US 6,134,917 AGranted

Jewelry retention system

OwnerThomas D. Kohl, Kenneth L. Minoinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An apparatus and system for securing jewelry to a person's body, or to secure together the ends of a piece of jewelry. In one embodiment, an earring back for receiving a post of an earring has a base having a base aperture therein for receiving the post, and a first primary leg extending from a first end of the base, and a second primary leg extending from a second end of the base. A first spring leg extends from the first primary leg, the first spring leg having front face having a front aperture therein for receiving the post. A second spring leg extends from the second primary leg, the second spring leg having intermediate face having an intermediate aperture therein for receiving the post. The spring legs are biased such that when the earring back is uncompressed or not under external applied compressive forces, the front aperture, the intermediate aperture, and the base aperture are in axial misalignment. When the post is inserted through the apertures, the spring legs exert an outward force which secures the earring back about the post. Other embodiments include a clamping device and post for securing together the ends of jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, or chokers.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A system for securably attaching a first end of jewelry to a second end of said jewelry, said system comprising:

a piece of jewelry including a first end and a second end;
a post attached to said first end of the piece of jewelry;
and
a clamping device adapted to receive said post said clamping device coupled to said second end of said piece of jewelry, said clamping device comprising:
a base including a base aperture therein for receiving said post;
a first primary leg extending from a first end of said basel;
a second primary leg extending from a second end of said base;
a first spring leg extending from said first primary leg and being coextensive with the length of said first primary leg, said first spring leg including a front face, said front face including a front aperture therein for receiving said post;
a second spring leg extending from said second primary leg and being coextensive with the length of said second primary leg, said second spring leg including an intermediate face, said intermediate face including an intermediate aperture therein for receiving said post, wherein when no external forces are applied to the clamping device, the front aperture, the intermediate aperture, and the base aperture are in axial misalignment;
and
wherein said clamping device has a set of aligned apertures passing through said first spring leg, said second spring leg, said first primary leg, and said second primary leg, said set of aligned apertures adapted to receive a ring attached to said second end of said jewelry.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.