Abstract:
A motivational bracelet for tracking milestones toward long term goals is comprised of a flexible material and featuring one or more detachable buttons.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The field of the invention is jewelry, specifically, a bracelet used to remind the wearer of milestones that have been achieved toward a particular goal, and to motivate the wearer to achieve further milestones. 
         [0002]    Typically, major personal goals involve breaking the goal down into a number of discrete sequentially-achieved milestones. Some major personal goals (e.g. conquering addiction “one day at a time”, training for a triathlon) are achieved by marking certain milestones defined by discrete time periods (e.g. days/months/years of sobriety, number of miles trained per week). Since most major personal goals are achieved over a long period of time, it is desirable to have a means of keeping a person motivated because motivation often fluctuates over a long period of time. One of the ways in which a person can maintain their motivation is to wear a tangible item that reminds them of their long term goal and the milestones required to achieve such a goal. 
         [0003]    There are a variety of jewelry items that have been invented to address this problem. For example, the Goal Patrol® bracelet (http://goalpatrol.com), disclosed by Shapiro in US2010/0255451A1, uses separate bracelets, each denoting achievement of a separate milestone, in order to motivate users to achieve their goals. The Pound Puncher™ system used for weight loss uses a plastic token that fits into a plurality of holes in the bracelet, where each hole represents a particular milestone. Another system, disclosed in application Ser. No. 12/384,445 (US 2010/0255451A1), uses a succession of bracelets showing specific symbology to motivate a user toward achieving a goal. However, none of these systems solves the problem with the simplicity reflected in the current invention. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The current invention is a bracelet comprised of a flexible material such as silicone. The bracelet features a plurality of buttons, with each button representing an individual milestone. As each milestone is achieved, the button in the bracelet corresponding to this milestone is permanently detached from the bracelet. Each of the buttons is cast from the same material as the bracelet itself. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is cross-sectional view A-A of  FIG. 1  of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the annular indentations facilitating detachment of the buttons. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the invention consists of a bracelet comprised of a flexible material which allows the bracelet to elastically flex when the user puts the bracelet on, obviating the need for a clasping means. As shown in  FIG. 1 , bracelet  1  features one or more buttons  2  which are permanently detachable by using pressure commensurate with that generated by an average human pressing relatively firmly with a finger (e.g. 5-20 psi). In order to facilitate detachment of the buttons, there is an annular (in the preferred embodiment) indentation in the bracelet material surrounding the buttons as shown in  FIG. 3 , which is a cross section of the bracelet at one of the buttons. Shown in cross section, the silicone material in the preferred embodiment is reduced to a thickness of approximately 0.5-1.5 mm to facilitate easy removal of the buttons. 
         [0009]    The bracelet can be comprised of any one of a variety of suitable elastic materials known to the art, although silicone is used in the preferred embodiment. The bracelet is manufactured using techniques well known to the art, such as injection molding or casting. Although the buttons  2  may be emplaced around the entire circumference of the bracelet, in certain applications, a motivational phrase, symbol, or picture may be applied to the surface of the bracelet, as is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0010]    It should be noted that, although the buttons shown are circular in shape, they can be of any shape (e.g. square, star, triangle). 
         [0011]    The bracelet described above provides a tangible reminder to a person intent on achieving a long-term goal. Such a tangible reminder often assists persons in achieving milestones leading to such a goal. One example application would be a bracelet used by persons recovering from addiction. Each button on the bracelet could then represent a day/month/year of sobriety, and the button representing a particular milestone would be removed as each milestone is met. Doing so provides a very visual reminder of what has been achieved, as well as milestones yet to be achieved.