Adjustable jewelry assembly

An adjustable jewelry assembly comprising:

• a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends and a first opening extending through the insert;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on at least one of the insert ends, the cap including a first aperture for alignment with the first opening;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the at least one insert end;
• an elongate flexible member having a first leg and a loop portion extending from the first leg;
• the first leg extending through the first aperture and the first opening, the first aperture and the first opening being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first leg of the elongate flexible member, the clamping device being adapted to slide along the first leg to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first aperture with the first opening;
• an ornament slidably mounted on the loop portion of the flexible member;
• and
• a cover member, the cap and insert being at least partially received in the cover member.

An adjustable jewelry assembly comprising:

• a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends and a first opening extending through the insert;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on at least one of the insert ends, the cap including a first aperture for alignment with the first opening;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the at least one insert end;
• an elongate flexible member having a first leg, a second leg, and a loop portion extending between the first and second legs;
• the first leg extending through the first aperture and the first opening, the first aperture and the first opening being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first leg of the elongate flexible member, the clamping device being adapted to slide along the first leg to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first aperture with the first opening;
• an ornament slidably mounted on the loop portion of the flexible member;
• and
• wherein the insert further comprises a second opening and the cap further comprises a second aperture for alignment with the second opening, with the second leg extending through the second aperture and the second opening, the second aperture and the second opening being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the second leg of the elongate flexible member, the clamping device being adapted to slide along the second leg to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the second aperture with the second opening.

A method of adjusting a jewelry assembly around a body part of a wearer, the method comprising:

• providing a jewelry assembly with an elongate, flexible member and a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends and an opening extending through the insert;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on one of the insert ends, the cap including an aperture for alignment with the opening;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the one insert end;
• the elongate, flexible member having first and second flexible leg portions and a loop portion therebetween, with the first and second flexible leg portions extending through the aperture and the opening in the same direction, the aperture and the opening being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first flexible leg portion;
• adjusting a size of the loop portion around the body part of the wearer by;
• (d) at least partially encircling the body part with the loop portion;
• (e) moving the insert and cap relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first aperture with the first opening;
• (f) sliding the clamping device and at least the first leg portion relative to each other to thereby increase or decrease the size of the loop portion;
• and
• (g) releasing the insert and cap so that the biasing force causes misalignment of the aperture with the opening to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the elongate flexible member;
• wherein adjustment of the size of the loop portion causes the elongate, flexible member to be hung at different lengths with respect to the body part.

A method of adjusting a jewelry assembly around a body part of a wearer, the method comprising:

• providing a jewelry assembly with an elongate flexible member and a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends with first and second spaced openings extending through the insert;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on one of the insert ends, the cap including first and second spaced apertures for alignment with the first and second openings, respectively;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the one insert end;
• the elongate flexible member having a first leg extending through the first aperture and the first opening, a second leg extending through the second aperture and the second opening, and an elongate, flexible loop portion extending between the first and second legs, the first and second apertures being misaligned with the first and second openings, respectively, under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first and second legs,
• adjusting a size of the loop portion around the body part of the wearer by:
• (d) at least partially encircling the body part with the loop portion;
• (e) moving the inset and cap relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second apertures with the first and second openings, respectively;
• (f) sliding the clamping device relative to the first and second legs to thereby increase or decrease the size of the loop portion;
• and
• (g) releasing the insert and cap so that the biasing force causes misalignment of the aperture with the opening to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the elongate flexible member;
• wherein adjustment of the size of the loop portion causes the elongate flexible member to be hung at different lengths with respect to the body part.

A method of adjusting a jewelry assembly according to claim, 18, wherein providing the clamping device further comprises providing a first slot extending between an outer surface of the insert and one of the first and second openings, and a second slot extending between an outer surface of the cap and one of the first and second apertures corresponding to the one opening, the first and second slots being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent movement of one of the first and second legs out of the one opening and the one aperture;

• and further comprising:
• moving the cap and insert relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the second slot with the first slot;
• and
• inserting the one leg into, or removing the one leg from, the one opening and the one aperture through the slot.

An adjustable jewelry assembly, comprising:

• a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends with first and second spaced openings extending through the insert;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on one of the insert ends, the cap including first and second spaced apertures for alignment with the first and second openings, respectively;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the one insert end;
• an elongate flexible member having a first flexible element extending through the first aperture and the first opening, a second flexible element extending through the second aperture and the second opening, and a loop portion extending between the first and second flexible elements;
• the first and second apertures being misaligned with the first and second openings, respectively, under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the first flexible element, the clamping device being adapted to slide along the first and second flexible elements when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second apertures with the first and second openings, respectively;
• a first end stop attached to a free end of the first flexible element;
• a second end stop attached to a free end of the second flexible element;
• the first and second end stops being larger than the first and second apertures, respectively, such that the first and second flexible elements are normally not removable from the clamping device through the apertures;
• and
• an ornament slidably received on the elongate flexible member.

An adjustable jewelry assembly, comprising:

• a clamping device, the clamping device including:
• (a) an insert having opposite ends, an opening extending through the insert between the ends, and at least one tab extending generally outwardly from one of the ends;
• (b) a cap slidably positioned on the one insert end;
• the cap including an end wall, a continuous side wall projecting from the end wall, an aperture formed in the side wall for alignment with the insert opening, and at least one tab extending generally inwardly from the side wall;
• and
• (c) a biasing member disposed between the cap and the one insert end;
• an elongate flexible member having a first leg, a second leg, and a loop portion disposed between the first and second legs;
• the first and second legs extending through the cap aperture and the insert opening, the aperture and the opening being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing member to thereby prevent relative movement between the clamping device and the legs of the elongate flexible member, the clamping device being adapted to slide along the legs to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the cap and insert are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the aperture with the opening to thereby adjust a size of the loop portion;
• the at least one insert tab abutting the at least one cap tab under biasing force from the biasing member in the absence of the elongate flexible member to thereby prevent separation of the insert and cap;
• and
• an ornament slidably received on the elongate flexible member, the ornament having a body portion that is larger than the aperture of the cap.