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Patent Abstract
A jewelry box having one or more containers hidden in the interior
thereof which are easily accessible and not easily discernable to
an outside observer.
Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A jewelry box for containing jewelry comprising the combination
of: a polygonal configured container defining an interior chamber
and having a frontal opening of lesser dimension than the width
of said container; said interior chamber having retaining means
to slidably receive a slidable drawer; a slidable drawer received
within said interior chamber in operative association with said
retaining means; said slidable drawer being of about the width of
said frontal opening; and at least one container adjacent said frontal
opening and being movable to a first hidden position wholly within
said interior chamber and a second accessible position once said
slidable drawer is removed outwardly from said interior chamber.
2. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slidable
drawer is removable from said interior chamber and wherein said
container is pivotally mounted adjacent said frontal opening and
is movable from a first hidden position wholly within said interior
chamber into a second unhidden accessible position with respect
to said interior chamber and said jewelry box additionally includes
a hinged cover and said container is open topped.
3. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 2 wherein said pivotally
mounted containers are on either side of said frontal opening.
4. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 3 wherein said pivotally
mounted containers rotate outwardly for ease of accessibility.
5. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said
pivotally mounted containers have notches on an accessible edge
wall thereof for ease of grasping.
6. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 5 wherein said polygonal
configured container is ovoid in shape.
7. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 6 wherein said slidable
drawer is rectangular.
8. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 7 wherein the side
wall of said pivotally mounted containers are congruently shaped
to the exterior side wall of said polygonal configured container.
9. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 8 which additionally
includes a front cover hingedly secured to the bottom of said polygonal
configured container.
10. The jewelry box in accordance with claim 9 wherein said hinged
cover is retained in covering position by reason of said hinged
cover being superpositioned thereover.
Patent Description
COPYRIGHT AUTHORIZATION
[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one
of the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright
rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to jewelry boxes and, more specifically,
to jewelry boxes of the type that contain a hidden compartment or
compartments therein which would be relatively easy to access, and
yet to young children or a burglar it would not be known that there
are hidden compartments within the jewelry box.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Jewelry boxes of one type or another have been around for
ages and have taken various forms but there has always been a need
to have a jewelry box or the like that would have an area which
would be imperceptible and wherein objects could be placed and be
hidden from view so as not to be too easily or readily accessible
to young children or those with larceny in their heart.
[0006] As far as is known there is no prior art that teaches a
jewelry box that would have an open front to receive at least one
slidably positionable drawer wherein the drawer would not fill the
entire interior content or chamber of the jewelry box to thereby
allow the positioning of one or more compartments within the interior
of the jewelry box which would not be readily discernable to an
outsider or young child, but yet would be readily accessible to
the owner of the jewelry box.
[0007] In order for a hidden compartment or compartments to be
located within a jewelry box and yet still be readily accessible,
the hidden compartment of necessity must have at least some side
walls that would be congruently configured to the compartment within
which they are contained and wherein the other features of the jewelry
box such as a drawer would be of lesser width in dimension than
the overall width of the jewelry box so as to permit the positioning
of a hidden compartment within the interior of the jewelry box and
wherein the interiorly received container may be pivotally mounted
for ease of positioning wholly within the container or rotatably
or pivotally movable to an accessible location partially outside
the interior of the jewelry box.
[0008] A search of related art has been conducted and no specific
reference has been found that would detract from the overall patentability
of the herein disclosed jewelry box having at least one hidden compartment
which may or may not be pivotally mounted for positioning wholly
within the interior of the jewelry box and then would be positionable
partially exteriorly for ease of access.
[0009] U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,738,250 and 4,195,727 each disclose jewelry
boxes having a pair of outwardly pivoting trays.
[0010] U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,564,122 and 5,823,328 each disclose storage
boxes such as for jewelry having pivoting compartments.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,123 and more specifically the element
24 disclosed in FIGS. 2-5 inclusive, disclose a storage drawer having
pivoting trays.
[0012] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,127,719 and 6,059,388 each disclose jewelry
boxes having concealment features, but none of the type as disclosed
in the herein disclosed invention.
