Free-standing or hanging jewelry and/or accessory holder

Patent Abstract
This invention relates to an open jewelry and/or accessory holder that can be free-standing, mountable or hang on a vertical surface. The holder has shelfves or trays with varying amounts of compartments of different or the same sizes aligned next to each other for storing different types of jewelry and accessories, particularly for holding pairs of earrings. The compartments can be removable. The removable compartments can further be removed and placed into a travel holder case. The trays are positioned on a slant to make for ease in access. In addition, the holder can have drawers, pegs or some other means for hanging jewelry and accessories, mirrors or any type of means to hold a specific kind of jewelry.

2. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 1 wherein the shelf or shelves are slanted at an angle of approximately 10.degree..

3. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the holder is free-standing.

4. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the holder can be hung on a vertical surface.

5. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the trays or shelves are removable or interchangeable.

6. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the compartments are removable or interchangeable.

7. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 6 wherein one or more removable compartments is also a portable travel or carrying case.

8. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 7 wherein the removable compartment has a lid, cover, top, flap or holder.

9. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the compartments have specialized earring compartments, each to be used to hold at least one pair of earrings.

10. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 9 wherein the earring compartments have slats.

11. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising pegs for necklaces and other hanging jewelry and accessories.

12. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 11 wherein the pegs are removable or interchangeable.

13. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 11 wherein the pegs can be pushed into the holder.

14. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising a ring holder in at least one of the trays or shelves.

15. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising a drawer in the holder.

16. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 15 wherein the drawer locks.

17. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein at least one shelf contains a watch holder.

18. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein the holder further comprises a mirror.

19. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 wherein at least one shelf is lined with a suitable lining material.

20. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 1 further comprising at least two open jewelry and/or accessory holders that are capable of being stacked.

21. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising at least two open jewelry and/or accessory holders that are capable of being stacked.

22. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising doors attached to the holder.

23. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 22 wherein the doors are removable.

24. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 1 further comprising a light source.

25. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 2 further comprising a light source.

26. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 24 wherein the light source is movable.

27. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 25 wherein the light source is movable.

28. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 1 wherein the trays or shelves are slanted at an angle of between 10.degree. and 35.degree..

29. The open jewelry and/or accessory holder of claim 1 wherein the trays or shelves are slanted at an angle of approximately 20.degree..

30. A method of making a jewelry and/or accessory holder comprising: attaching two vertical even length sides having a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside; inserting shelves or trays in any combinations attached horizontally to the inside of each vertical even-length-side at equidistant points on the vertical even-length sides; wherein the shelves or trays are slanted at an angle of at least 5.degree.; and placing optional removable compartments in the shelves or trays for storing items.

31. An open jewelry and/or accessory holder kit comprising: an open jewelry and/or accessory holder comprising two vertical even length sides having a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside; open shelves or trays in any combinations attached horizontally to the inside of each vertical even-length-side at equidistant points on the vertical even-length sides; wherein the shelves or trays are slanted at an angle of at least 5.degree.; removable or interchangeable compartments; and a holder, carrying or travel case to place removable or interchangeable compartments.

Patent Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/764,286 filed Feb. 1, 2006 having Jennifer Cunningham as the sole inventor and is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention is related to an open jewelry and/or accessory holder that can be free-standing, mountable or hang on a vertical surface. The unit has shelves or trays with varying amounts of compartments of different or the same sizes aligned next to each other for storing different types of jewelry and accessories, particularly for holding pairs of earrings. The compartments can be removable. The removable compartments can further be placed into a travel holder case. The trays are positioned on a slant to make for ease in access. In addition, the holder can have drawers, pegs or other means for hanging jewelry and accessories, mirrors or any type of means to hold a specific kind of jewelry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, a jewelry and/or accessory storage system. The invention relates to, for example, a free-standing or hanging jewelry and/or accessory holder that is open for ease in accessing the items stored in the holder.

[0004] The jewelry and accessories market is a billion dollar industry in the United States alone. Many people, particularly women purchase numerous items of jewelry and different accessories every year. Jewelry is also often given as a gift for many occasions. In addition, it is often passed down to younger generations.

[0005] Many of today's fashion trends often involve jewelry and/or accessory pieces. Women, especially, often have many different pieces of jewelry, including, but not limited to earrings, necklaces, watches, rings, brooches, clips, bracelets, charms, pendants, chains and hair accessories. These pieces are sometimes taken off and on or changed daily. Some pieces are not worn often, whereas others are worn almost everyday.

[0006] When jewelry and accessories are stored, due to their often delicate nature, they can become broken, damaged, tangled or even ruined. Earrings, in particular, come in pairs and often one of them is misplaced, and they can no longer be worn. It is desirable to have a convenient storage system for both protectively safeguarding the items, and allowing for a convenient method of accessing the pieces, as well as keeping paired pieces together to prevent loss.

