Abstract:
A sports team necklace has a necklace string with beads directly molded thereto. The beads include sports projectile shaped beads. In one embodiment, a majority of beads are of a smaller size and one or more is larger and can be a pendant. In another embodiment, colored groups of beads are arranged sequentially, the colored groups representing team colors. In another embodiment smaller beads display alternating groups of beads, each a different team color and a pendant carries a team color or colors.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    My co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/125,191, filed Jun. 20, 2000, for “Sports Beads”, is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0002]    Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/214,532, filed Jun. 27, 2000, incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The present invention relates to necklaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved necklace containing sports projectile (e.g. baseball, football, soccer ball, hockey puck, etc.) shaped beads and one or more enlarged bead(s) or pendant beads.  
           [0005]    2. General Background of the Invention  
           [0006]    Prior art necklaces have been sold containing baseball or football shaped beads. These beads are typically hollow beads which are strung onto a string individually. These prior art necklaces were not provided with smaller beads and pendants (or larger beads) but were rather hollow beads of generally uniform size and shape.  
           [0007]    The following patents are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,958,841; 2,008,005; 2,163,814; 2,253,659; 2,577,584; 2,893,095; 3,091,030 and D-206,176.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,958,841 discloses a beaded string and shows molding the bead onto a string to form an integral continuous string of beads.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,163,814; 2,253,659; and 2,577,584 disclose ornamental articles that are integral units in that the ornaments are molded onto support wires or rods.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,030 discloses a belt formed with beads integrally molded onto a fiber support.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention provides an improved necklace that has a plurality of smaller beads fastened together to define a necklace body, a majority of the smaller beads having a sports projectile shape such as for example a football, baseball, basketball, soccer ball, or hockey puck.  
           [0012]    The smaller beads can include a plurality of alternating groups of smaller beads of differing colors. For example, there can be provided a first group of adjacent beads of, for example, eight beads of a red color. On either side of the group of eight red beads, there can be provided other groups of beads of different colors such as, for example, eight beads of gold color. A larger bead or pendant is supported by the necklace body, the larger bead displaying one of the first or second colors or both of the first and second colors of the first and second groups of smaller beads.  
           [0013]    The present invention provides an improved method of marketing a sports souvenir for a team that has at least two team colors. The method includes providing a souvenir in the form of a necklace body that includes multiple, spaced apart smaller beads having a shape of a sports projectile, and a larger bead or pendant that displays at least one of the team colors thereon. The method also includes grouping the beads in colored groups of one team color followed by another team color. The method includes marketing the souvenir necklace to a sports fan. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small football-shaped beads having a relatively large football-shaped bead attached thereto as a pendant;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small baseball-shaped beads having a relatively large baseball-shaped bead attached thereto as a pendant;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small basketball-shaped beads having a relatively large basketball-shaped bead attached thereto as a pendant;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small soccer ball-shaped beads having a relatively large soccer ball-shaped bead attached thereto as a pendant;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small football-shaped beads;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small baseball-shaped beads;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a seventh embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small basketball-shaped beads;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sports bead necklace showing an eighth embodiment of my invention, a necklace of relatively small soccer ball-shaped beads;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the ninth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention and showing particularly the attachment of the beads to the string;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along lines  12 - 12  of FIG. 11; and  
         [0027]    FIGS.  13 - 14  are sectional views illustrating the method of the present invention, showing beads being directly molded to a supporting string. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral  10 . Necklace  10  is comprised of a plurality of smaller beads  11  mounted upon string  12 . In the preferred embodiment, these smaller beads  11  are directly molded to the string  12  and are thus solid in construction. A larger bead  13  is also attached to the necklace body which is comprised of the necklace string  12  and the smaller beads  11 . The larger bead  13  can be in the form of a pendant or can simply be a larger bead that replaces some of the smaller beads  11 .  
         [0029]    Each of the beads  11  in FIG. 1 is preferably a sports projectile, namely a football having a tapered end  14 , tapered end  15  and a large central portion  16 . Each of the beads  11 ,  13  preferably has one or more simulated seams  17  and can include simulated laces  18 .  
         [0030]    In FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, designated generally by the numeral  20 . Necklace  20  includes smaller beads  21  and a larger bead  23 . If desired, more than one larger bead  23  can be supported by the necklace body which is comprised of string  22  and smaller beads  21  that are preferably directly molded thereto.  
         [0031]    Each of the smaller  21  and larger  23  beads preferably provides simulated stitching  24 . The necklace  20  of FIG. 2 thus includes a plurality of baseball shaped sports projectile like beads  21  and a larger baseball simulated bead  23  as shown. The bead  23  can be in the form of a pendant that depends from the necklace body that is comprised of the smaller beads  21  and string  22 .  
         [0032]    In FIG. 3, a third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown, designated generally by the numeral  30 . Necklace  30  is comprised of a plurality of smaller beads  31  mounted upon string  32 . In FIG. 3, the smaller beads  31  are preferably directly molded to string  32 . Larger bead  33  can be in the form of a pendant as shown in FIG. 3 or can be simply a larger bead on string  32  that replaces some of the smaller beads  31 . The larger bead  33  preferably provides one or more simulated seams  34  as shown. Similarly, the smaller beads  31  can provide one or more simulated seams.  
