Abstract:
An iris shutter case is disclosed for securely housing, protecting and displaying a decorative object while providing an elegant design that adds to the aesthetic appearance of the decorative object. The iris shutter case includes a container in which a decorative object, such as a piece of jewelry, can be securely fitted, and an openable and closable iris shutter assembly that alternatively reveals and conceals a contained decorative object from view. The container houses and protects the decorative object, and resembles a disc or a sphere in preferred embodiments. The iris shutter assembly is operated by a drive mechanism to display or conceal the decorative object. In preferred embodiments, the iris shutter assembly is a leaf and pin shutter assembly, and the drive mechanism is a drive ring with protruding lug handles which rotates relative to a master ring so as to open and close the iris shutter assembly.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to apparatus for display of decorative objects, and more particularly to containers for holding and displaying decorative objects. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Ornamental items, such as pieces of jewelry, are commonly used to enhance the appearance of people and/or things. Such ornamental items often include one or more decorative objects, such as gemstones, engravings, and other striking and/or aesthetically pleasing features. Decorative objects are also sometimes displayed singly as separate ornamental items. 
         [0003]    Traditionally, such decorative objects are meant to have a pleasing appearance by themselves, and/or to add to the overall pleasing appearance of an ornamental item to which they are attached. Therefore, it is generally desirable for such decorative objects to be displayed in a manner that is highly visible and conspicuous. 
         [0004]    However, if a decorative object is constantly visible, the impact of the decorative object upon those accustomed to seeing it may diminish over time. Also, when a decorative object is constantly displayed without a covering or container, there is a risk that the object might become dirty, damaged, or lost. 
         [0005]    In an attempt to avoid these problems, certain devices and methods for presenting and displaying decorative objects have been proposed in the art. Some approaches attempt to maintain decorative impact by providing for variable display of portions of a decorative object. However, these approaches do not avoid risks that decorative objects may become dirty, damaged, or lost. Other proposed approaches enable a user to fully conceal and then fully reveal a decorative object at will, thereby giving the impression of a hidden feature contained within an ornamental item. However, these approaches tend to employ conventional encasing means, such as a case with a hinged lid, which can be difficult to unclasp and open and which, when opened, can distract or even detract from the appearance of the ornamental item. A locket, for example, can be opened to reveal a gemstone or other decorative item contained therein. However, the lid can be difficult to unclasp and open, and once opened the lid changes the apparent shape and size of the locket and can tend to distract from the gemstone and/or direct attention away from the gemstone. And if a locket is incorporated into a larger ornamental item, such as a bracelet, the open lid can obscure other surrounding decorative features of the ornamental item. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    An iris shutter case is claimed for securely housing, protecting, and displaying a decorative object. The iris shutter case includes a container within which a decorative object such as a photograph or a gemstone can be securely fitted, and an openable and closable iris shutter assembly that reveals the decorative object for display when it is open and conceals and protects the decorative object when it is closed. 
         [0007]    The simple but elegant design of the iris shutter case houses, protects, and provides a means of display for any decorative object or objects placed within it. Furthermore, the iris shutter is easy to operate, does not require unclasping so as to be opened, and allows the decorative contents of the case to be partially or fully revealed without any visual change in the size or shape of the case, and without any visual distraction or covering of surrounding items. In various embodiments, the iris shutter case is a locket, an ornamental pin, or a part of a bracelet. 
         [0008]    In preferred embodiments, the iris shutter case includes a leaf and pin shutter assembly which is manually operated by a drive mechanism. In some embodiments the drive mechanism is a drive ring with lug handles, the drive ring being manually rotated so as to reveal and/or conceal a decorative object or objects contained inside the iris shutter case. 
         [0009]    The invention is an iris shutter case for housing and displaying decorative objects, the iris shutter case including a container capable of securely housing a decorative object within its interior, an iris shutter assembly cooperative with the container, the iris shutter assembly being openable so as to display a decorative object housed within the interior of the container, and being closable so as to conceal the decorative object, and a drive mechanism capable of opening and closing the iris shutter assembly. 
         [0010]    In preferred embodiments, the iris shutter case is able to display a piece of jewelry. In certain of these preferred embodiments, the container further includes an attachment structure connected to the interior of the container, such as a prong setting for gemstones, which is capable of allowing a decorative object to be firmly fixed to the attachment structure and thereby firmly fixed to the interior of the container. 
         [0011]    In some preferred embodiments, the invention includes a front cover with an opening through which the decorative object can be observed when the iris shutter is open. In these and/or other preferred embodiments, the invention includes a back cover that covers the end of the container that is furthest from the iris. The front cover and/or back cover can take a variety of shapes, though in preferred embodiments at least one cover resembles a disc or a partial sphere. 
