CA2168675A1

CA2168675A1 - Interchangeable earrings

Info

Publication number: CA2168675A1
Application number: CA002168675A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Adriana Affinito
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-02-02
Filing date: 1996-02-02
Publication date: 1997-08-03

Abstract

An earring has a mounting assembly releasably interchangeable with one of a plurality of ornamental assemblies. The mounting assembly attaches the mounting assembly to a wearer. The mounting assembly releasably interlocks with the ornamental assembly. The mounting assembly has hypo-allergenic material on surfaces contacting the wearer. The mounting assembly has a spacer of hypo-allergenic material for spacing the ornamental assembly from the wearer when the earring is in an interlocked condition.

Description

2 1 6867~

INTERCHANGEABLE EARRINGS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to interchangeable earrings. More specifically, it relates to an interchangeable earring that allows the wearer to interchangeably S affix different ornamental elements to the same earring base, and prevents contact between the ornamental elements and the wearer's skin, minimi7ing the risk of allergic reactions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, earrings come in two forms: pierced or unpierced. An earring for pierced locations usually comprises a post which is inserted into the pierced hole from the front side. An ornamental element is affixed to the front end of the post, and the earring is secured at the rear.
An earring for an unpierced location normally has an ornamental element which is affixed to a clip. The clip clutches the wearer at the desired location, such as the earlobe, and secures the ornamental element to the wearer. The clip may be replaced by a threaded screw attached to a support. The support is generally U-shaped with the ornamental element affixed to the top of one of the legs of the U.
The threaded screw is attached to the other leg of the U, and secures the earring to the wearer when tight~n~cl.
Conventional earrings, either pierced or unpierced, suffer two serious drawbacks. First, the ornarnental element is integral with the attaching element of the earring. This necessitates the wearer to not only buy separate, complete earring assemblies for every occasion, but also to remove and replace the earrings every time 68675~

the wearer wishes to change the ornamental effect.
Secondly, many earring wearers suffer allergic reactions to the metal alloys which are commonly used in earring m~nuf~ctllre. If care is not taken to ensure that all contact parts of the earring are made of a hypo-allergenic material the wearer 5 may suffer serious and painful local irritation of the contact skin. To avoid these allergic reactions, the contact parts of the earring must be made of a non-reactive or hypo-allergenic material, such as high quality gold, silver or surgical steel. This increases the cost of earring manufacture. The wearer is required to m~in~in a large and expensive inventory of earrings as each separate ornamental element 10 requires a separate hypo-allergenic support and backing.
Earrings have been designed which allow a wearer to interchange the visible ornamental elements of the earring.
For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,504,507discloses a method of ch~n~ing an ornamental element of an earring for a pierced earlobe. A post, with a fixed 15 backstop, is pushed through from the rear of the earlobe. This exposes the tip of the post to which various ornamental elements may be releasably secured. Preferred embodiments of this method include three releasable attaching means: an externally threaded post to which internally threaded ornamental elements may be attached;
an internally threaded post to which an externally threaded stem of an ornamental 20 element may be attached; and a bevelled post end, of a diameter larger than the post, which pushes into a channel in an ornamental element and is then releasably held by leaf springs on either side of the channel.
Another example is U.S. Patent No. 5,048,310which discloses earrings, for .. ,,. ' 2l68675 both pierced and unpierced ears, with means to attach interchangeable ornamental elements. A ball is affixed to the front portion of the earring. A slot in the ball is provided with a female ret~ining opening. The female opening is adapted to mesh with a male stud on a V-shaped spring attachment. This spring attachment, which S supports the ornamental element, is releasably attached to the ball by inserting it into the slot.
However, neither of these earring examples disclose a method of ensuring that potentially allergenic elements are held away from the wearer's skin while at the same time allowing the wearer to easily and quickly change the ornamental elements.
10 SlJl\ll\aARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by providing an earring with a hypo-allergenic mounting assembly and interchangeable ornament assemblies. The mounting assembly prevents the ornaments from touching the wearer's skin for minimi7.ing risk of allergic reactions. The earring has interchangeable ornaments for 15 presenting different fashion effects. The earring may be adapted for either pierced or unpierced locations.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an earring having an ornamental assembly releasably interlocking with a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly attaches to a wearer. The mounting assembly releasably 20 interlocks with the ornamental assembly. The mounting assembly has hypo-allergenic material on surfaces contacting the wearer. The mounting assembly has a spacer of hypo-allergenic material for spacing the ornamental assembly from the wearer when the earring is in an interlocked condition.

