Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Pierced earring fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-12
2002-05-21
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Pierced earring fastener
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389662
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 user's 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. A security clutch for a jewelry post includes a housing defining a post receiving aperture extending therethrough to define an access port. A trigger lock member is disposed in said housing and includes a main body with an aperture therethrough defining a central post locking notch. A biasing member is connected to one end of the main body and a trigger portion is connected to opposing end to extend through an access port in the housing for manipulation by the user from outside the housing. When the trigger is depressed against the biasing force of the biasing member, the main body is moved from a resting locked position to an unlocked position with the post locking notch being clear of the post receiving aperture, thereby permitting free passage of a jewelry post within the post receiving aperture. As a result, the security clutch can be easily and quickly installed and removed from a jewelry post when desired.
In operation, the button portion is depressed by the user, against the forces of the spring-biasing member to clear the locking notch 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 and use of a unitary trigger and spring member. 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 a unitary trigger and spring configuration and 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 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.
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B.A.Ballou & Co., Inc.
Barlow Josephs & Holmes, Ltd.
Brittain James R.
LandOfFree
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