Jewelry – Body member encircling ornament
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2002-11-26
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3677)
Jewelry
Body member encircling ornament
C063S003200, C063S023000, C024S11500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484535
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to jewelry, and more particularly to a jewelry assembly having a clamping device and a length of jewelry, such as a necklace, bracelet, anklet, and so on, adjustably held by the clamping device for adapting the hanging length of jewelry around a person to a desired amount to thereby accommodate the person's body size, clothing type, and fashion preferences.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many years, people have worn necklaces at various different lengths depending upon the prevailing fashion at the time. During some years the common length has been a short choker length of approximately fifteen inches. During other years the common length has been eighteen inches or longer. The trends in length have come and gone repeatedly over the decades.
Necklaces commonly comprise a fixed length of flexible chain made from one or more precious metals, such as gold, silver and platinum, and these chains are available in a wide variety of designs. The flexible chains are also commonly adorned with a wide variety of pendants, which generally comprise one or more precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires, mounted in settings of precious metal. Purchasers of fine jewelry currently select a pendant of a desirable style and size and have it mounted on a flexible chain having a fixed length, which is usually fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four, or thirty inches. If the popular fashion changes, the pendant can in many cases later be mounted on a chain of a different length, but this generally requires the purchase of a new chain and also often requires the services of a professional jeweler to remove the pendant from the old chain and mount it on the new chain. Thus, mounting a pendant on a new chain can be inconvenient, time consuming and expensive.
Due to the wide variety of body shapes and sizes, a necklace chain of a given length will hang differently from person to person. For example, an eighteen-inch necklace chain which hangs at a fashionable length on an average-sized person would not hang at the same fashionable length on a relatively larger or relatively smaller person. In some cases, such persons have been unable to wear necklaces and other jewelry at appropriate fashionable lengths.
Moreover, the style and type of a person's clothing can interfere with the appearance of a necklace and affect the way the necklace hangs. For example, a pendant which hangs at approximately the same length as the neckline of the person's clothing can often be hidden from view by the clothing. Likewise, a pendant which hangs at a fashionable length when worn over light clothing may not hang at the same fashionable length when worn over relatively bulky clothing.
Many necklace chains include a clasp for connecting and separating opposite ends of the chain for mounting and dismounting the chain around a person's neck. Such clasps are relatively small in size and thus are relatively difficult to manipulate.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adjustable jewelry assembly for adjusting the hanging length of jewelry, such as necklaces and/or pendants, to accommodate the particular size and clothing style of the wearer in a relatively quick and easy manner. Such a device would permit the wearer to precisely adjust the length of the necklace chain so that the pendant or other ornament hangs at the most appropriate and flattering position, regardless of the person's particular size and clothing style.
It is also desirable to provide an adjustable jewelry assembly for accommodating a wide variety of different fashionable lengths without requiring the person to purchase a new chain of a different length and have the pendent mounted on the new chain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an adjustable clamping device for precisely adjusting the length of jewelry, such as necklaces, to easily and conveniently accommodate the particular size, clothing type, and fashion preferences of the wearer. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to necklaces, but can also be readily applied to jewelry commonly worn elsewhere, such as around the waist, wrist and ankle.
An adjustable jewelry assembly according to the present invention comprises a releasable clamping device and an elongate flexible member releasably secured to the clamping device. The elongate flexible member forms a loop portion with the clamping device and is slidable in the clamping device to adjust the size of the loop portion. The clamping device includes an insert having opposite ends and a first opening extending through the insert, a cap slidably positioned on at least one of the insert ends, and a biasing member disposed between the cap and the at least one insert end. The cap includes a first aperture for alignment with the first opening. The elongate flexible member has a first leg, a second leg, and a loop portion disposed between the first and second legs. At least the first leg extends through the first aperture and the first opening. The first aperture and the first opening are misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first leg of the elongate flexible member. The clamping device is adapted to slide along the first leg to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first aperture with the first opening.
According to one aspect of the invention, an ornament is slidably mounted on the loop portion of the flexible member. According to a further aspect of the invention, a cover member is provided for at least partially receiving the cap and insert. The cover can include one or more openings for receiving at least the first leg.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, an adjustable jewelry assembly comprises a clamping device and an elongate flexible member releasably secured to the clamping device. The clamping device includes an insert having opposite ends with first and second spaced openings extending through the insert, a cap slidably positioned on one of the insert ends, and a biasing member disposed between the cap and the one insert end. The cap includes first and second spaced apertures for alignment with the first and second openings, respectively. A first elongate, flexible element extends through the first aperture and the first opening and a second elongate, flexible element extends through the second aperture and the second opening. The first and second apertures are misaligned with the first and second openings, respectively, under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first flexible element. The clamping device is adapted to slide along the first and second flexible elements when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second apertures with the first and second openings, respectively.
According to yet a further embodiment of the invention, an adjustable jewelry assembly comprises a clamping device and an elongate flexible member releasably secured to the clamping device. The clamping device includes an insert having opposite ends, an opening extending through the insert between the ends, and at least one tab extending generally outwardly from one of the ends. A cap is slidably positioned on the one insert end. The cap has an end wall, a continuous side wall projecting from the end wall, an aperture formed in the end wall for alignment with the insert opening, and a tab extending generally inwardly from an outer edge of the end wall. A biasing member is disposed between the cap and the one insert end. An elongate flexible member has a first leg, a second leg, and a loop portion disposed between the first and second legs. The first and second legs extend through the cap aperture and the insert ope
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld & LLP
Chop Andrea
Swann J. J.
Wirthlin Alvin R.
LandOfFree
Adjustable jewelry assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Adjustable jewelry assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adjustable jewelry assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2925386