US3456307A - Earring clasp - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1969 M. LOVE EARRING CLASP Filed May 21, 1968 e m m V m M/Cl-IA EL LOVE ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 24252 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This clasp comprises two members which project rearwardly from an object such as an earring, these projecting members including aligned apertures in them and also including opposite, inwardly inclined edge portions. There is also a resilient wire member having two parallel intermediate portions connected at right angles to two free ends of the wire which are disposed in the apertures in the projecting members. At the other end of the parallel intermediate portions there is a broadened portion connected thereto for engaging the object to which the clasp is to be attached. When the intermediate portions are pivoted forward toward the earring, just past the inclined portions they snap away from one another due to their natural resilience and are maintained in a locking position by their lateral pressure against the forward parts of the edges of the projecting members. When they are pushed backward past the opposite inclined portions they snap outwardly due to their resilience into notches formed in the edges of the projecting members located just behind the inclined portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to clasps and in particular to a clasp for securing an earring to the human ear.

Prior art There have been many types of earring clamps or clasps. Some of them include pin-like members which pass through a perforation in the ear lobe. When the lobe is not pierced, a variety of clasps have been used. Some involve screwing a pressure member gradually from behind the ear toward the other side of the lobe until adequate pressure is achieved. This is a relatively costly and uncomfortable method of securing earrings to ears.

Another earring clasp has employed three or more parts including a separate spring for biasing the rear lobe pressure member forward against the back of the ear lobe.

Still another device involves a pivoting U member which, as it is brought closer to the rear side of the ear lobe, encounters increasing frictional resistance as it slides against the outer surfaces of an arcuate and resilient bifurcated member.

In all of these clasps, there has either been the necessity for a separate spring-biasing member or for positive detent action. Furthermore, many of these prior art clasps are relatively expensive to manufacture when the needs of the mass costume-jewelry market are taken into account.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This earring clasp is a two part assembly and includes (1) a set of rigid members which project perpendicularly from the rear of the earring and have two aligned apertures formed therein and (2) a resilient pivoting wire member having two intermediate substantially parallel portions, the intermediate portions being connected at respective ends to free coaxial terminal portions of wire which extend at right angles outwardly therefrom. These ice terminals portions are disposed in the aligned apertures in the projecting members. The other ends of the parallel intermediate members are joined by a lobe-engaging portion of the wire. Opposite portions of the edges of the projecting members incline toward one another and cause the intermediate portions of the wire to flex inwardly when the wire member is pivoted from its ear-engaging to its open position and vice versa. Notches formed on opposite sides in the edges adjacent the inclined portions enable the intermediate portions of the wire to snap laterally outward when the wire member is pivoted backward just past the inclined portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clasp assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the clasp assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the clasp shown in FIG. 2 taken along the section line 3-3 in the direction indicated and in closed position.

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the clasp shown in FIG. 2 but shown in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to FIGS. l-4 there is shown generally at the numeral 10 the clasp assembly which comprises a rigid portion indicated generally at the numeral 13 and a pivoting wire member indicated generally at the numeral 14.

The rigid member 13 includes a substantially planar portion 131: which is fixed to any desired object for mounting, such as an earring depicted schematically at the numeral 11. The rigid member 13 also includes two rearwardly projecting portions 13b and 130. The ortion includes an aperture 13 formed therein which is aligned with the corresponding aperture 13k in the portion 13b.

The wire member 14 includes opposite intermediate portions 14d and 14e which run from the ear lobe engaging portion 14a to the terminal ends 14hv and14i. The free ends 14h and 14i of the wire member 14 are disposed substantially at right angles to the intermediate wire portions 14d and 14e respectively. The intermediate portions 14d and 14e are themselves each made up of two sections, i.e. 14c, 14g, and 14b, 14 which are bent at right angles to one another. The run of wire 14a is intended to press against the inner surface of the ear lobe.