2 1 686~5~

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a spacer which is mounted on a post of a mounting assembly. The spacer is made of a hypo-allergenic material and spaces the ornamental assembly from the wearer when the earring is in an interlocked condition.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a mech~ni.cm for releasably interlocking the mounting assembly to the ornamental assembly. The mechanism has a keyhole-shaped slot mounted on one of the orn~ment~l assemblies or the mounting assembly and a sphere mounted on the other of the mounting assembly or the ornamental assemblies. The keyhole-shaped slot receives the sphere to interlock the ornamental assemblies and mounting assembly together.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following is a description, by way of example only, of the preferred embodiments of t_e earring forming the subject invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an earring of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the body of the ornamental element of the earring of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of an ornamental element of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

.

s Figure 5 IS a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the present mventlon;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
5 Figure 7 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a eighth embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10 IS a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the present mventlon.
DETAILED DESCRIPrION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an earring of the present invention is illustrated.-The earring 10 generally comprises a mounting assembly and an ornamental assembly 20. The mounting assembly comprises a post 12, a spacer 14, a sphere orball 16 and a clutch 18.
Post 12 has sphere or ball 16 attached at one end thereof. Spacer 14 has an axial aperture sized to frictionally engage post 12. Post 12 receives spacer 14 in a sliding fit. Spacer 14 is spaced from sphere 16. Optionally, spacer 14 can be fixed on post 12.
Clutch 18 is a standard clutch assembly which is commonly used in earring manufacture. Clutch 18 has two cooperating parts which slide relative to each other ~ 1 68675 with a bias. When the two parts are urged towards each other, the clutch is slidable onto and off the post 18. When released, the clutch 18 frictionally engages the post 12, retAining the earring 10. Clutch 18 releasably engages a remote end of post 12 to clamp a wearer's earlobe between the clutch and the spacer.
S Post 12, spacer 14 and clutch 18 are all made of hypo-allergenic material.
OrnAmentAl element 20 comprises a body 22, and optional ornAmentAtion 24.
It is readily understood that ornamental element 20 may be any desired shape, si_e or configuration, depending on the desired ornamental effect to be projected and the current fashion trend.
Body 22 has a keyhole-shaped slot 26. The slot 26 is undercut defining a channel 28. One end of slot 26 Is si~ed to receive sphere 16 while the remAintler of the slot is reduced in width to retain sphere 16 within the slot, allowing post 12 to slide therealong.
Optionally, an opposite end of channel 28 has detents 30 on opposite sides of the channel. Detents 30 frictionally engage sphere 16 as it travels along channel 28 and will retain the sphere 16 at the opposite end, minimi7.ing the risk that the ornamental element 20 separates thel~rlolll.
In use, the free end of post 12 is inserted through an earlobe hole or other pierced body part and clutch 18 clutches the free end of post 12 at the back of the earlobe to hold the mounting assembly on a wearer's ear. Spacer 14 presses against the front of the wearer's earlobe.
The wearer then attaches the ornamental element 20 to the mounting assembly. The sphere 16 is inserted into the keyhole-shaped slot 26 until the spacer 2 t 68675) , 14 abuts against the back surface of the ornamental element 20. The sphere 16 is then slid relatively along slot 26 until it passes detents 30.
In this interlocked condition, only the mounting assembly, which is made of hypo-allergenic material contacts the wearer's skin. The ornamental element 20 is S spaced from the wearer's skin which minimi7es the risk of an allergic reaction. This allows the ornamental element 20 to be made of less expensive non-hypo-allergenic material.
Spacer 14 is positioned along post 12 from sphere 16 a distance approximately equal to the (li.ct~n~e between channel 28 and the back surface of ornament element 20. Spacer 14 could be moved along the post 12 to accommodate different ornamental elements.
Other ornamental elements having a similar a keyhole-shaped slot 26 may be easily and readily interchanged with the ornamental element 20. The wearer merely slides the ornamental element 20 relative to the sphere 16 until removable therefrom and then interchanges the ornamental element and attaches the new ornamental element onto sphere 16.
Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an ornamental element 120 has light, delicate ornamentation 122. The ornamentation 122 is suspended from a keyhole-shaped wire frame 126. The keyhole-shaped frame 126 defines a keyhole-shaped slot 128 which allows the ornamental element 120 to be attached to the mounting assembly 124 in the same manner as described in the first embodiment.
In Figure 4, a mounting assembly 42 for an unpierced ear is illustrated. The mounting assembly 42 has a sphere 16 attached by a post 40 which is attached to a screw-on earring mount 34. Post 40 is attached to leg 38. Screw 44 threadingly engages an opposite leg 39 to be in axial ali~nm~nt with post 40. A wearer att~ s the mounting assembly 42 to the earlobe by tightening screw 44 to clutch the bottom 5 of the earlobe. The ornamental element is attached in the manner described above.
In Figure 5, an interchangeable earring mounting assembly 46 has a clip-on earring mounting assembly 50. The clip-on earring mounting assembly 50 has two pivotally connected legs 52 and 54. Leg 52 has a cantilever spring 56 which extends out of the plane of leg 52 and abuts against a remote end of leg 54. Spring 56 biases legs 52 and 54 to two positions. In a first position, the legs 52 and 54 are clamped together at one end. In a second position, the legs 52 and 54 are opened. Sphere 16 is attached to a post 40 which is attached to leg 54.
The mounting assemblies illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 each has a spacer which is integral with the mounting assembly 42 and 50. Leg 38 and leg 54 is spaced 15 from the sphere 16 for interengaging with the ornamental assembly in the same manner as described in the first two embodiments.
Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment of the mounting assembly. Mounting assembly 60 has a post 112 which is curved in the conventional hook design for ears.
Spacer 14 is positioned along post 112 from sphere 16. Otherwise, the earring 20 mounting assembly is used in the same fashion as described above.
Figure 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the interlock on the ornamental element 220. The ornamental element 220 has a folded sheet 222 having a keyhole-shaped slot 126. Sheet 222 may be of metal or plastic and is in a folded condition 2 1 686 75~

