GB2331004A

GB2331004A - Fastener for jewellery

Info

Publication number: GB2331004A
Application number: GB9821529A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Vincent Joseph Dunne Batt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-05
Filing date: 1998-10-02
Publication date: 1999-05-12
Also published as: GB9805494D0; GB9821529D0

Abstract

A brooch or ear ring 2 has a body 4 with a protruding pin 6 (eg for passing through a pierced ear 11). A fastener 8 pivoted to the body is biassed to the closed position by a leaf spring (14, Fig 8) and has a recess (10, Fig 7) which receives the end of the pin when the fastener is fully closed. The end of the fastener is near to the free end of the pin in use and acts as a pin guard. The closing force of the spring is reduced towards the closed position for increased wearer comfort. The pin may be screwed into the body and act as a clamp locating the fixed end of the spring.

Description

AN ITEM OF JEWELLERY This invention relates to an item of jewellery such for example as an earring or a brooch.

Items of jewellery such for example as an earring or a brooch are usually secured in position either by a pin passing through a hole in a person's ear or clothing, or by a clip which clips to the person's ear or the clothing. When the item of jewellery is fastened by a pin, the known pin fastener arrangements are often not secure and/or are not easy to operate.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided an item of jewellery comprising a body part, a pin extending from the body part, a fastener member which is pivotally connected to the body part and which is pivotable between open and closed positions, and a recess in the fastener member which receives a free end of the pin when the fastener member is in the closed position, and the item of jewellery being such that the fastener member is biased to the closed position for securely retaining the item of jewellery in position.

The item of jewellery of the present invention is able to be securely held in position because the fastener member is biased to the closed position. The item of jewellery is easy to operate because the fastener member can easily be pivoted between the open and closed positions. The recess and the free end of the pin are automatically in registry when the fastener member is pivoted to the closed position because the fastener member is formed as an integral part of the item of jewellery and is pivotally connected to the body part. The fastener member acts as a pin guard, both when the item of jewellery is in use and not in use. Thus a user can be prevented from getting scratched on the free end of the pin. If the item of jewellery is put in a users pocket or bag when it is not in use, the fastener member also ensures that the pin will not get bent.

Usually, the fastener member will be biased to the closed position by a spring. The spring is preferably a leaf spring but other types of spring may be employed.

The item of jewellery may be one in which the fastener member includes an abutment portion which abuts against the body part when the fastener member is in the closed position. The abutment portion may act to steady and stabilize the fastener member on and about the pin in the closed position of the fastener member.

Preferably, the abutment portion abuts against the body part at a position around the pin when the fastener member is in the closed position. The abutment portion may have an aperture through which the pin passes during the passage of the fastener member to the closed position.

Preferably, the fastener member is generally Yshaped with the abutment portion being one of the arms of the Y-shape. The aperture is then in this arm of the Y-shape. Other shapes for the fastener member may be employed.

The fastener member may pivot about a pivot member which is secured to the body part.

The pin may be a screw fit to the body pert.

Other methods of securing the pin to the body parts may be employed.

When the pin is a screw fit to the body part, then the item of jewellery may be one in which the pin has a screw threaded base portion, and in which the body part has a screw threaded recess for receiving the base portion. The base portion may have a pair of recesses for receiving a tightening tool by which the base portion is screwed into the recess. Other methods for screwing the base portion into the recess may be employed so that1 for example, the base portion may be provided with flat sides for receiving a tightening tool in the form of a spanner.

The base portion may extend through an aperture in the leaf spring, thereby simply and easily locating the leaf spring in position.

The fastener member may pivot in a groove in the body part.

The body part will usually be such that it includes a decorative portion. The decorative portion will usually be on the side of the body part remote from the pin. Any suitable and appropriate decorative part for an item of jewellery may be employed.

The body part may also include a functional device in addition to, or as an alternative for, the decorative portion. The functional device may be, for example, an electronic chip device. The electronic chip device may be used for security, telecommunications, scientific or medical applications. The functional device may also be an advertising and/or promotional device.

