Patent Publication Number: US-6698238-B1

Title: Beaded necklace enhancer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a jewelry pendant and, in particular, a jewelry pendant for attachment to a strand of beads, or the like, wherein a pair of end beads are closely coupled to one another via countersinks on an attachment end of the jewelry pendant. 
     There is a continuing need for improvements in jewelry components that enable removable suspension of a pendant from a strand of beads, or the like. Conventional designs for jewelry pendants for attachment to a strand of beads generally comprise a design in which the pendant is supported by the strand at a location between two of the beads on the strand. However, in such conventional settings, no portion of the beads are coupled to or joined with the pendant. As a result, the pendant must have a hole large enough to be threaded onto the necklace. This may then require a larger than desirable hole in the pendant and, further, the pendant can slide along the strand from a desired center strand position. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a jewelry pendant for attachment to a strand of beads, or the like, that allows each of two end beads on the strand to be coupled to an attachment end of the jewelry pendant. 
     The present invention is particularly suited for use with an invisible connector assembly for a beaded strand of jewelry, such as the one disclosed in Cheng U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,261. This type of connector for jewelry strands attaches and interconnects with two end beads of a beaded strand or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a jewelry pendant is attached to and interconnects with two end beads of a beaded strand or the like. A first and second countersink are bored into opposing sides of an upper attachment end of the jewelry pendant. The two countersinks are connected at a junction by an aperture through the upper attachment end. The aperture is large enough to permit passage of a connector for the strand and yet smaller than the diameter of either of the end beads. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of the jewelry pendant of the present invention and a portion of a strand of beads. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional front view of the pendant shown in FIG. 1, showing one embodiment of the upper attachment end of the jewelry pendant of the present invention and two end beads of the strand of beads. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view showing the countersink in the upper attachment end shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional front view showing another embodiment of the attachment end of the jewelry pendant of the present invention and two end beads of the strand of beads. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view, showing a countersink in the upper attachment end shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional front view of a thru-bore formed through the upper attachment end shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional front view showing first and second countersinks formed at opposing first and second ends of the thru-bore shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional front view showing two opposing countersinks formed at opposing first and second sides of the upper attachment end shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 show an alternate embodiment of the pendant constructed to also accommodate a conventional necklace. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In FIG. 1, the jewelry pendant  20  of the present invention is attached to a strand of beads  22 . The jewelry pendant  20  includes an upper attachment end  24 . The strand of beads  22  includes first and second end beads  26 ,  28 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, an enlarged sectional front view shows one. embodiment of the upper attachment end  24  of the jewelry pendant  20  and first and second end beads  26 ,  28  of the strand of beads  22 . The upper attachment end  24  has a substantially tapered end  30 . The first and second end beads  26 ,  28  reside in first and second countersinks  32 ,  34 , respectively. The first and second countersinks  32 ,  34  are depicted as being semi-spherical, however, they can be formed in any of a variety of shapes. The first and second countersinks  32 ,  34  may also be of equal or differing dimensions. The first and second end beads  26 ,  28  are joined by a connector  38  which passes through an aperture  40  existing at a junction  41  between the first and second countersinks  32 ,  34  in the upper attachment end  24 . The first and second countersinks  32 ,  34  are on substantially opposing first and second sides  42 ,  44  of the upper attachment end  24 . A particularly suitable connector for the strand of beads is that shown in the above identified patent in which a threaded stud  39  carried on bead  28  is threaded into a tapped bore in a metal post  41  carried by the other end bead  26 . This allows the end beads to be snuggly held in the countersinks  32  and  34 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a side view of the first side  42  of the upper attachment end  24  depicted in FIG. 2 is shown. The upper attachment end  24  has a first countersink  32  and a substantially tapered end  30 . 
     FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the jewelry pendant  20  of the present invention. In this embodiment, the upper attachment end  46  has a substantially rectangular end  48 . As can be seen, the upper attachment end  46  has first and second countersinks  50 ,  52 , and an aperture  54  formed by a junction  55  between the first and second countersinks  50 ,  52 . Also shown are first and second end beads  26 ,  28  joined by a connector  38  which passes through the aperture  54  between the first and second countersinks  50 ,  52 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a side view of the upper attachment end  46  depicted in FIG. 4 is shown. The upper attachment end  46  has a substantially rectangular end  48  and a first countersink  50 . 
     There are various methods known in the art for making the jewelry pendant  20  of the present invention. Some possible variations in the jewelry pendant  20  are described with reference to FIGS. 6-8. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, a thru-bore  58  can be bored through the upper attachment end  46  of the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, the thru-bore  58  having first and second openings  60 ,  62  on opposing sides  64 ,  66  of the upper attachment end  46 . Referring then to FIG. 7, first and second countersinks  50 ,  52  are bored in substantially opposing sides  64 ,  66  of the upper attachment end  46  using the first and second openings  60 ,  62  of the thru-bore  58  as a guide point. Once the first and second countersinks  50 ,  52  are formed, end beads  26 , 28  on the strand of beads  22  are fit into the first and second countersinks  50 ,  52 , respectively, and connected by the connector  38  which passes through the aperture  40  formed between the first and second countersinks  50 ,  52 . 
     Alternatively, as can be seen in FIG. 8, first and second countersinks  50 ,  52  can be bored directly into substantially opposing first and second sides  60 ,  62  of the upper attachment end  46  without using a thru-bore  58  to guide the drilling. 
     The owner of a pendant may desire to wear it with a necklace other than a beaded strand. In such case, however, the thru-bore through the pendant must be large enough to accommodate the maximum size of the other type of necklace. In FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown an embodiment of a pendant having an upper attachment end  70  that is similar to the FIG. 8 embodiment, but includes an enlarged thru-bore  72  that will accommodate the passage of a necklace chain  74 , but will also accommodate a beaded strand joined by a small connector  38  as previously described. The attachment end  70  of the pendant in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes first and second countersinks  76  and  78  to accommodate the end beads  26  and  28  of a beaded strand, but also includes the enlarged oval shaped thru-bore  72  the upper edge of which defines a flat  80 . The enlarged thru-bore  72 , which is offset upwardly with respect to the junction between the first and second countersinks, will readily accommodate passage of a necklace chain  74 , including the connectors on its opposite ends. In addition, the flat  80  formed at the upper end of the enlarged oval thru-bore  72  provides a bearing surface for the pendant on the chain  74  that causes the pendant to hang better on the chain than it would with the rather sharp edge of the thru-bore shown, for example, in FIG.  8 . 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the design and construction set forth, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in this description and shown in the drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.