and attached to the back surface of the ornamental element 220 to space the keyhole-shaped slot 126 therefrom. The ornamental element 220willoperate inthe same manner as described above.
Figure 8 illustrates a still further embodiment of the attachment. The ornamental element 320 has a pair of curved tangs 322 and 324. The tangs 322 and324 are curved and spaced apart from each other to releasably grasp sphere 16.
Spacer 14 is positioned along post 312 from sphere 16. Butterfly clip 318 retains the mounting assembly on the earlobe.
Figure 9 illustrates a still further embodiment of the invention wherein the post 412 is threaded to threadingly engage clutch 418.
Figure 10 illustrates a still further embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the spacer 514 is integral with the securing mechanism which releasably receives the ornamental element 520. Ornamental element 520 has a sphere 516 which engages a complementarily shaped opening in spacer 514. The opening has detents for engaging the sphere 516 in a snap fit. Optionally, spacer 514 could have a keyholed-shaped slot as described above.
Changes and adaptations may be made to the above described embodiments by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An earring comprising an ornamental assembly interchangeable with a mounting assembly, said mounting assembly having means for releasably attaching said mounting assembly to a wearer and means for releasably interlocking said mounting assembly to said ornamental assembly, said mounting assembly having hypo-allergenic material on surfaces for contacting the wearer, wherein the improvement comprises said mounting assembly having a spacer of hypo-allergenic material for spacing said ornamental assembly from said wearer when said earring is in an interlocked condition.

2. The earring as claimed in claim 1 wherein said earring further comprises a plurality of ornamental assemblies, wherein each of said ornamental assemblies is interchangeable with each other for attaching to the mounting assembly.

3. The earring as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of ornamental assemblies are configured to present a different ornamental appearance.

4. The earring as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ornamental assembly has a T-shaped slot for releasably receiving an end of said mounting assembly, said end complementary to said T-shaped slot.

5. The earring as claimed in claim 4 wherein said end is a sphere.