Abstract:
A method and apparatus for debossing a silicone bracelet. The method utilizes an apparatus that includes two opposing press members, with each press member including one or more ridges that form a groove for receiving printing blocks bearing symbols, such as letters of the alphabet, insignia or punctuation to form a customized message for debossing onto a silicone bracelet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Applicant claims priority from co-pending Provisional Patent Application No. 61/101,686 filed on Oct. 1, 2008 and entitled “Method and Apparatus for Debossing a Silicone Bracelet” under Title 35, United States Code Section 119(e). An entire copy of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/101,686 is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field Of The Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates generally to the field of embossing, debossing impressing, printing and design and more particularly to a novel method and device for debossing a custom silicone bracelet. 
         [0004]    2. Related Prior Art 
         [0005]    The process of embossing creates a three dimensional image or design on a surface material. Embossing may be achieved with a combination of heat and pressure. Through the process of impressing or embossing, an image may either be lowered onto a surface or raised out of the surface. Embossing impresses a raised design onto a material. 
         [0006]    The process of debossing may be used to embed an image or letters into a silicone band. The process generally involves the application of heat and pressure. 
         [0007]    It is known in the art to use a device for impressing food items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,776 (to Errera) for a “Food Embossing Stamper Device” discloses a stamping device designed to create images upon a variety of foods for decoration and/or marketing purposes. The device provides both an emboss-only mode, and emboss-and-cut simultaneously mode, in a manner similar to that of a cookie cutter. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,491 (to Errera) teaches a “Food Impressing Roller Device” which is a rolling device designed to create images upon a variety of foods for decoration and/or marketing purposes. As the device is hand-rolled along the food, the decorative letters and images create a repeated pattern of impression upon the food. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,892 (to Errera) discloses an “Enhanced Food Embossing Stamper Device”. The device is designed to create indented or raised images upon a variety of foods for decoration and/or marketing purposes. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,476 (to Schultz) teaches an imprinting press and cooking apparatus for a dough product. The device uses heat and pressure and includes an imprinting station with respective opposed lower press and upper imprinting plates and rotating plate or endless belt conveyors adjacent the imprinting station. Heat sources are disposed adjacent the imprinting station and the conveyors for preheating the dough product for release from the printing station and for cooking the dough product respectively. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,538 (to Kanzelberger) discusses a “Plastic Plate with Graphics”. The device is a do-it-yourself kit enabling an end user to make his or her own graphics on the back of a transparent tape. The tape has a pressure sensitive adhesive which is pressed over a textured surface that enables air to escape at the interface between the adhesive and the plate. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,991 (to Bishop) for a “Method for Debossing and Selectively Aperturing a Resilient Plastic Web” teaches a method for imparting a selectively apertured three-dimensional pattern to a heated plastic material. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,927 (to Mosby et al.) discusses a “Device for Making Designs on Toast”. The device disclosed is for producing designs on a slice of bread during toasting of the bread and comprises a bread holding member removably received within the toast well of an electric toaster. 
         [0014]    U.S. Publication No. 2007/0205124A1 (to Dwyre) teaches a “Personalized Presentation Instrument” and discloses a kit for making a personalized presentation instrument including a presentation instrument having a markable region and an information storage medium configured to store a unique identifier, a marking medium suitable for creating a mark on the markable region of the presentation instrument and a package holding the presentation instrument and the marking medium. 
         [0015]    The foregoing inventions disclose methods and devices for, embossing, debossing and the like. However, the foregoing inventions are somewhat involved and intricate for use by an individual. 
         [0016]    Thus, there is a need for an improved and cost effective method and apparatus for embossing or debossing which is simple can be used by an individual to emboss or deboss a silicone bracelet. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a novel method and device for embossing or debossing a silicone bracelet. 
         [0018]    The apparatus of the present invention includes upper and lower block presses. The block presses are provided with one or more ridges. The ridges of the lower press are adapted to receive letters of the alphabet, numbers or punctuation. Letters may be placed within the ridges to create a mirror image of a customizable message, such as “GO PENGUINS” and the like. The ridges of the upper press are complimentarily aligned to the ridges of the lower press. 
         [0019]    A quantity of water, sufficient to completely submerge a silicone bracelet is then heated to a boil. The boiling water is removed from heat and the silicone bracelet is placed in the water for a period of twelve seconds. 
         [0020]    The bracelet is removed from the water using a pair of forceps or tongs and placed over the customized message of the lower wood press. Care should be taken to center the bracelet over the message. The upper wood press is then firmly placed over the lower wood press such that the ridges of the lower press and the ridges of the upper press are complimentarily aligned. Downward pressure is exerted on the upper press for a period of ten minutes. 