[0007] Previously, jewelry storage systems have been boxes, drawers, chests or racks in an enclosed or closable form. In order to access the jewelry or accessories in other forms the drawers and doors would have to be opened. There is a need for a jewelry and/or accessory holder with many different spaces to hold jewelry or accessories, and that allows a person to customize the holder for the jewelry to be stored and that is easy and convenient to access.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The inventions described and claimed herein have many attributes and encompass many embodiments including, but not limited to, those set forth in this Summary. The inventions described and claimed herein are not limited to, or by, the features or embodiments identified in this Summary, which is included for purposes of illustration only and not restriction. In one embodiment the invention is an open jewelry and/or accessory holder comprising two vertical even length sides having a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside, open shelves or trays in any combinations attached horizontally to the inside of each vertical even-length-side at equidistant points on the vertical even-length sides, wherein the shelves or trays are slanted at an angle of at least 5.degree., and compartments in the shelves or trays for storing items.

[0009] The invention in one aspect is an open holder for jewelry and accessories with trays with specialized compartments for jewelry, specifically earrings. In one aspect the compartments can be removable. In yet another aspect the removable compartment can also be a travel or carrying case or be placed into a separate travel or carrying case.

[0010] In another aspect the holder is open for convenient access and the trays or shelves inside are slanted so the items can be seen and removed easily. In still another aspect the earring compartments can have slats for the earrings to be held securely. In another aspect it can be free-standing, mountable or able to hang on any suitable surface.

[0011] In yet another aspect the holder can have pegs, hooks or some other means for hanging jewelry that are staggered so the jewelry or accessories do not come into contact or tangle. In another aspect the pegs can be pushed into holder when not in use. In still another aspect the invention can have a mirror mounted somewhere on the holder. In another aspect of the invention it has a compartment that is a watch holder.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the invention there could be a drawer, or a plurality of drawers. In a further aspect the drawer or drawers could have a locking mechanism. In another aspect the trays, shelves, compartments and drawers of the holder can be lined with any suitable lining material. In yet another aspect of the invention the back of the holder could be fully or partially covered with any suitable backing material. In still another aspect there could be a door or any combination of doors on the holder to provide protection. In another aspect the holder can have optional removable doors.

[0013] In another aspect the holder can have a cover made of any suitable cover material to protect the holder and the contents therein, including for example a door, retractable cover, or other means of concealing the open holder for jewelry and accessories.

[0014] In yet another aspect the invention is a jewelry and/or accessory holder comprising two vertical even length sides having a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside, shelves or trays in any combinations attached horizontally to the inside of each vertical even-length-side at equidistant points on the vertical even-length sides wherein the shelves or trays are slanted at an angle of at least 5.degree. and compartments in the shelves or trays are for storing items.

[0015] In still another aspect the invention is an open jewelry and/or accessory holder kit comprising an open jewelry and/or accessory holder comprising two vertical even length sides having a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside, open shelves or trays in any combinations attached horizontally to the inside of each vertical even-length-side at equidistant points on the vertical even-length sides; wherein the shelves or trays are slanted at an angle of at least 5.degree., removable or interchangeable compartments and a holder, and a carrying or travel case to place removable or interchangeable

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGS.

[0016] FIG. 1: FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the holder with four slanted removable shelves or trays with removable earring compartments, as well as other compartments to hold different jewelry or accessories. There are also necklace arms for hanging jewelry and accessories. The holder also has doors which can be removable and drawers for placing objects. The holder can be hanging or free-standing.

[0017] FIG. 1A shows a front view of the jewelry and/or accessory holder.

[0018] FIG. 1B shows a side-view of the holder.

[0019] FIG. 1C shows an angled view of the holder.

[0020] FIG. 1D shows an angled view of the holder with the optional removable doors ajar and the optional drawers pulled open.

[0021] FIG. 2 FIG. 2 shows additional views of the holder.

[0022] FIG. 2A shows a front view of the holder.

[0023] FIG. 2B shows the slanted shelves or trays.

[0024] FIG. 3: FIG. 3 shows various embodiments of styles of the removable compartments that can be placed on, or in, the slanted shelves or trays depending on the user's needs.

[0025] FIG. 4: FIG. 4 shows details of the slanted shelves or trays. The shelves or trays can be removable or stationary. There could be any number of shelves or trays.

[0026] FIG. 5: FIG. 5 shows an optional holder or travel case for the removable compartments to be placed in when removed from the holder.

[0027] FIG. 5A shows a top view of the optional holder or travel case.

[0028] FIG. 5B shows a three-dimensional view of the optional holder or travel case.

[0029] FIG. 5C shows a front view of the optional holder or travel case.

[0030] FIG. 5D shows a side view of the optional holder or travel case.

