EP1224885A1 - Fastener for earring - Google Patents

Abstract

The earring (18D) comprises a decorative part (20D) with a first end portion (19D) to which a fastener rod (22D) is connected. The rod has a fastener portion (24D), which is inserted in the hole (16D) of an ear (12D), and a free fastener end portion (30D). The fastener portion is inclined relative to the first end portion at an angle ( alpha ) corresponding to a separation angle (A) of the ear lobe carrying the earring relative to the cheek to form a bend (26D) so as to straighten the earring relative to the cheek.

Description

The present invention relates to an earring comprising a decorative loop portion having a first end portion at which is connected an attachment rod comprising an attachment portion intended to be inserted into an ear piercing and a portion free end of attachment, as well as a pair of earrings.

Such earrings are intended to be worn by a person with pierced ear lobes.

We know such earrings that are maintained suspended from the ear by a portion of fastener inserted in a hole of one ear and which can be either straight or curved, in particular for earrings whose decorative part is hanging. In this last case, the tie rod is in the form of an inverted V the generally curved top of which forms the attachment portion intended to be arranged in the piercing of the ear lobe. When the portion attachment is placed in the hole, each of the two branches of the V of the attachment rod is visible, since the two branches extend down on either side of the hole so that the decorative part along the cheek of the person wearing the buckle ear.

Whatever the shape of the decorative part, the V of this rod of attachment is substantially included in a vertical plane, when the loop is kept in the position of use for a user in vertical position.

In the particular case of the Creole loop, the V is in the plane means of the earring which then corresponds to the median plane of the decorative loop part. So the tie rod is in a plane vertical when the decorative part is in vertical position.

However, the curved attachment portion generally remains poorly positioned in the ear piercing, which is itself appreciably straight and has a natural tendency to slide forward or backward of the ear lobe, causing the introduction of one of the two branches of the V in the drilling, which is somewhat unsightly.

In addition, it very often happens that the earrings are badly positioned in relation to the cheeks of the person wearing them, which is unattractive. The fault is all the more important, when the part decorative loop is large and / or ring-shaped, especially for Creole type earrings, which it is desirable that they are parallel to the cheeks near the lobe, i.e. parallel to the sagittal plane of the user's face, the latter corresponding to the plane of symmetry of the face.

When two similar earrings are worn and in particular for creoles, it is then preferable that they are parallel between them.

An object of the present invention is to provide an earring which avoids this aesthetic defect.

This object is achieved thanks to the fact that the attachment portion is inclined relative to the first end portion of an angle α corresponding to an angle of separation of the ear lobe carrying the earring in relation to the cheek, forming an elbow, so that straighten the earring in relation to the cheek.

Thus, in the vertical use position of the earring, the rod of attachment is not contained in a vertical plane, since the portion of attachment is inclined relative to such a plane so as to straighten the earring relative to the cheek, but in a plane substantially transverse. In this case, when the earring is placed in the drilling, the attachment rod is substantially included in a plane substantially transverse to the sagittal plane of the user's face, commonly known as the transverse plane of the head.

For example for hoop earrings, the attachment portion is contained in a substantially horizontal plane when the part decorative is placed in a vertical plane.

In practice, the holes made in the ear lobes are pierced orthogonally to the lobes. The lobes are more or less less apart from the cheeks, but are almost never (except in the case of extreme detachment of the ears) orthogonal to the cheeks. So the drilling is not parallel to the cheek, but is inclined at an angle A by compared to the cheek. Thus, by tilting the attachment portion with the elbow mentioned above, the earring is substantially parallel to the cheeks when the rod is placed in the hole.

The angle α of the elbow is advantageously chosen so that a mean plane of the decorative loop portion is substantially parallel to a cheek shot.

Thus, the earring placed in the hole is well straightened and remains substantially parallel to the sagittal plane of the user's face and does not tend to deviate from it.

For all the rest the cheek plane is the one that goes through the cheeks parallel to the sagittal plane of the face.

Advantageously, said elbow forms an angle α of between 90 ° and 150 °, preferably around 135 °.

Morphologically, the angle A is between 90 °, when the ears are very detached and 170 °, when the ears are very stuck; however, generally this angle is of the order of 135 °. So in choosing an angle α of this order of magnitude, the earring is well straightened when placed in the ear and its plane medium is substantially parallel to the cheek of the person wearing it.

Said tie rod further advantageously comprises a fold-back portion which forms a counter-bend which extends between said portion of attachment and said free end portion of attachment. In addition, this bend wedges behind the earlobe, thus determining the position of attachment in the lobe piercing.

This counter-bend is in fact a counter-curved portion which allows the attachment rod to return, behind the ear, in the extension of the first end portion of the decorative loop portion.