The item of jewellery may be made from any suitable and appropriate materials including those materials currently employed for making items of jewellery. As indicated above, the item of jewellery is preferably an earring or a brooch but they may be other items of jewellery if desired.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with referEIlce to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of an item of jewellery in the form of an earring, the earring being shown in an open position; Figure 2 is a view like Figure 1 but shows the earring in a closed position; Figure 3 is a section through part of the earring as shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section through part of the earring as shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is an exploded view of parts of the earring; Figure 6 shows the earring in use on an earlobe; Figure 7 shows the earring in a storage position; Figure 8 shows how the earring is biased to the closed position; Figure 9 is an enlarged view of a fastener member and its pivot pin; Figures 10 and 11 illustrate the use of a first tightening tool for tightening and untightening part of the earring; and Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the use of a second tightening tool for tightening and untightening an alternative part of the earring to that shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Referring to Figures 1 - 11, there is shown an item of jewellery in the form of an earring 2. The earring 2 comprises a body part 4 and a pin 6 extending outwardly from the body part 4. The earring 2 also comprises a fastener member 8 which is pivotally connected to the body part 4 and which is pivotable between an open position as shown in Ficure 1 and a closed position as shown in Figure 2. The fastener member 8 has a recess 10. The fastener member 8 acts as a pin guard, both when the earring 2 is in use and when the earring 2 is not in use.

Figure 6 shows the earring 2 in use on an earlobe 11.

The part of the fastener member 8 containing the recess 10 stops close to a free end 12 of the pin 6 and thus guards the free end 12 of the pin 6 and prevents the free end 12 from scratching a ulcer.

Figure 7 shows the earring 2 in a non-use position and, in the non-use position, it will be seen that the free end 12 of the pin 6 is located in the recess 10 in the fastener member 8. Thus again the fastener member 8 acts as a pin guard for the free end 12 of the pin 6.

The earring 2 is such that the fastener member 8 is biased to the closed position for securing retaining the item of jewellery in position in a person's ear, with the pin 6 having been passed through a hole in the person's ear. More specifically, as can be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 8, the fastener member 8 is biased to the closed position by a leaf spring 14. The fastener member 8 has a cam portion 15 which cooperates with the leaf sprIng 14 such that, when the fastener member 8 is nearly closed, the fastening pressure is reduced, rather than being increased. The fastening pressure is at its maximum well before the fastener member 8 is fully closed. The reduced fastening pressure in the fully closed position of the fastener member 8 enables the earring 2 to be worn with a very good degree of comfort and with more comfort than would be the case with an excess of fastening pressure. The pin 6 takes most of the weight of the earring 2 and so the fastener member 8 does not have to be a too tight a fit on a person's ear.

The fastener member 8 includes an abutment portion 16 which abuts against the body part 4 when the fastener member 8 is in the closed position. As can best be seen from Figure 2, the abutment portion 16 abuts against the body part at a position around the pin. As best seen from Figure 1, the abutment portion 16 has an aperture 18 through which the pin 6 passes during the passage of the fastener menber 8 to the closed position. As best seen from Figure 2, the fastener member 8 is generally Y-shaped with the abutment portion 16 being one of the arms of the Yshape.

The fastener member 8 pivots about a pivot member in the form of a pivot pin 20. The pivot pin 20 is located in the body part 4.

As can be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the pin 6 is a screw fit to the body part 4. More specifically, the pin 6 has a screw threaded base portion 22. The body part 4 has a screw threaded recess 24. The base portion 22 screws into the recess 24. As can be seen from Figures 1, 2, 10 and 11, the base portion 22 is provided with a pair of recesses 26, 28 for receiving two prongs 29 of a tightening tool 31. The tightening tool 31 is for use in screwing the base portion 22 into the recess 24. As can be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the leaf spring 14 has an aperture 30 through which the base portion 22 passes before being screwed into the recess 24. The aperture 30 is formed in a cup part 32 in the leaf spring 14 and so the base portion 22 is simply and conveniently able to secure the leaf spring 14 in position.