[0031] FIG. 6: FIG. 6 shows the optional travel case with a removable compartment from the holder placed into the travel case.

[0032] FIG. 7: FIG. 7 shows several views of the optional travel case with the removable tray removed.

[0033] FIG. 7A shows a top view of the optional travel case with the lid or cover open.

[0034] FIG. 7B shows a three-dimensional of the optional travel case with the lid or cover open.

[0035] FIG. 7C shows a front view of the optional travel case with the lid or cover open.

[0036] FIG. 7D shows a side view of the optional travel case with the lid or cover open.

[0037] FIG. 8: FIG. 8 shows the optional travel case with two removable compartments that can be stacked in the travel case or placed on or in the shelves of the free standing jewelry holder. The optional removable compartments have four rectangular separations to place and store accessories that can be stacked in the optional travel case or holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] The open structure allows ease in access because there are no doors or drawers to open to access the items stored. In addition, the items can be easily viewed without needing to open any enclosures and there are no drawers or doors to block the light. The jewelry and/or accessory holder described herein does not have cumbersome mechanisms to contend with when removing or placing items in the holder. The holder can be free-standing, mountable or able to hang from any suitable vertical surface.

[0039] This invention provides a jewelry and/or accessory holder that is open. The holder is designed with two vertical sides that run parallel connected by shelves or trays 5 placed horizontally between the sides, and it is open. The holder can have a back covering attached to the sides and trays or shelves 5, and the back covering can attach to only a portion of the entire unit, or it can be open from the back. The holder can be constructed of any suitable constructing material including, but not limited to, wood, plastic, polyurethane or cardboard. The holder could be shipped already assembled or some assembly could be required.

[0040] The holder can be any particular color and it can be left natural, painted, stained, varnished, lacquered or treated by any other suitable means. The holder can also have decorative etchings, finishes, trims or any other desired decorative element. In addition, the holder could be provided with different skins or colors such that a user could change the color to match the room, furniture or the like, or whenever the user desired a new color. Furthermore, the holder could be covered in any type of desired cover material or covering

[0041] The holder can be free-standing. (FIGS. 1 and 2A) It can have a base 1 to stand on or it can have legs that allow it to be placed on any suitable surface. (FIG. 1) In another embodiment the holder can be hung on any suitable vertical surface. It can have a means for hanging attached to the holder or the holder can be mounted on a vertical surface such as a wall or a door. There can be multiple holder units that can be stacked together to form a larger unit. The holder units can be stacked horizontally or vertically. In another embodiment the holder unit can be small or miniaturized and suitable for small spaces or travel.

[0042] The holder could also have a light source, such as a light bulb, to better view the jewelry and accessories placed in it. The light source could be placed anywhere in the unit or could be movable within the unit. For example, the light source could be built into the top shelf so it shines down on the items contained in the holder. The light source could be powered by a battery or it could be powered by an AC power source via a plug that would connect to a wall socket.

[0043] The holder has trays or shelves 5 that are placed at an incline to provide for ease in viewing the items contained therein and better ability to remove the items. (FIGS. 1.5, 2B and 4) The trays or shelves can be at any incline greater than, but not limited to 5.degree., with approximately 10.degree. being the preferable incline (e.g., at or around 10.degree.). Alternatively, the trays 5 or shelves can be at any incline between 10.degree. and 35.degree., or alternatively still, at approximately 20.degree. (e.g., at or around 20.degree.). The incline allows the user to easily remove small and often delicate earrings, and other jewelry pieces from the holder. Because earrings are often small, if they are dropped they can be lost or damaged. The incline helps prevent this from happening as well as allowing for better viewing of the content in the holder. In an alternative embodiment, there is no incline.

[0044] The trays, shelves, 5 earrings compartments and various compartments 6 in the holder can be lined with a suitable lining material, including, but not limited to, velvet, silk, satin, cotton, jersey, felt, corduroy or the like. The lining material aids to both protect the items placed in the holder and position them more securely in place to prevent slipping, sliding, shifting and moving of the items. The lining material also adds aesthetic quality to the holder because of its open nature. The lining material can be of any color or pattern and can complement the lining material and color of the holder so as to be a decorative accent.

[0045] The holder can have many different types of compartments 6 suitable to hold specific types of jewelry, particularly earrings. (FIGS. 1 and 3) The earring compartments each securely hold a pair of earrings. (FIG. 3B) This prevents earrings from being separated from each other and also from being tangled and damaged. The earrings can be viewed easily and removed from the holder with ease. In another embodiment the earring compartments could have slats to hold the earrings more firmly in place. (FIGS. 3A and 3B) The holder could also include a ring holding compartment to keep rings firmly in place. In addition, the unit could have a watch holder compartment. (FIG. 3) All or some of the compartments 6 could be interchangeable or removable, or extra inserts could be provided or purchased separately, thus providing for different designs or combinations to suit the needs of the user. In another embodiment the holder has a drawer 2 or a plurality of drawers to hold items. (FIG. 1) The drawer, or drawers, could have a locking mechanism to safeguard expensive or cherished jewelry. The holder can have any of these different compartments 6 in any number of combinations and is not limited to any single one.

