Interchangeable illuminated ornament

• US 7,959,315 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suen Ching Yan
• Original Assignee: Suen Ching Yan
• Inventors: Yan, Suen Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/221,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/104, 362/105, 362/106, 362/800, 362/156, 362/108, 362/570, 362/571, 290/6, 220/913, 210/2, 223/9, 150/106, 150/100
• US Class Current: 362/106
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/244 Means for mounting lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/001 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/08 Decorative devices for handbags or purses
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/06 with illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0575 Portable tools
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment

Abstract

A simple, low-cost wearable ornament system is disclosed that allows the user to easily interchange ornaments and may be used on wearable items such as garments, footwear, belts, hats, helmets, purses, backpacks, tote bags, scarves and other items. The system generally comprises a reinforced opening, grommet or eyelet in the garment, headwear or other item, an extended base, a screw cap, bottom housing and a decorative item or ornament member. A user desiring to change the design on the ornament system can easily interchange an existing ornament member with a new ornament member without damaging the wearable item and, if desired, without having to remove the garment or other wearable item.

Claims

1. An interchangeable illuminated ornament, comprising:

a wearable item comprising an eyelet disposed in the wearable item, the eyelet having an eyelet diameter;

an ornament member, the ornament member comprising a screw cap having a top end and a bottom end and a top coupling portion, the ornament member also comprising an ornament face having a front surface and a back surface, wherein the screw cap is attached at its top end to the back surface of the ornament face;

a bottom housing comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and sidewalls defining a recess, the bottom housing also comprising a bottom coupling portion disposed on the outer surface of the bottom housing; and

an extended base having an extended base diameter, the extended base diameter being larger than the eyelet diameter,

wherein the bottom housing is seated through the eyelet and the bottom coupling portion engages the top coupling portion so that at least a portion of the screw cap is arranged concentric about at least a portion of the bottom housing and the eyelet is disposed between the ornament face and the extended base and wherein a user may interchange ornaments by disengaging the screw cap from the bottom housing and replacing an existing ornament member with a different ornament member.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said wearable item is selected from the group consisting of headwear, backpacks, purses, tote bags, garments and scarves.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ornament face is an illuminated ornament face.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising illuminating elements.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a control circuit to control operation of the illuminating elements.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one power element to power the control circuit and illuminating elements.

7. An interchangeable illuminated ornament, comprising:

a wearable item comprising an eyelet disposed in the wearable item, the eyelet having an eyelet diameter;

an ornament member, the ornament member comprising a screw cap having a top end and a bottom end and a top coupling portion, the ornament member also comprising an illuminated ornament face having a front surface and a back surface, wherein the screw cap is attached at its top end to the back a bottom housing comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and sidewalls defining a recess, the bottom housing also comprising a bottom coupling portion disposed on the outer surface of the bottom housing;

at least one illuminating element disposed on the front face of the illuminated ornament face and a control circuit disposed in the illuminated ornament face;

at least one power element disposed in the recess to power the control circuit and the illuminating element;

an extended base having an extended base diameter, the extended base diameter being larger than the eyelet diameter,

wherein the bottom housing is seated through the eyelet and the bottom coupling portion engages the top coupling portion so that at least a portion of the screw cap is arranged concentric about at least a portion of the bottom housing and the eyelet is disposed between the ornament face and the extended base and wherein a user may interchange ornaments by disengaging the screw cap from the bottom housing and replacing an existing ornament member with a different ornament member.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a user can turn the illuminated ornament face on and off by turning the extended base from a first position to a second position.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the illuminated ornament face comprises an on-off switch on the back surface of the illuminated ornament face for turning the illuminated ornament face on and off.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the wearable item is selected from the group consisting of headwear, backpacks, purses, tote bags, garments and scarves.

11. An interchangeable illuminated ornament system, comprising

a wearable item comprising an eyelet, the eyelet having an eyelet diameter;

an ornament member comprising an illuminated ornament face having a front face and a back face, the ornament member also comprising a screw cap including a top coupling portion;

a bottom housing comprising sidewalls defining a recess, the bottom housing also comprising a bottom coupling portion;

at least one illuminating element disposed on the front face of the illuminated ornament face;

at least one power element disposed in the bottom recess and configured to supply power to said illuminating element; and

an extended base having an extended base diameter, the extended base diameter being larger than the eyelet diameter,

wherein the bottom housing is seated through the eyelet and the bottom coupling portion engages the top coupling portion so that at least a portion of the screw cap is arranged concentric about at least a portion of the bottom housing and the eyelet is disposed between the illuminated ornament face and the extended base and wherein a user may interchange ornaments by disengaging the screw cap from the bottom housing and replacing an existing ornament member with a different ornament member.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wearable item is selected from the group consisting of headwear, backpacks, purses, tote bags, garments and scarves.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wearable item is a baseball cap and the eyelet is disposed on the bill of the baseball cap.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the wearable item is a baseball cap and the eyelet is disposed on the crown of the baseball cap.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a control circuit configured to control the operation of the illuminating elements.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the illuminating element comprises a light emitting diode.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein a user can exchange an existing ornament member with a new ornament member without removing the wearable item.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the eyelet diameter is from about 1 millimeters to about 75 millimeter and the extended base diameter is from about 5 millimeters to about 80 millimeters.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the eyelet diameter is from about 10 millimeters to about 65 millimeters and the extended base diameter is from about 15 millimeters to about 70 millimeters.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the eyelet diameter is from about 20 millimeters to about 45 millimeters and the extended base diameter is from about 25 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.