[0013] Similarly, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 203,305, 270,980, 451,671,
454,687 and 455,902 fail to disclose anything that would be remotely
similar in over all concept with respect to hidden compartments
to the instantly disclosed invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] In its simplest form the invention is directed to a jewelry
box for containing jewelry comprising the combination of a polygonal
configured container defining an interior chamber and having a frontal
opening of lesser dimension than the width of the container. The
interior chamber of the jewelry box has a retaining means to slidably
receive a removable drawer and a removable drawer is received within
the interior chamber in operative association with the retaining
means. The removable drawer is about the width of the frontal opening
of the jewelry box and there is at least one smaller container adjacent
the frontal opening and being movable to a first hidden position
wholly within the interior chamber of the jewelry box, and a second
non-hidden accessible position at least partially outside the interior
of the jewelry box when the removable drawer is removed from the
interior of the jewelry box to allow access to the smaller, previously
hidden container.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0015] It is an object of the present invention to provide a jewelry
box having an interior chamber that can house at least one hidden
container so that the same is not readily discernible from viewing
the exterior of the jewelry box.
[0016] It is another more important specific object of the present
invention to provide a jewelry box that has a specific configuration
that allows for the placement of a hidden container within the jewelry
box and which is easily accessible to the user thereof.
[0017] It is another still more important specific object of the
invention to provide a jewelry box having a polygonal configuration
and having a frontal opening with at least one removable drawer
with at least one hidden container being positioned adjacent the
frontal opening and wherein that container may be pivotally mounted
so in one position it is wholly within the interior of the jewelry
box and upon rotation is at least partially exterior of the interior
of the jewelry box for ease of accessibility to the objects stored
therein.
[0018] It is still another more important specific object of the
invention to provide an ovoid configured jewelry box having a frontal
opening wherein at least one removable drawer is retained therein
and wherein there are hidden smaller containers, the side wall of
each having the congruent configuration of the polygonal jewelry
box and which upon removal of the removable drawer may be removable
or rotatable to an accessible position to thereby allow ease of
accessibility to articles contained therein.
[0019] It is still another more specific important object of the
invention to provide a jewelry box having a frontal opening with
a removable drawer and wherein there are two adjacently positioned
hidden compartments or containers that are rotatable in and out
of the interior of the jewelry box and wherein the jewelry box has
an upper cover and a lower hinged front cover that may be located
over the frontal opening and held in position by the top cover.
[0020] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention
will be apparent from a review of the following specification and
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the jewelry box of
my invention shown in the closed position;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the jewelry box of
my invention shown with the top cover and the frontal cover being
in the open position;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the removability
of the bottom drawer of the jewelry box and wherein the bottom drawer
is capable of housing a separate travel case;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a view of the jewelry box of the invention similar
to FIG. 3 but showing the bottom drawer removed and the hidden containers
that are housed within the interior of the jewelry box;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the jewelry box shown in FIG.
4 showing more detailed construction as to how retaining means are
provided to receive removable drawers and wherein more detailed
construction is shown for a pivot support, where the same are used,
for the hidden containers of the jewelry box of the invention and;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a view taken along 6-6 of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0027] The detailed description set forth below in connection with
the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred
embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the
only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or
utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence
of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection
with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood
that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished
by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed
within the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0028] Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference
designate like elements throughout it will be seen that the jewelry
box 2 here shown as being ovoid or polygonal in configuration, has
an exterior wall 4 defining an interior chamber 6 and having a frontal
opening 8 to receive drawers 10 and 12 for example in removable
fashion with jewelry box 2 having an open top which is closable
by reason of cover 14 being hingedly connected as at 16 so as to
move from the open position shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 to the
closed position as shown in FIG. 1.
[0029] Secured to the bottom wall 20 of jewelry box 2 is front
cover plate 22 which is hingedly connected to bottom wall 20 by
means of hinge member 24 such that upon upward rotation, frontal
cover 22 is received in closing position and retained thereat by
reason of the interior surface 24 of cover 14 holding the upper
edge 26 of cover 22 as shown in FIG. 1.