[0046] The removable compartment or compartments can also have an optional cover, flap, lid or top 7 so the compartment could be removed and used as its own travel or carrying case or placed into an additional optional carrying or travel case 8. (FIGS. 5,6,7 and 8) The user can put certain jewelry or belongings into the removable compartment so the user will have a separate case to carry the jewelry or belongings. (FIG. 8) The cover, flap, lid or top 7 can be attached or bound to the actual compartment 6 or it can be detachable or the carrying or travel case 8 can be totally separate. (FIGS. 5,6,7 and 8) The cover, flap, lid or top 7 can have a lock or clasp 9 so that the case 8 or compartment 6 can securely close or lock. The compartment 6 or case 8 can be of any shape, size or design and can consist of different size segments within to hold earrings, rings, necklaces, watches bracelets or any number of accessories or belongings. The holder could come as a kit and include the holder (FIG. 1), different removable compartments 6 and a travel or carrying case 8.

[0047] The holder can also have pegs 4 on the bottom, sides, or on or below the trays or shelves 5 to hold different hanging accessories including, but not limited to necklaces, watches, bracelets, hair ribbons, scarves or any other jewelry or accessories. The pegs 4 can be next to each other or staggered. (FIG. 1C) Placing the staggered pegs on the side of the unit provides a convenient place to hang jewelry and accessories and prevents them from becoming tangled with each other by limiting contact. In another embodiment the pegs 4 can be removable or interchangeable and the user can decide where the pegs should be placed, or if they should be used at all. Further, the pegs 4 could be pushed into the holder when not in use. The holder can have a mirror, or a plurality of mirrors, placed on any part of the holder to make it convenient to try on and view jewelry and accessories.

[0048] The holder could also have a door 3 to close over any portion of the holder and provide further protection to the items placed therein. The door or doors 3 can be removable. (FIG. 1) The doors 3 could be glass, plastic or any other suitable clear material. In another embodiment the holder has a cover, made from any suitable cover material, to cover the holder and any items stored in the holder.

[0049] In accordance with the detailed description, the following abbreviations and definitions apply. It must be noted that as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0050] Patents, patent applications, publications, scientific articles, books, web sites, and other documents and materials referenced or mentioned herein, or attached hereto, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. All claims in this application, and all priority applications, including but not limited to original claims, are hereby incorporated in their entirety into, and form a part of, the written description of the invention. Applicant reserves the right to physically incorporate into this document (including the specification, written description, the claims, the original claims, and the abstract) any and all materials and information from any such patents, applications, publications, scientific articles, web sites, electronically available information, and other referenced materials or documents.

[0051] The inventions have been described broadly and generically herein. Each of the narrower species and subgeneric groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of these inventions. This includes the generic description of each invention which hereby include, including any claims thereto, a proviso or negative limitation removing or optionally allowing the removal of any subject matter from the genus, regardless of whether or not the excised materials or options were specifically recited or identified in haec verba herein, and all such variations form a part of the original written description of the inventions

[0052] The inventions illustratively described and claimed herein can suitably be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations, not specifically disclosed herein or described herein as essential. Thus, for example, the terms "comprising,""including,""containing,""for example," etc., shall be read expansively and without limitation.

[0053] Under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted to be limited to the specific examples or embodiments or methods specifically disclosed herein. Under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted to be limited by any statement made by any Examiner or any other official or employee of the Patent and Trademark Office unless such statement was specifically and without qualification or reservation expressly adopted by Applicant in a responsive writing specifically relating to the application that led to this patent prior to its issuance.

[0054] The terms and expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions, or any portions thereof, to exclude any equivalents now know or later developed, whether or not such equivalents are set forth or shown or described herein or whether or not such equivalents are viewed as predictable, but it is recognized that various modifications are within the scope of the invention claimed, whether or not those claims issued with or without alteration or amendment for any reason. Thus, it shall be understood that, although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by embodiments and optional features, modifications and variations of the inventions embodied therein or herein disclosed can be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of the inventions disclosed and claimed herein.

[0055] Specific methods and compositions described herein are representative of preferred embodiments and are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Other objects, aspects, and embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of this specification, and are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims. Where examples are given, the description shall be construed to include but not to be limited to only those examples. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that varying substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and from the description of the inventions, including those illustratively set forth herein, it is manifest that various modifications and equivalents can be used to implement the concepts of the present invention without departing from its scope. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Thus, for example, additional embodiments are within the scope of the invention and within the following claims.