Jewelry – Having direct body attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2001-05-29
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3628)
Jewelry
Having direct body attachment
C063S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237367
ABSTRACT:
The present invention pertains to an earring connector and, more particularly, to a connector for an earring for a pierced ear that provides a secure and simple mounting.
Pierced earrings in the prior art utilize a variety of connectors to secure the ear post or ear wire within the ear lobe of the wearer to prevent accidental dislodgment and loss. In a conventional circular or loop ear ring, the ring is provided with a gap to receive the ear lobe and the ear wire or post is mounted to one end of the ring, while the other free end is passed through the ear lobe and caused to engage the other end of the ring. One means of providing a secure connection is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 260,692 in which the body of the ring opposite the gap is provided with a spring-biased hinge, allowing the two ring halves to pivot with respect to one another. The ear wire is secured to the end of one ring half and, as the ring halves are pivoted relative to one another, the ear wire moves away from the end of the other ring half for insertion through the ear lobe, after which the ring halves are pivoted back to the closed position with the ear wire secured in the end of the other ring half.
Another loop earring connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,239. One end of the ear wire is pivotally attached to one end of the ring for movement in an arc that coincides with the plane of the ring. After insertion of the free end of the ear wire through the ear lobe of the wearer, the wire is pivoted in the plane of the ear ring, permitting the free end of the ear wire to be received in a notch formed in the other end of the ring and held therein with a friction fit. Other variations of this type of connection, sometimes referred to as a V connection, are known in the prior art.
A further variation in a connector for a circular or loop type pierced ear ring is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,815. The earring in this patent is made from flat bar stock rolled to form a ring with spaced ends forming a gap that is spanned by the ear wire. One end of the ear wire is formed with a loop connected to one free end of the ring and the other end of the ear wire is inserted into a lateral slot formed in the other free end of the ring. The loose pivotal connection of the ear wire to the ring permits pivotal movement in many directions requiring the wearer to exercise considerable dexterity in aligning the ear wire with the connecting slot.
German Patent No. 31731 disclosed a cuff link or button for clothes having an open loop-shaped body and a pivotally attached pin to close the open loop after attachment. However, the pin end is not secured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a loop type earring includes a pivotally mounted ear post that pivots from an open position after insertion through the ear to a closed position along a confined arc that allows the free end of the post to readily snap into and lock in the other free end of the ring. The earring body has spaced opposed ends that define a gap sized to receive an ear lobe. An ear post that has a length greater than the gap has one end pivotally attached to an end of the ring body on a pivot positioned to permit movement of the free end of the post toward and away from the other end of the ring body. Pivotal movement of the post is confined to an arc that is transverse to the plane of the ring body. A locking detent is provided on the other end of the ring body and is sized to receive the free end of the post and to hold the same with a resilient locking bias.
The locking detent for the free end of the post comprises an indentation formed in one end of the ring body and includes an entry slot that is engageable by the free end of the post in response to movement along the transverse arc. The slot is dimensioned to cause a slight resilient deflection of the free end of the post as it passes into the slot, and the indentation includes a locking recess that opens inwardly from the slot is dimensioned to permit return of the free end of the post from its deflected state to lock it in the recess. The entry slot preferably includes a lead-in surface that is divergent in the direction of deflection of the free end of the post from the direction of movement along the transverse arc. The indentation also preferably includes a transition surface between the slot and the locking recess that is divergent in the direction of resilient deflection of the free end of the post from the reverse direction of post movement on the transverse arc.
The ear post preferably comprises a malleable metal wire having one end flattened for pivotal attachment to one end of the ring body. The pivotal attachment comprises a notch formed in one end of the ring body and defined by spaced end members, the notch being dimensioned to receive the flattened end of the post. Aligned holes are provided in the flattened post end and in the end members, and a pivot pin is received in the aligned holes and secured in the hole in at least one of the end members. The pin is preferably secured with an interference fit.
In the preferred embodiment, the ring body is generally annular in shape and the post is curved to conform generally to the annular shape of the body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 245297 (1881-08-01), Heckmann
patent: 260692 (1882-07-01), Krementz
patent: 271121 (1883-01-01), Riley et al.
patent: 785857 (1905-03-01), Cassity
patent: 872691 (1907-12-01), Seidl
patent: 3116616 (1964-01-01), Bangs
patent: 3208239 (1965-09-01), Pintarelli
patent: 3673815 (1972-07-01), Pintarelli
patent: 4003217 (1977-01-01), Evans et al.
patent: 5433088 (1995-07-01), Mahar
patent: 31731 (1884-11-01), None
Andrus Sceales, Starke & Sawall
Chop Andrea
Knight Anthony
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