[0030] The interior 6 of jewelry box 2 defines a volume adapted
to receive for example drawers 10 and 12 and even top container
30 as best seen in FIG. 2. The means to achieve support and slidable
positioning of drawers 10 and 12 within the interior 6 of jewelry
box 2 is achieved by reason of flanged bracket 32 providing guides
or rails 34 and 36 upon which drawers 10 and 12, for example, may
be releasably and slidably received in movable fashion and to that
end those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the bottom
wall 40 will form the support, for example, for bottom drawer 10
whereas the flanged bracket 32 positioned on either side of the
interior 6 of jewelry box 2 will provide the mechanism for guiding
and holding drawer 12 and container 30 within the interior chamber
6 of jewelry box 2. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize
that the jewelry box 2 has two distanced and opposed vertical walls
48 for holding the flanged bracket or retaining means 32 by means
of rivets or the like not shown.
[0031] Thus far the jewelry box 2 is of somewhat conventional construction
but differs in that the frontal opening 8 is of lesser width than
the overall width of the box 2 so that there is a void or empty
space 50 within which may be placed one or more containers such
as 52 to be totally hidden within the interior 6 of jewelry box
2 and, more specifically, within one or more of the voids 50.
[0032] While the containers 52 are shown as having at least one
wall 54 congruently shaped to the interior of exterior wall 4 of
jewelry box 2, other shapes may be utilized just so long as the
overall desiratum is achieved: that is to have a hidden container
within the jewelry box 2 in a space where one ordinarily would not
think to look unless pre-knowledge was had.
[0033] The containers 52 shown in FIG. 4 are not connected to or
pivotally mounted in any manner but are merely placed within the
voids 50 manually and once in position the drawer 10, for example,
may be placed therein such that the container or containers 52 (where
one or more are desired) are completely hidden and obstructed from
view.
[0034] However, in the preferred mode and referring to FIGS. 5
and 6 the containers 52 are pivotally mounted by means of a pivot
post 60 secured to the flanged bracket 32 in conventional fashion
or otherwise secured to the wall 48 such that the container 52 is
pivotable from a first position wholly within the interior 6 of
jewelry box 2 or to a second position that is partially outside
the interior 6 for ease of accessibility to the interior of the
container 52.
[0035] To aid in retrieving or rotating the container 52 from inside
of the jewelry box 2 to the outside is shown in FIG. 5, a notch,
for example 60 is placed in an upper edge so that the same may be
easily grasped by the finger of the user.
[0036] The exterior of the jewelry box 2 may be of padded plastic,
leather, metal or any commonly found and utilized materials of construction
for jewelry boxes, it only being important that when the jewelry
box is opened as for example in FIG. 2 and the bottom drawer removed
as shown in FIG. 3, no one viewing the jewelry box 2 would have
any pre-knowledge of the fact that there are one or more hidden
compartments or containers within the interior chamber of the jewelry
box 2. Where the hidden container or containers are pivotally mounted
the same may be rotated outwardly in order to gain access to the
interior thereof in which jewelry or the like may be housed.
[0037] Thus, there has been described a unique jewelry box which
has the advantages of having hidden containers or compartments within
the interior of the jewelry box which would not be generally discernable
to children of tender years or those who would not know about the
hidden compartments or containers and which are easily accessible
to those having knowledge of the overall construction of the jewelry
box.
[0038] The materials of construction, as indicated hereinbefore,
may be any of those that are commonly used for jewelry boxes whether
they be wood, plastic, lacquered or reinforced cardboard or the
like held together by rods, screws, nails and/or glue, with various
coverings depending on the choice of the designer.
[0039] While the present invention has been described with regards
to a specific polygonal configuration, those of ordinary skill in
the art will of course recognize that various shapes may be utilized,
it only being important that the removable or positionable drawers
or drawer take up less of the interior volume of the overall box
so as to permit the placement of a hidden container or compartment
within the remainder of the interior of the jewelry box. Various
modifications and changes may be made all without deviating from
the essence of the invention as those of ordinary skill in the art
will recognize and all such deviations and modifications are intended
to be covered by the appended claims. |