Abstract:
A rack supports and displays loop-like articles, such as necklaces. The rack includes a bar having a series of circumferential grooves and a holder for supporting the bar from a vertical surface. In one implementation, the holder is at the center of the bar, and is rigidly connected to the bar. In another implementation, the holder is at one end of the bar, with a pivot support at the other end of the bar. The bar is permanently and pivotally fixed to the pivot support, and releasably received in the holder. In the latter implementation, the bar can be lifted or pivoted out of engagement with the holder so that a necklace can be removed from the bar.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to supports, and more particularly, to a support having a rod bearing dividers for separating loop forming objects being stored from one another. 
     Looped objects such as necklaces, bracelets, and the like, must from time to time be retrieved from storage for use. In the case of jewelry, it is desirable to observe and select from stored articles of jewelry. Also, small articles such as necklaces and bracelets are difficult to grasp if bunched together, as may occur in storage. Apparatuses intended to address the above concerns would find utility. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure addresses the above stated needs by providing a support adapted for separating looped objects such as necklaces and bracelets, permitting observation of the looped objects while the looped objects are stored, and separating the looped objects to permit ready grasp and removal of one of the looped objects from storage. 
     The present invention relates to a storage and display rack for necklaces, comprising a bar including a cylindrical central section having a diameter, a first series of circumferential grooves on one side of the cylindrical central section, and a second series of circumferential grooves on an opposed side of the cylindrical central section. A holder includes a mounting base including a flat base surface, and a grip configured to partially encircle the bar. The grip is ultimately connected to the flat base surface and includes an elastic member having a circular inner wall having an extent between one hundred eighty and two hundred seventy degrees of a circle defined by the circular inner wall. The circular inner wall has an opening to the interior of the circular inner wall, the opening having an extent between ninety and one hundred eighty degrees of a circle defined by the circular inner wall, an inner surface slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical central section of the bar, and an axis located centrally within the inner surface. The axis is parallel to the inner surface and also parallel to the flat base surface. Therefore, the grip can be elastically spread open to receive and release the central section of the bar, and elastically closes over and retains the bar after insertion of the bar in the grip. 
     In an exemplary realization of the disclosure, there is disclosed a storage and display rack for necklaces, comprising a bar including a proximal end, a distal end, and a series of circumferential grooves between the proximal end and the distal end; a pivot support at the proximal end of the bar, the pivot support including an engagement element engaging the proximal end of the bar and enabling the bar to pivot thereabout; and a holder at the distal end of the bar. The bar and the holder generally have the characteristics of the bar and holder of the previously described realization. The pivot support enables the bar to be lifted or rotated out of its former position received in the holder. This enables one or more necklaces to be retrieved from the bar. The bar may then be returned to its prior position received by the holder. 
     Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a storage and display rack for necklaces, according to one realization of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective detail view of a holder shown at the upper center of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary end detail view of the holder of  FIG. 2 , the holder shown engaging a bar seen at the top of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary side detail view of an alternative to the holder of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a storage and display rack according to at least one other aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a storage and display rack according to at least one further aspect of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     To these and other ends, and referring to  FIG. 1 , in one exemplary realization, there is disclosed a storage and display rack  100  for necklaces  10 , comprising a bar  102  including a cylindrical central section  104  having a diameter, a first series of circumferential grooves  106  on one side of the cylindrical central section  104 , and a second series of circumferential grooves  108  on an opposed side of the cylindrical central section  104 . Referring also to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a holder  110  includes a mounting base  112  including a flat base surface  114 , and a grip  116  configured to partially encircle the bar  102 . The grip  116  is ultimately connected to the flat base surface  114  and includes an elastic member  118  having a circular inner wall  120  having an extent between about one hundred eighty-one and about two hundred seventy degrees of a circle defined by the circular inner wall  120 . The circular inner wall  120  has an opening  122  to the interior of the circular inner wall  120 , the opening  122  having an extent between about ninety and about one hundred eighty degrees of a circle defined by the circular inner wall  120 , the inner surface  124  slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical central section  104  of the bar  102 , and an axis  126  located centrally within the inner surface  124 . The axis  126  is parallel to the inner surface  124  and also parallel to the flat base surface  114 . Therefore, the grip  116  can be elastically spread open to receive and release the central section  104  of the bar  102 , and elastically closes over and retains the bar  102  after insertion of the bar  102  in the grip  116 . Orientation of the axis  126  enables the grip  116  to hold the bar  102  parallel to a flat environmental surface, such as a building wall or partition (not shown) on which the holder  110  is mounted. 
     Spacing of the circumferential grooves  106 ,  108 , or of the high portions of the bar  102 , may be consistent, or alternatively, may be variable. Some circumferential grooves  106 ,  108  may be larger than others in depth or length or both, for example, to accommodate necklaces of different dimensions. 
     The grip  116  is ultimately connected to the flat base surface  114  in that there may be one or more intervening elements, such as straight sections  128 . 
     The circular inner wall  120  does not form a complete circle. Rather, there is left open a portion enabling the bar  102  to be inserted into a receptacle provided by the grip  116 . The circular inner wall  120  occupies just over half of the complete circle (e.g., about one hundred eighty-one to about two hundred seventy degrees of the complete circle), so that the bar  102  will be constrained against inadvertent dislodging from the grip  116 . The complete circle alluded to above may be seen in  FIG. 3  as the circumference  130  of the central section  104  of the bar  102 . Therefore, it will be appreciated that “circular” as employed herein is intended as a descriptor indicating that the configuration of the inner surface  124  of the opening  122  corresponds to the circular outer surface of the central section  104  or of the bar  102 , and is not to be construed as denoting full circular extent. 
