Jewelry storage and display case

Nov. 13, 1951

2,575,016

Η. P. HOPP ETAL

JEWELRY STORAGE AND DISPLAY CASE

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INVENTORS.

-Toroid P Hopp* _βγ Ffyffust E. PiunzeZman

Tttorjneys.

Patented Nov. 13, 1951

2,575,016

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,575,016

JEWELRY STORAGE AND DISPLAY CASE

This invention relates to jewelry cases in general, and to wrist watch cases in particular.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a case of this type with a wrist watch holder which may be moved in the case from a lower position therein, in which a wrist watch thereon is fully enclosed and protected in the closed case, into a position in which the wrist watch is for its conspicuous and neat display raised in the open case, thereby rendering the latter useful for the display of a wrist watch in a store, as well as for safekeeping the wrist watch after its purchase by a customer to whom the case is given with the purchased watch.

It is another object of the present invention pivotally to mount the watch holder in the case so that the wrist watch and connected band or bracelet thereon will, in the display position of the ’holder, assume a slanting disposition best suited for presenting the watch to the observer in the manner in which the watch would appear to the observer if worn, on someone’s wrist.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for the yielding arrest of the watch holder in the case in either of the above-mentioned positions therein.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a watch case embodying the present Invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the watch holder of the case;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, showing the watch holder in watch-display position; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 5—5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the reference numeral 10 designates a case which may be opened and closed by a cover 14. The cover 14 may conveniently be hinged to the case 10 in a manner not shown. In the present instance, the case 10 and cover 14 are ornamental in their design so as to keep in good taste with the use of the case for the storage as well as the display of a wrist watch. The case 10 comprises a bottom wall 16, front and rear walls 18 and 19, respectively, and opposite side walls 20 and 21, respectively. The side walls 20 and 21 are, in the present instance, higher than the front and rear walls 18 and

Harold P. Hopp, Englewood, N. J., and August E. Kunzelman, White Plains, N. Y„ assignors to Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation

Application April 11, 1950, Serial No. 155,322

Claims. (CI. 206—45.15)

19, so as to lend a neat ornamental appearance to the open case 10 (Fig. 1). The side walls 20 and 21 will also straddle the adjacent side walls 22 and 23, respectively, of the cover 14 in the closed position of the latter in which the bottom edge 24 of the front wall 26 of said cover rests against the top edge 28 of the front wall 18 of the case, thereby aiding the hinge connection between the case and cover in preventing movement, other than pivotal, of said cover relative to the closed case. To lend to the cover 14 a pleasing appearance, its top 29 may appropriately be curved in the fashion indicated in Fig. 1.

Provided in the case 10 is a holder 30 which, in the present instance, comprises a base plate 32 on which is pivotally mounted, in a manner to be described, a strap 34 for the support of a wrist watch (not shown). The strap 34, which may be made from sheet metal or any other suitable, preferably somewhat resilient material, has a substantially straight rear section 36 and opposite, forwardly bent end sections 38 and 39 which are at their bottom edges provided with laterally projecting lugs 40 and 41, respectively. In mounting, a wrist watch on the strap 34, the customary band or bracelet on the watch is passed over the strap and comes to rest against the lateral lugs 40 and 41 on the latter, care being ordinarily taken that the watch itself extends in front of and bridges the gap 42 between the curved end sections 38 and 39 of the strap 34.

The base plate 32 of the holder 30 is mounted in the case 10 on the bottom wall 16 thereof, and the strap 34 is, as previously mentioned, pivotally mounted on the base plate 32 for movement into the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. To this end, the strap 34 is provided, preferably centrally of its rear section 36, with a downwardly extending tab 52 which is held clamped to the base plate 32 by bearing . with its bottom edge 53 against a slit portion 54 of the latter, and by bearing with lateral lugs 56 and 58 against the adjacent non-slit portions 60 and 62, respectively, of the base plate 32 in the manner best shown in Fig. 5. Shorter lateral lugs 64 and 66 on the tab 52 extend into slots 68 and 70 in the plate portions 60 and 62, respectively, said slots serving as fulcrums for the tab 52 about which the latter and, hence, also the strap 34 are turnable into the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. In order yieldingly to arrest the strap 34 against movement from either of its positions (Figs. 3 and 4) into

2,575,016 the other position, the base plate 32 is, in the present instance, provided with a preferably impressed ridge or bead 76 over which snaps the tab 52 on the strap 34 on forcefully turning the latter into either one of the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Further, there is preferably punched from the base plate 32 a stop lug 80 against which bears the tab 52 on the strap 34 when the latter is in the watch-display position shown in Fig. 4, thus arresting the strap 34 against turning movement clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 beyond the display position there shown. The bead 76 in the base plate 32 also causes the strap 34 to spring with a Snap action into either of its two positions (Figs. 3 and 4) after the tab 52 has cleared the high point of the bead 76, as will be readily understood. Thus, in the position of the strap 34 shown in Fig. 3, a wrist watch thereon is sufficiently close to the bottom wall 16 of the case 10 to permit closure of the latter by the cover Ϊ 4. On the other hand, on opening the cover 14 and turning the strap 34 into the display position shown in Fig. 4, a wrist watch on the strap is raised in the case and disposed in such slanting fashion as to demonstrate the watch to best advantage to an observer. The instant case 10 with its holder 30 is, therefore, ideally suited for a most effective display of a wrist watch in a store, as well as for safekeeping the watch after its purchase by a customer to whom the case is given with the purchased watch.

To prevent damage to a wrist watch and enhance the appearance of the instant case, particularly for watch-display purposes, the mounted base plate 32 and the strap 34 of the holder 30, as well as the inside of the cover 14 of the case 10, are preferably lined with any suitable padding material M, such as velvet, for instance.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.