Advantageously, the counter-bend forms, relative to the portion of attachment, an angle β between 30 ° and 100 °. It is preferentially of the order of 90 °, which also makes it possible to better maintain the loop against the earlobe by applying slight pressure on the lobe.

Advantageously, said free attachment end portion is inclined by an angle γ with respect to said counter-bend and said angle γ is chosen so that the sum of the angles α, β and γ is equal to 360 °.

By choosing such an angle γ, the attachment rod has a portion free end which is in the axis of the first end portion of the decorative loop part.

Thus, the tie rod is almost invisible when the loop is worn, since the end portions of its part of decorative loop are located opposite each other in the extension of the attachment rod, that is to say for creoles, in a plane substantially transverse to the median plane of the loop portion decorative. The elbow is then almost hidden on the front of the loop ear by the end of the decorative part. The same goes on the back of the earring for the free attachment portion, while the the elbow is naturally masked by the earlobe. The rod of attachment, being generally entirely housed in the bore, is noticeably invisible.

The attachment portion is advantageously substantially straight over its entire length.

The attachment portion then having the same geometry as the bore of the ear lobe, i.e. substantially straight, it does not tend to slide naturally into it.

In addition, when the tie rod has a counter bend, the attachment portion is wedged in the bore between the portion end on one side of the ear lobe and the elbow on the other side.

Advantageously, said free attachment end portion is suitable to cooperate with fixing means.

Advantageously, the fixing means can be carried by a second free end portion of said decorative loop portion and are able to cooperate by hooking with said end portion free of attachment or can be an independent element of the clasp type springs.

Advantageously, said fixing means comprise a channel and said free end portion is able to penetrate said channel to attach and close the earring.

In the case of hoops, this closure system is very practical and not visible in the closed position, since it suffices to do penetrate the end of the fastener and an end portion in the part back of the part of the decorative loop that is removed beforehand, at time of placement in the ear piercing, and which is fitted a small channel intended to accommodate the end portion or at least the free attachment end of the latter.

When the Creole is more rigid, it is more difficult to spread the loop to allow the fastener to penetrate the hole. Therefore, the attachment can advantageously be fixed to the decorative loop part by a hinge. This hinge then clears the entire rod to attach the earring by pivoting it around the hinge while remaining in a plane transverse to the mean plane of the part of the decorative loop and thus facilitate its positioning in the ear piercing.

The present invention also makes it possible to propose a pair of earrings whose two loops are well arranged in the ear holes so that the aesthetic defect is reduced to better, in particular the decorative loop parts are parallel to the sagittal plane of the user's face in the position of use.

To do this, the pair of earrings has a loop of right ear according to the aforementioned type, a left earring according to the aforementioned type, and the attachment portion of said right earring is substantially inverted with respect to the attachment portion of said loop left ear.

The ears being symmetrical with respect to each other, to ability to straighten earrings in both right ears and left, you need a right earring and an earring left. Each earring has a fastening system above which is reversed from one loop with respect to the other.

The user can use the shape of the clip to differentiate the right loop the left loop in particular when the loop is placed in the ear piercing, the elbow should be pointed towards the plays ad hoc. In addition, a marking of the loop can advantageously be practiced on each loop to easily differentiate the loop right ear from left ear.

Advantageously, in the position of use, the loop part decorative of the right earring is substantially parallel to said decorative loop part of the left earring.

In fact, when the earrings each have a plan medium, in the position of use of the earrings, these medium shots are parallel to each other and parallel to the sagittal plane.

Thus, hung on the ears, the decorative loop parts are substantially symmetrical to each other, when they are symmetrical one on the other for example in relation to a mirror plane, They are also substantially parallel to each other, when they are similar one of the other. In particular for creole loops, the loop parts decorative are parallel to each other and parallel to the sagittal plane.

In the case of asymmetrical earrings with respect to a plane means of the decorative loop part, in particular for parts of reverse decorative loop, i.e. with mirror symmetry relative to the sagittal plane, the parts of the decorative loop are then substantially symmetrical to each other with respect to the sagittal plane.

The invention will be well understood and its advantages will appear better on reading the detailed description which follows, of embodiments shown as nonlimiting examples.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus de la tête d'une personne portant les boucles d'oreilles, dans un plan transversal du visage,
• la figure 1A est un agrandissement de la figure 1 selon le repère IA, montrant schématiquement une partie de la boucle d'oreille droite, dans le plan transversal du visage,
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'une boucle d'oreille droite ouverte,
• la figure 3 est une vue de côté d'une boucle d'oreille droite ouverte, et,
• la figure 4 est une coupe partielle d'une boucle d'oreille droite fermée vue de dessus dans le plan transversal.

The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a top view of the head of a person wearing the earrings, in a transverse plane of the face,
• FIG. 1A is an enlargement of FIG. 1 according to the reference IA, schematically showing part of the right earring, in the transverse plane of the face,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an open straight earring,
• FIG. 3 is a side view of an open straight earring, and,
• Figure 4 is a partial section of a closed straight earring seen from above in the transverse plane.