The member 13 also includes the rearwardly projecting portions 13b and13c whose edges are designed to im pel the wire member 14 either into a pressurized contact with the ear lobe or into an open detented position. When the wire member 14 is inserted with its free ends 14h and 141 in the apertures 13 and 13k, the intermediate portions 14d and 14e are pinched together somewhat and the portions 14 and 14g tend to be restrained in their natural outward pressure (i.e., away from one another) by the projections 13b and 130 respectively. As the wire member 14 is pivoted backward out of the closed position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the wire portions 14] and 14g will tend to be urged even further inward by the edges 13d and 13e. When the portions 14 and 14g pass along the inwardly inclined portions 13] and 13g they will be urged even further toward one another. As soon as the portions 14f, and 14g have been pivoted past contact with the inclined portions 13 and 13g, i.e. when the portions 14 and 14g are just about to engage the notches 13h and 13i, their natural outward lateral bias due to their compression (during their previous backward movement) will cause the portions 14; and 14g to snap outwardly into these notches as shown 3 in FIG. 4 so that they are detented to a definite open position.

When the clasp is to be closed over an ear lobe, the opposite pivotal movement of the wire member 14 takes place. First the portions 14 14g are moved out of the notches 1311 and 131', then they pass along the edges 13) and 13g. Finally, there will be a certain acceleration toward the closed position by virtue of the lateral pressure of the portions 14 and 14g against the downwardly sloping edges 13d and 13a. This final movement is limited only by the thickness of the lobe interposed between the earring 11 and the earlobe-engaging portion 14a.

It is thus seen that the present invention consists of an extremely simple mechanism which provides a detented rear or open position and an adjustable closed position for various widths of ear lobes, the lateral pressure exerted by the intermediate portions 14 and 14g against the edges 13d and 132 tending to maintain the portion 14a in pressurized contact against the inner surface of the ear lobe.

I claim:

1. A clasp comprising:

(a) a resilient wire member including (i) two intermediate portions disposed substantially parallel to one another,

(ii) two substantially coaxial free end portions of said wire member which respectively extend outwardly and substantially perpendicular to said intermediate portions at respective ends thereof and (iii) a portion connected to the other ends of said intermediate portions for pressing against a predetermined object, and

(b) a pair of substantially parallel, rigid members which are fixed to an extend substantially perpendicularly from a mounting member, said rigid members having aligned apertures formed therein in which said two free ends of said wire member are movably disposed thereby enabling said wire member to pivot therein, said rigid members also including opposite portions of the edges thereof which are inclined inwardly toward one another, said opposite portions being constructed to cause said intermediate wire portions to flex toward one another when said wire member is moved forward pivotally along and against said opposite portions.

2. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein said aligned apertures are both substantially elliptical in shape.

3. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein said (a) (iii) portion flares outwardly from the other ends of said intermediate portions.

4. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein each of said (a) (i) intermediate portions is formed of two contiguous sections disposed substantially at right angles to another.

5. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein said rigid members are attached perpendicularly to a substantially fiat base which is fixed to said mounting member, wherein said mounting member is an earring, and wherein said (a) (iii) portion is connected at an angle to the other ends of said intermediate wire portions.

6. The clasp according to claim 5 wherein said notches have a substantially V-shaped configuration and wherein said notches are contiguous to said opposite edge portions.

7. The clasp according to claim 6 wherein said notches are somewhat inclined inwardly toward one another.

8. The clasp according to claim 1 wherein said rigid members also include positions rearward of said opposite portions for holding said intermediate wire portions in a detented position when they have been moved pivotally backwards away from said opposite portions.

9. The clasp according to claim 8 wherein said rearward portions comprise notches formed in said edges which engage said intermediate wire portions when said intermediate wire portions have been pivoted backwardly away from said opposite portions whereupon their natural resilience impels them laterally away from one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,435 8/1941 Hubbcll 24252 2,633,615 4/1953 Donovan 24252 X FOREIGN PATENTS 910,773 2/ 1946 France. 522,262 6/ 1940 Great Britain. 598,208 2/ 1948 Great Britain.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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