         [0012]    In various preferred embodiments, the iris shutter assembly is a leaf and pin shutter assembly. In some of these preferred embodiments, the leaf and pin shutter assembly is configured so as to minimize the degree of leaf overlap at the center of the leaf and pin shutter assembly, thereby minimizing the thickness of the iris shutter assembly when it is closed. 
         [0013]    In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the drive mechanism is manually operable, and preferably includes a manually operable drive ring that communicates with a master ring so as to open and close the iris shutter assembly when the manually operable drive ring is manually rotated. In certain of these preferred embodiments, this manually operable drive ring includes lug handles that extend outwardly from the circumference of the master ring so as to be easily graspable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1A  is an oblique side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention which includes a disc-like container and four lug handles, with the iris shutter in a closed configuration; 
           [0015]      FIG. 1B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A , with the iris shutter assembly in an open configuration so as to reveal a gemstone fixed inside of the container; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an exploded oblique side view of the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , showing a back cover with an attachment setting for a gemstone, a master ring plate and a drive ring, a single leaf and pin assembly representative of an entire leaf and pin shutter assembly, a shutter cover, and a front cover; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is an oblique side view of the drive ring and the master ring of  FIG. 2  with the drive ring rotated relative to the master ring such that the illustrated single leaf and pin assembly is in a closed position, the illustrated leaf and pin assembly being representative of the entire leaf and pin shutter assembly; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , with the drive ring being rotated relative to the master ring such that the illustrated leaf and pin assembly is in an open position, the illustrated leaf and pin assembly being representative of the entire leaf and pin shutter assembly; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is an oblique side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention which includes a spheroid-like container, three lug handles, and leaves cut short at their ends, with the iris shutter assembly shown in a closed configuration; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 4A , with the iris shutter in a partially open configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    With reference to  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , the iris shutter case  100  includes a container  102  capable of securely housing a decorative object  104  within its interior, an iris shutter assembly  106  cooperative with the container  102 , and a drive mechanism capable of opening and closing the iris shutter assembly  106 . The iris shutter assembly  106  is capable of being opened so as to display a decorative object  104  housed within the interior of the container, and closed so as to conceal the decorative object. 
         [0022]    In the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1A , the container  102  is disc-like and the drive mechanism includes four lug handles  108  which protrude from openings in the container  102 . The iris shutter assembly  106  is shown in the figure in a closed configuration. The container  102  further includes a disc-shaped front cover  110  and a disc-shaped back cover  112 , which are fastened together via a fastening mechanism, such as interlocking adjacent edges. The front cover of the container  110  also includes a window  114 . 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 1A  the iris shutter assembly  106  is positioned behind a window  114  included in the front cover  110 . The iris shutter assembly  106  is shown in the figure as a leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  oriented parallel to the front cover  110 , which conceals the contents of the container from outside view when the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is in the closed configuration as shown in  FIG. 1A . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1A , the drive mechanism that controls the iris shutter assembly  106  is a manually operable drive ring located inside the container, the drive ring having four lug handles  108  that protrude through openings in the container  102  so as to be easily manipulated by a user of the invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A , with the iris shutter assembly  106  in an open configuration so as to reveal a gemstone  104  located within the container  102 . In  FIG. 1B , the drive ring has been rotated clockwise from its position in  FIG. 1A , and the leaves of the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  have been retracted so as to be oriented along the circumference of the window  114 . With the iris shutter assembly  106  fully opened, the gemstone  102  positioned inside the container  102  is visible through the window  110  from outside the container  102 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is an exploded oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B . The back cover  112  is shown with an attachment setting  200  connected to the interior of the back cover  112 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the attachment setting  200  is a prong setting  200  that securely holds a decorative object such as a gemstone  104 . In similar embodiments, the attachment setting is a mechanism for attaching other types of decorative items, such as a photograph. The back cover  112  also has protrusions  202  along the edge farthest from the backside of the cover that interact with  202  protrusions on a front cover  110  so as to join the two covers together and thereby form a container  102 . 
         [0026]    A master ring plate  204  including a master ring  205  is fitted inside the back cover  112  and provides pinholes for a leaf and pin shutter assembly  106 . A drive ring  206  is situated concentrically outside of the master ring  205 , and can be rotated relative to the master ring  205  so as to expand or contract the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  and thereby open and close the iris shutter assembly  106 . So as to more clearly illustrate the operation of the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106 , only a single leaf  208  from the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is shown in the exploded diagram. The leaf  208  includes two pins  209  for fastening the leaf to both the master ring  205  and the drive ring  206 . 