         [0033]    In FIG. 4, another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown designated generally by the numeral  40 . The necklace  40  includes a necklace body that is comprised of smaller beads  41  and string  42 . In FIG. 4, the smaller beads  41  are preferably directly molded to the string  42 . A larger bead  43  can be in the form of a pendant or can be molded directly to string  42  in the same general position as the smaller beads  41 , with the larger bead  43  replacing some of the smaller beads  41 . The necklace  40  of FIG. 4 has smaller beads  41  and larger beads  43  that each simulate a soccer ball. Thus, each of the beads  41 ,  43  can have a plurality of panels  44 ,  45  including lighter colored panels  44  and darker colored panels  45 . Simulated seams  46  are provided on both smaller beads  41  and larger bead  43 , the seams  46  marking the boundary between adjacent panels  44 ,  45 .  
         [0034]    In FIG. 5, a necklace is shown, designated generally by the numeral  50  that is comprised entirely of small, football shaped beads  11  molded directly to a string  12 .  
         [0035]    In FIG. 6, the necklace  51  shown is comprised entirely of smaller beads  21  that are of a simulated baseball shape, molded directly to string  22 .  
         [0036]    In FIG. 7, the necklace  52  is comprised entirely of small beads  31  that simulate basketballs, each bead  31  molded directly to string  32 .  
         [0037]    In FIG. 8, the necklace  53  is comprised entirely of smaller beads  41  that simulate soccer balls, each bead  41  molded directly to string  42 .  
         [0038]    In FIGS.  9 - 12 , the necklace  55  shown includes groups of beads of alternating colors, including small beads  57  of a first color (for example, eight beads, gold in color), and a second group of beads  58  of a second color (for example gold). Thus, the necklace  55  includes a total of forty-eight small beads. These small beads include three groups of eight each of the first color, beads  57  and three groups of eight beads  58  each of the second color. The groups of beads alternate such as for example, eight red beads, eight gold beads, eight red beads, etc.  
         [0039]    A larger bead or a pendant  59  is supported by necklace body that includes the string  56  and the beads  57 ,  58 . The pendant  59  preferably includes a plurality of displayed colors, including at least a first color  60  (e.g. gold) that corresponds to the color of the first group of small beads  57  of first color. The pendant  59  also includes a second color  61  (e.g. red) that corresponds to the color of the small beads  58  of a second color. The pendant  59  is preferably in the form of a team logo and provides a plurality of colors, at least two of the colors (i.e. team colors) being the same colors that are displayed in the small beads  57 ,  58 .  
         [0040]    [0040]FIGS. 13 and 14 show a method of manufacture of any of the necklaces of FIGS.  1 - 12 . The necklace, such as necklace  55  can be constructed by directly molding the smaller beads  57 ,  58  to the supporting necklace string  56 . If desired, a large bead that is larger than bead  57  or  58  can be attached, (directly molded) to string  56 . This direct molding can be accomplished by providing upper and lower mold sections, each having a cavity that corresponds in shape to one half of each bead. String  56  is supported at the interface that is defined by surfaces  66  and  67  of the respective mold sections  62 ,  64 .  
         [0041]    The lower mold section  62  provides a plurality of cavities  63  that are spaced at intervals, each of the cavities  63  can be shaped to define one half of the football shaped bead  57  or  58  shown in FIG. 11. Likewise, the upper mold section  64  provides a plurality of cavities  65  that correspond in shape to one half of the football shaped beads  57 ,  58  of FIG. 11. Upon assembly of one mold section  62  to the other  64 , the surfaces  67 ,  68  meet and the cavities  63 ,  65  align so that material added to the interior of the cavities  63 ,  65  as aligned in FIG. 14 provide football shaped beads  57 ,  58 . Similar molds can be provided for the various other shapes that are shown in FIGS.  1 - 8  such as basketball shaped cavities (or soccer ball, baseball, or hockey puck shapes).  
         [0042]    Once a string  56  of beads  57 ,  58  has been manufactured using mold sections  62 ,  64 , the necklace of FIG. 9 can be completed by glueing or otherwise connecting the ends together at connections  68  shown in FIGS. 9 and 11.  
         [0043]    The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention:  
                                         PARTS LIST            Number   Description               10   necklace       11   smaller bead       12   string       13   larger bead       14   tapered end       15   tapered end       16   large central portion       17   simulated seam       18   simulated laces       20   necklace       21   smaller bead       22   string       23   larger bead       24   simulated stitching       30   necklace       31   smaller bead       32   string       33   larger bead       34   simulated seam       40   necklace       41   smaller bead       42   string       43   larger bead       44   panel       45   panel       46   simulated seam       50   necklace       51   necklace       52   necklace       53   necklace       55   necklace       56   string       57   small bead, first color       58   small bead, second color       59   pendant       60   logo color, first color       61   logo color, second color       62   lower mold section       63   cavity       64   upper mold section       65   cavity       66   surface       67   surface       68   connection                  
 
         [0044]    All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.  
         [0045]    The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.