         [0021]    The bracelet is removed from the lower wood press and submerged in ice cold water for a period of two to four minutes to set the customizable message. 
         [0022]    An object of the apparatus and method of the present invention is to provide an individual with a simple at home kit to create customized silicone bracelets. 
         [0023]    An advantage of the apparatus and method of the present invention is that it allows a user to create a customized silicone bracelet at a reduced cost. 
         [0024]    Another advantage of the apparatus and method of the present invention is that it is simple, quick and easy to use. 
         [0025]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the Brief Description of the Drawings and accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention, as well as the Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side perspective view of the upper and lower wood press with letters of the alphabet arranged on the lower press to create a customized message; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the upper and lower press of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates a silicone bracelet before and after the debossing method of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  illustrates a silicone bracelet placed over a customized message on the lower press; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates an operational view of the apparatus of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  illustrates an operational view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and 
           [0033]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of the method, as illustrated in the present invention for debossing a customized image on a silicone bracelet. 
           [0034]      FIG. 8  illustrates an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0035]    For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the Figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0036]    The present invention is described with references to the enclosed Figures wherein the same numbers are utilized where applicable. Referring now to  FIGS. 1 to 8 , in one embodiment, the present invention provides an upper  10  and lower  12  press. A knob  22  is affixed, on an outer face  24  of the upper press  10 , as known by one reasonably skilled in the art. 
         [0037]    The upper  10  and lower  12  press each include one or more longitudinal canals  14 . Ridges  16  of the upper press  10  and lower press  12  along a vertical axis define a longitudinal axis along the canals  14  for receiving printing blocks  18  bearing letters of the alphabet, symbols or punctuation. One or more printing blocks  18  are arranged within the canals  14  to form a mirror image of the customized message or design  26 . 
         [0038]    The ridges  16  of the lower press  12  are complimentarily aligned to engage the ridges  16  of the upper press  10 . 
         [0039]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 to 8 , according to the method of the present invention, a silicone bracelet  20  is completely submerged in boiling water, the water having been removed from its heat source prior to submersion of the silicone bracelet  20 . The bracelet  20  remains in the water for a period of generally ten to twelve seconds and is removed using a pair of tongs or forceps (not shown). 
         [0040]    The heated bracelet  20  is immediately placed and centered over a customized image that has been arranged on the lower press  12 . The upper press  10  is placed over the centered bracelet  20 . A vertical downward pressure is manually exerted using the knob  22  affixed, on the upper press  10  for a period of ten minutes to effect the transfer of the customized message from the lower press  12  to the silicone bracelet  20 . 
         [0041]    In an alternative embodiment, a C clamp  28  may be used to exert pressure on the silicone bracelet to transfer the customized message, as is shown in  FIG. 6 . As will be appreciated by those reasonably skilled in the art variations of the C clamp may be used to the pressure required to transfer the customized message on to the silicone bracelet. 
         [0042]    The bracelet  20  is submerged in ice cold water for a period of two to four minutes to set the customized message or image that has been debossed on the bracelet  20 . 
         [0043]    In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , an apparatus for debossing a silicone bracelet includes a first handle  28  with an upper member having a convex end  29  and a second handle  30  with an upper member having a concave end  31 , the concave end  31  having a bore for receiving a cylindrical collar. The convex end  29  and concave end  31  are matingly interconnected, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, at a common point of juncture  32  for rotatable attachment. A base member  34  is fixedly attached to the concave end  31  of the upper member of the second handle  30  and the convex end  29  of the upper member of the first handle  28  at the common point of juncture  32 . 
         [0044]    A gap  42  between the base  34  and first handle  28  and second handle  30  allows for rotatable movement of the first and second handle  28 ,  30 , about the common point of juncture  32 . The base  34  includes a center platform  36  having a generally oval shape. The center platform  36  is fixedly attached to the base  34  using at least one bolt  38 . In an alternative embodiment, the center platform  36  includes a flange  40  for grasping the apparatus of the present invention. 
         [0045]    Printing blocks  18  are positioned along the first handle  28  as shown in  FIG. 8 . In an alternative embodiment, printing blocks  18  are positioned along the second handle as shown in  FIG. 8 . The silicone bracelet  20  is placed in boiling water and removed from the water after a period of time, the time measured as a period of generally twelve seconds. The heated silicone bracelet  20  is placed around the center platform  36  for embossing. The first handle  28  and second handle  30  are pressed together to force the printing blocks  18  to exert pressure on the silicone bracelet  20  for transposing a mirror image of a symbol on the printing block  18  onto the silicone bracelet  20 . 
         [0046]    While there has been shown and described the preferred embodiments of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiments, certain changes may be made in the form, dimensions and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth herein.