All the moving parts of the earring 2 are such that they can be for removal for repair or replacement. Thus, for example, if the pin 6 should become damaged, it can easily be replaced by unscrewing the damaged pin 6 and screwing in a new pin 6. Replacement pins may be sterile pins from a pack of sterile pins.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 1, 3, 4 and 8, the end of the fastener member 8 adjacent the pivot pin 20 operates in a groove 34 in the body part 4. This end of the fastener member 8 includes the cam portion 15. Generally, this end of the fastener member 8 has a rounded top surface to fit neatly into the groove 34 from an aesthetic view point. Figure 8 shows how the spring 14 acts on the fastener member 8.

Figure 9 is a rear view of the fastener member 8 and the pivot pin 20. It will be seen that the pivot pin 20 has its ends 21 bent over to stop the pivot pin 20 becoming separated from the fastener member 8.

The body part 4 may be plain or it may include a decorative portion or portions. In Figures 1 and 2, a decorative portion 36 has merely been shown as a domeshaped decorative portion 36. Obviously, the decorative portion could be any suitable and appropriate type of decorative portion. The body part 4 can be formed of sheet metal which, if treated at correct temperatures, can result in the body part 4 being both very hard and very light. Castings can be used but they would generally be heavier and more brittle. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the decorative portion 36 is on the side of the body part 4 remote from the pin 6, but could equally be on any part of the body part 4. The decorative portion 36 could alternatively hang from or extend outwardly from the body part 4.

The length of the pin 6 is such that the distance from the base portion 22 to the free end 12 is sufficiently long that the fastener member 8 can easily be gripped and pivoted about the pivot pin 2).

The design of the earring 2 is such that it is able to hang straight on a person's ear, and will not droop. This is because the pivot pin 20 is positioned away from the back of the body part 4, i.e. the pivot pin 20 is not in a straight line with the majority of the body part 4 but is positioned to the left as shown in the drawings. The earring 2 is of a simple design which is such that it functions well without the engineering that achieves the good function being substantially noticeable.

Referring now to Figures 12 and 13, there is shown a pin 38 and a tightening tool 40 which are similar to the pin 6 and the tightening tool 31 shown in Figures 10 and 11. Similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In Figures 12 and 13, it wil]. be seen that only one recess 26 is employed in the pin 38, and only one prong 29 is employed on the tightening tool 40.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Thus, for example, the shape of the fastener member 8 may be different to that shown. The item of jewellery may be a brooch or some other item of jewellery. The item of jewellery may be made from any suitable and appropriate materials.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An item of jewellery comprising a body part, a pin extending outwardly from the body part, a fastener member which is pivotally connected to the body part and which is pivotable between open and closed positions, and a recess in the fastener member which receives a free end of the pin when the fastener member is in the closed position, and the item of jewellery being such that the fastener member is biased to the closed position for securely retaining the item of jewellery in position.
2. An item of jewellery according to claim 1 in which the fastener member is biased to the closed position by a spring.
3. An item of jewellery according to claim 2 in which the spring is a leaf spring.
4. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fastener member includes an abutment portion which abuts against the body part when the fastener member is in the closed position.
5. An item of jewellery according to claim 4 in which the abutment portion abuts against the body part at a position around the pin when the fastener member is in the closed position.
6. An item of jewellery according to claim 5 in which the abutment portion has an aperture through which the pin passes during the passage of the fastener member to the closed position.
7. An item of jewellery according to claim 6 in which the fastener member is generally T-shaped with the abutment portion being the central part of the Tshape.
8. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fastener member pivots about a pivot pin which is secured to the body part.
9. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pin is a screw fit to the body part.
10. An item of jewellery according to claim 9 in which the pin has a screw threaded base portion, and in which the body part has a screw threaded recess for receiving the base portion.
11. An item of jewellery according to claim 10 in which the base portion has a pair of recesses for receiving a tightening tool by which the base portion is screwed into the recess.
12. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fastener member pivots in a groove in the body part.
13. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body part includes a decorative portion.
14. An item of jewellery according to claim 13 in which the decorative portion is in the side of the body part remote from the pin.
15. An item of jewellery according to any one of the preceding claims and in the form of an earring or a brooch.
16. An item of jewellery substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.