US4184344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mood-indicating jewelry with changeable display
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1978-10-04
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Granted: 1980-01-22
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Expires: 1998-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A piece of jewelry for indicating mood and usable as a pendant or the like in the form of a miniature traffic light having three apertures of substantially the same size spaced in vertical alignment with one another and having a cylindrical inner surface. A carrier having a mating cylindrical surface is fitted inside of the housing. The carrier includes three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber and green which are relatively movable with respect to the housing and indexably arranged for selective individual viewing through the respective top, middle and bottom apertures. For moving the carrier it has an operator which extends through the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation to a color condition which depends upon the mood of the wearer. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the selected color is brought into register with the corresponding aperture by peripheral shifting, whereas in an alternate embodiment the desired color is brought into a condition of register by axial shifting. The alternate embodiment moreover has provision for simultaneous display of the same color on at least three sides of the device. Another embodiment may use transparent colored sections with a source of electric light, a battery and a switch.
Inventors
- 👤 David E. J. Pepin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:20
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44C; A44C15/00; A44C15/0015; A44C25/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
223 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a generally rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light, the housing having a cylindrical chamber therein, the housing having front, side, and back walls, the front wall having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and in communication with the chamber, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier in the form of a rotor having an outer cylindrical surface telescoped snugly inside of the cylindrical surface of the chamber, means for holding the rotor captive against endwise movement, the rotor having three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber and green peripherally offset from one another and horizontally aligned with the apertures so that when the rotor is rotated the colored sections are individually viewable through the respective top, middle and bottom apertures, the rotor having a knob at its lower end and extending downwardly from the housing for indexed movement of the rotor to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
223 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a generally rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light, the housing having a cylindrical chamber therein, the housing having front, side, and back walls, the front wall having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and in communication with the chamber, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier in the form of a rotor having an outer cylindrical surface telescoped snugly inside of the cylindrical surface of the chamber, means for holding the rotor captive against endwise movement, the rotor having three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber and green peripherally offset from one another and horizontally aligned with the apertures so that when the rotor is rotated the colored sections are individually viewable through the respective top, middle and bottom apertures, the rotor having a knob at its lower end and extending downwardly from the housing for indexed movement of the rotor to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
184 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a hollow rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light having at least one set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and having an inner surface in communication with the apertures, means in said housing for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier having a cylindrical surface fitted snugly inside of the inner surface of the housing, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and indexibly arranged for selective individual viewing through the top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through and beyond the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
184 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a hollow rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light having at least one set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and having an inner surface in communication with the apertures, means in said housing for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier having a cylindrical surface fitted snugly inside of the inner surface of the housing, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and indexibly arranged for selective individual viewing through the top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through and beyond the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
196 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which compromises, in combination, a generally rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light, the housing having a cylindrical chamber therein defining four walls, at least one of the walls having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and in communication with the chamber, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier having a cylindrical surface and fitted snugly inside of the cylindrical surface of the chamber, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and indexibly arranged for selective individual viewing through the respective top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through and beyond the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
196 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which compromises, in combination, a generally rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light, the housing having a cylindrical chamber therein defining four walls, at least one of the walls having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and in communication with the chamber, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a carrier having a cylindrical surface and fitted snugly inside of the cylindrical surface of the chamber, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections colored red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and indexibly arranged for selective individual viewing through the respective top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through and beyond the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier to a color condition selected in accordance with the mood of the wearer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which the colored sections of the carrier are in the form of peripherally offset segments and in which the operating means is in the form of a knob for rotating the carrier about a central vertical axis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which the color sections of the carrier are in the form of circular bands shiftable axially of the housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which the housing has at least three sets of apertures on its front and side surfaces respectively and in which the colored sections are of sufficient arcuate extent as to show the color simultaneously in corresponding positions in each of the sets of apertures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
179 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and having an inner vertical chamber in communication with the apertures, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a vertically arranged carrier fitted snugly but slidably in the chamber adjacent the apertures, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections of red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and arranged for indexed individual viewing through the top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through, and beyond, the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier sections to a selected condition which depends upon the mood of the wearer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
179 words
A piece of jewelry for indicating mood capable of being used as a pendant or the like which comprises, in combination, a rectangular housing in the shape of a traffic light having a set of three vertically spaced apertures of substantially the same size arranged in alignment with one another and having an inner vertical chamber in communication with the apertures, means in said chamber for displaying a color simulating a traffic signal through each aperture of said set of apertures, while simultaneously displaying a "lights out" condition through the other two apertures of said set, said means including a vertically arranged carrier fitted snugly but slidably in the chamber adjacent the apertures, the carrier comprising three vertically stacked sections of red, amber, and green relatively shiftable with respect to the housing and arranged for indexed individual viewing through the top, middle and bottom apertures, the carrier having operating means coupled thereto and extending through, and beyond, the housing for convenient fingertip manipulation of the carrier sections to a selected condition which depends upon the mood of the wearer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-01-21 | 1983-07-23 | 1984-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-01-21 | 1987-07-23 | 1988-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-01-21 | 1991-07-23 | 1992-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |