US20170156418A1

US20170156418A1 - Protective earring cover

Info

Publication number: US20170156418A1
Application number: US15/142,079
Authority: US
Inventors: Jennifer Illene Griffin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-12-04
Filing date: 2016-04-29
Publication date: 2017-06-08

Abstract

An earring cover provided. The earring cover includes an elongated material having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a front surface, and a back surface opposite the front surface. A first padding may be attached to the first end and a second padding may be attached to the second end of the elongated material. The first padding may include an opening formed thorough a center portion and the second padding may include an opening formed through the center portion. The earring cover may further include an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the elongated material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/263,045, filed Dec. 4, 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to preventing injury due to earrings and, more particularly, to a protective earring cover.
An athlete wearing earrings during sport play is prone to risk of injury to the ear, head or neck. Currently, there are no products on the market, other than athletic tape and bandages that are used to solve this problem. Typical athletic tape or bandages are not always accepted by athletic leagues due to the lack of protection from the earring post which can cause injury to the head or neck. Further, tape and bandages are time consuming to apply to ears and typically fall off due to lack of adhesive and a lack of flexibility.
As can be seen, there is a need for an earring cover that is flexible and provides sufficient protection to prevent injury.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, an earring cover comprises: an elongated material comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a back surface; a first padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the first padding, wherein the first padding is attached to the first end of the elongated material; a second padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the second padding, wherein the second padding is attached to the second end of the elongated material; and an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the elongated material.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of protecting ears from injury comprises: providing an earring cover comprising: an elongated material comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a back surface; a first padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the first padding, wherein the first padding is attached to the first end of the elongated material; and a second padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the second padding, wherein the second padding is attached to the second end of the elongated material; adhering the earring cover to an ear of a user wearing an earring, wherein the opening of the first padding is aligned with a front of the earring and the opening of the second padding is aligned with a backing of the earring.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a paper backing being removed from an adhesive layer;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a section view of an embodiment of the present invention taken from line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a back view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a section view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention includes decorative earring covers to protect ears during sport play. The earring covers may include two decorative earring pads, connected by flexible tape that surrounds the earring and adds a cushioned barrier between the earring (front and post) on both sides of the ear, minimizing risk of injury to the ear, head and neck. The present invention includes decorative earring covers that are specifically designed to fit around the earring and provides a soft, cushioned barrier between the earring and skin. The pads are connected by a flexible adhesive fabric that is designed and sized specifically for ear applications for a comfortable fit that lasts for duration of game play.
The present invention may be constructed with a variety of materials that include, but are not limited to, fabrics, molded plastics and silicone, paper products, coloring, and adhesives. The padding of the earring covers may include a variety of shapes colors and patterns. The height of each padding may range between about ¼″ and about ¾″ depending on shape. The width of each padding may range between about ¼″ and about ¾″ depending on shape. Each padding may include a hole that can range between about 2 millimeters and about 6 millimeters in diameter. The hole may be circular, or may take the form of a variety of shapes. The earring paddings are connected by flexible fabric. The flexible fabric covers the back of the openings of the top and bottom padding and will stretch over the front and back of the earring. Alternate embodiments may be made without flexible fabric covering the openings. The entire backside of the present invention may be covered with the adhesive backing. A paper covering covers the adhesive layer, and is be peeled off, exposing the adhesive, prior to use.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 11, the present invention includes an earring cover. The earring cover includes an elongated material 18 having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a front surface, and a back surface opposite the front surface. A first padding 10 may be attached to the first end and a second padding 14 may be attached to the second end of the elongated material 18. The first padding 10 may include an opening 12 formed thorough a center portion and the second padding 14 may include an opening 16 formed through the center portion. The earring cover may further include an adhesive layer 20 disposed on the back surface of the elongated material 18.
The elongated material 18 may be made of a bendable stretchable material. For example, the elongated material 18 may be made of a woven fabric.
In certain embodiments, the elongated material 18 may be made of material having rubber elasticity. As mentioned above, an adhesive layer 20 may be disposed along an entire back surface of the elongated material 18 so that the earring cover adheres to the earring and ear 24 of the user. A peel away paper 22 may cover the adhesive layer 20 until the earring cover is in use.
The first padding 10 and the second padding 14 may be made of any shock absorbent material, such as, but not limited to, silicone, rubber, foam, and the like. The first padding 10 and the second padding 14 are attached to the front surface of the elongated material 18. The padding 10, 14 may be in the form of a decorative shape, such as, but not limited to, a heart, a flower, a star and the like. The opening 12 of the first padding 10 may align with the front 28 of the earring and the opening 16 of the second padding 14 may align with the earring backing 30 and earring post 32 of the earring. The openings 12, 16 provide clearance for the earrings, which provides for a more comfortable fit.
As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the present invention may include two upper paddings 34 and two lower paddings 38. The upper paddings 34 may include an opening 36 formed through a center portion. The upper paddings 34 are attached to the front and back surface at the first end of the elongated material 18. The lower paddings 38 includes an opening 40 formed through a center portion. The lower paddings 38 are attached to the front and back surface at the second end of the elongated material 18. The paddings 34, 38 may be attached to the elongated material 42 by an adhesive layer 44. An adhesive layer 44 may be disposed over the third padding 34, the fourth padding 36 and the elongated material 42 in between. A peel away paper 46 may cover the adhesive 44 until the earring cover is in use. The embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10 adds an additional layer of padding to the present invention.
A method of protecting ears from injury may include the following steps: providing an earring cover having an elongated material having a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a back surface, a first padding having an opening formed through a center portion of the first padding, the first padding attached to the first end of the elongated material, and a second padding having an opening formed through a center portion of the second padding, the second padding attached to the second end of the elongated material; and adhering the earring cover to an ear of a user wearing an earring so that the opening of the first padding is aligned with a front of the earring and the opening of the second padding is aligned with a backing of the earring.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An earring cover comprising:

an elongated material comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface and a back surface;

a first padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the first padding, wherein the first padding is attached to the first end of the elongated material;

a second padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the second padding, wherein the second padding is attached to the second end of the elongated material; and

an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the elongated material.

2. The earring cover of claim 1, wherein the elongated material comprises a rubber elasticity.

3. The earring cover of claim 2, wherein the elongated material is made of a fabric material.

4. The earring cover of claim 1, wherein the first padding and the second padding are attached to the front surface of the elongated material.

5. The earring cover of claim 1, wherein at least the first padding comprises a decorative shape.

6. The earring cover of claim 4, further comprising:

a third padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the third padding, wherein the third padding is attached to the back surface at the first end of the elongated material; and

a fourth padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the fourth padding, wherein the fourth padding is attached to the back surface at the second end of the elongated material.

7. A method of protecting ears from injury comprising:

providing an earring cover comprising:

an elongated material comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a back surface;

a first padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the first padding, wherein the first padding is attached to the first end of the elongated material; and

a second padding comprising an opening formed through a center portion of the second padding, wherein the second padding is attached to the second end of the elongated material;

adhering the earring cover to an ear of a user wearing an earring, wherein the opening of the first padding is aligned with a front of the earring and the opening of the second padding is aligned with a backing of the earring.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least the first padding comprises a decorative shape.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the elongated material comprises a rubber elasticity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the elongated material is made of a fabric material.