Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2001-11-20
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S658000, C024S706800, C063S012000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to clutches and clasps and more particularly to a security clutch for a jewelry post, such as an earring post.
Security clutches or clasps are widely used for connection to a grooved jewelry post to secure the jewelry post in place. A jewelry post is commonly provided with an ornamented end and a free end. The ornamented end, for example, may carry a pearl, gemstones, metal cast design or other decorative structure. The opposing free end is inserted through a pierced ear. The free end of the post includes at least one circumferential groove to receive a clutch or clasp on the post on the opposite side of the ear to the ornamented end to secure the entire assembly in place on the ear. The clutch releasably engages the post and is of an enlarged area to prevent accidental removal of the post from the pierced ear. A security clutch can be removed and attached to the free end of the post for installation and removal of the earring assembly on the users pierced ear. Additional circumferential grooves can also be provided to secure the clutch closer or farther away from the ornamented end in accordance with the thickness of the user's ear and their respective comfort level.
In view of the foregoing, the employment of a clasp or clutch to secure a jewelry post is critical so that it is does not fall out of the user's ear. Other non-earring jewelry posts have the same requirement. In the prior art, there have been many attempts to provide a security clutch for a grooved jewelry post. For example, the prior art includes various clutches with an integrated spring-biased locking member that obstructs a post receiving aperture positioned through the clutch. The integrated locking member typically includes a complex construction with many components and delicate springs. Many prior art devices include two opposing trigger buttons to control the positioning of a locking member located inside the housing.
As a result, these prior art devices are expensive to manufacture and labor intensive to assemble. The delicate and complicated parts are very small in size and are very difficult to assemble properly. Further, these prior art devices are difficult and cumbersome to operate by the user. In sum, these prior art devices are inadequate to meet the user's needs.
In view of the foregoing, there is a demand for an improved security clutch with a minimal number of component parts to facilitate manufacturing and assembly and to reduce cost without sacrificing quality and performance. There is also a demand for a security clutch that can install onto a standard grooved jewelry post. There is a further demand for a security clutch that has only a single trigger for ease of operation, a low profile for comfort and a positive lock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art security clutches for jewelry posts. In addition, the security clutch for jewelry posts provides new advantages not found in currently known devices and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available devices.
The invention is generally directed to the novel and unique security clutch for jewelry posts, such as grooved posts. The security clutch for a jewelry post, such as a grooved earring post, of the present invention includes a housing with a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall. An access port in the side wall and a post receiving aperture through the top wall and the bottom wall are also provided. A trigger is disposed within the housing and includes a button portion that protrudes from the housing and through the access port for manipulation by the user. A U-shaped post engaging member is disposed within the housing and is in communication with and lies in the same plane as the trigger. A spring-biasing member is connected to the U-shaped post engaging member to position the U-shaped post engaging member into partial blocking of the post receiving aperture and into engagement with the groove of a grooved post received therein.
In operation, the button portion is depressed by the user, against the forces of the spring-biasing member to clear the U-shaped post engaging member from the post receiving aperture and from the groove of the grooved post to permit free movement of a jewelry post within the post receiving aperture. As a result, the security clutch of the present invention can be easily attached and removed from a jewelry post quickly by depressing only a single button. Further, the security clutch of the present invention easily engages with a groove of a grooved post to prevent the security clutch from being removed without first depressing the button portion.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that can be easily installed and removed.
Still further, an object of the instant invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that securely locks to a grooved jewelry post.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that can be locked and unlocked by depression of a single button.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that has fewer parts than prior art security clutches.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that is simple and easy to manufacture and assemble.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that has a positive lock.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that can accommodate on single and multiple grooved posts.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a security clutch for jewelry posts that has a low profile.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1114869 (1914-10-01), Donaldson
patent: 1246868 (1917-11-01), Bulley
patent: 1277258 (1918-08-01), Raiche
patent: 1402827 (1922-01-01), Arkin
patent: 3523339 (1970-08-01), La Viano
patent: 3765064 (1973-10-01), Hoober et al.
patent: 3853416 (1974-12-01), Hanan
patent: 3948547 (1976-04-01), Gache
patent: 4310953 (1982-01-01), Nanasi
patent: 4881302 (1989-11-01), Lee
patent: 5529379 (1996-06-01), Stocker
patent: 5588309 (1996-12-01), Chioffe
patent: 5823623 (1998-10-01), Beck
patent: 5845378 (1998-12-01), Karmell et al.
patent: 5894641 (1999-04-01), Hurtz et al.
B. A. Ballou & Co., Inc.
Barlow, Josephs & Holmes Ltd
Sandy Robert J.
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