Figure 1 shows the head 10 of a person with a right ear 12D and a left ear 12G, top view in a Po plane substantially transverse to the plane of symmetry of the user's face, commonly called sagittal plane S. The right ear 12D, respectively left 12G, is moved away from the right cheek 14D, respectively left 14G, in this case of a plane J of the cheeks, of an angle A (shown in FIG. 1A). These planes J are respectively defined as planes passing through the cheek in the vicinity of each ear, right 12D, respectively left 12G, said planes being parallel to the sagittal plane S.

The angle A can vary from one individual to another between 90 ° and 170 °. These two extremities are rarely reached. In fact, when the ears are very close together, the angle A is of the order of 170 ° and, when the ears are very detached, it is about 90 °; however, and this is generally the case, this angle is of the order of 135 °.

Ear piercing is performed orthogonally to the 12D lobe and 12G of each ear, which causes an inclination of each right hole 16D, respectively left 16G, of the same angle A. Thus, so that the decorative part of an 18D or 18G earring, by example a creole, or substantially parallel to the cheek in this case parallel to plane J of each cheek, when placed in the hole 16D or 16G, it must be straightened. Ear studs right 18D and left 18G are therefore reversed with respect to each other, that is, they have mirror symmetry with respect to the plane sagittal S, so that when the decorative loop parts are Creole type, they are substantially parallel in the position of use. The decorative loop parts of creole type earrings each generally have an average plane M which is therefore make parallel to the sagittal plane S. For all the rest, we will focus only to describe in detail an 18D straight earring.

Figure 1A shows, in enlargement, a partial section at vicinity of the right ear lobe 12D, with its right hole 16D and a straight 18D hoop placed in the right hole 16D in position closed loop. 18D straight hoop has a loop part decorative straight 20D having a first end portion 19D, at which is connected a straight tie rod 22D which extends in a part of the cylindrical envelope of the decorative loop part 20D. Given the relatively small length of the tie rod, this part of the cylindrical envelope containing the latter can be assimilated to a plan.

To be able to straighten the decorative loop part 20D by compared to the plane J of the cheek 16D, it is preferable to act on the spacing of the attachment rod 22D relative to the first end portion 19D. To do this, the plane containing the straight attachment rod 22D referenced P is substantially transverse to the mean plane M. In the position of use the plane P containing the tie rods is substantially parallel to the plane transverse Po.

The straight tie rod 22D has a straight tie portion 24D substantially straight which is inserted into the right hole 16D. The straight attachment portion 24D has an elbow 26D having an angle α in the transverse plane P. According to the invention, the angle α is similar to the angle A corresponding to the spacing of the ear lobes and therefore of the holes. The angle α is thus chosen between 90 ° and 150 °, preferably of the order of 135 °, which corresponds to the average of the spacings observed so that the mean plane M of the decorative loop part 20D is parallel to the plane J of each cheek 14D, 14G and to the sagittal plane S, as shown in figure 1.

The straight tie rod 22D advantageously comprises a folding portion 27D which forms a right counter-bend 28D at angle β by relative to the attachment portion 24D and which extends between the attachment portion straight 24D and a free end portion of straight attachment 30D. The angle β is between 30 ° and 100 °, preferably around 90 °. The 28D straight bend allows, among other things, to keep the creole against the right ear lobe 12D. When the earring 18 is not a Creole, but a loop that does not come back on itself, the portion straight end 30D straight tie rod 22D straight tie rod can stop near the right attachment portion 24D.

Advantageously, particularly in the case of creoles, the free end portion of straight attachment 30D is inclined at an angle γ between 110 ° and 240 °, preferably around 135 °. In fact, it is preferable that the angle γ is chosen so that the angles α, β and γ are appreciably included in the transverse plane P and that their sum is substantially equal to 360 °, so that in the case of loops earrings, the free end portion of the 30D straight attachment comes opposite a second straight end portion 32D.

Figure 2 shows an 18D straight hoop with the loop portion decorative 20D is very fine, with the first end portion 19D which is opposite the second straight end portion 32D; this loop can be resiliently deformed for fitting in the ear piercing. The tie rod 22D is connected to the first end portion 19D and includes the attachment portion 24D, the counter bend 28D and the free straight end portion 30D, such as described above and in particular deviated from the angles α, β and γ. The free end portion of straight attachment 30D extends freely from the 28D bend over a length intended to be introduced into a channel 34D of ad hoc length, advantageously produced in the second straight end portion 32D of the decorative loop portion 20D.