     The magnitude of the theoretical full circle accounted for by the holder  110  is sufficient to retain the bar  102  within the grip  116  under ordinary conditions. Because the grip  116  is slightly elastic, it will deform to pass the bar  102  when the bar  120  is installed in and removed from the grip  116 . The holder  110  may be made from steel sheet metal having slight spring characteristics, and may be a standard or off-the-shelf commercial product, such as a curtain rod holder. An exemplary rod holder is depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
     Reference to the inner surface  124  as being slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical central section  104  of the bar  102  refers to deformation of the holder  110  when inserting or withdrawing the bar  102 . Deformation occurs as the grip  116  spreads to accommodate the relatively greater diameter of the bar  102 . This deformation disappears after full seating of the bar  102  within the grip  116 , or after removal of the bar  116  from the grip  116 . The slightly smaller diameter of the inner surface  124  prevails with the grip  116  in the undeformed state, in the absence of forces either spreading or compressing the circular inner wall  120 . 
     Optionally, and as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a diameter of the cylindrical central section  104  is equal to the diameter of the bar  102  between any two ones of first and second series of the circumferential grooves  106 ,  108 . 
     Optionally, and also illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the storage and display rack  100  may include a fastener  132  coupling the bar  102  to the holder  110 . The fastener  132  may be a pin, rivet, screw, or other fastener passing through the holder  110  and being anchored within the bar  102 . The fastener  132  assures sturdiness of a connection between the bar  102  and the holder  110 . 
     Optionally, it would be possible to support the bar  102  at both ends (this option is not shown), using two holders  110 , rather than supporting the bar  102  at its center, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the storage and display rack  100  may include a plurality of O-rings  134  on the bar  102 . Each one of the circumferential grooves  106  (or circumferential grooves  108 ) is defined between two adjacent ones of the plurality of O-rings  134 . It would be possible to include some circumferential grooves  106  and/or  108  formed integrally within the bar  102 , by cutting with a lathe for example, and some circumferential grooves  106  and/or  108  entirely or partially formed by the O-rings  134 . An advantage of the O-rings  134  is that the O-rings  134  are movable along the bar  102 , to vary width of the grooves  106 ,  108 . Also, thicker  0 -rings  134  may be utilized to increase depth of resultant the grooves  106 ,  108 . The O-rings  134  may be of a variety of colors, for ornamentation or for coding of necklaces for different uses, for example. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a storage and display rack  200  which includes a plurality of bars  202 . The bars  202  may be similar in construction to the bars  102  of  FIGS. 1-4 . The bars  202  project from a wall mounting plate  204 . The bars  202  may be secured to the wall mounting plate  204  by fasteners such as screws (not shown) passing through wall mounting plate  204 . Alternatively, ends (concealed from view in  FIG. 5 ) of the bars  202  may enter and at least partially occupy holes (not shown) in the wall mounting plate  204 . 
     Arrangement of the bars  202  may be varied from the triangular pattern illustrated in  FIG. 5 . For example, the bars  202  could be linearly arrayed in a vertical column, a horizontal row, or a diagonal row. Plural rows or columns of bars  202  may be provided. Where plural rows or columns are used, rows and columns may be staggered or offset from one another (options of arrangements of bars  202  are not shown). The bars  202  may be of different lengths, diameters, and groove dimensions and spacing. 
     The plurality of bars  202  of the storage and display rack  200  accommodates a correspondingly greater number of necklaces  10  ( FIG. 1 ) than could be provided by storage and display rack  100  having only one bar  102 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a storage and display rack  300  includes the bar  302  adapted to pivot (as indicated by arrow  301 ). The bar  302  may generally have the characteristics of the bar  102  of  FIGS. 1-4 , with the exception that at the right end  303 , as depicted in  FIG. 6 , a pivot mount  305  is provided. Also, the holder  310  has the characteristics of the holder  110  of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     The storage and display rack  300  for necklaces comprises a pivot support  305  including an engagement element engaging the proximal end of the bar  302  and enabling the bar  302  to pivot thereabout. The holder  310  is at a distal end  307  of the bar  310 . The pivot support  305  may include an axle  309  and a wall mounting plate  311  supporting the axle  309 . The pivot support  305  enables the bar  302  to be lifted or rotated out of its former position received in the holder  310 , rotation indicated by arrow  301 . This enables one or more necklaces  10  ( FIG. 1 ) to be retrieved from the bar  302 . The bar  302  may then be returned to its prior position received within the holder  310 . 
     The bars  102 ,  202 ,  302  may be made from wood, plastics, metals, and of other materials, and in combinations thereof. Each one of the first and second series of circumferential grooves  106 ,  108  (and corresponding circumferential grooves of bars  202  and  302 ) may be formed using a lathe (not shown). Of course, other materials and fabrication techniques may be used for the bars  102 ,  202 ,  302 , such as injection molding from a synthetic plastic material. The bars  102 ,  202 ,  302  may be coated (e.g., painted or lined with a rubber-like material for friction enhancement), anodized, or otherwise have a surface treatment, for ornamentation or to alter friction characteristics. 
     The bars  102 ,  202 , and  302 , the holders  110 ,  310 , and the wall mounting plate  204  may be provided in a variety of structures and shapes. 
     Different examples of the apparatuses disclosed herein include a variety of components, features, and functionalities. It should be understood that the various examples of the apparatuses disclosed herein may include any of the components, features, and functionalities of any of the other examples of the apparatuses disclosed herein in any feasible combination. All such possibilities are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
     Many modifications of examples set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains, the one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. 
     Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific examples presented and that modifications and other examples are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe examples of the present disclosure in the context of certain illustrative combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims.