Openable pendant for the containment of ashes, fragrances, flavours and/or similar

Abstract

A pendant for containing a commemorative or aromatic object includes a first body having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface being configured to house a second commemorative object or aromatic substance. A second body includes outer and inner surfaces and a plate. The inner surface and plate define a permanently enclosed chamber selectively sealed to retain the commemorative or aromatic object. The second body has an opening with a removable cover for receiving the commemorative or aromatic object in the chamber. A rotatable coupler is provided between the first and second bodies to enable open and closed positions of the pendant. The second body includes a seal formed between the inner surface and the plate to define a portion of the chamber and to define an annular interspace isolating the chamber from an external environment both in the closed and open positions of the pendant.

Claims

1. An openable pendant (1) for the containment of at least one of a commemorative substance or object comprising: a first shaped body (2) including a main counter-element (25) and a laminar ring (20), the main counter-element (25) having a first outer surface (2a) and a first inner surface (2b), the first inner surface being configured to house a first commemorative substance or object, and the laminar ring (20) disposed over the first inner surface and affixed to a periphery of the main counter-element; a second shaped body (3) including a main element (12) and a laminar plate (14), the main element (12) having a second outer surface (3a) and a second inner surface (3b), the laminar plate (14) being affixed to the main element (12) and being positioned over the second inner surface in a spaced-apart and stationary arrangement to define an inner chamber (4) therebetween, the inner chamber being configured with a seal (8) to define an enclosed inner chamber to retain a second commemorative substance or object; at least one coupler (7) configured to: rotate said first shaped body (2) and second shaped body (3) to a closed position in which said first inner surface (2b) of said first shaped body (2) is facing to and is substantially parallel and close with respect to said laminar plate (14) of the second shaped body (3), and rotate said first shaped body (2) and said second shaped body (3) to an open position of said pendant in which said first inner surface (2b) of said first shaped body (2) and said laminar plate (14) of the second shaped body (3) are angled apart from each other; wherein said second shaped body (3) includes a peripheral edge extending in a direction towards the first inner surface of the first shaped body (2) in the closed position of the pendant, the seal (8) having a perimeter and provided between and fixedly contacting both the second inner surface and the laminar plate of the second shaped body to define said enclosed inner chamber (4), said peripheral edge of the second shaped body circumscribing said seal (8) to define an annular interspace (11) between the seal perimeter and the peripheral edge of the second shaped body, the interspace separating and isolating said enclosed inner chamber (4) from an external environment both in said closed position and in said opened position of said openable pendant; the second shaped body having a through-hole (5) configured to provide access and selectively receive said second commemorative substance or object into said enclosed inner chamber (4); and a cover (6) detachably coupled with said through-hole (5) to selectively provide access into and close said enclosed inner chamber (4).

2. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 1, wherein said seal perimeter is defined by an inner annular edge (9) interposed between a center portion of said second shaped body (3) and said peripheral edge of said second shaped body (3).

3. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 2, wherein the inner annular edge (9) protrudes from said second inner surface and is coupled with a first side face (14a) of said laminar plate (14).

4. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second outer surface (3a) of said main element (12) of said second shaped body is visible in each opened and closed state of use of said openable pendant (1), and said laminar plate (14) is hidden from sight in said closed position of said openable pendant (1).

5. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 3, wherein a first weld is provided between an entire perimeter of said peripheral edge of said second shaped body and an entire perimeter of said laminar plate (14).

6. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 5, wherein said inner annular edge (9) protruding from an inner wall (12a) of said main element (12) is directly attached to a first side face (14a) of said laminar plate (14) by a second weld.

7. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 1 wherein said cover (6) comprise a threaded fastener (16) which: engages threads (17) provided in at least a portion of said through-hole (5); said threaded fastener (16) having an operating head (18) configured to be received on an annular seat (19) formed in the second outer surface (3a) of said second shaped body (3) and coaxial to said threads (17) in said through-hole (5).

8. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 7, wherein an upper surface (18a) of said operating head (18) is coplanar to said second outer surface (3a) of said second shaped body (3) when said threaded fastener (16) is fully seated on the annular seat.

9. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 2, wherein said at least one coupler (7) is arranged to protrude from a side edge (14b) of said laminar plate (14) of said second shaped body (3) and from a side edge (20a) of the laminar ring (20) of said first shaped body (2).

10. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 9, wherein said at least one coupler (7) includes a rotatable hinge comprising: at least one tubular element (21, 22) arranged in a side edge (14b) of said laminar plate (14); at least one tubular fitting (23) arranged in a side edge (20a) of said laminar ring (20); a union pin (24) inserted into said tubular element (21, 22) and into said at least one tubular fitting (23), wherein said union pin (24) defines a linear axis (Z) of rotation.

11. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 9, wherein said first shaped body (2) has a a profile equal to a profile of said second shaped body (3).

12. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first commemorative object includes at least one of a photo, an image, a drawing, a portrait, a watch, or a written paper.

13. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed inner chamber (4) is configured to retain an aromatic substance.

14. The openable pendant (1) according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed inner chamber (4) is configured to retain ashes.

Description

(1) The purposes and advantages described above, as well as others that will emerge below, will appear to a greater extent from the detailed description which follows, relating to a preferred embodiment of the improved openable pendant for the containment of ashes, fragrances, flavours and/or similar of the invention, given by indicative and illustrative, but not limitative, way with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 are two different assonometric views of the improved openable pendant of the invention in the closed position;

(3) FIGS. 3 and 4 are two different assonometric views of the improved openable pendant of the invention in the opened position;

(4) FIGS. 5 and 6 are two distinct exploded assonometric views of the improved openable pendant of the invention;

(5) FIG. 7 is an assonometric view of the improved openable pendant of FIG. 2 according to a cross-sectional plane.

(6) The improved openable pendant (or charm) object of the invention, consisting for example of a photographs holder and properly intended to contain ashes, fragrances, flavours and/or similar, is illustrated in four different assonometric views, which also highlight two distinct positions of use thereof, in FIGS. 1-4 where it is globally numbered with 1.

(7) As it can be seen, the improved openable pendant 1 includes: a first shaped body 2 provided with an outer surface 2a, suitable to remain in sight in any condition of use of the openable pendant 1, and with an inner surface 2b designed to stably house a photo, a picture, a drawing, a portrait, a watch, a written paper such as a poem, a prayer, an aphorism, a maxim or a proverb, and/or the like; a second shaped body 3 provided with an outer surface 3a adapted to remain in sight in any condition of use of the openable pendant 1 and in which an inner chamber 4 is defined designed to stably house a symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance, visible in FIG. 7 where it is indicated with S, and a through coupling hole 5 through which the symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance S is adapted to be introduced into the inner chamber 4 itself; constraint means, as a whole numbered with 7, which rotatably couple together the first shaped body 2 and the second shaped body 3 in such a way as to define for the openable pendant 1 a closed positionshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the inner surface 2b of the first shaped body 2 is facing and substantially close to the inner surface 3b of the second shaped body 3, and at least an opened positionshown in FIGS. 3 and 4in which the inner surface 2b of the first shaped body 2 and the inner surface 3b of the second shaped body 3 are in sight and facing outwardly; closure means, overall indicated with 6, removably coupled with the second shaped body 3 at the through coupling hole 5 in such a way as to tightly close the inner chamber 4 both in the closed position and in the opened position of the openable pendant 1.

(8) In accordance with the invention, the improved openable pendant 1 comprises sealing means, generally indicated with 8, placed inside the inner chamber 4 in such a way as to physically separate it from the constraint means 7 and isolate the inner chamber 4 itself from the external environment both in the closed position and in the opened of the openable pendent 1 in order to prevent dispersion outside, through the constraint means 7 themselves, of the symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance S or entry into the inner chamber 4, always through the constraint means 7, of external extraneous impurities that inevitably contaminate the symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance S.

(9) Preferably but not necessarily, as it can be better obtained from FIG. 7, the sealing means 8 are in this case of constructive type and include an inner annular edge 9 spaced apart from the folded peripheral edge 10 of the second shaped body 3 and interposed between the center C and such folded peripheral edge 10 of the second shaped body 3 in such a way as to define an annular isolation interspace 11 separating the inner chamber 4 from the above constraint means 7.

(10) Other embodiments of the openable pendant of the invention, not shown in the drawings that follow, could provide that the sealing means are of another type, while remaining placed inside the inner chamber of the second shaped body and being for example of the assembled type and comprising an annular gasket or a proper sealing filler material which forms an annular edge.

(11) As illustrated in FIGS. 5-7, for purely preferential and, therefore, not binding title, the second shaped body 3 comprises a main element 12 provided with a folded perimetrical edge 13 and a laminar plate 14 coupled with the main element 12 by means of first junction means, for the sake of simplicity not shown in the figures that follow, applied at the folded perimetrical edge 13 of the main element 11 and at the perimetrical portion 15 of the laminar plate 14.

(12) In the specific case, the inner annular edge 9 of the sealing means 8 is realized in a single body with the main element 12, protrudes from the inner wall 12a of the main element 12 and is coupled with a first side face 14a of the laminar plate 14 through second junction means, still not shown in the figures that follow for the sake of simplicity.

(13) It is understood that in other embodiments of the improved openable pendant of the invention, not represented, the inner annular edge of the sealing means could be realized in a single body with the laminar plate, protrude from the first side face of the latter and be coupled with the inner wall of the main element through the second junction means.

(14) FIGS. 5-7, also, show that the through coupling hole 5 is made in the main element 12, in which case at least the outer wall 12b of the main element 12 is in sight in every condition of use of the improved openable pendant 1 of the invention and the laminar plate 14 is hidden from view in the closed position of the openable pendant 1.

(15) Alternatively, the through coupling hole could be made in the laminar plate, in which case at least a first side face of the laminar plate could be in sight in every conditions of use of the improved openable pendant of the invention and the main element could be hidden from view in the closed position of the openable pendant itself.

(16) Preferably, the first junction means comprise a welding with filler material, formed as a continuous cord, applied around the entire perimeter of the folded perimetrical edge 13 of the main element 12 and around the entire perimeter of the perimetrical portion 15 of the laminar plate 14.

(17) Always in preferred, but not exclusive, way, the second junction means are of the same type of the first junction means with respect to which are applied simultaneously or seamlessly during the coupling step of the laminar plate 14 to the main element 12.

(18) As regards the closure means 6 firstly introduced, operative both in the closed position and in the opened position of the openable pendant 1, FIGS. 2, 3 and 5-7 show that they include a screw 16 engaging in a nut screw 17 made in the entire longitudinal portion which the through coupling hole 5 develops along: particularly although not necessarily, the screw 16 is provided with an operating head 18 housed in an annular seat 19 made in the outer surface 3a of the second shaped body 3 and coaxial to the nut screw 17 which constitutes the through hole 5.

(19) More in detail, as it can be better dearly identified in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the upper surface 18a of the operating head 18 is coplanar with the outer surface 3a of the second shaped body 3 when the screw is fully meshed (or engaged) in the nut screw 17.

(20) With reference to the constraint means 7, they are arranged protruding from the side edge 14b of the laminar plate 14 of the second shaped body 3, as well as from the side edge 20a of a laminar ring 20 belonging to the first shaped body 2.

(21) In a preferred, but not necessary, manner, the constraint means 7 include a classic angular joint which, as shown by the FIGS. 1-6, in the specific case is, by way of pure example, composed by: two tubular elements 21, 22 coaxially spaced apart each other by a predetermined light, arranged in the side edge 14b of said plate laminar 14; a tubular fitting 23 arranged in the side edge 20a of said laminar ring 20 and contained into the predetermined light to be coaxially interposed between the tubular elements 21, 22; an union join pin 24 inserted into the tubular elements 21, 22 and into the tubular fitting 23 and defining a linear rotation axis Z around which the user rotates the first shaped body 2 and/or the second shaped body 3 in order to have the improved openable pendant 1 of the invention between the closed position of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the opened position of FIGS. 3 and 4.

(22) It remains understood that in other embodiments of the improved openable pendant of the invention, not yet represented in the accompanying drawings, the constraint means could include a number of tubular elements and a number of tubular fittings different from those ones just mentioned, such a number, for each of them, could vary at will and depending on the construction choices starting from one, as well known to the person skilled in the construction of such mechanical parts also in the field of jewelry, goldsmith and/or costume jewelry.

(23) In particular, FIGS. 5 and 6 show that even the first shaped body 2 has a composite structure comprising, in addition to the aforesaid laminar ring 20, a main counter-element 25 coupled with the laminar ring 20 through third junction means, not illustrated for the sake of simplicity but of the same type of the first and second junction means before described.

(24) Such a main counter-element 25 properly presents a profile equal to the profile of the main element 12 of the second shaped body 3.

(25) As it is apparent from the figures so far mentioned, both the main element 12 of the second shaped body 3 and the main counter-element 25 of the first shaped body 2 have a respective convex outer surface 12b, 25b, which gives the improved openable pendant of the invention a greater aesthetic pleasantness, and/or an internally hollow structure which, while it determines an increase in the size of the inner chamber 4, lightens the total weight of the jewel concerned.

(26) Advantageously but not necessarily, the first shaped body 2 is provided in such a way as to already include a decorative shaped insert, not shown in the attached figures and usually having a profile substantially equal to that one of the first shaped body 2 itself, placed close to the inner surface 2b of the latter to which is firmly fixed by a removable protection, also not represented for the sake of convenience and made of transparent material, for example PMMA.

(27) The removable protection is applied superiorly to such decorative shaped insert in order to allow, on one hand, the view of the photo, image, drawing, portrait, dock, written paper and/or the like which is interposed between the decorative shaped insert and the removable protection cover itself and, on the other hand, the simple visual appreciation of the shaped decorative insert if the first shaped body 2 presents one or more through incisions made according to a given ornamental pattern.

(28) Operatively, the user (for example a shopkeeper but more likely the end user who buys and even daily uses the jewel concerned) loosens the screw 16 and decouples it from the nut screw 17, thus freeing the through coupling hole 5 present in this case in the main element 12 of the second shaped body 3.

(29) Subsequently, through such a through coupling hole 5 the user introduces a predefined amount of the desired substance S (ashes arising from the cremation of a loved extinct person or a dead animal, or a fragrance, an aroma and so on) into the inner chamber 4 of the second shaped body 3 (provided that the main element 12 and the laminar plate 14 that compose it are already stably coupled each other by the first and second junction means, in such a way as to close the inner chamber 4, and that the second shaped element 3 is already stably coupled with the first shaped body 2 by the constraint means 7).

(30) As soon as the operation of introduction of the symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance S into the closed inner chamber 4 has been completed, the user tightly closes the through coupling hole 5 by engaging again the screw 16 in the nut screw 17 up to make the upper surface 18a of the operating head 18 coplanar with the outer surface 3a of the second shaped body 3.

(31) The presence of the sealing means 8 inside the inner chamber 4, in this case in the form of the inner annular edge 9 and the resulting annular isolation interspace 11 formed between the center C and the folded peripheral edge 10 of the second shaped body 3, ensures the effective preservation of the substance S in such an inner chamber 4, advantageously avoiding its contact with the constraint means 7 and, in return, with the external environment.

(32) On the basis of the description just provided, it is understood, therefore, that the improved openable pendant for the containment of ashes, fragrances, flavours and/or similar of the present invention achieves the purposes and reaches the advantages previously mentioned. Unlike the known art constituted for example by FR2719027 A1, therefore, the openable pendant of the invention is able to totally preserve the integrity of the symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance (introduced into the inner chamber of one of the component shaped bodies) in any utilization condition of the object, not only when it is in the closed position but also when it is in the opened position: this thanks to the fact that, in the invention, the inner chamber always remains hermetically closed in every position taken by the openable pendant and to the fact that, in an innovative manner, the sealing means physically separate the inner chamber from the constraint means permanently isolating it from the external environment in the closed position and in the opened position of the object, so that the substance provided in such an inner chamber can be accessed only by recklessly and thoughtlessly breaking the shaped body in which the inner chamber is made.

(33) Upon implementation, changes could be made to the improved openable pendant of the present invention consisting, for example, in closure means applied at the through coupling hole to close the inner chamber of type different from that one previously described and shown in the accompanying figures.

(34) Beyond to this, further embodiments, not shown, could exist in which the improved openable pendant exclusively claimed herewith includes constraint means different from those ones shown in the drawings that follow, which does not affect the advantage brought by the present invention.

(35) In addition, in further embodiments of the improved openable pendant of the invention, not illustrated, the inner chamber of the second shaped body could contain more than one symbolic, commemorative, fragrant and/or aromatic substance able to excite an emotion and/or a memory in the end user.

(36) Furthermore, other embodiments of the improved openable pendant of the invention, here still not accompanied by reference drawings, could provide sealing means different from those ones described above and shown in the accompanying figures.

(37) It should be noted that the shaped bodies belonging to the improved openable pendant of the invention could be implemented in any metallic material, such as steel or metal of adequate mechanical strength (e.g., titanium) or, even more, such as any of the precious metals selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium and platinum or in any plastic material of adequate mechanical strength and pleasant aesthetic effect.

(38) It should be also noted that the improved openable pendant of the invention could take any profile different from than one shown in the following figures and dependent on market demands and customers' tastes: just to cite a further embodiment, not shown, of the openable pendant of the present invention, it could present a profile in the shape of the heart, in which case its component elementssuch as, for example, the main element and the laminar plate of the first shaped body and the laminar ring and the main counter-element of the second shaped body described abovewill present same profile.

(39) It is, finally, clear that several other changes could be made to the improved openable pendant concerned, without departing from the principle of novelty intrinsic in the inventive idea expressed herein, as it is clear that, in the practical implementation of the invention, materials, shapes and sizes of the illustrated details could be changed, as needed, and replaced with others technically equivalent.

(40) Where the constructive features and techniques mentioned in the following claims are followed by reference numbers or signs, those reference signs have been introduced with the sole objective of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and therefore they have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified, by way of example only, by these reference signs.