To close the 18D hoop, simply insert the end portion free straight attachment 30D in channel 34D. So the fixing means include channel 34D which contains the free end portion straight attachment 30D, when the Creole 18D is closed, but we could consider, especially for earrings that are not form of hoops, that the fastening means comprise a clasp by springs (not shown), which slides on the end portion free 30D straight attachment, then locks by action of the springs on the free end portion of straight attachment 30D. The 22D tie rod can be connected to the first end portion 19D by welding or any other fixing means.

When the 18D Creole is more rigid, in particular, when the section of the decorative loop part 20D is larger or has decorative portions extending on either side of the plane 18D earring makes it more difficult to deform the earring to insert the free straight end portion 30D in the channel 34D, as shown in Figure 3.

In this case, it is preferable to provide the attachment rod 22D with a hinge 36, which makes it possible to separate the attachment rod 22D from the part decorative buckle 20D. So, during the establishment of 18D Creole in the hole 16D (not shown in this figure), it suffices to discard the attachment rod 22D to the outside of the decorative buckle part 20D, for example, insert the fastening portion 24D into the hole 16D, then to bring the tie rod 22D and the decorative loop part 20D by inserting the free straight end portion 30D in a channel 34D for example when the same fixing means are used.

The fixing means may also include a system with hook, not shown. Hook system closes the loop ear using the free attachment end which is joined to a hook fixed on the second straight end portion 32D which no longer exhibits channel 34D.

In the presence of the hinge 36, the elbow 26D is separated, by relative to the first end portion, of a fixed angle α which is not compare to the opening / closing angle of the tie rod relative to to the decorative loop part 20D.

In practice, all the angles α, β and γ are substantially included in the same plane P, which when the free end portion attachment 30D is hooked to the second loop end portion 32D, is substantially orthogonal to the mean plane M of the earring, when the latter has one and is coincident with the transverse plane Po of the head when the earring 18D is placed in the hole 16D, as shown in figure 1.

In the presence of such a hinge 36, this plane P is able to pivot around the latter 36, always remaining substantially transverse sagittal plane S and medium plane M in the case of a 20D creole, but while moving away from the transverse plane Po of the head (FIG. 1).

In Figure 4 is shown in detail an example of a hinge 36. The hinge 36 comprises a fork 38 having two lips 38 'and 38 ", fixed to the first end portion 19D, by welding for example. Advantageously, the fork 38 is U-shaped open towards the outside of the first end portion 19D, in which one end 40D elbow 26D (opposite the free end portion of attachment 30D) is inserted while being held in rotation by means of a rod 42 fixed in holes 44 'and 44 ", made respectively in the lips 38' and 38 "and passing through the end 40D through a hole 46D.

Claims (12)

Earring (18D; 18G) comprising a decorative loop part (20D) having a first end portion (19D) to which is connected an attachment rod (22D) comprising an attachment portion (24D) intended to be inserted into a bore (16D; 16G) of an ear (12D; 12G) and a portion of free end of attachment (30D),
characterized in that said attachment portion (24D) is inclined relative to the first end portion (19D) by an angle α corresponding to an angle (A) of separation of the ear lobe carrying said loop ear (18D; 18G) relative to the cheek by forming an elbow (26D), so as to straighten the earring (18D; 18G) relative to the cheek. Earring according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the said angle α of the elbow (26D) is chosen so that a mean plane of the decorative loop part (20D) is substantially parallel to a plane of the cheek. Earring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said angle α of said elbow (26D) is between 90 ° and 150 °. Earring according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the said attachment rod (22D) also comprises a fold-back portion (27D) which forms a counter-bend (28D) which extends between said attachment portion (24D) and said free attachment end portion (30D). Earring according to Claim 4, characterized in that the said elbow forms, with respect to the said attachment portion (24D), an angle β between 30 ° and 100 °. Earring according to claim 5, characterized in that the said free attachment end portion (30D) is inclined by an angle γ with respect to the said elbow (28D) and in that the said angle γ is chosen so that the sum of the angles α, β and γ is substantially equal to 360 °. Earring according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said attachment portion (24D) is substantially rectilinear over its entire length. Earring according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said free attachment end portion (30D) is able to cooperate with fixing means (34D). Earring according to claim 8, characterized in that said fixing means (34D) are carried by a second free end portion (32D) of said decorative loop part (20D) and are able to cooperate by hooking with said free attachment end portion (30D). Earring according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said fixing means (34D) comprise a channel (34D) and in that said free end portion of attachment (30D) is capable of entering said channel (34D) to fix and close the earring (18D; 18G). Pair of earrings (18D; 18G), characterized in that it includes a straight earring (18D) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, a left earring (18G) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and in that the attachment portion (24D) of said right earring (18D) is substantially reversed with respect to the attachment portion of said left earring (18G). Pair of earrings (18D; 18G) according to claim 11, characterized in that in the position of use, said decorative loop part (20D) of the right earring (18D) is substantially parallel to said decorative loop part of the left earring (18G).

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