         [0027]    The drive ring  206  shown in  FIG. 2  includes four lug handles  108  extending outward from the circumference of the drive ring  206 . The lug handles  108  protrude outside of the container  102  and can be used to rotate the drive ring  206 . When the drive ring  206  is rotated clockwise relative to the master ring  205 , each leaf  208  from the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is rotated so as to recede away from the space of the window  114 , thereby opening the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  and revealing the decorative object  104  previously concealed behind the closed leaf and pin shutter assembly  106 . 
         [0028]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a shutter cover  210  is located between the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  and the front cover  110 . The shutter cover ensures that each leaf  208  from the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  remains oriented in a single plane, all the leaves  208  remaining flat against the drive ring  206 , and that the pins  209  are kept within the holes of the drive ring  206  and the master ring  208 . The front cover  110  is fixed in front of the other pieces described by protrusions  202  that couple with similar protrusions  202  on the back cover  112 , thereby fixing the front cover  110  to the back cover  112  and forming the container  102  that houses the attachment setting  200  and gemstone  104 , the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106 , the shutter cover  210 , the drive ring  206 , and the master ring  208 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3A  is an oblique side view of the drive ring  206  and the master ring  205  of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , configured relative to each other such that an attached leaf and pin assembly  106  is held in a closed position. Once again, so as to more clearly illustrate the interaction between the drive and master rings  206 ,  204  and the pin and leaf shutter assembly  106 , only one leaf  208  from the pin shutter assembly  106  is included in the figure. In the actual embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 3A , a plurality of leaves  208  is included, all of which are positioned by the drive and master rings  206 ,  204  in a manner similar to the leaf  208  shown in  FIG. 3A , with the result that the plurality of leaves  208  close together to form a complete leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  that is able to conceal from view the decorative object  104  housed within the iris shutter case. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , with the drive ring  206  and master ring  205  configured relative to each other such that the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is in an open position. The drive ring  206  has been rotated clockwise from the position shown in  FIG. 3A , as a result of the lug handles  108  being rotated around the center of the drive ring  206 . As in  FIG. 3A , a single leaf  208  is shown in the figure with a pin attaching the leaf  208  to the drive ring  206  and another pin attaching the leaf to the master ring  205 , such that the leaf  208  is oriented along the circumference of the drive ring  206 . For purposes of clarity, only a single leaf  208  from the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is shown in  FIG. 3B . In the actual embodiment of  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , a plurality of leaves is included which form a complete leaf and pin shutter assembly. When each leaf of the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is oriented in the manner illustrated by the leaf  208  shown in the figure, the leaf and pin shutter assembly  106  is open, thereby revealing the decorative object  104  housed within the iris shutter case  100 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 4A  is an oblique side view of a preferred embodiment of the iris shutter case  400  which includes a spheroid-like container  402 , three lug handles  404 , and an iris shutter assembly  406  with leaves cut short at their ends. The iris shutter assembly  406  is illustrated in  FIG. 4A  in its closed position. The container includes partial-sphere-shaped front and back covers  408 ,  410  fastened together by a fastening mechanism, such as interlocking adjacent edges. The front cover also includes a window  412 . 
         [0032]    An iris shutter assembly  406  is located behind the window  412  of the front cover, the iris shutter assembly  406  of the iris shutter being oriented along the curve of the front cover  408 . The iris shutter assembly  406  is shown here as a leaf and pin shutter assembly, which conceals the contents of the container  402  from outside view when the leaf and pin shutter assembly  406  is in the closed position. In  FIG. 4A , the free ends of the leaves have been cut short, so as to minimize the overlap of the leaves when the leaf and pin shutter assembly  406  is in the closed position. A drive mechanism inside the container controls the iris shutter assembly  406 , which in the embodiment of  FIG. 4A  is a manually operable drive ring with three lug handles  414  protruding through openings in the container  402 , so as to be easily manipulated by a user of the invention. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4B  is an oblique side view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A , with the leaf and pin shutter assembly  406  illustrated in a partially open configuration. In this figure, the drive ring has been rotated clockwise from its position in  FIG. 4A , and the leaves from the leaf and pin shutter assembly  406  have been thereby partially retracted so as to be oriented partly towards the circumference of the window  412 . With the iris shutter partially opened, the flat edges of the shorter leaves of the leaf and pin shutter assembly  406  are visible in the figure. 
         [0034]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 4A , a loop  413  is provided to allow the iris shutter case to be hung from a chain as a locket. In similar preferred embodiments the iris jewelry case includes a fastening mechanism such as a pin and is worn on clothing as a fashion accessory. In other embodiments, the iris jewelry case is attached to a bracelet, or a plurality of iris jewelry cases are connected so as to form a bracelet or necklace. Some preferred embodiments include a transparent cover located in front of the iris  406  that protects the iris and the contents of the case from becoming dirty, damaged, or lost even when the iris is open. 
         [0035]    Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention except as indicated in the following claims.