Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to necklaces, including those carrying decorative gemstones. In some arrangements, the necklace is a series of links having settings for the gemstones. Along the length of the chain, as it traverses around the wearer&#39;s neck, the links need to be oriented such that the gemstones face outwardly, i.e., away from the wearer. Should a portion of the necklace flip or twist, the gemstones in that portion will then be facing either towards the wearer&#39;s skin or perhaps at an angle (e.g., 90°).  
         [0002]     Conventionally, the design of the links do little to prevent the necklace from flipping or twisting. However, by providing a combination of links, where some of the links enable articulation in one direction (or, in one plane) with respect to the length of the chain while others enable articulation in another direction at some angle with respect to articulation of the prior links (or, another plane), flipping and twisting can be prevented. In one implementation, the articulation of one set of links is restricted to the vertical plane, i.e., up and down with respect to the links, and the articulation of another set of links is restricted to the horizontal plane, i.e., side to side with respect to the links.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]      FIG. 1  is a drawing of a necklace;  
         [0004]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are drawings of necklace links enabling vertical articulation;  
         [0005]      FIGS. 4-6  are drawings of segments of three links enabling vertical articulation;  
         [0006]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are drawings of necklace links enabling horizontal articulation;  
         [0007]      FIGS. 9-11  are drawings of segments of three links enabling horizontal articulation;  
         [0008]      FIGS. 12 and 13  are drawings of interconnecting links enabling both horizontal and vertical articulation;  
         [0009]      FIGS. 14-19  are drawings of segments of three links incorporating an interconnecting link joining links enabling either horizontal or vertical articulation; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 20  is a drawing of a necklace indicating the deployment of the various types of links.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a necklace  10  comprising a combination of links that resists flipping and twisting. A clasp  12  completes the necklace  10 .  
         [0012]     One type of link  20 , illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , enables articulation vertically or up-and-down, i.e., in the vertical plane of the link  20 , with respect to its length (designated by the arrow “L”). The dashed line labeled “vertical” lies in the vertical plane with respect to the length of the link. Each such vertically-articulating link  20  has a first hinge element  22  and a second hinge element  24  that mates with the appropriate hinge elements  24  and  22 , respectively, of other similar links  20  to enable such vertical or up-and-down articulation, as illustrated in  FIG. 4  (links separated),  FIG. 5  (links joined), and  FIG. 6  (links with articulation). By virtue of the action of the hinge elements  22  and  24 , the vertically-articulating link  20  restricts articulation to the vertical plane.  
         [0013]     Another type of link  30 , illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , enables articulation horizontally or side-to-side, i.e., in the horizontal plane of the link  30 , with respect to its length (designated by the arrow “L”). The dashed line labeled “horizontal” lies in the horizontal plane with respect to the length of the link. Each such horizontally-articulating link  30  has a first hinge element  32  and a second hinge element  34  that mates with the appropriate hinge elements  34  and  32 , respectively, of other similar links  30  to enable such horizontal or side-to-side articulation, as illustrated in  FIG. 9  (links separated),  FIG. 10  (links joined), and  FIG. 11  (links with articulation). By virtue of the action of the hinge elements  32  and  34 , the horizontally-articulating link  30  restricts articulation to the horizontal plane.  
         [0014]     Additionally, the necklace  10  may also contain interconnecting links  40  and  50 , shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , respectively. The first such interconnecting link  40  ( FIG. 12 ) has a first hinge element  42  that enables horizontal or side-to-side articulation and a second hinge element  44  that enables vertical or up-and-down articulation. The second such interconnecting link  50  ( FIG. 13 ) has a first hinge element  52  that enables vertical or up-and-down articulation and a second hinge element  54  that enables horizontal or side-to-side articulation.  
         [0015]     The first interconnecting link  40  is shown in a segment of three links—a vertically or up-and-down articulating link  20  followed by the first interconnecting link  40  and then a horizontally or side-to-side articulating link  30 , separately in  FIG. 14 , coupled together in  FIG. 15 , and then articulated in  FIG. 16 . (The dashed lines labeled “vertical” and “horizontal” lie in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, with respect to the length of the link.)  
         [0016]     The second interconnecting link  50  is similarly shown in a segment of three links—a horizontally or side-to-side articulating link  30  followed by the second interconnecting link  50  and then a vertically or up-and-down articulating link  20 , separately in  FIG. 17 , coupled together in  FIG. 18 , and then articulated in  FIG. 19 .  
         [0017]     In its most basic form, the necklace  10  will comprise a number of vertically (or up-and-down) articulating links  20  and a number of horizontally (or side-to-side) articulating links  30 . Where the necklace  10  lays against the neck, the vertically or up-and-down articulating links  20  permit the necklace  10  to follow the contour of the neck. Below the neck, the necklace  10  should lay flat against the wearer&#39;s chest, which is achieved by utilizing horizontally or side-to-side articulating links  30 . Because any given coupling of links  20  or  30  will allow articulation in only one manner, either in an up-and-down or a side-to-side fashion, the necklace  10  will resist flipping or twisting.  
         [0018]     The actual number of each type (links  20  and links  30 ) depends in part on the length of the necklace  10  and the circumference of the wearer&#39;s neck. An equal number of each (links  20  and links  30 ) will work satisfactorily but a different ratio of links  20  and  30  could be employed as suits the application, for example, in a lengthy necklace where a substantial portion of the necklace  10  lays against the chest as opposed to against the neck of the wearer.  
         [0019]     The necklace  10  is shown again in  FIG. 20 . The first and second interconnecting links  40  and  50  join the vertically or up-and-down articulating links  20  on the upper portion  14  of the necklace  10  (the top portion of the page) to the horizontally or side-to-side articulating links  30  on the lower portion  16  of the necklace  10 . Again, the necklace  10  is completed by a clasp  12  which substitutes for one of the vertically or up-and-down articulating links  20 . Recalling the directional references of  FIGS. 2, 7  and  12 , the necklace lies of  FIG. 20  lies in the horizontal plane while the vertical plane is perpendicular to the page.  
         [0020]     In the figures, the links are shown in various sizes, alternating between large and small. One may use different size links to accommodate different sizes of gemstones or, should the gemstones all be equal in size, then the links may also be of equal dimensions.  
         [0021]     In lieu of using the first and second interconnecting links  40  and  50  to interconnect the vertically articulating links  20  to the horizontally articulating links  30 , a coupling device consisting of a hinge element that enables horizontal or side-to-side articulation and a second hinge element that enables vertical or up-and-down articulation would be sufficient to interconnect the links of differing articulation, without the need to accommodate a gemstone. Further, the other links of the necklace  10  could also assume a different form and not carry gemstones, i.e., all metal.

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