clasp having a body with a threaded open end, a passageway extending through the body between said threaded end and another end, said threaded end of the clasp being adapted to be received in the threaded opening in the battery case;

an opaque housing having a cavity in which is seated the light source, said housing having only a single light transmitting window which allows light from the light source to be transmitted outward from said cavity; and

a circuit adapted to be electrically energized when a battery is in said battery case,

said circuit comprising

a conductive pin having an enlarged head,

first and second flexible, conductive wire elements,

the first wire element having one end connected to the conductive pin and another end connected to one of the electrodes of the light source,

said first wire element extending through the passageway with the enlarged head acting as a stop to prevent the pin from moving in a first direction through the passageway,

the second wire element having one end connected to the battery case in a manner that places a battery into electrical contact with said one end of the second wire element upon placing a battery in the case and another end connected to the other electrode of the light source;

said light transparent, ornamental element being connected to the housing adjacent the light transmitting window so that,

with the threaded end of the clasp removed from the threaded opening in the battery case, the jewelry piece is opened for attachment and detachment, and

with the threaded end of the clasp received in the threaded opening in the battery case, and

in a first position where the threaded end of the clasp is partially threaded into the threaded opening in the battery case such that the pin would not make contact with a battery in the case, the circuit is not energized, and

in a second position where the threaded end of the clasp is further threaded into the threaded opening in the battery case such that the pin would contact a battery in the case, the circuit is energized and light from the light source emanates from the window and enters the ornamental element, illuminating said ornamental element.

2. The jewelry piece of claim 1 where the light source is a light emitting diode.

3. A jewelry piece adapted to be used with a battery having first and second terminals, including

a battery case having a threaded opening therein adapted to provide access to a first terminal of the battery upon the battery being placed in the case;

a light transparent, ornamental element;

a light source mounted adjacent to the ornamental element and connected in a circuit for powering by a battery, said battery being adapted to be retained in the case;

a clasp having a body with a threaded open end and a passageway extending through the body between said threaded end and another end, said threaded open end of the clasp being adapted to be received in the threaded opening in the battery case;

a first conductive wire having one end adapted to be connected to a second terminal of the battery and another end connected to the light source; and

a second conductive wire extending through the passageway in the clasp having one end connected to the light source and another end which, when partially inserted into the opening in the case, completes a loop but would not contact the first terminal of the battery when said battery has been placed in the battery case, preventing the light source from being energized, and, when completely inserted into the opening, would make contact with the first terminal of the battery when said battery has been placed in the battery case to energize the light source.

4. The jewelry piece of claim 3 including an opaque housing in which is seated the light source, said housing having only a single light transmitting window which allows light from the light source to be transmitted outward.

5. The jewelry piece of claim 3 where the second wire terminates in a conductive pin which passes through the clasp.

6. The jewelry piece of claim 5 where the clasp may be manually rotated relative to the pin.

7. The jewelry piece of claim 3 where the light source is a light emitting diode.

8. A jewelry piece adapted to be used with a battery having a pair of terminals, including

a light transparent, ornamental element;

a light emitting diode having a pair of electrodes;

a compact battery case made of an insulating material and having an open top covered by a removable cover, a floor with an opening therein providing access to one terminal of a battery held within the battery case, and a side wall having a threaded opening therein providing access to another terminal of a battery being held within the battery case;

a clasp having a body through which extends a passageway, said body terminating in an outwardly projecting threaded element having a threaded end adapted to be received in the threaded opening in the side wall of the battery case, said passageway extending through said outwardly projecting threaded element;

a circuit adapted to be electrically energized by a battery in said battery case,

said circuit comprising

a conductive pin having an enlarged head,

first and second flexible, conductive wire elements,

the first wire element having one end connected to the conductive pin and another end connected to one of the electrodes of the light emitting diode,

said first wire element extending through the passageway with the enlarged head acting as a stop to prevent the pin from moving in a first direction through the passageway,

the second wire element having one end extending through the opening in the floor of the battery case and positioned within the case for making electrical contact with the one terminal of a battery in the case and another end connected to the other electrode of the light emitting diode;

said light transparent, ornamental element being mounted adjacent the light emitting diode so that,

with the threaded end of the outwardly projecting threaded element removed from the threaded opening in the battery case, the jewelry piece is opened for detachment, and

with the threaded end of the outwardly projecting threaded element received in the threaded opening in the battery case, and in a first position where the pin would not make contact with the other terminal of a battery in the case, the circuit is not energized, and

in a second position where the pin would contact the other terminal of a battery in the case, the circuit is energized and light from the light emitting diode enters the ornamental element, illuminating said ornamental element.

9. The jewelry piece of claim 8 including an opaque housing having a cavity in which is seated the light emitting diode, said housing having only a single light transmitting window which allows light from the light emitting diode to be transmitted outward from said cavity.

10. The jewelry piece of claim 8 where the clasp may be manually rotated relative to the pin.